The morning sun glints off the two contestants as beads of sweat trace the lines of their faces. Van tightens his grip on his twin blades; Gran opens and closes his fists, loosening the tension.
"Fight!"
As the announcer drop his hand the two dash through, leaving a dust trail so wicked that Gran throws three consecutive punches but Van just block this with his short sword that he holds in a reverse grip as he answer this intense right hand jabs with a stab attempt and Gran sidestep and Van shift his sword to slice him horizontally to the right. Gran jumps out of range and he hop back with an attempt to kick the sword out of Van's hand.
"No you don't!" As Van say that he tries to meet the kick with a hit with his pommel with his straight sword. This hit Gran's legs but the Exorcist didn't feel the damage since he put a little Barrier in there. Van follows through lunging his short sword to his opponent, but Gran use an elbow block and a fanning hand to blind Van and he attempt to hit Van's face, but Van weaves out and he prepares to stab with his straight sword upward to Gran's chin. The Exorcist just jumps out again and it is clear that neither of them gonna give an inch for this fight.
"Hah!"
Gran opens the round again with a roundhouse but this is just a feint as when Van tries to stab it with his reverse gripped short sword Gran switch the roundhouse as a question mark kick and the kick connect as it hit Van and this is the first damage of this fight. The crowd falls silent as Princess Lucy witness how her fiancee receive an unnatural damage.
Van, after being kicked, respond by swinging his sword with a diagonal slash but Gran responded with a Barrier filled hand. Van see this green lattice barrier wrapping his opponent's hands as he also introduce a feint and he drops the diagonal slash with a horizontal slash, hitting Gran's arm and he follow this one up with a quick slash with his short sword on Gran's elbow as well.
"Tch, that blade is something alright... Time to switch strategies." Gran think to himself as he enters Van's range. Van didn't waste his time as he switch his grip on his left hand as he wants to stab Gran, but like a boxer, Gran weaves through it and duck to slot a body shot and with his left fist and as he pivots to the right, Van also does this but in opposite side and he body check Gran out and he goes to kick him to the face, a payback from earlier.
"Okay! Turn up the heat then!"
The Exorcist starts bobbing and weaving like earlier, but this time he flawlessly move through Gran's range as the Sword Saint unleash several quick slashes he dodge and weaves then he found a chance when he swiftly steps to the opponent's right side. He release a hook to the liver, but Van tries to slice him off with his straight sword. He cast a Barrier into his left arm as fires of his right knee, but Van denies it with the short sword as Gran cast his Barrier again to stop the stab.
"And this will be sweet."
He then proceed to kick Van's right foot and hit him with right elbow to the gut. This cause Van to lose his guard and this give Gran the chance to give a left haymaker and unleash a sidekick so devastating, it sends Van through the pillar near the Royal Balcony. Princess Lucy shouts to cheer for her beloved.
"Van!!! Fight!!"
The damage done to the pillar is like a cannonball hitting it. Some of the wall chunks fall off as Van recompose himself and he jumps several times as the glint of his eyes deepen and this startle Gran a little as he see a bullet like movement from Van that's almost a blur for him and he manage to evade the last moment as he slice through the air with so much force, it creates a sonic boom that sends Gran flying but he handsprings and return to action, but before he fully recover, the Sword Saint have already raise his blades to slice the Exorcist off.
"Woah! man calm down!" As Gran say that he catch the blades with his Barrier wrapped in his hands, but Van plows through and he manage to break the Barrier with sheer force. Gran's hand recoils as he witness the power the Sword Saint have. "Guess we need to not hold back!" When Van aims to raise his blade to slash Gran off again, he give the Sword Saint an axe kick and it didn't hit Van at all, it hit his Short Sword as he spin to give him a left spinning hook kick.
This stagger Van as the crowd express shock and worry as Princess Lucy shouts from the Royal Balcony. "Van! Stand your ground! FIGHT!!" As soon as the Sword Saint hear this he suddenly get a speed boost as Gran get blown away when he use his ebony sword. It seems that the Sword Saint get tired of holding back. Gran rolls back and he manage to get in an upright position as he stand and he also cut loose.
"I'm sorry Mr. Gran, but I can't betray those who believes in me, especially her!!" Van shouts as Gran wants to completely assume the role of being the antagonist at this moment. "Oh? Then I'll take her if that's what it takes!" As Gran flash an evil grin Van can't help himself as he explode into rage. "Damn you!!"
The charging Van prepares to fire a mana filled sword strike, which the announcer remarks that it is like the energy Sylvia or Gina produce when they use their Finishers. This also amaze the two as they already knew that Van can do that, but they didn't expect that he is gonna be driven to such length. "I'm never figuring out why Gran wants to push the strongest man in this world." Sylvia pinches her nose as Gina can't look straight to the match now.
As the ebony blade becomes white, Gran prepares his whole body to catch the blade with his hands. Van raise the blade as he holds it into two hands while his feet didn't touch the ground due to him launching himself like a speeding rocket wanting to hit the Exorcist. As soon as Van enters Gran's range he adjusts his speed to exceed his limits. Gran miscalculates as the blade will be hitting his face if he doesn't do anything.
"Tch, you're clearly good as hell man!"
As he thought that Gran grabs the Dimensional Flow in an instant and he create a double compression on both of his hands as Van's blade stops from going further. Gran's nose bleeds as Van couldn't understand what's going on and Gran didn't miss the chance as he kick the Sword Saint with a Upward Kick and he follows it up with a front kick, sending Van back and Gran steps through and he place his palm through his opponent's chest.
"Repel"
With that command he send Van flying to the walls again, but the drawback send Gran kneeling and bleeding on his nose. He wipes it out as he decides about something. "If he is still standing I'll forfeit. The dagger is my target and nothing more." Gran thinks to himself while he is waiting for the dust and debris to clear up. Gran didn't need to wait for too long as Van swat it out as he's dashing through again.
"Alright..."
As he say that he fake his defeat as he collapses his face first into the ground. As Van see this and the announcer declare that Gran exhaust himself to defeat, Van is announced to be the winner, but this piss off Van.
"W... Why? You can still fight right Mr. Gran? I thought we aren't holding back in this fight? Why are you throwing it away?" Van says as his frustration is getting hold of him. Van kill off his aggression as he see that Gran lays on the ground still, not responding to his words. In the end he just hiss and return to the fighter's waiting room while the clerics approach Gran and he just stands up like usual.
"Well I didn't like to be disqualified because we are both heated about this fight, and I do like to get that sweet, sweet dagger hehe." Gran answers to no one as the cleric is just looking at him, seeing that he doesn't have any mana whatsoever but completely fine. "Uhm sir, are you okay to walk?" The cleric ask, but Gran just smiles and flash a thumbs up.
As the Exorcist goes to the fighter's waiting room Gina confronts him. "You could've win the fight don't you? Why?" Gina's tone is somehoe down but curious. Gran just scoffs at her and answer. "Well he got the power to defeat me not gonna lie. If I tool that attack head on it might kill me. Honestly I just don't like revealing my hands to eager people to see how I dance..." Gran explains, but he later pindown Gina as he knows why she ask that.
"But if you want to know, I do have one condition." As Gran tries to all flirty with her, putting his face near hers, her party members call her out and they see how he's gtting too close to her. "Get away from Leader you freak!" One of the Valkyries shouts as she brandish her staff to him and prepares to fire a rapid spell. Gran just raise his hands and get away. Gina just looks down, but deep down she's blushing like crazy.
"Oh my gosh... I didn't know somebody so bold and direct like that."
As she thinks that. She check Gran's face and figure. For her it's not bad at all. She notice that he got that toned body and a sharp face and his facial expressions are a mix of soft and sharp.
"I got to admit I didn't shown interest to any male adventurers before except to Van at the Academy days. I'm not sure if accepting him will be okay to others..." She thinks but it is clear that one of her party members are currently against him. "That idiot..."
"I do want to know you gals. Seems to me you are a tight knit party huh." Gran ask as the mage is still aiming her staff on his face. The shield carrying girl just trying to stand between the two and Gran notice this. "You are an angel girl, I like that." Gran holds her hand, and Gina feels something painful in her chest.
"Is this... No no no..."
Gina calls all of them out as she wants to introduce her party members to Gran. "Since you are all here, minus Mayuri for some reason. The girl with overgrown staff is Veronica, the girl who you should let go of her hand is Rinko and we are the Valkyries." Gran let Rinko's hand go as she's somehow too flustered since a man touch her. "Why Rinko's reacting like that? You... You did something to her didn't you!" Veronica ask angrily ask as Gran just waves to them and he wants to bid farewell.
"Want to rest? You still have a match later for the 3rd place right?" Gina ask as he just nods and Gran just goes to them while the chatter and banter are audible in the hallway.
Borders of the Kingdom...
The monster in priestly-robes approach the city walking through then crowd and passing by the guards at the gates. Soli is looking for either a strong opponent or an interesting event. He is just basking to the light of the golden sun, but since he didn't have any goal in this world, he is getting bored out of his mind.
"Hope we find something interesting... The beauty that I must instill to humanity or to myself as well." Soli mutters to himself as he looks to the road and a man just bump to his right. "Oh I'm sorry sir." The dark skinned kid apologizes as Soli just smiles and he also apologizes.
"Oh sorry too, I'm not too aware about the road..." But as he say that several formal looking men are chasing the kid and he rush out to escape them Soli didn't want to interfere, but since he is bored, he might as well step in to ask one thing. "You guys are looking for a kid?" As Soli ask that, one of the men calls him out.
"Get out of our way mister! That kid needs to finish his commision with the Mayor!" The man tries to shove him out of the way, but Soli didn't budge as he smiles and it creeps the hell out of the man. "What commision does he do?" Soli ask as the other men chase the running kid behind Soli. They are causing a scene now as the people notice what's going on. "Isn't that the Mayor's personal guard? Oh they are asking that kid again huh." A man mutters as Soli notice when he looks back to the kid that he has a canvas.
"Oh, is he an artist of sort?" Soli ask but the man angrily told him to get out of his way. Temperament of the monster is something that he shouldn't trigger, but Soli touch his suit and he Reconstruct it to bind and trap the man in layers upon layers of dark fabric, somthing Soli put him in a state much worse than death.
"I'd like you to stop what you are doing and let the kid go." Soli commands to the men as the people witness how Soli defeat one of the 5 men chasing the kid. One of the men attack with a fist, along with a man drawing his sword to stab Soli. He duck trough the punch and he use his strength on his left hand to throw the man and use him to block the stab, killing him and Soli kicks the swordman's face with a downward kick.
"Water Spellcast: Liquid Bullet!" As one of the remaining men shoots several water projectiles to Soli he also notice that his foot is stuck to the ground in a thick mud. He looks at his left to see another man cast an Earth Spellcast and he waves his hand on the water and he notice somethinh from the said spell.
"It is composed of something i couldn't understand, yet it is still water at the end of the day huh." Soli thinks to himself as he grabs the water projectiles out, to the men's surprise, and the priest looking monster get it back to him while the man cast a quick water shield. The water is boiling too much, and this impress Soli.
"Oh... You'll not going down without a fight." Soli remarks as he notice that the remaining third of the men are charging a powerful mana in his hands. "So that's the energy permeating the air! What you call it? Mana? That's something alright." Soli notice that the caster isn't like the other men, he is having a scaly skin while the water user have gills under his covered neck.
"Well I am not the only monsters in this world. Then why you insist to be like a human?" Soli ask, but it is a kind of question that he didn't want to have an answer right now as he prepares to end this squabble in a moment. As the scaly skinned man shoots the purple energy to Soli, the monster just cast open his palm and utters this terrifying word.
"Deconstruct"
And in an instant, the mana shot, the mud, the men attacking him with spells, the ground near Soli, and any other matter near him are gone except the witnesses to his power as they are a buzz. Soli looks at whay he done, and he approach the kid with a canvas and he slump to the ground. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Soli ask the kid as he extend his hand to help the kid to stand up.
"Yes mister I'm okay... But what was that? Oh shoot! You need to run out mister! You kill them! You kill the Mayor's personal guards! The whole city's army will go after you now!" The kid worriedly says to Soli. Soli just help the kid to stand up, and he shake the dust and debris from the kid's jumper and clothes. "Hahaha that's what I like about innocent children such as yourself. I'll be fine don't worry. Anyway, my name is Soli, may I have the pleasure to know your name kid?"
As Soli ask for his name, he extend his right hand to shake hands. The kid responded and as he shake his hand he notice that something's off with the man. "I am Louis, a local artist and I love painting! Nice to know you Mr. Soli." Louis later hears the rumbling of the metal boots as they want to know what happen earlier.
"Oh nothing officer, we just have a little argument here and there." Soli answers but the eyewitnesses says otherwise. Louis grab Soli's garb to tell him to follow him as he wants to get out of that place, which Soli complies as he weave and sneak through the crowd. Louis lead him outside the city proper, and they've gone into a place that is special to the kid.
"Phew! Thanks Mister! Those men are hassle, all of them! Especially the Mayor! He's so dirt cheap that he wants to pay only 30 coins for such a whole body self portrait? Even amateurs ask 100 coins for those." Louis rants as he explains why he is escaping the men from earlier.
"But when I don't do that, they threaten me with beatings and stuff. So I couldn't thank you enough mister." Louis added as he thank the monster who is weirdly smiling and looking through the distance, feeling the swaying wind while the clouds and the sun are illuminating this moment with beauty in their eyes.
"Don't mention it, I'm fine about it. Most importantly, what are you gonna be doing Louis?" Soli ask the 16 year old kid as he set up his tools and canvas to paint. This piques Soli's curiousity as Louis begin filling his paintbrush with water and begins to draw with basic lines.
"I'll be drawing the beauty that I see in this cliff mister. I want to capture the beauty in this moment." As Louis say that, Soli nods as he stands beside him and patiently watch the kid draw his heart out to the canvas, something Soli appreciate as he see how talented and genuine Louis is.
"You know, I can see your heart through your paintbrush kid. There is one thing I want to ask." Soli says as Louis is concentrared in his painting. "Yeah what is it mister?"
"Will you be my friend? There is so much that I want to talk with you about, especially what beauty means." Soli ask to the minor as he looks to him and nods. He didn't mind his company, in fact he is grateful that Soli help him escape from the thugs from earlier.
"Yeah that's okay to me mister, but I'm not sure if you'll be safe still. That stint you pull earlier... Unless you hide from far away or something, the Mayor and the Kingdom's army and peacekeeping forces will chase you at the ends of the borders." Louis state to Soli as he just close his eyes since he doesn't fear them.
"Certainly it will be a challenge to me, but I am more convinced that you are in danger Louis. Do you want me to prove to them what true beauty looks like?" Soli said but Louis is figuring out what he really means about it.
"Let me guess, you'll do something to them with that... Weird powers of yours. Well I want to know what is it you're using. I couldn't sense any Mana flowing through you Mr. Soli." Louis ask as he finally finishing the details on his drawing. "Well, I do want to see if you can impart some wisdom through what you are making with your brush kid."
Soli answers as Louis shook his head as he couldn't believe what the man have said.
"I'm not sure what you are seeing on me Mr. Soli, but i do want to live peacefully. I do appreciate that you save me earlier but I don't buy violence such problem with the Mayor..." Louis laments as Soli looks at the kid and it unnervingly smiles as he states what he plans to do.
"Then will you show me the beauty within if the Mayor's been beautified?"