The audience watched the arena with anticipation boiling within their souls.
Then it was over.
Lucian had won; the announcer was stunned, the audience was stunned, and Solaris was stunned.
The entire coliseum went silent for a split second.
Then erupted into a cacophony of applause and cheers.
Ania spoke in her normal voice.
"Wow, so fast. I wonder how fast he is..."
Yet her sentence was drowned out by the cheering of the audience.
Solaris stared at the arena, at the spot where Lucian had been for less than twenty seconds.
The announcer starting the fight and announcing the winner took more than ten times the amount of time as it took for Lucian to win the battle.
Solaris's face was frozen into a stiff look of shock; his eyes were slightly widened, and his mouth was sealed.
What the hell!!!!?????
Even having been carried to HQ by Lucian, Solaris had no idea how fast they were truly going, so having seen it from the outside looking in, Solaris understood why Lucian didn't have to be so cautious about using his Extramicy in public.
While a lot of others did, for example, both Ember and Selen have to move across the sky rather high up so as not to be seen by anyone. Lucian's speed would make him almost invisible to the bystanders who may be walking outside.
Solaris was aware of the fact that there were a few select individuals with various abilities to wipe memories, and if slip-ups happened, then they were asked to politely fix them.
One such slip-up had even happened on his first few hunts after returning.
Yet none of that was what Solaris was truly shocked about.
"Did Lucian have a backbone for a moment??!!"
Solaris was blown away by the Incredible speed and precision of Lucian's attack, yes, but he was even more shocked by the fact that Lucian had shot the Announcer of the tournament, a smug look.
Lucian was, in Solaris's eyes, a timid young man, but now Solaris wasn't quite sure.
As Solaris muttered those words, Ania spoke.
"What are you talking about? My blondie always has a backbone; he's not a little boy, you know?"
Solaris looked over to Ania.
"You speak as though you've known him for a while."
"I haven't, but I've seen him from time to time, and he certainly leaves an impression."
Solaris looked at the redheaded girl; her face had a gentle smile playing on her lips.
Solaris had talked a little bit with Ania, and he had noticed that she was different around him for some reason.
With Lucian and Selen, she constantly made interesting and very creepy comments, but with him, she was rather subdued.
Almost normal.
"Ania, may I ask you something?"
Ania turned to him with an incredulous look, then spoke.
"Sure, go ahead."
Solaris thought over his words for a moment, then spoke bluntly.
"You speak to me differently; why is that?"
Am I just ugly, or is she for some reason scared of me?
Ania looked over Solaris's shoulder for a moment and looked at Selen.
Her light smile grew a bit brighter. She motioned for Solaris to lean closer, then spoke softly.
"Don't get it twisted, I would let you..."
"Ok, I get it!"
Ania shook her head and smiled softly.
Moments later, Lucian made his way back to the Seats; he had brought some food that some not-Micy employees had been selling.
Lucian had a bright smile and spoke with joy.
"Look what they just gave me! I didn't even have to pay!"
Ania let out an exaggerated laugh, then moved aside to let him through.
"You were really something out there, blondie. If you can move that fast, I hope you can at least move slow sometimes."
Lucian looked at her, his smile growing a bit embarrassed, then spoke calmly.
"You are a strange one, Ania."
Solaris had heard banter like this between the two many times before, and it never seemed to dull between them.
She was right; they do indeed make an impression
Solaris shook his head while Lucian passed some of the food down to Selen; both Sami and Ember politely declined.
Or rather, Sami politely declined; Ember was a bit more blunt.
"I don't need food."
He brought his cigarette to his lips and took a puff, then, as he was exhaling, the announcer spoke.
"FOR OUR NEXT BATTLE WE HAVE EMBER VS CELER!!!!! THIS WILL BE OUR VERY FIRST EXTRAMICY VS EXTRAMICY BATTLE!!!!!"
Ember stood up from his seat and flicked his cigarette into the air, burning it as it did.
Putting his hands into his pockets, Ember made his way down into the arena.
After a five-minute break, the two fighters were brought into the arena.
As the two towering men made their way into the arena, Ember looked at Celer; the man had already put his Goggles over his eyes and called forth his mark.
It was a long, pure-gold Lance with a spiraling design of black obsidian etched onto it; the weapon looked like that of a medieval knight.
Had it been anyone but Celer, the weapon would've been completely unwieldy.
Yet somehow he made it work to tremendous effect.
Ember popped his neck and reached his arm back, grabbing the hilt of his obsidian mace; the weapon had already slid partially out of his skin. Pulling it out all the way, the bone obsidian mace was pristine and crudely beautiful; it looked as though it had never even seen combat.
As the mace moved to sit on his shoulder, two massive wings sprang from his back. Both were made of a black, obsidian-like material and looked like those of a bat, or even a Demon.
"Alright, let's get this started, announcer!"
"ALRIGHTY! FOR THE FIRST EXTRAMICY VS EXTRAMICY FIGHT, WE HAVE EXECUTIONER EMBER, THE SUPERNOVA FIGHTING HEAD RESEARCHER CELER, THE MAD SCIENTIST."
The announcer took a pause, then shouted.
"FIGHT!"
Celer raised his lance and shot forwards, his feet not moving; it was as if he had been just shot out of a cannon.
Ember's wings flapped and shot him into the sky.