Bloodbath III

Piri's melodious laugh echoed within the hidden room as she gazed at the stunned combatants below. Unlike others, James's movement couldn't escape her soulless eyes. 'What is that mask made of? How did he get his hands on something so magnificent?' She licked her lips while staring at James. As the head of the caretakers, she dabbled in various researches, and had gained knowledge highly sought after in Skyhaven. However, she had never seen or heard of anything as unique as James's mask, which could assume different forms without losing its innate durability.

"Headmaster, is this what you had Zeekedus arrange?"

Piri smiled without turning towards the executioner. "Since he's someone Sir Zakaria recommended, I don't think this is too much," She said. "If he dies, I want that mask. Okay?" She added.

"What if he survives? Should I still get it for you?"

Piri said nothing. She lowered her head while muttering inaudible words. The executioners stared at each other, but said nothing. If given the chance, they too would like to claim James's mask for themselves. Although they didn't know what it was, or the ore used in making it, they believed it wasn't just any ordinary weapon.

The caretakers behind also shared similar thoughts. Unlike Piri and the executioners, some had vowed to do everything possible to get it.

'If I knew that brat had something like that I would have acted soon. Damn it. I hope he survives this. I need to get my hands on that mask.' Dacio chuckled. Although James's battle prowess surprised him, he had little faith in his odds of survival. Just then, a deep sigh broke the silence in the room. The executioners and caretakers turned towards Piri. She slowly shook her head, as she said, "If he doesn't fall in battle, leave it be. Maybe that's what Sir Zakaria saw in him." Piri suddenly turned towards the executioners and caretakers. "If you don't want one incur Sir Zakaria's wrath, I'd advise none of you to lust after that item. I hope you will heed my warning." Piri quickly turned her head before they could respond. Naturally, she had stayed long enough in Kynar to know that some would still try their luck. Saying nothing further, she turned towards the arena.

***

"Continue with the plan. I'll take care of that freak!" Higgins pointed his long sword towards Mandrogo. Silence followed. No one expected Higgins would willingly hold off Mandrogo.

However, a few of the combatants jubilated widely in their hearts. With Higgins and Mandrogo fighting, they believed in their odds of claiming the reward. They couldn't help but stare at James with unmasked greed. Before they could move, however; they heard Higgins voice once more, "However, whoever takes down that bastard will give me the rights. Agreed?"

Filore shook his head. "Nonsense!" He sneered. "Why would I agree to—?"

"Then let's see how long you can handle him!" Higgins withdrew his sword. He casually walked to the side. Freeing a path for Mandrogo to charge towards James and the others.

Filore's expression darkened. 'This fucking cunt!' Although he wanted the reward, he wasn't daft enough to contend with Mandrogo for it. Uzerith and the Damak twins also shared similar thoughts. Even if they acted together, it wasn't certain they would live to tell the tale, and none of them considered being a stepping stone.

"Well?!" Higgins' stony gaze scanned through the group. 'Haha... This is going much better than I expected. I only have to stall that freak until they kill that kid. After all these years, I will finally become a rights holder.' A smile bloomed underneath Higgins' basinet. While Mandrogo's fame had reached him, he had absolute confidence in his abilities. Even if it was a battle to the death, he was certain he wouldn't fall at Mandrogo's hands. However, he also knew his odds of eliminating the Ogre were minimal.

"Well?!" Higgins repeated in haste. As much as he enjoyed the roller coaster of emotions flickering on their faces, he couldn't afford to waste more time. Who knew if Piri or the executioners had something else in store for them.

Uzerith was the first to agree among the group. The Damak twins agreed after the Halfling. Meanwhile, Filore remained silent. He just couldn't bring himself to become the subordinate of someone like Higgins.

"Kill him first if he doesn't agree. We can't let him disturb the plan!"

Higgins crisp voice woke Filore from his stupor. His eyes instantly shifted towards Uzerith and the Damak twins. The trio slowly inched towards the short man, and he could not see a trace of mercy in their bloodshot eyes. Filore seethed. 'These fuckers! They dare gang up on me?' He knew the limit of his abilities. He didn't dare take on the trio. Not to mention the lingering threat of Higgins and Mandrogo plagued his mind.

"Fine! I'm in!" Filore's voice echoed his grievance. He stared at James with unrepressed murderous intent. "I'm in this mess because of you. Don't even think about dying a pleasant death."

James didn't bother to respond. He didn't even look at Filore. Instead, his gaze fell on Mandrogo, who had remained silent since his entrance. He knew most Ogres had obtrusive personalities and were quick to anger. That Mandrogo had silently listened to the discussion between Higgins and the trio without saying a word, or showed any visible reaction, left him inwardly guarded.

Only a fool or someone who had absolute confidence in their abilities could act with such indifference.

"Are you fucking ignoring me, boy?!" Filore bellowed. He had suffered set back after set back since the battle started. James's nonchalance was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Without warning, he charged towards James with his halberd in tow. The earth beneath his feet trembled as he covered the small distance between them. A muddy hue replaced the vibrant sheen of the weapon's tip. At that same moment, Filore's armor turned mud brown, and his body slowly submerged into the ground. The halberd slowly grew in size while unleashing a deafening hum. Six whirlpools, a meter long, suddenly emerged around James's position. Each strategically blocking his path of retreat. Filore with bloodshot eyes stabbed his halberd into the closest whirlpool. Dozens of jagged earth spikes shaped like halberds flew towards James. Uzerith and the Damak twins also made their moves. The dark elves lingered on the outskirts of the mud whirlpool, eagerly awaiting their chance. Meanwhile, Uzerith, who had the mixed traits of a Beastman and sand mole, dug into the earth.

James, on the other hand, continued staring at Mandrogo. After eliminating Dolroth and Liko, he had a general understanding of the group's power level. He twirled the claws while using Mana Manipulation. Creating a beautiful white mist in the form of a cloud. Just then, Filore's spikes arrived. Without moving an inch, James launched the spinning claws towards the barrage. A series of explosions followed. The claws sliced through the rocks as a hot knife would through butter.

Filore's unleashed a low grunt before stabbing another whirlpool. This time, the excited spectators could only see his hands.

"You think I would let you do as you please?" James turned towards the approaching halberds. However, he focused his attention on the whirlpool below. An indiscernible gleam covered his eyes, and a flame shot out towards the whirlpool. At that same moment, James Jumped to the side. The exact moment he landed, a rain of yellowish liquid poured on the spot he stood previously, and a pungent smell assaulted his nose. James's brows creased. The earth visibly corroded within seconds.

"How did you dodge that?" Uzerith, who remained partially submerged, stared at James in utter disbelief. He could erase all traces of his existence once he dived into the ground. Coupled with his acidic spit, he had claimed dozens of lives over the years.

"Why should I waste words on a dead man?" James sneered while twirling the claw in his right hand.

'Not good. I've to leave.' Uzerith woke up from his stupor. Without hesitation, he dug into the ground once more. At that same moment, James released the claw. It tore through the air before sinking into the spot Uzerith submerged. Meanwhile, the second, third and fourth waves of Filore's spikes were meters away from raining on James.

***

"Sister should we use—"

"Not yet, Esaso. If we miss, I don't think we can guarantee our lives." Ecnaba's voice trembled slightly. James's indifference in front of the two assailants filled her with terror. 'Where did he get a strange weapon like that? How is it so strong? Is there an hidden meaning behind this battle?' Doubts slowly filled Ecnaba's mind. No matter how much she thought about it, Piri's reward was outrageous. Her eyes suddenly lit up as a thought crossed her mind. 'Are they using us test the extent of his abilities?' Ecnaba shuddered as the thought crossed her mind. Since the beginning, she had wondered why they would place such a high reward for killing just an insignificant character. 'Whoever kills him becomes a right owner, yet the headmaster didn't declare any rewards if he won...' Naturally, she didn't entertain the possibility of James emerging victorious. That no rewards were in place for such a scenario only strengthened her conjuncture. Her eyes turned bloodshot. She had subconsciously turned towards the barrier hiding the hidden room.

"Sister! Watch out!"

Immediately after Esaso's cry, a sickening scream filled Ecnaba's ears. She suddenly felt a tug on her shoulders, which sent her spiraling to the ground. At that same moment, she felt a rain of warmth carrying a familiar sweet coppery smell on her body. A moment later, a loud thud followed, and a dust cloud covered the area.

'What was that?' Ecnaba struggled to raise her head. She slowly wiped her face before staring at her hands. 'Whose blood is this?' Ecnaba's heart sank. Since she couldn't feel any injuries, it only meant it was Esaso's. She quickly turned to the side. Her eyes trembled as she searched for Esaso's body within the dust cloud. 'Where is she? Esaso, where are you?' Ecnaba's heart arched. She could lose anything, but not her little sister. She never expected such a change the moment she turned towards Piri's hidden chamber.

"Esaso! Where are you?! Esaso?!" Despair filled Ecnaba's heart. 'I won't forgive those bastards if they killed my sister!' Ecnaba vowed. She suddenly ripped off the sole of her boots. A loaded silver, miniature crossbow fell from the opening. Its arrowhead glowed with a deathly purple black radiance while its shaft and fletchings were pitch-black.

'I'll make sure whoever kills my sister goes down with her!' Ecnaba slowly raised the crossbow. It spanned nearly the size of her palm.

Just then, footsteps reached her. Ecnaba turned towards the origin while the curved nail on her little finger wrapped around the trigger of the crossbow. The footsteps became louder, and she could hear coughing and a low but inaudible voice. Ecnaba stood up while glaring at the distorted silhouette in the dust cloud.

"If you take one more step, I'll send you to meet your maker!" Ecnaba declared. However, the approaching party's step only quickened after her declaration. Ecnaba's visage darkened. 'Should I take the shot? Is this the person who hurt Esaso?' She only had one arrow, and she vowed to use it on Esaso's killer.

"I said stop!" Ecnaba screamed.

"Sis… me… Its me…"

"Esaso? Is that really you?" Ecnaba quickly lowered the crossbow before racing towards the silhouette.

"It's me, sister." Esaso emerged from the dust cloud. Like Ecnaba, she also held a miniature crossbow in her right hand.

Ecnaba paused in her steps. Jubilation filled her heart, and she slowly sighed in relief. Apart from a few bruises on Esaso's forehead, she was relatively unharmed.

"Esaso, what happened? Who won in the battle between…?" Ecnaba's words trialed off before she could finish her statement. Because Esaso's body trembled violently as she mentioned the battle. She rushed towards Esaso. She couldn't bare to see her kin in such a miserable state.

She pulled Esaso into her embrace while guardedly scanning their surroundings. "Esaso, what happened?" Ecnaba asked softly.

Esaso's mouth quivered without end, but she said, "Sister, he's a monster. We can't beat him. We have to get out of here. It's not worth it. We have to give up. We can't fight him."

Ecnaba slowly patted the back of Esaso's head. "Esaso, slow down. Tell me what happened." She had never seen her sister shaken so much.

"Sister, it happened like this…" Slowly Esaso recounted everything she witnessed. Ecnaba's expression had turn listless. At the crucial moment she had turned away, James's battle with Filore and Uzerith ended. James's claw had forcefully pulled Uzerith from the ground before sending him towards barrage of spikes. Esaso shuddered as she remembered how James ensured the earth formed halberd skewered every part of Uzerith's body. However, terror filled her mind when she thought of what followed. Filore emerged from one of the whirlpool coated in thick blue flames, and he couldn't douse its intensity no matter how much he rolled on the ground. Coupled with the fact that she saw several beast claws dragging Filore back into the whirlpool, before it exploded into a dust cloud.

"Esaso, you are certain you saw multiple beast claws restraining Filore within the whirlpool?" Ecnaba couldn't believe her ears. If it was anyone else, she would have dismissed their claim.

"Sis… do you think I'm one to lie? While you have the superior archery prowess, my vision is the better. I know what I saw." Esaso retorted.

"I believe you. I'm sorry for doubting your judgement." Ecnaba slowly caressed Esaso's hair.

However, she couldn't hide the turmoil in her mind. 'If Esaso saw what she thinks she saw, then this kid is definitely a summoner.' Ecnaba's brows creased. Summoners were popular figures in Skyhaven since they had the unique abilities to summon a myriad of creatures bonded with them. 'If he is really a summoner, why did he wait until now to summon his creatures?' Only two answers appeared in her mind. They were too weak to force his hand, or he could only summon his creatures for a limited time. 'No wonder they sent him to fight us. We are only fodder to test his abilities.' Ecnaba mused.

"As much I would hate to disturb such a beautiful moment. I believe it's your turn to attack. Or do you want me to do the honors? I wouldn't recommend that, though."

Ecnaba and Esaso shuddered as they heard James's voice. The duo hurried scanned their surroundings. To their left, they could see a distorted silhouette gradually walking towards them.

Ecnaba peeked at Esaso, who shuddered in her embrace. 'Esaso isn't in the right frame of mind to fight right now…' Ecnaba fell deep in thought. 'Should I use the crossbows? If I miss, it will be the end of us…'

James's figure had slowly started forming within the dust cloud. Any moment, he would emerge.

"So, what will it be, ladies? Are you going to—"

"We give up!" Ecnaba cut James off. Her voice boomed round the arena. "We will no longer contest for the reward. Please leave us alone."

James emerged from the dust cloud. The mask of the dead had turned into a warhammer, which he hung over his shoulders. His visage was devoid of any emotion, as if he hadn't heard Ecnaba's words.

"Giving up, huh?" James clicked his tongue while staring at the duo. "I can allow that."

Esaso and Ecnaba's expression brightened. Before they could say anything, James suddenly pointed towards Esaso, saying, "She will have to put an arrow through your skull, though. After all, you tried to put one through mine. It's only fair, right?" James smiled as he stared at Ecnaba. "If she can't do it. I'll be happy to oblige. However, you two will literally have arrows growing out of your heads when I'm done."

Ecnaba's chest heaved as she stared daggers at James. If looks could kill, she would have slaughtered him a thousand times over. There was no way Esaso would put an arrow through her head. She believed it was obvious James had no intention of letting them go. Contrary to her thoughts, if Esaso put an arrow through Ecnaba's skull, James would fulfill his promise. He would only damage her body beyond recovery to ensure she wouldn't seek revenge. That she would live the rest of her life knowing she killed her sister also made him excited.

"Go to hell! Do you think I'm afraid of—?" Before Ecnaba could finish her statement, an overwhelming pressure sent her and Esaso tumbling to their knees. 'Isn't this…? Shit! We got played! They used us as bait!' Ecnaba laboredly raised her head, only to see James standing. However, his expression had turn solemn. The dust cloud dispersed the same moment the pressure emerged. At the other end of the arena, Higgins and Mandrogo wore broad smiles while causally strolling towards the trio.

"Hmmm… you're indeed not ordinary. I can't believe a snort nosed brat like you can resist my gravitational force." Higgins clapped sarcastically. He then turned towards Mandrogo. "So, how do we settle this? Should we kill him first then decide who keeps the right? That is, if you don't mind being my subordinate." He chuckled slightly.

"You humans only know how to run your mouths. We'll continue as planned. Once we finish him, I'll smash that foul mouth of yours."

Higgins chuckled. "Sounds good." He then turned towards the Damak twins. "Since you bitches have given up, you better get the fuck away from my sight while I'm still asking nicely." The pressure around the two vanished.

Ecnaba bit her low lips. However, she said nothing. No one had humiliated her so much in her life. Wordlessly, Ecnaba picked up Esaso before running towards one of the silver gates. It cracked open, and they disappeared within. Since Piri didn't declare the battle as a battle to the death, it was understandable if the Damak twins gave up. However, they would still have to bear harsh consequences of their actions. If not, anyone would give up during arena battles.

"You humans are so soft. Why let them go? You should have just killed them." Mandrogo snorted.

Higgins smiled. "Oh? Then why didn't you kill them just now? Surely you weren't looking for an opportunity to strike me when I handled them, right?"

"Unlike you humans, we keep our words." Mandrogo then turned his attention towards James. "Let's get it over with. He should be tired from using too much mana."

Wordlessly, Higgins nodded. He also turned towards James. Once they eliminated him, the proper battle would begin.