Quest for Hikari - Episode 10: Fighting in the Coloseum
[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]
The next day, I was let in beyond the castle's gates by Menad.
Treading through the road between several lampposts, I looked around.
There's the Leazas Castle in front of me, the Hong Kong Macau (the casino) at my left, and the Coliseum at my right.
Normally, I would have to go inside inside Leazas Castle to gain permission from the current King and Queen of Leazas, but they're disappointingly senile. It practically took sister a week just for her to gain a Coliseum Pass.
But now that I have gained one from Menad, I don't need to waste too much time and instead just go to the Coliseum.
I didn't have time to go the the casino. It's time and money wasting. Hikari-chan needs to be rescued early.
I had to walk to the Coliseum and blending in with the crowd that were all approaching it. It took a while, but once we all entered, a fight between two contenders was about to begin.
Let me say that those two contenders, one of them known as an experienced warrior against Count Kugutsu, a monster.... probably.
Yeah he died and there's only 9 contenders left.
After a while, I arrived at the desk where a receptionist was checking on something before she noticed me.
"Hm? Are you here to register?" She asked, as I pulled out my pass preemptively.
"Yeah, it took me a while just to get this pass, though."
The receptionist began to ask me just a few questions, such as my motivations, and et cetera.
The Coliseum has a simple rule: you are free to kill anybody, though I would not really do that since the competitors are needed to live for the entertainment of the thousands of audiences around this coliseum and the audience watching from afar using MagicVision™.
I could also fight against someone one rank or two ranks above me, and I could use all weapons and tricks so my (or my opponent's) life cannot be guaranteed pretty easily.
"Very well, what's your name? A stage name is also good enough, too." The receptionist asked, before getting me to think about the name that Senile Old King gave me.
Zance....
.... Yeah I'm thinking of using my unborn son from the future's first name.
"How about a stage name, just make sure that I'm called Zance. Maybe that's good enough."
The receptionist nodded, before inspecting me thoroughly.
"The recent fighter, Rank 10 Tsukuyomi-Magatsu has died recently, so you're now replacing him."
After a while, I decided to start climbing the ranks 1 at a time, so I decided to request fighting "The Loan Soldier", a contender that was a rank above me.
[ ~ PoV: 3rd ~ ]
[ A while later... ]
The audience were still sitting, awaiting the next fight that was about to happen, just before the announcer decided to announce something as asked by a moderator.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Please be silent as we have a new contender trying to climb up the ranks! His name is currently a mystery for a short while, therefore, let us introduce the 9th Ranked Contender, The Loan Soldier!!!" The announcer shouted, just as 'The Loan Soldier' entered the arena with confidence as he readied his short sword that almost look like an axe to fight against his challenger.
"And! On the other side, our challenger, the new Rank 10th, who just registered an hour ago.... Flashy Green Zance!" The announcer said, before Rance entered the arena, his sword ready to hack and slash.
The crowd cheered louder than last time, as Rance definitely looked ready to fight, and looked really strong.
"Why is he here...? This guy, he's our guild's strongest..... and I'm just going to lose here, an experienced adventurer with massive debt, no doubt...." This Loan Soldier spoke, immediately feeling really weak and subconsciously gulped.
"But, I haven't really met him for a few months, so I'll just test how much I have gotten." Quitowack tried to convince himself, before readying his short sword.
"Ready?! Fight!" The announcer said, just before Rance and Quitowack dashed towards each other....
.... and Rance immediately jumps and delivers his two boots towards his opponent's face, promptly knocking him out, his short sword, and even one or two of his teeth.
".... One hit! Flashy Green Zance has defeated The Loan Soldier with just one or technically two hits!" The announcer declared, just as most of the audience went silent.
That was anticlimactic. Although when Quitowack woke up, he actually felt quite satisfied. He was still leagues below Rance, after all. Though it wasn't really fun getting kicked on the face. There was also a small pouch of GOLD beside him with another note.
{ Sorry for not recognizing you back there, here's... my compensation if you gained a broken skull, I guess... - R. R. }
The next day, Rance was pitted to Count Kugutsu.
Count Kugutsu was defeated in one hit with his non-lethal "Knockout Blade" technique.
[ Line Break ]
"Now! Our next match is between the unorthodox brawler and one-hit swordsman! The Travelling Brawler Alexander versus Green Saber Zance!" The announcer hyped up the audience, as the said audience shouted in excitement.
Two contestants were in front of each other, as Alexander bowed in front of Rance (or in this moment, Zance), and the latter replied with his own greeting.
Alexander had red hair, a muscular build, and was wearing a martial artist's outfit. He looked like he was in his mid-20's.
After greeting each other, they took their battle stances, staring each other in the eyes.
"Let the fight begin!"
Rance struck first, but Alexander was quick on his reflexes and dodged a horizontal slash, before turning and delivering a kick to Rance's side, pushing him sideways before he counterattacked with a massive vertical slash that Alexander could barely dodge.
A long horizontal gash was present on his abdomen, though he still focused as the wound isn't that deep.
'... This guy, he's actually holding back?' Alexander thought, noticing his opponent's movement before immediately switching stances in order to go for the offensive and push him back with quick attacks.
Rance, however quickly hopped back to get a quick breather and then force Alexander to switch stances again using swift horizontal and vertical slashes.
They all noticed that the crowd was beginning to cheer as the fight dragged on further, with Alexander and Rance switching blows and cuts, yet it was purely noticable that the former was gaining more wounds and injuries than the latter, who barely had any.
And then, suddenly, Rance jumped backwards, making Alexander prepare to block or evade against an attack that he might throw.
"Sorry buddy, you're years too early to beat me in a real match!" He said, crouching down and pointing the tip of his Rance Sword MkIV towards his opponent.
"ZANCE! ZANCE! ZANCE!"
"FINISH HIM!"
Rance did have a problem hearing the audience's bloodthirsty cheers, yet he had to play along his stage name.
"Zance....!" He shouted, immediately charging with much more speed than what he had usually shown to the audience. Then with a husked whisper, ".... Home Run Attack!" Before hitting Alexander on his abdomen with the flat of his blade, launching him to the wall in just several seconds. There was a crater where his body was punted to as it fell down to the ground.
"Aaaandd..... that's a wrap! Green Saber Zance has won!"
Most of the audience began to shout Rance's Stage Name in excitement, wanting to see more of him fighting, although....
Rance took a quick sprint towards the Wandering Brawler, before helping him up.
"I'm more surprised you're still awake, but.... we definitely need to get a healer.... and there they are." Rance spoke with some worry on his tone, just before a few white robed people approached them.
"... Kuhhk.... Thanks, anyway.... This wasn't.... even my... first loss..." Alexander coughed out with a smile.
"Hmph. Just be safe."
[ ~ Line • Break + PoV Switch: Rance ~ ]
Another hour has passed, and I held the sack of GOLD that was given to me as a reward with a smile that was always on my face 85% of the time before putting it in my backpack.
"Haaa... that was a job well done, I gotta hold myself back until whatever I face is serious. Nothing is wrong with that, after all." I spoke to myself, just before I noticed a familiar pink haired girl carrying several bags.
I immediately approached her.
"Sill?"
[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]
Character Images:
• The Loan Soldier -
• Count Kugutsu -
• Travelling Brawler Alexander -