Round of 32 - part 1

-Odysseus' POV-

I could understand winning a match rapidly without basically showing anything to anyone.

I could understand the use of fog and dust to hide.

I could even understand healing your opponent after a friendly match.

But slapping him senseless after the game and berating him verbally…

I turned towards Dimitris' acquired family who for some reason flocked to me as soon as they saw me.

"Is he in a bad mood? Did you do something?"

The boy named Andreas started giggling.

"Brother Odysseus, it's your fault! Brother Dimitris didn't sleep at all, the divine eagle told us everything about how he passed the entire night grumbling about a human blanket and that it didn't make sense."

But everything Andreas told was just noise to my ears, my brain stopped working after hearing him call me Brother Odysseus.

Fuck yes, fuck fuck fuck yes. I am your brother indeed. Yes.

Blush started marching on my face, I was feeling extremely hot.

My heart racing, my brain making its way to dreamland and everything shattered when the voice of an angel came from behind me.

"What the fuck are you all doing together?"

"We wanted to watch your match with brother Odysseus!"

"…"

"…"

"Yeah, I'm leaving, it's too early for this bullshit."

"Wait Dimitris! Don't you want to watch Seirus' match? It's just in 3 matches…"

I could see the wheels turning in his brain, weighing the importance of the match and his presence.

"Fine, I did watch Andreas and Theoside's match after all. It's only fair."

Yes.

"Make space."

I looked at him straight in the eyes and stood up.

"Why are you standing?"

"So that you can stay near your new family?"

Fall for it.

"Sure."

As soon as Dimitris sat near Andreas, I promptly sat on his lap.

I was taking my reward and nobody could take it from me.

"Bastard. You could've just said you wanted to sit in my lap."

"You'd refuse me and I'm not leaving."

He didn't answer and just wrapped his arms around my waist. His heartbeat started to slow down and he buried is face in my neck.

In just a couple of minutes his breathing started to get steady and soon…

"Fuck, he really fell asleep just like that."

Yes.

I was totally not conditioning his sleeping habits.

With his guard down and finally able to rest, Dimitris was slowly emitting his natural scent and soon enough, everyone near us could feel it.

His natural scent of flowers was calming, it gave a sense of certainty and tranquility you would never expect to find at a place like this.

Achante, feeling something was off, turned towards me with a confused look.

"Is he casting a spell while sleeping?!"

I slowly shook my head to not wake up the sleeping beauty, but she seemed hellbent on understanding what was going on.

"It's his natural scent, now shut up and let him sleep until Seirus match."

Everyone fell quiet and finally I could enjoy myself.

With Dimitris sleeping while hugging me, his face deeply pushed against my neck, I was already happy, but then out of the blue he started kissing my neck.

A shiver run down my spine remembering how his tongue danced with mine. That was the main difference from Dimitris and Dim.

I felt like shit, like a cheater. Dim had never been so… vicious. His kisses were soft and nothing else.

But Dimitris.

He took possession of me. He claimed what was rightfully his and opened my eyes. They may share a body and basically be identical in every aspect, but they were radically different in other aspects.

"Ehm… brother Odysseus… we should wake him up… also…"

He pointed between my legs and reality hit me harder then ever.

It's getting difficult to control myself.

I quickly covered my self and tapped on Dimitris forehead to wake him up.

As soon as he opened his now completely green eyes, he grabbed my face for a second then pushed himself forward to see what was happening in front of me and exhaled.

He took out a long piece of fabric and covered me, but still kept me on his lap.

"Odysseus, you should relieve yourself. It's not healthy to ignore your needs."

How can you be so cool with such a display? This is also clearly your fault!

But after giving it some thought I realised something important: Dimitris didn't care for honour or facades, he wanted truths and truths only.

"Anyway… it's Seirus turn, let's focus on your brother."

"Sure."

With absolute nonchalance, he rested his chin on my shoulder and focused on the arena.

Seirus entered the battlefield with his sword in hand and a confident demeanour. Sure, the Lightning Bringer's children were usually destroyed in this tournament, the reason being Dimitris' mother, but it seemed that since they met him, something in this guys had shifted.

Seirus, the most quiet of the bunch was facing a guy from my camp, a shrewd one at that. One of those that stay passive and wait for their opportunity.

I filled Dimitris on my thoughts, but he just shrugged and told me to focus.

As the match was finally announced, Seirus sprinted in action, but not towards his foe.

"Does he not know his adversary is a mage? Why is he giving space?"

"Aren't you a battle master? Find out for yourself."

Dimitris' half brother reached the confines of the battlefield and started to focus his aura on his feet while my camp mate, with a bumbfounded expression casted a simple fireball spell sending it in his direction. The fire flew at high speed and just as it was about to hit Seirus in the face, he turned around, took a step forward and with a reversed jump kick sent the spell back, but something was different.

The once pure fireball, was now covered by an outer layer of Seirus' electric aura, the flight speed doubled and the face of Athena's champion crumbled.

"Did you teach him?"

I was honestly baffled, never had I seen Dimitris send back a spell using aura, and I myself didn't fight with him during training, so I wasn't entirely sure of how he fought against mages.

"What are you talking about? Of course I didn't."

"Oh well, makes sense."

"My mother did."

"That's right! The ONLY housewife has been challenging us since we've been recognised as our father's kin, so we developed all kinds of countermeasures to survive!"

Dimitris put his hand on top of Andres' head and petting him said something on the lines of "do you finally understand? Mum was just getting you ready." With the most innocent smile I'd ever seen. But this was wrong, it had been known far and wide that the reason behind the ONLY housewife's behaviour was resentment.

I'll just let it slide.

The match continued and whatever spell his enemy threw, Seirus sent back at double speed. This young man was a menace, but thinking about what he had been through to reach such abilities everything made sense, and it was not like his technique was invincible, it was just that his enemy was caught by surprise and didn't realise how he needed to act.

"This is boring."

Dimitris behind me declared.

"Why do you say so? He's showing amazing control over his aura."

"No he's just toying around, that bastard needs a beating."

"That's true… I'll pray for him…" added Andreas.

"Oh! Let me humble that buffoon! You don't need to steep so low." Commented Achante.

Theoside on her hand kept quiet and I was glad at least one of the crazy sibilings seemed to hold some reason.

"That idiot could have ended this match 10 minutes ago! At this point he's just boasting! Sister, if you don't beat him black and blue, I will."

Nevermind.

"Does violence run in your blood Dimitris?"

"What are you-?? You know what? I taught these kids how to distract a mage from casting their spells, he could have done so in 4 different instances and chose not to. At this point he's just trying to show off, that's not how my family should behave."

"That's right! Brother Dimitris told us how respect is earned by showing your strength and efficiency, not by boasting other people's mistakes!"

That was actually a good thing, it was just their approach that confused me, but then again… Dimitris seemed still proud of his brother's abilities he was just worried he'd stray from the right path.

"I'm sorry, I was judging basted on prejudice."

It was my utter defeat.

"You better be. These guys have been through hell and back, I don't want them to become scumbags just because they can. They should always have a reason to trash someone."

I raised a brow and decided to test the waters.

"Just like their brother uh? Did you need to trash that poor pig?"

"Of course I did, that fool was only focusing on an honourable battle. Did honour ever save you in war?"

"It did not."

He smiled at my rapid answer. Sure honour was important in certain occasions, but in wartime, it was simply foolish.

"Odysseus, thanks."

Dimitris buried himself on my neck again and hugged me tightly, I didn't understand what had brought such gift to me, but far be it for me to refuse. I was in a complete haze and didn't even realise when the match ended.

Dimitris was once again sleeping and we all decided to just wait for him to wake up before leaving.

_______________________

The next day came fast and with it, the beginning of the 2nd round of this tournament.

Arriving at the arena I found a Dimitris with his brothers and yet again, he was wearing dark circles. When he noticed my gaze, his brows furrowed and he hurriedly left.

Hahaha I hope I won't have to fight him or he might really kill me.

[match making for round of 32 completed.]

The system announcement came, but this time, instead of everyone receiving his turn and nothing else, the entire list of matches was shown in a pyramid scheme that led to the finals. It seemed that this time everyone would know their next opponent a day prior.

[1st: Dimitris Damocles vs. Hali

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.

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18th: Basil vs. Odysseus]

It seems we can only meet if we both reach the finals.

______________________

-Dimitris' POV-

Hali… well, it was a possibility.

Marching my way to the center of the Arena, I found Hali already waiting for me with a wide smile. Sure, we'd face off regularly for training, but we never really went all out against each other.

"Finally I can beat your ass without worrying about your men."

"You can try."

I smiled and waited for the system to announce the beginning of our fight and as soon as it came, a huge web of water expanded everywhere.

It seemed Hali was going for a movement advantage.

Against me.

I waited for her to make her move and sure enough she sprung onto action covering her entire body with aura.

The waterways around me started flowing at high speeds, enhancing the already unbelievable fast Hali.

I took out my spear and circulating Archana around my weapon I got ready to intercept her attack.

The impact was imminent, just another couple of metres away, but suddenly and abruptly, Hali shifted her momentum. The waterways taking her further from me and with a swing of her sword, and aura slash was thrown my way.

She's being careful.

I hit the aura blade with my spear creating a small explosion and swiftly blinked away.

When I reappeared Hali was already expanding her aura to locate me, but since I was high in the sky I knew I had at least a couple of seconds before she'd find me in my free fall.

That was enough time.

Fire lilies of destruction.

Countless red flowers bloomed on the waterway all around her, with a clear message of incoming doom, but she immediately started to try and move them away from her. Which I didn't negate, after all, I never wanted to hit her with those flowers.

As soon as all the flowers were at a safe distance from her, I snapped my fingers.

A loud explosion burst forth, fire fighting against water for dominion until eventually they both died.

Leaving the entire ground covered in a deep fog.

Hali wanted the terrain to be advantageous for her, but I too knew how to play this game.

Let me help you find me.