No Holding Back

Thirtieth of the month of Gemini (June). The streets of Pergis were way busier than normal minutes before ten in the morning. 'The Guardian of Arsida is visiting the town,' a sentence that was passed around through word of mouth. People knew that his daughter would be participating in the tournament as well. 

Conversations about how the tournaments would proceed echoed the town's streets. Some predicted that without Alistair, the young Chronis might take the victory. A guess solely based on the fact that Tiriara is a child of Nireus. Some argued that it might be the day the young Caspius could snatch victory. Among the listed participants, people think that Aeneas has a higher chance of winning than most of them due to his last performance against Khersis.

"The guardian of Arsida has arrived!" a bystander shouted.

People rushed to the gates. But, they didn't huddle around him like fools, rather, they formed lines at the side of the streets, trying to take a peek at Nireus. In front of his carriage were Arsen, Konon, Donos, Eluard, and Aeneas with Tiriara behind him. 

"Who's that?" someone from the crowd asks.

The bystander saw a woman at the young age of forty-two, sitting in front of Nireus. She was stunning to most of them, with her red long hair, amber-like eyes, and a smooth face free of any wrinkles. It was Lyra Caspius. She also wanted to watch the tournament. In Nusterra, Lyra is considered still at her prime age. Due to the existence of mana, most people start to show signs of aging at the age of fifty and the average human lifespan is around ninety years.

Besides the guardian of Arsida sat his eldest daughter, Theresa.

Nireus decided to walk to the Coliseum and leave their steeds and carriage at the stables near the gate they entered. The women ogled at him while the men stared with awe, for they were in the presence of the handsome and youngest Chiliarch of Gold. Some even argue that he was the strongest among his peers. They were also staring at his silver scabbard with the logo of the proud lion made of gold. Everyone was eager to see the person who took an oath to be the guardian of their region.

Meanwhile, gossip about Arsen and Theresa being engaged also spread around. Arsen would feel embarrassed whenever he would hear people talk about it. He was proud and happy to be engaged with Theresa, but it was the first time for him to hear people speaking about his romance. And frankly, it was also the first time he was romantically with someone.

Alcon, the lord of Pergis tasked some knights to assist Nireus and his group. They walked at the center of the street, while people called for the Chiliarch of Gold's name paired with whistles and cheers. Nireus would look at them with a smile on his face, greeting them although his voice couldn't overcome the loud cheers.

Tiriara who was walking beside Aeneas, leaned to the boy's ears, "See that, my father's popular," she said with a grin.

"Of course, he is. He's the lord of Arsida."

The girl's grin turned into a smug, "Aren't you happy to be friends with the lord of Arsida's daughter?" she asked.

Aeneas showed a confused expression, "Huh? Who?" he replied.

Tiriara's smug face disappeared, "Stop acting dumb. Of course, me."

"Ah," Aeneas muttered with a nod. Then, "We're friends?" he asked with a confused tone.

The girl glared at him. She slapped Aeneas in the shoulder, which the boy didn't dodge. Rather, he was chuckling. Playfully, Aeneas said that he was just joking, which also made Tiriara smile and chuckle.

Nireus's appearance turned the place into something akin to a parade. People riding their mounts on the road would unmount and stop, giving way to the lord of Arsida and the people who came with him. Some who recognized Arsen and Donos also tried to get their attention, calling their names. 

Once they reached the Coliseum, both Aeneas and Tiriara rushed to the place where the matchups were displayed. The adults followed after them. When they saw the two from the distance, they seemed to be staring at each other, both appearing speechless.

"What is it?" asked Eluard.

He looked at the board and saw that Aeneas and Tiriara were matched against each other, and was the first bout in the tournament.

Donos approached the two, placed his hands on their shoulders, and said, "Good luck, you two. Think of it as a friendly match. But, give your best."

Tiriara was the first to smile. She looked at Aeneas, "I won't hold back," she said. The boy nodded and with a smile, "Me too," he replied.

They both said their farewell to the others who accompanied them and went to their designated preparation room.

The people inside the Coliseum were staring at Nireus. When they met eyes with him, they would show the Panteran bow, to which Nireus would return. The personnel at the booth to buy seats has reserved some areas for the lord of Arsida to choose from. It was due to the request of Alcon, the lord of Pergis. Although Nireus found the gesture kind, he said that it was unfair to other people.

"If lord Alcon didn't request it, you wouldn't have seats for yourself, my lord," the personnel said.

"Is that so? Then, I guess I'll take up the offer." He picked the ones close to the arena.

It was a noisy crowd. Cheers and chanting started even when the tournament hadn't begun yet. The commentator boosted the excitement of the audience.

"We have a special guest with us today. The one and only Guardian of Arsida, lord Nireus Chronis!"

He pointed at Nireus who smiled back at him. People in the stands chanted his name. The commentator also pointed out that he was with Arsen and Donos. Then, he proceeds to his introduction for the fighters in the first match.

"On my left! The boman who defeated a bearer of the Proud Lion in his last tournament in our town, and the younger brother of the esteemed knight, Sir Arsen. Please all welcome, Aeneas Caspius!"

"Boman!"

"Boman!"

The crowd cheered, in their hearts the term meant something different. It was excitement, and longing, to see the Zeal-less boy fight. Even Lyra, who was quite offended when the commentator called her baby a boman, realized that it wasn't an insult as he heard the deep and loud cheers of the crowd.

Their cheers grew louder when Aeneas appeared from the left entrance. His face was serious, holding the wooden sword in his right hand. Once he reached the arena, and stood on his side. The commentator continued the introductions.

"On my right! Her first tournament, and she picked our beloved town of Pergis to make her debut. The youngest daughter of our beloved Guardian of Arsida, and a bearer of the proud Lion's Zeal like his father. Let us all cheer for Tiriara Chronis!"

Tiriara went out of the right entrance with a nervous smile. The crowd's cheers were the loudest, calling the name, "Chronis". The girl looked around, trying to find the location of his father and the others. When she saw them, her smile grew wider as she waved at them.

When Tiriara reached the arena, the commentator went down and sat at the side to prepare for his commentary. The mediator replaced him and stood at the center. He asked both of the participants if they were ready.

Aeneas took a deep breath. He had his left foot forward, stood straight and held his wooden sword with both his hands pointing it at the ground. 

When Tiriara saw how serious Aeneas was, her smile disappeared. She also took a deep breath as she assumed her stance. Unlike the boy, she raised her sword on the outside, with the tip pointing at her opponent.

"Start!"

Soon as the signal of the match was said, Tiriara's Zeal glowed. It was a clear sky, and the girl could feel great power from the sun. She dashed towards Aeneas and began her attack.

Since they had been training together for weeks, Aeneas knew that Tiriara would attack him the moment their match started. His initial stance was defensive, and he managed to block his opponent's swing. 

With the first contact alone, Aeneas concluded that there was no way he could continue blocking or parrying Tiriara's assault. It was heavy, and with her Zeal, she could continue doing it for the entire day. He began dodging them, like a slippery snake. Waiting, watching for the right moment to lunge. 

But, Tiriara's defenses also made a huge improvement thanks to her training. When Aeneas tried to sneak a counter, the girl would either parry or dodge it. The only successful moves he managed to make were the ones Tiriara had to block with her arms.

The fight raged on. Tiriara's swings made the air sing, while Aeneas danced to avoid the attacks. On the other hand, the crowd watched in awe, cheering gibberish as they were unsure who to root for.

Tiriara's serious face turned to a smile. Aeneas was also infected by it when he saw the girl's expression. They went back and forth. Though most of the time, Tiriara was the one who was attacking.

Five minutes passed, and Aeneas could feel his feet ached. The heavy blows he had to block or parry have started to numb his hands. He knew that if he didn't manage to defeat Tiriara within a minute or two, his chance of winning would turn to zero. But, his opponent didn't show even a tiny sign of exhaustion. Tiriara even appeared to be having a ton of fun.

Aeneas tried backing off, but Tiriara didn't let him and always dashed forward, closing the distance, and attacking. There was no room to breathe. Yet, as their match grew more intense, and the boy's body more tired, it was ironic how Tiriara's movements appeared slower for him. 

After two more minutes, Aeneas felt his knees were about to give up. An official match felt more exhausting to him unlike when they were training. Aeneas felt that if the match continued like how it was, he was just prolonging his inevitable defeat. So, he decided to block the girl's wooden sword with his arm. A loud crack could be heard by the mediator, even Tiriara was surprised by the sound she made. But, Aeneas didn't falter, he caught the girl's sword and swung his own toward Tiriara's head. 

The Zeal on Tiriara's chest glowed brighter, she yelled and pulled her sword, greatly overpowering Aeneas. Still, the boy proceeds with his attack. But he missed. And with a counter, exerting all her strength, Aeneas was knocked out.