Chapter 38: Nessie versus Ginkuma

Before the next fight was announced, Kaiser helped Mariposa, who was terribly weak after her first transformation. She still managed a small laugh. "I was strong after all."

Kaiser gently laid her down on a wooden bench, watching as she quickly fell asleep. The night sky was veiled in dark clouds, casting shadows over the fort, but the arena remained alive with shouting and cheering.

Then, an announcement blared from the cone-shaped brass amplifier. "The next fight is now commencing! Stepping into the battlefield first, from the Grimknights—Elric Smith and his entity, the Loch Ness Monster!"

Scattered cheers rang out, but most of the crowd remained silent, waiting to see his capabilities. Elric tightened his grip on his weapon, whispering to his spectral beast. "Let's do this, Nessie."

A deep, guttural rumble responded from the misty form beside him.

"And now, his opponent—a champion of the great Stallion, Aldruid Ulfsaar, and his spirit bear, Ginkuma!"

The arena erupted into cheers. Aldruid walked confidently toward the center, waving at the crowd like a seasoned warrior basking in his reputation. But his showmanship didn't last long. Before even reaching the center of the battlefield, he commanded his bear to attack.

With a thunderous roar, Ginkuma charged forward, its massive spectral form tearing through the battlefield like a phantom of raw fury. Elric barely had time to react, raising his arms to summon a towering water wall just in time to absorb the incoming force. The impact sent water splashing in all directions, but Elric had already leaped to the side, dodging the attack.

Not wasting a second, Elric retaliated. He conjured massive water spheres, each pulsing with immense pressure, and launched them forward like a tidal wave. The projectiles shot through the air, aiming directly at Ginkuma.

But the bear didn't even flinch. With a single swipe of its massive paw, it dispersed the water balls into mist. The crowd gasped—Elric included.

"That is some hardy bear..." Elric muttered, shaking off his surprise.

Aldruid smirked. Unlike most fighters who used their entities as extensions of themselves, he wielded Ginkuma like a second body. The synchronization was seamless.

A sharp whistle from Aldruid split the attack—Ginkuma circled left, while he sprinted right. Elric, caught off guard, quickly decided to take advantage of Nessie's shifting nature. Nessie faced Ginkuma while Elric confronted Aldruid. Before Ginkuma's claws reached Nessie, the entity vanished, only to reappear in front of Aldruid, who was now dangerously close to Elric.

The crowd gasped. The attack meant for Nessie was now aimed at Elric!

With no time to evade, Elric raised his mace to block—

CRACK!

The impact shattered his mace into crumbling pieces.

Elric stumbled backward, gripping the broken hilt in disbelief. The sheer raw power sent shockwaves across the arena.

"That is some serious physical power..." Henry murmured from the stands.

Elric steadied his stance, discarding the broken hilt. He drew his flail, a short four-edged blade attached to a chain, gripping it tightly. Knowing his opponent's capabilities, he decided to go all out. A shockwave of water and mist exploded around him as he entered the third level of his quas blood form—partial fusion with Nessie.

His appearance grew monstrous—his head took on a merman-like shape, his body became covered in bluish scales, and a muscular tail replaced his legs. His hands, now webbed, clutched his flail, which dripped with water. Aldruid watched, wide-eyed, before breaking into a grin.

"Now that's more like it! Show me your full power, Elric of the Grimknights!"

Aldruid commanded Ginkuma to charge. The spirit bear's steps trembled the arena. As it leaped high and dove at Elric, Ginkuma vanished again—and Aldruid appeared in its place. He pulled a powerful punch. Elric absorbed it with his upper arm, Ginkuma emerged behind Aldruid, ready to claw Elric. Before it could strike, Elric materialized a small but densely concentrated water sphere in his right palm, aiming at Aldruid.

Aldruid's eyes widened. He quickly switched places with Ginkuma, using his entity as a shield. The bear took the attack to the face and vanished instantly. Aldruid leaped backward, caught off guard.

Elric smirked. "Now you're alone. Do you surrender—"

He stopped mid-sentence as Ginkuma was summoned again.

Aldruid, despite his surprise, laughed. "What are you talking about?"

Elric slammed the ground with his palm, causing a burst of mist. Using the cover, he charged from multiple angles, swinging his flail. Ginkuma absorbed the hit and vanished again, only for Elric to follow up with a punch—

Aldruid met the punch with his own.

BOOM!

A shockwave rippled through the arena. The audience was stunned by their sheer force.

"That Grimknight is strong!" someone muttered.

"He's equally matched with Master Aldruid!" another added.

The announcer's voice boomed over the battlefield. "Now this is a battle of two powerful warriors—make sure not to destroy our platform yet!"

Aldruid smirked. "I see you're going all out, Elric. Good! I was hoping for a real fight."

Elric exhaled sharply. "Let's see if that confidence holds."

He raised his arm, summoning a spiraling torrent of water, and thrust his palm forward. A high-pressure water lance shot toward Aldruid's chest.

Aldruid remained unfazed. "Ginkuma—shield!"

The spectral bear roared, raising a colossal paw. The claw swiped through the air, splitting the water lance in half, sending droplets flying like shattered glass. Without hesitation, Ginkuma lunged forward, claws glowing with ethereal energy.

Elric sidestepped, barely avoiding a swipe that left deep gashes in the arena floor.

"Tch—too fast!"

He conjured a whirlpool beneath him, lifting himself above ground for better mobility.

Aldruid took a step forward. "You rely too much on distance. Let's see how you handle close combat!"

Charging alongside Ginkuma, Aldruid moved separately with his entity. Ginkuma leaped from above, while Aldruid dashed from below, his fists glowing with energy.

Elric narrowed his eyes. "Then I'll match you head-on!" His fusion with Nessie deepened, his arms covered in scaled plating. With a swing, he conjured a serpentine water dragon that surged toward Aldruid.

Aldruid shattered it with a single punch.

At the same moment, Ginkuma reached Elric. The impact sent him skidding back, carving trenches into the ground.

Elric growled. "This power… He's stronger than before."

Aldruid grinned. "You're not the only one with this cursed blessing."

The audience erupted as the warriors prepared for their next clash.