GRIMOIRE
"This guy really is a mountain," Kojo said. Mekna was a giant, standing over 9 feet tall, and he was topless, exposing his thick muscles. He had his bushy brown hair tied behind his head with two braids on either side of his face that fell in front of his ears. His black eyes were like pits with only an orange glow for irises. He also had weird lines running parallel from his forehead through his eyes and down the side of his face and connecting to other rune marks on his body. His swords, two massive cleavers, were planted in the ground beside him. He folded his arms and looked down at Kojo.
Kojo noticed that he had something in a leather pouch strapped behind his waist. Kojo could sense a faint aura coming from it.
"This guy seems to be more on the strong side, meaning his movements are gonna be slow."
(Don't underestimate him. There's a high amount of Arcana coming off him, especially that thing strapped to his back.)
"I won't. Speaking of magic...."
SKAN.
Mekna did indeed possess a significant amount of magic. His magic was circulating through his body instead of flaring outward.
"Huh, that's weird." Kojo saw his weak spots were his right knee, his stomach, and under his chin. The magic circulating through Mekna's body quickened, becoming more intense.
"What's he doing?" Kojo wondered.
(Gimme a sec. Calculating....)
Mekna's aura became visible as an orange haze around his body.
"Look upon me and tremble, little one," Mekna spoke, his voice creating violent waves that blew through the arena.
"I am your doom," he said, pulling out one of the cleavers.
"Yeah, whatever," Kojo smirked. Violet lightning crackled around him.
Quicksilver.
Kojo disappeared, appearing in front of Mekna. He knocked the sword from his hand, then elbowed him before falling back, then rushed forward at full speed, kicking the giant in the knees, then drove his other knee into his stomach before landing an uppercut, shaking the arena.
"Done?" Mekna asked, straightening.
Kojo quickly jumped back.
"The hell? I'm sure I hit the right spots."
He shot forward again, repeating the same sequence. Still getting nothing. Kojo jumped at him and pulled magic into his fist, punching Mekna in the temple, driving him back a few feet.
"You're not as weak as thought you'd be," Mekna said, straightening. "I commend you for being the first one to push me back. No one's lasted more than 10 seconds against me, but you've managed 15." He took a step back, pulling his fist.
"But your journey ends here," he said, moving so fast he was a blur, appearing before Kojo could react and giving him a punch which knocked him into the arena wall and shook the entire structure.
"What a strike," Zang said. "That was Mekna's signature move, Devastator."
"Oh no," Adriana said, concerned.
"Is he going to be OK?" Lin asked.
"He has to be," Koniko said aggressively.
"Kojo," Sharone said softly.
"And just like that, Opal's out of this tournament," Duke Cassiel said. They turned to look at him.
"I must say I had high hopes for your fighter Philip, since this one actually lasted more than 5 seconds, but I guess I was wrong to expect anything from you."
"Nonsense Cassiel, the fight hasn't even begun yet," Duke Philip said cheerfully.
"Did you receive a hit to the head too? Your contender is—" he was quieted by laughter from the arena. Everyone fell silent.
(Calculation complete. SAGE: Mekna is using Arcana Circulation, a technique where instead of expressing arcane outward as magic, it's circulated throughout one's body to boost strength, speed, and so on. Though a common technique, it is mostly used by mages who lack the ability to use magic effectively.)
"I see," Kojo thought, spitting out a few teeth.
"You actually fell for it," Kojo said, getting to his feet.
"You wanted to be sure of my power level, so you pretended to give your all so you could experience and actually measure my strength," Mekna said.
"Yep," Kojo smiled, his teeth visibly growing back as he grinned.
"Clever."
(You idiot! What if that had killed you?)
"Well, it didn't, so we good."
(Why do I even bother with you? Well, I've run diagnostics. Aside from your reputation, you're ok. That Adaptor and Heal skill you got ensures you can't take the same damage again.)
"See, I'm fine Sysia."
"Guess I was being overcautious for nothing," Kojo said, running his hand through his hair, raising his bangs and revealing a rune on his left temple.
"That rune."
"It's nothing you should be worried about. That blow actually kinda stung, so I guess I should make us even." He walked towards Mekna, steam coming off his fists.
"I could have easily dodged that attack."
(But you didn't, did you? Who'd be stupid enough to take a hit on purpose when I already provided you with all relevant data?)
Kojo charged at Mekna, who made a swing at him with his sword. Kojo deflected it and punched Mekna so hard he was sent flying. Kojo jumped in the air and conjured dozens of ice spears, firing them at Mekna. Mekna landed and blocked them with his sword.
He made a swing at Kojo, creating an energy arc, but Kojo easily dodged and lunged at his opponent. Mekna ran at him, pulling out his other sword, raised them above his head, and brought them down. Kojo pulled out his axe and sword and crossed them in front of him, blocking the strike and shaking the arena. Mekna tried pushing Kojo back, but he wouldn't budge. A magic circle appeared under them, and Kojo jumped back as a pillar of fire bathed Mekna in flames.
Kojo then blew at the spell, converting it to ice. He then put his two weapons together and swung, breaking the ice and knocking Mekna into the wall. Mekna roared and shot at him.
Quicksilver.
Both of them collided at the center of the arena, creating a shockwave as they ran past each other. Time seemed to slow.
"Is this really the best you can do?" Kojo asked.
"Don't mock me, you shit."
The two ran past each other, bouncing off the walls and shooting towards each other, appearing as two blurs with nothing but the clang of their weapons colliding being felt.
"This is quite the matchup," Zang said, observing as Kojo danced through Mekna's barrage, incorporating magic into his attacks and pushing his opponent back with relative ease.
"We all thought that Opal was done for, but it seems that their fighter is stronger than anticipated. Despite looking young, he has a pretty face, and his magic skills and combat ability are just crazy."
Kojo pushed Mekna further into a defensive stance as he bombarded him with both physical attacks as well as magic.
"It seems this year you've gotten a strong one," King Gorges said. Just then, there was an explosion in front of them, the force blowing their clothes.
"Indeed. I may have underestimated your fighter, but don't think you're going to win, Philip. I'm going to beat you," Duke Cassiel said.
"Since you're so confident in your fighter's ability, why don't we make a bet," Duke Philip said. "Winner takes whatever he wants from the loser."
"There's no way I'd agree to that. You're so poor you can't even properly care for your own people. Besides, you have nothing to offer," Jaemi said. The other siblings nodded in agreement.
"True. Ok, Opal becomes an extension of your territory. How does that sound?"
"Father?!" Rey said in alarm. "You can't just give that away."
"I don't see why not. Besides, I'm not going to lose, so there's no reason to fear."
"I'll permit it," King Gorges said. "It's been quite a while since we played a game as siblings."
"Very well then, I'll shut you up once and for all," Cassiel said.
The siblings then formed a pact.
"There. Prepare to lose that worthless territory brot—"
They heard someone screaming.
"Oh look, the match is already, wait what?!" Cassiel yelled in alarm.
Kojo was beating Mekna badly. He knocked him away, running behind him and knocked him into the sky, then blasted him with a powerful bolt of lightning.
Poison King+Cursed Chains.
Black chains giving off a violet aura shot out of a magic circle on the ground, wrapped around Mekna, and pulled him into the ground with a loud crash that sent dust into the air. Mekna struggled against the chains, but the poison slowed him down, and the chains tightened, immobilizing him.
He dropped to the ground.
Kojo then created a powerful tornado and blew it through the arena. He then turned it horizontally, pressing it between his palms. He then pulled his left arm back as if he was drawing a bow. Kojo then ignited the pressurized air and aimed it at Mekna. He released the arrow with devastating force.
"No, No, NO!" Mekna roared. "I WILL NOT LOSE TO THE LIKES OF YOU!" His aura flared up, breaking the chains around him. Another aura erupted behind him, and a figure burst out of the pouch on his back. It was a skeleton with fangs, a crown, and a black robe. It had a book hung on a chain around its neck. It raised its hand and blasted away Kojo's attack with a metal sword, causing it to explode. The explosion broke into smaller fire arrows which flew at them but bounced off the barrier created by the skeleton.
"Yes, yes, using it," Duke Cassiel said excitedly.
"This is where you lose, brother."
"Is that right?"
Duke Philip said, taking a sip of tea.
"You should be more terrified by this."
"Let's see. It's a Skeleton + Robe + Crown + Magic. Huh. Never thought I'd be facing a lich," Kojo said, ignoring the flames around him.
(Seems to be quite powerful.)
"But something's off."
(You mean the spiked collar connected by a chain to Mekna's wrist?)
"Nope, that book hanging around its neck?"
(Seriously?)
"Yeah, why does it have some book as a necklace?" Kojo suddenly felt a pulse like a heartbeat within him.
(
"Sysia?"
(That wasn't me.)
The ring on his finger tightened a bit.
(Wait, the ring.)
"O....k....what's happening?" Kojo asked, perplexed.