WINNER

"That commoner is stronger than I thought," Leo said. "But he's no match for the likes of me." He folded his arms and looked over at Yukio. She was watching the fight intently, barely blinking. Leo noticed a faint glow from her eyes.

"Even with my Eye Of Horus, I'm having a hard time following his movements," she thought to herself. "All the techniques are of the orient, and he's rotating them to put his enemy off." Kojo rushed forward and gave the lich a palm strike that, though was blocked by a barrier, sent it flying backwards. Mekna tried to use this to his advantage and attack from behind, but Kojo caught his wrist and held his shoulder, throwing him off balance before slamming him into the ground.

"He just used judo and sumo techniques. There's no doubt about it now. He's an otherworlder," she smiled. "Just like me."

Kojo avoided a magic attack from the lich and just barely blocked a sword swing from Mekna which knocked the axe out of his hands and was sent flying back by a kick to the stomach.

"This isn't good."

(Mekna appears to be borrowing power from the lich, who in turn is using the skill Leach in the Grimoire, sucking its magic power.)

"Hey, is this allowed?" Kojo called out to Zang, who descended.

"Well, yes. Summons are allowed during the tournament," he said.

"You know that's not a goddamn summon."

Zang shrugged.

"I'm not the one who made the rules," he said. Kojo sighed.

"Guess it can't be helped." Zang flew up to avoid a sudden attack from Mekna. Kojo blocked with his swords.

"Fighting is about action, not words. I see you've gotten cold feet after meeting my father," Mekna said, trying to overpower him.

"Wait, what?" Kojo looked over Mekna's shoulder at the Lich.

"Wait, that thing's your father?"

"Yes, the grand archmage with over 200 years of mythical knowledge," Mekna bragged, grabbing Kojo and throwing him. Kojo caught himself in midair and landed, pulling his axe out of the ground.

"That thing's 200 years old? Wait, just how old are you?"

"My age matters not. What matters is that you are going to die!"

The lich created a fireball and threw it at Kojo, who jumped up to avoid it. It struck the ground and caused an explosion, its heat melting the ground.

"Looks like they're getting serious."

"You still haven't told me who you are and why I should get that book."

"Hmm, never heard of her."

(Estelle Leicester is the first hero, dumbass.)

"Oh, right. Ain't you supposed to be dead?"

Kojo sensed an attack.

Summoning: Tropha.

A magic circle appeared, and a great winged serpent came out of it. It opened its mouth and charged a blast of energy, about to attack Kojo.

"Well, I was thinking of winning this match. I guess I could get your book."

He jumped off the cloud.

"What's he planning to do, jumping into the lava? Is it suicide?" Leo asked.

Quicksilver.

Kojo ran on the lava, his movements so fast it parted as he shot toward the lich.

The beast kept firing blasts at him, but Kojo sliced them up before jumping and with a spinning slash severed its head.

The lich began to control the lava in the area, using it to form golems as well as tentacles that shot at Kojo. Kojo shot at them, slicing them up. He made a swing at the lich, but it once again hit the barrier.

"You won't be able to break a 9-star barrier," Mekna yelled, jumping up and raising his fist. The barrier cracked then broke, shocking everyone in the crowd. Kojo extended a clawed hand to the lich, but Mekna punched him back. Kojo straightened and held up the Grimoire.

"Wait, he was after that thing the whole time?" Duke Cassiel yelled. "Your combatant is really a greedy pig, just like you."

Koniko grit her teeth and was about to get up, but Sharone stopped her.

"Well, what Vanyi say. Birds of the same feather confuse the owner," he said with a laugh.

"Isn't it supposed to be flock together?" Jack said.

"Hmm?"

"Never mind."

The book began to give off a powerful aura.

"Huh, what? Sysia?"

(System override. New commands accepted. Converting Runes into binary code. Beginning Deciphering. Success Deciphering: 0.01% complete.)

"Ok, what the hell's going on?"

"Wait, so it was you who showed me that vision." Kojo then dodged a spell from the lich. Mekna created a shockwave by stomping his feet, causing the molten earth to rise in a giant wave. Kojo charged right through it, then hit them both with physical and magic attacks, balancing his attacks between the two of them.

"You're making no sense. Anyway, how long is this transcription gonna take?"

"Wow, thanks for having such faith in me," he said sarcastically and looked over at the lich and Mekna.

Hyper thought: Split psyche.

Kojo divided his brain into three, isolating the part that was gradually receiving new information from Sysia. The other two were divided between offensive magic and combat.

Kojo made a water bubble around himself to block two lava tentacles that came at him from opposite directions. He expanded it, cooling the ground. Mekna lunged at him, but he blasted him away with a gust of wind. Then caused earth spikes to shoot out of the ground at the lich. Knocking it into the wall. It broke free and flew at him, creating a flaming sword.

Landmines.

The ground around it exploded, knocking it back.

Sharone smiled.

Kojo then put his weapons away then extended his claws. He ran to Mekna and bounced him to the other side of the arena. He appeared in front of him and kicked him upwards. He then appeared above them about to strike down. The lich appeared in front of him and created a magic circle firing a blast at Kojo who disappeared appearing behind them. He made an ice spike and skewered the two of them before lifting them up. The sky clouded up and a massive bolt of lightning struck them. A hand reached through the blast and grabbed Kojo throwing him into the ground. Mekna landed on him. He had merged with the lich and was wearing skeleton armor. He kicked Kojo away and charged at him. Kojo was beginning to struggle against the barrage of attacks from Mekna.

"He's using that leach skill to suck away at my magic. He's been doing it this whole time," Kojo realized.

"What's the matter, can't fight?" Mekna taunted as he beat Kojo. He punched him, shaking the arena with each blow. He then raised his arm to deliver the final blow, charging his fist with magic.

Kojo smiled and caught Mekna's punch. The Grimoire burned away.

"Thanks, chump. That was quite a plan draining my arcana. But you weren't the only one with a plan. Impact."

A magic circle appeared under him. The gravity increased within it, causing Mekna to sink into the ground. He tried resisting, but the force just increased, and he dropped to his knees.

Mekna grit his teeth.

"I will not lose," he yelled, breaking free and lunging at Kojo. He attacked Kojo with a combo of punches, jabs, and kicks, but Kojo perceived them to be in slow motion, dodging and pushing Mekna back with his own attacks. He punched him in the face, crushing his nose. Mekna staggered back.

He then screamed, charging up all his power and lunging at Kojo.

"Hm."

SKAN.

Locating Mekna's weaknesses, Kojo shot forward, breaking his left knee with a kick.

He then hardened his fist and punched Mekna through the stomach, the force displacing the air around them. He then took a step back and with an arcana-infused fist gave him an uppercut.

Kojo suddenly realized that his blow had torn off Mekna's upper body. Smoke coming from the corpse.

"Ok, I think maybe that was over the top."

(Ya think?)

There was silence. Kojo looked around. The crowd suddenly erupted in euphoria, startling him.

(Deciphering code: Babel Archive. Progress 0.9%.)