《Weak Samurai in a Game of the Gods》 Lady Luck ¡°Hah!¡± Two swords clash in a fight for survival. ¡°You got this, Sachi!¡± His mother¡¯s blaring voice from the stands of the gymnasium was almost more embarrassing than it was encouraging. Sachihiro Takahashi gripped the handle on his bamboo sword with even fiercer intensity. ¡°Haaa!¡± He launched a heavy swing on his opponent, only for the blow to be easily deflected. Spotting the opening, his competitor struck his side, claiming his third point. A referee blew his whistle ¡°Victory goes to David Johnson!¡± Sachihiro threw off his helmet, sweat flowing from his pores as tears welled in his eyes. David walked over to Sachihiro and pat his back. ¡°You¡¯ll get em next time, Sachi.¡± The condescending tone in his voice was infuriating. Sachihiro had came from a Japanese family, but he lived in a city in America. That just made it all the more embarrassing when he lost. The other students always pestered him, sounding surprised thinking he was some kind of kendo master just because of his heritage. He moved off the gym floor and made his way to the changing room, before being stopped by his mother. ¡°Sachi, you were amazing! It¡¯s a shame you couldn¡¯t win.¡± Sachihiro sighed. He placed 7th, there were only twelve people competing. For how long he¡¯s been practicing, he should be better. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a shame.¡± He said goodbye to his mother, and left the building to make his way back to his apartment. Sitting down at his desk, he let out a deep sigh and turned on his computer. Other than Kendo, Sachihiro¡¯s biggest hobby was video games. But even there, he was still mediocre. ¡°Damnit¡­ Silver again..?¡± He slumped back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. The never ending cycle of a mediocre mess followed him wherever he went. He decided to call it a night and crawl into bed. He shut his eyes, and began to drift off. When opened his eyes, he was in a strange void, almost like a dream. Azure swirls of dust jumped around him like they were circling their prey. ¡°You are¡­ Sachihiro Takahashi, yes?¡± A beautiful figure of a woman appeared right before him. She dawned a slick white robe paired with a white headband. Her pale skin glistened in the light of azure dust while her long curly was as green as clovers. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Sachihiro couldn¡¯t see a physical of his own, but he was still able to speak. ¡°Y-yes.¡± The woman had an entrancing smile as she spoke, the color of her eyes matched her hair. ¡°Sachihiro, you have been chosen as my champion. When you wake up, you¡¯ll be in a much different world, but you¡¯ll have no time to relax. Others will be hunting you, you must be ready to defend yourself.¡± If Sachihiro had a face, it¡¯d share his confused and anxious feeling. Before he could respond, the woman continued. ¡°I will explain more later, I have prepared a system that is familiar to you for your benefit.¡± Feeling even more confused, Sachihiro was dragged down further into the void, before all he could see was the darkness enveloping him. When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at the shivering leaves of the trees above him. He sat up and patted himself, he was mostly the same, his long black hair and body were still in tact and now he wore his kendo uniform minus the protective helmet. When he looked in front of him, a screen took over his view. It was like a menu out of a game. [Name: Sachihiro Takahashi] [Class: Samurai] [Level: 1] [Attributes: STR 1, DEX 1, VIT 1, INT 1, LCK 1, CHA 1] The screen was fully interactive too, he scrolled through tabs of skills, traits and equipment, all of which were empty except for a single sword. [Equipped: Basic Katana] It really was like playing a game. While he kept ogling at the screen, a small green bird landed on his shoulder. ¡°Can you hear me, Sachihiro?¡± Sachihiro let out a shriek as he jumped to his feet, accidentally closing the screen. ¡°Do not worry, I¡¯m your friend.¡± Sachihiro¡¯s muscled slightly relaxed. ¡°Who are you?¡± The bird on his shoulder chirped. ¡°I am the goddess of Luck and Favor, but you may call me Serendelle.¡± Sachihiro peered beyond the trees, discovering the vast landscape of green meadows and medieval cityscapes. Below him was a large cliff, just a few steps further and he would¡¯ve fell off. ¡°Where the hell am I, and why am I here?¡± Serendelle made a sad noise. ¡°That is a long story¡­¡± Before he could respond, there was a rustle in the bushes behind him. He spun around to see a man holding a sword. He had a thick beard and plump belly. Realizing he had been spotted, the man¡¯s expression changed. With an axe in his hand, he shouted and charged Sachihiro. Serendelle flew off of his shoulder into the trees above them. Sachihiro drew the blade that balanced on his hip and prepared to block the blow. ¡°Stop! What the hell are you doing!¡± The crazed man didn¡¯t respond and swung wildly at Sachihiro. The man had age, size, and power over Sachi. Holding one hand on the back of the blade and the other on the handle, Sachihiro raised the sword above his head and blocked the blow. The sheer power of the attack drove Sachihiro¡¯s feet into the ground, pushing him backwards against the cliff. The man charged another strike at his side. ¡°I said stop!¡± Sachihiro swung his blade in an upward direction, colliding with the axe and deflecting the attack above him. In a single sweep, Sachihiro draws his blade across the chest of the man, cleaving his body in two. A squirt of blood flows from each half as his body thuds to the ground. [You have slain a Champion!] [Champions slain: 1] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You leveled up!] ¡°Serendelle, what the hell was that!?¡± The flapping of wings stings his ear as Serendelle returns to his shoulder. ¡°That must have been another Lesser God¡¯s champion. You are lucky to have slain one, they are usually all culled by now.¡± Sachihiro¡¯s breathing becomes more rampant. ¡°What do you mean another Lesser God? I just killed him! I didn¡¯t think I was that strong!¡± Serendelle made another sad noise. ¡°I too am a lesser god, otherwise I would have granted you much greater strength. The system and equipment was the most I could do.¡± Sachihiro sat below a nearby tree. ¡°How do I get back home?¡± Serendelle was silent, still perched on his shoulder. ¡°Serendelle!¡± The bird shook its feathers. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to unless you conquer the gods game.¡± The bird hopped off his shoulder and onto the ground in front of him. A green cloud of dust appeared as the true figure of the goddess emerged. She stood in front of him and spoke softly. ¡°All gods are forced to participate. Select a champion, and guide them to victory. If they lose, both the champion and the god are killed. The only way to win is to grow stronger and challenge one of the seven Major God¡¯s champions. By winning we take their spot, and you¡¯re free to travel realms. including back to your home.¡± Sachihiro leaned back to face the sky, and his menu opened. He saw that he now had a trait. [Favored by Luck] Safe Haven The trait had no description, and no direct benefit. However, he had also leveled up. Each attribute he had went up by one, plus an extra point to assign freely. Each trait was rather ambiguous, there was no direct benefit from each besides the obvious ones. Intelligence, Luck and Charisma didn''t seem like it would be beneficial immediately, so he put another into Dexterity. The chirping of Serendelle''s bird form startled Sachi out of his trance. "Sachihiro, we must not stay too long. There are others out there who will be hunting you too." Sachi stood up and brushed himself off. He was determined to keep himself collected after everything that just happened. "So how do I get stronger? I have to fight more of those Champion guys?" "Yes, but there are other ways too. First, check the corpse of the champion you killed, if you''re lucky enough you might find a useful item from a different god" That would explain the Luck attribute. Sachi looked to where he had killed a man. According to Serendelle, he had killed a god too, albeit a Lesser God. The corpse of the man was gone, just the stain of blood he left behind. The bird chirped. "Another feature of the game." On the ground sat a single ring. A box of text appeared above it. [Drunkard''s Rage] [Uncommon Ring] [+10 STR] "Oh my, that''s a rare drop for a Lesser God. You must be quite lucky, Sachi!" Sachi wasn''t amused by Serendelle''s attempt at humor. "You keep mentioning Lesser Gods and Major Gods, what''s the real difference?" "Well¡­ there''s three rankings for gods. Lesser, Minor, and Major. Lesser Gods, like myself, don''t have access to much strength, and are unable to affect most realms. Minor Gods are the most populated rank and much stronger, but the strength of each can vary wildly. Lastly, the Major Gods are just the top seven strongest Gods, and are given a fancy title. Morvath, the Silent Reaper was the most recent addition." Sachi held an expression somewhere between dumbfounded and annoyed. "Could they have picked anything edgier?" The birds head shook side to side. "Their titles are given based on their actions, not by choice." As if that was any less alarming to Sachi. He sighed. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "It doesn''t change what I have to do, does it?." [Equipped: Drunkard''s Rage] [Conditions met for skill: Power Slash] "Let me guess, hunt some boar, level up, fight another Champion, repeat?" Serendelle released a few coos as if she was laughing at him. "You would be extraordinarily lucky to do that. I''d suggest going to the city first. It''s considered a safe haven, other champions won''t be able to physically touch you there." Sachi nodded. He could find some good gear in the city, and he wouldn''t mind feeling safe again. "To the city, then." Climbing down the hillside and crossing the fields over to the large city he had spotted previously, Sachi saw surprisingly no monsters or enemies around. However, once he got closer to gates he saw a group of strong looking men guarding the entrance. All of which wore a red stripe around their arms. Serendelle whispered into his ear. "Be careful, Sachihiro." The bird flew off his shoulder and out of view. The men completely blocked the gate, he''d need to shove by them if he wanted to get in. Before he could even do that, one of them turned to face him. A smiled formed on the man''s face. "Well look at what we''ve got here, boys, it''s our lucky day! A Lesser God''s lackey showing up right on our front doorstep." All of the men began to turn to him. There was at least seven of them all lined up. Each of them gripped their weapons. Sachi placed a hand on the hilt of the blade that rested on his hip. Sweat beads dripped down his forehead. "Just let me pass into the city." One of the men began to laugh. "No, we won''t. You Lesser type are a rare commodity for us, we''ve been waiting quite a while." Sachi stayed his ground. He wouldn''t be able to fight all seven at once, but if he could bring a few away from the gate he could slip by into the city. Serendelle said they couldn''t harm him in there, assuming they''re Champions themselves, that is. A man with a chiseled chin and a strong build stepped forwards. "Lemme handle him lads, I won the draw today so I get first dibs." He cracked his neck, and then raised his fists. His gloves had spikes on the knuckles, all discolored from what seemed to be dried blood. Sachi drew his blade, holding it in front of him like it was another kendo match. The man laughed. "Good! Now don''t die too fast. Let''s make this interesting." He lunged forwards, his fist was like a rocket. Sachi narrowly avoided the blow, stepping just a bit to the right. The man threw another punch, but the attack''s range was the same as the last, and predictable. Sachi leaned to the left, avoiding the blow and bringing his sword to his side. His eyes began to widen. Both punches the man threw left himself open for just a moment. The opportunity of a fatal strike presented itself. The feeling Sachi had was much different from anything he''s felt before, as if all of his senses were heightened. This wasn''t the same as before in his tournaments, it was no longer just a competition. Now it''s life or death. Sachi had killed a man before, but it wasn''t intentional. It was out of self defense, or an instinct from his kendo matches. Whatever he could say that would take the guilt off his shoulders. But this was different. The taunting and underestimating that came from this group was infuriating. This was a crossroads. A moment of fight or flight. A point of no return. He had to kill this man. He wanted to. [Activated skill: Power Slash] From his hip, he threw the blade across the body of the man, and a streak of blinding light reflected off the blade and was gone in an instant. The man toppled over onto the ground, blood spilling onto the field around him. [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You leveled up!] "The hell!? He''s just a Lesser Champion." Another one barked. "Get him!" The rest of the men all charged Sachi, leaving just enough room for him to circle around them and dash through the gate. Except another man had tried to cut him off. [Activated skill: Power Slash] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] Sachi bolted beyond the gates, his barren feet now hitting stone tiles instead of the uneven dirt. [You have entered a safe zone!] Serendelle must have been right if she put a notification like this here. He turned around to look at the men behind him, each of them now still like statues, staring daggers at him. "So you really can''t touch me in here? Good to know." One of the rugged men chuckled. "Yeah, we can''t." A sudden force shoved Sachi from behind. Throwing him into the dirt once again. [You have left a safe zone!] Level Farm Stationed on the other side of the gate were real guards, fitted with silver plate armor and spears each. They were the ones who pushed Sachi back into the gaping jaws of death. An axe swung down near Sachi''s head, but he was quick enough to avoid it. He rolled to his side and pushed himself upright. He didn''t have much time to steady himself before another swung at him with a sword. Sachi went to block the blow with his katana, except his weapon had been lying on the ground after he was thrown into the dirt. The sword struck his side. If he was any slower he would have lost his whole arm. ''Damnit, this is bad¡­'' Without his weapon, Sachi was practically useless. However¡­ [STR: 12] He only had two choices: fight or die. Even if he only had one arm, he''d choose to fight. He stepped back and waited for another to strike. The swordsman lunged forward again. Studying his posture, Sachi had a realization. He had experience in combat because of kendo, but these men had never fought before getting dragged into this game. Their fighting stances were full of openings. Sachi jumped back, just barely getting nicked by the tip of the blade. Despite the pain, he took advantage of the opening. He grabbed his opponent''s hand that held his blade, and with his other hand Sachi hit the man''s face will all his strength. The man recoiled and let out a pained shout, loosening his grip on the sword. Sachi swiped the sword from his hands and readied himself back into his stance. The man gripped his now bloody nose. "Tch. Tough bastard. You think The Eternal Flame will just sit by while you attack his men? You''re fuckin with a Major God right now." There were five men remaining, each beginning to surround Sachi. He counted each one, assessing their positions carefully. "I don''t think he''ll miss a few weaklings." The men quickly became livid at his comments. It wasn''t much different from the games he use to play, make them angry and they''ll lose their edge. They each charged at Sachi, infused with rage and attacking wildly. Sachi only needed one opening [Skill activated: Power Slash] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] There was no mana or energy bar for Sachi to look at, but each use of Power Slash made him noticeably more exhausted. His plan was still the same. Cut through the unarmed one, and make them funnel towards him in one direction. That way it''d be easier for him to take down each one. Despite the exhaustion, he could feel himself becoming stronger with each kill, the system wasn''t lying. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Each one came running at him. [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] The last man fell, and Sachi fell to the ground in exhaustion. [Champions slain: 8] [You leveled up!] The exhaustion finally began to catch up to him. Sachi''s vision became blurry, and he fell to the ground unconscious. ¡­ He opened his eyes, he was lying in the field still. Next to him sat a beautiful green haired goddess. "Serendelle..?" She smiled as she helped him sit up. The corpses around him had become nothing but stains of blood, except for a few items left behind. [Fiery Embrace] [Rare Ring] [Imbue your weapon with fire] Another ring is nice to have, but the next item was far more enticing. [Emberheart Plate] [Epic Armor] [+40 VIT. Immune to fire] A black and red chest piece. It had a nice clean and sturdy look. [Equipped: Fiery Embrace] [Equipped: Emberheart Plate] Serendelle''s beautiful features were only enhanced by the sunlight. "It helps to be friends with the Goddess of Luck, doesn''t it?" For the first time, Sachi was actually glad. "It does." He looked back towards the gates. "How long was I out?" Serendelle shrugged. "Only thirty minutes or so." He was glad it was only that long, he didn''t want to deal with whoever else would show up. [You have entered a safe zone!] Serendelle had returned to her clover green bird form. "How come you switch between that bird and your normal form, Serendelle?" The bird chirped. "The larger the form I take, the more power it consumes. But thanks to your efforts, I''ve been growing a bit stronger." "Why did you choose to stay in your true form then?" "So I could protect you in case anyone came by. Our fates are linked together, after all." Sachi touched his right arm. The wounds he suffered had already been healed. That must have been a result from Serendelle growing stronger as well. "Thank you." Sachi saw the guards who pushed him earlier. Both of them stood at their posts, but were clearly trying to avoid Sachi''s gaze. He approached one. "You''re not a Champion, right?" The guard ignored Sachi''s question, sweat beads dripping down his face. "Answer me unless you want to end up like them." "N-no. I''m not." "Then why do you help them?" "They were members of The Eternal Flames guild. The Eternal Flame pays us, and we help feed him other gods." Sachi had a realization. If they gather up other champions to give to the Eternal Flame, why did the lackeys try to kill him? "What happens when Minor Champions show up?" The guard fell silent. Serendelle whispered into his ear again. "Sachihiro, it is not wise to meddle in a Major God''s business already." Sachi ignored Serendelle''s pleas. "Answer the question." Sachi tapped on the katana to his side. "T-they take them to the prison. The king lets them use a small prison to hold the Minor Champions, and Kaelthar comes by maybe once a month to make himself stronger." ''Killing people like animals on a farm.'' Sachi grew angry. "Where''s the prison?" "I-I can''t tell you that." Sachi blade was already drawn, and now it was pointed directly underneath the guards chin. A droplet a blood formed right at the tip of the blade. The only other guard nearby drew his spear, but was shaking heavily. The display Sachi had shown earlier must have shook both the guards. "I-it''s right down the street! Next to the court house, there''s a large sign pointing to it it''s hard to miss!" Sachi sheathed his sword and turned to pace down the street. Serendelle spoke once again. "Sachihiro! Please rethink this. The Eternal Flame is the longest lasting Major God for a reason, we won''t survive if we get on his bad side." "I can''t ignore what they''re doing. Besides, having Minor Gods owe us a favor could be pretty useful." The bird released what sounded like a sigh. "Please be careful, Sachihiro. This won''t end well." Rounding the corner Sachi saw the sign for the courthouse, and next to it was the prison. From the street alone, he could see a few more men wearing that red stripe on their arm. "Sachihiro, if you do this the entire city and a Major God will be after you." Sachi crouched down around a corner, onto the dirt path that lay before him. "They''re gonna have a hell of a time trying to find me then." Serendelle persisted. "There is no telling if those Champions are any better than the Eternal Flame''s army!" Sachi frowned. "No, but there is a chance. First we scout it out, then strike." "Sachihiro, they''ll notice that you''re a Lesser Champion, and there''s not much of a crowd to blend in with." Sachi bit his thumb. "I don''t need to blend in." Sachi gently placed Serendelle onto the ground. He picked himself up, stretched, and began to approach the prison. Bloodless Battle A man wearing a sharp uniform and the notorious red armband stood lazily at the entrance of the prison, watching as a strange man approached. The energy he gave off was low, but it was there. ¡®Bastards at the gate must have missed this one¡¯ Sachi grew closer as the man locked eyes with him. ¡°The hell do you think you¡¯re doing, Lesser? Back the fuck up.¡± Sachi returned a cold gaze to the man, the other two red armband wearing guards now honed on Sachi. Sachi scoffed. ¡°Are your senses that dull to think I¡¯m a Lesser? Let me through.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never misjudged a Champion before, and I don¡¯t think I have now.¡± The man nodded to another guard on his side. This one didn¡¯t seem to be a Champion, meaning he could hurt Sachi. Or the other way around. The man went to draw his sword, but before he could unsheathe it Sachi had already slashed the man¡¯s arm off. The searing fire from Fiery Embrace cauterized the wound instantly. ¡®Good thing I put all my free points into DEX¡¯ Sachi turned around to face the man at the gate. ¡°He¡¯ll live. Could a Lesser Champion do that?¡± Another guard drew their weapon. The man with the armband held up his hand in protest. ¡°That sword had fire on it, he works for Aelthys.¡± He looks back to Sachi. ¡°You a new general or something? I¡¯ve never seen so little energy before.¡± Sachi held out his hand, expecting keys for the building. ¡°Something like that. I¡¯ve been ordered to move them out.¡± The man laughed. ¡°Damn, Kaelthar must impatient to come back already!¡± He tossed the keys into Sachi¡¯s hand. The door clicked and he pushed his way in. The room greeted him with almost nothing. Just a single small room with a wall of bars in the back. Behind the bars were just a few frail looking people. Sachi went to unlock the door. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡± A mixture of confusion and anxiety came from the group. ¡°Please, you can¡¯t do this!¡± The lock clicked and the door swung open. ¡°I know, I¡¯m not. You¡¯re free, just follow me out.¡± The murmurs died down. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Is that really true, sir?¡± A frail brunette woman with curly hair approached. ¡°My god wishes to thank you but¡­ we¡¯re very weak at the moment.¡± Sachi nodded. The woman looked like she hadn¡¯t eaten in days. ¡°Whatever you do from here on doesn¡¯t matter to me, I just won¡¯t let you die without the chance to live.¡± The woman tried to tug on his armor, but the rules of the safe zone prevent it. ¡°Then¡­ can I come with you?¡± The others agreed, all chiming in with support. ¡®I expected them to be thankful but this is a bit much¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Sachi turned to leave, motioning for them to follow him out. ¡°Ah, wait!¡± As Sachi stepped out, the lazy guard waved him down. ¡°You gonna need help keepin¡¯ them in line?¡± Sachi dismissively waved the man away. ¡°No need.¡± The small herd of people funneled out behind him, and followed him back towards the gate. [You have left a safe zone!] He stopped and turned around. The people following him had stopped before leaving the city. ¡°You¡¯re afraid I¡¯m gonna kill you?¡± The group each shared a pensive look, except one. The brunette woman stepped out of the safe zone first, her short hair bouncing with each step. Her clothes were torn, likely from the scuffle that got her captured in the first place. ¡°My name is Lyra, I¡¯m the Champion of Zephyr, the God of Wind.¡± She held a timid look. ¡°Please let me travel with you.¡± Sachi tapped her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m barely holding on by myself, I can¡¯t watch over someone in your state as well.¡± His gazed returned back to the city itself. He might have time before the Eternal Flame returns, but he wasn¡¯t going to risk that. ¡°I think I made some scary people angry too.¡± He turned to walk in a random direction. Away from the city that he came from, and away from the hilltop that he arrived on. ¡°Your lives are yours once again.¡± He passed through the fields, through the forest and arrived just on the outskirts of a desert. His stomach began to rumble. ¡®I should¡¯ve gotten something to eat before I left¡­¡¯ He felt a tap on his shoulder. He quickly spun around with his hand on his katana, ready to strike. Instead of an enemy, all that stood in front of him was the brunette girl, Lyra. She held a piece of cooked meat in her hand, and ate another with her free hand. Speaking with food in her mouth, she asked. ¡°You hungry?¡± Sachi was practically drooling staring at the slab of meat. She let out a chuckle and pushed it into his hands. Sachi bit down on the meal, the flavor tasted like pure bliss as the meat melted in his mouth. An overload of flavor he simply could not resist, within just a few bites the whole piece was gone. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, sir. There¡¯s plenty left still. I had some experience hunting before I came here so I got some for you.¡± Sachi certainly wasn¡¯t complaining. He saw that she had even made a small campfire. He sat down and began to dig into his second piece. ¡°But I didn¡¯t see any wildlife around, how did you get this?¡± She laughed once again. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re wearing that big suit of armor.¡± Sachi looked down at his Emberheart Plate, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡°That could be it¡­¡± The chatter was interrupted by a familiar sound of flapping wings. ¡°Serendelle! Where have you been all this time?¡± Sachi was slightly angry that he trekked so far away and his companion hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°I was out making friends, much like you have.¡± A falcon as brown as Lyra¡¯s hair landed on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you, o¡¯ savior of mine.¡± Sachi finished chewing on his piece before replying. ¡°The God of Wind, I take it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored you remembered.¡± The falcon flourished its wings. ¡°But what good is honor if I can¡¯t even repay a debt to my Champion¡¯s savior?¡± He hopped off Lyra¡¯s shoulder and turned into his true form. A tall, scarcely clothed man with short hair. Despite there being no wind around, his hair was always moving as if there was. His skin itself was almost translucent, Sachi could make out the scenery behind him still. ¡°I would say you¡¯re quite lucky, Sachihiro Takahashi, but truthfully I know your patron had a hand in this.¡± From the mist that surrounded him, Zephyr revealed a brand new katana. Its sheathe was a beautiful white with finishing touches of dark green clouds along the side. ¡°I must apologize, it doesn¡¯t seem to go well with your outfit, but I hope you accept it nonetheless.¡± Zephyr extended both of his hands with the katana fastened in them. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, it came out much better than expected.¡± [Kazekiri] [Epic katana] [+30 DEX] [Skill: Gale Slash] Sachi stared in amazement at the blade. Every inch of it was crafted with perfection. ¡°It was my brilliant companion¡¯s suggestion to get you a new weapon, said the one on your hip was bland¡± Zephyr nudged Lyra, who was covering her radiant smile with another piece of meat. Sachi was dumbfounded. ¡°Thank you.¡± [Equipped: Kazekiri] [Name: Sachihiro Takahashi] [Class: Samurai] [Level 3] [Unused points: 0] [STR: 4 (+10)] [DEX: 7 (+30)] [VIT: 4 (+40)] [INT: 4] [LCK: 4] [CHA: 4] [ALL (+80%)] [Skills:] [Power Slash] [Gale Slash] [Traits:] [Favored by Luck] Kaelthar, Champion of the Eternal Flame The wealthy cheered and lights flashed as the party finally started. Kaelthar wasn¡¯t much for parties, he always felt a bit awkward in such a setting. ¡°What¡¯s the matter bro, we¡¯re living the life here!¡± Aelthys, the Eternal Flame patted his shoulder. Aelthys had a body made of red hot coals, but he had learned to hold back the heat enough to not burn Kaelthar anymore. ¡°C¡¯mon man, we¡¯ve been together for fifteen years now. You should know I¡¯m not a party kind of guy.¡± Aelthys let out a chuckle. ¡°You should tell that to our guild. Those guys go nuts for you.¡± Kaelthar laughed in return. He was the leader of the Eternal Flame¡¯s guild. A posse of Minor God¡¯s that had no interest in claiming a throne, and instead work for the Eternal Flame to make a living. He always felt a bit off at parties, but something today made him feel especially strange. He looked to mirror close by. His tusks were a vibrant contrast to the tuxedo he currently wore. More than just humans, creatures of all realms were selected by gods to represent them. It was hard to believe he was fifteen years younger when Aelthys first scouted him. He use to be a soldier in an army, a general at that. One night his brigade got raided, and he fell to an elf¡¯s magic. Even now he has the scar from that battle. When he lost consciousness, he awoke in a forest in a foreign world greeted by the much weaker Aelthys. ¡°I¡¯m gonna step out for some fresh air, Ael.¡± Aelthys sat down on a couch and threw up his arms. ¡°You kiddin, Kael? You¡¯re gonna miss the main event!¡± Just as he spoke, a group of beautiful dancers dispersed into the room, a few sitting down next to Aelthys. Kaelthar waved. ¡°I won¡¯t be long.¡± He stepped out of the room into the hallway. As soon as he crossed the archway, the illusionary magic dispersed, and he returned back to his black and gold armor. ¡®Much better¡¯ There had been many attempts on Kaelthar¡¯s life at parties like this one, it was a necessary precaution to keep his armor on. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He closed his eyes and began to relax. ¡®Take me to¡­ Aetherion.¡± Aetherion was the starting point for all gods entering and re-entering the game, and it was also where he held the strongest influence. Within a few seconds he felt his body flow through a magical gateway, and when he opened his eyes he saw his bedroom in the king¡¯s castle. ¡°Master Kaelthar, you¡¯re back early.¡± The Eternal Flame¡¯s personally assigned butler. ¡°I just needed to get some fresh air. I¡¯m gonna take a walk.¡± ¡°Very well, Master Kaelthar. If you need anything else, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± Kaelthar nodded. ¡°Thank you, Finnian.¡± Leaning against his bed was his trusty weapon, the Soulfire Axe. Forged at the top of the hottest volcano in all the realms, and infused with parts of his and Aelthys¡¯ soul. He grabbed his weapon and lodged it on his back. Kaelthar move through the castle, greeting and being greeted by many citizens. The same happened as he roamed the streets. Many citizens feared him, others rejoiced that he protected them, but all could admire his strength and loyalty to the members of his guild. Kaelthar stopped when something was amiss by the prison. ¡°Cedric! What happened to Darian? Why is there one less guard here?¡± Cedric, the lazy man guarding the prison shot up instantly. ¡°Guild Master Kaelthar! You¡¯re back already? Darian lost an arm and was taken to the infirmary.¡± Kaelthar¡¯s brows furled. ¡°How did he lose an arm?¡± ¡°One of your higher ranks came by. He must¡¯ve masked his aura pretty well, I thought he was a Lesser Champion when he showed up. But we second guessed him and Darian lost an arm cause of my mistake, I apologize, Guild Master.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Dunno, didn¡¯t say a name. But his sword was coated with fire, awfully quick bastard he is. Real young fellow, wore a fancy red and black armor piece.¡± The more Cedric spoke, the more Kaelthar grew angry. ¡°Cedric¡­ what are the two ways a Champion can get fire items like that?¡± Cedric leaned back a little. ¡°Being given it as a gift by the Eternal Flame, or taking it from the corpse of a member of the guild.¡± The air was still for a moment as the only sound to be heard was silence. ¡°What¡¯s the status on the team by the gate?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t heard from them in a while. Figured they¡¯re bored out of their minds.¡± Kaelthar was furious. ¡°Cedric! Do your goddamned job!¡± Kaelthar threw his fist at the wall behind Cedric, demolishing it completely. Cedric jumped out of the way to avoid being crushed by the rubble. The other guard had become obvious frightened by Kaelthar¡¯s rage. ¡°My apologies, Gwyn. You¡¯re doing a fine job, lass.¡± He patted her on the shoulder, attempting to calm himself. He turned back to Cedric. ¡°Get the carpenter brothers to fix that. Now!¡± Cedric scurried off into the distant and around a corner. Someone fighting back against his men at the gate was to be expected, but not only to win, but to get a rare drop of a flaming sword and then empty the prison is unheard of. There was only one person who had done something like that previously, and now they¡¯re a Major Champion. It¡¯s unlikely to be them again, his men would know their face. Whoever did this is either stupid, or planning something against the Eternal Flame. Kaelthar rushed to the city gates. Two guards stood at their post, both of which seemed oddly nervous. ¡°Garrick, Eldrin. Where are my men?¡± Garrick responded very quietly. ¡°T-they were killed, Guild Master.¡± Kaelthar¡¯s suspicions were confirmed. ¡°Damnit! Who did it?¡± ¡°It was a young man with long black hair. He had a strange sword with him, and a strong piece of armor.¡± If several of the guilds Champion¡¯s were slaughtered, two regular guards wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. ¡°Thank you.¡± He took out a notebook, and flipped to an empty page within. ¡°Alaric, Abram, Caelum, Jacob, Randal, Haldrin, Ragnar¡­ you will not be forgotten.¡± He closed the book, and turned back to the castle. ¡°You will be avenged.¡± Encounter The four sat around a campfire, exchanging stories and indulging in the rest of the meat that Lyra had gathered. ¡°I use to be a star track runner. My school wasn¡¯t very good, but somehow I was able to make up for everyone else. We never were able to get farther than regionals though¡­¡± Sachi spoke through his chewing. ¡°Makes sense why you¡¯re with the God of Wind.¡± Zephyr¡¯s hand rested on his chin, his transparent eyes locked in Sachi. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯re a Lesser Champion, Sachi. Lyra is a Minor Champion and still couldn¡¯t hold her own against those guys.¡± Sachi stood up, the massive boost to his DEX was immediately noticeable. His body felt as light as a feather. ¡°Is the difference really supposed to be that big?¡± Zephyr nodded. ¡°Lesser God¡¯s are on the brink of death. They lose their champion again, and they¡¯re gone for good. Doesn¡¯t help that they barely have enough power to select a Champion.¡± Sachi slid his gaze to Serendelle, who was conveniently looking away from him. ¡°¡®Again¡¯?¡± ¡°What? She didn¡¯t explain this to you?¡± Sachi held his gaze on Serendelle. ¡°Not in full, apparently.¡± Serendelle raised a hand to her chest in protest. ¡°I said what was important in the moment. I hoped I¡¯d get a better chance to explain later.¡± Zephyr chuckled. ¡°Then let me save you the hassle.¡± ¡°Us gods have been bored for centuries, so one god came along and created a game for us to play. Find a warrior among all the realms, form a bond with them, and climb the ranks.¡± Zephyr began to circle the fire. ¡°But what¡¯s the fun in a game without risks? A God¡¯s Champion dies, they don¡¯t come back, and the god loses substantial power. They pick another, join the game again and hope their Champion can take out other Champions and regain their lost strength.¡± He paused for a moment and looked at Serendelle. ¡°Being a Lesser God means that the next time her Champion dies, she¡¯ll die too.¡± Sachi put both his hands on his hip. ¡°I¡¯ve already killed several Champions, is that not enough to become a Minor God again?¡± Zephyr shrugged. ¡°Dunno, I¡¯ve never been there before.¡± Lyra stood up and began to put out the fire. ¡°We should get moving, we¡¯ve sat around for too long.¡± She stretched and pointed into the forest and away from the desert. ¡°I saw a dungeon over that way. I actually went into the city to get supplies for it before I ran into those guys.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Sachi¡¯s head tilted. ¡°A dungeon?¡± Lyra nodded confidently. ¡°This is a game after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some direction, at least.¡± Sachi made sure he had all his gear, and followed Lyra into the forest. The gods - now birds - trailed behind. Finding a clearing in the forest, an entrance to a cave came into view. More than that, a couple men lined with that dreadful red armband. Sachi whispered in a hush voice. ¡°They just have to be everywhere.¡± Eager to try out his new weapon, he tried to move out of cover. Before he could, Lyra stuck out her arm. ¡°Let me take care of them, this is my strong suit.¡± She winked and pulled out a bow that had looked to be barely functional. ¡°How come I get that powerful sword and you get that?¡± ¡°Zephyr used up most of his power on your sword. When he gets more power back, I¡¯ll get a better bow. Just let me handle this.¡± She counted three men in total. ¡®Okay, I can handle this.¡¯ She notched a spectral arrow, and pulled back the string. When she released the arrow, two more identical ones appear next to it. The first arrow hit, and then the second, but the third missed. ¡®Damnit¡­¡¯ She quickly notched another, and struck her target on the second shot. Sachi was surprised by her skill. He had tried archery before, but he could barely hit a target, much less where was actually aiming. Hitting almost three at once was impressive. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± The flapping of wings echoed as Serendelle landed on Sachi¡¯s shoulder. Zephyr¡¯s falcon was too big to comfortably fit on the shoulder of the petite girl. No items had dropped from the three men, so Sachi simply ignored the stains and hurried inside the cave. It was dark and dreary, the only light they had was the occasional torch on the wall. The slashing of blades and cheering of men echoed from deeper in the cave. As expected, everything had been looted. All chests, monster corpses, everything. Eventually, Sachi and Lyra caught up with the group. There was more basic looking men, and a peculiar looking man in strange outfit. He was taller than the others, and his leather outfit seemed to be designed for quick moments. They watched carefully as the group of men argued over which way to go next. Until the tall man turned around, staring directly at where Sachi and Lyra were hidden. The chattering stopped. Sachi hid his back against a wall, hoping that the man didn¡¯t see him. Lyra copied his movements as swiftly as possible. As fast as Sachi could blink, the tall man appeared right in front of him. ¡°This is Eternal Flame property, and you¡¯re currently trespassing.¡± The man waved a dagger in front of him. ¡°The penalty of doing so is death.¡± The man lunged forward with the dagger. As quick as he could, Sachi drew his blade and tried to defend himself. Each strike from the tall man was inhumanly fast and impossible to read. The short blade left cut after cut on his body, each feeling like a bullet tearing through his body. Not even his Emberheart Plate could protect him. [You health is critically low] Serendelle¡¯s desperate shouting was the only thing louder than the notification. ¡°Sachi!¡± Defense wasn¡¯t working, he needed offense. He tried to return a swing at the man, but he was easily able to avoid it. Sachi had already lost too much blood, and his own handling was getting sloppy. To his left he could see Lyra struggling on her own. The rest of the men had attack her, leaving her and her bloodcurdling shouts powerless. One of the men chuckled. ¡°Careful now, we¡¯ll want her alive for later. This one¡¯s good for more than just killing¡­¡± Sachi grit his teeth and gathered himself. [Activated skill: Gale Slash] A single wide swing released a glowing green beam from the blade. Even for someone as fast as the tall man, the ability itself caught him off guard. The gale nicked his shoulder, spilling just a bit of blood. ¡°Tch, lucky bastard. The same trick won¡¯t work twice.¡± Sachi ran to help Lyra. He should¡¯ve protested against her more. Now he had to worry about her too, and she¡¯s not of much use in close quarters like this. [Activated Skill: Power Slash] A wild, reckless swing to hit as many of the men as possible. [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [Stat increase threshold met] ¡®Damnit, only two?¡¯ There was still two left, mercilessly mocking Lyra. They barely payed any interest to Sachi, even after two of them died. The reason was obviously. [Your health and stamina are critically low] [Death is imminent] ¡®I can¡¯t¡­ not like this¡­¡¯ Sachi thought of everything he could, any idea that could possibly save him. ¡°There is no running, young man. You have insulted the Eternal Flame by being here, accept your punishment with grace.¡± Serendelle¡¯s distressed shouts bounced off the cave walls. ¡°Sachi!¡± A sharp pain went through his stomach. Sachi looked down to see a dagger sticking through him. Blood poured from his mouth, and his consciousness began to fade. [You have died] Again The four sat around a campfire, exchanging stories and indulging in the rest of the meat that Lyra had gathered. ¡°I use to be a star track runner. My school wasn¡¯t very good, but somehow I was able to make up for everyone else. We never were able to get farther than regionals though¡­¡± ¡®What..? Hasn¡¯t this already happened?¡¯ Sachi spoke through his chewing. ¡°Makes sense why you¡¯re with the God of Wind.¡± Zephyr¡¯s hand rested on his chin, his transparent eyes locked in Sachi. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯re a Lesser Champion, Sachi. Lyra is a Minor Champion and still couldn¡¯t hold her own against those guys.¡± ¡®No, this has definitely happened already.¡¯ ¡®I should be dead.¡¯ ¡°Serendelle, what just happened?¡± Serendelle¡¯s eyes met Sachi¡¯s. Her luminescent eyes were almost too enchanting to look at. ¡°What do you mean, Sachihiro? We just left the city after freeing the prisoners, if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± ¡®No, that¡¯s not right.¡¯ ¡®She doesn¡¯t remember?¡¯ ¡®Then the other two wouldn¡¯t remember either.¡¯ Before Sachi could even open his mouth again, another surprise startled him. A searing lavender portal began to open next to him, followed by a letter. The four looked at each other, equal concern spread amongst them. ¡°Sachihiro, the cover of it is addressed to you¡­¡± She was right, the letter had ¡°Sachihiro¡± written out right on it. Hesitantly, Sachi picked it up and opened it. ¡°Don¡¯t mess up again. Come speak with me.¡± ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ The portal stayed open, the other side of it was hard to make out. Sachi looked deeper into the portal. ¡°Sachihiro, what are you doing?¡± Without a word, Sachi began to walk through the portal. ¡°Sachihiro!?¡± Serendelle began to rush after him, but her efforts were in vain. The portal closed behind Sachi as he stepped in. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The room itself became clearer to Sachi. A large, white marble room with intricate carvings along the walls and pillars. An incredibly fancy room for everything he¡¯s seen prior. At the far end of the room were two seats. Thrones, more like. Occupied in each one was what appeared to be a frail young man, both were identical. They had short ruffled hair and prominent freckles, while wearing robes with even more intricate designs. Sachi couldn¡¯t tell where he was, but he could tell that whoever these two were, they were powerful. ¡°W-who are you?¡± Both men stood up from their thrones simultaneously, and began to speak simultaneously. ¡°To make things simple, you may call us Chronos two and Chronos three¡± They began to walk towards Sachi. ¡°Two and three? Not one and two?¡± They each shook their heads. ¡°¡®One¡¯ would imply that there is an original.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been watching you for a short while, Sachihiro, and my, what fun have you been to watch!¡± Chronos Two spoke. ¡°Why, I haven¡¯t had this much fun since the Silent Reaper showed up!¡± Then Chronos Three. ¡°Preciously, he reminds me a lot of you!¡± They both rejoined, speaking in sync. ¡°Which is precisely why we couldn¡¯t bear to watch you to die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ones who brought me back to life?¡± They wagged their fingers. Chronos Two spoke. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring you back to life.¡± Then Chronos Three. ¡°We simply turned back the clock.¡± ¡°You see, we are the God of Time.¡± They rejoined once again. ¡°You wish to kill the Eternal Flame, don¡¯t you? My, wouldn¡¯t that be an unforgettable watch! However, your current capabilities are¡­ lacking.¡± They circled Sachi, examining him from top to bottom. ¡°We can help fix that.¡± They lined up in front of Sachi, showcasing scepters in their hands. Both were identical of course. A short, carved piece of wood with a magical looking orb fastened to the end of it. ¡°We can give you a new power, and then teach you how to use it. How does that sound?¡± Sachi hesitated. This sounded a little too good to be true. ¡°What kind of power?¡± They both nodded. ¡°That will be your choice.¡± ¡°We can give you the power to turn back time, as we just did. ¡°The power to predict the attacks of your opponent.¡± ¡°Or, the power to see the future. You may take your pick.¡± Sachi tilted his head. ¡°Not all three?¡± Chronos laughed. Chronos Two spoke. ¡°Gods, no. Your body would implode being infused with so much magic at once. If you were to get stronger and more skilled, perhaps we could teach you a second.¡± Still, this sounded too good. Being able to turn back time would make Sachi invincible. ¡°What¡¯s the catch with turning back time?¡± ¡°Very astute of you, we knew we liked you for a reason. You would only be able to turn back time once a day, at most.¡± That could still be helpful to Sachi, but he wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°And the other two?¡± ¡°Foresight allows you to see your opponents next move, only briefly. The more skilled you become with it, the further you can see. Seeing the future will be limited to as far as tomorrow.¡± Sachi crossed his arms. ¡°Once I see the future, could I change it?¡± They both shrugged. ¡°That is for you to find out. We have never once intervened in vision we saw.¡± Sachi¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What about when you saved me?¡± They smiled wryly. ¡°We didn¡¯t look in your future. You¡¯d be more interesting to watch firsthand.¡± ¡®Okay, creepy.¡¯ The idea of constantly being watched by these two was unpleasant. He could eliminate seeing the future for now, that was too big of a gamble to take. Now he was between going back in time and foresight. Sachi pondered, going back in time once a day would be helpful, but there¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯d get it right the second time. But Foresight would greatly enhance his combat skills. ¡°Give me foresight then.¡± They smiled. ¡°Very well.¡± An unexpected notification appeared in front of Sachi. [Accept secondary class: ¡°Time Mage¡±?] He had almost forgotten that his class was labeled as ¡°Samurai¡±. He accepted the offer. [Class: Samurai | Secondary Class: Time Mage] [New Skills acquired!] [Haste] [Increases the user¡¯s speed by 20%] [New Trait acquired!] [Foresight] [Read your opponent¡¯s moves] ¡°I have a new skill too?¡± They both nodded. ¡°You needed the foundation of a Time Mage in order to learn Foresight.¡± ¡°Now, Sachihiro. Are you ready to put it to the test?¡± Chronos Two and Three each flourished the scepter in their hand. Without a moments hesitation, they charged Sachi, swinging the scepter wildly. The orb cracked Sachi¡¯s nose, and he recoiled onto the ground. ¡°Agh!¡± Before he could recover, he was back on his feet. They had rewound time again. ¡°Try again, Sachihiro. This is for your benefit.¡± They charged him once more. Fuel for the Fire For what felt like hours, Chronos attacked Sachi over and over. Each time, Sachi barely made any progress defending himself. The scepter felt like a brick as it bulldozed into him, and Chronos would rewind time just to do it again. He could tell his Foresight was working, each time they attacked him was at a different angle, and he could accurately predict that. However, his predictions still weren¡¯t quick enough for him to defend himself. ¡°Come on Sachi! This is nothing compared to the Eternal Flame¡¯s guild!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you defend yourself?¡± Sachi was too occupied with trying to dodge the incoming blows, each try was unsuccessful. ¡°Are you not angry enough?¡± ¡°We saw what you did to those men at the gate!¡± ¡°Is rage your muse?¡± ¡°Is that what drives you, Sachihiro?¡± ¡°That makes you no better than the men you slaughtered.¡± Sachi wanted to defend himself, only letting out gasps of air as the scepter struck him again. He didn¡¯t kill them just because he was angry. He killed them because he wanted to go home. To see his family. His friends. The few people that actually believed in him. Did anyone believe in him here? Did he believe in himself? ¡°Come on Sachi! We haven¡¯t made any progress!¡± He thought back to when he died. He watched helplessly as Lyra was brutalized. That girl followed him out of that city, despite being told off. She believe in him, and he failed her. ¡°That ¡®system¡¯ of yours is nothing but vanity if you don¡¯t have any skill to back it up!¡± A brutal bash of the scepter into his stomach sent Sachi reeling. Serendelle¡¯s life is riding on his shoulders too, and he failed her the same. That failure was what made him truly angry. The scepter struck Sachi in the chest as he was sent tumbling back onto the marble flooring. This time, time didn¡¯t rewind. ¡°You¡¯re boring us.¡± ¡°We brought you here because we had high expectations, but you¡¯re not entertaining us anymore.¡± Sachi scrambled and brought himself to his feet. He could see the aura emanating from Chronos. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Sachi couldn¡¯t sense any killing intent once he stepped into the portal, but something had changed. Once he collected himself, he realized he was standing in front of a monster. ¡°Show us something fun, Sachi.¡± He couldn¡¯t fail them again. Serendelle, Lyra, and Zephyr, they all needed him. Chronos lunged at him once more. Sachi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t need his eyes to see his enemy, Foresight was like an image that was projected into his mind, almost like a sixth sense. He could feel a presence to his left and above him. He swiftly reached for his Katana and sliced in a single upward motion, interrupting the path of both attackers. Two metal clangs sounded as the Kazekiri strikes the scepters, and for once, Sachi still stood on his feet. Chronos let out a breath of excitement. Chronos Two spoke in a joyous tone. ¡°Did that growth come from a sudden breakthrough? Or perhaps you got lucky?¡± Chronos Three appeared to be more invested. ¡°Removing one of your senses to heighten another¡­ We¡¯ve never thought of using Foresight like that before.¡± Sachi released a breath of relief. ¡°It was just a moment of clarity.¡± Chronos rejoined in their dialogue. ¡°Very well done, Sachi! But do remember, this was just a test for your new power. The path ahead of you is much more difficult.¡± The searing portal opened up again behind Sachi. ¡°We¡¯ve done all we can for you, Sachihiro. Spend any longer here and we¡¯ll risk being in the Eternal Flame¡¯s sights.¡± A sudden force pushed against Sachi¡¯s chest, nudging him backwards through the portal. ¡°Good luck, Sachihiro.¡± He stumbled backwards, landing on a patch of grass behind him. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Sachi, you okay?¡± Lyra was leaning over him, blocking the sun overhead. She was joined by a concerned looking Serendelle and Zephyr. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think I just hit my head¡­¡± Lyra hurriedly helped him up. ¡°What was that, Sachi? You stepped into the portal for barely a moment.¡± Sachi sighed. ¡®God of time¡­ I should¡¯ve figured.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think they¡¯re on our side.¡± Lyra tiled her head. ¡°Who?¡± Sachi brushed himself off and fastened his equipment. ¡°Someone strange. Let¡¯s start moving. There¡¯s a dungeon this way.¡± Lyra shot up next to him. ¡°Oh! You saw the dungeon too?¡± Serendelle was slightly confused. ¡°Sachi, when did-¡° ¡°It¡¯s right over there.¡± Sachi pointed beyond the brushes. He nodded his head in the same direction, avoiding Serendelle¡¯s question. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He began to walk off on his own, with the others scrambling to follow him. After several minutes of walking, he held up his hand to halt Lyra. They crouched down in the bushes as they eyed the men lounging outside. Lyra notched her bow. ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Sachi put his hand on the bow, and lowers it. ¡°No, I can handle it.¡± He gripped the handle of his Kazekiri. [Skill activated: Gale Slash] [Skill activated: Gale Slash] [Skill activated: Gale Slash] Each blade of air flew through the air, cutting each of the men down. [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [Stat increase threshold met] [You have slain a Champion!] [Champions slain: 11] That¡¯s the second time that notification had appear, and the first time he didn¡¯t get a bonus after killing a Champion. ¡°Serendelle, what¡¯s going on with this?¡± Sachi pointed to the screen. The small green bird landed gently on his shoulder. ¡°Once you¡¯ve slain a number of champions, the amount needed to get stronger increases. So now you¡¯ll gain a bonus every five Champions slain.¡± The bird chirped in joy. It seemed that Serendelle was happy to finally choose a Champion that¡¯s getting her strength back. Sachi nodded to her understandingly. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going then.¡± Before he stepped into the cave, he paused. ¡°Lyra, stay out here. If any more of them show up, signal me.¡± She seemed surprised. ¡°Huh? But there¡¯s definitely more of them in there, I can back you up!¡± Sachi gave her a short look. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me fight yet, right? You¡¯d only get in the way.¡± She looked frustrated, but couldn¡¯t deny it. Anyone who was strong enough to stand up to the Eternal Flame was much stronger than her. ¡°Tch, fine.¡± She crossed her arms and leaned against the hillside. Sachi gave a slight smile and made his way into the cave, with Serendelle still perched on his shoulder. ¡°Why shoo away another helping hand? She could be a valuable asset to us.¡± His pace quickened as he made his way through the looted rooms. ¡°She will be.¡± The pattering of Sachi¡¯s footsteps began to dwindle as he approached a familiar corridor. The same one where he had ran into the Eternal Flame¡¯s men. Sachi let out a deep breath, and stepped out into the room. He stared down upon the weak men, but most importantly, that tall assassin, who was staring right back at him. Arrogance The tall figure stared up at the samurai clad man above him. ¡°This is Eternal Flame territory-¡° ¡°Shut up. Come at me already.¡± Sachi closed his eyes. If the previous time was just a fluke, then surely he¡¯d die here, but if he could master it, he¡¯d be untouchable. ¡°You seal your own fate with that tongue, boy!¡± Sachi felt the shift, the looming presence moving from below him to behind. Seizing the opportunity, Sachi drew his blade and swung directly behind him. ¡°Agh!¡± The man recoiled as Sachi¡¯s sword drew blood. In a scream of anger, he charged at Sachi. Sachi kept a steady breath, focusing intently on the pulsating presence in front of him. A dagger strikes and is deflected by Sachi¡¯s blade. Once, then twice, then a few more times all in a quick succession. The clashing of blades became consistent and never ending. If it was just the one man, Sachi might have been fine, but the rest of the lackeys followed to surround him. ¡°Come on, we need to help Captain Riven!¡± Sachi¡¯s breathing slowed. ¡®A Captain. Someone important for sure, but I don¡¯t know how high of a rank that is.¡¯ Each of the men swung at Sachi, his katana and Foresight were the only things keeping him in one piece. [Skill activated: Haste] [Speed of all actions increased by 20% until canceled] ¡®Doesn¡¯t have a time limit on it¡­ that¡¯s helpful.¡¯ He was able to keep up with the assassin even better now, the issue was juggling his attacks and the small fries all around him. That¡¯s when Sachi noticed a new presence entering the cave. The sound of arrows whizzing by his head was jarring, followed by the thunks of bodies against the rocky terrain. ¡®Damnit¡­ why is she here!?¡± He wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed her arrival however. The foresight presence of the assassin moved away from Sachi towards Lyra. Lyra was an archer, and from what Sachi had seen, she had no close combat capability. Especially against an assassin as quick as him. ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ [Skill Activated: Gale Slash] A single slash directed at Lyra, a sweeping gale soaring through the air at her. The luminescent beam lit up the darkened hallway. ¡°Huh!?¡± Lyra ducked to avoid the gale, but her efforts were in vain. The assassin had already appeared in front of her, the gale colliding with his back. ¡°Ack!¡± The assassin was recoiling, but he was still standing. Even that wasn¡¯t enough to take him down. ¡°Now, Lyra!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Sachi didn¡¯t have time to save her, he had to fend off the other men first, and by the time he¡¯d be at her side, it would be too late. She grit her teeth and raised her bow, she had only a brief moment to attack. She wasn¡¯t the strongest, the pulling back the bowstring was harder than she¡¯d like to admit, but that wasn¡¯t an excuse for her to falter. She released the spectral arrow, flying upwards through the chin of the assassin. His lackeys stopped attacking, frozen at the scene before them. The assassins body falls backwards onto the rocky floor. ¡°C-captain Rive-¡° They stopped fighting, but Sachi didn¡¯t. [You have slain a Champion!] [You have slain a Champion!] [You have slain a Champion!] [You have slain a Champion!] [All stats have increased by 10%] [You leveled up!] [Skill deactivated: Haste] As Sachi canceled the skill, he was hit with a wave of exhaustion. The longer he used Haste, the more taxing it was. ¡°Why did you follow me in? I told you to wait outside.¡± Lyra pushed herself up and attempted to wipe the grime and dust off her. ¡°I could hear the fight break out from the entrance, the cave carries the echo pretty far. And I wasn¡¯t just gonna stand by when you could¡¯ve died.¡± Sachi found it hard to argue with her. There was no telling what would have happened if she didn¡¯t show up, but he still wished he could¡¯ve handled it on his own. He became distracted from the conversation after a text box appeared in front of Lyra. [Phoenix Talon] [Rare Dagger] [+10 DEX] [+10 INT] A gleaming orange dagger where the corpse of the assassin had been. A dagger would fit nicely on Sachi¡¯s belt, plus he¡¯d get the stat bonuses just by having it on him, even if he didn¡¯t use it. It would¡¯ve been a good opportunity to understand what the INT stat did as well. He gently tossed the dagger into Lyra¡¯s hands, who fumbled with it briefly due to its unexpected appearance. ¡°Take it. You¡¯ll need it incase something like that happens again.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I mean, I barely know how to fight with this¡­¡± To be honest, neither did Sachi. As much as he would have preferred the stats, it¡¯s better to give her the dagger. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be tagging along, you need to be versatile. Your skills with a bow are good, but if someone gets in your face like that, you need to be able to handle it on your own.¡± Sachi began to walk away from her, further into the cave. ¡°O-oh¡­¡± The corpses of grotesque monsters were scattered about, and of course everything that seemed important was gone. Not that it mattered, since they all disappeared along with the bodies of the Champions. It didn¡¯t help that none of the Champions he killed dropped any loot. He reached the end of the cave, it seemed like the Eternal Flame¡¯s guild had cleared everything except this final room. He prepared himself, and slowly breached the door. The deafening creaking echoed throughout the cave and made Sachi wince. What he found on the other side was unexpected. A single glass case bearing a pair of gloves. [Space Weaver¡¯s Gauntlets] [Legendary Gloves] [Skill: Gravity Weave] [The user can freely manipulate the gravity of a specified object. The size of the specified object scales with INT] These were nice, but Sachi would¡¯ve really preferred a pair of shoes. The bottoms of his feet hurt from all the walking he¡¯s done today. Still, it made sense why the Eternal Flame wanted this for himself. This could make traveling extraordinarily easy, assuming his INT was high enough to use it¡­ [Equipped: Space Weaver¡¯s Gauntlets] Now, he just needed to find his limit. He only had 5 INT, 10 including the percentage bonuses, so he wasn¡¯t expecting much. First, he placed the Kazekiri on the ground. [Not enough INT!] ¡®Not even the sword¡­¡¯ He placed the katana back on his hip and glanced to the minuscule rocks around him. [Skill Activated: Gravity Weave] ¡®I can really only grab something as small as this..?¡¯ The rock was barely visible to Sachi, but even something as small as that was straining. The force from the gloves felt like they were going to crush Sachi¡¯s hand, bone and all. He dropped the pebble back to the ground with a quiet thud. Lyra poked her head into the room. ¡°Find anything good, Sachi?¡± He let out a deep breath. ¡°Maybe. Let¡¯s get back and find some place to stay for the night, I¡¯m exhausted.¡± His brief nap from earlier wasn¡¯t enough to keep him going beyond this point, and the new skill from his gloves was the breaking point. His speech became slowed. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ get¡­¡± With a single, jarring slam, Sachi collapsed onto the cracked surface beneath him. Lyra let out a small shriek at the sudden noise. After the impact, she let out a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s never easy, is he¡­¡± She cleared her throat and prepared to shout. ¡°Serendelle! You¡¯re around here somewhere aren¡¯t you? Can you help me move Sachi out of here?¡± A familiar green bird landed on her shoulder. Lyra¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Aww, aren¡¯t you cute.¡± The bird seemed to chuckle. ¡°Yes, I can help.¡± In a puff of green smoke, Serendelle¡¯s heels gently touched the ground. Lyra tiled her head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude to a goddess, but will we be able to move him on our own? The armor looks really heavy¡­ let me call Zephyr over.¡± Serendelle displayed a sheepish smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think Zephyr will be able to help much. Like how you weren¡¯t able to touch him back at the prison, gods cannot directly touch another god¡¯s champion.¡± Lyra drooped down in despair. ¡°Can¡¯t we just leave him here?¡± Party System Sachi dreamt of a past long forgotten. Originally, his father was the one that taught him kendo. The other kids growing up around him were invested in more normalized sports; basketball, baseball, football, everything close to that. That made it harder to connect with any of his peers. He didn¡¯t have a whole lot in common with any of them to create any connection he deemed worthwhile. Even despite that, Sachi loved kendo. His father was a strange man, always holding a stoic attitude with anything he did. Anything except kendo. Sachi had few memories of his father, much less of his father smiling. But when he was smiling, it was when they practiced kendo together. ¡®Maybe¡­ if I keep practicing and get better¡­ maybe he¡¯ll come back¡­¡¯ His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the crack of a branch behind him. His eyes shot open, staring at a familiar scene of shivering leaves from the shaking branches of trees through the blinding light of dawn. He tried to push himself up, but his body writhed in agony from the soreness of yesterday¡¯s battles. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re finally awake Sachi!¡± It was Lyra¡¯s warm voice that echoed in his ear. ¡°Look, someone else wants to help us out!¡± Immediate alarm bells rang in Sachi¡¯s head. ¡®Anyone offering to help has something they want in return.¡¯ Right behind Lyra was a tall, lanky man. He could be no older than twenty-two. He had silver hairs that stood atop his head as if they were a helmet. His outfit wasn¡¯t much different from Lyra¡¯s, it was just cleaner and intact. A plain tan tunic with a pair of brown leather pants and boots to match. The most striking part of this character was the gargantuan hunk of metal on his back. It was apparent that it was meant to be a sword, but there was simply no way a man of such a skinny build could wield that thing effectively. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Sachi! Lyra has told me absolutely wonderful tales about you! A hero who plays off his achievements as if they were just as natural as breathing! Oh, it¡¯s such a harrowing tale I just had to meet you myself!¡± He spoke at such a rapid and excited pace that Sachi could barely follow. ¡°Oh but where are my manners. My name is Dion Bennett, I¡¯m a Minor Champion under the God of Steel, Vyrnax.¡± He had been carrying firewood in both his hands, but despite that he bowed forwards, revealing elongated and pointed ears. Lyra chimed in now, equally if not more excited than Dion¡¯s tone. ¡°Get this Sachi, he¡¯s an elf, a real one! There¡¯s more than just humans here!¡± ¡®As if that was something to be excited about.¡¯ If elves were here, that means any kind of fantasy creature could be here, and that means they could have all kinds of advantages over Sachi. Serendelle sat down next to Sachi, and spoke in hush voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching him, he seems like a genuine soul. Give him a chance.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Sachi sighed and turned back to Dion. ¡°What¡¯s with that thing on your back?¡± Dion placed the firewood down next to an extinguished fire pit, and spun around to showcase the weapon on his back. The long hunk of metal was about half his own body¡¯s width, and almost his entire height. He was much taller than Sachi too, the sword was most definitely taller than him. The sheathe it sat in was shockingly the most eye catching part. A pure black sheathe with flame decals. Sachi didn¡¯t know whether to feel embarrassed or to laugh at him. ¡°This is my faithful weapon, the ¡®Giant¡¯s Night Blade¡¯. It was made for me by my trusty companion. And this-¡° he pointed to the flame decals. ¡°-this is my own personal touch, to let my enemies know I¡¯m not just strong, I¡¯m fast too.¡± Sachi crossed his arms. ¡°Why did your god make you a giant¡¯s sword?¡± Dion began to scratch his head. ¡°Well¡­ when he gets an idea he just has to make it. He¡¯s not exactly open to commissions though¡­¡± Sachi became even more lost in this conversation. This man was in a killing game, and he¡¯s with a selfish god who doesn¡¯t even bother to look after him. ¡°And where is your god?¡± Dion darted his eyes away and scratched his neck. ¡°He¡¯s uhh¡­ still in his domain. He¡¯s never left, actually. He first brought me there and gave me some of his equipment to test, and now I¡¯m here.¡± Sachi narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡®Some¡¯?¡± Dion nodded. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± He reached his hand out, and a small portal opened, almost like he reached through the air itself into another dimension. When he reeled his hand back, he displayed a metal helmet. The portal quickly closed behind his hand. ¡°Vyrnax¡¯s own little storage realm! He gives me access to it since he wants me to test out a bunch of his equipment.¡± ¡®That could be useful¡­¡¯ ¡°Say, you have any other weapons you could use? Something more practical, preferably.¡± Dion began to laugh. ¡°Oh trust me, this baby¡¯s practical alright. You just haven¡¯t seen me fight.¡± His grin displayed his shiny white teeth, all perfectly aligned. Sachi gave him a strange look. ¡°Right.¡± Serendelle leaned over to Sachi. ¡°Sachihiro, if we¡¯re going to be traveling with more people, why not make use of the party system I included for you?¡± Sachi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Party system? I don¡¯t remember seeing that.¡± Sachi opened his menu and scanned for a party menu, but there was none he could see. ¡°Look, it¡¯s right there.¡± Serendelle pointed to a small tab on the side of the screen with a single letter that was barely visible, the letter P. ¡®I guess a goddess wouldn¡¯t know much about good game design¡­¡¯ He pressed the button and watched the screen open. [Would you like to invite ¡°Lyra Emberwind¡± to your party?] ¡®Continent that is knows her full name.¡¯ [Yes] Lyra shrieked as a screen suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡°What is this?¡± Sachi raised his hand slightly. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s me. It¡¯s so we can stick together easier.¡± [Do you accept the party invite from ¡°Sachihiro Takahashi¡±?] Lyra clicked the button that said ¡°yes¡±. [A Champion has joined your party!] Serendelle laughed and clapped her hands together as if to boast about how proud she was of her system. ¡°See? It¡¯s real easy, plus I added some features that might be handy for you.¡± [A party member is looking at you.] Sachi looked up from his screen to see Lyra staring at him, it was evident she had questions about the phenomenon that she just witnessed. ¡°What all does it tell me? And why doesn¡¯t it say her name?¡± Serendelle laughed again, putting her finger to her glossy lips. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to find out. As for her name¡­ it¡¯s a bit difficult to manage with my current strength.¡± Before he could respond, another screen appeared in front of him. [Would you like to invite ¡°Dion Bennett¡± to your party?] He looked beyond the screen to see Dion staring at him with glowing eyes. ¡°What was that!? You can create menus like a game!? Oh, give me one too!¡± Sachi let out an awkward chuckle as his finger hovered over the ¡°no¡± button. ¡°Sachihiro, it could be helpful to have another ally.¡± As much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it, Serendelle was right. He had gotten lucky so far that the Champions he fought were weak, excluding the assassin. He needed to kill to get stronger, but he needed allies to protect him to live longer. Sachi sighed and pressed ¡°yes¡±. The same screen appeared in front of Dion, and his overjoyed expression was the only thing brighter than the sun the beamed down on them. [A Champion has joined your party!] Zone Shift Sachi and his newly formed party began to move westward; the opposite direction from where he found the desert. They hiked through the forest, through bushes and trees with all sorts of unfamiliar insects. ¡°Hey, Serendelle. You don¡¯t suppose you could make me some shoes, could you? Like how Zephyr made this sword.¡± The bird on his shoulder shook its feathers. ¡°Most of my power is being used to keep your system running, I am not able to make you any item at the moment¡­¡± Sachi sighed. Now was a better time than any to see how useful his new companion could be. ¡°Dion, do you happen to have any shoes in that storage realm of yours?¡± Dion smile lit up. ¡°Sure do, let¡¯s see what we have here¡­¡± he reached his hand through the air, once again reopening the portal. ¡°Ah! Here you go!¡± He pulled his hand back out, to reveal two hulking metal plated shoes - the kind you¡¯d see true medieval knights wearing. ¡®Absolutely not. That would make my situation worse¡¯ ¡°Do you have anything more¡­ light weight?¡± Dion scratched his chin. ¡°Hmm¡­ let me see what the big guys got.¡± He reached back into the portal, fumbling around for a moment before pulling out a pair of sandals - the bottoms enhanced with metal. [Metal Sandals] [Uncommon Boots] [+5 VIT] ¡®Better than nothing, thankfully.¡¯ [Equipped: Metal Sandals] Dion rested his hands behind his head. ¡°So where are we going again?¡± ¡°According to Zephyr, there¡¯s a town farther out this way.¡± Sachi replied. ¡°One with less Eternal Flame influence.¡± Sachi had asked Serendelle if that was true as they walked, but she had apparently never had a Champion get farther than the starting area. Through the forest, the area began to change. Almost as if an invisible line had been drawn across the ground determining which area was which. The terrain became more open, and more humid. As Sachi stepped beyond the vegetation he felt a strange surge through his body, as if a wave of magic coursed through him. He wasn¡¯t the only one who felt it. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Ugh¡­ what is this?¡±Lyra looked like she was going to hurl. Moments after her comment, her falcon companion landed on the ridiculous metal helmet Dion now wore. ¡°This is a ¡®Zone Shift¡¯. We now leave the Eternal Flame¡¯s territory, and begin to enter another. This is the neutral middle ground between them.¡± ¡°Another God¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Precisely. We now head for the Tidecaller¡¯s territory.¡± Sachi felt conflicted. ¡°Is it even a good idea to enter another God¡¯s land? We¡¯ve already riled up the Eternal Flame, shouldn¡¯t we just finish the job there so we can get out of here?¡± Zephyr let out a laugh. ¡°If only it was that easy. We head for the Tidecaller¡¯s land because we¡¯ve ruffled his feathers. I¡¯ve heard rumors that those two have a messy history.¡± Dion tried to look up at the falcon on his head, but wasn¡¯t very successful. ¡°You seem to know a lot, Zeph. Was your last Champion super strong?¡± Zephyr laughed again. He had never had a Champion give him a nickname before. ¡°No, quite the opposite actually. He was more interested in learning more about this realm than he was trying to dominate it. He worked for the Eternal Flame for a while, before stumbling across something he shouldn¡¯t have seen.¡± Dion smiled ear to ear. ¡°And that would be?¡± ¡°Why, I just told you of course. Their messy history. When the Tidecaller found out he knew, she sent her own assassins after him. Poor Nicholas could hardly defend himself¡­¡± ¡°Oh geez, sorry to pry, Zeph.¡± Sachi had something else on his mind. ¡°So your former Champion was killed because the Tidecaller doesn¡¯t want her history known? So how would that help us?¡± ¡°Well, I think the Tidecaller would be very pleased to know you slew an Eternal Flame¡®s captain. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed that many Champion¡¯s you¡¯ve fought so far have been fairly weak, and that¡¯s because they funnel all their prey to their higher ups first.¡± ¡°Like the prison?¡± Zephyr¡¯s falcon head nodded. ¡°Most Minor Champions have resorted to picking a Major god and trying to climb their ranks to get stronger, very few are as foolhardy as yourself, Mr. Sachihiro. Those strong kinds are few and far between, losing any capable champion is a devastating blow to an army. And lucky for you, I took the badge tucked away in the captains outfit before he disappeared.¡± Sachi put his hand to his chin. ¡®If we can get her on our side¡­¡¯ ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s pay this Tidecaller a visit.¡± The air inside this new zone was devastatingly humid. They had walked for what felt like hours as they trudged through a barren land. The only sight worth seeing along the way was a lake with several fishermen sat atop their boats. The group dragged themselves along as the humidity felt like it¡¯d kill them sooner than any Champion. Lyra looked the worst of the three. ¡°How much longer, Zepyhr..?¡± ¡°We should be arriving any moment now¡­ I must admit, this area is much larger than I remember.¡± Finally, the next area came into view. A clouded and rainy land with a light fog preventing much of their view. Sachi stepped over the line, once again feeling the strange pulsating feeling flow through him. This time, Lyra did puke. The combination of the strange feeling and the torment of the humidity must have been too much for her. Something felt off in this new area. The rain pouring down drenched all of them - including the birds - and had a strange scent attached to it. Zephyr felt similar. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ it wasn¡¯t raining like this when I were here last.¡± Sachi felt something, a movement in his Foresight. The ability only triggered when someone had hostile intent, whether to him or someone else. Much like when he noticed Lyra in the cave, they didn¡¯t need to be hostile towards him, or even his group. [A party member has fallen unconscious!] ¡®Lyra¡­!¡¯ Lyra slumped to the moistened ground, the harsh conditions proved to be too much for her. To make the situation even worse, he could feel the hostile presence surrounding them, just beyond the fog. They weren¡¯t alone, and whatever was out there didn¡¯t like that they were here. The Tidecaller A man stepped into view, and approached the group. He wore a futuristic set of armor: a helmet with a tinted visor to hide his face and body armor that looked straight out of a sci-fi movie. On his hip looked to be a stun baton. ¡°State your name, your god and business being in the territory of the Tidecaller.¡± Sachi couldn¡¯t tell how many others were around them, but he knew for sure they were outnumbered, especially with Lyra unable to move. ¡°Sachihiro Takahashi, Goddess of luck and fortune. We¡¯re here to meet with the Tidecaller.¡± The man threw his hand up, as if it was a signal. Right after, more men in identical gear appeared, surrounding Dion and Lyra. ¡°You¡¯ll see the Lady. You¡¯re coming with us as prisoners on account of trespassing.¡± Even with the abundance of men that appeared to escort them, he could still feel the presence of more soldiers just outside his few. ¡®How many people does the Tidecaller have to spend on us..?¡¯ Even if he were to retaliate, he was unlikely to escape with his life. ¡°Fine. Take us there.¡± The man placed a hand on the baton to his side. ¡°Woah, hey, take it easy there! She a fragile young woman, be gentle!¡± Zephyr was pestering two of the soldiers that had come to carry Lyra. ¡°Mind if I do the honors, Zeph?¡± Dion scooped up Lyra¡¯s unconscious body and tossed her over his shoulder. Shockingly, for such a frail figure he seemed to have no trouble at all carrying her. ¡°Hey! I said ¡®gentle¡¯ you brute!¡± They bickered back and forth for a moment. Sachi looked the man in charge, unable to see any expression beyond the tinted mask he wore. ¡°This way. You try anything, you get killed on the spot. No exceptions.¡± It¡¯s not like Sachi had much of a choice. He just had to hope Dion was smart enough not to try anything either. As they began to move forwards, the downpour didn¡¯t seem to let up at all. They crossed mushy green plains, only to approach a shockingly familiar sight. What looked like a modern day city came into view. Especially for Sachi who grew up in a city, it was like being right back at home, minus the bustling streets. The city itself was almost deserted. There were clearly stores and businesses that were open, but hardly anyone walking the streets. ¡°I can see that look in your face. This place look familiar? Lady April built it after her own home, maybe you got snatched from the same place.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®How many different realms are caught up in this game? It doesn¡¯t sound like Earth is a very common place to come from.¡¯ It was refreshing to see something so similar to home, but it was also made him feel uneasy. Seeing his home in such a distorted setting was uncanny. Eventually, they were led to a skyscraper. The interior was about what Sachi expected; a fancy lobby and a receptionist¡¯s desk. The man behind the counter nodded to their group and pressed a button. A click could be heard and an elevator opened behind him. ¡°You¡¯ve got working elevators here?¡± The man nodded. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what a Major God can do.¡± The entire group couldn¡¯t fit onto the elevator, just Dion, the unconscious Lyra, Sachi, the birds, and a few of the armored men. The elevator bounced as a ding blared with each floor. ¡°What do you want with the Tidecaller?¡± Another ding. ¡°We want to kill the Eternal Flame.¡± A final ding sounded. The man didn¡¯t respond to Sachi¡¯s answer, he had no reaction at all. The doors opened at the top of the building revealing a penthouse floor. The opposite wall of the room was made entirely of windows, not that it mattered since most of the visibility was blocked by an unfitting throne at the back of the room. ¡°Lady April, we brought you the trespassers as requested.¡± A woman sat on the throne, a pile of books at her side with one in hand. Her skin was a beautiful shade of brown, covered by a thin blue dress. Her hair was lustrous, covered with black curls. ¡°Thank you, Vergo. Bring them here.¡± A hand shoved Sachi forward, pushing him through the luxurious room towards the esteemed woman. She looked down on them just by moving her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a lesser champion. You were able to evade the Eternal Flames men and come here? You must be very lucky.¡± She closed the book in her hands and stood up. ¡°Your friends here¡­ a man in denial of himself and a fragile woman. Truly a strange group.¡± She began to circle the three of them. Sachi rested his hand on the blade on his hip to ease its shaking. ¡°We didn¡¯t evade them. We¡¯ve killed several of his men, and we aim for the Eternal Flame himself next.¡± Zephyr jumped off Dion¡¯s head - startling him in the process - and landing on the ground in his true form. ¡°Miss April, was it? I-¡° The man who had led them up, Vergo, cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s Lady April.¡± ¡°Er, right. My apologies, Lady April. This is a badge of a captain from the Eternal Flame that we slew naught but yesterday.¡± In the palm of his translucent hand, he held the badge the assassin wore. The woman approached Zepyhr slowly. Sachi never thought he¡¯d see a god so nervous. The woman looked over to Sachi, and snapped. ¡°You too, off his shoulder.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Lady April.¡± Serendelle hopped off of Sachi shoulder and onto the ground, transforming along the way. Sachi noticed as she left, no one who was outside just a few minutes ago was wet with rain anymore, like they had never trudged through the weather in the first place. Lady April took the badge out of Zephyr¡¯s hand, and examined it. ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ this is a genuine badge of a captain. And which one of you was it?¡± Zephyr looked over to Sachi. ¡°Well¡­ it was-¡° Zephyr was cut off by Sachi. ¡°It was the ¡®fragile woman¡¯.¡± Sachi expression became hardened. ¡°She was the one who killed him.¡± Sachi knew Zephyr wanted to give him the credit. Truthfully, he did the most in that fight to weaken the assassin, it was just Lyra who dealt the final blow. Major God or not, Sachi couldn¡¯t stand how much she looked down on them. If Lyra wasn¡¯t there in that cave, that fight could have ended much differently. ¡°Is that so? Most interesting indeed¡­ still, a captain isn¡¯t much compared to the Eternal Flame himself. So tell me, why do you wish to slay him?¡± She held a fixated gaze on Sachi. He curled his hand up into a fist, hiding his shaking as it slowly disappeared. ¡®Home¡­¡¯ ¡°I want to go home. There are people who need me.¡± She smiled, and began to approach him. ¡°You and every other Champion who shows up. And why have you come to seek me for this?¡± Sachi squeezed his fist harder. He couldn¡¯t tell because of the gloves, but he was sure the palm of his hand was bleeding now. ¡°Because I know of your past.¡± Relaxation Her eyes narrowed. ¡°My¡­ past?¡± The murmurs of the guards in the room began to grow. ¡°Is this kid stupid?¡± ¡°Hah, seems like it. If I knew, I would¡¯ve brought some snacks.¡± Lady April began to circle Sachi alone now. ¡°And what of my past do you know?¡± Sachi closed his eyes. She had circled behind him at this point. ¡°I know about your relationship with-¡° There it was. The overwhelming hostile presence from Sachi¡¯s Foresight, aiming a quick jab at the back of his head. Despite that, he could tell she was holding back. Her presence wasn¡¯t nearly as monstrous as Chronos¡¯. He craned his neck to the side, just narrowing avoiding the razor sharp nails of the woman. At least, he thought he did. A cut emerged on his cheek as blood began to drip. ¡°You¡¯re either the dumbest Champion I¡¯ve met, or the bravest. And neither is a compliment.¡± ¡®He is a Lesser Champion isn¡¯t he..? How did he dodge my strike?¡¯ ¡°You want my assistance? Fine, you may have it. If you can prove yourselves worthy. There are worlds of difference between a captain and a Major Champion.¡± She walked by Sachi. He struggled to control his breathing as she returned to her throne, her heels clicking along the tiled floor as she walked. ¡°In a few days, there will be a tournament - a series of games for prisoners like yourself. The winners will be set free, and the loser will die. If you truly want my help in taking down that prick Kaelthar, prove yourself in the tournament.¡± Sachi let out a deep breath. ¡®It¡¯s not like I have much of a choice.¡¯ ¡°Fine. We accept.¡± The slight smile crossed the woman¡¯s face. ¡°The tournament begins in two days. Typically, each team will have four members. You are free to gather a fourth, or participate a member short. Vergo, escort them to the V.I.P guest room.¡± Vergo nodded and motioned for them to follow him back to the elevator. The group filled in as the buttons lit up, and the contraption began to descend. ¡°You¡¯re seriously messed up in the head, Sachihiro. Lady April trusts me the most as her right hand man, and even she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill me at the mention of her past.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Sachi didn¡¯t respond, he was too busy debating what he needs to do before the tournament. ¡°Sheesh, what a buzzkill.¡± The elevator clicked, and opened just a few floors below the top. ¡°This is your stop: Floor 36. You¡¯d best remember it, I doubt anyone would be willing to escort you back here.¡± Dion raised an eyebrow as he browsed the room. It was nothing short of luxurious, even to the standards of Lady April¡¯s room. ¡°And this¡­ is for ¡®prisoners¡¯..?¡± Vergo laughed. ¡°Ha! We¡¯re all prisoners in a sense. That rain outside is part of Eyrndra¡¯s power - the Goddess of Water - it can read and keep track of anyone it touches. Their emotions, their intent, almost everything about you. You try to escape or break something and she¡¯ll know, and you won¡¯t be able to get away then. Especially not after the way you angered her.¡± That would explain the strange stench and magical drying. ¡°Good luck to you three, you¡¯re gonna need it.¡± With a wave, Vergo steps back into the elevator and the doors shut. Dion laid Lyra down on the closest couch. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not in the least bit terrifying. We¡¯ve got two days before the tournament, what are the chances we just get to relax before then?¡± Sachi walked by him to a bed in the far corner. ¡°None.¡± ¡°She said it was a series of games, but didn¡¯t tell us what the games were. No matter what they are, they¡¯re likely going to involve combat, so we need to be ready.¡± He began to take off the armor he had been wearing since he found it in front of the gate, and placed the clover green bird softly onto the bed. ¡°But¡­ we need to wait for Lyra to wake up. It couldn¡¯t hurt to relax just for a moment.¡± Truthfully, Sachi had never stayed in a room as luxurious as this one. He wanted to enjoy it as much as he could before his life was in danger again. ¡°Say, Sachi. You said that there were people who needed you back home. Were you some kind of big shot back from where you came from?¡± ¡°No. The opposite, actually. My mom is probably wondering where the hell I am now, though.¡± Dion sat down on the couch next to Lyra. ¡°Yeah? Probably same here, except it¡¯s just my little brothers and sisters.¡± Sachi looked back at Dion while organizing his equipment. ¡°You got a lot of ''em?¡± Dion laughed. ¡°Yeah, two brothers and two sisters. Our parents were so excited to have us all, until they actually had to raise us. We did any little thing that aggravated them and we¡¯d be kicked out for the night. Hardly ever slept in that godforsaken house.¡± Sachi had hardly anything he could say. It felt offensive to try to match the trauma that Dion shared, considering his own past. ¡°What about you? You got siblings too?¡± Sachi shook his head. ¡°No. Just my mom. My dad left when I was younger, but he¡¯s also the reason I¡¯m any good with this sword.¡± Dion made an understanding noise and nodded his head. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re fighting then? Just to get back to your mom?¡± ¡°Is that not why you¡¯re fighting as well? To return to your brothers and sisters?¡± Dion craned his neck back, staring into the ceiling. ¡°Well¡­¡± A muffled grown emerged from Lyra as she struggled to push herself up. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She opened her eyes and glanced around the extraordinarily decorated room. ¡°Ah¡­ I must be in heaven.¡± Her eyes glanced to the side and saw Dion, still wearing the unfitting metal helmet with a familiar falcon perched on top. ¡°You¡¯re here too..? You¡¯re much taller than I remember¡­¡± ¡°What!? I¡¯m very much alive and I¡¯m the same height I¡¯ve always been!¡± Serendelle couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Even Sachi couldn¡¯t hide the smile forming on his face. For the first time since he arrived in this strange world, Sachi felt he could finally relax, even if just for a moment. ¡®No matter what, we¡¯re going to win that tournament, and all of us will be able to go home.¡¯ He stored that thought away, he didn¡¯t wish to spoil the moment. In Preparation ¡°C¡¯mon Lyra, that won¡¯t do you any good.¡± Sachi held a silver knife in hand, extended in a stance against Lyra, who held the Phoenix Talon in her hands. ¡°We¡¯ve been practicing for hours and we¡¯ve barely gotten anywhere, I¡¯ve got not a damn clue how to use this damn dagger!¡± Dion still sat on the couch, lounging as if there was nothing to worry about. ¡°That¡¯s no good Lyra, you need to put your back into it! More like this!¡± He jabbed forward with his hand, demonstrating a lackluster attempt to use a dagger. ¡®This isn¡¯t working¡­ I hardly have to use my Foresight to deflect her strikes.¡¯ Serendelle and Zephyr stood against the back of the room, staring beyond the windows down onto the city beneath them. ¡°Sachihiro, none of us are proficient with a dagger, is this training the most effective use of our time? The tournament is tomorrow.¡± He sighed and placed the knife back onto the counter where he found it. ¡°Perhaps not¡­ but we still need to be ready for whatever we face in that competition.¡± Dion scratched his side, still lying lazily. ¡°Why not just ask what games we¡¯re playing?¡± Sachi placed his hand against his chin. ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± He began to move towards the elevator. ¡°I¡¯m going to go see the Tidecaller.¡± Dion shot up from his seat. ¡°Huh!? I was mostly joking! That woman will fillet you alive!¡± Sachi dismissively waved away at Dion. ¡°Then stay here. I¡¯ll be quick.¡± Dion looked to Serendelle. ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop him!?¡± Serendelle laughed lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d listen anyways.¡± Dion was dumbfounded, and slumped back into the couch. ¡°Oh, lovely¡­ I guess this is what I signed up for.¡± The elevator clicked to a stop, and the doors open. Revealing the familiar penthouse room. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Two armored men at the elevator doors blocked his path. ¡°I¡¯d just like to talk to Lady April.¡± A voice boomed from the other side of the room. ¡°Let him through.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Tch.¡± The guards reluctantly nodded, and moved out of Sachi¡¯s way. He stepped into the room, scanning for Lady April. Her familiar figure was hunched over a pile a books, sorting through each one. ¡°This makes the second time you¡¯ve so haphazardly approached me. Do you have no fear for a Major God?¡± He¡¯d be lying if he said he didn¡¯t, he was already hiding the shaking in his hand. He didn¡¯t think about it because he was being escorted the first time, but this area wasn¡¯t considered a safe zone. ¡°Fear won¡¯t get me home.¡± She laughed as she picked up a thick textbook simply labeled ¡°Psychology 101¡±. ¡°Must be stupidity then. Fear is how you stay alive, defying it is a gamble with your own life.¡± She stood up to meet his height. Sachi wasn¡¯t the tallest, but she still just a hair shorter. ¡°Do you recognize this book?¡± She tossed the book into his hands, the unexpected movement made him fumble for a moment. ¡°This is¡­ my high school psychology textbook?¡± She smiled. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re from Realm 11 as well; Earth.¡± She took the book out of his hands and place it back on top of the pile. ¡°I wrote that book. Made some good money from it too, it was incredibly popular in American schools.¡± ¡°How many others have you met from earth?¡± She glanced away. ¡°Not many. The few I have are dead now. The last Major God that had fallen was one. The Titan of Steel; he was slain by who¡¯s now known as the Silent Reaper.¡± ¡®I keep hearing that name¡­¡¯ ¡°Who is this ¡®Silent Reaper¡¯?¡± She simply shrugged. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. They were hardly known to anyone until they took the spot of Major God. Even now, they stay out of the public eye.¡± She shifted away, looking through the window down to the dark city. ¡°It just gives the rest of us more land to fight over.¡± Sachi tensed up again, realizing how casual he had gotten talking to a Major God. ¡®This is getting farther away from what I wanted to talk about¡­¡¯ ¡°Actually, Lady April I wanted to ask you about the games tomorrow.¡± She peer over her shoulder, back to Sachi with a slight smile. Her azure eyes barely visible behind her puffy hair. ¡°And you¡¯ll learn nothing. There is no favoritism in the tournament, each team is blind to the games until they start. ¡®That¡¯s one idea gone¡­¡¯ ¡°Then do you know a weapons teacher? Preferably someone good with a dagger.¡± She looked back down to the city. ¡°I do. Vergo is a very versatile fighter, but I doubt he¡¯d have any interest in teaching you. But I do have a suggestion.¡± She pointed down to the city. As Sachi moved to see what she was pointing at, he could see every curve in her body through her dress, highlighted by the eternal moonlight. He shot down the feeling welling inside him, and peered down into the city. ¡°That there is an open dojo. People are free to enter and practice as they please. If you want a capable fighter, they¡¯d be there.¡± ¡®Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡¯ A smile formed on his face. ¡°Thank you, Lady April.¡± She smiled back. ¡°I look forward to seeing your performance tomorrow.¡± With a nod, Sachi turned back towards the elevator. The familiar beeping felt endless as he descended the floors, until an eventual click bellowed on floor 36. He stepped into the room, appalled to see Dion snoring on the couch and Lyra doing squats in the corner of the room. Zephyr was doing squats along side her, endlessly encouraging her with each squat. She spoke between each movement. ¡°Sachi! Check it out! I¡¯m gonna get much stronger and we¡¯re gonna tear that tournament a new one!¡± It was moments like this that made Sachi forget that he was even in a killing game. Truthfully, whether she was useful or not, Sachi had come to enjoy Lyra¡¯s presence. Not that he would ever admit that, though. ¡®These guys aren¡¯t worried in the slightest¡­¡¯ ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got a lead to help you with that. There¡¯s a dojo down in the city, we can find someone to teach you how to fight in there.¡± Lyra shot up from her crouched position. ¡°What!? Then let¡¯s go! We hardly have time to waste!¡± She jogged by Sachi over to the napping Dion. She took the palm of her hand and struck it lightly across Dion¡¯s cheek. ¡°Wake up! We¡¯re going!¡± The groggy Dion made groaned. ¡°Not now, Sierra¡­ We can sell this stuff later¡­¡± He rolled off the couch and slammed onto the floor. ¡°Ack! Godsdamnit!¡± Lyra laughed as she help him get up and pulled him to the elevator. Serendelle stood at the opposite end of the room. She turned around to meet Sachi¡¯s eyes, her own filled with an emotion Sachi had yet to see. ¡°Sachihiro, because of our pact, I can tell your emotions even when you¡¯re far away.¡± He realized what he saw. A mix of disappointment and anger. He thought back to how Lady April stood in the moonlight. His face flushed red. ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± She looked like she was pouting, and strut by him to the elevator. ¡°It is not important.¡± He let out a light sigh. ¡®How the hell am I supposed to suppress that..?¡¯ Dojo ¡°Where are we looking anyways? This place seems a lot bigger than it did at first.¡± Lyra spun as she walked, taking in her surroundings. ¡°Should be just down here.¡± Sachi pointed to a glowing red sign overtop an old building. The sign read ¡°Dojo¡±, with one of the O¡¯s unlit. ¡°Can we really find someone here..?¡± Sachi scratched his head. ¡°I guess there¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± They approached the building and stepped inside. The smell of sweat was almost nauseating, and quick booms erupted from different corners of the building. A tall, hulking man approached the group, noticing the birds that had accompanied them. ¡°Ah, you must be new Champions, right? Lady April gonna put you through the tournament tomorrow?¡± Sachi nodded. ¡°You know about it?¡± The man laughed. ¡°Of course I know about it, the whole city does! The Tournament of Liberation is the city''s biggest spectacle all year! Lady April gathers all the new Champions that enter her land, throws them into the tournament, and only the strongest team gets to stay. Thanks to that, the city hardly has any Champions in it, and the ones who are here know not to get on the Lady¡¯s bad side.¡± Sachi placed his hand on his hip. ¡°And before that, they get to walk free?¡± ¡°Some of them do, the ones that the Lady says are good get to be on their own, but the rest get locked up till the big day.¡± ¡®Glad we¡¯re on her good side then.¡¯ ¡°Lemme guess, you guys are here to practice before the tournament tomorrow? Where¡¯s your fourth?¡± Sachi crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s just us three. Is that an issue?¡± The man laughed once again. ¡°Ha! It might be for you guys. The rest of ¡®em are gonna have a man up on ya.¡± ¡°All the more reason for us to get stronger then.¡± ¡°Damn right you are! Follow me so we can get you all set up.¡± Sachi nodded, and the man turned away and began to walk towards a counter at the far end of the room. Dion tapped Sachi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Actually Sachi¡­ I¡¯m gonna go browse the market. I¡¯m quite confident in my fighting abilities, I¡¯d rather find some more comfortable equipment than what Vrynax has to offer.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Oh, sure¡­¡± Sachi hasn¡¯t seen Dion fight yet, he couldn¡¯t really protest the claim. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come here when I¡¯m done.¡± Sachi nodded. Dion dispersed from the lobby of the building and beyond the fog. The strong looking man spoke again. ¡°Right this way then. My name is Dave, but other fighters call me Buff Dave.¡± ¡°Are there multiple Dave¡¯s?¡± Dave shrugged. ¡°There use to be. Now it¡¯s just me. Here we are, just sign in here and you¡¯ll be set.¡± It was a regular piece of paper Sachi used to see everywhere. The form had places for a a name, a God, if they were a champion, and a fighting style. There was a list of options on the side of the paper. ¡®I guess¡­ sword fighting for me.¡¯ Lyra seemed a bit more uncertain than Sachi. ¡°There¡¯s no option for dagger here¡­¡± Dave shot up after hearing Lyra¡¯s saddened voice. ¡°You¡¯re a dagger fighter, missy!?¡± Lyra stepped back, shocked by the sudden burst of energy. ¡°Ah, no¡­ I was hoping to learn, actually¡­¡± He stepped back, placing his hand on his bearded chin. ¡°Well, I dare say you¡¯ve come to the right place. We don¡¯t have a category for dagger fighting, no, but we do have an expert who¡¯s quite good at teaching.¡± Lyra''s face lit up. ¡°Sign me up then!¡± ¡°I will, but¡­ she¡¯s a little scary. We don¡¯t have dagger fighting anymore because she scared away all the competition.¡± Lyra winced. ¡°T-that¡¯s fine. I just need to learn the basics, I won¡¯t be competing with her.¡± He laughed. ¡°Very well, missy! Come with me. And you, lad, just head on through those doors. You¡¯ll find the ring labeled ¡°Swords¡± in there.¡± Sachi nodded, and turned away towards the doors. ¡°And once again, it is just the two of us.¡± Serendelle still sat on his shoulder. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s almost peaceful.¡± Serendelle chuckled. ¡°Yes, I would agree. However, I do miss having them around already.¡± Sachi gave a light laugh in return. ¡°Give me a couple hours, I might miss ¡®em then.¡± Through the double doors at the back of the room, a new shinier interior could be found. The sound of sticks of wood clashing rang throughout the room. Sachi almost felt like he was right back at home. ¡°You there, you¡¯re a newcomer, yes?¡± A short and skinny man approached Sachi, scanning him up and down. ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned, a Lesser Champion too. Must¡¯ve been lucky to make it this far.¡± Sachi was already getting tired of these Lesser Champion assumptions. ¡°We¡¯ll see if it was luck once I start sparring.¡± The man let out of light chuckle, and extended his hand. ¡°M¡¯names Lett, I¡¯m an elf from Realm 20. I¡¯m also a damned good swordsman.¡± He finished his sentence with a wink. ¡°I¡¯m a Minor Champion, too. With the Goddess of Food, she said I¡¯d make for a good cook with my skill with a blade, and she was damn right.¡± Sachi lightly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, but I need to train as much as possible, as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Ah! You¡¯re one of the Champion¡¯s in tomorrow¡¯s tournament! You¡¯re fresh meat, of course you are! A Lesser is gonna need all the help he can get¡­ I¡¯ll tell ya what, let¡¯s see what you can do, and if you¡¯ve got potential we might even cheer ya on!¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡®Does he have to be so talkative..? I just need to train.¡¯ Finally, Lett lined Sachi up right outside of what looked like a boxing ring. The man standing next to him looked roughed up already, like he¡¯d been here all day. ¡°Sachi, this is my good buddy Hendrick. He¡¯s beginner level, so he can help ya out.¡± ¡®This is ridiculous¡­ I don¡¯t need to be coddled like I¡¯m some sort of baby.¡¯ ¡°Lett, let me fight you first. I¡¯ve got skill already.¡± Lett¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? I mean, I¡¯m a little opposed. It¡¯s like putting a kid up against a man.¡± Sachi closed his eyes. ¡°Get in the ring, Lett. Let¡¯s fight.¡± A Long Night ¡°He¡¯ll be participating in April¡¯s Tournament? It¡¯s a shame I won¡¯t be able to kill him myself.¡± Kaelthar sat upon a blackened throne, whatever material it had been made out of originally was completely covered by Ash. ¡°Yes, guild master. I apologize for taking so long to report back, I had been caught up in many affairs that had held me up.¡± Kaelthar held his hand up. ¡°Do not worry, you have done me a great service, and you will be rewarded accordingly.¡± Kaelthar¡¯s hand moved to his chin, stroking the black goatee resting upon his green face. ¡°Actually¡­ see what you can do to keep the boy alive. I¡¯d like to deal with him myself.¡± ¡°Of course, guild master.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The sound of a smack sounded as Sachi¡¯s wooden sword rebounded off of Lett¡¯s side. Lett huffed as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned¡­ I thought Lesser Champion¡¯s were supposed to be weak¡­ those bloody rumors got it all wrong¡­¡± Sachi stepped out of the ring, they had fought twice, and he had won both times thanks to his Foresight. ¡°Rumors? You haven¡¯t met another Lesser Champion?¡± Lett was bent over with his hands on his knees, attempting to steady his breathing. ¡°No¡­ The Eternal Flame¡¯s guild usually takes care of them right out of the gates. Not many newbies make it out here¡­ I can see why you did though, you¡¯re much bloody stronger than anyone would think of ya.¡± A mischievous smile appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll be betting on ya tomorrow for sure, I don¡¯t imagine many others will, based on your title alone. That means a big pot of gold for me if ya win.¡± Sachi gave a slight smirk. ¡°When I win.¡± Lett chuckled. ¡°Right, right. Tournament¡¯s early tomorrow. Get some rest o¡¯ mighty Champion.¡± Sachi gave a wave as he walked away. As he walked back into the main lobby, he could hear a familiar voice from a different room. He turned to see Lyra through a window in the door. She huffed as she charged something. ¡°Aaaaaaaaa!!¡± Just as quick as her visage left the window, a metal clang echoed throughout the lobby, and Lyra was sent flying past the window Sachi was glued to. He stepped closer, and attempted to see who, or what, she had been charging at. He stepped to the side to see what it was, but he jumped as soon as a knife struck the window, cracking it and becoming stuck in the process. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The knife had been aimed directly at Sachi. ¡®But I didn¡¯t feel anything from my Foresight¡­ was it just a coincidence?¡¯ Hesitantly, he reached for the handle of the door, and pushed. An old lady stood at the opposite end of the room. Her gray hair was tied up in a ponytail, wearing something not much different from the black kendo outfit Sachi wore beneath his armor. ¡°Another student here to learn? That¡¯s two more than I¡¯ve had in months!¡± He put up his hands in protest. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m just traveling with my friend here.¡± He looked down to see Lyra sat against a wall. Her face was covered with light cuts and bruises. She seemed to be barely conscious right now. ¡°Um, is she oka-¡° For a moment, his Foresight triggered. In the blink of an eye, he threw his hand up, catching a dagger that had been flung at his head. ¡®I can see what happened to Lyra now¡­ this was aimed to barely hit me.¡¯ The old lady was still in the same position she was just a moment ago, standing solemnly at the far end of the room. ¡°Oh dear¡­ I must be getting sloppy at my old age.¡± ¡®This must be what Dave meant by scary¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m just here to retrieve my companion. We can practice another time.¡± The lady laughed. ¡°With her current skill, she¡¯ll die tomorrow. That is her fate.¡± Sachi stared at her, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Resent me all you¡¯d like, she is not fit for this world. I tell you the truth that you would be so ignorant to.¡± ¡°Lyra will decide her own fate, this tournament is just a bump in the road. We will survive.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°You may take her and leave. If you wish to train with me again, just come and see me.¡± Sachi gave a slight nod, and helped Lyra up. ¡®She¡¯s small, but she¡¯s much lighter than I expected¡­ it must be because of my strength stat¡­¡¯ Sachi lifted the semiconscious woman in a bridal carry, trying not to hurt her any more than she already was. ¡°Good luck tomorrow, lad!¡± Dave waved to Sachi as he left. Stepping into the downpour of the city once more, the horrid sense of doom seeped beneath his skin. He had almost forgotten that his life was once again at risk, and it was more than just his life at stake. ¡®Where the hell is Dion..?¡¯ Almost as if he could hear him, Dion shouted from across the street. ¡°Sachi! Check it out, look what I¡¯ve got on!¡± He wore a black leather jacket, black sweatpants, and a headband with more fire decals lining the front. ¡°Sick, isn¡¯t it!? Those guys tomorrow are gonna be shaking in their boots, I¡¯d bet!¡± Sachi held a blank expression. ¡®Is this guy serious..?¡¯ ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very cool, Dion. Help me get Lyra back to the room, we need to rest up for tomorrow.¡± Dion¡¯s stance stiffened. ¡°Yes, Sachi sir! Right this way sir!¡± In a stiff march, Dion began to head back to Lady April¡¯s tower. Sachi sighed, his dread for tomorrow only grew worse. Dion had gotten ahead of Sachi, even disappearing beyond the fog. Both Zephyr and Serendelle were gone as well, likely keeping an eye on Dion to make sure he doesn¡¯t get lost. Sachi felt a tug on his kendo uniform, from one of the few spots the armor didn¡¯t cover. Lyra was conscious now, and her eyes were watery. ¡°Sachi¡­ Are we really going to be fine tomorrow? I could barely do anything against Lady Reina¡­ is everyone else going to be that strong?¡± Sachi looked down at the pavement. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change what we have to do.¡± ¡°We fight until we can¡¯t fight anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we can do.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be damned if I go down without giving it everything I¡¯ve got.¡± Silence hung in the air for a moment, and Lyra looked down to the ground. ¡®With everything I¡¯ve got¡­¡¯ The rest of the walk back to the tower was silent, nothing but the patter of rain dampening the sound of Sachi¡¯s footsteps. The elevator repeated its dinging until they had arrived back to their floor. Through the doors, Dion was already fast asleep on the couch, and Serendelle and Zephyr were caught up in a game of cards. ¡°A royal flush!? You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Serendelle laughed. ¡°I must just be very lucky.¡± Zephyr smoldered, tossing his cards on the table. ¡°Goddess of luck¡­ what was I thinking.¡± Zephyr turned and noticed Sachi and Lyra¡¯s arrival. ¡°Oh! My girl¡¯s awake now, is she! Just lay her on the bed there, I already made it all up for her.¡± Sachi nodded, doing as instructed. ¡°Thank you, Zephyr.¡± Sachi laid in his own bed now. The weight of tomorrow sinking him further into the bedsheets. He tried to let his mind wander off in different directions, but no matter where he went, he always came back to the same thing. Tomorrow, the tournament began. The Tournament of Liberation Through the city of rain and fog, Sachi, Lyra, Dion and their godly companions were led by Vergo, the Tidecaller¡¯s right hand man, to where the tournament would be held. Through the fog, a building with a grandiose facade slowly came into focus. Banners flapped wildly in the morning wind, echoing the anticipation that charged the air around them. ¡°W-what is this place?¡± Lyra starred up to the extraordinarily large building that expanded beyond the fog. Sachi recognized it. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a Football stadium before, Lyra? I thought you were an athlete?¡± ¡°I am an athlete! And I¡¯ve never heard of a ¡®Football Stadium¡¯ before.¡± Vergo chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s not from the same realm as you, Sachihiro. The realms are grouped in tens, Realm 10 to 20 are all similar, with small differences. She must be from one of those, without football.¡± ¡®Must be why Lady April only recognized me from Earth.'' ¡°Right this way, then.¡± Vergo led them to a small, bleak side entrance labeled ¡°Employees and Participants only!¡± Lyra began to shake subtly. ¡°So this is really happening, huh¡­¡± Dion pat her shoulder. ¡°Relax, you trained plenty didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ll make out fine.¡± Lyra looked to the cracked gray stone on the ground. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Through a labyrinth of halls, Vergo eventually led them to a small room, with nothing but a wooden boat floating in a small pool of water. ¡°What is this?¡± Sachi looked to Vergo. Vergo only laughed. ¡°Hop in the boat. The games about to start.¡± Sachi gulped, ¡®would it be a naval battle?¡¯ Nervously, Dion, Lyra, and Sachi stepped into the boat. The design reminded Sachi more of chariot than a boat, but it was certainly floating on water. Zephyr and Serendelle would be in the stadium. Gods can¡¯t even participate in this realms killing game, much less this tournament. They would just have to watch from afar. Sachi noticed something attached to the front of the boat, a seat tethered to two strange animals. Pale gray horse-like creatures, except it was only the front half of a horse. Sachi recognized them from games he use to play, they were part of mythology from his home realm. They were kelpie from Scottish mythology; water horses that would drag victims to their death. Though, that was only mythology. This was the real deal. Vergo spoke before departing. ¡°You want my advice? You¡¯d best have someone driving that thing.¡± With a loud slam, the door shut behind him. ¡°The hells he mean ¡®drive¡¯?¡± Dion was just as confused as the rest of them. Before they could respond, the ground began to shake with dust jumping across the room. The wall that the boat faced began to lower, revealing The center of the stadium made entirely of water. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. A loud voice began to blare. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the fifth annual Tournament of Liberation! The first game of this evening is a demolition derby, the last boat standing moves on to round two!¡± ¡°Demolish derby? Does that mean¡­¡± The announcer began to speak again. ¡°And now to introduce the first teams of the evening!¡± ¡°In the blue corner, we have Team Joshua, A bold and charismatic young man leading his team to their freedom!¡± ¡°In the green corner, we have Team Ragnar, a destructive and unpredictable group. Though, that seems to be the reason they¡¯re the top vote to win the round!¡± ¡°In the yellow corner, we have Team Connor, a relatively unknown group, but they¡¯re bound to make a wave in this first round, literally!¡± ¡°And finally, in the red corner, we have Team Sachi! A team lead by a Lesser Champion! They¡¯re the underdogs in this match, the payout for their bet is three times as high as the rest!¡± Dion spoke in a hush voice. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ betting on us?¡± Sachi nodded slowly. ¡°They said this was the biggest spectacle of the year, it would only make sense for them to be so invested.¡± The announcer delivered a final message. ¡°Teams! Please enter the water arena!¡± From the small hall that led out to the open battlefield, Sachi could see the other teams, each one with a person holding the reins of the kelpie, much like a horse chariot. Sachi hopped over the front of the boat and landed in the small seat with the reins. ¡°If they want a spectacle, we¡¯ll just have to give them one.¡± Sachi was a city boy, he had never rode a horse before, much less drove a carriage. He picked up the reins in his hand, struggling to find a proper grip. Dion tapped his shoulder, motioning for him to come back. ¡°Sachi, let me do it. I¡¯ve had a similar experience with something like this.¡± ¡®It¡¯s better if I hang back, Lyra and I are the only ones who can attack at a range.¡¯ Sachi nodded, and grasped Dion¡¯s hand, pulling each other into the opposite places they had just been. As soon as they swapped, the boat began to move forwards, shaking with each passing wave. Sachi held a tight grip on the sturdy wood, keeping himself steady. Lyra seemed to be adjusting the same, but she looked green in the face. ¡°Are you¡­ getting sea sick?¡± Lyra propped herself up on the side of the boat, facing Sachi. She spoke with a clear sickness in her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never been on a boat before.¡± ¡°Are you-¡° Lyra held up her hand, halting Sachi¡¯s speech. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­ I have to give it everything I¡¯ve got¡­¡± They finally entered the extraordinarily large arena, and the announcer¡¯s voice boomed again. ¡°Is everybody ready? I know I am! In¡­¡± ¡°3!¡± ¡°2!¡± ¡°1!¡± ¡°Go! Last boat standing wins!¡± The other chariots began to take off, each of them had one target: Team Sachi. Take out the easiest target first, then focus on the next. ¡°Damnit! Move us out of here, Dion!¡± Dion responded in a rattled voice. ¡°I¡¯m trying! They aren¡¯t moving for some reason!¡± Sachi grit his teeth. ¡°Get ready to fight back, Lyra!¡± The poor girl was clearly woozy, she had her bow aimed high, but her aim was clearly shaky. ¡°Sachi! The kelpie are tangled up in something! It¡¯s barely visible, but I can see it!¡± ¡®Damnit!¡¯ Sachi rushed to the front of the boat. He saw that Team Joshua and Team Connor had tried to sneakily pick each other off, causing them to be distracted in their own battle. Now it was just the one team they had to deal with. Sachi leaned over the edge of the boat, lowering his katana into the water, trying to feel around for the whatever kept them from moving. ¡®..! There it is!¡¯ He leaned forward a little bit more, and cut the invisible rope that held them up. Dion shouted. ¡°Sachi!¡± The ripple of the wave had hit him first, but Team Ragnar¡¯s boat had swooped in. Their leader, Ragnar, stretched out his hand, and grabbed Sachi¡¯s collar. The sudden force ripped Sachi off the boat, now dangling above the icy water in the grasps of a destructive man. ¡°Hahaha! You Lesser Champions are exactly as the rumors go: weak as shit!¡± Sachi flailed, trying to grab the hand that held his very life. ¡°I heard that not even the Eternal Flame wants your dog-piss strength for himself, and lets his lackeys deal with ya! I¡¯m gonna be the next Major God, so I won¡¯t need your shit either!¡± Laughing as if he was enjoying belittling Sachi, he let go of his collar. Sachi plummeted into the cool blue water beneath him, desperately trying to hold his breath, and clutching on to his blade. He heard a rumbling beneath him. He turned downwards to what seemed to be a bottomless pit, only to find the pit was staring right back at him. Two glowing eyes emerged from the shadows, covered with scales and fins. It swam closer to Sachi, and opened its mouth. The gaping maw created a vortex that inhaled anything in its path. All the water that Sachi had been so desperately trying to escape had now been inhaled into the belly of the beast. And so had Sachi. Whorl Eater ¡°Oh, And would you look at that! Team Sachi is off to a rough start, losing their captain right out of the gates!¡± Zephyr and Serendelle watched as the brutish Ragnar snatched Sachi off of his own boat, and dropped him into the abyss below. For a moment, there was nothing but silence between the two. ¡°Serendelle¡­¡± He looked to her already pale face, but her expression was still determined. ¡°Sachihiro is not dead, because I am not dead. He¡¯ll come back.¡± Zephyr leaned back in his seat. ¡®Can he really..?¡¯ ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª A burst of coughing and hacking emerged from Sachi¡¯s lungs. His eyes opened to reveal a red, flesh-like surface beneath him. He coughed up what felt like gallons of water, and pushed himself to his feet. The area around him was massive - like an open cavern. The walls were all crimson red, lined with faded white lines. Sachi was inside of the sea beast''s stomach, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was the only one. Just a bit further from where he had awoke, he could hear the crying sound of a child behind a red lump. Sachi put his hand on his blade just in case, and began to approach the noise. Just as he rounded the lump, he was met with more than just the crying of a child, in front of him was an actual child. A young boy, perhaps around the age of ten sat crying into his knees. His short black hair was sopping wet, along with his yellow t-shirt and black sweatpants. Sachi released the grip he had on his weapon, and crouched down to meet the boy. ¡°I¡¯m gonna die¡­ I¡¯m gonna die here¡­¡± Sachi grit his teeth. ¡®What the hell is this? Champion or not, this is just a kid! Why was he anywhere near this thing!?¡¯ Sachi grabbed the boys shoulder. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name? How did you get here?¡± The boy sniffled, slowly raises his head to me Sachi¡¯s eyes dark eyes. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Im¡­ Ray. I was with Joshua and the others¡­ they said they¡¯d keep me safe and we could all go home together¡­¡± ¡®Another team¡­¡¯ Sachi tightened the grip on his blade again. ¡®No, that''s not right.¡¯ He let go of the handle on his hip. ¡®He must¡¯ve fell when the other two got in a conflict¡­¡¯ Sachi stood up from his crouched position. Ray was still sobbing endlessly. The ground beneath him began to shake, he braced himself against the mushy and slimy wall to his side. ¡®Ugh, gross.¡¯ The shaking grew worse, then quickly followed by a surge of water flowing around them. The lumpy wall that he braced himself against shielded them from the incoming wave. The ground stabilized, and Ray began to cry even more. ¡°We¡¯re gonna die in here..!¡± Sachi flicked the slimy substance off of his hand. ¡°Ray, you¡¯re a champion aren¡¯t you? Who¡¯s your god?¡± Ray looked back up to Sachi, his eyes filled with tears. ¡°The God of Speed, Velocis¡­ I can continually increase the speed of any person or object I touch, but¡­ I can¡¯t use it on myself.¡± Sachi turned away for a moment. ¡®That¡¯s not gonna be of much use if we have no where to run¡­¡¯ ¡°How much faster can you make someone?¡± Ray balled up further, trying to sound out the words. ¡°I dont know¡­ Velocis said it was ex-po-nen-tial.¡± ¡®Exponential..!?¡¯ Sachi crouched down in front of Ray again. ¡°We¡¯re gonna live Ray. You¡¯re gonna live.¡± Sachi pointed to his own back. ¡°Hop on, and keep your power going.¡± [Skill Activated: Haste] ¡°Huh!? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡± Hesitantly, Ray climbed on to Sachi¡¯s back. ¡°Keep a tight grip. Don¡¯t let go, no matter what.¡± Sachi could feel the vibration of Ray nodding his head, the grip around his neck was almost suffocating. But that¡¯s exactly how it should be. A strange magic flooded through Sachi, emitting a golden glow around him. ¡®This is power is insane¡­ I feel unstoppable!¡¯ Sachi stepped out away from the lump, and faced the mouth of the beast. He drew the Kazekiri, and steadied himself towards the entrance. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was Ray¡¯s power or if he was just nervous, but his heart was beating exceptionally fast. He steadied the shaking in his hands, and waited. [Skill leveled up!] [Gale Slash lvl 2] ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°We just need to hold out until Sachi gets back!¡± Lyra struggled to hold herself up, firing a barrage of arrows at Ragnar¡¯s boat. ¡°Are you serious!? He¡¯s just a Lesser Champion, he¡¯s dead already, we need to focus on ourselves!¡± Lyra ducked, a returning barrage of arrows as knives soared over her head, and some narrowly missing Dion at the helm. ¡°Sachi won¡¯t give up that easily! He¡¯ll come back, no matter what!¡± A sudden shock thrusted the boat sideways, throwing Lyra rolling towards the other side. ¡°Shit! They¡¯re boarding! Get ready, Lyra!¡± Desperately, Lyra grabbed the Phoenix Talon dagger in her hands. If her time spent in that dojo meant anything, it would surely show itself here. Dion abandoned the reins at the front and hopped back into the rickety boat, preparing to draw his oversized sword. Two people boarded their boat, one being recognized as the ruffian Ragnar, and the other was a woman with a despicable air about her. Ragnar began to laugh, his scraggly beard bouncing with each chuckle. ¡°Let me kill ¡®em both! I¡¯m gonna be the strongest Champion!¡± He drew both swords on his hip, and began to charge Dion. The woman, on the other hand, was up to something much more dangerous. She sported a dark leather trench coat, reaching inside to grab something small. In her hand, she held a grenade. With a tug of the pin, she lightly tossed it directly in front of Lyra. ¡®Where the hell do you even get these in this world!?¡¯ Ghost of a Samurai Lyra fumbled with the grenade in her hands for a moment, the ticking ringing louder in her head than the clashing blades next to her. Ragnar¡¯s boat circled back, and the woman leaped back into their boat. ¡®She plans to kill her captain along with us!?¡¯ Ragnar has been too occupied furiously slashing at Dion to notice. Dion used his sword as a shield, holding his position for as long as possible. The boat began to push away from them, but the opportunity wasn¡¯t gone yet. Lyra was an athlete, she participated in many sports more than just track, only one idea had come to her. She judged the distance, pitched her arm back, and despite the wooziness she felt, she used her entire body to throw the grenade back towards Ragnar¡¯s boat. The grenade soared through the air, but it hadn¡¯t made it back to its sender. In the middle of the air, the grenade exploded, releasing bits and pieces of it flying. One of the pieces had struck their own boats captain, Ragnar. ¡°Ack..!¡± Without a moments hesitation, Dion took this opportunity to switch to the offensive. He swung the Giant¡¯s Night Blade across the body of Ragnar, completely severing his body in two. ¡°What a twist, folks! Even without their captain and missing a person, Team Sachi is holding their own against the favored Team Ragnar!¡± Lyra grunted as she dropped down in the rocking boat. ¡°Could he take any longer..?¡± Dion huffed as he kneeled down beside her, watching the corpse of Ragnar dissolve in front of him. ¡°He¡¯s not coming back, he¡¯s dead. Now get up before they come back around.¡± He tried to push himself back up, except he was met with a relentless shaking that shoved him back to the wooden floor. He wasn¡¯t the only one either, the other teams and even the whole stadium noticed the rumbling. ¡°Keep your hats on, everybody! It seems our resident sea beast has a much larger appetite than we had anticipated!¡± The shaking began to dissipate, leaving the combatants stumbling to regain their ground. Dion pulled himself up against the edge of the boat. ¡°Damnit¡­ We¡¯re in a bad spot.¡± Team Ragnar¡¯s boat began to turn back towards Dion, with that same mischievous woman holding another grenade in her hands. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Just as she pulled the pin and began to reel her arm, something jumped out of the water, flying high into the sky. The sheer force sent Ragnar¡¯s boat away from Team Sachi¡¯s, the boat itself almost entirely flipped. The grenade dropped out of her hand and into the basin of her own boat. The announcer¡¯s shocked voice sounded as the source of the wave became clear. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it! The Lesser Champion who was thought dead nought but minutes prior is now sailing through the air! And it¡¯s not just him, he has another gladiator with him!¡± Dion stared up into the air in pure disbelief. ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding!? How is he..?¡± Lyra held a smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s about time, Sachi.¡± The occupants of Ragnar¡¯s boat dove into the water just before an explosion, completely destroying it in the process. ¡°And following the return of our undead captain, Team Ragnar is the first to be eliminated!¡± Lyra hurdled the front of the boat, claiming the reins at the front. ¡°How the hell do these things work!? We need to catch Sachi!¡± Dion followed her and snatched the reins out of her hands. ¡°Move! I¡¯ll deal with him, just keep the others off our trail!¡± Dion was right, the wave created by Sachi¡¯s grand entrance separated the other two teams, and now their targets had changed. Lyra drew her bow, using the cusp of the boats side to steady her aim. Each arrow whizzed by the remaining teams, but her barely managed sea sickness and the rocking of the waves was far too random for her to land any consistent shots. Still, Dion ran the kelpie as fast as he could to reach where Sachi was heading. Sachi¡¯s long hair fluttered as his upward momentum subsided. From his peak, he could see the stunned expression of both Lady April and the young announcer, holding a grin and eager to report on the next event. He began to sink through the air, spinning as he fell. The young boy on his back was shouting. If Sachi wasn¡¯t so determined to figure out how to land safely, he¡¯d be doing the same. With his sword in hand, he swung downward. [Skill activated: Gale Slash lvl 2] A solid blade of wind extended from his sword, shooting downwards like a bullet. The gale was now much bigger than it was previously, and in turn much more powerful. The sheer pushback of the skill halted their descent for just a moment, only for their fall to continue immediately after. Ray was still stuck in Sachi¡¯s back, the only choice he had was to cushion Ray¡¯s fall with his own, bracing himself for the impact. He shielded his face and prepared to land against the body of water. The fall seemed impossibly long, as if he had been falling forever, unable to hit the water beneath him. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was unable to hit the water beneath him, because now he laid in Dion''s arms amidst the rickety boat. "Have you died of shock or something!? Hurry up and help us out!" Dion dropped Sachi onto the boat, falling face first into the wooden surface and being smacked again by Ray falling on top of him. ''Such a warm welcome...'' Ray and Sachi picked themselves up, now witnessing the dangers that rushed towards them. Both teams boats - Connor and Joshua''s - were now barreling in their directions. Joshua''s boat slid up next to theirs, with a young man perched on it''s side, with his hand extended. His ruffled blonde hair shimmered in the stadium lights, and his red scarf fluttered against the air. "Ray! Take my hand, They''ll kill you!" Ray struggled to keep himself upright. "Joshua!? But..." ''Sachi saved me... Didn''t he?'' Ray glanced to Sachi, seeing a smoldering fire in his eyes with his teeth bare at Ray''s former team. ''...Didn''t he..?'' Trepidation Ray stared with wide eyes at the man who had saved him. With the way he stared at Joshua, he looked less like a savior an more like a devil. ''But... he saved me...'' Joshua shouted once again. "Ray, hurry!!" ''I... I don''t know what to do... Joshua left me alone, and Sachi saved me... But...'' One more glance at Sachi told Ray all he needed. The same smoldering glare he had given Joshua, he now gave to Ray. With fear as his guide, Ray bolted towards Joshua, reaching for his hand. Their hands met, and Ray felt Joshua begin to pull him over, but their reunion was quickly interrupted. A flash of steel took Ray by surprise as he fell back into Sachi''s boat. Joshua screamed in agony. The hand the Ray grasped was now severed from it''s owner. Sachi stood near the edge of the boat, his Kazekiri now bloodstained, and so was his cheek. Joshua stumbled back into his boat, clutching the stump that is now his arm. "Agh! Forget it! Kill them all, the brat too for all I care!" ''Huh..?'' A dagger had been hurled from Joshua''s boat, sailing directly towards Ray. Sachi let out an annoyed sound, and dove to push Ray out of its trajectory. His reaction was slightly off, and the dagger dove into his shoulder as they both crashed to the bottom of the boat. ''Damnit...'' Ray jumped up next to Sachi, desperately staring at the wound. His breathing became ragged as his anxiety and fear began to pool up. ''They want to kill me... And Sachi...'' Dion walked by and plucked the dagger from the back of Sachi''s shoulder. "It didn''t land that deep. He''ll be fine, he''s survived worse." Sachi let out a pained groan and pushed himself up, his right shoulder now felt much weaker. "Would it kill you to be a little more gentle?" Dion voice grew more alarmed as he spoke. "Actually, it would! Get ready for another round of knives!" He ducked down below the side of the boat with daggers now flooding the wooden wall. Lyra ducked as well, occasionally firing another arrow back, but she also had to deal with the other team on the opposite side of them. "What the hell do we do now!?" This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Sachi grit his teeth. "Ray! Come with me!" Ray, who was previously tucked in a ball, poked his head up. "H-huh? Why!?" Sachi bobbed his head and stepped to the side to avoid all sorts of weapons being thrown at him. Thanks to his Foresight trait, those weren''t much of a problem for him. He vaulted the front of the boat and landed right behind the kelpie. "Use your power on the kelpie! If we can get away, we can formulate a better strategy!" Ray tried to follow Sachi, but his body could hardly respond. The bombardment had completely frozen his body. "Ray! We need your power!" Throughout all of Ray''s time being in this world, he had never been told he was needed. Time after time, he was just a kid who needed protecting. It was the same when he met Joshua, a boy young enough to understand Ray''s feelings, but old enough to bear the responsibility. Joshua always told Ray, "Don''t worry, we''ll protect you." That made Ray feel safe. He was unwillingly dragged away from his home into this killing game, and all he wanted to do was to go back home. He never wanted to kill anyone, and Joshua said he would never have to. But Sachi gave Ray another sense of security. Not by telling him he would be safe, but by proving it with his actions. First in the sea beast, then by shielding him from a dagger. All Joshua had ever done was tell him to sit back and wait, and now he was trying to kill him. And now, Sachi was giving him the opportunity to save himself. Ray wiped the tears from his eyes and scrambled to the front of the boat. His stature was smaller than Sachi''s, so clearing the front of the boat wouldn''t be as easy. Thankfully, Sachi was ready to help him over. He grabbed his hand and pulled Ray over the edge of the boat, and Ray took his spot next to Sachi. "I''ve never tried to use my power on two things at once!" Sachi ducked, pushing Ray down as well to avoid a knife. "Now''s a better time than any to find out what happens!" Ray grunted and stuck out his hands on both of the kelpie. The same golden glow that had appeared from Sachi now emanated from the kelpie. Dion and Lyra were stuck in the back of the boat, constantly switching from hiding and throwing whatever they could find back at their attackers. Dion''s storage portal became especially useful, while Lyra''s limitless supply of arrows became crucial. "How much longer, Sachi!?" Dion cried out. Sachi ducked again. "Just a few seconds!" He grabbed the reins of the kelpie and yanked it to the side. The kelpie cried out as they began to move in the same direction. Ray''s power bore fruit almost instantly. The boat jerked to the side, throwing both Lyra and Dion onto the floor. ''C''mon...'' With another, more gentle tug, the kelpie began to swim forward, except they began to move faster than he had anticipated. In a single motion, the boat was flung down to the other side of the arena. Both Sachi and Ray had been tossed back against the outer wall of the boat while Lyra and Dion barely had a chance to stabilize themselves. Sachi pushed himself up to see the other combatants now at odds with each other, all except for one man with a missing arm. "Get back here! I''m not done with you, bastard! I''ll cut you open with your own goddamn weapon when I get the chance!" Sachi pulled Ray back up as he looked towards the other two, and they held the same expression that he did. "What the hell do we do now!?" Dion pushed himself forward. "Hold on, Sachi. I might have an idea." Dion leaned over the railing and spoke to Sachi. "This could either trivialize this game, or kill us entirely." Sachi nodded, placing his hand on his chin. "It''s risky... But it just might work." Drift Lyra shouted. "Huh!? Is that even going to work!? What if we destroy our own boat!?" Dion ducked down next to her on the side of the boat. "We''re not aiming to destroy their boat, just to capsize it. "And what guarantee do we have that we won''t capsize instead!?" Sachi help Ray get ready to place his hands back onto the kelpie. "We don''t. Except we''ll be expecting the impact, and they won''t. So brace yourself. Dion, help me keep Ray in place. This all falls apart if he lets go." Dion nodded, and jumped to the other side of Ray. Ray had never been relied on before, especially to such an important role. His anxiety crept up on him, like a monster in the shadows constantly watching him. Even still, Sachi was relying on him, he couldn''t let him down. The golden glow steadied itself once more. Dion held his hand on Ray''s back, ensuring he wouldn''t fall off. "How much longer do we wait? They''re bound to turn to us again eventually." The golden glow reflected brightly against Sachi''s eyes. "Just a few seconds, we need to be able to control it still." Their boat was already pointed at Team Connor''s boat. Their crew were entirely occupied with the hail of weaponry from Joshua''s boat. Joshua was still staring down Sachi, even from the far distance. He seemed like he was barely able to stand even after the wound was cauterized by the flame on Sachi''s sword, thanks to the Fiery Embrace ring. Sachi looked to Dion, fierce determination lit in his eyes. Dion could hardly understand what Sachi was so determined for. After all, Dion knew first hand how powerful the Eternal Flame was. "Let''s do this, Dion." Hesitantly, Dion nodded in return. "Get ready, Lyra. Hold on tight!" Sachi grabbed the reins and let out a deep breath. He nudge the kelpie forwards, and like they had been sent through a boost pad in the racing games Sachi would play, they dashed at an unbelievable speed. Everyone struggled to keep themselves together, the blowback of the speed was insurmountable. With a loud grunt, Sachi yanked the reins to the side, signaling for the kelpie to turn. With a screech, the kelpie did just that, but a little bit further than he had anticipated. The boat had swung around completely, and now they faced the direction from where they had just came. The back of the boat crashed into the side of Connor''s boat, tipping it over completely. Team Connor let out a shocked shriek as they had been sent barreling into the sea beneath them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The young announcer once again sounded at a loss for words. "W-what a power! Team Sachi is showing us what allowed their captain to return from his watery grave! Not only that, but it''s the power of their new ally, who abandoned his old team for a Lesser Champion! And with that, Team Connor is eliminated!" Sachi steadied himself and prepared to move the kelpies once more. Once they began to turn, he could notice instantly that they weren''t nearly as fast as they just had been. Dion and Ray had been sent tumbling back into their boat, completely nullifying Ray''s speed. Sachi jumped back into the boat and ducked behind the wall. "They''re not going to let us charge Ray''s power again! We''ll need to fight them head on!" Lyra shouted back, taking as many shots with her bow as possible. "And how are we going to do that!? We can''t move with everything they''re throwing at us, and the guy driving them is wearing the thickest armor I''ve ever seen in my life!" Sachi bit his thumb, even with his Foresight he wouldn''t be able to avoid their attacks head on while steering the boat. The hail of weapons raining down on them would sink their boat soon, they''d need to act fast. "Damnit... Ray! Use your power on me!" Ray was crawling across the boat to avoid getting hit by the blades being thrown overhead. Ray saw the same determination in Sachi''s eyes that Dion saw. He could hardly understand it either, not because he didn''t know what he was fighting for, but because he didn''t know how he could be so relentless without even a doubt of himself. Ray, feeling inspired, rushed to Sachi''s side. He placed his hands on Sachi''s arm, and once again the golden aura surrounded him. "Just a few more seconds..." Sachi leaned forwards, aiming himself and aligning his feet. He gave Ray a glance. "Thank you. I''ll be right back." Kicking against the wooded bottom of the boat, he launched himself into their air soaring above Joshua''s boat. [Skill activated: Gale Slash lvl 2] Sachi shouted as he descended. "Now, Lyra!" The solid beam of wind bolted downwards overtop of Joshua''s boat. Between the armored driver, Joshua, and the two throwing weapons, they had no way to avoid an aerial attack, especially while trying to avoid Lyra''s arrows. [You have slain a Champion!] The gale landed on one of the men, and Lyra''s shot took care of the other one. This time, Sachi aimed his jump so he''d be able to control his landing. His feet cracked the wooden boards beneath him, and shifted his head up to glare at the one-armed man. "D-Damnit! Ale, take care of him!" The armored driver crawled over the edge of the boat and stepped in between Sachi and Joshua. Each step from the man shook the boat side to side. ''His armor covers him completely. Everywhere except...'' There were slits in his helmet that let him see; slits thick enough for Sachi''s blade to fit. Joshua shouted once again from behind Ale. "K-kill him! Break every bone in his body! Make him suffer and regret ever being born!" Sachi''s eyes narrowed, slowly approaching the brutish man before him. "You''re a coward. A man who would use his friends only for his benefit and toss them away when they''re inconvenient!" Veins popped on Joshua''s forehead. "And what of you!? You''d be nothing without your lackeys! If you hadn''t manipulated Ray, you''d be dead in the stomach of a sea beast!" Sachi let out a deep sigh, the air was cold enough for him to see his own breath. "I don''t have ''lackeys''." Dashing forward, his blade moved faster than the armored man could react, piercing the slits in his helmet. [You have slain a Champion!] Temporary Reverie [You leveled up!] The armored man dissolved in front of Joshua''s bloodshot eyes. He fell to his knees, despair flooding his soul. He knew this man was going to kill him. He looked up to Sachi, his blade now pointed at Joshua''s forehead. "You''re going to do it, aren''t you? Just get it over with." Sachi grasped his sword with both hands, aiming for a clean cut. "Wait!" Ray''s voice rang throughout the stadium. "You don''t have to kill him, do you? You just need to break the boat!" Tears flooded Ray''s eyes. Joshua was the first person Ray could truly rely on, he didn''t wish to watch him die. Dion placed his hand on Ray''s shoulder. "He''s dead either way. The other teams disappeared when their boat was destroyed, I don''t think they intend to let anyone else live." Ray looked down to his sopping shoes. "But... What about me? Does that mean I''ll die too?" Dion glanced upwards to the announcers booth. "No, by the way he spoke, I reckon your considered part of our team now." Joshua look to Ray across the boats, nothing but the sea beneath them separating the two. "Ray..." "You''ve always been useless. All you ever did was eat up all our food, and now you''ve abandoned your own team!? You lied to us about your power, and then use it to kill us!? You''re nothing but scum!" Ray faltered for a moment, the tears filling his eyes once more. "N-no, I..." He burst into tears and collapsed to the floor. Lyra bolted to his side, holding the young boy close. "What a jerk!" Joshua glared back up to Sachi. "If I''d been half as lucky as you... Blessed with teammates whose shoulders I could ride on... I''d be the king of this godforsaken realm already." Sachi narrowed his eyes. "Is that truly what you think? I only survived because of luck?" Sachi place the blade on the side of his neck. Droplets of sweat ran down Joshua''s face, and his breathing became heavy. "You''re even more of a coward than I thought." He swung his blade. [You have slain a Champion!] Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Joshua''s body thumped to the floor before quickly evaporating. The audience hung in silence for but a moment before erupting into an earsplitting cheer. The announcer''s voice blared louder than the rest. "What an upset! The underdog and Lesser Champion takes home the first round! I can see a few extraordinarily happy people in the crowd, raking in their winnings!" A small elven man was cheering ecstatically in the crowd. "See!? I told ya Dave, they''ll take the whole thing! Bet you wish you bet on them now, don''tcha?" The buff man next to him was almost too stunned to speak. "D-don''t act like you weren''t wallowing as soon as that boy got tossed in the water!" Lett dismissively waved at Dave. "Oh, that doesn''t matter. What does matter is what kind of new fancy sword I should buy now!?" Near the opposite side of the stadium, Zephyr was almost throwing himself over the railing. "That''s my Champion! The brunette girl down there, she''s with me!" Serendelle covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed. "See? They pulled through." The announcer''s voice sounded once again. "Team Sachi, please exit the arena and rest before the next game! Folks in the audience, don''t go anywhere just yet, we''ve got three more rounds coming up!" Sachi turned to jump back to his team before noticing something shiny in the boat [Charmer''s Scarf] [Rare accessory] [+10 CHA] [When wearing this scarf, people (including Champions) are more attracted to you.] Sachi stared down at the scarf with a confused gaze. ''...Seriously? I guess it couldn''t hurt.'' [Equipped: Charmer''s Scarf] Sachi hopped back into his own boat, greeted by only the rapid weeping of Ray. "I... I didn''t..." Sachi crouched down next to Ray, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Hey... Everything he said? It''s all a lie. He chose not to understand you or your power, and blamed you for his own failure." Ray stared up to Sachi with teary eyes. "C''mon, Ray. Stand up, you did good, and you''re the only reason we survived this." He gave Ray a light hearted smile. "You''re already crazy strong!" Ray stared for a moment before curling his lip and wiping the tears away, leaving just the redness around his eyes. "I''m... Strong!" Even if it was just a fleeting feeling, Ray chose to believe Sachi''s words. Lyra let out a small chuckle. "You didn''t tell me you were good with kids, Sachi." Sachi held an awkward smile in response. "I use to work at a day care is all." Dion hopped back into the drivers seat of the boat. "Alright, enough chit-chat. They told us to get out of here and frankly I''d rather not stay any longer." Sachi nodded as the boat began to move once again. Ray began to stare solemnly off into the crowd, while Lyra was barely holding onto her lunch on the other side. They re-entered the room from which they had started, greeted by Vergo offering to take the reins of the kelpie. "Never thought I''d see that kind of performance. You''ve got a strange talent there, Sachihiro. I look forward to the next round." The group departed from the boat and were led down another pathway with Vergo leading them. Sachi wasn''t able to relax just yet. "Speaking of which, when is the next game." Vergo held his wrist up to his face, reading the watch he wore. "A couple hours from now. There''s three other matches of the demolition derby before the next game, if you''re interested to watch." Sachi thought about the stressful nature of the game. "I''d... rather not." Vergo turned a corner to reveal an open room with just a few chairs and tables scattered. "Then you''ll have to enjoy your time here. This is the waiting room for winning teams like you. And when the other teams arrive: No fighting, or else your disqualified outright." Dion took a seat in rickety wooden chair. "I doubt that will be a problem, I''ll be napping anyways." Vergo laughed. "Great. I''ll come back and grab you when it''s time, I''m sure you''ll love the next game." Hide and Seek [Would you like to invite ¡°Ray Sinclair¡± to your party?] ''He''s just a kid... but his power is unbelievable. We can help him get out of here safely, and then get him home.'' [Yes] Ray let out an "Oooo" as he stared at the virtual screen that hovered before him. "Is this your power Sachi!? That''s so cool!" [A Champion has joined your party!] Sachi let out a slight smile looking at Ray. "Yeah, It''s something like that." A wave of exhaustion flooded Sachi. his Haste skill had been active for much longer than he needed it to be, and he only remembered to disable it once they started their wait. If he was as carefree as the silver-haired man to his left, he''d be asleep as well. Dion''s snoring was ineffably loud. ''How the hell did he stay so quiet the first night...'' The group was packed into the corner as other teams began to flood the room, each looking stranger than the last. There were three other teams in total. One looked like war torn fighters, a man with a mohawk loaded with knives from head to toe most notably. Along side him was a man with a large sword not unlike Dion''s, a man with a standard spear on his back, and a hooded figure. Two teams looked identical to Lady April''s own guards. In fact, they were Lady April''s own guards. They laughed as they crunched down on chips that had been left in the waiting room, but the others had no appetite. Lyra whispered in a hush tone to Sachi. "Why the hell are they here!?" Two groups of four men each, all dressed in the futuristic armor. "Why would I know? I''m just as confused as you." Ray had been sitting behind the two, quietly poking at Dion to see how much he could get away with before waking him. However, he had now poked him a little too hard. Dion''s eyes shot open as he shouted. "How the hell am I supposed to get any sleep around here if you keep poking me, you brat!" Ray laughed as he bolted between Sachi and Lyra, dancing between the teams as he ran. Dion was quick to give pursuit. "Get back here you little..." Ray''s laughing was interrupted as he tripped and landed at the feet of the man with a mohawk. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Huh? Come begging for me to kill you or somethin''?" Ray quickly tried to crawl back, bumping into Dion''s legs. "I-I''m sorry..." The man gave Ray a passing glance as he looked back to his team. "Piss off." Dion narrowed his eyes at the man. "You get off on talking to kids like that, prick?" Now every team in the room had their eyes on Dion. The crunching of chips dissipated. The man narrowed his eyes in return, staring at Dion. "All I''m hearing is you do want me to kill ya, and I''m happy to oblige." He wrapped his fingers around the knives lining his shirt and pulled them between each finger. Before the situation could escalate any further, the door burst open with Vergo at the front. He pulled out a piece of paper and began to scan it. "Alright, all of the first game has been cleaned up. As for the second, let''s see... Team Sachi and Team Alistair. Please follow me." The man with a mohawk spits on the ground in front of him. "Hmph. Must be your lucky day." Sachi and Lyra exchanged an equally worried glance. They picked themselves up and began to follow behind Dion and Ray as they paced down the hall. Next to them followed one of the teams sporting the futuristic armor. They walked side by side. One of the men turned to Sachi. "I saw your match, man. I gotta say, that''s the coolest stunt I''ve ever seen, and I''ve been doing this for a while." Sachi''s eyebrow furled. "A while? I thought you died if you lose..?" He laughed as he straightened his gaze again. "We do." The hall led back to the open stadium where they had just been, except now the ground was entirely solid. The open area had now been sectioned off by a stone wall into four different areas with slight openings between them, all littered with random items and small structures. A familiar announcers voice sounded once more. "Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! We know you''ve been as eager as I am to start our next game, so here we are! Our first match consists of our underdog champions, Team Sachi, and Lady April''s own Team Alistair! Team Alistair has won the last two tournaments, keeping our town clear of any nasty Champions!" The crowd erupts into a cheer. Sachi took a good look into the crowd for the first time. There were more people than even he expected for a stadium of this size, but he noticed an interesting section in the stand. Completely walled off was a spot only for gods. Even from where he stood, he could see Serendelle''s bright green hair along side the translucent Zephyr. There were a few other strange looking beings along side them, but he hardly had the time to decipher their looks. "And now folks, as I''m sure many of you remember from last years tournament, we brought back Hide and Seek!" "Two teams will enter, one person from each team in each section of the stadium. Through the power of our own Major God, Eryndra, all Champions will have their powers completely suppressed! The hiding team must stay alive successfully for 15 minutes, while the seekers hunt them down with daggers! If the hiders remain alive for the full time, they''ll regain their powers and equipment, giving them the chance to turn the game around. Now, let''s see who''s who!" Dion''s concerned voice drowned out the announcer. "The hell is this!? They can just suppress our power?" Sachi held a similar sentiment. "And we''re alone..." He looked to Ray, another innocent victim who just happened to get unlucky enough to be selected for this killing game. The boy could barely fight along side someone else, but alone he was purely helpless. Above the stands, a impressively large TV lit up, showing a coin with a red and blue side. The red side read "Sachi" while the blue side said "Alistair". "And now, we''ll decide who will be hiding!" The virtual coin flipped, bouncing between one side and another. The anticipation alone was enough to make Sachi feel like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Both teams stayed completely still as the coin slowly began to fall cruelly onto it''s final choice. [Hiding Team: Sachi] Hunt From the stands, Serendelle and Zephyr simply bided their time. "What you think about the new kid, huh? That''s a crazy power, even to my standards, and Lyra can make arrows literally made out of wind." Serendelle looked up with her hand on her chin. "Sachihiro doesn''t have much... Just a game menu and some luck." Zephyr leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back to stare at the sky. "Yeah? Seems like he''s got plenty more than that, if you ask me." Serendelle tilted her head in confusion, but he train of thought was cut off before she could reply. A strange looking god strolled down the aisle. His body was completely yellow, almost golden even. His shiny head was void of any hair, instead opting for a funny looking road tattoo that ran from his forehead down to his back. He wore a blue jacket - the kind that race car driver''s were seen to wear. "That damn kid... He just had to betray Joshua, didn''t he!? Now the other gods kicked me out ''cuz he got their Champions all killed." With his hands in his pockets, he walked by Serendelle''s row. She leapt up from her seat and attempted to introduce herself. "Um, you''re that young boy''s god, aren''t you?" In a stationary motion, the strange man spun facing Serendelle. "Huh? Who''s askin''?" His sunglasses dipped to his nose, revealing his pure golden eyes. "W-were with Team Sachi, we''re their gods." Serendelle frantically points back and forth between her and Zephyr. The god struts up to them, eyeing them up and down. "Yeah?" He turns back to the stadium and plops down in the seat next to Zephyr. "Saves me the trouble of finding a new seat." Zephyr and Serendelle look at each other with equal parts relief and confusion. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª One by one, Vergo escorted each pair to their section of the stadium. Dion, Lyra, and Ray each were pulled to the side with a man in cybernetic armor, leaving just Sachi and the man he conversed with in the halls. The man bumped Sachi''s shoulder as they waited. "You nervous?" If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Admittedly, he was, but he wasn''t stupid enough to let his enemy know. "No." The man just laughed in return. "You''re a shit liar. Everyone''s nervous, even me." He pulled up his mask to reveal his mouth. His pale skin was covered completely with scars. He smiled, revealing his perfect gilded teeth. "But that''s what makes it so fun." Vergo returned from the distant darkness. "Let''s go, you two." The first step forward was the hardest, but no matter what he felt, Sachi only had one choice. Following Vergo into the stadium, the same wave of nausea passed over Sachi that did during a Zone Shift. After the effect wore off, he felt both heavier and lighter at the same time. He looked down to notice that all of his equipment was gone, now he just wore the same kendo uniform he started with. Desperately, Sachi tried to open his menu, but all his efforts were in vain. He couldn''t feel any connection with Serendelle, and all of his powers had been nullified. He, along with all the other Champions, had their powers completely suppressed. Vergo walked over to the other man. "Alistair, come with me. Sachihiro, you have two minutes to hide. Good luck." With his final message, they disappeared into the darkness. The announcers voice pierced the silence. "And now, the game begins! Our hiders have two minutes to hide, and pray they don''t become prey!" A timer appeared on the digital screen looming over the stadium, already counting down. ''Just like that!?'' Sachi scrambled deeper into his section, passing mounds of junk and strange decrepit structures. A couch, dresser, a closet separated from it''s room, a few lamps. Heaps of unusable or obvious hiding spots rattled through Sachi''s brain as he quickly scanned each. He glanced to the timer as he ran. [0:43] He stumbled as he picked up his pace, his bare feet pounding against the asphalt beneath him. Clinging to walls and whatever he could find to make his way through the darkness, stumbling into large gray wall. He winced as he stumbled back for a moment. ''A... fridge?'' He looked back to the clock. [0:12] Sachi''s breathing was ragged. His options were limited, but this was the best he had before his time was up. He ripped open the door with all his strength, revealing shelves lining the interior. [0:05] The shelves were detachable, and Sachi wasted no time removing them. His only issue was that he couldn''t hide the remnants, and if his competitor was as good as he seemed, he''d notice the shelves scattered about instantly. [0:01] He hopped into the fridge, closing the door as gently as he could to dampen the noise. "And now, they game really starts! The seekers have been released into each of the sections of the playing field! Good luck to our hiders, I hope you found somewhere safe!" Sachi slowed his breath, even the sound of his breathing was too loud. Outside of his hiding spot, he could hear the stomping of metal feet followed by a carefree whistle. His heart beat faster with each stomp growing closer, stopping just in front of the fridge. Sachi held his breath, before something else caught his attention. From another part of the stadium, he could hear a bloodcurdling scream. A voice he could clearly recognize as Dion''s. The announcer''s voice destroyed all possibility that Sachi had to hear where Alistair was lurking. "Just a minute in, and the first Champion has already been eliminated! This match might be wrapped up sooner than we thought!" The man outside laughed. "You hear that, Sachi? Your boys already dropped out. Why don''t you make this easy, and come out and join him?" The footsteps echoed further away. Sachi''s eyes were wide as sweat dripped down his pale face. ''Dion... died? Just like that?'' His breathing became harder to control. ''Was it dumb to think we all could make it? What if none of us make it...'' Sachi''s mind raced faster, only coming to a halt as metal footsteps returned just outside of the fridge. A moment of pure silence felt like a decade. His hands shaking uncontrollably, attempting to stay as still as possible. In an instant, the door to the fridge jutted open. A cybernetic black set of armor greeted Sachi''s fearful eyes. A strange, familiar voice spoke quietly. "Got ''cha." First Blood Sachi''s vision blurred. An overwhelming feeling of death seized all control of his body. The knife in the hand of the man flickered in the dim spotlights. The man reached up to pull off the black mask hiding his face. It was a face Sachi instantly recognized. "D-Dion!?" The man smirked. "The one and only. There were no rules about fighting back or leaving your area, were there?" Sachi stared dumbfounded into Dion''s hazel eyes. It was unmistakably him. "We''re given fifteen minutes, and we get our stuff back. But I say give ''em a good shock by fightin'' back before then." Another set of metal boots interrupted their conversation, the inconsistent whistling growing closer. Dion''s expression hardened as his gaze shot towards the source. He whispered. "Stay here, we''ll catch him by surprise." "It''s too late for that, I''m afraid." Alistair''s voice rang throughout the open area. He emerged around a pile of old junk toys, spinning the knife between the grooves in his gloves. He stares at Dion for a moment. "I don''t think that suit belongs to you, and quite frankly I''m disrespected that you defiled the corpse of my own man." Dion backed away from the fridge and gripped his own knife in his hand. "Quite frankly, I don''t care." Alistair slowly moved forwards. "You killed my man because you got the jump on him, but you lost that chance here." He began to sprint. "And you''re about to lose a lot more!" Dion readied himself, gripping the knife in front of him, studying his movement. ''There''s no openings...'' Alistair''s knife swung at Dion, narrowly clipping his hair. "You Champions just don''t get it. You all get sent here with some extravagant ability, and wreak all the havoc you like! But you don''t have your fancy powers here, and I can just tell by the way you carry yourself, you don''t have a damn idea how to fight without it!" Another strike, slashing Dion''s shoulder. He winced, and Alistair took even more control of the fight. A punch right to Dion''s gut, releasing a boom that echoed throughout the stadium. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Alistair pinned Dion to the ground, holding the tip of the knife above his forehead as Dion desperately held it back with whatever strength he could muster. "You are nothing without your powers! Just a worthless hunk of flesh that''s too full of themselves!" Dion grunted, using his full power just to keep himself alive. Sachi watched. Still sitting in the fridge, his fear had full control of his body. He couldn''t move, He could hardly breath. He watched helplessly as Dion''s life was about to end, and so was his. ''Stop... Just stop!'' ''That''s not right!'' ''I can''t do this again.'' ''I... I won''t be helpless again!'' ''I won''t.'' ''I promise.'' He didn''t choose to move, he was compelled to. ''It won''t end here!'' Barreling out of the fridge, Sachi haphazardly charged Alistair, stumbling right into him. The armor wearing man smacked against the ground, right next to the uniform wearing boy. All three of them laid on the ground for only a moment before raising to their feet. "Should''ve just waited your turn, boy." Sachi breathed heavily. "Dion..." Dion''s breathing was just as heavy. "Yeah... Let''s do it, Sachi." Knife in hand, Dion lunged first. Alistair easily avoided the blade, grabbing Dion''s arm as it passed by. With just a brief opening, Sachi curled his hand into a fist, and struck the Alistair''s visor. The blow barely effected Alistair, but his focus shifted from one nuisance to another. A perfect opportunity for Dion to make a move. With his free hand, Dion grabbed the mask the man wore, and pulled hard, making his stumble forward ever so slightly. Sachi raised his foot and bashed it against the back of his knee, dropping his leg to the ground. Now kneeling, Alistair grunted and tightened his grip on Dion''s arm. Dion winced, the knife in his hand was completely useless if he couldn''t move it. "Sachi!" Dion opened his hand, and the knife began to fall through the air. Almost instantaneously, Alistair let go of Dion''s arm and reached for the blade. Sachi practically jumped forward, extending his hand to grab the hilt. He got a finger on it right before Alistair did, pushing the blade further away from them as it clattered to the ground. Dion kept yanking at the mask, distracting Alistair for as long as he could. With his own knife in hand, Alistair swung at Dion, who was stuck to him as long as he held on to his mask. The blade pierced Dion''s shoulder, driving deep beneath his flesh. He let out a scream as Alistair kept digging it deeper. Still, Dion didn''t let go. The grip he held on his mask was brutal, the pain in his hand was almost worse than the knife. Alistair''s gilded teeth glistened. "You got a fetish or something? Why don''t you let go!?" Through the agonizing pain, Dion mouth formed a slight smile. "To make sure he hits the mark." The knife flickered in the spotlight for just a moment before piercing the bottom of Alistair''s chin, lodging itself entirely through his head. Sachi''s gaze was fixated on his gilded teeth reflecting light while his hand drove the knife further through Alistair''s head. A short, guttural sound emerge from Alistair before going completely silent. His grip on the knife in Dion''s shoulder loosened, and he collapsed to the ground with a loud metal slam. "U-unbelievable! Alistair was defeated by-" The announcer''s voice was unexpectedly cut out. Dion let out a small laugh while gripping the wound on his shoulder. "Guess he wasn''t supposed to announce that to the players, too." Dion collapsed to the ground, tightening his grip. His breathing was ragged. "Take his armor, I''m just gonna sit here for a while..." Sachi was already trying on his helmet. His voice was equal parts concern and mocking. "You''re not gonna die here, are you?" Dion laughed a little harder. "Not a chance in hell." Childs Play "Get back here, you brat!" Wind rushed through Ray''s hair as he dove around corners, attempting to lose the man chasing him. He crouched behind an old worn down couch, breathing heavily as he leered around the side. "Damn kid, should''ve just made this easy for me. Alistair just had to let his guard down. Making more work for the rest of us..." He turned aimlessly, looking for any hint of his prey. Ray''s heart beat almost as fast as his hands shook. ''I just... need to keep running. I need to be strong, and they''ll save me!'' He pushed himself forwards, softly moving across the asphalt to another spot he''d consider safe. A set of footsteps clattered behind him, startling Ray and making him scramble to the next pile of junk. He kept his eyes locked on the open space behind him, praying he''d never see that suit of armor again. A deep voice whispered in his ear. "Whatcha runnin from?" Panic rushed through Ray as he shouted, and he jumped away from the pile. He turned to see that damn suit of armor, crouched down right behind him. Another voice boomed from his left, the voice that was chasing him prior. "The hell you doing in here, Abram?" The other man laughed as he stood up. His armor made him hard to tell apart from the other man, but he was clearly much taller. "You kiddin, Stump? You saw the way that girl preformed in the first match. Even if she gets her power back, she''ll never land a shot!" The man placed his hands on his hip. "I told you not to call me that." Abram leaned forward towards Ray, lowering his voice. "The real problem is you." Instinctively, Ray began running aimlessly. Rounding corners and hurdling all sorts of strange furniture. His feet hurt as he only ran faster, his teal eyes watery with fear. He ran until he stumbled into the wall separating the sections. He turned around, now facing the tall armored solider blocking his exit. "You done runnin yet? Cause I''m tired of waiting." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Ray fell back against the wall. His vision blurred as tears streamed down his face. "I... I-" Abram crouched down in front of him. "You what? Save your breath, I won''t be fooled by your kind again." Behind him, another armored man came into view, leisurely strolling up behind him. Abram turned slightly, catching him in his gaze. He stood up to face him. "You wanna do the honors, Stump?" He nodded, and walked passed Abram. Simultaneously, both men turned and swung their knives at each other, narrowly grazing the rough black suits. "You know why we called him "Stump"? Cause he''s short and plump, like the stump of a tree. You''re not Stump." The man held his knife with his right hand. "Glad that''s sorted, now I don''t have to wear this rancid mask." Ray''s eyes grew wide staring at the man now guarding him. ''S-Sachi!?'' Abram held his knife similarly. "You the one who took down Alistair?" Sachi nodded. "Yeah, and Stump too." The dim lighting made it hard to tell, but Sachi''s knife seemed a bit more red than Abrams. "Tch. Useless bastards. Makin'' me do all the work as usual." They lunged. Sachi couldn''t rely on his foresight here, and he sure as hell didn''t have enough skill with a knife to win a frontal assault. Narrow dodges turned into cuts lining his sides, meanwhile he couldn''t even scratch the man. "Can''t fight without your big sword, huh? Too bad you''ll be dead before you get to see it again." The cuts lining his body were shallow, but still excruciating. ''Just need to hold out a little bit longer...'' Ray held himself against the wall, watching as Sachi was continually brutalized by this man. No matter what he did, his body wouldn''t move. ''Sachi... I''m sorry...'' Cut after cut lined his body, the armor becoming less effective after each strike. A small flash of light in the distance signaled Sachi to change his approach. He dropped his own knife and charged Abram, grabbing his arm with both hands. "Tch, desperation leads to stupid decisions. Without your powers, you can''t beat me in a battle of strength!" He swung his arm wildly, Sachi being forced to follow every movement, keeping his arms extended and away from the blade. "Just like a damn dog. Let go!" A patter of footsteps rushed towards them, followed by a small flash of steel. A brunette girl drove her knife deep through the back of the tall soldier, grunting as he stumbled forward. Sachi charged forward with his shoulder, ramming into Abram and knocking him over. The armored soldier fell back onto the knife lodged in his back. He coughed, spitting blood onto the floor by his side. He turned his visor towards Sachi. "That blonde brat was right... You can''t do shit by yourself..." The tension in his neck that held his head high went limp as the fourth and final member of Team Alistair was eliminated. Sachi collapsed to the ground, the exhaustion began to overtake him. He gazed up to Lyra, who seemed to stare fearfully at the corpse beneath her. "Where''s Dion?" She just kept staring. "I think he sat down somewhere..." The dim lights flashed brighter, practically blinding Sachi. "Who could''ve predicted this!? Team Sachi eliminated the entirety of Team Alistair before their powers had been restored! What a roaring upset!" Vergo rounded the corner with Dion supported on his shoulder. Blood leaked down his arm as he clutched the knife still lodged in his flesh. ¡°Nice job, Team Sachi. C¡¯mon, we¡¯ll get you patched up quickly. Your last game starts in an hour, so don¡¯t except much time to rest.¡± Dion winced. ¡°Can you at least tell us what this last event is? I don¡¯t know if I can handle another crazy game.¡± Vergo gave a small chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ll be glad then, this one isn¡¯t nearly as crazy.¡± ¡°The last game is a one-on-one death match.¡±