Chapter 4:
Everything in Our Power
TODAY’S THE DAY, Fran.
“Hm.”
Gaudartha’s an A-Rank. He’ll be as much of a monster as Amanda.
“I know, but still.”
We’re going to win.
“Hm! Definitely!” Fran nodded vigorously. She couldn’t help but be excited.
“Fran, the first match is starting soon. Are you prepared?” The tournament official had arrived to fetch her.
“Hm. I’m good.”
“Right this way.”
Fran walked down the hallway at her usual pace. She might be more motivated than before, but showed no sign of nerves. She had won three matches and fulfilled the Beast King’s requirement for an audience. She could make reckless plays against Gaudartha now, and that pleased her greatly.
Now we could try out the game plan we’d cooked up the other day. I would open the match by raising Fran’s stats slightly with Support Magic. She would then charge me with as much mana as she could, refueling her own pool with potions. The 1,500 points of mana she added into my blade would add up to a total of 3,700 Attack, but we had to do this just before the match started. I couldn’t hold the mana for very long, so we’d have to end the fight as soon as possible.
Are you sure you can chug eight mana potions in a row, Fran?
“No problem,” Fran answered with a calm expression.
This strategy would only work because of her gluttony. A normal fighter would be too bloated to fight after guzzling that many.
“Let’s go.”
Sure thing.
The familiar applause of the crowd welcomed us as Fran entered the arena. She had grown used to it, and didn’t wince this time.
“Making her way from the East Gate is the eye of the storm of this tournament…the Swordceress, Fran! She’s caused one upset after another by knocking out your favorite fighters! Today, she’s up against an A-Rank, but will the cutest rising star of our generation shake things up again?!”
The commentator liked her, at least. It was hard not to root for the little girl who was giving it her all. The only ones opposed to her would be Blue Cats and compulsive gamblers.
“Good luck, Fran!”
“We’ve got a lot of money riding on you!”
“We’re counting on you to get us seconds for dinner tonight!”
Lydia and the Crimson Maidens cheered her on from the front row. Despite their blatant display of vested interest, I appreciated their honesty and support. Fran waved back at them and it provoked an eruption of applause from the crowd.
They sure like you, Fran.
You think so?
She didn’t seem to care. It made no difference to her whether they stayed quiet or cheered. The commentator raised his voice above the noise and began introducing the other combatant.
“Coming in from the West Gate. He’s bulldozed the competition so far with sheer brute strength…Diamond Wall Gaudartha! He hasn’t been touched a single time so far—will he win this match unscathed?!”
Gaudartha was also welcomed with applause, but there were some boos mixed in. Fran was more popular than him, then. However, it felt that the match had already been decided in his favor. Even Fran’s supporters wondered how long she’d be able to last. She was going up against an A-Rank, so the audience’s expectations were quite justified, really. But again, Fran didn’t care.
I’m looking forward to when we turn this crowd around.
“Hm!”
Gaudartha’s equipment looked different from before. His crimson plate armor danced with flames, and he held a terrifying pitch-black battle axe in his hands. His current equipment looked like it was geared for maximum offense.
I couldn’t Identify any of it, either. I got a look at some of its stats and skills, but the finer details were completely hidden. Hopefully his equipment didn’t have some kind of dangerous gimmick… Then again, if the rhino had bothered to change his equipment for this occasion, I should prepare for the worst.
Gaudartha walked to the center of the ring. The contrast between the two-meter-tall giant and the little girl was enough to make the audience hold their breath. They knew the difference in power was impossible to bridge.
“Good job making it here,” Gaudartha said with a low, intimidating voice.
He was ready to throw down. Fran narrowed her eyes and looked up, just as consumed with battle lust. “And I’m going to win today.”
“That’s the spirit. Don’t expect me to go easy on you. You’d better come at me with all you’ve got.”
“Of course.” Gaudartha had to lower his gaze to meet hers, but he didn’t underestimate her. In fact, he showed her the respect worthy of a strong opponent.
The commentator explained the rules. “Thanks to his lordship the Beast King’s courtesy, the Cradle of Time will be available to us, starting from the quarterfinals!”
The Cradle of Time was manatech which allowed time to be rewound in a given area. It would activate when someone in the tournament died, bringing them back to the moment before. The item was highly valued, and usually only utilized from the semifinals onwards. However, with the Beast King’s sponsorship this year, it could be used from the quarterfinals onward. The Cradle of Time allowed combatants a no-holds-barred battle to the death. It also preserved the memory of the person whose time was reversed, making it the perfect tool for a fighting tournament.
Ring-outs were no longer in play. The fight only ended in death, surrender, or incapacitation. A powerful barrier was put up to shield the audience from the fierce battle, strong enough to withstand the force of a dragon’s breath. The combatants could go all out without reservations.
“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a Black Cat. I know how powerful your race can become.”
“Just what I was hoping for.” Fran pulled me out of my sheath and readied me, swinging me a couple times. Gaudartha felt the charge of mana coursing through me and grinned.
“An enchanted sword? And no ordinary one by the looks of it.”
“You’ve got cool armor, too.”
“This is my battle armor for when I go to war. A Godsmith crafted it with Identity Protection, Self-Repair, and Magic Resistance. Not quite a Godsword, but still powerful.”
What the heck?! I mean, I might have been made by a Godsmith, too, but this guy knew where his armor came from. Godsmith equipment was gonna be tough to crack. My confidence in my strength only served as a reminder that Gaudartha’s armor might have some tricks up its sleeve, too. I had a bad feeling about this!
“I shall make this fight brief! Awaken!” Gaudartha shouted.
His skin turned an ashy gray as the beastman grew even more beastly than before.
“Gaudartha Awakens his evolved beastman blood! I’ve never seen anyone Awaken before a fight! Is Fran that much of a threat?! We’ll see in a second. Begin!”
Gaudartha was Awakened now. Unlike Zehmet, his stats remained the same. However, most of his skills were dramatically powered up. Fast Regeneration was at Level 8 now, and Steel Body, Heightened Reflex, and Iron Hide were added to his skill list. As if that wasn’t enough, a thick current of mana pulsed through his body.
Name: Gaudartha
Age: 44
Race: White Rhinoceros/Black-Iron Rhinoceros
Class: Marauder
Level: 72/99
HP: 1256; Magic: 422; Strength: 654; Agility: 267
Skills: Intimidate 8; Brute Strength 8; Punch Arts 5; Punch Mastery 5; Presence Sense 3; Fast Regeneration 8; Brute Force 10; Club Arts 6; Club Mastery 6; Mining 8; Regeneration 10; Abnormal Status Resistance 7; Blink 3; Mental Status Resistance 7;
Elemental Blade 8; Rush 7;
Axe Arts 10; Axe Mastery 10;
Advanced Axe Arts 6; Advanced Axe Mastery 7; Mana Sense 3; Spirit Control; Steel Body; Goblin Killer; Heightened Reflexes; Dull Pain; Dragon Killer; Tough Hide; Iron Hide
Class Skill: Awaken; Wave Blast
Titles: Protector; Great Mountain; Dungeon Conqueror; Dragon Killer; A-Rank Adventurer
Equipment: Earth Dragon Horn Greataxe; Earth Dragon Scale Armor; Fire Gland Cloak; Decoy Bracelet; Poison Sense Ring
“Hrrngh!” He attacked as soon as the bell rang. Gaudartha swung his axe, shedding shockwaves. They were quite controlled as they approached Fran, but even Gaudartha’s restrained opener was enough to kill a C-Threat monster in one hit.
Let’s go, Fran!
“Hm.”
Explosion!
I threw out a Fireball spell to block. It crashed into his shockwaves, creating an explosion and kicking up smoke and dust. I teleported us a short distance away, right behind Gaudartha.
“Tch!”
Targeting his neck, Fran pressurized her sheath and slashed. Our smokescreen made for the perfect ambush, and it went without saying that she had already applied Elemental Blade and Vibrofang, among other buffs. She was aiming to kill.
Gaudartha remained still, even when my blade was lodged in his neck. I felt the dull sensation of his flesh and bone as blood sprayed out of the cut.
“Gah!”
Dammit!
But it was too early to celebrate. Before I could decapitate him, I was stalled by his barrier, his thick hide and muscles, and his powerful armor. His defenses absorbed most of the impact. Fran’s one slash only went halfway through Gaudartha’s powerful neck. We would need to repeat this attack for it to be fatal. His defense was absolutely monstrous, but this was our only chance.
Let’s see if he can survive my spike form!
I sought to attack him from the inside, but before I could transform, Gaudartha made his move.
“Wave Blast!” Gaudartha shouted.
“Gaah!”
An explosion of mana erupted from his body, knocking us back. He was completely calm, despite having a sword cut halfway through his neck. Even his nerves were made of steel! His Wave Blast not only created distance between us, but also took out half of Fran’s health and most of my durability. The move was more powerful than his opening slashes.
“Urgh!”
“Hnngh!” Gaudartha followed up with some shockwaves, spitting blood.
“Umph…”
Greater Heal!
“Huff…huff…” Fran stabilized herself at a safe distance and healed the damage to her lungs.
You all right?
“I’m fine.”
Just as I’d thought, we couldn’t afford to get hit even once. Gaudartha displayed amazing control in how he recovered from what should’ve been a lethal blow.
There go our plans of killing him with one hit…
He’s a lot tougher after Awakening.
It’s that Iron Hide of his. It’s like he put on another layer of armor. As if his superior plate wasn’t enough! We’ll have to figure out a way to take it away.
“Okay.”
I put the points I had been saving for just such an occasion into a certain skill. It was the only way we could survive this battle of attrition.
You’ll have to chip away at him while dodging his attacks. It’s going to be rough, but try not to die.
Got it.
And we don’t know what his armor can do, either. Keep your guard up.
“Hm!”
While we licked our wounds, Gaudartha had healed completely. “Graaaah!”
“Tch!”
How is he already fine?!
The giant leapt toward us with a speed unbefitting of a man his size. His terrifying regenerative capabilities had perfectly healed the gash in his neck. They continued trading blows—Fran with her thousand cuts and Gaudartha with his giant swings.
Gaudartha mostly used Axe Arts, followed up with Wave Blast. If it weren’t for the barriers protecting the audience, hundreds of them would be dead by now. Blocking that kind of attack head-on would knock a ton of durability off my blade, so Fran focused on dodging.
Meanwhile, she chipped away by exploiting the little gaps in his armor, but it wasn’t working as well as we’d hoped. His wounds healed almost immediately, making it impossible for us to wear him down. We tried damaging his armor, but it repaired itself as fast as he did. In fact, his armor could repair itself faster than Fran’s Black Cat Set. Whichever Godsmith crafted it really outdid himself! What an awful foe!
I tried blasting it with magic, but the armor’s Magic Resistance dissipated my spells into nothing. Together with Gaudartha’s high physical resistance, his armor made him a mobile fortress.
“Haaa! Wave Blast!”
Gaudartha used his Class Skill up close this time. It produced a powerful burst of energy, inflicting damage to everything in his vicinity. This simple and terrifying move allowed him to knock his enemies off-balance and deal a significant amount of damage. At a longer range, it could even be used as an emergency barrier. Physical Immunity didn’t completely block it, either, since it was a mixture of physical and magical damage.
I managed to get a barrier up in time, but we didn’t escape unscathed. Gaudartha was waiting for this kind of deadlock to chip away at Fran’s health. He knew that even if she healed the damage, she would suffer a stamina deficit. A battle of attrition was in his favor.
It was said that a lion uses all its power to hunt a rabbit, and that was how Gaudartha was handling this battle. Although aware of his advantage over Fran, he handled her with the seriousness of an enemy at war, and we were definitely losing more health and mana than him. If we let Gaudartha have his way, it was only a matter of time before Fran made a mistake.
Time to turn this around!
Jet!
“Grrr!”
“Harumph! So you can use summons, as well! Don’t assume a helping hand will be enough to overcome my defenses!”
I knew that. Jet was strong, but his attacks were of the fast and stealthy kind. We had another reason for bringing him out.
Now’s our chance, Fran! It’s time to drain his mana, just like we planned!
Hm!
Mana Drain was the skill I had just leveled up. I only had enough to get it to Level 9, but it was more than enough to make a difference. Our fight with Colbert made it clear that Physical Immunity didn’t make us invincible. It couldn’t nullify magical attacks, and the resource drain was almost unbearable. Mana Drain was our solution to this problem. Draining mana from our opponent helped us recover our own, while taking away his attack power at the same time.
We didn’t level it up during the match with Colbert because we didn’t know how much of a difference it would make. It was only at Level 3 then, and I couldn’t risk putting points into a skill that could be a dead end. After all, we still had another trick up our sleeve. Our doubts were cleared after consulting Dias and Lumina. Both confirmed that Mana Drain was a dangerous skill, given a high enough level. Dangerous enough to cause Lumina concern, and to give Dias shivers as he recounted an episode from his early years. Very good signs, indeed.
Gaudartha’s mana was already being drained. He was spending more on recovery to deal with Jet’s flurry of attacks. I had switched my Elemental Blade to Shadow to stack up the drain effect. We weren’t dealing much damage, but that was all right. Our immediate goal was to dry up his mana. We were already draining it fast enough to outpace his armor’s Mana Regeneration. Eventually, Gaudartha felt the effects.
Reduce his mana pool enough, and the skill which kept him Awakened should deactivate. At that point, we could go in for the kill.
“Hm? What the…?!” It didn’t seem like he realized I was the source of his disappearing mana. Even so, the large man kept his cool and changed his strategy accordingly. “Rooooargh!”
Gaudartha took a sudden leap forward, seemingly in desperation. He abandoned his defensive posture and made a wild attempt to squash Fran with the weight of his body. A direct hit would leave her smeared on the floor, but the attack was far too predictable.
However, Gaudartha wasn’t targeting Fran to begin with.
“Ground Shaker!”
He was targeting the ring itself.
Boooom!
Gaudartha slammed his axe into the center of the ring, creating a fissure which spiderwebbed out to its edges. A miniature earthquake followed, and the tremors threw Fran and Jet off balance.
“Hrmph!”
“Arf?”
The quake must’ve been about a seven on the Richter Scale. As agile as Fran was, she was having trouble holding her ground.
He was targeting the arena?!
Before I could finish my thought, the greataxe—which had been lodged in the ground mere moments ago—almost made contact with Fran’s midsection. I didn’t think Gaudartha could move that fast. He must’ve used one of his other skills along with Heightened Reflexes. I accelerated myself with Timespace Magic and took over. Fran was still caught up in the aftershocks of the earthquake.
Short Jump!
I got us out of there as fast as I could.
“Urgh…”
Greater Heal! Greater Heal! Greater Heal!
The end of the fight with Colbert was coming back to haunt us. Fran’s stomach was slashed open, blood and guts pouring out of the gaping wound. She coughed up blood and bile, and I was amazed that she hadn’t died of shock.
Fran!
“I-I’m fine…ack.”
She managed to recover just before Cradle of Time could activate. She spat out the remaining blood and staggered to her feet, but her opponent was faster than her.
“Urraaaagh!”
We almost cut your head off, how are you still okay?!
Gaudartha advanced toward us. His large body showed no signs of slowing down.
It’s our turn now!
Fran was doing pretty well after her near-evisceration. In fact, her near-death experience seemed to have motivated her further. Gaudartha took his greataxe and slammed it to the ground.
“Ground Shaker!”
Again?! But we had seen this trick before. Gaudartha’s follow-up attack was fast, but Ground Shaker itself had a long startup. It gave us enough time to use Physical Immunity.
“Hrngh!”
Gaudartha followed up Ground Shaker with another horizontal slash. He pulled it off smoothly, like he had rehearsed this combo a thousand times. It must’ve seemed to everyone like Fran had no time to react. The crowd gasped with terror as they anticipated Fran’s death, but the gasps soon died down and were replaced with confused murmurs.
“Won’t work this time.”
“Impossible!”
If the crowd was shocked, then Gaudartha was absolutely beside himself. He widened his eyes as he looked up and down at his weapon. Although his move focused on speed, the sheer mass of his metal axe was more than enough to cut through Fran like butter. Yet Fran was still standing there, grinning, unfazed, and still in one piece. Everyone was confused at how the great giant of a man had failed to move a little girl. She wasn’t even straining to maintain her barrier.
It was impossible for Gaudartha to believe, and Fran exploited his shock.
“Haaaa!”
“Grrr!”
“Urk!”
Now that he was in striking distance, she wasted no time in going on the offensive. She pelted him with powerful spells and skills, all of them greatly draining his mana.
Just a little more! He’s almost spent!
“Tchaaaa!”
“Hrrrngh!”
Gaudartha countered with several quick swings, but they weren’t fast enough. Eventually, his mana pool dried up.
“Gah!!”
He was finally knocked out of his Awakened state. We had to take him down before his armor recovered his mana!
Come on! Short Jump!
We jumped behind Gaudartha, intent on finishing the match with one great attack.
Instead of his defenseless back, we were greeted with Gaudartha’s terrifying greataxe. Teleportation had a very small timeframe in which you could react. Even without Heightened Reflexes, Gaudartha read our play. Maybe he’d gained his instincts from those long years as a soldier, or perhaps beastmen had sharper instincts than other races. His greataxe met Fran’s blade and threw her back. She managed to block his swing, but the force reverberated through her body, making it difficult to hold on to me.
“Hngh!”
Fran rolled to dodge Gaudartha’s follow-up. Despite no longer being in an Awakened state, he was still powerful enough to leave cracks in the stadium floor. We struggled to find a gap in his defenses.
Didn’t expect any less from an A-Rank…!
We had to finish this before he got his mana back…but how? A plunging attack from above? Maybe from the sides? Too obvious. Should we turn on Physical Immunity and attack with reckless abandon? We didn’t have enough mana for that. As I was going through our options, Fran cast the deciding vote.
Teacher, we’ll go up! He won’t be able to stop us, even if he sees us coming!
Got it.
It sounded like a plan. If Fran’s mind was made up, then my duty was to carry it out.
Jet, keep him busy!
Woof!
Long Jump!
“Hm?”
“Grrr!”
Gaudartha looked around, trying to work out where she’d gone. He couldn’t work it out, and Jet would keep him busy enough that he never would. The audience and commentator were as much in the dark as he was.
“What’s this? Fran has disappeared from the ring! Did she teleport? Turn herself invisible? Maybe she took to the shadows!”
The correct answer was the sky. Fran hopped on the flat of my blade as I moved in, so she could concentrate on unleashing her powerful attack. Once she was ready, she muttered.
“Let’s go.”
Right.
She grabbed my hilt and began her descent. She used Air Current Manipulation and Mana Thread to catapult herself to the ground and accelerated further with Air Hop, Rush, and Wind Magic. Her moment of impact was further magnified with Increase Weight, along with two Elemental Blades: Fire and Lightning. The concept was the same as the high-altitude Pressurized Quickdraw we’d used in the battle against Linford, only this time, we were much higher in the sky. And this time, we’d be stronger. Fran was accelerating faster with Timespace Magic, had more control of her sword thanks to Sword King Mastery, and could put out more power with Spirit Control.
“Thunderclap!”
Fran used the Class Skill she had just acquired. Lightning enveloped her body, further increasing her speed. She took the form of a spear of lightning as she fell towards Gaudartha like a shooting star.
“Haaaaa!”
“Where is—”
Gaudartha looked up, finally picking up on Fran’s presence. She had drawn me from her pressurized sheath and my blade was already before his eyes. She crashed into the arena with a dazzling flash. Loud rumbling followed the bolt of lightning that scorched into the earth.
“Graaaaaaaaaah!” Gaudartha let out a bestial roar.
Short Jump!
I teleported Fran to a corner of the ring before she could lodge herself into the ground. There was a large crater where Gaudartha had been, and plumes of smoke emerged from it.
Teacher, are you okay?!
I’m fine, Fran! I’m fixing myself already. But that armor of his is tougher than I thought! I can’t believe that wasn’t enough to cut through…
My plan had been to cut through Gaudartha’s left shoulder to his heart. That should be enough to put the big man down. I’d felt myself cut through his armor and into his flesh, but just as I was about to reach his heart, my blade snapped off. I wasn’t durable enough to withstand that armor.
I’m sorry, Fran! I’ve been useless this whole fight!
It’s not your fault. Besides, he definitely felt that one.
Yeah. Cradle of Time hasn’t triggered yet, but he should have a hard time moving—
Shoom!
I stopped as I felt a huge burst of mana from the dust cloud. It blew away the smoke that had settled in the crater. We had shocked the crowd and Gaudartha with Physical Immunity, but now it was our turn for a cruel surprise.
What the hell?! But he has no mana! How did he recover from that?!
Gaudartha fell on one knee, clearly inches from death. His left arm was missing. His body was broken and fluid gushed out of him. His right arm was crushed and his left leg was fractured at best. I doubted his organs had escaped this onslaught unscathed. Although he’d managed to deflect some of the damage, we still inflicted a huge amount of hurt.
But now his wounds were healing at an unbelievably rate. Instant Regeneration was doing its thing, and even his heavily damaged armor was beginning to fix itself. In a matter of seconds, Gaudartha was back to fighting form.
“Huff…huff…I didn’t think I’d need the armor’s help so soon…” Gaudartha said as he slowly got back on his feet. “Phoenix Armor possesses great regenerative capabilities.”
Yeah, I could see that! All his injuries were gone… As if the defense value of Gaudartha’s armor wasn’t bad enough, it came with ridiculous recovery abilities, too? This was a nightmare. How many more charges of this trick did he have left? There’s no way he could keep it up indefinitely, but I didn’t think it was a one-time thing, either. The armor was crafted by a Godsmith, after all.
Teacher, one more time!
No. He’s already seen that move. He knows how to anticipate it.
All right.
Teleporting around too much would make it easier for him to read us. That was why we hadn’t used too much. If Fran could figure out the Demon’s Shadow Walk back in Alessa, a more experienced fighter could definitely spot our teleport tells. Unlike Short Jump, a plunging attack made her an obvious target if you knew where to look. Using it again was far too risky.
We looked at Gaudartha in shock. His full recovery was bad enough, but he took it one step further.
“He’s…Awakened again?”
Yeah. He’s back at full mana, too.
Our efforts to whittle away at his mana pool were wasted. To make things worse, our resources were still draining away. I wasn’t one to talk, being a magical sentient sword, but that armor should’ve been banned! It was overpowered!
With Gaudartha back to the same state he was before the match started, Fran made up her mind.
I’ll have to use it.
Can’t be helped.
Even if we drained all his mana again, his armor would just put him back the way he was before. Still, its power took about a second to activate. We needed to drain his mana and kill him before it could happen. That was the simplest way of winning.
You’re not used to that form yet, so we have to be quick about this. We don’t know what’ll happen to you if you stay that way for too long.
I know.
And don’t expect anything from Physical Immunity. I won’t have time to fiddle with it at that speed.
Never planned to, Fran declared.
I was prepared to back her up, especially considering that she couldn’t really die in this fight. This was our best chance to try out her new powers.
“Jet, take to the shadows and keep him busy.”
“Woof!”
“Here we go!”
Gaudartha knew from the look in her eyes that she was putting everything on the line. He allowed her to make her last stand as she gathered up mana. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but it will not be enough to defeat me! Come at me with all you’ve got! I’ll put a stop to it!”
“I’ll kill you!”
We’d done everything in our power to prepare for the tournament. I gathered up the crystals and ranked up. And Fran…
“Awaken.”
Evolved.
Boooom!
Mana exploded outwards. Black bolts of lightning crackled about Fran, forming a thunderstorm around her. Gaudartha only stared in stunned silence.
“Awaken…?”
“Hm.”
“A Black Cat…?”
Gaudartha could be forgiven for his shock. A Black Cat had just evolved right in front of his eyes. This was our ace in the hole: the pinnacle of the beastman tribes, which Fran achieved with Lumina’s assistance. Her appearance didn’t change much. She didn’t grow extra fur and her skin remained the same color. She didn’t increase in age, and whiskers didn’t sprout from her face. What changed were her eyes—a striking gold—and her tail, which pointed towards the sky like a lightning rod. If you paid close enough attention, her black tail now had gray stripes on it, but it was easily missed.
However, her stats had certainly increased. Three hundred points in Agility and Magic, along with a complete recovery of health and mana. It didn’t stop there. Evolving granted her access to a particular skill.
“Flashing Thunderclap.”
This was the advanced form of Lumina’s Thunderclap, unlocked after she evolved. Lumina had used it to fight in her normal state, but its true potential remained locked away until one evolved. In her Awakened state, Flashing Thunderclap granted Fran Strength Up, Agility Up, Heightened Reflexes, Elemental Blade Thunder, Enhanced Thunder, Thunder Immunity, and Thunder Magic Up. It was much more powerful than before.
Seeing Fran in her Awakened state hyped up the commentator.
“Fran has Awakened, ladies and gentlemen! But what’s this? She doesn’t look that much different than before! Not that she needs to with those threatening thunderclouds floating around her! I’ve never seen black lightning fall from the sky before, let alone from a person!”
Lumina’s lightning had been a natural pale blue, but Fran’s was inky black. Her bolts looked like they belonged in a sumi-e painting rather than in the clouds.
Fran had evolved into a Black Sky Tiger of yore.
“We’ve all heard the stories about the impossibility of Evolution for Black Cats, but Swordceress Fran has proven that false!”
To a non-beastman, the fact of Fran’s Evolution was surprising, but they were far more interested in how much stronger she was now. The beastmen, on the other hand, looked absolutely solemn.
“…”
Gaudartha stood in the arena, mouth agape, looking like he had completely forgotten about the battle. Meanwhile, in the VIP area, the Beast King had gotten out of his seat to stare. He leaned on the rails, looking like he wanted to get into the ring himself just so he could confirm it. Rosch, seated next to him, wore the exact same expression.
“A Black Sky Tiger?” Gaudartha croaked, finally returning to his senses. “To think I would be in the presence of one of the Ten…! How did I not notice before…?”
Gaudartha shook his head in disbelief. This was our chance. Fran leaned forward, ready to exploit this gap.
Ready?
Let’s go!
She rushed in at the rhino.
“Where did—gah!”
“Hmph!”
“Urgh! What…?!”
To Gaudartha, it must’ve looked like Fran had disappeared. No teleportation or invisibility here, just raw speed. The attack caught him completely off guard, and he wailed in pain. She slashed at him, but most of the damage came from her jet-black lightning. It ran through his armor and burned him up. This was the power of her Awakened state. Fran was too fast for Gaudartha, and her Black Lightning was penetrating his previously invincible defenses.
“Gah! Guh!”
“Haaaa!”
She continued to attack with blinding speed. Black Lightning not only gave her immense speed, but also maneuverability and control. The skill allowed her to ignore the laws of physics while maintaining her velocity. The concept was similar to Zehmet’s, the Blue Cat we fought in our first round. His Evolution made him fast enough to run circles around his opponent. The only difference was that Fran’s Evolution gave her even more speed, control, and attack power.
Perhaps that was why the Blue Cats hated the Black Cats so much. Their evolved abilities were quite similar, and I could easily imagine the Blue Cats resenting the Black Cats for their strength.
“There’s a lot going on right now! You wouldn’t know Fran was still in the arena if not for the streaks of black lightning furiously circling Gaudartha! You can hear him scream in pain, folks!” the commentator cried.
It looked like a black dome of electricity had formed around Gaudartha. I struck his Phoenix Armor, producing a high-pitched ring with each contact. It was still repairing itself, although I was outpacing its capabilities so far. Although Gaudartha’s armor was in top shape, the same couldn’t be said for the beastman himself. Cords of black lightning twisted and struck, burning him up.
“Ngaaaah!”
Eventually, he abandoned all pretense of defense and started swinging his greataxe in desperation. He held it out and spun, emitting Wave Blasts. The combination served to clear the immediate area, but Fran was agile enough to duck under the axe. As for the Wave Blast, she used Absolute Barrier to handle it. Being at the limits of her mana, she could only use it for a split second, but she timed it perfectly.
Fran could read Gaudartha’s every move. Although the large man was throwing all of his fast attacks at her in a last-ditch attempt at victory, they all seemed slow to Fran. She was definitely faster than him. Despite his best attempts, he couldn’t stop her flurry of attacks.
“Haaaaa!”
“Hrngh…!”
Gaudartha crossed his arms in front of his body, accepting that he couldn’t land a hit. He put all his efforts into defense. Turtling seemed like the coward’s way out, but Gaudartha hadn’t lost an ounce of his fighting spirit. He was set on taking this strategy to victory.
No wonder he’s Rigdith’s personal bodyguard! He already figured out our weakness!
Hm!
Awakened Flashing Thunderclap drained Fran’s health and mana with every use. The move was risky, and while not as dangerous as Unleash Potential, its power didn’t come without cost. Flashing Thunderclap wreaked havoc on its user’s body—mere movement took away health. All of the Ten Ancestors’ special powers worked on the same principle. The raw power of the Godbeast was far too strong for mortals. Limits had to be instituted to prevent its users from self-destructing.
Gaudartha was an elite guard and a descendant of the Ten Tribes. He knew that, as powerful as they were, their skills were just as dangerous to their users. He carried his battle of attrition to its logical conclusion. He would defend himself until Fran was drained of every bit of energy.
And he was right. Fran was tiring. It was nothing short of a miracle that her tiny body had lasted this long. A normal beastman would’ve exhausted themselves by now, yet Fran showed no signs of stopping.
I could feel Gaudartha’s bewilderment. Fran shouldn’t be able to use Flashing Thunderclap for long periods of time, especially considering how fast she was and the number of attacks she was landing. By all accounts, she should’ve self-destructed.
But Fran was no ordinary beastman. She had me as a spare mana tank, and I kept her health up by constantly healing her. It was the only way she could prolong the effects of the skill.
“How are you still—argh!”
That said, we were still pressed for time. Fran’s life was dropping faster and faster the longer this went on. Eventually, the upkeep would be impossible for me to heal through. Gaudartha only had a sliver of health left. Just one final push should do it. But Fran’s health was reaching critical levels too, and I had to heal her every few seconds just to keep her from expiring. She knew that as well as I did.
I’ll end it now, Teacher!
Go for it!
Fran could stop using her skill and finish Gaudartha off with her regular attacks. That would be the most prudent way to secure victory. But Fran kept Flashing Thunderclap on. She was going to win as a Black Sky Tiger and prove the strength of the Black Cat tribe to the world.
I’ll finish him off using the big one.
The big one? I’m not sure if that’s safe considering the amount of space we have…
We’ll be fine!
Are you sure about this?
Hm!
Well, no use talking her out of it. Then I’ll focus on defense.
Thanks.
Jet, get one more hit in and hide.
Woof!
Jet obeyed, harassing Gaudartha one more time before retreating to the shadows. I saw him run all the way to the stands. That should do it. It was the only way to be safe from Fran’s attack. Once she made sure Jet was at a safe distance, Fran declared her final move.
“Black Thunderfall!”
The black lightning around Fran’s body glowed brighter. It gathered together and, with the rumbling of a drum, formed a bolt which launched itself at Gaudartha. The black lightning went wild inside the barrier and soon culminated in a grand explosion.
Kabooom!
I used what little mana I had left to protect Fran with Absolute Barrier, but the explosion proved far too powerful. It threw Fran like a leaf. She smacked right into the barrier.
“Gah…!”
Bits of rubble flew with the speed of bullets. Fran would’ve been gravely injured if it weren’t for her barrier. The air around us became hot enough to scald.
Good thing we have Barrier on, but this is ridiculous!
“Hm!”
The innumerable bolts of lightning crawled along the arena like serpents looking for prey, but they had no effect on Fran, thanks to her Thunder Immunity. The barrier I cast around my blade prevented me from melting.
Was that…too much?
I didn’t know about that. Fact was, we were up against Gaudartha, who was a monster… If anything, that might not have been enough. We waited for the hurricane to subside, keeping our eyes open for any sudden movement.
When the spectators could see again, they gasped with awe at the giant crater where Gaudartha had been standing. Fran’s Black Lightning was seven times worse than the rhino’s Ground Shaker.
In the midst of the chaos, Gaudartha was on his knees, unmoving. The ground beneath him was red as molten glass, galvanized by the heat of Fran’s lightning. His Phoenix Armor was in pieces, having taken so much damage that it couldn’t repair itself. What little flesh we could see under the armor was an ashen gray, and I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing was left of the man but his armor.
“Did we win?”
Don’t say that yet, you’ll jinx it!
“Hm?”
Despite my superstitious protest, a pillar of white light shone on the arena. It encased Gaudartha in red light. About a minute or so later, the rhino was standing there, fully restored.
Wait, did we just—
“The Cradle of Time has activated! Gaudartha has died and come back to life! Which means the winner of this round is the Swordceress Fran!”
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