Chapter 235: Preliminaries Part 4

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the infirmary and check on Callum?” Poppy asked.

Sylvie shook her head, “Not yet, I’m giving him some space. Cal said he’d rather be alone right now and rest. Besides, I want to watch this match.”

“Hm. You know,” Poppy nudged her arm. “If I didn’t know who those two were and someone asked me who would win the match, I’d definitely say the brawny giant orc.”

Sylvie nodded, but her eyes stayed focused on the arena, “...Yeah, Stryg doesn’t really cut much of an intimidating figure, especially compared to Kegrog.”

“And yet…” Poppy sighed loudly.

“And yet, the match is already decided.”

~~~

Stryg stared at the orc standing across the arena. Kegrog was taller than most orcs, or most people for that matter. He spent much of his free time in the academy’s forge, practicing his smithing skills and enchantment spells. He was already broad-shouldered before, but now it was impossible not to notice the rippling muscles underneath his black shirt.

The match had yet to begin, but Stryg was already eager to battle. Every opponent he had faced today had conceded before Professor Vayu could commence the match. Stryg hoped this time would be different.

Kegrog lifted up his bow, a powerful enchanted weapon, gifted to him by some of the higher-ups at the martial academy. Stryg knew Kegrog was a skillful archer, he had witnessed on many occasions.

Stryg had grown up training with the spear and bow, he had seen hunters wield the bow with great skill. Which is why he knew that Kegrog was in a class all of his own. The orc was a prodigy and if Stryg gave Kegrog the chance, he was certain he’d find himself with an arrow in his leg.

Kegrog chuckled to himself, “It’s funny, you know.”

“What?” Stryg asked as he stretched his limbs.

“The first time I ever fought in this academy was the day I met you. Professor Noir had arrived late to class. She walked like a queen, she commanded everyone’s attention with just a glance. I was smitten…” Kegrog smiled wryly, “Until what happened next. Do you remember?”

Stryg nodded, “She ordered us to fight.”

“I thought it would be easy, I pitied you honestly. I didn’t want to hurt this tiny, frail goblin who looked like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.” Kegrog straightened his back, “And then you casted a drain spell on me and I almost died.”

“Loh wouldn’t have let you die. She would have stopped the fight. She did stop the fight.”

“Doesn’t change what happened,” Kegrog said quietly. “...I was terrified of you after that, because I knew you wouldn’t have stopped on your own. I remember the look in your eye, there was no fear, no remorse… All I saw was rage. I knew at that moment that I was going to die.”

“Yet here you are,” Stryg said.

He smiled half-heartedly, “And yet here I am, about to face off against the school’s most powerful mage, and a tri-manifold at that. Heh, I must be crazy.”

Stryg smiled wide, “Thanks for not running away.”

“I don’t know how I should take that,” Kegrog said dryly. “If I’m being honest with myself I’m here because a very special blonde is watching this fight.”

Stryg looked through the crowd and spotted Freya Goldelm. When he caught her eye, she tried to seem disinterested, but the worry in her eyes betrayed her.

“Freya wants you to win…?” Stryg mumbled.

He shrugged, “...I know I can’t win, but I don’t want to give up either.”

Stryg cocked his head to the side, a curious look in his lilac eyes. “There’s always a chance to seize victory in any battle.”

Kegrog grinned, “Then let’s hope this is my day.”

Vayu stood up from his chair on a small stage next to the arena, “Contestants, victory is simple, knock your opponent off the arena or render them unable to fight. Understood?”

Kegrog nodded, “Yes, sir.”

Stryg nodded, but looked at Kegrog, “Do you know what’s the greatest weakness of Brown’s vigor spell-form?”

“...I’m listening,” Kegrog said warily.

“The answer is the same reason why brown mages, like you, don’t fight in the front lines, but prefer to use a bow despite all their supernatural strength.”

Kegrog narrowed his eyes.

Stryg raised his finger. “Brown's vigor spells are created by mixing elemental fire mana with your chromatic mana, same goes with orange's flame spells. Like fire itself, flame and vigor spells both have bursts of power behind them.”

Vayu raised his hand up high, “You may…”

Stryg bent his knees and leaned forward, “But just like fire, neither flame nor vigor magic have any real substance… they have no durability.”

Vayu threw his hand down, “BEGIN!”

Kegrog quickly channeled brown mana into his arms and shoulders, and notched an arrow. The enchanted bow creaked loudly as he pulled back the taut bowstring and aimed at –

Kegrog screamed in pain, his legs buckled underneath him. His thighs were covered in large gashes, dark red blood seeping into his pants.

Stryg stood over him, claws stained red. Kegrog grimaced and looked up in fear, there was no anger in Stryg’s eyes, there was nothing but cold determination.

Kegrog gritted his teeth and flung the bow at Stryg with all the strength he had. The goblin avoided the attack with unnatural speed and slammed his foot in the orc’s face. Kegrog’s head smacked into the stone tile with a loud crack, his amber eyes rolled up, and his body went slack.

“That’s my boy!” Loh fist-pumped the air.

Vayu stared at the instantaneous defeat with sympathy, “...Kegrog is unable to continue. The victory goes to Stryg…”

Freya sprinted over to the stage before Vayu finished speaking.

She cradled Kegrog’s head and patted his cheek softly, “Wake up, please wake up…” She swallowed the lump in her throat and casted a healing spell over his head, “Please…”

Stryg gently pushed her aside, picked up Kegrog, and threw him on his small back.

Freya frowned, “Stryg, what are you…?”

“I’ll take him to the infirmary, myself,” he said.

Freya dusted off her pants and stood up, “I’m coming with you.”

He shook his head, “You can’t, Gold-Eyes.”

“But –!”

“Your match is up next. Unless you want to forfeit your chance at going to the tourney, you need to stay.”

Freya nodded reluctantly, “I’ll come as soon as I can.”

Stryg nodded, “...He didn’t give up, even when he knew he was about to lose.”

She bit her lip, “He should have just given up from the start. His bow is severely hindered in this small arena. There was no chance he was going to beat an orange mage’s agility spell.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t want to look weak in front of you.”

Freya's eyes widened, she reached up and grabbed Kegrog’s hand. “You big oaf… What am I going to do with you?” she muttered with a half-smile.

“...You know he can’t hear you, right?” Stryg said.

Freya rolled her eyes, “Just get Kegrog to the infirmary already.”

Stryg hopped off the stage and jogged down the grassy field. He struck an odd figure, from a distance it seemed as if a child was carrying an adult. Usually, some student would make an off-handed remark, oblivious to the fact that Stryg could hear them. But the crowd stared at him in silence… and fear.

“What the fuck just happened?!” Poppy muttered in shock. “Stryg was on one side of the arena and then bam! He was on Kegrog!”

“Agility magic makes your body light and enhances your natural speed,” Sylvie said thoughtfully. “Stryg is already incredibly fast without any spell. Still…” She sighed, “He’s gotten stronger.”

~~~

Kithina walked up the stairs and to the edge of the arena stage. Freya already stood on the other side, her usual bright, albeit cocky countenance was nowhere to be seen.

She sympathized with Freya and Kegrog’s defeat, but now was not the time to have empathy.

Kithina took a deep breath and raised her arms, ready to cast. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

The brooding expression washed over Freya and she chuckled, “Have you? I didn’t peg you for a masochist, but in retrospect it makes sense.”

“You always were cocky, always so certain you were better than us.”

“You act like I was wrong,” Freya smirked. “Once in a while you find a talented commoner like Stryg, but the reality is the scions of Great Houses have always been better than the commoners of this land. It’s a fact, not an insult. Hard as it may be for you to believe, I do have some respect for you, Kitty. I’d even call you a friend, maybe.”

“How kind of you,” Kithina said sarcastically.

Vayu raised his hand high. “Contestants, victory is simple, knock your opponent off the arena or render them unable to fight. Understood?”

Freya gripped her hammer tight, “But I’m still gonna knock you down right on your ass.”

Kithina smiled, “May the best dwarf win.”

“BEGIN!”