The battle started the moment Instructor Murdok said "fight." Heracles, grinning like a madman, closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. His downward swing was avoided when Caspian moved out of the way. When the axe struck ground, it unleashed a massive explosion that sent rock shards flying in every direction.

Caspian raised his arms to protect his face. He winced as numerous shards hit his forearms, some of them breaking the skin while others bounced off. The stinging sensation reminded him of pellets fired from guns.

"You left your guard open!" Heracles shouted.

Clearly taking advantage of how Caspian couldn't defend himself, Heracles tried to swipe at him with that massive battle axe of his. Caspian ducked underneath the blade, but even so, he could still feel it passing by overhead. The attack, fueled by Heracles' massive strength, pushed out air in every direction. The current was strong enough that Caspian almost fell to the ground.

Leaping back to his feet after the threat had passed, Caspian lunged at Heracles, thrusting out his sword to pierce the larger man. His foe wouldn't stand for this, however. Heracles stomped on the ground, which quaked under the impact and made Caspian stumble.

"Ha!" Heracles barked. "Let's see you avoid this!"

Caspian's vision was filled with Heracles' massive fist. He moved to avoid the attack, tilting his body to let the fist pass by. That's not what happened.

Pain slammed into Caspian's cheek as he was sent backwards. Stumbling, Caspian tried to regain his footing, but Heracles was on him before he could do anything. The air screamed as Heracles slashed his axe down at a vertical angle. The cut would have bisected Caspian from his right shoulder to his left hip, but he leapt back to try and put some distance between them.

Shock filled him when, even after leaving the attack's range, he felt something slam into him. It was like an invisible force pushing him back. The muscles in his legs strained as he struggled to keep himself grounded, but he was being pushed back. His eyes stung as wind slammed into his face, pushing his lips and the skin around his eyelids back.

This is...

"Nggg!" Caspian groaned as he dug a trench into the ground with his heels. When he finally stopped, it was to discover that he'd been pushed back for nearly two meters.

"Look at you!" Heracles threw his head back and laughed. "I can't believe someone as weak as you managed to make it into this tournament! Still, that makes things easy for me. I'll finish you off quickly."

Caspian kept a lid on his anger. This man was merely trying to rile him up. He wouldn't let this fool's words get to him.

"Come on, then." Caspian gestured for Heracles to bring it. "Let's see you beat this weak, pathetic peasant."

"With pleasure!"

Roaring, Heracles charged at Caspian, who prepared for another clash.

***

"That boy is doing much better than he did in his last bout," Lord Fuzen Taiga observed. "Yes, his movements are cleaner, more precise, and he's not struggling to keep up with Heracles."

Elincia stood in the viewing box with the other sorceresses and several foreign dignitaries, including Lord Fuzen Taiga, who had taken a keen interest in Caspian, it seemed. So had the others, for that matter. Caspian was what they'd been talking about for the last several minutes. She didn't know how to feel about that.

"Hm, he's not bad," Lady Aakarshana admitted. "But it's not like he's amazing either. That Heracles seems to have the upper hand."

"I believe he is fighting quite well, considering he just finished getting over a poison," Lady Akane said, raising a hand to her lips and smiling.

"Hmph! He's got talent, I'll give him that." Lady Aakarshana crossed her arms. "But just having talent isn't going to be enough to defeat my candidates."

"Now, don't get ahead of yourself, sister," Lady Aakarshaka said. "It is true that Adesh and Naagendra are talented individuals, but this Caspian fellow seems quite skilled as well. I believe it could go either way."

Elincia did her best to ignore the words of her senior sorceresses. She stood in front of the balustrade, the entirety of her attention focused on the battle taking place below. Caspian was doing much better today than he had yesterday, it was true, but the fight had already lasted for nearly a full two minutes, and he still hadn't landed a single hit.

"Are you worried?" Lady Erica asked. She stood next to Elincia, one hand on the balustrade and the other holding Tiffania's hand.

"Yes," Elincia admitted softly. "Of course I'm worried. After what happened yesterday, how could I not be?"

Lady Erica hummed. "While I do believe that worrying is fine, given the circumstances, I also believe you should have more faith in Caspian. Is he not the man who you've decided you want as your knight? If you do not have faith that he will win, then how will you respond when you're faced with a crisis more dangerous than a simple tournament."

The words made her freeze. Lady Erica was completely right. She should have faith in Caspian, so why was she acting like this? Why did she feel this way? Worry was fine, but she was acting as if Caspian was going to lose.

"Or is it something else that's troubling you?" Elincia bit her lip. Lady Erica smiled slyly. "Could it be that you're blaming yourself for what's happened to him? You think that everything that's happened is your fault, don't you?"

"I... yes," Elincia admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lady Erica shook her head. "If that is how you truly feel, then I feel sorry for Caspian. He's fighting out there for you, not because of anything you've said, but because it's what he's decided he wants to do. That kind of devotion is rare. Yet here you are, wallowing in self-pity. That sort of passive-aggressive thinking is self-destructive. The moment we lose faith in ourselves is the moment we've lost.

Could it really be that simple?

For the past several days, ever since she'd almost been killed by those machines, Elincia had been blaming herself for what happened. If only she'd been stronger. If only she'd listened to Lady Sylvia. If only if only if only. She'd been so busy feeling guilty that she'd forgotten about Caspian's feelings. He didn't blame her, she knew. He'd never blamed her for anything that had happened, not even when they'd been kidnapped by slavers. And if that was so, then...

I... I shouldn't let this bother me. I need to support Caspian.

"It seems you've come to a decision," Lady Erica said, her visible amethyst eye glinting with amusement. "Now, instead of wallowing in self-recriminations, watch your knight kick that ugly brute's disgustingly muscled ass."

Elincia willed away her guilt, let it evaporate from her mind like ice on a summer day. Feeling more confident than she had the night before, she nodded at the woman.

"Right!" she said before turning back to the battle.

***

They were in a stalemate.

"Hya!"

Shouting with the fierceness reminiscent of the long-extinct draconian race, Heracles brought down his massive battle axe. The earth was split. A giant crack spread from where the axe struck, widening the further along it went. Caspian leapt away from the crack, but Heracles suddenly appeared before him. It wasn't speed. It was trickery.

He split the earth as a diversion so I wouldn't notice him sneaking up on me!

Caspian reacted quickly. He could feel the air being sliced as the axe passed over his head. Rolling backwards along the ground, he landed back on his feet. Heracles stuck to him like glue.

Like a madman Heracles laughed, swinging his axe with reckless abandon and incredible power. Even though he dodged each attack easily enough, Caspian could feel the power behind the swings simply from the wind that each attack generated.

Shuffling backwards, Caspian dodged the tip of Heracles's axe, which almost pierced his chest. Despite the attack missing, Caspian still stumbled backwards when a fierce wind struck him.

I see. This is just like Derek's ability to generate shockwaves. It doesn't look like Heracles has perfected it like Derek, however. The wind being generated is weaker, too weak to injure someone but enough to knock them off balance. That means I have a chance.

If Caspian could figure out the range of Heracles' attack, then he could effectively avoid it. Of course, saying that he would find out how far Heracles could extend his attacks was easier said than done.

"You're awfully good at running away!" Heracles shouted as he swung at Caspian.

Caspian spun around to avoid being eviscerated. He then knocked the large axe further away by smacking it with his sword. "And you have an incredible talent for running your mouth off. I thought you were going to finish me quickly, but I guess that was all talk."

"We'll see who's all talk!"

The attacks that came next were more vicious than those that came before. Heracles swung his axe like a wild beast. Caspian focused entirely on dodging and less on countering, which he knew would've done more harm than good. He couldn't compete with that strength.

As he avoided Heracles, he also analysed each attack carefully, widening and tightening the gap between him and the attacks each time he dodged.

50 centimeters, he judged, Heracles can extend the range of his attacks for 50 centimeters.

"Hold still, you damn pest!"

Apparently fed up with his constant dodging, Heracles slammed his axe tip first into the ground. Caspian only had a moment to realize what was happening before the earth ruptured. As cracks spread like a spider's web across the dirt and tremors shook the arena, Caspian's foot slipped as he lost his balance.

Caspian bit back a pained yelp as his tailbone hit the hard ground. Heracles used this moment to sneak up on him, but even surprised, Caspian still had enough sense to roll across the floor. An axe struck the spot he'd fallen, causing the earth to split again.

Leaping back to his feet, Caspian had just enough time to see a massive chunk of earth flying at him. Heracles must have thrown it. Realizing that he had no time to dodge, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Halkaista," he whispered.

His sword shone in the light as he swung it upwards, splitting the massive makeshift projectile in half. As the two sides flew off in separate directions, Caspian charged at Heracles, whose bulging eyes revealed his shock.

"Impossible!"

While clearly baffled, Heracles was still a warrior, and he didn't let his surprise slow him down. He reacted to Caspian's charge quickly and kicked up a bunch of dirt, which flew into Caspian's eyes.

Since his eyes had been forced closed to avoid getting dirt in them, Caspian knew better than to let himself stand still. He rolled across the ground and felt something cutting the air in front of him. Heracles had attacked his previous position. As he landed back on his feet, he quickly wiped the dust from his eyes, or as much of it as he could. Caspian couldn't fight blind.

He opened his eyes to discover that Heracles had vanished. Understanding flashed through him like a bolt of lightning, and he leapt to the side as a massive axe swung down at him from behind, striking the ground where he'd been standing and causing even more ruptures.

By now, the arena had become a mess, with cracks and chasms running across the ground. Craters and pockmarks created a series of areas that Caspian knew he needed to avoid. Honestly, he was surprised the arena was still intact with all the damage the ground was taking.

Missing his latest attack seemed to anger Heracles, who screamed incoherently, ripped his axe from the ground, and swung it at Caspian again. Narrowing his eyes, Caspian timed his parry. The axe came in, and he struck the bottom with the tip of his sword.

"Halkaista."

The word had been whispered. Much like what happened with the ground projectile, Caspian's blade sheared through the axe like it was made of paper.

"What the hell?!" Heracles cried out in shock.

Not willing to give up this chance, Caspian rushed in, reversed his grip on his sword, and slammed the pommel into Heracles's gut.

"Torjua," Caspian whispered.

The moment the whispered word left Caspian's lips, a large black mark appeared on Heracles's chest. Blood spewed from his mouth as Caspian leapt back.

Heracles held a hand to his chest. His knees wobbled as if they were being turned into jelly. Groaning, he fell to the ground, placing one hand on the floor in a poor attempt to keep himself from falling.

"W-what is... this?" Heracles released a labored growled. He struggled to get up, but Caspian knew that wouldn't be possible. He'd hit Heracles right below his sternum with a spell that released a repulsive force on a single point. Few people could get up and fight after receiving a hit like that. "What the... hell did you do to me?!"

Caspian didn't answer. He pointed his sword at Heracles's throat. "This is my win. I guess you were really were all talk."

"You little shit... you think you've won?" Heracles growled. His skin had grown red. "I'm not about to let you win here!"

Heracles' muscles bulged and twitched, becoming larger and more defined. His skin, which had taken on a red hue, suddenly became blistering crimson. Caspian barely had a second to comprehend his situation—and then a mighty fist slammed into his chest, lifting him off his feet and sending him rocketing across the arena floor.

***

"Caspian!" Elincia shouted as the arena shook.

She released a horrified gasp as the wall that Caspian smashed into dented. These walls were not only a meter thick, but they were made of a type of concrete that was reinforced with alloy. For the wall to dent like that was inconceivable. What's more, it meant that Caspian had been hit hard enough that his bones might have broken.

"What is happening to that young man?" Lord Fuzen Taiga pondered out loud.

"I knoweth not," Lady Akane said, shrugging her dainty shoulders.

"He's a berserker," a calm voice stated.

Elincia and everyone else looked at Lady Cleopatra. The woman, who looked more like a blond-haired little girl, stared down into the arena with interested eyes.

"Oh, my," Lady Erica mumbled. "A berserker, is he? Now that is a problem."

"I hadn't realized there were any berserkers left alive," Lady Akarshana said.

"W-what's a berserk?" asked Elincia.

"A berserker is someone who grows stronger when they are enraged," Lady Sylvia explained. "The angrier they get, the more powerful they become. Some berserkers have been known to get so strong they can destroy mountains with a single punch."

Was that what Caspian was going up against? A person who could destroy mountains? What kind of monsters were in this tournament?

"I'm surprised, however," Lady Sylvia continued, her lips quirking down ever so slightly. "As far as I am aware, the only species with berserkers in them are draconians. Humans should not be capable of such feats."

"Heracles' family has draconian blood in them," Cleopatra explained quietly. "They're an old family that has existed since before the Sylvia became a sorceress."

As murmurs arose from the other sorceresses and foreign dignitaries, Elincia turned back to the battle.

Caspian...

***

Caspian slowly peeled off the wall and landed on in a heap on the ground. An involuntary groan escaped his parted lips. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

His chest felt like it had caved in after a dragon had stomped on him. His ribs were definitely broken. He could practically feel the fragments scraping against his insides, grinding against his internal organs. While he couldn't look down, he was sure that, should he do so, his chest would be a blackened mess.

He tried to stand up, but his arms weren't working properly; it was as if they'd turned into jelly. They like limp noodles.

"Caspian Ignis del Sol is unable to fight," Instructor Murdock said. "The victor of this match is—"

"RRRAAAAGGGGGHHH!!!""

Heracles' roar shook the arena. He charged at Caspian, his large feet denting the ground as he ran.

Fire raced through Caspian's veins as he forced himself to move, rolling along the ground as Heracles nearly stepped on him. The ground cracked. Caspian's ribs squealed in agony as he scrambled to his feet and leapt away from Heracles.

Woosh! He stumbled back as air slammed into his body when Heracles ran past him. Blood spilled from his mouth as his internal organs were aggravated.

"Stop this, Heracles!" Instructor Murdock demanded. "If you do not stop right now, you will be disqualified!"

But Heracles didn't stop. He howled and charged at Caspian again, forcing him to use more strength and injuring himself further.

Blood seeped through Caspian's pores as he leapt out of the way, caking his clothes to his skin. A rush of wind blew his hair out of his face. Heracles blitzed past him, slamming into the wall and demolishing it. Several people screamed as the stadium shook.

This guy's gone mad! He's not even thinking clearly.

Caspian grimaced. Heracles had clearly lost all sense of intelligence. He was nothing more than a beast now, a mindless animal.

If he's not thinking clearly, then I may have a chance at victory. I'll have to get my timing right, though... and I'll need to use magic again.

Caspian didn't want to use his magic, if at all possible. The more times he used it, the greater the chances of someone finding out about him became, and that was the last thing that he needed. Still, it didn't look like he was going to have much of a choice.

Darkness crowded around his vision. He was on his last legs. If he didn't defeat Heracles with this next attack, then he would lose.

No pressure.

Heracles appeared from within the destroyed remains of the wall. His glowing red eyes locked onto Caspian. He howled once more, and then burst across the ground, heading straight for him.

Caspian slowed his breathing. He calmed his mind. Holding his sword in front of him in a traditional stance, he waited.

Five meters.

Heracles was getting closer. Time seemed to have slowed down, or maybe it was just his perception of time. His foe appeared to have been moving in slow motion.

Two meters.

Caspian could practically smell Heracles' stench. It was overwhelming, an acrid smell that made his nose wrinkle in disgust.

One meter.

It was time. Heracles raced for him. Caspian moved, sidestepping to the left. At the same time, he swung his blade, slicing it through the air.

"Halkaista."

Caspian felt some resistance, but his blade still sheared through Heracles' leg. Blood splashed everywhere as the leg was sliced clean off. It flew through the air and landed on the ground several meters away, twitching and wiggling.

Behind Caspian, Heracles howled, not in rage this time, but in pain. Caspian turned around as his foe tumbled to the ground. His skin no longer red, Heracles grabbed at the severed stump of his leg, his agonized screams cutting through the mostly silent arena. Stabbing his blade into the ground, Caspian looked at Instructor Murdock, glaring as fiercely as he could.

"Call it."

Instructor Murdock raised his hand. "Heracles is unable to continue fighting. The winner of the second round is Caspian Ignis del Sol."