The colosseum erupted into a frenzy of screams and cheers.
"Start already!" someone yelled.
"Show us some blood!" another voice chimed in.
Akeno turned to Kinuko, raising an eyebrow.
"These people are insane." The commentator's booming voice cut through the din.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event! The tournament you've all been waiting for is finally here!" The crowd's roar grew louder, a deafening wall of sound.
The commentator grinned, feeding off the energy. "We've got a hundred competitors ready to throw down. To narrow it down, we're kicking off with an all-out battle royal!"
The crowd went wild, with chants and cheers echoing off the stone walls. The commentator paused, surveying the chaos before continuing.
"Here's how it works: all one hundred competitors will enter the arena and fight it out. Get knocked out of the ring, and you're out."
"The number of fighters left standing will determine the brackets for the next rounds." A wicked glint sparked in the commentator's eye. "And remember ladies and gentlemen, the only rule is…..there are no rules!"
The crowd's frenzy reached a fever pitch, with the commentator's maniacal laughter fueling the chaos.
A staff member strode in, his voice crisp. "Competitors listen up! The contest is about to kick off. We all know what's at stake – there's no second place. Only one of you will walk out winner." He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the tense faces.
"You'll be heading to the ring in groups of 20. When the gates open, move out. No need for further instructions."As if on cue, the gates slid open with a metallic screech.
The first group of 20 competitors stepped forward, their eyes fixed on the ring.
The staff member nodded to himself, "Guess that's all the briefing you need." The commentator's voice boomed through the arena.
"And here's our first group of competitors!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as the first 20 fighters emerged from the gate, making their way to the ring.
The commentator's tone turned conspiratorial. "Rumor has it, some heavy-hitting adventurers have joined the fray."
"I've got my eyes peeled…..wait a minute, is that Jaxon 'Jester' Jenkins, the B-rank ace from the Stellaluna Circle Guild?"The crowd went wild chanting Jaxon's name.
"What's a high roller like him doing here?" the commentator mused.
Then, his voice spiked with excitement. "And hold up, we've got another contender! Is that Drew 'Daredevil' Davis, the A-rank superstar from the Stellaluna Circle Guild?"
Pandemonium broke out, the crowd surging to it's feet.
"Two guildmates, both adventure legends, in the same tournament? This just real, folks!" the commentator exclaimed.
He grinned, relishing the drama. "We promised you a show, and boy, are we delivering!" The commentator's voice rose above the din.
"And now, put your hands together for our second group of competitors!" The crowd exploded into cheers, but the commentator's tone turned skeptical.
"Hold up I'm not ready for another legend to drop... B-Beckett 'Brawler' Brooks?!" He shielded one eye, as if protecting himself from the awesomeness.
"The crowd is losing it! What brings a bounty hunter of his caliber to this tournament?" The commentator's voice dropped to a whisper, as if sharing a secret.
"This guy's a game changer. I've got a feeling we might already have our winner….."
The remaining groups made their entrances, building up to the final reveal.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for our last group of competitors!" the commentator announced. The crowd went wild, but the commentator's excitement was short-lived.
"Wait, why are they just nineteen in number, where's our final competitor?" he muttered to himself, flagging down a staff member.
The staff member turned to respond to his call, but froze, his back to the crowd. An unsettling silence fell over the colosseum, the only sound the echo of the staff member's hesitant footsteps.
Then, a figure emerged from the gates, striding confidently towards the ring, his head held high, hands tucked into his pockets, he exuded an aura of quiet power.
The adventurers among the competitors sensed a murderous intent emanating from him, their hands instinctively going to their weapons, Fear flickered in their eyes.
Brawler Brook's mind racing, "Who is this monster? His Nexus is insane – it's literally breaking the floor beneath his feet. No way he's human."
Daredevil Davis's thoughts echoed a similar sentiment, "What's a beast like him doing here? I need to steer clear of him if I want to survive this tournament."
The air thickened the instant he stepped into the ring. An unspoken warning seemed to emanate from him, silencing the crowd.
The commentator's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "Who is this guy? What is his name?" he silently asked the staff.One of them leaned in, his voice barely audible.
"Sir, when I asked his name, he said..."
"...…Nobody."
The commentator's eyes widened in skepticism.
"Nobody? What kind of name is that?" he felt a shiver run down his spine.
Suddenly, his earlier predictions seemed uncertain.
All eyes locked onto Boros as he strode into the ring, his presence commanding attention. He scanned the area, his gaze settling on the commentator.
The commentator felt a jolt of unease. Boros's eyes seemed to bore into him, as if daring to delay him further.
Boros's voice cut through the tension. "What's the holdup? Let's get this started."
"W-With all our fighters in the ring, let's get this battle royal underway!" the crowd erupted into chaos as the fierce competition for the Longinius kicked off.
Competitors clashed, eliminating each other one by one.
Even longinius users joined the fray, unleashing their unique abilities – earth, plant, and crystal wielders trading blows in a spectacular display of power.
"Unbelievable! What a battle, the action's non-stop. Jaxon, the B-rank ace is a force to be reckoned with he's taking down opponents left and right." The commentator shouted, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the crowd.
Amidst the chaos, Boros sat calmly at the edge of the ring, his back to the battle, eyes fixed intently on the crowd.As the battle converged with Jaxon and Davis, fighting in perfect sync. They exchanged strategic nods with the other longinius users, seizing an opportunity.
"Look at that – he's turning his back on us! Brooks whispered urgently. "If we combine our strength, we can take him down. You all felt his Nexus earlier. If he stays, none of us stand a chance."
The fighters nodded in unison, launching a coordinated assault on Boros.
"You think turning you back on us is a good idea?" One of them sneered.
"Plant Whip!"
"Terragrim!"
"Crystal Crush!"
They yelled charging towards him.
Boros, still seated, flashed a sinister smile.
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a devastating attack: "Ice Age."
The entire ring was instantly engulfed in battle dust.
The commentator's voice was laced with shock. "What the…..? Did you guys see that?!" the crowd erupted into pandemonium, their cheers and gasps filling the air.
As the battle dust settled, the crowd held it's collective breath for a few stunned seconds. Then, a deafening roar shook the arena, dwarfing the earlier cheers.
The commentator's voice trembled with excitement.
"Unbelievable! The entire ring is frozen….and every competitor is down for the count.....e-except three!"
"Beckett 'Brawler' Brooks, Drew 'Daredevil' Davis and Jaxon 'Jester' Jenkins are still standing and trading blows with the mysterious guy on the frozen ring!"
The crowd's frenzy reached new heights as Jaxon stumbled back, his arm severed at the shoulder.
"What the....? How did that happen, what the hell happened in that cloud of dust!" the commentator trailed off, his words lost in the chaos.
Kinuko's eyes were wide in shock. "Are you seeing this, Akeno?"
Akeno nodded, her gaze fixed on the battle. "Yeah, he's amazing isn't he, and what's wild is that be's not even breaking a sweat. He's toying with them."
Kinuko's brow furrowed. "How can you tell he's not fighting seriously?" Akeno's expression turned thoughtful.
"Look he isn't making any expressions, we've seen him fight before; we know he's holding back. And aside from the initial freeze, he hasn't used his longinius."
Kinuko's voice dropped to a whisper. "You're right…..he's not enjoying this. It's like he's fighting them just because."
Boros and Beckett exchanged devastating blows, their impacts shaking the colosseum's foundations.
Jaxon, meanwhile was out of commission, his severed arm gushing blood.
Jaxon's voice was laced with pain and awe. "You seeing this, Davis?"
Davis nodded, eyes fixed onto Boros. "Yeah, I am. No way this guy's just an A-rank threat."
Jaxon's gaze locked onto his mangled arm. "A-rank? Look at my arm, Davis….. he's way beyond that. He's an S-rank threat at least."
Davis cracked with a fierce grin, "Time for me to join the party."
With a fierce battle cry, he launched himself at Boros.
Davis and Beckett clashed in a flurry of hand-to-hand combat, but despite their valiant efforts, none of their blows landed.
Boros blocked every strike with ease, his movements almost lazy.
Frustrated, Davis launched himself into a desperate kick, but Boros dodged with a fluid motion, snatching Davis's leg mid-air.
With a casual flick, he sent Davis soaring out of the ring, crashing into the colosseum walls with a bone-jarring impact.The commentator's voice boomed through the arena.
"Drew 'Daredevil' Davis, the A-rank adventurer, has been eliminated!" The crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement infectious.
Boros and Beckett faced off, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. The air was electric with tension as they engaged in a blistering hand-to-hand combat, their movements a whirlwind of punches and kicks.
Beckett's voice was laced with desperation, "W-who is this guy? He's not even breaking a sweat...I-I can't hold on anymore. You win, stranger."
Boros's response was mercilessly pummeling Beckett's unconscious body with a relentless barrage of blows.
Beckett crashed to the floor, his chest heaving at Boros's feet.
Boros exhaled loudly, "Finally, I'm done here." He turned to leave the ring, but a fierce cry stopped him.
"Fight me!" a mysterious voice yelled from behind.
Boros's smile was manic as he spun around. "Ooh, I thought it was Beckett, but it's just some random guy."
The mysterious man yelled again, "Fight me!"
Boros strolled towards him, hands in pockets, "No need to yell, I'm right here. You're not even worth my time – you're weak."
Boros's hand hovered over the man's face.
"And that says a lot, because…..I have a thing for killing those weaker than me. I've grown tired of these games."
He turned away, calling out, "Akeno! Kinuko! Let's go. This was a bust – he wasn't here."
Akeno and Kinuko jumped down from the stands, shouting in unison,
"Okay!"
Akeno grinned, "Shiro, you were awesome out there!"
The mysterious man seethed, "You're just going to walk out like that?!"
Boros ignored him, walking away.
The man's anger boiled over."I survived all this, and you won't even give me the respect of acknowledging me? I know I'm weak – I don't need you to tell me."
"My name is Kaito Minamoto, and I swear I'll make you remember it."
"You'll pay for this, bastard."