The Battles Commence!

The sounds of cheering echoed throughout the colosseum. Results were flying in as many of the round one battles were being concluded. Rina had just finished her battle in quick fashion and was now returning to the waiting room. Kaito and Evona were watching the battles from a screen as they waited for their turn on stage.

“Hey, I’m back, where’d Khrom go?” Rina asked as she reunited with the group.

“Good job on the win,” Kaito congratulated. “Khrom left as his battle was about to start.”

As Rina sat down beside Kaito and Evona, Khrom could be seen walking into the colosseum arena on the magic screen. He looked ready for battle and was equipped with a different shield than what he had from when Evona was on his back.

“Wait a second, that isn’t the same shield he just had before,” Kaito analyzed the situation.

“That was my bed shield,” Evona explained. “He usually only equips that one while I’m resting. In battle, Khrom uses a different shield.”

Kaito and Rina thought it was fairly interesting that Khrom had a shield just for when Evona was resting on his back, but they kept it to themselves. Instead, Kaito continued analyzing Khrom’s gear as the battle had yet to start.

“Now that I think about it, doesn’t Khrom have a sword or something? How is he going to deal good damage to his opponent?” Kaito thought out loud, also worried that he might lose in the first round.

“Khrom is a mixed adventurer,” Rina stated as she began explaining why Khrom would be fine.

A mixed adventurer is when an adventurer picks a class that doesn’t align with their base stats. This is often done to accommodate an adventurer's weaker stats, but it often makes said adventurer’s stats very average. For Khrom, his base power and magic resistance were high, making him suitable for the monk class, but he chose the Paladin class to circumvent his low defense.

As Rina was informing Kaito, the battle between Khrom and his opponent started. He was fighting a skinny woman with skimpy gear and two daggers. She was likely a part of a class that specializes in speed, which seemed correct as she sped towards Khrom.

Rina, continuing her explanation, says, “Technically, Khrom’s offense is more underwhelming than it could’ve been, but with the right weapon, he’ll be fine.”

The woman, continuing her dash towards Khrom, attacked him with an all-out frontal assault. Khrom, looking very comfortable, completely blocked her attack and propelled her backwards, opening up her guard.

While the woman flew back, Khrom seemed to have activated something in his shield, which started to split it in two. After it split apart fully, it took the appearance of two large arm blades. Swiftly acting, not giving the woman a chance to regain her balance, Khrom thrusted one of the arm blades towards the woman, sending her flying and out of the arena.

As the criteria for victory in the tournament were knocking the opponent out of the arena, incapacitating them, or making them forfeit, Khrom won his first-round match.

“Yay,” Evona cheered.

Standing up in shock from Khrom’s weapon, Kaito added, “What!? I need a weapon like that!”

“You’re really not worthy of a weapon like that yet,” Rina humbled Kaito. “You’re still learning how to use your dagger more effectively.”

With Khrom’s fight having been concluded, Kaito’s match was announced to be next. Kaito started to snicker at Rina’s remark.

“Are you sure about that?” Kaito said confidently. “How about I show you what I’m really capable of?”

Kaito, trying to act cool, continued to walk away from Evona and Rina to prepare for his match. Looking confused, Rina watched Kaito leave, wondering what he was planning.

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“Yo,” Khrom greeted as he reunited with Evona and Rina.

“Khrom! You won!” Evona jumped up in glee as she gave Khrom a double high five.

Returning Evona’s energy, Khrom responds, “I did! And Kaito is looking like he’s about to claim his own victory!”

Rina, intrigued by Khrom’s comment, asked to clarify, “What makes you so sure about that?”

Khrom, explaining the situation while not telling the secret Kaito told him to keep, said, “Oh, I met Kaito in the corridor that leads to the arena, and well, so I don’t spoil it for you guys, let’s say he’s ready to put on a show.”

As the three watched the magic screen, the announcer in the arena introduced the fighters. Kaito’s opponent was already introduced and present. It was a large bald man who looked very intimidating. His weapon was visible and was a large metal bola.

The announcer continued to introduce Kaito, but he did not appear after his name was called. Just as everyone started to wonder where Kaito was, a smoke bomb exploded in the arena. After the smoke had settled, Kaito could be seen donning brand-new gear!

His small shoulder pads have been upgraded to gauntlets accompanied by matching greaves. He was now draped in a short hooded cloak, which he was wearing to look mysterious. Adding to his mysterious theme, he wore a thin scarf that he pulled up to look like a face mask. To top it all off, he wielded a new weapon in a bow and arrow.

Evona was impressed by Kaito’s entrance and started clapping happily. Khrom was proud of Kaito for pulling off his entrance. Rina, on the other hand, was completely flabbergasted.

“When did he buy all of that stuff!?” Rina yelled out, wanting to know how long Kaito was holding out on her.

Kaito’s explanation would have to wait as the battle commenced. The bald man, wanting to humble the showing-off Kaito, made the first move, swinging his bola directly at Kaito. Kaito dodged the attack as he started running towards the bald man. As he did so, the bald man yanked the bola back, making the spiked iron ball at the end of the bola return towards Kaito.

Kaito noticed the attack and jumped back and over the ball. The bald man smirked, thinking he had the skittering Kaito in checkmate as he was now stuck in the air. The man proceeded to launch the bola directly at Kaito again, but Kaito was unfazed.

Utilizing Air Step, Kaito jumped up and towards the bald man in mid-air, catching him off guard. Drawing his new bow, he used his Pinpoint skill to shoot an arrow directly at his head as if it were a large target. The arrow landed, putting the bald man in a daze. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Kaito dropped towards the bald man from the air. With his momentum, Kaito drop-kicked the bald man out of the arena, winning him his first round.

The crowd started cheering at Kaito’s flashy display, and Kaito just soaked up all of their cheers. The bald man was carried off as the announcer reminded everyone he would be fine, as a protective barrier is put on all the participants to shield them from life-threatening harm.

Kaito returned to the waiting room, longing to receive praises and compliments from Evona, Khrom, and Rina. Evona started the praises as she jumped on Kaito, landing on his shoulders.

“Kaito! Your outfit is so cool!” Evona complimented Kaito.

“Solid victory,” Khrom continued the praises, presenting his fist for a fist bump.

Kaito, barely managing to keep his balance from Evona jumping on him, fist-bumped Khrom. He then looked towards Rina, as it was her turn to compliment him.

“When’d you get the upgrade?” Rina asked in her usual stoic tone. “A bow fits you.”

Not exactly as much excitement as Kaito hoped, but he’d take this as a victory.

“Heh, I got it before we left Nakamura with the funds I got from the castle dungeon,” Kaito answered Rina’s question.

“Good choice, it’ll add more variance to our fighting style,” Rina commended Kaito as she started brainstorming strategies.

With Rina, Khrom, and Kaito winning their first round, only Evona’s fight with Francis was left to see if they’d all make round two. After a bit of waiting, the match was set to occur as Evona was now face-to-face with Francis.

Kaito was hyped and adamantly cheering on Evona, waiting to see how she would wreck Francis. The announcer gave the signal, and the fight started.

The amped looking Evona initiated the attack, prancing towards Francis on all fours. She started circling towards Francis’s left but swiftly pivoted towards his right before attacking. Even Kaito, watching from a wide angle, couldn’t track Evona’s movement. Francis, on the other hand, wasn’t impressed.

“You dare to get close to me with your dirty paws?” Francis says, looking insulted by Evona’s presence.

Francis then activated a skill, making him create a flurry of slashes, completely encapsulating Evona in the attack. Unable to withstand Francis’s slashes, Evona fell to the ground and was knocked out.

“FRANCIS WINS!!!” the announcer yelled as Francis sheathed his rapier and started to walk off the arena.

Francis wasn’t a pushover. His strength was genuine, and he is one of the favourites to win the whole tournament.