Hardly a Challenge

Standing side by side, Joseph and Tokko faced the first pair from the opposing guild. One of them—a blond with a sharply angled face and piercing, eagle-like eyes—wore leather armor plated with engraved silver, and carried a long, dazzling sword.

The other had deep hazel-brown hair and a thin, lean build. He wore tight leather armor trimmed with gold and silver accents, with two daggers at his side.

Both clearly held the gear advantage compared to their opponents’ cheap leather and cloth, paired with older, worn weapons, that told the story well enough. The looks on their faces said it all: weak.

That said, there was something distinctly unnatural about them. The swordsman’s hands were spotless, free of the callouses one would expect. The dagger-user stood tall and proud, his stance too rigid for weapons meant for stealth and speed—flashy, yes, but lacking the posture of a true attacker.

Leaning close to Tokko’s ear, Joseph spoke with a mix of confidence and mocking.

“Tokko, that flower petal of a sword user’s yours. Don’t rush and learn his weaknesses first. Then take him out in a single clean strike or series of strikes, don’t give him time to react.”

She nodded silently, already thinking away at how best to attack, though a slight nervousness still remained within her.

She steadied her breathing, eyes shut for a moment before snapping open with focus. Joseph, a second-hand staff in hand, would act as support. He’d already chosen his opponent—the dual-dagger fighter in leather armor, donned with the light catching accents.

“Match—start!”

Tokko advanced cautiously, letting her opponent close the distance, keeping the spear out in front of her. The dagger user, however, was immediately cut out of the fight as a water barrier snapped around him.

The swordsman halted, hesitant with shocked eyes. Taking advantage of that moment Tokko closed the distance with ease, threatening to skewer him if he didn’t refocus. With the clanging of wood and metal, Tokko carefully eyeing her opponent, Joseph walked forward casually.

The dagger user slammed and hacked against the barrier with annoyed desperation, but to no avail. His words muffled but audible as he cursed to high heaven. Looking like he activated some skills, his daggers got cloaked in misty shadows, body glowing, eyes giving off a faint red tinge.

Yet despite that he was stuck, helpless. Joseph, now standing outside the barrier smirked directly to his face and placed his hand on the swirling water. Activating Electrostatic Discharge, static electricity swiftly built up in his palm, using the other hand the barriers top thinned as it dripped water inside.

Before the opponent could make use of the new weak point, the static shot out. It conducted and bounced around the water, zapping drop to drop until it hit the target.

His body seized the instant the charge hit, the daggers slipped from his grip as every muscle in his body locked up. A few sharp spasms later the glow in his eyes flickered out, and he dropped to the floor of the barrier, twitching faintly before going still.

The crowd remained silent, their gaze locked on the fight. Like the rest, Joseph stood back and watched Tokko’s fight after removing his water barrier.

The sword wielder snarled, viciously attacking forward feeling embarrassed and wanting revenge.

He rushed in with slurs and fury. Tokko blocked him out, heart hammering but calm. She dodged, again and again, memorizing the rhythm of his strikes. This was different from monsters. This was a man—angry, quick, but predictable.

Frustrated, he activated his skills. His sword shimmered, ice and fire coating the blade, mirages trailing its edge as his speed spiked.

But Tokko’s spear glowed in answer. The instant his strike neared, her weapon deflected it clean into the ground. In the same motion she thrust forward, piercing his elbow and severing the nerves. His hand went limp as his sword fell away.

She followed with precise jabs—shoulder, knee, foot—crippling his limbs as if she were hunting beasts. He collapsed, body useless, chest exposed. One more strike would finish it. She hesitated, seeing his desperate, teary eyes.

It was only a second, but it was enough. Faster that she could react a silver flash stood between her and the opponent.

“Match over, Fallenshade is the winner.” Looking up her eyes awkwardly met Knight Captain Cedrid’s. Snapping away her gaze she hurried over to Joseph who sat down at the edge of the stage, remaining on for the next match.

The next match began much the same. Joseph trapped a massive axe-wielder inside a water dome, unbothered by the man’s futile struggles.

Having grown used to the immense strength of monsters—and having sharpened his water magic during their journey—he doubted many people would have the power to pierce it quickly.

Tokko faced another sword user, this time with more confidence. She flowed through the fight, spear deflecting, countering, and finally driving in final blow.

The axe user, seeing his teammate removed, surrendered before Joseph touched him.

And so it continued. Opponent after opponent fell, Tokko sharpening with each bout. Joseph alternated between barriers and letting her face two at once, forcing her growth. The other guild fumed at being used as training dummies, but powerless to change it.

By the end, Tokko stood tall, uninjured, her movements crisp and confident. Joseph hadn’t even broken a sweat. Together they cleared the stage, leaving the opposing guild broken and humiliated.

The other guilds had watched with a mix of arrogance and cautiousness, but the public love it and roared with excitement. It wasn’t the flashiest of fights, but who couldn’t get behind an underdog dominating the storyline?

Fallenshade had made its statement, and it would only continue.

Returning to the stands, Osric congratulated Joseph and Tokko, a clear pride etched on his face with Thalia giving a flirtatious wink and thumbs up. After that, the remaining matches ran for another six hours, with the rest of the high-ranking guilds pitted against the remaining low- and mid-ranked guilds.

By the end, fifteen of the original thirty guilds remained.

Of those fifteen, seven were high-ranking (not including Fallenshade), and the rest were mid-ranking. Unlike the previous round—where matches were called one at a time—this time they announced all the matchups.

There were seven matches scheduled; with fifteen guilds, one high-ranked guild received a free pass at ‘random’ draw. By ‘suspicious luck,’ every other high-ranked guild drew a mid-ranked opponent, while Fallenshade drew Radiant Valor—the top mid-ranked guild.

It reeked of rigging. The king—or, more likely, the top guilds—clearly didn’t want any high-ranks knocked out early, since earlier exits meant worse royal rewards.

Normally the third round would feature the seven high-ranks plus Radiant Valor, but Fallenshade’s first-round performance planted doubt. Some started to wonder if an upset was coming, the general audience being the most excited at that prospect.

Healers and servants circulated with potions, and the next round began quickly. As expected, most mid-ranks folded to the high-ranks without much of a fight—fear, deals, or both.

The last match, however—Fallenshade vs. Radiant Valor—had no backroom agreement. It would be a straight fight.

Down on the floor, Joseph looked over Radiant Valor’s twelve and spoke up. “I’m going again… Han, want to join me?”

“…Will I actually be doing anything?” Han laughed.

“No, but you’ll get some stage time.”

Han weighed it, clearly wanting Che and Logan to go, but lacking a good reason to stop Joseph. “Why not. I’ll join. Handle it how you like—I’ll watch and assist if it gets to that point, though I doubt it will.”

Joseph simply nodded in reply and stepped onto the field. It was another two-on-two match, with the winners choosing whether to continue or switch out.