The Tournament begins!

Weeks came and went. The two knights returned to spar and train with each other after their classes, preparing for the big event. Both of them continued to improve their respective skills. Riki remained suspiciously quiet and obedient. Finally, the day of the tournament arrived.

As Ryuji and Yuki were wandering the halls of the school, heading toward the dining room, they stumbled upon the notice board. On it was a fixture announcing the upcoming tournament. It included the time of the tournament, the names of participants, and who they would face in battle.

Due to Riki's interference in this year's event, not many students registered to fight. There were only eight students who wished to claim the title of 'King.'

The first of these students, who registered the moment the opportunity became available, was Sawano Torafuku, the daughter of the Duchess of the Kingdom of Chiseido and hero of the Demon War, Kimiko Torafuku.

It was determined that she would face Sophia Dion, the daughter of Alexander Dion. The Marquess of the kingdom of Helio, a family that rose to power through its unmatched mercantile strength.

The second of those students was Riki Shibatani, the son of Hinoki Shibatani, Earl of the kingdom of Chiseido and patron of the school, one of the oldest families in the kingdom.

He would be facing Nori Morita, a member of the Morita barony, a lesser nobility that prides itself on its ability to protect others and its unwavering loyalty.

Next up was Yuki Hayami, the son of Reiko Hayami, the king's royal guard and hero of the demon war. Once a minor nobility, now a powerful influence within the kingdom.

He will face Ali Hamza, the son of Hamza Hakim. Viscount of the kingdom of Agabah, a fierce and cunning general who led the charge against the late kingdom of Lindsey.

And finally, Ryuji Sato, a commoner of unknown origin who has recently joined the school. He would be facing Taichi Suzuki, another commoner, and the son of a guard in this city's watch.

The two knights' eyes wandered and examined the fixture on the board. Ryuji can't help but notice Yuki's obvious irritation.

"Only 8 participants… That damned Riki!" Yuki said angrily.

"Getting irritated now won't change anything," said Ryuji. "Let's just focus on the contenders… How familiar are you with them?" he asked curiously.

"Well, you've already met Riki and Sophia. However, Nori is an enigma. He's typically found lingering around Riki and his goons. I've never seen him fight; he tends to just fade into the background. Rumor has it he specializes in water magic, but I've never seen him use it once," Yuki replied.

"Ali is the son of a viscount. I've seen him training before; he specializes in earth magic. Taichi is a commoner, like yourself. He's most skilled with a spear as far as I'm aware. Their levels are far below yours, but make sure to always remain vigilant," he continued.

"My biggest concern is the final participant. Sawano Torafuku, daughter of the hero, and heir to the Tigress Martial Art," he finished.

"Daughter of the second human hero. My father told me quite a bit about her," Ryuji thought to himself.

"Elaborate. Why does she concern you?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Sawano is an old friend of mine. She's in our class, the orange-haired girl who sits in the front. We've sparred countless times, you see…"

Yuki paused momentarily, a hint of disappointment appearing on his face.

"To this day, I've never won once. I'm hoping to change that in this tournament," Yuki replied with a worried look, which shifted as he glared at the board. Ryuji could sense a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Is she that strong? How would you say I'd fare against her?" Ryuji asked.

"I've yet to see your full potential, but should you wish to win, you'll need to use everything within your arsenal," Yuki said cautiously.

"The speed and resilience gained by their style of martial arts is unmatched within this kingdom. I'd argue it's the strongest on the entire continent. To my knowledge, Sawano hasn't even completed her training yet, but she's still a force to be reckoned with," Yuki continued.

"You think very highly of her. I'll take your advice and proceed with caution," Ryuji replied.

"That you should. Now come, let's eat. We need all the nutrition and rest we can get today before the tournament starts," Yuki said, giving one last look at the board before heading to the dining hall.

The two knights ate their meals and went back to their respective rooms; they did not spar or train that day.

The day of the tournament had finally arrived. Excitement and cheers filled the school as classes were dismissed to allow all students to witness the selection of their new king. Food stands were set up by the school for the event, serving all sorts of regional delicacies.

The tournament arena was similar in size to the training grounds, surrounded by a barrier to protect the spectators. Stone walls enclosed the space, with entrances on both the north and south sides.

Above the high walls were stands for students and staff members to watch the event, and in the middle of them, on both sides, was a particular area designated for the headmaster and professors of the school. Far off on the north side of the arena was a large bronze gong, used to indicate the beginning and the end of a battle.

Students and professors gathered, filling the seats in the stadium and anxiously awaiting the start of the event. The stands buzzed with chatter and murmur. Finally, the headmaster arrived, navigating through the crowds until he found his place next to Professor Tomo. He stood in front of his seat and snapped his fingers. Using magic, the sound of fingers echoed across the arena, grabbing the attention of all those attending. Everyone in the stands sat down and held their breath, waiting for their headmaster's speech.

"Beloved students and professors of my school. I, Elian Stewart, Headmaster of The School for Gifted Children, welcome you to the beginning of this year's event!" he said, his soft voice echoing across the arena.

"Today, our contestants shall face one another in battle, testing their mettle against their fellow students. Only those who are wise enough and who put themselves under the hardship of training shall come out victorious, heads held high! Eight students participated in this year's event. While it is unexpected and quite low compared to the norm, I promise you it shall be an event to remember!" he continued excitedly.

"Now let the Battle of the Kings begin!" he finishes with excitement in his voice as the arena is filled with cheers from the students. The headmaster took his seat next to the professor, and Professor Tomo stood up in his place.

"The rules of the tournament are simple!" the professor said as his voice echoed across the arena. "Two participants shall face each other in battle; they may use any style of fighting they wish, whether it's magic, martial arts, or swordsmanship! The fight shall continue until one of the fighters yields or is no longer able to fight!" he finished.

"Now, our first contestants are Ryuji Sato versus Taichi Suzuki!" he exclaimed, "Proceed to your positions!"

From the northern entrance of the arena, the handsome young man walked with confidence towards the arena, his black hair glistening in the sun, wearing his infamous suit, with a serious expression on his face.

From the southern entrance arrives an average man with short black hair, bland and with no particularly interesting features, wearing leather armor and holding a spear in both hands.

Both contestants walked forward towards their respective areas. Ryuji looked ready, while Taichi was nervous, and his hands were shaking. The two fighters met in the middle with a few feet between them.

"Let us have an honorable fight!" Taichi nervously exclaimed, his hands still unstable.

"Agreed," Ryuji replied, his confidence unshaken.

"Are both participants ready?! Then let us begin!" Professor Tomo's voice echoed, followed shortly by the sound of the gong.

Ryuji stood and waited for Taichi to act. Taichi immediately rushed towards Ryuji with his spear, attacking him with a hail of thrusts, all of which missed their targets. As Ryuji kept blocking and dodging his attacks, Taichi switched his tactics. He aimed for his chest and went for a sweeping attack on Ryuji.

Ryuji ducked at the last second, crouching below the spear, and countered his attack with a leg swipe. Knocking Taichi on his back on the floor. Ryuji quickly stood up and followed with a stomp, which Taichi tried to defend using the shaft of his spear. However, the shoddy craftsmanship of the commoner's spear failed him, as the shaft was split in half like a twig by Ryuji's foot, and it continued its descent towards Taichi's chest.

The stomp's impact knocked the wind out of his chest. Thus, knocking him unconscious. And with that, the sound of the gong echoes again, and the sound of Professor Tomo can be heard across the arena, signifying the end of the first battle.

"The winner of the first battle! Ryuji Satio!" Professor Tomo exclaimed.

Taichi Suzuki lost. Ryuji looked up to the stands where the headmaster was sitting. He gave the headmaster a cocky grin, to which the headmaster responded with a chuckle before Ryuji returned to the northern entrance.

Ryuji made his way to the stands to watch the next fight, sitting on the lower parts of the stands to get a better view of the arena as the next contestants started walking into it.

"Next up! Riki Shibatani against Nori Morita! Make your way to the field! May the best fighter win!" Professor Tomo exclaimed.

From the northern side, a red-haired noble made his entrance, clad in red and gold cloth battlemage armor, enhanced magically for protection and better mana conversion. He walked towards the center as his cape fluttered in the wind.

From the southern entrance, a young man with dark blue hair enters the field, his short hair covering his left eye. He appears to be wearing dark brown light leather armor, something meant for scouts rather than warriors.

The gong echoes once again across the arena and then turns back to quietness. Not a single sound or motion was made by either contestant. Suddenly, Nori lifted both his arms up towards the sky. To everyone's shock, he cried out, "I-I give up! I yield!" his cries echoed across the field. "I have no hope of beating the all-mighty Riki Shibatani," he yelled.

Professor Tomo sighed, knowing Riki must've tampered with the battle schedule. Having one of his underlings register, only for him to surrender immediately. A cowardly way to win, but it's not necessarily illegal.

"Very well then…" the Professor's voice echoed. "This round's winner is Riki Shibatani!" he continued as the crowds burst with boos and anger, shouting foul play.

Riki paid them no mind. To him, there was only one target, Ryuji. Riki looked up to the stands to see Ryuji watching.

"You're next," he whispered, looking at Ryuji with murderous intent.

"After that… Shameful display," Professor Tomo said with disappointment and hints of anger in his voice. "May our next contestants please take their places,".

"Yuki Hayami, Ali Hamza, take your positions! And prepare yourself!" the professor said.

Yuki steps up to the arena, dressed in white and dark blue cloaks, similar in style to Riki's armor, rapier stored away at his hip, itching for battle.

Ali arrives as well, a big, handsome, and muscular young man with dark brown hair, quite a bit taller than Yuki, with a light brown skin tone and a saber to his side, clad in heavy armor reminiscent of his home. Both young knights arrive in the center, confidence and anticipation covering their faces.

"Let us have an honorable fight!" said Yuki as he quickly drew his rapier, his golden blonde hair fluttering in the breeze.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" replied Ali, hand firmly on the pommel of his saber, facing his enemy with courage.

"Are both contestants ready?! Begin!" Professor Tomo's voice rippled across the arena.

As the professor's voice finished echoing, icy blue particles started forming in Yuki's hand. And in an instant, an icicle was formed, which he threw in the direction of Ali.

Ali stomped the floor, causing a wide block of earth to emerge and protect him from Yuki's attack, but it also blocked his vision. Of which Yuki quickly took advantage, as he created a path of ice around the earthen wall, and with incredible speed slid across the ice.

Before Ali even knew it, a rapier was planted near his neck. "Yield," Yuki said as he witnessed the sweat drip from Ali's face. But Ali was not keen on surrendering, not just yet.

With a quieter, weaker stomp of his right heel, he created a stalagmite, thin and needle-like, which he used to fend off Yuki's rapier.

Yuki retreated slightly and prepared for an upcoming strike. Ali punched the needle-like pillar, shattering its tip and sending it flying towards Yuki. Yuki quickly deflected the flying stalagmite with his rapier and watched as Ali drew his saber and the earthen walls crumbled to dust.

Yuki specialized in fencing; fighting someone using a curved blade would put him at a disadvantage, even more so when his enemy was much larger and had a longer reach, so Yuki decided to scheme.

He lifted his left arm and waved it in a half-circular motion above his head, as the icy blue particles started to gather. Within mere moments, three swords of ice formed, hovering menacingly slightly above him, two above his shoulders and one above his head, balefully aimed at Ali.

Yuki quickly pushed his left arm forward, commanding the swords to disperse freely. The swords above his shoulders flew to the sides as they aimed to converge on Ali's shoulders, while the sword above his head aimed to stab Ali in the back. Yuki rushed forward at Ali while his swords flew towards him, an assault on all fronts.

Realizing Yuki's scheme, Ali stomped the ground with such force that three massive walls erupted around him, enclosing him from all sides except the side showing his enemy. The three ice swords hit the walls and dissipated on impact.

Ali knew he had the advantage in a frontal assault. So once again, he took another side swipe at Yuki. But he miscalculated his move. His massive weapon slammed into one of the walls he had created, deflecting off the wall with a harsh clang. The vibrations shot up his arm, and Yuki rushed to seize the opportunity to deliver a final blow. Ali tried to launch an unarmed strike with his left hand.

Yuki dodged Ali's strike and responded with a fast upward slash across his enemy's torso with a rotation of pure elegance as he jumped slightly into the air, following it with a final barrage of thrusts toward his chest as he landed. With that, Ali was no more. As he fell backward and lay flat, the three walls he created crumbled and returned to their original form. The crowds blew up with cheers for the fantastic fight they witnessed.

"You fought well," said Yuki, as sweat poured down his face, glistening brightly in the sun.

Yuki looked up to the stands to see Ryuji, sitting and observing the battle closely, almost as if he were studying Yuki's moves. Ryuji noticed Yuki's gaze and responded with a smile and a nod of approval. Yuki smiled back, proud of his victory as he walked toward the entrance.

"Marvelously fought! Both of you!" said the professor.

"Could someone please help Mr. Ali and send him to the infirmary?" he continued as four staff members helped pick up the massive young man.

Yuki went to the stands to watch the next fight and took his seat right next to Ryuji.

"Well done," said Ryuji.

"Haha! Thanks, but I've still got more fight in me!" Yuki replied with a cheeky smile.

"Now that the arena is clear, let us welcome our next fighters," the professor said.

"Sawano Torafuku, Sophia Dion, take your places!" he yelled with excitement as the two beautiful noble ladies arrived at the arena. Sawano Torafuku entered the field, orange, fur-like hair fluttered in the breeze as she walked to the center with a serious expression on her face. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts with no armor visible in sight, extremely fitting for her athletic and unpredictable nature.

On the other hand, Sophia entered, dressed in a lavish, floor-length, yellow ball gown designed entirely to show off rather than fight. Sawano and the crowd looked at her in confusion… What was Sophia attempting to do? Sawano kept her guard up as she watched her opponent carefully.

"A-Are both combatants ready?" Professor Tomo said with hesitation and confusion in his voice.

"Then let the fourth battle begin!" he said as the sound of the gong echoed across the field.

Sawano quickly took a defensive pose, watching her surroundings and preparing for any cheap tricks Sophia might throw her way, her expression still unfazed.

Sophia lifted her right arm towards Sawano, as dark green grape vines burst from the soil floor under her feet and attached themselves to Sawano's arms and legs, stopping her movement. Sawano stood and watched as another vine grabbed her waist, and Sophia turned her back to her and faced the crowds.

"Did everyone see? This is the might of nobility!" she said to the crowd with a cocky grin on her face.

"We are born better! With more talent than all of you! Who needs to wear rags when you can simply defeat your enemies in style?"

As Sophia continued to blabber and mouth off to the crowd, Sawano was breaking free of her restraints.

Finally, the last vine snapped, and she immediately rushed at Sophia, who turned her back on her enemy. By the time Sophia noticed Sawano had broken free, it was too late.

"W-Wait…! I'm not fin…" Sophia's sentence got cut short as Sawano leaped into the air, and Sophia's eyes widened in fear as she saw her opponent above, knowing it was the end.

With a swift knee to the jaw, Sawano sent the well-dressed young girl tumbling several feet backward before crashing onto her back… unconscious.

The crowd went dead silent, unsure of how to react to what they saw. Even the professors were shocked at the utter stupidity they had witnessed. Eventually, the silence was broken by a familiar face, a black-haired, handsome young man snorted as he tried his best to stifle his laugh.

Yuki looked at Ryuji as he struggled to contain himself.

"Shh!" Yuki said, "You'll get us in trouble!" he said nervously.

"I'm- I'm sorry… It's just… T-that's the woman who said she'll p-protect me from all harm in this school," he continued with more failed attempts to stop his laughter, hearing that Yuki joined in, with futile attempts to silence their laughter.

Professor Tomo finally woke up from his haze and stared daggers at the two boys. Ryuji and Yuki, noticing the death gaze, immediately contained themselves and sat upright quietly, their expressions blank, but their bodies still jittering.

"I can't believe what I just witnessed…" Professor Tomo whispered under his breath, only to hear yet more snorts and stifling attempts. This time, coming from very close to him, it was coming from the headmaster.

"P-Please…P-pay me no mind… continue with the tournament… P-professor Tomo," said the headmaster as he tried to snicker quietly.

The professor sighed.

"W-Where is the gong?!" The professor yelled out to his fellow staff member, who was still stuck in a haze. Then the gong once again sounded in the arena, signifying Sawano's flawless victory as she made her way to the entrance.

"A-after that… fight… We shall take a break before we proceed to the semi-finals. Would someone, please, offer a helping hand to Lady Sophia?" the professor exclaimed as two staff members arrived at the scene to help the downed girl.

An hour passed, and students took the opportunity of the break to get some snacks as the tournament grew more intense. After the break, students lined up in the stands once again, and their chattering filled the air once again.

All of a sudden, Professor Tomo's voice can be heard again.

"Everyone! Please be quiet!" he exclaimed as his voice echoed across the arena.

"The Semi-finals are about to begin!" he said as the sounds of the students' chatter faded into silence.

"The first battle of the semi-finals shall be between Ryuji Sato and Riki Shibatani. May the contestants please proceed to the field!" The professor's voice echoed once more.

Riki and Ryuji both arrived at the scene, both walking to the center with their eyes locked on each other, their focus unbroken. For Riki, it's a chance for revenge against the peasant who humiliated him; he proceeded with a plan in mind. However, for Ryuji, it was barely worth mentioning; his expression unfazed.

Eventually, both fighters reached their positions. Eyes still locked, and tension between the two can be felt from beyond the stands.

"Ready to face your death?!" said Riki with his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Ready to be defeated once again?" Ryuji replied calmly.

"Should I go easy on you and not use my hands again?" He said, his tone dripping with mockery.

Veins in Riki's skull became visible again, his rage unfathomable; he wanted nothing but to kill this irritating peasant. He did not care if he got expelled, jailed, or exiled; at the current moment, he only wanted this lowly creature dead.

"Are both contestants ready?!" The professor's voice echoed across the field.

"Then let us begin!" he concluded.