Rune Magic Versus Dark Magic

While I tried to maintain an equal observation on each of the combatants. I couldn't help but be drawn into the exchanges between Sieg and Dage. Perhaps it was because Sieg was the same type of Caster as me. Perhaps I wanted to gauge the Smilers strength. Whatever the reason I just couldn't look away.

********

As a mid to long distance fighter Sieg first priority was getting some distance between himself and his foe.

An obstacle made easy with the help of his quick employment of Runes that immediately made navigating the battlefield a dangerous endeavor.

"Smart move." Dage rasped. "But I'm just fine at this range too. Lamentations of the Dusk Sky."

Pitch black tears fell from the sky proving Dage's efficiency at long range. 

Dark magic had the longest casting time making it easy to dodge, but it's devastating power was such that no other element could compare. 

The countless tears fell around the agilely dodging Sieg, leaving holes in the ground where each landed as they melted into the arena ground.

"An A.O.E attack originating from the sky? Too bad your chant gives it away. Or I may have not been able to dodge it so easily." Sieg said as his flamboyant coat danced along with him whilst he dodged the tears with the greatest of ease.

 Yet Dage wasn't done just yet. In the midst of his attack, he let a coiled dagger slide down his sleeve and into his hand as he lunged at the blissfully ignorant Runist before him.

His blade sunk deep into Sieg's gut.

Or at least that's what Sieg would have him believe.

In reality he buried his dagger into a thick log that Sieg swapped places with.

"I got that trick from my ninja friends at Azure Ursine. It's called Substitution Jut-" Sieg said with pride before being interrupted by a log being thrown at him.

"Dusk's Curtain Falls." Dage Chanted as a familiar dome of pitch black began to form in the sky.

I never saw the spell in person, but I heard from Robius that the very same spell was used just before Sieg got stabbed last time they fought.

A pit formed in my stomach, as the possibility of history repeating itself settled in my mind.

"You didn't think I'd fall for that again, did you? The only reason you landed it the first time was because I was occupied. Not to mention you took me by surprise." Sieg said with a grin. "You should've watched your step."

Dage looked to the ground as he noticed his foot was directly on a Rune.

"That's a combo rune of Ether Draining and Explosions. The more Ether you use the bigger the boom. How much Ether would you say it takes to cast a spell such as your Dusk thingamabob?"

Evidently a lot as the explosion nearly toppled me from the stands. It was clear who won the fight even if the massive cloud of dust obscured the view.

Even Cion didn't bother to wait for it to settle.

"Sieg Torrikkusatu Is the-" 

Yet the announcer couldn't even finish his sentence before the dust dispersed and Dage stood up as sturdy as ever.

"It's a shame you goody two shoes love to monologue. Otherwise, Dusk's Immortal Hide wouldn't have had time to protect me." He said as he brought the match back to stage one.

"WOWZA who expected that? A brilliant decision my dear audience! What a matchup you've chosen!!!" Cion shouted from the top of his lungs in spite of the microphone making it so we would hear even the quietest of whispers from him.

Jex placed his head in his hand as he seemed to be immersed in deep thought.

"Hmm. Good matches. Unfortunately, I need to to take a dump. Should I risk it? Or should I just go?" He said as though he meant for me to hear his disturbing debate. "Nope, gotta go."

Meanwhile the battle raged on and my dumbfounded expression was short lived.

"I figured I shouldn't hold back on you. Is it true that you were present when the queen was assassinated." Sieg asked mid fight.

"Queen? Afraid I have no Idea what you're talking about." Dage answered with a sinister smile. "Dusk's Endless Barrage of Black Blades."

As the name implied a barrage of black blades flew forth from Dage's hands, each with enough force to split a boulder in two.

Yet Sieg's Rune of The Dawn's Shield held up with no difficulty as it was it's perfect counterpart.

"Light magic. The fastest type, didn't expect there was Rune capable of summoning it." Dage rasped as he gritted his teeth together with enough force to crack them.

"There is a Rune for nearly everything. You are outmatched, it's probably best for you to just give up." Sieg teased as he combed his snow-white hair with his hand wooing most of the female audience and even some dudes.

"Man, I wish my hair would stay down like that. You think he uses gel?" Robius whined to prove my point, as his shoulders drooped.

Dage began emitting a black aura as an uncontrollable laughter erupted from his lips.

"There you go again. I bet you couldn't even hear my chant through your petulant monologue." He growled. "This is The Dusk's Midnight Champion a form which allows me to perform at one-hundred times a mortal's peak in strength, speed, stamina, and Ether."

Sieg looked at the Dage as he grew in size and power finally fitting those ragged clothes. It was an appropriate spell for a Dark Mage, the longer it was active the stronger he got.

Even if he used his trump card of creating runes without drawing them. The monster before him could still speed blitz him. Or simply blow him away with a dark magic spell.

"That is impressive. Why wait till now?" Sieg pondered briefly before Dage practically warped to him and hit him in the gut hard enough to launch him across the arena and slam him against the Crimson Demonite walls. 

And that was after he shattered the Rune of Dawn's Shield which greatly dampened the blow.

"What's wrong!? Can't think with all the noise?" Dage roared in laughter as he punched the demonite walls with a thunderous noise every impact.

Even if Sieg managed to dodge the blows, the noise alone was enough to cause damage.

"How long till you can't dodge? How long till you die?"

"Well, I believe this has gone on long enough." Cion announced nervously. "Lunastray wins!? Dage you can stop now."

It wasn't that Dage couldn't hear Cion. But that he was completely ignoring him.

"Come on you filthy worm! Stop dodging, just die so I can report a job well done to Master-" Dage said halfway before stopping himself.

"Don't keep me waiting. Master... who? I'm a dead man, right? What's it matter If I know?" Sieg asked weakly.

"You got a point. But I just can't risk it, instead I'll tell you something else." Dage said as he crept near Sieg's ear and whispered. "I was right there when she died. Watching her lifeless body hang in the air as Master choked her to death with his bare hands is a thought that follows me everywhere. I remember I could barely hold in my joy, I almost cried I was so happy. After that day the Smilers got so many contracts, we didn't know what to do with ourselves. That day was the best damn day of my life."

Sieg felt Dage's heavy breath accelerate in excitement before blood began dripping from his mouth.

"Now who's the monologuer? This rune is a little special it's an ancient Rune that only I can use. Rune of The Witch Hunter. I needed a lot of your blood to cast it as it must be drawn with the victim's blood. Fortunately, I seem to have an abundance of it on account of stabbing you and all."

Dage's body shriveled up to it's normal state revealing the bloody stiletto Sieg held in his hand, along with the rune written in blood on the ground.

"My access to Ether. It's gone. What have you done!? I'm useless now! They'll kill me!" Dage rasped weakly as he curled into a ball.

"I wouldn't say useless. I know someone who can't control Mana or Ether. And he is quite the badass." Sieg said with a smirk. 

"I stand corrected! The Golden Chariot is victorious in The Battle of Betas between Sieg and Dage. The combatants will now be removed from the arena to recover!!!" Cion proclaimed with Gusto.

Robius wore a face of pride as though he was the one who won the fight.

"It figures he'd win. After all he did fight me and survive." He exclaimed.

"Yeah, only he was holding back big time." Nosora said as his recently braided hair flapped in the gentle breeze.

"Hahaha! Your hair! It's all prewwy again." Aceil taunted in a boisterous laughter.

"How does she even do this?" Nosora asks.

"Talent." Lilac answers.

However, the trial wasn't over yet.

There were still two more matches left.

Benedict versus Nyan which was a battle of stamina considering Benedict wouldn't strike back.

And Okami versus Ibu. The two were engaged in battle for sure yet it was so passive it almost appeared more like a conversation.

Yet no matter how hard I tried I couldn't hear them even with the magic of the arena.

"What are you up to Ibu? And why are you trying so hard to hide it?" I contemplated in deep thought.

"Hey, anyone notice how long Jex been makin mud?" Robius said out of the blue before being smacked in the mouth by Kukiri. "Just saying."

"How tactful Robius. What a gentleman you've become." Kukiri quips sarcastically.

********

Meanwhile Jex caught a case of the sneezes in the middle of a dark alley where the scent of burnt flesh lingered in the air on account of the human shaped ash pile that was before the flame Sage.

"Heh, some hottie must be thinking of me. I'm done here anyways; I should probably return." He said without a care in the world as a breeze scatters the ashes across Drasil. 

As Jex made his way back to the arena he was too focused on the 'girl' that was thinking about him to notice his elven stalker.

"Very interesting Jex. I hope for your sake that he deserved it." Shade commented as he continued to follow Jex from the shadows.