The Moonlight Swordsman



"WHOAAAAAAA!!!!!!!...."

The arena was filled with loud cheers and praise that wrapped around the Zulivan Kingdom Mages like a warm hug. 

The crowd's fervent support reflected the powerful hometown advantage they possessed.

Soren, on the other hand, stood there confused, trying to figure out why things had changed so quickly. 

He had been on the brink of capturing the elusive Lulla Fairy, so close to victory, yet in the blink of an eye, it had slipped through his grasp.

Soren's mind went back to the crucial moment when he almost touched the precious fairy. 

"She used the Arcan Magic Circuit; the magic circle was based on space power, and she switched places with you at a crucial time.

"It seems that was her plan from the start," Seraphine explained.

Soren lifted his gaze, meeting the triumphant woman's eyes as they locked in a momentary exchange. 

There was a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, and her lips were dancing in a playful grin. 

With a confident and daring gesture, she blew him a flying kiss.

"She used tricks to win against me. Next time, she won't even find a way to use tricks again," he replied.

"Oh My, Silvia, you really played well," Shoka said, heading toward the winner.

"Thank you, it was pretty easy to make a fool of someone who is already an idiot," She replied.

"HAHAHAHAA!!!!.....

Inside the Colosseum, laughter and cheers broke out as the winning mages soaked up the praise of the crowd. 

With the resounding energy of the arena all around them, Soren and Seraphine started to climb back toward the balcony. The air was electric with celebration, but for Soren, the mood felt bittersweet.

As they made their way through the jubilant throng, Soren couldn't help but notice that most of the jests and good-natured banter were directed at him.

Seraphine, on the other hand, got a totally different reaction.

She got a lot of praise and respect for her brave and skillful performance, which was met with thunderous applause.

The spectators recognized her remarkable feat of taking down three mages single-handedly, and their cheers resonated with respect and awe.

Upon reaching their kingdom's balcony, Soren withdrew quietly from the jubilant chatter around him. 

Without saying a word, he sat down on his couch, the soft cushions providing him with some solace. 

"Nice work, Seraphine. You nailed it, far better than a choker," Aizel said loudly, clapping for her.

Both Hazel and Daisy sighed.

"Thank you," Seraphine replied in a slow voice, making her way toward Hazel.

Suddenly, Zareena enveloped Seraphine in a warm, heartfelt hug, her eyes brimming with joy. With a bright smile that lit up her face, she said, "Seraphine, you were absolutely splendid out there!"

Seraphine simply nodded toward her.

"Now, we better start planning about the next battle, which will be the important one for today," Elric Crestfall reminded.

"So who is going to take part in the upper-grade battle?" He asked.

"It is your turn, old man; you should go," Yongiri replied.

"I would like to vote for myself," Xavier Valtor said, cracking his neck a little.

"You fought last time too; Let me take part this time," Raigun Redmont replied.

In the middle of the noise, the Sword Emperor sat calmly, like a wise sage, in thought. But his calm face changed when his keen gaze fell on a certain part of the crowd. 

His attention was drawn to an upper-grade mage from the Theodora Kingdom who had just received a blessing from their queen. 

With a sense of purpose, the mage now made their way towards the stage area. 

The dense atmosphere seemed to encircle the Sword Emperor, suffusing the air with an aura of anticipation.

Everyone on the balcony could feel the change in the air as if an unseen force had wrapped itself around them. 

"Well, now we know who is going to take part," Madam Evergreen said.

"Are you that eager to die, my friend?" Yotum mocked with a weird smile.

"Yeah, so I was saying, if you don't brush your teeth, it might look like that, Ginger." Meanwhile, Aizel commented at the same time. 

A few giggles left the mouths of the nobles after hearing that.

Yotum's brows twitched in anger while the Sword Emperor stood. 

"My King," he said.

"Go on, I can't stop you from this. I hope you provide a good show for me," The King said.

"Of course, my king." The Sword Emperor bowed towards the king in respect and then started to head towards the stage.

****

"We are now back once again, everyone. The last battle was quite interesting. 

"We saw a single mage rampage by talking out other mages one by one. 

"But in the end, we saw strategy and tricks that outsmarted a powerful mage, securing a swift victory over him.

"Now we are finally here, the main event for today. I know you all are excited about this one...

"YES!!!!...

"I couldn't hear you properly?" Shoka asked again.

"YES...

"YES...

"YES...

"SO NOWWWWW... HERE WE AREE BACK AGAIN IN THE DEATH BATTLE FOR MORE BLOODDDDDDDDD...

"BLOOD!...

"BLOOD!...

"BLOOD!...

"BLOOD!...

"BLOOD!...

"From the Beast Kingdom side, last stage, Grade VI Mage, representing her Whiskerkin race, welcome with a great round of appluaseeeeee....

"TATIANAAA.....

A striking figure appeared: a whiskerkin woman wearing a short leather outfit that showed off her slim and flexible body. As she walked smoothly toward the stage, her tail swayed in a way that caught everyone's attention.

"From the Zulivan Kingdom side, last stage, Grade VI Mage, welcome with a great round of appluaseeeeee....

"SEVERUS ROSMONDDDD.....

From the Zulivan Kingdom came a man with a strong presence who walked with confidence toward the stage. 

His chiseled body and amazing height of six feet made him a powerful figure that people couldn't help but notice.

His tanned skin seemed to give off an attractive glow, which captivated the hearts of those who gazed upon him.

As he walked, his luscious black hair danced in the breeze, framing a face that held an enigmatic allure. His charismatic smile revealed a set of pearly white teeth, and with casual grace, he ran his hands through his hair, adding to his magnetic charm.

The women in the crowd couldn't help but be drawn to him, mesmerized by his aura of confidence and appeal.

"Now from the Theordora Kingdom side, first stage, Grade VII Mage, welcome with a great round of appluaseeeeee....

"DIMITRY DUNWELLL....."

From the kingdom of Theodora came a man dressed in magnificent red robes who caught everyone's attention with his look.

His fiery orange hair, which was bright and stood out, went well with the rich color of his royal robes.

Towering above the crowd, he stood at an impressive height of around 7 feet, and his well-built physique exuded strength and power as he confidently advanced towards the stage.

"And lastly, from the Felgura Kingdom, first stage, Grade VII Mage, welcome with a great round of appluaseeeeee....

"KISHIN.. THE SWORD EMPERORRRR..."

Amidst the loud cheers and clapping, the Sword Emperor made his way to the stage.

Dressed in long, flowing white robes that matched the color of his hair, every step he took gave off an air of royal grace. 

As he walked, his sharp, perceptive eyes stayed on Dimitry, who smiled at him in a cunning way.

"Now, the bets will be a little different this time... The battle is between the upper-grade mages, normal bets won't cut off...

"You can ask anything from the opponent kingdom to bet, except for the whole kingdom, obviously...

"Let's start with the Queen of Theodora. What would you like to ask?" Shoka asked, floating towards the Theodora Kingdom balcony.

"Same as before, I will ask to have that young mage named Aizel." The Queen replied, smiling towards the Felgura Balcony.

"This fucking bitch is so persistent," Aizel murmured in annoyance.

Shoka this time headed towards the Felgura Kingdom balcony,

"What about you, young King?"

Before the King could reply, Zareena quickly stood up and said, " We want you to increase the number of mages who take part in the ancient trial of Theodora," 

"Okay, kid, I will allow five more mages," The Queen replied.

Meanwhile, on the Zulivan Kingdom balcony...

"Gremola, if we win now, we could have Aizel, and some of our mages could take part in trails. What should I bet, then?" The king asked.

"Winning the battle may be difficult. You shouldn't bet too much for now." She replied.

"Okay,"

Shoka came towards them at the same time and asked, "What about you, my king?"

"We are happy with the current bets, and from our side, we would like to add access to our grand library section from our royal castle for the winner," The King said.

"You heard it everyone... access to the biggest library in Xelgar, where every knowledge for the magic can be found....

Lastly, he went toward the Beast Kingdom side.

"What about you, Elf King?"

"I am also happy with the current bets placed. Our kingdom will add some draconic molten bath for the winner."

"WOAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"You heard that right... draconic molten bath, a specialty and valuable treasure of Dragons that can make your core grow as fast as possible," Shoka explained.

Aizel's ears perked up after hearing the explanation.

I need to remember this thing," He thought.

[Master, do you think it will work your mental core?]

"We can at least try right?"