Chapter 251
Chapter 251
The long and exhausting battle had finally ended.
The whole arena was deeply shaken. The Romanov family were grieving. Many people wept, mourning their loss. Others gritted their teeth and clenched their fists, hating Juno, wishing to tell her a piece of their mind but did not dare, because they knew deep inside that Charlie had been fighting in full force even if he stubbornly refused to admit the truth. The hammer used against the unarmed girl was particularly discouraging. Even if they tried to bring Juno to justice, all the other citizens would expectedly take the winner’s side…
Juno’s legs and arms were lead-like. She washed away the fluids left by the dead body from her hands and trudged wearily toward the Stone platform. She really wanted to bathe in the rays of glory and wave to the audience with a joyful smile on her face, but the blow to the ribs did not go unnoticed and required immediate attention…
As soon as Charlie died, the sand he created, covering the arena with a thick layer, quickly disappeared. There was no more of it in Juno’s shoes and hair, underneath her jacket, pants, and even in her underwear. The worst irritation and discomfort had also vanished. She should have killed him long ago just to get rid of this awful feeling.
The signal announcing the winner broke the silence. The name Juno appeared next to the Stones’ coat of arms. The giant golden letters glowed on the screen at the top of the arena, where a real storm raged behind the barrier with lightning tearing the sky apart. There were only 2 participants left on the list of the Stone family. One of them was a certain Kyon, much-rumored but never seen.
Most of the audience stood up and applauded, their cheers of triumph proclaiming Juno’s victory. The number of her fans was increasing exponentially. Her success was something out of the ordinary! Tournament killings were a rare occurrence, even more so the exciting sight of a head blast! From now on, Juno would be remembered in the whole kingdom as a “ruthless angel in the Stone family.”
As soon as the barrier was removed, Bai and Diana rushed to their dear girl and hugged her tightly.
«My baby! I am so happy you’re alive and in one piece! I prayed for you to all the gods I know! I was so afraid he would cripple you or worse! I nearly died of grief! Gods, I’m so happy… I am happy…» – The patriarch burst into tears, stroking his granddaughter’s hair with a trembling hand. At some point, he thought that she was seriously injured…
«You were incredible! I am so proud of you, my daughter!» – Diana’s eyes were also full of tears. Unlike her father, she wasn’t overexcited or anxious but proud and happy. – «Why did you hide your talent from everyone? If only grandfather or I knew about it before…»
«Give me some medicine. A couple of bruises do bother me.» – Juno asked quietly with a faint smile.
When Juno returned to the family platform, her peers gave her a warm welcome.
Ex Stone number one went down on one knee before her, paying his tribute. The young lady defeated the one who had beaten him with a single slap in the face! Stephanie, who had always thought of Juno as an insignificant weakling, was now praising her to high heaven
Shaking his head, Bai tended to Juno’s bloody wounds and scratches that could be seen through her torn clothes… Diana carefully combed her disheveled, matted hair… Boe had brought her some water… They all were treating Juno like a princess. It was a new, pleasant feeling.
When grandpa asked Juno to take off her jacket, she refused, saying that it was embarrassing. Bai suggested she should leave the tournament at once. He would be only happy to pay the fine. However, Juno resolutely shook her head:
«Grandpa, I’ll give up as soon as the next battle starts. We must wait for a couple of minutes.»
«Promise me…» – Bai implored her.
«I promise…» – Juno looked away, feeling guilty.
Meanwhile, the audience wasn’t getting any quieter. Hundreds of thousands of people continued to cheer and applaud with the only exception of the Romanovs, whose patriarch was clutching his head, muttering something inaudibly under his breath.
The patriarchs, who had made the deal with the fat guys, gasped for air, reaching for pills. They had finally understood who the madmen were counting on. Fools! The girl was already exhausted while Kiyan and Timothy Brown were much more powerful than Charlie the wuss! She had no chance. Not a chance…
Kara wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes. She blushed like a silly schoolgirl. The princess loved Juno’s character so much that it made her stomach clench. Juno was a cunning deceiver, a pretender, a manipulator who had no pity for the guys who showed interest in her! She was perfect! To crown it all, Juno had mastered four elements, just like Elsa! What is more, she had broken her elder sister’s record when she defeated the opponent who was eight stages stronger than her!
Seva and Nargise had been keeping their eyes on Juno since the moment they found out that she manipulated four elements, which meant she was a great genius.
Fernand, the imperial envoy, was also interested in the talented but wayward girl. What was the secret of her power? The high key purity? Anyway, her gift belonged to the best school in the empire. If Juno agreed, she could enter Cernos without taking the hard entrance exam that only the chosen ones could pass. For example, Charlie would never have passed it. His cultivation was rather average, by the order standards.
Fernand’s decision to invite Juno to Cernos marked an important step in Kyon’s plan to “get her off his hands.” Charlie turned out to be an ideal opponent who had revealed and demonstrated Juno’s incredible potential. Now she would undoubtedly get a place in the school where only Timothy out of all the participants might ever get a chance to apply.
Meanwhile, the ingenious representative of the Brown family was about to break the long-suffering railing. His eyes were burning with the desire to get this talented girl for himself. She was too for a slave, though. A concubine would be just right!
«Father, summon the Stones. I want to fight with her.» – Timothy demanded firmly.
Patriarch Herman smiled broadly in response. – «Your wish is my command, son!» – Without waiting for the applause to subside, he announced their first summoning.
Like a skydiving falcon, Timothy promptly jumped off the platform. His dense, viscous aura spread through the stands, making everyone shut up at once. It was impossible to ignore him unless he wanted to go unnoticed.
The audience focused on the handsome guy dressed in black and white.
Unlike Charlie, the most powerful young Brown was taciturn and unboastful but too arrogant. He looked down on everyone except those he had to respect. Timothy was known for his cold and cruel disposition towards his fans and even relatives. During mock combats, he deliberately inflicted serious injuries on his opponents and even ruthlessly crippled them for being weak… He didn’t treat them like human beings at all. Once a fan fell in love with him and wanted to get to know him better. She came up with a clever, reckless plan of how to meet him in person… After that, she was doomed to spend her whole life in a wheelchair. Only extraordinary, vibrant, strong personalities could get his attention. Elsa Stone, the great genius, was exactly like that. She was the only girl who had ever touched his proud, cruel heart. When Elsa defeated Timothy in a duel, he was all fired up about winning the genius girl. However, she wouldn’t let him anywhere near her. Then he tried to attract her attention in the most sophisticated ways that were still being talked about throughout the kingdom. In the end, Elsa didn’t return his feelings. One day, she left without saying a word. Since then, there had been rumors that Timothy’s heart was broken and that he had a thing for Juno, Elsa’s younger sister
Juno carefully descended from the platform and went to Timothy. Her body seemed to weigh a ton. She did her best to hide her deplorable state.
{I’ve promised grandpa I’ll give up but…} – She’d hate to witness their collapse. Unlike Elsa, she really cared for her family. She had done everything she could but still…
{«I order you to give up.»} – Suddenly, Kyon’s calm voice sounded in her head.
Juno gasped in surprise: what was he up to? Anyway, she felt that a heavy load was taken off her soul. Now that she had been given the order, there was nothing she could do. There was no point in blaming herself for being powerless.
As soon as the battle began, Juno raised her hand and gave up.
Hundreds of patriarchs, who had made the deal with the fat guys, breathed a sigh of relief and laughed heartily.
Timothy stared down at her with barely concealed disappointment. – «Do I really have to act like a headless fool to make you fight with me?»
Juno snorted in response and left the arena in silence. He was right, though. If she had a reason to hate him…
Timothy returned to the family platform with a thoughtful look on his face. Was she scared of him? She didn’t seem to… She was not the type to avoid strong opponents. It was the other way around, which she had recently proved. Most likely, old Bai had made her give up… He must have made her swear she would. It seemed like the only reasonable explanation.
The Browns’ coat of arms appeared on the top screen of the arena along with the name of their representative… The name “Juno” was crossed off the list.
The Stones sighed sadly. Juno’s victory in defending had gained too few points, so their family was doomed to sink to the 30th something rank. The last ray of hope for their better future was gone. The once great family slid into terminal decline with one final flash.
«One on one. Against the R…» – Herman started summoning the next opponent when Timothy suddenly interrupted him.
«Wait.»
«What’s wrong?»
«Look there.» – He nodded toward the screen. – «There’s one more name on the Stone list, the notorious Kyon. Something tells me that Bai has decided to outwit everyone. The Romanovs were stupid enough to fall for it when they thought that Juno was the last participant. We will be smarter this time.»
Herman smacked himself on the forehead. – «Gods… Timothy, you are a genius! Ha ha ha! It’s so like Bai, the cunning fox! I nearly fell for it too! If we hadn’t figured it out, the Stones would wait for their turn, and then Kyon will… Wait… Something does not add up. If the rumors are true, the jerk could hardly defeat pathetic Tsayan. What the hell is he registered at this tournament?»
Kiyan, who was standing nearby, turned red with anger and shame for his useless younger brother.
«What does it matter?» – Timothy looked indifferently at the 10th strongest Brown. – «Turn him to dust. Prove that the tales about brilliant Kyon are pure nonsense. Kill him.»
«Yes, sir!» – The boy said bravely and, with a respectful bow, briskly jumped off the platform.
«One on one! Against the Stones! Arsen!» – Herman announced loudly.
The Stones looked perplexed. – «What’s going on?»
«They are openly mocking us.» – Diana said glumly.
Bai remained silent.
«Come on, brother! Come out! Show these bastards that you are not easily beaten! The Stones will love you again, and my money bag will be full of cash!» – XiaoBai muttered under his breath, making some nervous gestures with his hands, which looked like appealing to Ga’Ben, the ancient demon of greed.