Chapter 306 - The Third Bluff
Titles. Given to Adventurers that made an outstanding feat in a specific field. Derived from the six God titles, down to lower titles.
As generations had passed, more and more titles had been granted. The titles became so many that it lost its glory. But not to the ones granted by the three higher people that ruled the kingdom.
When the king, the Raven Justice and the Holy Crow accept and acknowledge a title, the whole kingdom does the same. Only the God titles are exempted from this rule, and only a handful of acknowledged titles are there.
And one of them happens to be granted to a boy with the said to be fastest speed in the kingdom. He was dubbed the Knight of a Thousand Flowers because the spark his sword creates in a second looked like they were blooming flowers.
"This is gonna be hard for me then," Connor chuckled. "Top Eleven Adventurer, Wesley Dance. You're fast."
"I am," Wesley said with his flamboyant yet full voice. He took one step back with his right foot and raised his rapier in front of him, pointing at Connor with an intense gaze. "You bluffed twice earlier, why?"
"To make way for my teammates to take out everyone," Connor replied rather calmly. The audience watched the two expectantly, waiting for them to fight instead of just talking.
"You could've ended the match twice before," Wesley quirked his brow up. "But you didn't. You held your power back. Why?"
"Ending the fight without giving the audience a good time would be boring, don't you think?" Connor smirked. "And here I am thinking that you don't like talking while fighting–"
A swift breeze of air passed through Connor's side. His eyes shifted to the left, seeing blonde pieces of hair falling through his own. "What in the hell?"
"I'm done with my questions," Wesley said. "Now it's time to fight."
"Alright," Connor chuckled. "Alright! Blazing Inferno!"
Connor conjured flames up to his arms. The flames trailed from his wrist up to his shoulder before it ran down his body, making him a suit made of fire. In his wrist was a large ring that spuns continuously, they spin faster when Connor casts a spell.
"You're gonna run out of mana if you keep that up," Wesley said. "Stop it."
He looked to where Connor was, his eyes widening when he saw that the boy wasn't there anymore. Wesley looked around to try and find Connor. It didn't take long before he felt a hot aura coming from behind him.
"I'm using this to keep up with you," Connor whispered.
Wesley grit his teeth and tried to kick Connor away. With the space between them he created, the long-haired boy ran as far as he could. He looked up again and saw that Connor was gone again.
"How fast can he be?!" Wesley yelled. It was then that he realized that he was getting out of focus. He took a deep breath and figured out where Connor could come out next.
Feeling the heat behind him, Wesley raised his sword and slashed it without hesitation. With a smirk, Wesley spoke, "You can't use that against me again!"
The smirk of hope in his lips fell after seeing that he only hit a bunch of flames. Wesley felt the intense heat on his side, looking at it and seeing Connor with a wide grin, "This is the fastest one in the kingdom?"
"Connor is keeping up with him," Elliot spoke to Aquarius in the balcony. "Is he really the fastest in the kingdom? I could see his movements."
"Anyone can reach Wesley's speed if they try hard enough," Aquarius said. "The title given to him wasn't just because of his speed, but because of his trump card."
"Trump card?" Elliot tilted his head. "And what is that?"
"The ability to add his opponent's speed to him," Aquarius said with a serious expression.
Elliot turned his gaze to the field, his eyes widened after seeing that Connor's flaming cloak was put down. Wesley's scared expression earlier was now replaced with a stoic one, one with droopy eyes.
"Speed Steal," Wesley whispered.
Connor felt his body weaken. It was like a big chunk of energy was taken from him. He looked at Wesley in the face and saw his lips curl up to form a smirk.
"Why you–"
Wesley used the pommel of his sword to blow Connor way, the impact from the blow making the latter roll on the floor a couple of times. While on the ground, Connor laughed. Wesley raised his sword in anticipation, waiting for Connor to do something.
"This is good," Connor said to himself. "This is the challenge I need. Wesley Dance, give me your all!"
Connor extended his arms to the side and regained his flaming coat. With a chuckle, he blasted himself from where he was, throwing his staff to the side and using his sword as his main weapon.
"I had been wondering why a Caster was holding a sword," Wesley said. "So, this is why."
As their blades clashed and created sparks from the impact, Wesley teased Connor even further, "You can use a sword, but can you keep up with a speed of an Assassin?"
Connor only rolled his eyes before he let the flames on his suit travel to his sword. "Infernal Ring of Fire!"
Seeing the attack, Wesley had to step back. He pushed Connor away and leaped behind him, only to see a burst of flames encircling him. The flames erupted like a geyser, trapping him in the heat of the fire. "Flame Prison!"
Connor walked to his spell to feel the aura of Wesley get weaker. When it didn't, Connor raised his sword and waited for the man inside to do something.
Everyone was at the edge of their seats. So far, this was the biggest and most exciting fight of the competition. The fight between Minos and Johnson was also exciting, but Johnson had the upper hand most of the duration of the fight.
But with this one, both the Champions were pretty close in terms of potential. They know how to use their abilities and skills, and they are both executiong them well enough.
"Give up," Connor said. "You might have stolen half my speed, but you still can't escape my affinity."
He heard Wesley grumbling something inside, but the sound coming from the flames were too much for him to hear it. Connor got closer, his ear was near the flame prison.
"I said, you forgot I have an affinity too," Wesley said. "All Go Down."
With a sudden burst of magic, Connor felt his body being pulled to the ground. His flames started to wiggle, also getting pulled down.
"Let me tell you a secret," Wesley walked out of the dying flame prison and kneeled in front of Connor. "I don't steal speed. I lower my opponent's speed with my gravity magic. I just look faster because my enemy would look like they slowed down."
Connor was just leaning down. Wesley waited for him to respond, but when he didn't he leaned closer. "Any last words before I defeat you?"
"Yeah," Connor whispered. "I have a secret too."
"Tell me what it is then," Wesley chuckled. "I'm sure it's just something to do with your bluffs. You're not actually strong. You just use flashy magic to look cool, but no. You're weak. I git hit with your feathers earlier and it didn't even take a pinch of my HP."
"That's not my secret," Connor chuckled. He looked up and stared at Wesley in the eyes, showing his crimson red burning orbs to the boy. "My secret is that I've been holding back since earlier. But since you insist on me showing my actual powers, then let me show you."
Wesley leaped back, he shakily raised his sword in front of him and increased the intensity of his magic. When he saw Connor standing up, he screamed and used the maximum output he could do. "Everything Goes Down! Everything!"
Connor smirked as he saw the panicked Wesley. He walked up to him with the intense aura that felt like it would burn anything it touches. Wesley was shaking his head, stepping a few steps back and trying to pull Connor down with his magic.
"Please don't kill me," Wesley cried. "I-I'll do anything."
"Anything?" Connor continued getting closer. He was intentionally scaring the other boy with a plan that had already been orchastrated in his mind.
"Anything!" Wesley screamed. "Please, don't kill me."
One more step is all what Connor took for Wesley to take four steps back. When he did, he felt his body fall. Wesley had taken the last step out of the stone ring, making the smirking Connor raise his three fingers and mouth, "Three bluffs."
Wesley could only accept his fate, shaking his head as he fell to the ground. Zia yelled her announcement not long after, "We have our winning bracket!"
And the crowd boomed into a deafening cheering that opened the ground up.