[center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/05/4c/18/054c18ceaa185ba5be5f59b213a75ae2.jpg[/img][hr][h2][color=Lightblue]The Prelude[/color][/h2][hr][hr][/center] 3 days of training in secret, Desmond had access to an arsenal of weapons that he could not even begin to imagine. He wanted to take every single one, he wanted to play with every single new toy given to him, yet this was the armory of Eshiran, so he could only train with them during this time. Desmond had all the weapons the collective knowledge of life and death had, yet he needed to choose what would be his weapons to succeed. From blades and swords with guns mounted in them, to miniature cannons, to guns that seemed as advanced as the ones he was given by the Sirrahi. From simple weapons to weapons made from kites, wires, chains, and even tools known for gardening. Any tool one person could think to fight another, they will do all they can to make it work, so they have it in the armory. Desmond took every weapon he could, played with them all and trained with them more. Every waking hour, every sleeping moment, every single second of his life, was to fight. Now here? He could do it all, constantly without failure, without worry, he could play with anything, and if it would kill him, he would come back. Edyta and Desmond trained like madmen, they fought and used weapons they were not used to. They needed to become proficient enough with other weapons to never show off their true skills. For Desmond, this was his life. He never knew what he would have at any time in a fight. He has dueled countless opponents in the academy, he has been jumped on his walks, he has been forced to fight at night with no light, and being raided by the enemy. He has needed to learn to fight with chairs, bottles, pitchforks, shovels, and hoes. Hiding in plain sight was a weapon, a tool that required one to learn more tools. And it showed here, yet he took to certain weapons with some fondness, out of his own comfort, or more so, out of some familiarity of another using them. After days of fighting, and endless hours of training, with no breaks, no rest, and no sleep. They spent their 3 days filled with only fighting each other like maniacs. Using death itself as a tool to forgo sleeping, resting, and even the need to eat. They trained like maniacs, as right before the day of the tournament, they had finally rested. For a few hours, they walked the city, and had a view of the heaven that for one, they always dreamed of, and for the other, never believed in. [hr][hr] Desmond and Edyta chose different paths, Edyta wished to watch the matches, she wanted to try and watch to see if she could find any weaknesses or specific things she could do to increase her chances of victory. For Desmond, he knew what it meant to rest, as he walked the city. The bazaar was marvelous, filled with countless wonders, as it was more lively than even some of the greatest cities he could think of. Even Ersand’Ernise paled in comparison, it made sense, not only did every soul that could be here in a celebration, but then from 6 other heavens, souls of countless warriors and other heavens came to this occasion. Desmond walked the streets, with nothing on him but his clothes and a smile. He took off into the Bazaar and there, he had nothing, yet it required nothing. Here in this land, you could have anything you want, the people here received food when they wanted, items, trinkets, tools, and even money. All one needs to do is wish it, then it will appear, so Desmond walked the streets, wished for money, and spent it. A simple life really, there was no struggle unless you wished it. There was no worry unless you asked for it. It was a good life, yet, Desmond wasn’t sure of this feeling. As he walked the streets, it felt like something was missing. He couldn’t tell what it was, what it could have been, yet as he saw the countless people moving, completely carefree and excited about the countless events, he felt strange. Desmond stopped and looked up to the sky, it was as blue as one expected, the air was as cool as one wanted, and everything felt perfect. And yet as he stands there, it all felt so hollow. He felt like there was nothing for him to do, he could fight, he could eat, he could do as he pleases, yet there was nothing to do. There is nothing to change, there is no true conflict, this was heaven, and there was nothing to do more. Desmond’s thoughts were broken as he heard a woman with a high-pitched and somewhat cutsey voice call out to him, [color=pink]”Hey! Hey kid!”[/color] Desmond tossed his head as he saw flying above the crowd of people a small woman with red hair, small white wings, and a small leather book and quill as he flew over towards Desmond. Desmond tilted his head as he said, [color=gold]”Delli ansim?”[/color] The woman neared and almost flew back in confusion as she said, [color=pink]”What?!”[/color] Desmond sat there for a moment as he looked to the woman who seemed confused with his response. The woman waited a moment longer before she began to laugh, [color=pink]”Yes! Delli ansim you are!”[/color] Desmond waited a moment, he realized that maybe that was some descriptor instead of some term that Numi used. She did laugh as well when he called himself that as well. Maybe it was something that was calling someone dumb, since when he heard Numi say that he was falling from the sky. Desmond tilted his head, [color=gold]“Hmm? Does that mean nothing?”[/color] The woman waved her hand as she finished laughing, [color=pink]”Ah, no, sorry, yeah it is just a name of endearment. I didn’t expect you to say something like that though! That’s probably why you got that aura!”[/color] Desmond looked to the woman, she was floating and flapping her wings with a big smile. Desmond began to have a smile grow on his face as he said, [color=gold]”What kind of aura do you mean?”[/color] [color=pink]”You have the aura of a winner! A real champion’s presence and face. Trust me! The odds are in the favor!”[/color], the small angel like woman spoke in a great cheerful voice filled with an incredible amount of pride in her words. Desmond nodded and smiled as he said, [color=gold]”Yeah? Well how many winners have you picked out?”[/color] The woman’s smile slightly wavered and shifted as she said, [color=pink]”Ah…well…I’ve seen 1 get close. Well 2. But those were unlucky breaks! But you! You have something different. Something greater!”[/color] Desmond nodded his head, his smile began to shift to a curious smirk with a cocked eyebrow, [color=gold]”How long have you been making odds and betting?”[/color] The woman’s face slightly shifted more now, [color=pink]”Ah…well…maybe 3000 years?”[/color] Desmond nodded his head as he said, [color=gold]”I see…”[/color] Desmond began to walk away as the Odd’s maker began to follow Desmond, [color=pink]”Hey! Wait up pal! Wait! I’m serious!”[/color] Desmond shook his head as he chuckled, [color=gold]”Well, if you wanna bet, you can. I guess you can follow me since I got nothing else to do. But what’s ya name?”[/color] The woman was taken aback for a moment but then a smile came on her face as she flew up next to Desmond and said, [color=pink]”Ah! Maryzel!”[/color] Desmond nodded his head, [color=gold]”Good to meet you, name’s Desmond. Desmond Catulus”[/color]. Desmond and Maryzel began to walk around. She constantly talked and asked him about his plans in the fights. Desmond kept her in the dark, always making jokes about the different fighters. Desmond made slight innuendos, gestures, and other things as they walked the streets and watched fighters as they passed by. [color=pink]”Why aren’t you watching the trainers more? Don’t you want intel on your competition?”[/color] Maryzel asked as she flew around Desmond looking out around him and watching other competitors, seeming to constantly write down things she sees them use. [color=gold]”Why should I? It will do me no good”[/color], Desmond answered matter of factly. [color=pink]”Well seeing others will allow you to know what you need to look out for!”[/color] Maryzel squealed out as she sees more fights happening, many of which could be great for information gathering. Desmond chuckles as he says, [color=gold]”Let me ask you. Statistically, how much will that actually help me?”[/color] Maryzel takes a moment before saying, [color=pink]”If you watch every fight, 100% chance of winning!”[/color] Desmond chuckles once more as he shakes his head, [color=gold]”No. Me watching the fights will give me some insight, however, it will also make me too focused on the possibilities. Think about it, how many fights do I need to win to face the Elites?”[/color] Maryzel thinks for a moment, [color=pink]”You’ll need to win 8”[/color]. Desmond then lightly rolled his hand, [color=gold]”Out of how many fighters?”[/color] [color=pink]”256 competitors”[/color], Maryzel said as she seemed slightly confused but still following. [color=gold]”So out of those 256 competitors, I will need to face 8 of them. Meaning I have somewhere near a 4 percent chance of watching the right people I need to. Within the 4 percent chance, I need to hope that I find something that I can use within the time I watched”[/color]. Desmond said as he lightly chuckled. Maryzel looked to him as she listened further. Desmond gestured out towards the rest of the city, [color=gold]”Let’s say I spend that time relaxing and letting my mind wander. How much do you think that will increase my odds of winning?”[/color] Maryzel answered hesitantly, [color=pink]”Uhm…I don’t know…zero?”[/color] Desmond laughed, [color=gold]”Hahaha, true statistically it is hard to say, but it is also hard to say otherwise. What if that rest is the difference between winning and losing?”[/color] Maryzel then points out, [color=pink]”What if the watching is the difference between winning and losing?”[/color] Desmond lightly flicked his hand towards Maryzel, [color=gold]”Well, let’s say if that’s true. With the 4 percent chance of it helping to watch the fights and the near 0 percent chance of not watching, I’d say that there is a low chance anything I do extra now will change much of anything. So why not enjoy the time as I see fit? After all, if you focus too hard, you miss the little things. Besides, aren’t we in heaven? Why be so worried?”[/color] Maryzel nodded her head as she now followed Desmond, still curious of what he meant. In 4 hours, he will have to fight constantly. He had to be prepared to face some of the greatest challenges the gods could ever give. And all Desmond wants to do is buy small trinkets, and walk around the city. Yet as she watched him walk, how he relaxed, it looked as if she was seeing a man walk slowly through time. As the city moved at a fast pace, constantly swirling around him, Desmond walked through it all without a care. It seemed like the city moved around him, as it moved one way, he moved against it. A single man walked with such a carefree attitude in the city, it seemed as if he was in his own world frozen in time. [color=pink][i]This was it-[/i][/color], Maryzel thought, [color=pink][i]This is my dark horse.[/i][/color] [hr] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9c/c6/f5/9cc6f54576e637315bc7adcc4f67f3ca.jpg[/img][hr][h2][color=Gray]The Climb to the Top[/color][/h2][hr][hr][/center] 4 hours, of relaxing and taking in the sights of the world, using his time to not even worry. Yet as a bell rang it walled all to the colosseum, and a voice then rang out through everyone’s mind. [center][h3][color=silver]”ONE AND ALL! THE TOURNAMENT OF HEROES BEGINS!”[/color][/h3][/center] Maryzel turned to Desmond, nervous but excited, [color=pink]”Okay! Looks like it’s showtime! Let’s head over to see who your first opponent is!”[/color] Desmond nodded his head as the two left to enter the colosseum. When they entered, Desmond was guided down to the underground area to await his time. For many arenas like this, the gladiatorial arena was quite glamorous, yet the underground area for the fighters would often be quite lackluster. Yet within heaven, something like that would do no justice to what would be the hall of heroes. The halls of the area were made of gorgeous white granite, the floor was made of a soft wood that felt quite nice under the feet. The area had a sense of elegance to it, and many within it were relaxing in ways they saw fit. Some enjoyed quiet moments, others enjoyed food and beverages, while some even enjoyed the company of others, without the care of anyone else. Desmond just walked, caring for none others, as he was guided to a small room that would be his area he will return to after each fight. Desmond looked around the room, it had a bed, a chair, a chest, and a wardrobe. He sighed as he walked to the bed and threw himself onto the bed. He laid there for a moment as he looked at the chest, he swung his legs around as he stood up and opened the chest, within was just a small note, ‘This chest will be your arsenal’. Desmond closed the chest and thought of a dagger, as the moment he opened the chest up again, within was a dagger of the exact shape and size he thought of. He smiled, as again he closed the chest, and thought of a weapon. As he opened it, what appeared was a large shovel. Desmond began to chuckle to himself as he took the shovel and began to swing it. It was heavy, weighted in certain ways that were not quite right. He put the shovel back in and began to think of it again, this time modifying it to better suit his needs when wielded. He did this over and over again, changing the shape of the shovel, the weight, the size, and even what materials he would use. Making it a weapon all its own. Desmond did this over and over again, making a new weapon and redesigning it, over and over, to make the perfect version for himself. Then he placed it next to the wall before he summoned another weapon. Repeating as he waited for nearly an hour before he was summoned for his first fight. Maryzel came knocking and opened as she said, [color=pink]”Hey kid, your match is going to begin-”[/color] Maryzel was stopped in her tracks as she saw the countless weapons flooding the room. As in the center was Desmond as he turned and said, [color=gold]”Oh, hey! Alright, how about you pick what I’ll use hu?”[/color] Maryzel looked amongst them all as she saw something that caught her eye, [color=pink]”A…shovel?”[/color] [color=gold]”Alright, shovel it is”[/color], Desmond said with a confident smile as he grabbed it and walked out. Maryzel followed flustered, [color=pink]”Wait wait wait! I didn’t mean for you to use a shovel I was curious why you had one!”[/color]. Maryzel tried to pull on Desmond to make him return to his room and grab a different weapon, yet he walked on. He even began to laugh as he said, [color=gold]”Too late, we’re gonna be late if we don’t hurry”[/color]. Maryzel followed, yelling and with worry as they neared the entrance to the colosseum. There stood countless armored warriors, fighting with blades and weapons larger than themselves. Each preparing for the fight of their life as they are prepared to prove their existence. [center][h3][color=silver]”ON ONE SIDE IS THE GIANT OF HOGH MUNKHELAD!”[/color][/h3][/center] The colosseum shook and rattled with the excitement of multiple different heavens worth of warriors roaring with anticipation. [center][h3][color=silver]”THE BEAST OF THE KILLING FIELDS!”[/color][/h3][/center] Maryzel came flying over to Desmond as she tried to plead with him one more time, even over the roars and applause of the countless souls, [color=pink]”Come on, we can get you a different-”[/color]. [center][h3][color=silver]”YORM KALLIGAR!”[/color][/h3][/center] Maryzel then saw the smile on Desmond’s face. This was not the face of some idiot, some fool who never saw combat. It almost made Maryzel shutter, as the face Desmond made seemed almost inhuman. [center][h3][color=silver]”ON THE OTHER SIDE IS THE BLACK WOLF!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond’s hand gripped his weapon with such vigor that Maryzel could swear she heard the handle had cracked. His eyes were transfixed and that was like a predators. [center][h3][color=silver]”THE DARK HORSE!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond wore a smile more wicked than any other. It reached from ear to ear as the moment the gated doors lifted open, an intense pressure washed over the both of them as Maryzel shrunk back in fear. While Desmond walked forward into the ring, against the overwhelming pressure. [center][h3][color=silver]”DESMOND!!!!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond walked into the overwhelming and exhilarating scene of the world’s greatest combat arena. He could feel the energy flow into him as his smile grew, and his eyes landed upon a man who stood somewhere near 5 foot 2, giant for a Hegelan. His eyes were erupting in fire as the man roared with such power it shook the ground. Desmond could tell this man was monstrous in terms of power. And Desmond smiled even bigger. As the two combatants took up their weapons, they faced off, prepared to prove their existence. As the man roared in fury. Desmond smiled so greatly, that when a shadow was cast over the arena, his face looked like that of a demons. A Devil, smiling. Ready to prove who was the monster. [From here you do not need to read any of the hiders. However they will provide context to certain things as they are some of the fights and interactions Desmond had during his tournament to face the Elite 6] [Hider=Beginnings] [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/hii5C3U-jvc[/youtube][/center] The two men fought within the colosseum like they had nothing left to live for. The energy swirling through the area was something akin to a storm billowing. With Yorm’s overwhelming power in the gift, he paired it with a weapon that would fit his grandeur, a maul. The size of his weapon was similar to that of a fully grown Yasoi man. He wielded it with such deftness and ability that one would forget that it weighed anything. Yet for all of its power, and all of the skill of the user, it never touched Desmond. Desmond danced within the arena like he had no worries. Slight steps and shifts as he dodged large swinging attacks that would turn a man into dust. Hops and dips as he moved out of the way of cones of condensed energy and pressure sent out by Yorm to turn him into dust. Desmond moved fluidly through the fight, as he showed first, his skill in movement. Desmond never allowed the man to ever find a moment to plant his feet, Desmond always made sure to leap, fly, and dip away. Always uses the most minimal amount of magic possible to hide his use in the first place. Then, Desmond showed his skills in combat with a shovel. Desmond chopped and cut with the shovel in a similar fashion like that of an axe, yet as he moved around Yorm, he changed how he fought with the weapon. The shaft was used like a polearm, the shovel head was sharpened and flattened to create a long thin edge and a solid thick point. He sliced into the man’s chest, arms, shoulders, and legs. Desmond ripped the man apart slowly, thick cuts and holes were punched into the man as Desmond stood in the center of a destroyed arena. The silence in the entire colosseum was deafening, not a peep or sigh was heard. It was the yelling of 3 women who started the roar. Desmond turned to see it was Erika in the stands while from one entrance of the arena was Laska and at the other was Maryzel. Desmond began to wave toward the crowd as he lightly bowed and left for his room once more. As Desmond left for his room Maryzel followed him as she began to sing his praise, [color=pink]”Wow that was amazing! When were you gonna tell me you were a professional Grave digger?!”[/color] Desmond laughed as he said, [color=gold]”Why would I tell people what I’m good at?”[/color] They walked quietly as people watched him walk, much of their preconceived notions of him was broken, yet they needed to figure out what was his next move. As Desmond entered his room, much of the weapons were now set into a large weapon rack rather than spread out and across the room. Desmond nodded his head as he looked around, [color=gold]”Nice, seems like things will get interesting in here”[/color]. Desmond threw himself onto his bed as he laid back, Maryzel looked to Desmond as she tilted her head, [color=pink]”Well what are you gonna do now? Won’t you be watching the other competitors?”[/color] Desmond shook his head, [color=gold]”Nah, the only person I care to watch is Edyta Laska”[/color]. Maryzel looked strangely for a moment as she began to look at some of the other notes she had from odds sheets she had seen from other odd makers. Edyta had very solid chances, she has had multiple sheets that put her as a near favorite in her bracket and even in the entire tournament. She looked to Desmond as she said, [color=pink]”Yeah, makes sense, she is a favorite to win”[/color]. Desmond nodded his head, [color=gold]”Yep, so wake me up when it is her next match. I wanna sleep till then”[/color]. Desmond awoke for Edyta’s match, he had spent no more than an extra minute in bed, however, the little bit of time was all that was needed. The moment Desmond made it to the gate of the arena, he saw she was already standing over her opponent. Victorious in combat with such a quick speed that she didn’t even break a sweat. Desmond clapped and whistled for her as he waved to her before she left for the other gate. Desmond made his way back to his room as Maryzel flew next to him, [color=pink]”Okay, you will be up soon, your odds have been submitted and you have a very low chance in this next round”[/color]. Desmond turned to Maryzel with a cocked eyebrow, [color=gold]”Oh? What makes you say that?”[/color] Maryzel flips through her sheet as she begins to talk about his next opponent, [color=pink]”She is a very well-known Ogauraq warrior who fights with very powerful and potent ice magic. Her skills are nearly impossible to predict as she can lay countless traps across the ring as any water will be a place for her to use her magic”[/color]. Desmond nodded his head as he said, [color=gold]”I see I guess I should be-wait an Ogre what?”[/color] Maryzel tilted her head as she said, [color=pink]”An Ogauraq”[/color]. She flew in front of Desmond and pointed off to a large man. He stood at well over 10 feet tall and looked to have been quite literally built from stone with how much muscle he had. His hair was thick as it covered his head and face, with the hair on his face nearly coving it entirely. The man looked to Desmond and snarled. Desmond’s head shirked back as he said, [color=gold]”Hopfully she is nicer than him. He looked like he is a little too hungry”[/color]. Mryzel shook her head as they began to head back to Desmond’s room. Desmond asked as he began to look through his weapons, [color=gold]”Alright, how long until my fight?”[/color] Maryzel looked at her sheet, [color=pink]”10 minutes, why?”[/color] Desmond chuckled as he said, [color=gold]”Think of a number. Go”[/color]. Maryzel tilted her head as she said, [color=pink]”What?”[/color] Desmond then said again, [color=gold]”Number now”[/color]. In that moment of hesitation, Desmond then yelled once more now, [color=gold]”Hurry!”[/color] Maryzel flew back as she said, [color=pink]”Oh! Uh! 8!”[/color] Desmond nodded his head as he said, [color=gold]”Alright, you seemed to have some good taste”[/color]. As he pulled out a large staff with a long think metal spike, Maryzel sigh in relief as she picked something that looked like a weapon. Yet with a quick flick, she saw that the weapo was not what she expected. It was a pitchfork. Maryzel cried out, [color=pink]”No! You can’t be serious!”[/color] Desmond laughed as he took up the pitchfork, [color=gold]”Completely serious. It wouldn’t be in here if I didn’t have some confidence”[/color]. Maryzel sighed she looked at the pitchfork. She tried to look at it closely. Maybe it had some tool or piece that made it special. Yet she could not see anything. Maybe it was because for herself she had little way with the gift, yet all she could do was hope as Desmond lightly swung the weapon for a moment. Maryzel hoped that some contraption would come out, some strange device that would make it very strong or even be able to kill with ease. Yet as he swung it, she realized it was a simple pitchfork. Maryzel shrunk, [color=pink][i]he’s toast[/i][/color].[/hider] [hider=In The Mountains] Desmond stepped to the gates of the arena as he began to hear the announcer for the arena scream out the next match. [center][h3][color=silver]”WELCOME TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE BRACKETS!”[/color][/h3][/center] The yells of the audience were incomprehensibly loud. The stone shook, and from the wood floors, the bits of dirt that built up in the floorboards billowed up and dispersed across the floor once more. Desmond could feel his eyes shaking as his vision blurred from the tremendous yelling and cries. [center][h3][color=silver]”OF OUR COMPETATORS, ON ONE SIDE, THE SILVER GALE OF THE MOUNTAIN!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”NAJA!”[/color][/h3][/center] A cool wind began to fill the arena as it picked up and nearly blew people out of their seats. They cheered and shouted at the show of power. [center][h3][color=silver]”ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE WOLF WHO BEARS HIS TEETH TO THE HEAVENS!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”DESMOND!!”[/color][/h3][/center] The gates launched open as Desmond walked out to the center of the arena. There he saw his opponent, a woman who towered nearly 9 feet tall. She had pale white skin similar to snow, and her silvery hair fell down her shoulders and continued far past. Nearly reaching past her knees even while braided and bound. She held a staff in one hand, a bow slung over her shoulder, and she held a large water skin. Her gaze was harsh and cold as Desmond winked at her, [color=gold]”Hey darling. Don't suppose you could go easy on me?”[/color] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d4/1f/06/d41f060b48f67b9b39c493e1046b3ff2.jpg[/img][/center] Her head tilted for a moment as she spoke in a somewhat deeper and slow voice, [color=lightblue]”I can't. Stand. Weak men”[/color]. Desmond chuckled as he winked at Naja, [color=gold]”Oh don't worry about that. I'll can make sure you can't stand”[/color]. Naja raised an eyebrow as she leaned on her staff looking at Desmond's pitchfork, [color=lightblue]”Oh? Farmer can. Handle. Me?”[/color] Desmond flared his weapon as he said, [color=gold]”Oh baby. It is not about the tool, but how you use it. And I can tell you haven't had a good working in some time”[/color]. Naja smirked slightly as she brought her weapon up as the two faced off. Waiting for the first person to move. [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/zG6nWUYeLfM?list=LL[/youtube][/center] Naja was the first to move as the cold wind she first billowed out began to increase in fury. The ice began to build and Desmond's skin as his began to turn blue slowly. A sigh left his mouth as he began to take in the energy of the wind. Filling himself with energy he began to create a heat layer between his skin and the cold wind and began to induce multiple chemical processes to allow himself to fight against the wind chill. The moment Desmond stepped forward, he spun his pitchfork in his hand, and then he saw the first trap, under his feet was glass. More aptly, the entire floor of the arena began to be covered in a glass-like layer of ice. Desmond saw the moment he moved the light in the reflection slightly changed. He used kinetic and magnetic magic under his feet to slide even more freely on the slippery surface. The moment Desmond used this magic, he slid to the side and barely slipped out of the way of a beam of light that shot out of the ice. An audible yell of excitement filled the arena as the fighting began in earnest. Desmond slid across the area with such grace it looked as if he was not just sliding, it was as if he was floating. His smile never faded as he asked while sliding, [color=gold]”What made you do magic with ice and water?”[/color] Naja did not answer him, she unfroze the water under his feet to try and trip him and refroze it into multiple large ice spike to be sent up into him. Yet as he floated over the ice spikes, his magic seemed to launch him up with the ice rather than let him be touched by it. Sending him into the sky as he carried the momentum and had him now eye to eye with Naja. [color=gold]”Now this is more like it”[/color], Desmond spoke with his smile as he chuckled and laughed. Desmond then launched himself forward as he took his pitchfork and aimed to skewer Naja. Yet before he could make contact, Naja slipped to the side and began to slide across the ice with a scraping and cutting sound. Desmond saw as Naja slid she left a thin line of ice chips that would be picked up and launched at him. He twisted and moved as the moment he touched the ground again he continued his own slide. The two circled the arena following each other as they tried to find a moment to strike. Desmond ski’d with a smile, he had no care of the world as he moved around the arena, while Naja’s eyes aimed for Desmond. Desmond chuckled as he turned to Naja, [color=gold]”You ever ski’d with Threshers? It’s a real treat”[/color]. Naja began to speed up as she aimed to stick close to Desmond, as the moment she neared, she swung her hand, sending out multiple ice needles. Yet as they were launched, Desmond stopped suddenly. Leaving Naja confused as the ice needles that were meant to pepper him all missed. [color=gold]”Oops, sorry lovely, but how about we stop with this little chase hm?”[/color] Desmond turned as he launched himself at Naja, he knew she was going to have an advantage in a prolonged fight. She had an area set up to fight with, her magics seemed only to grow stronger as she somehow created more ice. Desmond’s solution was to force the fight into melee. He dashed at Naja as the moment before he neared, the ice under him and near Naja was turned into water. As the moment before he allowed Naja to take control of it, he used chemical and magnetic energy to hydrolyze the water, turning it into what seemed to be a cloud of steam, which was actually hydrogen. Naja’s eyes widened as she realized that the ‘steam’ Desmond created was not able to be turned back into water as she took up her staff and swung it at Desmond. The melee began. As Naja swung at Desmond, he dipped low and away from the swing. Even if it was not perfectly accurate, with her size and the staff’s massive size, it felt as if he was dodging a log rather than someone trying to hit him. Yet her height was something that was also a disadvantage here with a weapon. As Desmond dipped, Naja’s staff scraped against the ground past Desmond, showing Desmond where her effective range was. Desmond stepped closer as before he struck for the kill, he needed to find out her toughness. [color=gold]”Sorry about this, but we can do this again later”[/color]. The moment Desmond stepped in and stabbed at Naja, he felt a change in the air as the moment before the pitchfork touched Naja’s skin, Desmond launched himself back. The Naja exploded in steam, as the arena exploded in excitement. Desmond slid away as he continued to slide back through magic, as he watched Naja appeared completely fine. He realized then that she was manipulating temperature, not just ice and water. A smile was on Naja’s face, [color=lightblue]”Scared. Farmer?”[/color] Desmond smiled back, [color=gold]”Not even close. Honestly, it just makes you hotter”[/color]. Desmond then stood up fully and snapped his fingers. As he chemically bound multiple chemicals with the now large amount of free-floating hydrogen he created to then ignite it and create an explosion around Naja. The explosion was strong enough to be felt from even where Desmond was, yet he could feel the draw of energy that told him Naja defended herself. As the smoke cleared, the roar of the crowd only grew as Naja said, [color=lightblue]”Seems. Farmer is. Interesting”[/color]. Desmond laughed as they continued their fight. Since Desmond had already shown his hand, he decided to use it more liberally. As Desmond moved across the ice, he would constantly melt the ice, hydrolyze it, and turned it into hydrogen. Desmond had a thought, why hadn’t the rest of the crowd been affected by the cold, or more so, what stopped the entire arena from being turned into dust by a very powerful mage? Desmond took a bet, as he continued to form more and more hydrogen while defending himself from the cold and Naja. A constant stream of ice attacks and light beams launched out constantly at Desmond. He danced around the field as he dodged and shifted around the constant stream of attacks as he even began to launch attacks of his own. As often he tried to get into melee countless times, yet Naja never let him close enough for him to try and strike with his pitchfork. As she even began to taunt Desmond, [color=lightblue]”What wrong? Farmer. Why run? You’re boring. Me. That what. Farmer. Want?”[/color] Desmond laughed as he said, [color=gold]”Of course I don’t want to. I never liked the idea of leaving a woman unsatisfied. But you’re a tough one. So I had to work you up for this”[/color]. It was in that moment Naja began to feel dizzy. The air was light as Naja immediately began to try and fight off a chemical attack, yet that wasn’t it. As she tried to take a breath in, she realized her lungs felt like they were burning. She lowered her head as she quickly realized that he was doing something to the air. Desmond slid around as he then continued to taunt now, [color=gold]”Looks like it was working. Took a lot, but now even your knees are beginning to shake”[/color]. Naja looked to him as she lifted her hand as she began to form a light in her hand, as she was going to shoot Desmond with multiple high-speed light lances, yet before she could, she noticed Desmond’s smile grew. A shadow was casted over he face as she realized, she did the wrong action. The moment the light heated the air up enough, she saw near her hand, the light grew brighter as fire began to spread across her vision. Then the entire arena was consumed in a ball of fire. Desmond figured it out, the entire arena was sealed off in a different space, meaning that no interference from the outside could be done. And no one can use magic from within to affect the outside and the colosseum in general. This meant that the hydrogen Desmond was forming was trapped within and the moment Naja lit the hydrogen, it engulfed the entire arena. The moment the fireball that consumed the arena dissipated, both Desmond and Naja were on the floor. The arena was silent as they waited with bated breath for either of them to stand or for the announcer to speak. Desmond was the first to rise as he looked wet yet other than that he was not even touched by the fire. He began to walk towards Naja who seemed to be covered in burns and seemed barely there. As Desmond was now standing over her, he said simply, [color=gold]”Here, let me finish you off”[/color]. Desmond took up his pitchfork and quickly stabbed her in the throat, aiming to sever her spine. Killing her nearly instantly. In that moment. That dead silent moment. Desmond lifted his hand, and bowed. As the crowd erupted into a roar of excitement. Applauding the scene as they witnessed another upsetting victory as not only did he win 1 fight, but 2 fights. Using magic or other tricks to win the impossible odds. The moment he rose, Desmond turned and began to head back to his room. He saw Naja’s body was no longer there as he turned to head back through his gate. Maryzel was there clapping and crying out, [color=pink]”YOU DID IT!!!!”[/color] Desmond nodded his head, even with the yelling in his ears, [color=gold]”Told you I’d win”[/color]. Maryzel nodded her head as she then saw blood come from his ears, [color=pink]”WAIT. ARE YOU OKAY?!”[/color] Desmond then shirked back, seeming the yelling of Maryzel now got to him, [color=gold]”OW! Stop yelling so loud, I just got my hearing back”[/color]. Maryzel covered her mouth for a moment as she said, [color=pink]”Sorry, I just saw the blood and had to make sure”[/color]. Within that same moment, the blood disappeared as Desmond spoke, [color=gold]”Yeah, the explosion blew out my ears, thankfully it seems once I was out of the arena I was healed. Pretty neat”[/color]. The moment they made it to his room, Desmond said, [color=gold]”Tell me when Edyta’s fight is on next. I wanna rest”[/color]. Maryzel nodded as she headed off to check the brackets for when her fight would come on. As Desmond entered his room, he set the pitchfork into his chest as it disappeared, taking it out of the selection pool. He took a moment to then clean himself up a bit, before he laid down. As no more than a moment later, a knock came from his door. Desmond was curious who would come to his room at this moment, as he stood up and opened the door, to be met with a gorgeous sight. Naja was bending over looking in as she said in a somewhat seductive manner, [color=lightblue]”Hello. Farmer. May I. Come in?”[/color] And before Desmond could answer, she lightly pushed against him and came into his room. A smile flashed across both of their faces as the door shut lightly. The sounds heard from within that room was loud enough to be heard from the arena.[/hider] [hider=Stout Power] The many who fight within Eshiran’s arena was not only the largest and the strongest. But among them were many of the stout and small. Hegelans fought with great fervor and strength, while the Cazenax fought with strange magics that are both strange and with weapons that seem to make little sense. Yet it was the Cherune that interested Desmond the most. They were easily noticed among the shorter races. For Hegelans had wide builds and long arms that reached quite farther than one expected. For Cazenax they had a very signature thin look, with oddly shaped limbs and larger hands. Yet for Cherune, they were small and stout all around. They had shorter arms, legs, and bodies in general. It seemed they were similar in nature to Hegelans, yet it was their arm lengths and faces that were much different. For Hegelan, they wore beards, and had wider faces. For the Cherune, they had more rounder and proportionally larger heads, with more often having a very clean-shaven face. Among the Cazenax, he has fought with them, yet against was a different story as his first fight after his fight with Naja was with one. There was a loud banging at Desmond’s door as he opened it up shirtless, it was Maryzel as she said, [color=pink]”Your fight is on soo-why do you have no pants?”[/color] Desmond chuckled as he said, [color=gold]”Yeah sorry, you caught me at a bad moment”[/color]. Desmond turned as he quickly snatched up his pants as he began to put them on with his shirt. He then asked, [color=gold]”What number are you thinking about”[/color]. A voice let itself be known as it said with a giggle, [color=lightblue]”9”[/color]. Maryzel looked in as she saw a sight she was not ready for. She went out into the hall for a moment before she saw something more. After a few moments, Desmond came walking out with a longsword. Before Desmond closed the door he gave a whistle and a wink before he closed the door. Maryzel took a moment before she spoke, [color=pink]”You could have warned me”[/color]. Desmond shook his head, [color=gold]”It just happened, Can’t really say much either way on it”[/color]. The two left for the gate of the arena once more as there they could hear the screams of the colosseum and the announcer once more. [center][h3][color=silver]”WELCOME TO THE THRID ROUND”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”OF OUR COMPETATORS, ON ONE SIDE, THE MUD WIZARD!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”ELGUIRO-NAXO-CUIAN!!!”[/color][/h3][/center] A thick pungent air filled the arena as a thick smell of mud and oil stuck to the lungs. [center][h3][color=silver]”ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE YOUNG WOLF WHO CONQUERS THE MOUNTAINS!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”DESMOND!!”[/color][/h3][/center] The moment Desmond stepped out into the arena he saw the area was now slick and with large mounds of mud. Desmond looked around as he curiously began to look around. There he saw a small Cazenax man with a large purple robe, a matching large hat, and a staff. [center][img]https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.JDuio_QheI1dDLH7r0BwaQHaKk?pid=ImgDet&w=159&h=227&c=7[/img][/center] Desmond tilted his head as the Cazenax man spoke, [color=green]”Youws zo fwucked”[/color]. [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/9QsaGRL4QmA?list=PL_peyglA5zrZf1c75fz46_fTuBY6Ew1H-[/youtube][/center] Desmond then felt his sword began to feel incredibly heavy as he felt his longsword slam to the floor and stuck. Desmond looked to it as he turned to the Cazenax as the man started running at him like a maniac. [color=gold]”Alright, I’ll try not to be too rough”[/color]. The two men rushed at each other as the moment they made contact, the little Cazenax tackled like a cannonball as Desmond felt the wind get knocked out of him and was knocked on his ass. The Cazenax began to climb onto Desmond as he tried to put his claws into Desmond’s eyes. However, Desmond was not a slouch in a brawl. Desmond launched himself up into Elguiro’s nose as it knocked him back. The Cazenax began to fall back as Desmond began to rise up and grabbed onto Elguiro’s arm and threw him again. The two began to brawl in the mud like two children. Yet Desmond laughed the entire time as he threw the small man around like a child. Their strength was similar, from Desmond’s size and larger build versus the Cazenax’s smaller yet more powerful magic. The mud began to cover them entirely, as there was laughter filling the air. For many, this was a great deal of humor in the fighting. Between the countless large and intense fights, this was a time of humor and light hearted feeling. However like any fight in the Heaven of combat. There had to be a winner. And one person had to die. The fighting went on for multiple minutes as the size of the two fighters truly began to show through. As the two fought in the mud, Elguiro began to heave as he had to wade through such heavy mud that he was feeling exhaustion build up. For Desmond, he had fought like this countless times. He had fought in a great deal of different situations, environments, and in many different states. For Desmond, he was smiling as he began to lift the smaller man up and took his head and slammed him into the mud. With Elguiro’s head in the mud, Desmond began to lift his foot and began to slam it down onto Elguiro’s head over and over again. Slowly blood began to fill the mud as it turned into a more darker and clay like color as blood began to fill it. Desmond began to lift his foot one more time before stomping once more and finally stepping back. Desmond began to shake his head as the mud began to slip off in an almost unnatural way. Almost as if he had never been touched by the mud as be began to perform a light bow and then walked away from the arena. The cheers of the crowd began to fill the arena as Desmond picked up his sword and met up with Maryzel. [color=pink]”Did you need to fight like that?”[/color] Maryzel was curious why Desmond fought like that rather than trying to fight with more deftness or skill as he’d shown. Desmond chuckled, [color=gold]”Well I thought that it would be both fun and also a way to show off”[/color]. Maryzel tilted her head, [color=pink]”Why you trying to show off?”[/color] Desmond nodded his head, [color=gold]”Yep, if I was to fight any smaller people. I want to make them fear me if they get me into close range. Which will make sure they won’t try to overwhelm me with brute force”[/color]. Maryzel nodded her head, [color=pink]”Well wouldn’t they just overwhelm you from range”[/color]. Desmond chuckled, [color=gold]”I have a plan for that”[/color]. [hr] Desmond moved to his next fight where he took his sword with him once more. He wanted to use it this time around rather than just punch as the announcer then began to call them in. Desmond lightly hummed to himself as he looked to Maryzel, [color=gold]”So, that’s been 3 fights so far, so that means the time between fights will get faster and faster right?”[/color] Maryzel nodded her head as she said, [color=pink]”Yep, there will be shorter and shorter times between your fights. Until you get to the finals, that is where you will be having an hour time to prepare as they do a highlight reel of your fighting”[/color]. Desmond nodded his head as he rubbed his chin, [color=gold]”Nice. Hopefully I will meet a few other nice women”[/color]. Maryzel shook her head in shame as the announcer called out. [center][h3][color=silver]”WELCOME TO THE FOURTH ROUND”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”OF OUR COMPETATORS, ON ONE SIDE, THE ONE! THE ONLY!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”MUROX THE HUNTER!!!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond nodded his head as he thought why a hunter would be in the category of the warriors. [center][h3][color=silver]”ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE BROWN WOLF!!!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”DESMOND!!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond laughed as the gates threw open and out came a smaller man in full armor. He carried at his side a large satchel, a small blade, and a torch that seemed to emit a white fire. [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e9/fd/88/e9fd8887220dec1ba006a05b3783a1ab.jpg[/img][/center] Desmond looked to the man for a moment, [color=gold]”Hey you ready there bud?”[/color] With that came no response. The man just opened up his bag and pulled out a strange metal box. At first, Desmond tilted his head until he felt an intense energy begin to form in the box. There the lights dimmed and opened to show what seemed like a small sun with a magnifying glass. [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/iNvhPSxFKxA[/youtube][/center] A beam of light sprung forth from the cube as it grew in size. Desmond dived out of the way as the beam nearly hit him as he began to run. The beam of light followed him as it carved into the area. The stone was instantly scarred, as after a few moments the light beam began to slowly destabilize before being stopped. Desmon saw the cube was red hot before being put back into the man’s bag. Within a few moments, Desmond began to figure out what was happening. That box must have been some strange device like he had seen before by other Cherune. Numi lived in some strange flying ship that was heading towards a flying city. He couldn’t be sure what he was facing, however he had a thought. The moment the box was put away, he then pulled out a strange gun and began to fire. It was small like the handgun Desmond was given by the sirrahi, and fired rapidly. However as Desmond moved, he realized the man was very familiar with the weapon as the bullets fired precisely and with a great level of skill. Desmond however noticed when it was being fired, the man must have a low level of RAS like himself as he was allowing the weapon to recoil. Desmond knew countless high RAS gunmen would just absorb the energy out of principle. Yet for those who had lower RAS, they needed to use the little bit of capacity they had well, so they would more often use magic to enhance their attack rather than to do such a simple yet slightly important thing. Desmond knew that they had to be somewhere near each other in power. Desmond began to think as the bullets continued to fire. The bullets shifted and moved to follow Desmond, however with his years of experience, dodging a few bullets was simple. All that had to be done was make sure they never had a chance to squarely target you. Desmond kept count of the bullets, he needed to know how many shots he needed to dodge. As he counted to nearly 20 before the man stopped firing and put away the gun. It was then Desmond realized that his bag had to be similar to the chests. He would have reloaded his gun rather than put it away, which meant he must have every tool he needed here. [color=gold][i]He’s going to try and find what tool works[/i][/color]. Desmond instantly pivoted as he dashed at the man. The smaller man saw Desmond and flashed his torch at him, yet nothing came from it. Most would have fallen for this, however Desmond knew this spell well. Desmond held up his hand and then instantly launched out a kinetic blast, seeing the air waver for a moment, he knew he could then act. Desmond snapped his finger and chemically triggered the invisible fire in front of him and create and explosion that created a shockwave. Desmond knew the weakness of the spell Cold Fire, those who knew how the spell worked could actively trigger it before it made impact with them and create a concussive wave. Desmond took the wave head-on as he drew in the energy and launched it out like a wave infront of him. Constantly drawing in more energy and releasing it to create a shield against the energy as he continued his charge forward. The moment Desmond was close, he saw in the corner of his eye the box Murox originally had. As it was open and the light in the area changed. Desmond could tell there was a smile underneath Murox’s helmet. Yet there was one on Desmond’s face as well as he mouthed, [color=gold]’A little too early’[/color]. As the box unleashed it’s light with unrelenting power. Yet as it ‘cut’ into Desmond, Murox realized that the image fades. As there stands Desmond, 10 feet back as he is had just thrown his sword like a spear. The longsword flew like a bolt of lightning as it punched right through the helm of the Cherune man and punched through the back of it. Dropping him dead in a single moment. There Desmond stands in the middle of the arena as a quick yet decisive victory was made. An applause filled the arena as he once more bowed. Desmond began to look around as he saw the Murox had disappeared, yet something strange was left in Desmond’s mind, [color=gold][i]’Why do the weapons stay?’[/i][/color] Desmond went over to see, the box that was firing it’s beam had now been turned black and slightly melted. Yet what he wanted was sitting there, Murox’s bag. Desmond took it up and began to walk away, he wanted to know what it was, and if it was left in the arena, it must have been left for a reason. And a reason it was. The moment Desmond had left the arena Maryzel squealed out, [color=pink]”You did it!!”[/color] Desmond nodded his head as he said, [color=gold]”Yep, oh yeah, I was wondering, is there a reason people seemed to lose items in the arena when they are felled?”[/color] Maryzel nodded her head, [color=pink]”Yep! The reason it happens is to act as spoils for the winners! This is a way for older souls who would never know about weapons in the future to then gain the knowledge of those weapons and use them!”[/color] Desmond nodded as he looked to his new bag, [color=gold]”Very nice”[/color]. Desmond smiled as he left for his room. He began to inspect his new spoils, as within was a handgun, a pair of gloves that is able to produce enough steel wire to reach up to 50 feet, and is able to produce this wire from all 5 fingers, a lighter, and a small box that seemed able to create a high pitch noise, it was actually inaudible to Desmond. Desmond nodded his head as he wanted to try something, as he thought for a moment as after a moment he reached into the bag and pulled out a dagger. A smile then spread across Desmond’s face. Yet he was then interrupted as he heard a knock from the door. Desmond went to the door and opened up as he saw now 2 people at his door, there was 2 shorter women as one seemed to be wearing a flowy white dress as the other seemed to be in armor. Desmond’s head tilted as he realized the other woman was, Murox. He assumed that was a male name, but apparently it either wasn’t, or it was a name she went by. As the one in the dress spoke, [color=red]”Hello~, we thought you fought well and wanted to talk to you about what was in the bag since you seemed [i]very[/i] interested in it”[/color]. Desmond took a moment and thought, as he nodded his head, [color=gold]”Sure come on in”[/color]. The women walked in as Desmond gave them a wink before he closed the door.[/hider] [hider=Snake Eater] Desmond’s next 2 rounds were simple in nature, the moment Desmond began to find random Cherune tools, he decided to use more powerful tools from his arsenal to win his fights more handly. For his first match, he [i]persuaded[/i] Murox, or known to him as Gloria, to allow him to be able to make her box which she called the ‘Divine Wrath’. He used the to cut 2 of the competitors in half right away, it was an effective tool, however, he knew after twice he would not be able to do it more than that, but it was what he needed to hide other tools. Such a simple trick was not enough against the more powerful in the tournament, he was lucky it worked twice in the first place. Now he was into his 7th match, the one right before he would hopefully meet with Edyta and they would face off to see who would try and fight through the Elite 6. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that point, yet he also hoped so at the same time. It would be one last push for Desmond to maybe give her the extra edge she needed to reach the top. Since in the end, the weapons they find can only be claimed when you defeat the person holding them. Yet before Desmond gets his hopes up, he needs to face his next opponent. Desmond now waited at the gate as he had his satchel with him and to his side a scythe. Maryzel looked to him, [color=pink]”Okay. This is your semi-finals. What’s your plan? Are you gonna use your great skills now?”[/color] Desmond shook his head, [color=gold]”Who said I wasn’t?”[/color] Maryzel stomped her foot in the air, [color=pink]”You obviously haven’t! No one who is serious would be using a random weapon everytime!”[/color] Demsond laughed, [color=gold]”Who said it was random?”[/color] Maryzel began to become flustered as her face grew red and she seemed to only grow in anger. Yet her anger was stopped as they heard the announcer speak once more. [center][h3][color=silver]”WELCOME TO THE SEMI FINALS”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”OF OUR COMPETATORS, ON ONE SIDE, THE EXALTED!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”KAZUMIE NINE!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond tilted his head for a moment before he realized what that meant, we has facing a Sirrahi. [center][h3][color=silver]”ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE WOLF WHO CONSUMES THE HEAVENS!”[/color][/h3][/center] [center][h3][color=silver]”DESMOND!!”[/color][/h3][/center] Desmond is beginning to think that the announcer might be a little to privy to information of what is happening in the rooms of the fighters, however he finds it quite funny as he shakes his head and heads out. There he sees an interesting sight, a Sirrahi woman. She wore clothing he was familiar with, what it reminded him of was that of Nikanese clothing as he looked and thought she must have been from there maybe some life times ago. [center][img]https://www.bing.com/images/blob?bcid=s02ACyPXiCIHQrKQkV5mhxKf9YcH.....1M[/img][/center] Desmond lightly bowed to her as he said in Nikanese, [color=gold]”Hello lovely flower. May I have this dance”[/color]. The Sirrahi woman slightly cast her gaze to him. A small smirk appeared on her face as she spoke back, [color=purple]”I suppose since you can speak properly, I can entertain you”[/color]. [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/eBm20Q1pxVo[/youtube][/center] As the air became heavy, Desmond lifted his head as he could see that she wielded an enormous naginata maybe the size of an Ogauraqand wielded it with such elegance it seemed to blow with the wind. Desmond took a breath in as he put is hand into his bag and pulled out a pair of gloves. He took hold of his scythe and prepared to fight. This was going to be a fight that had no gimmicks, it was going to be a show of pure force. The first to act was Desmond as he dashed forward, he immediately flashed a bright light as he tried to give himself a moment to try and close the distance further while also trying to see how sharp are the senses of the Sirrahi. He had thought of countless times what he would do when he first met Sileen over a year ago. From the countless things he knew, they had very sharp senses, their sight was strong, and their sense of smell and hearing must have been strong as well. He needed to try and figure out what he things were similar between them and the snakes he knew. As the light flashed, Desmond felt a wave of energy launch out at him, as he slammed the staff of the scythe into the ground and vaulted high into the air. He reached into the sky as it took a moment for Kazumie to take notice of him and react. As Desmond began to fall she said, [color=purple]”Seems this is already over”[/color]. Kasumie raised her spear and thrust as a line of kinetic energy was to punch through Desmond. Yet in that moment, Desmond pulled with his hand and in mid-air he shifted in the air, dodging the thrust. It stunned the audience for a moment as Desmond then began to swing on what seemed like air. Yet Kazumie could tell there was the shimmering of a wire he was holding. He began to swing like he was in a jungle as he began to pick up speed, yet Kazumie could not tell what he was taking hold of. It took her a moment to see there was the shimmering of arcane light bending. She dispelled it in that moment to see, there was a giant kite the size of a house high in the sky. Her head shirked back in astonishment as for most who fought in the arena knew at this point that it was separated by different temporal spaces. So she couldn’t tell how it was working. Desmond smiled as he laughed in the air as he called out to her, [color=gold]”How’s the view?”[/color] Kazumie swung her naginata as she demanded from Desmond, [color=purple]”How are you doing this?!”[/color] Desmond laughed once more as he cast his hand that was holding his scythe out as he was riding the kite, [color=gold]”The spaces are separated yes, however, there is a slight area between the arena and colosseum where the spaces are connected. You can slip things through there. Think about it. If the spaces weren’t connected somehow, then we couldn’t hear in or they hear us. Most wouldn’t know or even think of this as very few do spells of this nature. However, I thought why not try? After all, weather mages would be screwed over if they couldn’t make a cloud right?”[/color] Desmond laughed more, as the moment Kazumie was going to sent a strike at him in frustration, she felt from her side a threat. She turned and swung out as there she struck multiple wires that nearly cut her. She deflected them away as Desmond flicked his hand and recalled them. A smile grew on Desmond further, [color=gold]”Why so mad? Don’t tell em you’re upset because you didn’t think of this?”[/color] Kazumie again swung her naginata, as she aimed to slice Desmond in half. Yet the moment the attack came near him, his moment instantly changed as he began to fly backward. Every now and again, Desmond drew in the energy of the attacks, converting it into magnetic energy as he sent it into the wire he was holding. Desmond continued to taunt Kazumie, [color=gold]”Oh lovely, I never thought I’d [i]meat[/i] someone like you here. Why not we talk for a while?”[/color] Kazumie seemed to begin getting flustered, Desmond used much of the knowledge he had learned from the Sirrahi books to understand how they spoke. What seemed to be informational, and even from the encyclopedia, within the author’s notes there were jokes and other things that told Desmond what he needed to know about their culture. Most importantly, he knew that they seemed to have a strange relationship with other races, and more often than not, it seemed they had a strange level of empathy for others. Desmond used this as a distraction, and maybe as an actual pass. He needed to make sure she never thought to look at what he was doing, so he often would throw bombs or other objects to make her look away. Using Cold Fire, and even delayed triggered spells from projectiles. He needed to buy himself time. Kazumie took up her naginata once more as she began to build a maelstrom of energy around her. The winds began to grow in speed, up to the point where it even began to become visible as she said, [color=purple]”I do not know what your games are, but enough!”[/color] Desmond laughed as he said, [color=gold]”Oh lovely, love at first sight. A love birthed much the same as one setting eyes on the first cherry blossoms of the summer”[/color]. Desmond never knew if a Sirrahi could blush, let alone one who wore makeup, however from the slight wavering in the energy storm Kazumie was creating, he thought she just might be blushing. And it bought him enough time. Desmond drew in the last bit of energy he could before he threw his hand out once more, aiming it for Kazumie, as then she noticed it, from high above she could see a storm cloud somehow formed and now all the energy poured into his kite and began to launch down onto Desmond. Yet it passed through him as it continued and flowed into the wires that were reaching out to her. She took this moment and stopped her storm and tried to draw in the energy, and that was it. Desmond used the moment that the maelstrom of wind dissipated as his moment to attack. He used the magnetic energy that was flowing and began to fly at high speeds down onto Kazumie. Taking up his scythe, Desmond streaked across the arena in a moment as the moment he neared Kazumie, her face showed a sign of shock, then a smile. Desmond’s smile was so large that for many who fought him they couldn’t help but smile. It felt as if it was a child enjoying the summertime. Few could resist such a smile. And like a thunderbolt, Desmond slammed into the earth. After a few moments, the dust cleared as there lay Kazumie Nine’s body, her head taken form her shoulders, and Desmond, his arm and leg cut cleanly off as he was burnt. However, the one to show signs of life was Desmond, as he coughed and tried to life himself. The arena roared in excitement as they watched Desmond slowly rise up. His body began to heal as the moment Kazumie’s body disappeared he finally was able to get up and give a bow. For many of them, they never knew something like this could happen. A man who had such little magic could ever challenge these great souls. Desmond pulled from his bag a pair of pants as he put them on and left. There Maryzel was screaming in absolute excitement as she flew directly at Desmond and hugged him tightly, [color=pink]”YOU DID IT!”[/color] Desmond held her for a moment as he said,[color=gold]”Yep, but you already knew this would happen right?”[/color] Maryzel flew back as she turned her face from him to not show she was blushing, [color=pink]”Yes of course. I already knew you would at least get this far”[/color]. Desmond laughed as he made his way back to his room, there he saw a note. It was from Laska telling him good luck, Desmond nodded to himself as before he could even open his door, he felt something wrap around him. He turned to see it Kazumie as she was now towering over him. Desmond asked, [color=gold]”So what do I owe this pleasure to?”[/color] Kazumie smiled as she leaned in for a kiss, as Desmond opened the door. The two made their way in before the whole colosseum knew what they were to do. [/hider] As Demsond had battled his way through the many trials to now meet a friend in combat. All he wished for was for one of them to make it to the Elites. No matter who is was, Tommy was their prize.