STAGE TWENTY-THREE: World Combat Tournament (part 2)

After fighting three consecutive matches, exhausted Freyja immediately fell asleep on the sofa in her suite, as soon as she sat down. Kirin came in shortly after and sighed, carrying the girl to the bed.

Kirin sat on the bed, staring at her sleeping face, a bit of drool coming out of her mouth.

"K-Kirin..." She mumbled in her sleep. "Yes?" But she didn't answer. He gently tucked her with a blanket before going out to the balcony to get some fresh air.

But as soon as he opened the sliding doors, he was greeted by Marco who's sitting on the balcony rails, legs crossed. "Lord Kirin, I can still remember how you brutally beat me in three strikes." He said with an eerie smile. "Really? I can't."

"You are as cold as ever Lord Kirin. If I hadn't worked for your family once, you wouldn't even remember my face." Marco continued.

"Get the hell away from here. This is a private room."

"Lady Freyja advanced to the semi-finals. Congratulations. She'll be facing Ruis tomorrow. But don't worry, I told my brother to be nice to girls." Marco said, Kirin's brows furrowed.

"Freyja will defeat him."

Marco laughed, "Lord Kirin, this is the first time I saw that look on your face... I just need to ask this, okay? Is she really your student? Who is that girl? Why are you helping her this much?"

"What use do you have for her?"

Kirin summoned his black blade and attacked Marco without a single world, grazing his neck a bit. Marco too, was surprised, but barely made it unscathed.

"Calm down, Lord Kirin. I was joking. Anyway, just make sure that your Freyja will still be alive after fighting with Ruis. The best way is to back out. Else, I can't guarantee you her life." Marco jumped down the rails, greatly miscalculating Kirin's temper.

"Freyja, wake up." He shook the soundly sleeping girl. "Five more minutes...." She mumbled. "Hey, wake up! Your fight with Ruis is today!"

Freyja jumped out of the bed. "Oh yeah! I forgot!" She slapped her cheeks, hysterically running around. Freyja ran to the table first thing to prepare her weapons. Then, to gather the small bombs she made herself. She dashed to the bathroom. Kirin's eyes quietly followed her as she prepared herself for the match. While confident of Freyja's abilities, and that Astrid will not let her die when things really call for it, Kirin couldn't stop thinking about Marco's threat.

When Freyja finally finished changing and preparing for her match, Kirin called her for a qick coaching.

Freyja saw right through his expression. Kirin's anxiety is unusually showing on his face. "Listen, just keep up with your footwork. Before you fight, make sure to practice wrapping aura around your body." Kirin forced himself to sound like usual. "And for this match, you can use Astrid."

"Wait, you said that I can't use him until we get out of this arena?"

"No, you need him this time. Marco hated me so much after I beat him, and now he's working for the Aethelmaer clan. He's up to something."

"That's why you want me to use Astrid, right? Because you think I can't beat him with my own strength."

"Exactly."

Freyja's fists clenched. She is angry, although she understood that Kirin was just thinking of her well-being, for him to think she'd lose hurt her so much.

"Ruis has been training for years. Against his physical strength and technique, you wouldn't stand a chance. Call Astrid, finish him quickly. That's the best."

"Kirin, but I want to try—"

"Listen, Ruis is a man. He's physically stronger, considering that you are both on the same grounds. He's not like Sieg or the other aura-less buffs you fought with. Your only advantage is your celestial aura, and..."

Freyja didn't even let him finish. She stormed out of the room and ran as fast as she could away from Kirin.

Kirin couldn't chase after her. He knows what hurt her pride.

Freyja stood by a huge window in the top floor, somewhere no one is likely to pass by. She can't get over Kirin's instructions. She's just starting to gain confidence as a fighter, but then she knows very well that in serious fights, the only thing that is good about her is the Celestial aura. "I should have been born a big buff guy."

"Freyja..." Someone whispered on her ear.

Startled, she squealed. "A-Alaric?"

"You are moping, aren't you? It's not good to be depressed before a battle." He stood beside her with his usual smile. "Well you see..." Freyja started talking about her troubles with Alaric.

"I can't blame Kirin, to be honest. If I were in his place, I'd also want you to be safe first thing. But that doesn't mean that you're not capable. Look, you are thirteen, and I am already seventeen. I am a rune master, yet you are stronger than me in terms of aura."

"But it's not MY AURA. It's Astird's. It's Celestia's."

Alaric shook his head. "It is yours. It cannot be inside of anyone but you. The celestial aura is alive because of you. If that is the case, then, the stronger celestials wouldn't have feared taking the Celestial aura for themselves, right? "

"Alaric..."

"You know, my mother used to be the guild master until she fell sick. You see, women's aura capability naturally better. That's why when they found out her child is a boy, everyone was disappointed! So I can say the same thing to you, can't I? Of course I was bothered by it, I even thought of quitting."

"You did?"

"Yep. But then, I realized that I really have so much fun learning spells. I wanted to be a rune master no matter what." Alaric chuckled. "And when you came to Runerich, I was fascinated. I thought 'why is she trying so hard when she can't even use aura?' But despite everything that's happened to you and Kirin, you look like you're having so much fun it made me think 'what am I doing with my life?' So when I was exiled, I was really happy and I followed you guys."

"So that's why you showed up in Tristiss."

Alaric nodded. "I was so jealous of you. You have the white aura, something no one else has. But when I learned what happened to Celestia, I suddenly felt bad about myself feeling envious. It made me realize how little my understanding of the world is, that's why I decided to step out of my comfort zone." Alaric took her hand and squeezed it tight. "You made me braver Freyja, thank you."

"And when I went to Riyada, the land of sorcery, things weren't easy for me either! It's the first time I had to beg someone just to take me as an apprentice! I never thought I can bring myself to do such things."

"Looking at you made me realize how wonderful it is to chase after your dreams. That's why you're also my rival. I won't lose to you no matter what." He declared, resolute eyes despite his gentle smile. "So don't you dare lose to Ruis." Freyja was both touched and encouraged. "Of course I won't!"

The bell rang. It's almost time for the semi-finals. Alaric and Freyja looked at each other and nodded. "Let's go."

Freyja and Alaric, along with four other semi-finalists stood on the grand stage of the arena. After hundreds of battles in the preliminary rounds, they were able to cut the numbers into the best six. Kirin is watching from the VIP seat as the ceremony started. The people were louder than usual, rabidly placing bets on their contestants. Freyja had the lowest number of bets, while Alaric and Ruis tied for the highest. After an hour of speeches and reminders, the very first fight in the semi-final round was about to begin: Freyja versus Ruis.

But before anything, Freyja ran to Kirin. "Kirin!" She called, "I want to show you one more time, that I've gotten stronger. Will you let me?" Freyja took her medallion off and handed it over to Kirin. Although a bit hesitant, Kirin took it. He knows fighting Ruis without using Astrid is extremely risky. Either she could be killed by Ruis or she could be killed by her own aura should it take over her consciousness again. Even so, Kirin felt her determination. He squeezed the medallion on his hand, and finally, relaxed. "Go get him Freyja!" Kirin confidently declared, with a smile on his face. Freyja nodded and rushed to the fighting ring with heart pounding in excitement.

Beside Kirin was the astonished Marco. Never in his life had he thought he'd see that expression on Kirin's face. Nevertheless, he kept his confidence about Ruis.

The referee stepped in. Freyja and Ruis exchanged glares as they faced each other. Tension shrouded the entire arena. With the referee's signal, the most anticipated match began!

"Ready.... FIGHT!"

Both stood on guard, neither of them wanting to make the first move. "Are you insulting me? Why not use your white aura?" Ruis asked, surprising the girl. "How did he know about that?" Freyja thought, carefully watching his every move. "Sorry, but I could do without that for now." She replied confidently.

What she said angered Ruis. He made the first strike, with his twin blades. Freyja blocked his attack with her sword. However, his strength was indeed too much for her, that she was knocked down.

Freyja rolled to one side, stood up, and jumped back. Ruis didn't waste another second though. He showered her with lighting fast slashes, which Freyja managed to ward off still. Her defensive play however, was drawing a lot of energy from her. Freyja started sweating heavily, her energy running out and she hadn't made a single attack yet!

She carefully studied his movements. "I bet he focuses his aura on his sword and not on his feet. This is a chance for me." Freyja's saw a chance. She dashed to him holding a sword reinforced with little aura. She pretended to strike head on, making Ruis block pre-emptively. When he did, she slid through his open legs and grabbed both his feet with aura-wrapped hands! Being much smaller than an average girl her age she went through fast and smoothly, Ruis didn't have enough time to reinforce his feet with his aura. Ruis fell down badly, smashing his face onto the concrete flooring.

"He's been focusing his aura in his upper body, he won't be able to switch instantly. Just like in momentum, it would be harder to change the direction of something so massive!" This is what Freyja thought as she carried out the plan. Freyja didn't let the precious chance slide. She slashed Ruis' back without hesitation!

The roars of the crowds have gotten louder when the girl knocked her opponent down! "You got him!" Kirin exclaimed, standing up. "Alright! Freyja finish him!" Alaric roared from the fighters' seats.

Ruis felt a broken rib or two, making it harder for him to move now. The white aura from Freyja's sword caused a burning pain in his back and he can't get rid of it. Despite her chance, Freyja didn't kill him and he felt gravely insulted. Ruis looked up, at his brother who's obviously not amused with what happened. In desperation, he clenched his fists and forced himself to stand. Ruis didn't want to use his ace, but as a last recourse, he will.

Ruis closed his eyes and slowly, he started to emit a strange aura around him.

Marco smirked, watching his brother release a tremendous amount of black aura. Seeing this, Kirin confronted Marco right away.

"What's the meaning of this Marco!?" His hands trembling, trying his best to refrain from slitting Marco's throat at this very moment.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't know about your father's experiments. He is trying to reproduce YOUR aura by injecting it on strong subjects. Your body, among the entire Aethelmaer history, is the only one capable of caging such unbelievably enormous dark aura. Aethelmaer maintained their pure blood hoping that someday, such offspring would come. And that's you."

"You used your brother for your revenge, didn't you?"

"Of course! Look at him Kirin, he's like you! You share the same strength!" Marco sounded more like an obsessed lunatic than a brother. He's blushing, feeling pleasure from Kirin's reactions. Kirin let go and pushed him away. Holding Freyja's medallion, Astrid's cage, he felt his heart pound faster and faster, sweat dripping off his forehead.

Ruis released a tremendous amount of black aura. Freyja maintained her distance. She recognized the kind of aura right away, the same as Kirin's. Neither she nor Kirin expected this. After all, she was told that only the Aethelmaer clan can possess such aura. Ruis attacked her head on. She blocked, but was thrown away by the sheer force of it. The best she could do was cushion her fall to minimize injury. She rolled, dodged, still sustaining injuries in the process.

Ruis was attacking so fast and so strong, she didn't even have the chance to stop and think or strategize. She couldn't even block properly. With every second, she's starting to get weaker and weaker, the bruises on her body started to show.

Freyja could no longer keep up with him. She was constantly thrown here and there, barely making it inside the ring. Bruises after bruises, wounds after wounds and now a few broken bones, Freyja is bound to lose.

Kirin's fists trembled. His vision turned red. There hasn't been a moment in his life when he wanted to kill someone so badly until now. Kirin could jump in there anytime now and cut off Ruis' head. But if he does so, he will be killing Freyja's pride as well. And her pride is the pride of Celestia, her dreams, and the very thing she's pledged to live for. Kirin can't do that.

Despite Ruis' attacks, she kept on standing. From the look in her eyes, Kirin knows that she does not intend to give up, nor have him interfere. Freyja needs his trust more than ever, and he knows that he must believe in her no matter what.

"God damn you!" Alaric tried to jump into the arena, but was stopped by all three semi-finalists. "Hey Kirin! Do something!" He shouted, but Kirin stayed still.

"What's the matter? Is that all you've got?" Ruis provoked her. But Freyja patiently waited for a chance to strike. Another hit and Freyja's mouth started bleeding. Her face swollen and her body covered with bruises and wounds. Her sword is broken into two. Yet, she kept her stance. "I won't lose... no... not in front of Kirin!"

At his limit, Kirin jumped down and grabbed the microphone from the announcer.

"FREYJA!" His voice shook the entire arena. All eyes are glued to him, even Ruis'. "You can do it! Finish him!" He shouted with all of his might.

Freyja felt a tear roll down her cheek. "Kirin..."

"Go get him! Freyja!" Alaric joined in. The crowd grew even more restless. Some cheered for Ruis, and some for Freyja. She roughly wiped her tears before pulling small bottles from her belt bag. "I'll win this!" With the strength left in her, she ran around and threw a couple of smoke bombs at Ruis, filling the entire arena in thick pink smoke.

"Hmph, this trick won't work" Even though he can't see, he can clearly sense where she is. Freyja ran around for quite a while, buying time.

"Don't joke with me!" Ruis lost his temper. He charged at the girl with his aura-reinforced twin blades. Just as when she was about to get hit, Louis felt his sword getting awfully lighter. The smoke cleared, and there, everyone witnessed how Louis sword melted like ice, disarming him in an instant. "WHAT ON EARTH!?"

Freyja smirked. Freyja corroded his swords. Because of Kirin, she remembered the very reason she's training her body. It is so she can sync well with her aura. A very strong aura and a weak vessel will end up consuming the vessel, killing her right away. This sparked an idea in her. She noticed that unlike Kirin, Ruis couldn't materialize a sword from his aura alone. Instead, he's reinforcing his weapons with tremendous amounts of aura. And here is where it gets interesting. Ruis was letting out extremely large and strong amounts of black aura which is getting more and more incompatible with its vessel, the weapon.

The bottles she had, contained certain chemicals which she used to weaken the material of Ruis' swords. Freyja distracted Ruis with the smoke bombs, and when she got the chance, sprayed it all over his weapons, completely ruining its material-aura equilibrium.

In Ruis' confusion, she charged at him and gave him one of her strongest aura-reinforced punches straight to his face. Ruis was knocked down instantly.

The crowd grew even more restless than before. Some were impressed by her wits, but for some who didn't understand what she did just roared in confusion.

Freyja knew it's not enough to defeat Ruis. And she also knew that she now reached her limit. She promised Alaric she will defeat Ruis. She promised Astrid she will free the four other celestial guardians. She promised her father, and herself, that she will save Celestia. And she cannot do all those, if she died right there.

"KIRIN!" She called out to him, and Kirin in turn, threw the medallion to her. "Do it!"

Freyja caught it nicely. Ruis got up. Freyja closed her eyes, and called the servant of the Lenfiare from inside the medallion. "Astrid! Your Lenfiare summons you!"

Pure white aura started gushing out of her body. All are wide-eyed. They never realized its white aura since she's only using a bit of it in her fights. But now, her entire body is engulfed by its radiance, its blinding.

She held out her right hand. A snake-like figure made of pure white aura slithered out of the medallion and encircled her right hand. The aura piled up, forming an aura blade almost as big as her body: a sword made of pure celestial aura, can only be wielded by the absolute ruler of the celestial race.

"That— that can't be!!!" Marco's eyes popped out. "That aura... that..." Like everyone else, he too, couldn't believe that the legendary 'white aura' actually exists. Not only that, his own brother is about to have a taste of its power right before his very eyes.

Freyja wielded the gigantic sword as if it was air. With one head-on strike, Freyja slashed Ruis' chest open. Ruis fell down, unconscious and totally drained. He's not moving, not even an inch. A pool of blood is growing underneath him. His life in serious danger. Had it not been for the remaining aura guarding his body, he could have died instantaneously.

"That should be enough." Freyja thought, calling Astrid back. Soon, she felt her head spin and her body tremble. Freyja fell on her knees, but kept her conscious.

"Winner, Freyja!"

When she heard the announcer, she finally sighed in relief. Her aura stopped flowing out and her injuries started to feel very painful. She protected her vital organs with aura during the fight, but it isn't enough to keep her in a fighting condition.

Kirin and Alaric ran to her side at once, as well as the fans she's gained during the fight. They're all cheering so loud, all at once. She can't hear them. She can't hear anything. And in a minute, she blacked out.

~ o 0 o ~