Chapter 60 - Final Match

<p>"Let's meet our finalists!!" Zwelli shouts excitedly, and the cheers from the crowd rose up to us, rumbling the floor moderately.<br/><br/> "Eh? Is that a new way to say I'm ugly or something?" I say with a stupid look on my face, staring at the menacing Paladin. He stands, walking over as he twirls his weapon, until we're face to face. He then takes one more step, making it uncomfortable by getting closer.<br/><br/> 'I mean, it was already uncomfortable with the hammer, but come on, dude.'<br/><br/> "Don't play dumb," he says as if catching up with an old friend, not threatening a stranger. "Even if I was all the way up here, I could sense your dark magic."<br/><br/> I frown. "I didn't use dark magic, just lightning," I reply confusedly. <br/><br/> He laughs loudly. In the background, I hear Zwelli finish introducing both the Berserker and Eniyala, and I turn my head slightly to look down. <br/><br/> "ARENA… SET!" The crowd yells, and the dirt begins to shift under them. <br/><br/> "Turning your attention away? Bold move, considering you basically just admitted you have no control over the darkness inside you."<br/><br/> "Uh, right…"<br/><br/> As I wondered how Dungeons and Dragons the man was going to go on me, he began swinging his hammer back and forth. 'Can I really even fight right now? I only have half of my vision, and my body doesn't want to move the way I want.'<br/><br/> I back up slowly, the audience shouting "BEGINNN!!" and the Paladin quickly closing the distance. <br/><br/> "You wouldn't mind if I… checked, would you?" He asks, his hammer glowing slightly. I give him a sharp look. "Depends how you mean that," I say, but he's already raised his hammer up. "W-wait!"<br/><br/> "Grand Luzieni, use the Chains of Light to prove the mettle of this one's soul! I ask this humbly in your name!"<br/><br/> As he chants, white chains appear from his hammer, wrapping around my arms and legs, and he holds his hammer up to my forehead. "God of Light's Purity!"<br/><br/> A bright flash fills the room, causing me to slam my eyelids closed.<br/><br/> "Ah, I see… Well."<br/><br/> I hear the Paladin speak, and the force restraining my limbs disappears. 'Eh??'<br/><br/> Tilpott drops to his knees, bowing his head low. "I apologize for testing you, Disciple! I promise I had no idea!"<br/><br/> Startled, I looked at him in alarm. "Wait, WHAT?"<br/><br/>* * *<br/><br/> The arena that formed was essentially just the same dirt floor, with a pyramid that reached up to the height of the announcer's box. It was flat at the top, with a large throne that peeked out of the top of the large stairs leading up to it.<br/><br/> And it had risen up between Eniyala and Rarara, making the intention clear.<br/><br/> Of course, Eniyala wasn't great at following instructions, so she would be going around.<br/><br/> Having the rod attached to the back of her armor's shoulder, she summons ten chains to pick her up using the rings on her fingers, carrying her around the side of the large pyramid with loud thuds and clangs. <br/><br/> The Berserker wasn't sure what he was hearing, but took one of the large axes off his back, standing at the ready for whatever comes his way. "Ra?"<br/><br/> Suddenly, it falls silent. The very air grows heavy, and a few beads of sweat slide down the muscular man's forehead. Then—<br/><br/> BAM!<br/><br/> Fiery links burst through the large stairs, the few that he had climbed exploding into chunks of packed dirt as blue blades made of flame reach for him. In one heavy swing, he takes out all of them, leaping up several steps before he begins charging for the corner of the pyramid. "Raaaaa!"<br/><br/> The ground crumbles below him again; this time, three spears burst forward. He's able to twist his body to the side, but they still impale his left arm, rendering it unable to hold the other Greataxe. He doesn't even wince, though, and carries on running forward, digging the edge of his axe into the ground to swing him around to see… Nothing. Dust billows gently off the stairs, but there's no other sign of life. Without panicking, however, the Berserker backhands with his left arm, slamming through the sword aimed at his back and grabbing the neck of the girl above him.<br/><br/> Or he would have, but the blade impales through his palm, causing him to slam Eniyala's throat with the handle instead. She flies several feet back, coughing profusely. "Shit… Not exactly the plan there…"<br/><br/> "And rather than race to the top, the two decide to face each other head on in an all-out brawl at the bottom of the pyramid!" Zwelli shrieks, and the crowd follows suit with a loud cheer.<br/><br/> 'This motherf—' Eniyala begins, but is quickly interrupted.<br/><br/> The gray man roars, slamming his axe against a stair before stomping towards the small woman, who is struggling to her feet. 'Is he just immune to pain?' Eniyala wonders as she holds up her left hand. "Ignios Familiar!"<br/><br/> A venomous blue snake made of fire materializes, ribbonlike antennas flowing gently from right behind its eyes. It lunges forwards in a flash of light blue, the darker blue stripes on both sides flashing from the light of the flames as it opens its mouth wide to bite the man.<br/><br/> Said man only grins, whirling his weapon once around his head before slugging it forward, crashing into the teeth of the snake. It hisses in a short whistle as one of its fangs cracks, and blue fire begins to spurt from its throat. Rarara pulls his blade back, turning and kicking the head of the familiar away. As he does, his grin grows wider. The flames from behind him throw a ghastly shadow on his face, which makes Eniyala shudder subconsciously. He points the end of his axe towards her, both sides of the curled ends gleaming from the glow. "Ra ra!" He shouts excitedly, and she gives him an exasperated look.<br/><br/> "Unfortunately for you, I am not a happy-go-lucky Paladin that can understand your every 'ra.' Also unfortunately for you, I'm planning to end this soon, so let's get it going, shall we?"<br/><br/> He frowns slightly, tilting his head. "Ra?"<br/><br/> The girl groans, summoning two fireballs into her hands. "Maybe this will make more sense?"<br/><br/> She holds her palms out, facing the much larger man. "Ignios Smithing: Create! Barbaric Ignios!"<br/><br/> The flames in her hand wiggle minimally; then sprout, spreading out at rapid speed. Soon, two thick, fiery axes are held out in front of her, spinning slowly. Rather than the extremely curved edges of the Berserkers blades, Eniyala's are long and straight. The blade comes past the bottom of the head, protecting the upper part of the handle, and the tops of the axes are completely flat and level with the top of the handle. The Berserker begins laughing, nodding his head vigorously and tapping the bottom of his axe on the ground.<br/><br/> "Laugh in hell," Eniyala spits, firing off the axes towards him while spinning them at high speeds. The Berserker snorts, slamming the handle once more on the ground, which causes spiderwebs to crawl across the stair he's upon, before he dashes forward towards the axes.<br/> <br/> As they close in, he stomps his foot down, causing half of the area he's stepping on to crumble. He doesn't fall, seeming even more braced as he swings his axe up high and knocks one of Eniyala's weapons away. His eyes glow red as he roars, "Raa!" and the edges of the axe begin to glow as well.<br/><br/>(Rarara has activated Skill Berserk.)<br/>(Elemental Fusion was implemented.)<br/><br/> Red flames spout from multiple parts of the Berserker's body — his shoulders, chest, knees, feet, eyes, and the top of his head. The blade's glowing edges also spout flames, as he uses it to cut completely through the second of Eniyala's axes.<br/><br/> "It's heating up, folks! Not in passion, this time, unfortunately."<br/><br/> A white haired boy and the girl in the arena simultaneously groan, even though they're both dealing with their own separate problems.<br/><br/> Eniyala wasn't sure how she'd work through hers.</p>