The walls of the colosseum towered above us, filled with tens of thousands of spectators. I went limp with shock at the sheer numbers, feeling their eyes tear apart. They must have emptied the Divine Throne and half the citadel to find this many people! The air was thin and cold, slling fresh despite the cramped spaces of the crowd.
The arena itself was larger than I thought. The platform took up barely a quarter the diater, aning the walls were about two hundred feet apart and fifty feet high. The entire place, including the ground, was built of carved stone bricks placed together with hardly a seam between them.
I activated the Eyes of Fate and gazed around in awe. The complex magic enchanting the place took my mind off the crowd, albeit temporarily. Countless spells, focused around large crystals surrounding the arena, protected every shard of stone. They cast a web over the arena, shielding the spectators from large scale abilities and magic. The War Hero had a few spells around him too, but I didn't get a good look before it began.
A loud voice, magically enhanced so as to fill the entire colosseum, bood from the crystals, casting a stillness over the crowd. I looked around and found the voice originating from a special spectator's box in the front row. The Pope was there, joined by several fathers and attendants. On the opposite side of the arena, I found another box, this one bearing the pendants of the Kingdom of Radia. The Royal family spectated from there. The second prince, Vorinth caught my eye and gave a knowing smile, bringing a frown to my face. There was no way he would smile at anything good for .
"The duel between the Sun Hero and the War Hero will now begin! The proceedings and terms have been sanctioned by both the Holy Father and Kind of Radia, and will be magically recorded and broadcast to all the realm. Both sides are allowed access to all their personal might and wealth, including legendary weapons and slaves. The first to force their opponent to yield or render them unconscious will be declared the winner. While the duel will begin in one minute, no magical preparation will be tolerated."
Whispers erupted as the announcent ended. Soltair seed tense, hand on his sword hilt. In contrast, the War Hero looked plenty relaxed, talking and laughing with his girls. I still couldn't believe he had the good fortune of being born as an elf, with all their talent and good looks beside. I suppose I wasn't bad looking either, but it's not like it mattered. All people saw were the horns and tail.
The minute passed by quickly. The crowd had grown antsy and were calling out support and jeers. Most of both went to Soltair, as he was seen as Radia's hero. All of the insults went right to , and I could only ignore them. I wasn't here for them, anyway.
"Comnce the Duel!"
"Xiviyah now!"
I nodded and imdiately cast Link Ability. Gasps filled the arena as the third-circle spell flitted about for an instant before resolving. I staggered, coughing blood, as the fearso cold assaulted , but managed to remain standing.
"What kind of spell is that?" Rochelle, the black-haired mage, asked with a chuckle. "If you need soone to bloody you, I'm more than happy to oblige. Co, sisters."
The ever-silent Niece chanted a first-circle spell and drew back her bow. Green runes surrounded the arrow, which sped from her bowstring like a bullet. Wind broke from the serrated steel tip, creating eddies in the air behind it.
Still not stabilized, I could only watch helplessly as it whistled toward my head. Monts before it hit , Soltair flashed in front of , and raised his arm. A series of golden runes ford a shield about his forearm. The arrow exploded the instant it touched the light, falling into fragnts on the ground.
"Thanks," I managed, finally recovering a few monts later.
"Stay focused."
I nodded and looked at the War Hero's party. Despite the failed attack, they were all relaxed and still talking lightly. Their casual behavior might have seed intimidating, but it was actually rather foolish. Bowing my head to thank them for the free gift, I began to cast.
"Aegis."
"Sure Strike."
"Fortunate Parry."
"Fire Shield."
"Encircling Winds."
"..."
Before anyone could react, I had cast more than ten spells. Most were buff and support spells on Soltair, who looked at gratefully. A mass of magic surrounded him, intricately woven together to protect him from all sorts of attacks, be it projectiles, magic, or sword. Layering spells was difficult because the magic can interfere with each other, but I found it natural. My Eyes of Fate tracked the path of the invisible runes, allowing to guide them in such a way as to make sure they didn't collide.
Having realized what happened, Ronin frowned. "You girls take that slut. Soltair's all mine."
"With pleasure," Rochelle said, raising her staff. I examined the weapon, and was shocked to find it a relatively high tier magic item. Her power was close to doubled if channeled through it!
She began casting a second-circle spell with the fla elent. I didn't recognize the exact spell, but the runes were coded for a wide area of effect. Kirla kicked off the ground, blasting toward with breath-taking speed. Fortunately, I had an Encircling Winds spell in effect, a first-circle wind spell that created a small cyclone strong enough to deflect most non-magic projectiles.
"Fire Bomb!" Rochelle finished her spell, shooting several small orbs of fire. I flinched back as they detonated in a circle around filling the air with scorching cinders. The Aegis spell shook, but held without a scratch. That was unusual, considering Aegis was a first-circle, and shouldn't hold for more than one hit against anything more powerful.
The smoke was thick around , creating a visual wall. I peered closely, but even my demon eyes couldn't pierce the veil. Even so, Kirla should be here soon, likely using the smoke as a, uh, smokescreen.
My suspicions were proven correct, but Kirla opted for a more blunt approach, ruining her attack with a war cry. I turned just in ti, avoiding her downward slash with barely an inch to spare. Moving with a speed I almost couldn't follow, she recovered her sword and struck three more tis, landing solid blows against the Aegis. Although her sword was enchanted, it still failed to penetrate the spell. I jumped as a few arrows slamd into the Aegis. Where had those co from?
I blew away the smoke with a Gust and looked around. While Kirla pressed the attack up close, Rochelle and Niece circled around to either side, surrounding . I caught a glimpse of Soltair and Ronin fighting on the far side of the arena. Their battle was far more intense, sending shockwaves out that reached us so hundred feet away.
"No more gas," Rochelle said confidently, beginning to cast a fourth-circle spell. "Dispel Magic!"
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