Master of Pain and Illusions

Nozomi steps back on the stage after discussing and renegotiating with more challengers. She has the list in her hand and announces. “The second round of matches start now. First will be…” she looks over the paper. “King Patran versus Hisoki.”

Hisoki steps forward as King Patran does toward the ring before Vic grabs Hisoki’s shoulder. “Hey, wait. Are you sure you wanna go up there? This guy is dangerous.”

“I think I know exactly how dangerous he is, Vic.” he gently moves Vic’s hand off of his shoulder and steps into the ring.

“I hope as a fool you take no qualms in losing to a king.” King Patran says to Hisoki, extending the scepter as it taps the ring. “It is your rightful place.”

Hisoki doesn’t give a sharp comeback. He instead fans himself with his gloved hand. “Is it hot in here?” he looks around. “Anyone else hot?”

Nozomi shakes her head. King Patran rolls his eyes. “No. It’s not. You’re stalling my triumph over this fluff everyone calls a ‘Gauntlet’.”

“Enough. You may begin.” Nozomi says.

Before Hisoki steps forward; King Patran takes a bow to Hisoki as a show of respect. Hisoki does the same. Once the both come up, Patran waits with his hands resting on top of his scepter.

Hisoki doesn’t pull out a magic item, but instead just his sword from the scabbard and approaches slowly. Vic pinches his brow seeing this. “Damn it, kid. You could’ve beat him by now if you just-”

“Halt.” King Patran declares and Hisoki’s body stops and stays that way mid step. “Kneel.” and just like that Hisoki kneels, sword flat against the ground. “See my audience? This king will have his court and his entertainment.” pointing to the kneeling jester. “I’d like to have you tell me a joke, but my ability limits me from forcing words from your mouth. Instead…” he gives it some thought. “Bleed.”

Blood pours from Hisoki’s mouth and nose. Vic tilts his hat down, looking away. Lyco grabs him. “What are you doing?” Lyco asks him.

“I’m not watching this.” Vic admits.

“You need to, if you’re going to be a knight. He might be on your team one day. This could also happen to me if I’m on your team. You have to see this. He might be your friend, but, you have to witness this.”

Vic turns back around to watch. Although he’s surprised when Hisoki isn’t looking fearful, he’s looking up at Patran with nothing but a smile. Like he still thinks he can win.

“It seems my entertainment likes my humor!” King Patran says to the audience.

“No, that’s not it at all.” Hisoki admits. “I figured out how your ability works.” he coughs a little more blood.

“Is that so? Not that it matters now. I will secure my spot in the next challenge with this victory. Go on. Explain what you believe is my ability.” He waves at the jester as though to beckon the answer out of him.

“Your power is acknowledgment, by agreeing to your… Status. You can command that target to do anything, the only problem is you can only command one person at a time.” the jester explains this through his clearly exhausted breaths.

“Bravo! Bravo… You figured it out. You deserve a reward. How about, Pain.” King Patran awaits to hear the same cries that his last victim gives but nothing, he turns back to Hisoki and he’s not kneeling anymore, he’s standing leaving his sword on the floor. “Hey! I didn’t say stand!”

“I know, I just thought I’d tell you something like a joke. It’s a bit of irony?” Hisoki steps toward the king. Who is looking less composed now.

“Stop!” nothing. The jester takes another step. “Bleed!” blood comes from the jesters mouth and nose but still he steps forward.

“The funny thing is, I know a little bit about acknowledgment. I just don’t need a bow or put something in front of my name to make it happen.” Hisoki reaches out to King Patran.

“Impossible!” the king yells and hits Hisoki with his scepter several times. Hard hits that make even Nozomi turn away for a moment. When Hisoki hits the floor King Patran yells at Nozomi. “Get counting!”

Nozomi gets to three before Hisoki stands up. “That’s not going to work. You didn’t let me finish, anyway. Remember that question I asked you at the beginning? Before the fight started. You acknowledged your sense of touch to me. Which gave me a way in to envelope all of your senses.”

King Patran steps back not understanding what this means at first. “You’re not real! This has all been an illusion!”

“Correct. Every one of the challengers here can see what you see. Because they acknowledged their sense of touch too. Because I saw their reactions to my question. The me you are talking to right now isn’t real. And the real me never acknowledged you as a king or royalty.”

“This isn’t-this can’t be! A mere performer can’t take my stage! I was supposed to become a god to the people!”

“A God… Let me tell you something only you will hear—” The fake Hisoki whispers something only King Patran can hear. “You don’t even deserve to be a false god.” The fake Hisoki melts into a puddle, the world itself around Patran and only him spins, making him feel so ill that he falls back. The illusion fades as the real Hisoki is sitting in the middle of the ring reading a book as he fades back into reality like a literal smokescreen being peeled back. “I thought a you of all people liked a jester in your court?” Hisoki stands, the book poofs away from his hand.

“Bleed!” King Patran yells. “Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain!” a last ditch effort to gain control over the situation.

“I didn’t acknowledge your status. Remember? I just got through explaining this. Surrender, I won’t accept anything less.” he draws his sword, pointing it at the kings face.

The king sits there, completely at a loss for words. Grinding his teeth, outfit disheveled, his crown slanted. “I admit defeat…” he says.

“Winner, Hisoki.” Nozomi says.

As Hisoki puts away his sword, “I do owe you a bow from the real me since you were so generous.” Hisoki gives it to him and turns to walk away.

Right as Hisoki is stepping out of the ring, King Patran says. “Pain.” what is supposed to be unimaginable pain that nearly crippled the last person for good, it only makes Hisoki stop for a moment and keep walking down the stairs. Nozomi throws a knife beside King Patran’s boot.

“The fight is over. Remove it and get out of the ring.” The King gets to his feet, and removes the effect. Taking his place outside the ring.

Hisoki stands next to Vic. Vic gives him a nudge. “You had me worried. You put us all under an illusion?”

“Just the people I could see acknowledging the question I asked about temperature in the room.” Hisoki answers honestly.

“Jeez, where was that when we needed it back in the forest?”

“I can’t show my larger array of spells. And illusions are some of my best.”

“You’re right. Forget I said anything.”

Nozomi announces, “The next match. Lyco versus Vic.”

“Oh shit,” Vic says looking at Lyco who looks at him through the mask. “Guess we gotta do this.”

Lyco nods. “It seems so!” he sounds almost excited.

They step in the ring. Lyco is already prepared with his sword drawn. Vic is prepared for anything Lyco has for him.

“Begin when ready.” Nozomi says.

“I know about your weapon, Vic. It’s fast. But no weapon that has that much speed without a drawback.” Lyco points his sword at Vic.

“Just the draw.” Two bangs ring out when Vic finishes the statement. His weapon smoking from the barrel, Lyco’s helmet is split open on the right side, revealing his slime face.

Lyco recomposes himself, leaping at Vic with his armor glowing orange, Vic dives under and behind him while Lyco swings that sword. He misses and Vic throws up a glass bottle of liquid at the neckline of the orange glowing armor and it explodes covering the face of Lyco in burning fluids.

“That is lantern oil. I use it to start fires when I’m lazy. There’s gotta be a limit to your heat resistance. I figured destroying your helmet and having your armor ignite oil against your face would be a good test.”

Lyco isn’t yelling, his entire head is engulfed in the flames, sword has been planted in the ring while he takes a knee. Vic can’t go near him due to the armor still being hot. But instantly the armor goes blue and a misty cold settles in. Head still a flame as he stands up. “Vic, I hope that really wasn’t your best.” He picks the sword up and swings so fast that Vic doesn’t have the time to move. Smashing into his armored arm, he swears he felt a crunch. The armor cracked; he can’t bend his fingers without pain.

Vic shoots at the neckline of the armor between the flames on Lyco’s face. Shattering the chest using the instant change in temperature to do so. Which surprises Lyco as the flames fade finally, his slimy chest and face exposed, only his arms are coated in the armor now. “Really Vic? I can just summon my armor again.”

“Then do it, slime ball. Go on.” Vic demands it while pointing his gun at him.

Lyco hesitates, and instead casts off the armor entirely and drops his sword. “Is this what you really want, Vic?” Lyco puts his slimy hands on his hips.

“Yeah, I got no problem with the armor. I got a problem with the liar in the armor. Now come on!”

“Vic, you can’t even reload your weapon anymore with that arm. Those projectiles won’t work on me. You are just wasting your time…” Vic struggles to stay standing from the pain in his arm. Lyco could swear he sees a tear forming in his left eye before he tilts his head down to hide his face with his hat.

Vic charges at Lyco, emptying his weapon. Each shot pierces through the slime body. He drops the peacemaker and draws his knife, slicing through Lyco’s form. Which makes Lyco sigh. “This isn’t doing anything Vic. I’m not some ordinary slime you can chop away with a knife. You need power. Something you just don’t have.” he grabs Vic’s wrist mid swing, which he can’t pull out of Lyco’s grip. “I could suffocate you like I was going to do with Sadi, not to the point where your brain stops working, but enough. Although, I have a better idea.” he grabs Vic by the neck and lifts him up and slams him into the floor of the ring; knocking Vic’s hat off, dragging him to the edge and then summoning his armor again. His grip is so tight that it makes Vic gag. A sound Hisoki had never heard from Vic.

Lyco proceeds to throw Vic out of the ring. As he hits the floor, Lyco is already picking up Vic’s weapon and his hat for him.

“Winner, Lyco.” Nozomi says.

Lyco hops down and offers a hand to Vic as he’s sitting up on the floor. “No hard feelings, right?”

Vic stares at him and takes his hand to be helped up. “Right…” Vic says, taking his hat back first then his weapon. “We’re good now.”

Lyco sighs in relief. “Thank you, I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… I am too. Now shut up, I wanna see the next matches.”

“Danial versus Ayok… Ayok is the winner by default due to Danial’s death in the last round.” Nozomi says. “Next match will be Maiyori versus Nathan.” Nathan steps in the ring, and so does Maiyori. “Begin!”

Maiyori bows to him with her hands together. “May Adonai protect you…”

Nathan runs in to attack her when his weapon shatters against the back of her head. “S-shit! What the hell are you?”

She raises her head to look him gently in the eyes, “There is no worry of hell, child.” she touches him and he falls on the floor, unconscious and unharmed. “Find peace in this temporary rest…”

“I know where this is going, no need for a ten count. Maiyori is the winner. Next is Michaelangelo versus Gradia.”

This fight is more a result of precision. Michaelangelo didn’t stand a chance the moment the round began. Gradia disarms Michael using his poleaxe, causing Michaelangelo to surrender.

“Gradia wins.” Nozomi says. “Next shall be Mesuu versus Augustus.”

Augy steps into the ring and Mesuu blinks into it with her light magic. “You may begin.” is all Nozomi says before she blinks forward and chops at Augy’s neckline. Gashing him open with her sword, blood pours out from the speed, a line of it drawn across the floor and ceiling, some even landing on Nozomi’s boot.

“There you go, mutt… Now bleed out.” She attempts to pull out her sword from Augy’s wound but instead he grabs her shoulder. “Y-you can move?”

“I’m still a werewolf. I just have all of my wits about me.” He reaches for her neck and she blinks away, leaving her sword behind in Augy. “Oh darn, you are indeed very fast. Good thing too, I would’ve given you a similar wound.” he pulls out the sword and his wound heals. Then he snaps the sword with his bare hands. “You don’t need that, right?”

“Oh shit…” She panics and summons a light sword then blinks to him, slashes and blinks back which makes another gash on his arm, but then he heals. “Damn it, you heal too fast!”

“Should have brought some silver, that would’ve made my wounds stay a long time.” Augy takes a step and she takes one back.

She then considers something and smiles, pulling out silver pieces from another kingdom and throws them at Augy, enhanced by her light magic, he can’t dodge them as they pierce through his arms when he blocks his face and straight through his shoulder, he gives a grunt of pain and the wound doesn’t heal. She aims another at his head and he pulls out a collapsible shield that envelops the top half of his body. “Nice try!” she throws more, the coins catch the shield but don’t pierce it. “Th-that’s not possible! They are going as fast as light! It should ignore your shield’s durability!”

“My shield dispels magic and stops projectiles instantly on contact.” Augy explains and rushes her, she blinks behind him and swings her light sword toward his neck. He turns and smacks the light sword causing it to shatter against his shield then grabs her by the neck, hitting her twice in the stomach with his immense strength, causing her to spit up on herself. He hesitates on the third when she flinches. “Do you give up?”

“Y-yes! No more!” she begs and Augy sets her down gently and offers a handshake while she’s panting, holding her stomach.

“Winner, Augy.” Nozomi says, Mesuu shakes his massive hand. “Next… Yoteh versus Anthony.”

This fight is quite drawn out. Anthony runs from Yoteh’s attacks like a coward. Every ice beam barely misses him until Yoteh switches tactics and begins throwing ice orbs that track Anthony quite fast using heat. Anthony nearly runs into Yoteh, who, using his fast reaction, dodges Anthony but can’t dodge his own ice orbs that suddenly hit him, freezing him solid, completely subdued by his own attack.

There is no need for a count. “Winner, and I can’t believe I’m saying this… Anthony.” Nozomi says regretfully. “Next, Khenen versus Stephon.” Yoteh’s body is removed from the ring by two knights that appear using teleportation magic. Khenen steps into the ring, the meek boy even holds his arm like he’s injured. Stephon steps into the ring, surprisingly recovering from the paralysis poison, moving his shoulders like they are still kind of stiff; once in the ring he squats a few times to check his knees. He seems very prepared for Khenen’s ability. “You may begin.”

Right after Nozomi declares it, the blacksmith forms a massive magma shield and charges Khenen. Khenen says “sstt”, which stabs a hole straight through the hardened magma shield and punches Stephon so hard in the stomach he falls over from some kind of invisible force, he passes out. Nozomi looks over him for a second. “Ten count not needed… Winner, Khenen.” Khenen leaves the ring. “Lets have… Gabb and Matt next.” Gabb enters the ring, her dagger already primed and Matt joins, still shaken from the pain he felt from his match with King Patran. “You may start.”

Matt attempts to cast his dark magic but he stumbles to one knee just as Gabb is about to rush him, he holds up a hand, heavily breathing. “I give up… I can’t continue. Every time I move I get waves of the pain I had previously felt. Like my body can’t forget it.”

“Damn…” Gabb puts away her dagger. “I was hoping to see your skill at least once.”

“Winner, Gabb.” Nozomi announces while they both leave the ring. “Next… Sadi versus Timmy.” Nozomi looks over to see Timmy still asleep from his fight. “Right… Winner. Sadi.” Sadi crosses her arms and sneers. She heads to the wall and sits against it to rest since there’s nothing more for her to do. “Instead, Strom versus Tenzent.”

Strom and Tenzent’s fight is one of stamina. Tenzent saw how Strom fights, which he does again. Falling into the same habit of swinging relentlessly, which Tenzent dodges with much care until he sees something he can use and casts a water spell that slashes at the swing of Strom’s massive sword, causing that sword to snap in two, and Strom to take that massive water slice to his armored body; sliding him to the edge and plopping him right outside the ring. To which Tenzent explains. “You had a massive crack in your blade after your fight with that fellow there with the poleaxe. I merely took advantage of your well worn weapon and unwavering attacks. You fought well, but you need to learn your opponents better. Try your best next year.” Tenzent tells him as he leaves the ring.

“Winner, Tenzent. The next and final match of round two will be Melleni versus Kelet.” Once they enter the ring, Kelet has bandages around her body from the gash she was given in her earlier fight. She seems pretty sure as she readies her massive daggers with the chain in between them. “Begin.”

Melleni shoots two arrows, Kelet is careful to dodge and rush Melleni who actually has to defend herself with her bow only. Deflecting the blade swipes with just her bow as the chain snags the bow and Melleni is fully disarmed. Her bow slides out of the ring right in front of Vic’s feet. She only has the arrows on her back and her hands. She pulls out one arrow, waiting for Kelet to swing. When she does, that arrow is magically planted through her clothing, missing her flesh. Kelet steps back and finds that she bumps a wall. She’s been teleported to one of the arrows that missed her earlier outside of the ring while Melleni has remained inside the ring. She didn’t even notice that she already lost.

“Winner, Melleni. To those who have lost twice may leave or you may remain to witness the sudden death rounds. The sudden death rounds will only comprise of those who have won one match and lost another. Take some time to rest while I consider who will be facing who.” Nozomi leaves the ring for a moment to consider the sudden death rounds while Hisoki, Vic, and Lyco look at each other.

“All three of us are going into sudden death against three others.” Hisoki says it first.

“Actually… You and I might be one of those rounds.” Lyco corrects Hisoki.

“Right, and King Patran is going into the sudden death rounds too. And… Ayok?”

“And Michaelangelo.” Vic says.

“I can’t fight Vic again.” Lyco says. “And neither can you.” he points at Hisoki. “But, you also can’t fight King Patran.”

“So I have a high chance of fighting you, Ayok, or Michaelangelo.” Hisoki contemplates fighting Lyco more than anything.

Lyco says, “And I have the chance to fight the same people plus King Patran or you. I’ve got the worst odds because you two have fought two people that have ended up in sudden death.”

Vic is relaxed though. “Not worried even a little. Doesn’t really matter who I get. I’ve seen all of their strengths and know how to beat them all.”

“Speak for yourself, King Patran over there had to have someone beat him with a spell similar to his own ability!” Lyco practically yells.

“And? Hisoki said just don’t acknowledge the creep’s royalty and you’re fine.”

“Vic… Not to rain on your parade, but I just kinda guessed. The fact that he admitted it while in the illusion was no less than a miracle. And he still might be lying about an aspect of it.” Hisoki says looking a little nervous about the explanation.

Vic thinks it over. “Nah, you got him nailed, Clown. If I fight him. He’s mine. No different than the other two I could fight.”

That’s when Nozomi steps back into the ring.