The Next Morning...
A grandiose holographic panel illuminated the massive coliseum, casting an ethereal glow over the eager spectators.
The atmosphere was electric, with the audience on the edge of their seats, their eyes glued to the panel above.
It was finally the moment of the draw, the stage was set for the sixteen chosen fighters of the Spectral Tournament.
Mr. Sogrus ascended onto the stage and motioned toward the holographic panel which began to swirl with intricate, ever-changing patterns of light.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he called out, his voice resonating through the arena, "The moment we've all been waiting for! It's time to decide the brackets!"
He reached out and pressed a button on his crystal device. The swirling lights of the holographic panel started to coalesce into distinct orbs, each representing a fighter.
The orbs started to float randomly, then one by one, they moved toward their designated slots in the bracket.
The first match-up appeared.
The orbs of Avalanche, the snow-white humanoid bear, and Felix's orb moved together, their names appearing side by side on the panel.
A low murmur of anticipation filled the stadium as the audience realized the high-profile match-up in the first round itself!
Next, the orbs of Ravager and Goliath floated away from each other, their names appearing on the edges of the brackets, making everyone understand that those two could only fight at the finals.
The process continued until all the fighters were assigned their places in the bracket.
'I have to fight Avalanche and either Goliath or Ravager in the finals...What a shitty draw.' Even though Felix cursed, not an ounce of fear or bother was seen on his face.
He wasn't intimidated, but mildly irritated by the difficulty of the battles...His last night's preparation had given him an additional boost of confidence to deal with those three monsters.
"Let the battles' begin!"
Following Mr. Sogrus' announcement, the two first contestants graced the stage.
It was no other than Miss Jasmine from group three and Goliath the Jugguarnaut from group four.
As both combatants entered the arena, their respective auras flared up, illuminating the arena with vibrant hues of golden and vibrant red.
Goliath the Jugaurnaut was deserving of such a name as he was a solid figure standing tall at over four meters.
He was a testament to raw strength, his body was a fascinating fusion of metal and earth elements...His skin resembled a blend of rugged terrain and gleaming metal, reflecting the stage lights with an ethereal glow.
On the other side of the platform stood Miss Jasmine, a stark contrast to Goliath's imposing form.
Standing at a modest one meter and a half, she was an embodiment of elegance and grace. Her skin held a gentle, green hue, much like the stem of a rose, that was further accentuated by the soft, floral patterns that decorated her body.
As these two figures stood on the stage, their unique appearances showcased their elemental affinities, setting the platform for the unforgettable spectacle that was about to unfold.
'I hope she at least makes him use some of his new trump cards.' Felix thought as he watched Miss Jasmine initiate the battle.
"Whirlwind Vines!"
With a graceful twirl, her hands danced in the air, summoning a whirlwind of thorny vines which sprung forth from the ground, entwining themselves around Goliath!
The audience gasped as the sharp thorns bit into his rocky skin, poison seeping into his veins!
She was a plant/poison elementalist and was one of Boss Gideon's reputable representatives due to her always qualifying for the tournament and sometimes reaching even the semi-finals.
Alas, Goliath wasn't called a monster for no reason.
He merely grunted, his body radiating with heat as the metal element within him reacted to the poison, neutralizing it!
With a roar that echoed through the arena, he stomped his foot onto the ground.
Earth and magma elements melded together...The ground underneath Miss Jasmine cracked open, spewing a fountain of molten magma toward her!
Swift as a deer, Miss Jasmine evaded the blast of magma, summoning a barrage of toxic darts made of plant matter and launching them toward Goliath.
He responded by erecting a wall of solid metal, blocking the lethal barrage!
As the fight ensued, Goliath manipulated the terrain to his advantage, using his mastery over earth and magma to launch relentless attacks, each more fierce than the last.
Jasmine, on the other hand, used her poison to corrode his defenses while using her plant abilities to heal her injuries and evade attacks.
Unfortunately, the tournament had a HP system and no matter how much Jasmine healed herself, those direct hits still registered.
So, the battle ended in Goliath's favor the instant he landed the last twentieth hit, causing the fight to conclude between them.
Clap Clap Clap!!
The audience cheered as they watched Miss Jasmine walking down the arena with a disappointed expression.
She knew the battle was done the moment she matched against Goliath due to his elements countering hers heavily, which caused her to receive many hits in such a short time.
'I used to watch battles end only with death or surrender, this feels off.' Felix shook his head, unsatisfied by the outcome of the fight, feeling like he was left with no closure.
Sadly, this was the reality of having no death or UVR in the spirit realm.
No matter how the spirits attempted to make their lives resemble the living world, at the end of the day, they were still dead.
This Hit Threshold System was the only thing making sure the battles end in a decent duration and if it wasn't for it, the spirits might continue torturing each other until one of them finally caved into the pain.
"Next constants! Please step forward!"
'It's my turn.'
After the applause died down, Felix glanced at the screen and saw that his battle was next.
He fixed his clothes and walked to the platform from one side while Avanlence was gracing it from the other.
The moment both of them landed on the arena, the entire colosseum exploded in frenzied cheers and the bets started flying in on each side.
While Felix had demonstrated himself to be a deadly fighter, he was still not as renowned as Avalanche, making the gambling dens give a much higher pay on his win.
'If only I was able to bet on myself, I would have come out of this tournament ten times richer.' Felix sighed while cracking his fingers.
The moment Felix learned about gambling in the tournaments, his first thought was to always bet on himself.
Unfortunately, his hopes were soon dashed by Sekiro as he informed him that combatants and their servants were incapable of putting money into any battle they were participating in.
It was done like this to stop them from throwing battles for the sake of a good payoff.
If he dared to make a shady deal with outsiders and threw the fight either way, he would get found out easily as the legal authorities were the ones responsible for such investigations.
They weren't to be f*cked around with if they had full investigation access.
So, Felix dropped the thought entirely.
"Both combatants ready?" Mr. Sogrus asked.
"Mmm."
Avalanche nodded with a sleepy look, seemingly wanting this battle to end as fast as possible to return to his slumber.
"You may begin."
Felix permitted indifferently, making Mr. Sogrus' eyelids twitch at his commanding tone. Still, he swallowed his displeasure and kicked off the battle immediately.
"FIGHT!"
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