"Huh?! You all let a Natal Spirit qualify? Are you too weak to even eliminate someone at this level?!"
Molark, a Fused Spirit who qualified from the first group sneered as he looked at me mockingly.
Honestly, he's one of the weakest in their group. For someone who just got lucky to stay standing to be qualified, does he have the right to mock the real powerhouses of their stage? Is he having a deathwish?
"Shut up weakling. Look at who your first opponent is."
Ferbil, the 2nd name on the top list of the favorites and someone from my group threw the newly delivered match-up schedule to him. Since it's convenient to use the already split group, they just matched the 8 of us to the 8 of them, and by the stroke of bad luck, that guy who's sneering and mocking them became my first opponent. Karma eh?
While they're sneering at each other's faces, I'm sitting calmly without feeling any pressure. Should I just suggest to hold the Individual Matches in the same battle royale format?
For sure, they wouldn't agree and all of the Fused Spirit here will feel like they were being mocked by me.
I already stood out but it will be another type of standing out if I did that.
Alright. I'll let them feel it's possible to defeat me.
I was watching out for possible spies that were also disguised like me during the competition, but it's unlikely for them to send one in on a small competition like this.
Some of these Fused Spirits have made a name for themselves across the Spiritas Federation. Since they're in a somewhat perpetual war against the Spirit Beasts, most of them honed themselves on skirmishes against them. And with the addition of the Invading Forces, they needed to up their game.
We were given a 2-hour break to restore ourselves to peak condition. Even though I don't really need it, being given a chance to take a break is bliss in itself.
I stood up and left the still arguing Fused Spirits. Though they felt the threat in me, they still believed that as Fused Spirit, if it comes to one on one, they could best me.
"How does it feel? To stand out like that."
Along my way out of the coliseum, I was stopped by a voice. I followed the direction where it came from and saw a smiling Yumiko, still in her shrine maiden attire and holding a candied fruit on a stick in her hand. Behind her was Jayna, holding the same thing as well as sporting the same kind of smile as Yumiko.
These girls found my performance amusing. Judging from where they came from, they went out to buy those candies from the stall outside. That was reminiscent of the candied apple that was popular during festivals but since there's no apple here, they used another type of fruit which is a native here.
"It's dreadful? But yeah, hearing the cheers for me is good to the ears."
I answered as I went near them. Yumiko handed me the candied fruit on her hand before taking out another.
"I now understand why Yumiko asked if you like bullying the weak. She's right about your strength."
Jayna also chimed in as she stared at my face, there's a sparkling glint on it as she took in the craft she made.
"Err. If there's another way to get the Orb then I wouldn't do this, you know?"
There's probably that way by pledging again but yeah, it would mean someone will be added again. As much as possible, I'll stray away from that. It feels like something or someone was forcing the girls who I made a pledge with to be attached to me.
Though I eventually came to like them, there's that bit of guilty conscience when I think of Yuko.
"Why not? It's amusing really, but remember to run away and go to the place I told you to after you get the stone."
Yumiko said. With only what I showed, she already determined that I will win this competition.
"Alright. Will Jayna be there? Actually, I could dispel this by myself."
I didn't hide this anymore, it will be a hassle to wait for them somewhere. And I also have to go to the gambling houses to claim my winnings in this form.
"Eh? How? Even father couldn't do that."
Jayna was in disbelief. For her, her father is one of the strongest Noble Spirits, if he couldn't dispel it then no one can.
"A trade secret? Anyway, you both don't have to worry about this. I will really run away immediately.
I saw your father's eyes were already fixated on me. You don't want someone not real to be your spirit-pair, right?"
I could show it to her later but not now. She accepted my answer and didn't pursue it any further after Yumiko whispered something to her.
"Eh… you're right. He kept talking about Ember. That's also why we went out, I might spill that we know you."
Jayna looked down, embarrassed.
"This girl is bad at keeping secrets she made so during the break, we will stay away from her father."
Yumiko explained.
Secrets she made? If it's other's secrets, she could keep it to herself?
"Alright. I'll go outside first before going back to the waiting room. Someone might see us here."
After separating from them, I arrived outside the coliseum and was welcomed by the sight of food stalls lining up at the entrance. Upon seeing me, the audience who was also taking a break flocked towards me.
Only now did I realize how bad of an idea it is to show up before the public after that show I made.
I immediately went back in, with the candied fruit in my mouth.
After the 2-hour break, the first of the Individual Matches will start.
With the top favorite fighting first, the crowd was immediately excited.
The Fused Spirit called Trax is the one at the top list, the rate on betting for him was 1:1.1 though it's only 10%, most of them determined that there's no one but him who could win this competition.
He's a famous Fused Spirit that was said to have killed a Spirit Beast equivalent to a Transformed Spirit during the previous skirmish. With his 5 Streams of connection to the Spirit Ocean, the first match ended in a matter of seconds, not giving any chance to his unlucky opponent.
After winning, he walked back to the waiting area and when our gaze met, he nodded. Maybe only he gauged my real strength during that battle royale. Is he looking forward to fighting me?
In the following matches, it was always someone at the top list who won the match. There's no other dark horse apart from.
Soon after 5 matches, my turn came.
As soon as I appeared from the waiting room, the cheering from the audience peaked. It was even louder than when Trax ended his match beautifully.
At the side, Molark could be seen grinding his teeth. According to the others, this guy only has 3 Streams of Connection so he's really weaker than the other participants who qualified. They're all either 4 or 5 Streams.
Well, I also saw him fight earlier. When faced with someone stronger, he will run away. That tactic helped him survive the battle royale.
"Those idiots think I couldn't beat a Natal Spirit? Come. I'll give you 3 strikes. If you made me move on this spot in 3 strikes, I will concede defeat."
With a high and mighty attitude, Molark declared which earned him boos from the crowd.
This guy, is he serious? I thought this kind of guy only existed in fiction but to see one in the flesh. Don't blame me for taking you up on your offer, alright?
"Are you sure?"
I asked him before materializing my Spiritual Twin. Three strikes eh? I only need one.
"Of course! Come!"
He shouted. He even knocked both of his fists together as he took a stance that he probably thought would stop me.
Right after those words came out of his mouth, my Spiritual Twin already lunged towards him, with the Potential Drawing at the maximum, it immediately appeared in front of him and with a punch covered with a dense amount of Spirit Energy, it accurately hit his chest.
Boom!
With a sound of something exploding, the crowd could see a cloud of dust springing up as Molark's body flew backwards until it hit the wall where he was stopped as his whole body burrowed inside it.
And then silence followed. I turned around and walked back to the waiting room even before the audience recovered from what they witnessed.
It's only a single punch and from a Spiritual Twin no less. Err… there's no use trying to not stand out. I have to get the Orb soon so we could start at what's our real objective in this world. I feel bad for whoever is standing guard at that breach back on Earth.
"Ooooohhhh! Ember! Ember! Ember!"
The crowd finally recovered and they cheered even louder like their lungs will probably be coughed out soon after.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om