CHAPTER 180: GRIM VS CYRUS - BEGINNING

Kai woke up in the infirmary.

"What? How did I-"

He took immediate notice that his mouth was back and completely healed. His shirt and armour had been removed as well. What little there would have been left of them, anyway.

He immediately noticed that his illusion magic had worn off during his state of unconsciousness.

He readied his shadow magic, ready to take on anyone in his way.

"Don’t tell me. Next time you come in here, we’ll have to reattach a limb or something."

Kai looked over to the origin of a voice he’d heard only recently.

A man with silver-streaked hair and half-moon spectacles looked over a piece of parchment. He cared not of Kai’s appearance.

"You-"

"Put that magic away, boy. I made an oath to heal, not harm, but I can undo the healing I provided for you and do much worse. I’ve told nobody about your..." The doctor looked at Kai’s eyes and ears with intrigue. "...peculiarities."

"Okay... I’ll trust you. What was that about reattaching an arm? You can do that?" Kai asked.

"Not here. Only ranks one to three healing mages can manage something like that. Most we’ve got is a rank four. Me."

"Doctor..."

"Jekel. You can call me doctor Jekel."

"You healed me? But-"

"I tested your body a little while you were unconscious. I don’t need to know why divine healing magic harms you, but I can tell you that I only used healing magic of the earth element. Was tough to repair as much damage as you’d taken. Your chest will leave a scar."

Kai remembered his fight with Tarnil. The blistering heat, and his willingness to sacrifice everything to win.

"Shit, I’ve probably missed the fight!"

"I wouldn’t count on it. You’ve been in here but an hour and it took them something like thirty minutes to pry your opponent’s body from the arena floor. Melted to it like... Well, like a human to concrete, I suppose." Jekel chuckled to himself.

Kai jumped off the bed, pulled a cloak from his shadow space to cover the damage left by Tarnil, and left the infirmary.

On the way out, he saw a man, his skin like charcoal, laying in one of the beds.

When Kai made it onto the stands, he was knocked over and his face was immediately wet. Vepice was crying while on top of him, then hitting his chest.

"V-vepice! I-I’m okay!" He yelled through the hits.

"You nearly died, right? For real? Your face! It was... It was..." She wept.

Kai lifted her off him and stood up, leading her over to their places in the stands.

"That was a good fight, kid." A man said from behind him.

"Rael?" Kai asked as he spun around.

"Yup. Been watching all of your fights. I think the refs let you off with that barrier magic because Tarnil was pushing the limits of what’s allowed for the matches."

"Ah... I thought it was too good to think they didn’t notice."

"You caught onto that? Still, it was impressive. I’ll speak to Tarnil if he recovers. Another stunt like that and he’ll be banned from all professional fights in the citadel."

"I’m glad to hear it."

"I wish you luck with your next fight," Rael half-stood from his seat and peered at the arena. "Looks like they’re about to start."

The last of the tiles on the ground were finally fixed up and the repair crew scuttled away like crabs into the various doors at the edges of the arena.

He turned his gaze toward the arena floor, where the final specks of dust and debris had just been swept away.

"Sorry about the wait, folks!" the announcer called out, voice ringing through the magically-enhanced amphitheater. "We have the fastest fighter to ever grace us in the Arena of Kings! He’s dashing, he’s polite, he’s noble! What more could you want? It’s CYRUUUUUUUUS VALE!"

Cheers erupted in the crowd. Kai saw people waving pennants emblazoned with stylized ’V’ runes, some even wearing white sashes in support of House Vale. The young noble stepped gracefully out from the shadowed entrance tunnel, his rapier gleaming in the light like it had been forged from moonlight and arrogance.

Cyrus nodded politely at the crowd, a modest smile gracing his lips as he raised a single hand to his chest in a knightly gesture. His white and silver uniform fluttered behind him as he strode toward the center of the arena, each step controlled, elegant.

"Always the crowdpleaser," Kai muttered.

Beside him, Vepice was silent, but her breathing had begun to slow. She’d clutched his sleeve tightly since they sat down, her knuckles white, her eyes red.

"I’m really okay." Kai said, reassuring her.

Then, the voice of the announcer struck again, deeper this time, with a subtle edge of tension.

"And his opponent? It’s none other than the dark horse who quit after one successful fight in the tournament last year! He doesn’t charm the crowd, he doesn’t shake hands, and he doesn’t smile, but his strength of will cannot be matched! It’s GRIIIIIIIIIM!"

The cheers that followed were confused. At first sparse, scattered applause, then a few loud whoops, and then, a surprising roar.

Kai turned, astonished.

’Grim had fans?’

Rael, seated just behind him, gave a sharp whistle and clapped.

"You too, Rael?" Kai asked over his shoulder.

"Kid, that guy might be weird as hell, but he’s the real deal. Doesn’t play politics, doesn’t fake bravado. Just shows up, wins, and walks off. That’s worth respect."

Vepice tilted her head. "Didn’t he say like... three words to you?"

"A few. I think he was just sizing me up," Kai said.

"That’s saying something. Grim doesn’t speak to anyone. He’s said maybe less than ten words to me since I’ve known him. Don’t even know where he’s from."

’A complete mystery to everyone, hey? I doubt anyone would mind me turning him into one of my undead soldiers then.’

The crowd fell into a sudden hush.

Grim stepped into the arena, quiet as a shadow.

Instead of the cloak he usually wore, he was now covered by a tightly-fitted training garb with short sleeves that revealed arms marked with faint scars. His boots made no sound on the stone. His long black hair was tied back, and his eyes, deep grey with a faint silver ring, looked through people rather than at them.

He walked like he didn’t notice the tens of thousands of eyes on him. Like the world around him was just noise. Like nothing at all mattered.

As he walked, Kai could have sworn Grim looked at him.

He stopped opposite Cyrus.

Cyrus offered a short bow.

Grim just stood there, unmoving.

Even from the stands, Kai felt it: the air around Grim was heavier. Subtle waves of mana rolled outward like pressure. It wasn’t malicious or even directed, it was just there. Unignorable. At least to him.

Some people might feel sick or steer clear of that density of mana. Like an insect fleeing from the breath of a predator. But those strong enough not to care or stupid enough not to notice would fall prey to the predator.

The announcer, clearly unsure how to handle the silence, fumbled his next words.

"A-and... FIGHT!"