The top five (1)

The first match to decide the top five started. It was a match between two heirs. 

The crowd didn't like either so they were eager to see them beat each other. 

There were also some who knew how eccentric the young heir of the Merchant Union could be. Stories about his weird actions were spread out far and wide. Many here hoped to witness him in action.

"Why not name your price so we don't lose time on this?" Erick asked loud and clear, surprising the spectators with his directness.

Hex too was surprised. So far, neither of the twins had seemed remarkable. They didn't mingle with others nor had they done anything to stand out.

But seeing Erick standing in the middle of a fully seated Arena, exuding confidence and calmness, Hex had to reassess the young man.

'He doesn't care about his image nor is he afraid of his opponent. A pragmatic man like him could be troublesome.'

Erick's question put the audience on the edge of their seats. They awaited Sterling's answer. The silver-haired young man was known to be unpredictable in matters concerning coins.

But even with all eyes on Sterling, the heir of the Merchant Union wasn't flustered. A soft smile hung on his lips as his eyes remained on Erick.

"Time is money. By selling the match to you I will indeed kill two birds with one arrow, earning both coins and time," Sterling replied with a laugh.

His relaxed behavior suggested he was open to the deal. Even though Hex had expected such a thing to occur, he still felt annoyed.

'Why is everyone hell-bent on burning the world?'

The world around him didn't care about his worries though. The crowd was eager to see Sterling's decision. Even though they preferred to see blood, witnessing Sterling's antics in battle would also be worth it to them.

"So," pressed Erick, "are you willing?"

"Of course," Sterling said. But just as Erick started to smile, Sterling attacked. From under his long and wide sleeve needles flew toward Erick.

Erick stumped by the sudden attack, tried to evade at the last moment. But just as he dodged them, they exploded.

The small size of the needles held a great amount of energy. The shockwave of each explosion spread out to the stands. Those close by even suffered some minor injuries.

"Cough…bastard!" Erick jumped out of the dust that flew up. 

A vague outline of an armor made of blue light flickered around his body. 

A synchronized shock went through the crowd. They didn't expect Squires to exhibit elemental skills. Hex was also one of the people gaping at the sight before him.

"Customized Knight-grade equipment," Althea whispered.

"But I thought Squires aren't able to use Knight-grade equipment?" Hex whispered back. He still remembered when he visited the Union Market and Hestia had explained the various grades to him.

On the stage, Sterling only laughed as he continued to attack Erick, who was defending and trying to build a counterattack.

"Customized Knight grade equipment is special. It requires a grandmaster class smith to forge," Althea explained as the participant continued to battle. "Forging requires high-grade resources and takes years of data to be made. Such equipment is only found in great clans and organizations that can be traced hundreds or even thousands of years back."

'Fucking rich guys,' Hex cursed inwardly. He couldn't help but feel envious of the resources they had access to. 

'I guess the techniques I have access to are also a source of envy for others,' Hex consoled himself. 

The battle between Erick and Sterling raged on. But it was clear that Sterling was stronger or at least with better equipment.

His needles were fast and limitless. Cracks had started to appear in Erick's armor. The battle was long drawn. 

Their techniques were simple and uncomplicated to understand. One depended on using his wristbow to shoot arrows with different effects such as explosion, piercing, and smokescreens.

The other used his armor made of blue light to resist the attack. 

Both also possessed movement techniques. Erick's technique was a burst type. Hex noticed quickly that he had only moved in straight lines so far.

Sterling's movement technique was a bit more complex. He was like water on the stage, slippery and quick.

According to Althea's explanation, the equipment and the techniques of both people on the stage required a lot of energy, draining them quickly.

But once again they showed their wealth off. Both downed energy potions as if it was water. 

Seeing them act like this, Hex rolled his eyes. 'These potions are sold for a thousand coins per vial. They have drunk more than ten thousand coins by now.'

The people had been excited at the start of the match but after watching and waiting for an hour, they started to get bored. They watched silently, waiting for one of them to run out of potions.

Crack!

The sudden noise attracted Hex's attention. He saw the armor around Erick crack at uncountable times so far but this time Erick didn't down a potion.

'He is out of energy,' Hex thought.

Soon, more people started to notice it. At once their bored looks were replaced by excited cheers.  They knew the match could be decided at any moment now.

Sterling didn't disappoint. He unleashed a blindingly bright glowing needle. The needle was fast. Its power was far greater than all the other needles so far.

Erick, who was gasping for breath, couldn't evade this time. The needle exploded against the armor, shattering it.

The explosion sent shockwaves that made people in the nearby rows pass out. Dust and smoke hung in the air.

People held their breath waiting for the arena to clear up. Some even suspected that Erick might have died. Only a few like Hex had seen the blur move past them.

As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, they saw Erick protected by a shield made of water. Erick lay passed out behind it.

"You went too far," Ericka said coldly. Her voice was mesmerizing but the coldness radiating from her eyes sent chills through the spine of the spectators.

'She is stronger than her brother,' Hex concluded. He could sense the power contained inside her.

"Maybe," Sterling said with a chuckle. "But I just wished to give you a combo deal."

"What do you mean?" Ericka asked with a frown.

"Simple. To win, all the rewards you both get will be mine. To let him live, an extra ten thousand. A good deal, don't you think?"

Hex looked at the grinning silver-haired young man in the arena. Sterling seemed aware of the twins' desire to reach the top five. But instead of agreeing on the deal before the match, he offered it at the end. 

The tournament rules didn't forbid interference from others. As such, Sterling still could kill Erick and it would be legal.

"Deal." 

Ericka didn't hesitate. She accepted it immediately. 

"If you give an additional twenty thousand, Ella will forfeit too."

"Deal."

With that, two matches ended at the same time. The top five were decided. 

It was time for the third match. It was a match that would surely take place. 

Hex walked to the stage, ready to face Born.