Chapter 27: Tropical Madness!

Airelina Frembell

"Eeeeeeeh? Totally!?" I exclaimed, my reaction bordering on the verge of disbelief, as Amphy's words sank in.

With just thirty minutes remaining before the second round of the tournament, Amphy and I found ourselves engaged in a lively conversation near the backstage restroom. Our voices reverberated, filling the space with our animated chatter. Thankfully, the noise was contained within these walls, shielding our discussion from prying ears. It was a safe haven where we could speak freely.

Amphy began recounting his miraculous escape from the treacherous Chevalier Unit Compound. As he delved into the details, I initially dismissed his mention of Richard being alive as a joke. However, as he continued to speak, there was an undeniable conviction in his words that left me reconsidering my initial skepticism.

Curiously, Amphy had no knowledge of the type of dragon Richard had become. I had never divulged that information to him. Yet, his description of the ethereal floating ball of lights resonated with me, adding a peculiar weight of credibility to his seemingly outlandish tale.

"Erm... I'm not entirely sure," I admitted, my hand gently scratching my cheek. "You're the one who witnessed him being struck down by Kyle Leviticus' sword, right?"

Amphy nodded, his expression filled with concern. "Yeah, but Brow also saw it happen. Richard was definitely struck in the heart, as far as I can recall." A hint of worry laced his voice. "However, we were unable to recover his body."

I pondered the events of that fateful day when we initially formed the pact of the Vesryn Pulse. It was during that encounter with the Pentagram Knights that we were ambushed, our exhaustion leaving us vulnerable. In the nick of time, Estoff came to our rescue, saving both Amphy and me. Brow, too, had been saved by Estoff when he was impaled to the ground. It became evident that Estoff held the answers we sought.

"Perhaps I'll seek answers from Estoff later," I suggested, offering a reassuring smile to my adorable knight. "But for now, let's shift our focus to our upcoming battle, alright? We have to give it our all! Totally!"

Amphy's spirits immediately lifted, his eyes now ablaze with determination. He raised his fist, ready for a fist bump. "You're absolutely right!" he declared. Without hesitation, I reciprocated, meeting his fist with mine. "Let's go!"

Just as our hands connected, our names echoed through the venue, announced by the enthusiastic emcee. The crowd erupted in wild cheers, their energy filling the air. This was it—the moment we had been waiting for.

"Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for an electrifying showdown! In this corner, we have Amphere Harrison! And in the opposite corner, we have Maya Bullwick!" the emcee's voice boomed, signaling the start of our battle.

Maya Bullwick, a petite woman with brown hair, exuded an aura of youthful innocence. Her hair was intricately braided, as if her mother had lovingly styled it for her. While undeniably cute, she couldn't quite match up to my level of cuteness. Totally!

Standing beside her was her dragonoid partner, a tall, tan man donning a vibrant red-and-white cap. His appearance hinted at a background hailing from a tropical country overseas, adding an intriguing element to their duo.

The two knights faced each other in the center of the dusty arena, their eyes locked in determination. They fastened the shield plates onto the left side of their chests and unsheathed their weapons. Maya wielded a pair of gleaming scimitars, ready to unleash her formidable skills, while her dragonoid partner held an object that, at first glance, resembled a roll of toilet paper. However, I speculated it might be a valuable scroll or artifact of some sort.

With the deafening roar of the crowd, signaling the commencement of the battle, the stage was set for an epic clash of skill and strategy.

"Let the battle begin!"

In a swift and surprising move, the enemy dragonoid launched the first attack. He tore off pieces of napkin from his roll, confirming my earlier suspicion that it was indeed a roll of toilet paper. To my astonishment, he flung the napkin shreds towards me, utilizing them as makeshift shurikens. With nimble footwork, I skillfully danced to the left and right, effortlessly evading his peculiar weaponry as I closed the distance between us.

Amphy and Maya, on the other hand, engaged in a fierce swordfight, reminiscent of epic battles from pirate movies. Amphy, restricted to using a single photon saber, found himself at a disadvantage against Maya's dual scimitars. Instead of attempting to block her relentless slashes and hacks, Amphy resorted to swift evasive maneuvers. However, even with his agile movements, he couldn't completely avoid all the attacks, resulting in some of his shield power being chipped away.

Meanwhile, I faced no trouble with my opponent. The tissue shurikens proved to be no match for my reflexes, easily dodging and blocking them with my photon saber. Additionally, the photon saber effortlessly sliced through the flimsy napkins. With the distance closed, I seized the opportunity.

Unlike us dragonoids, who were not protected by Shield Plates, a single slash could prove fatal to an unprotected opponent. Therefore, I opted for a swift punch directly to his nose, causing him to crumble to the ground in an instant.

"Max!" The opponent knight grunted, concern etched on her face, as she swiftly disengaged from Amphy's pursuit and rushed to aid her injured dragonoid. "Get up! You have to keep fighting!"

Curiosity piqued, I returned to Amphy's side, my eyes fixed on the unfolding scene. Max, the formidable tissue-wielding combatant, slowly rose to his feet, his knight rushing to support him with unwavering determination. With a fiery spirit, she bellowed, her voice resonating with unwavering resolve, "Activating Vesryn Pulse!"

To my surprise, the enemy dragonoid took the form of a magnificent green gecko, towering at an impressive seven meters in height. It lacked wings, but its arms were adorned with razor-sharp leaf-blades, resembling deadly foliage. Its long, sturdy tail resembled that of a towering coconut tree. Balanced atop its back were six intriguing objects, resembling coconuts at first glance. I christened it the Coco Dragon, only to learn later that it was officially known as the Tropica Dragon.

The atmosphere intensified as the Tropica Dragon unleashed its hidden powers, shrouding the battlefield with an aura of anticipation and uncertainty.

"Amphy," I called out, capturing his attention. I had a strong desire for him to make me transform into my Futuretech Dragon Form.

However, instead of immediately embracing the idea, Amphy appeared hesitant. He turned to me, a serious expression on his face, and uttered a request, "Requesting Heightened Clearance."

As a Futuretech Dragonoid, both Amphy and I were equipped with Clearance Systems, limiters that regulated our powers. By unlocking a specific clearance layer, a dragon knight could tap into our latent abilities, granting them access to extraordinary powers akin to Rudolf's Chaos Claw and Reina's Fairy Arrow. In this case, Amphy sought to borrow my powers, harnessing them to their fullest potential.

I wholeheartedly embraced Amphy's idea. I wasn't in the mood to fight at the moment, especially considering I had already done my fair share of battling in this tournament. It was the perfect opportunity for Amphy to showcase his true power, to impress Duchess Carousel and leave her in awe.

"Heightened Clearance Authorized! Totally!" I responded to him with a cheerful tone, fully supportive of his decision.

Suddenly, four homing drones emerged from Amphy's back, hovering beside him like loyal companions. They moved with a sense of purpose, akin to bees protecting their hive. These drones shared the same radiant colors as our photon sabers, their glass-like bodies adorned with a white laser lining. They resembled floating sword blades, lacking a hilt. But they were no ordinary drones. Guided by Amphy's instinct, they were autonomous entities known as Dynamos, capable of remarkable feats.

Amphy's Dynamos proved to be an incredible defense against the Tropica Dragon's relentless assault. As the dragon unleashed hundreds of leaf-shaped scimitars, the Dynamos swiftly responded, firing precise laser beams that incinerated the incoming projectiles. However, the dragon wasn't finished yet.

With a mighty swing of its giant green claws, the Tropica Dragon attempted to crush Amphy. But my valiant knight displayed his agility, leaping into the air and evading the dragon's attack. The dragon's claw crashed into the hard ground, becoming momentarily stuck.

Seizing the opportunity, Amphy charged forward, using the dragon's trapped arm as a stepping stone to reach the enemy knight. Maya, the opposing knight, readied her scimitars to defend herself. But Amphy's Dynamos were relentless in their assault, firing lasers that knocked the scimitars out of Maya's grasp, leaving her defenseless.

Amphy's photon saber gleamed with a brilliant white light as he surged forward with unimaginable speed, his movements so swift that they were imperceptible to the naked eye. He left behind a trail of white streaks, a testament to his agility as he thrust his photon saber against the enemy knight's shield plate. The clash of the sabers reverberated throughout the arena, a testament to Amphy's strength and determination.

"Wha-!!!" Maya gasped, her voice escaping in a breathless whisper. In that split second, she watched in disbelief as Amphy's gleaming sword closed in on her, inching closer and closer. The once impenetrable Shield Plate she had relied on was now utterly depleted, its protective energy drained to a mere flicker.

Then, a resounding buzz shattered the air, its piercing tone reverberating through the arena. Finally, the emcee's voice boomed over the speakers, cutting through the cacophony.

"And the first match is decided!" the emcee declared, their words carrying an air of finality. "The victor is none other than Amphere Harrison! What an awe-inspiring display of speed and skill from our incredible knight!"

As Amphy rushed to my side, relief washed over him, and he exhaled deeply. The electric dynamos that had encircled him dissipated like shimmering bubbles, fading into thin air. A triumphant grin spread across his face, resembling a child who had just been granted a coveted candy. "I did it!" he exclaimed, his voice brimming with pure joy.

"Amphy!" I couldn't contain my excitement, leaping into his arms and embracing him tightly. Purposefully pressing my chest against his face, I congratulated him with all my might. "You absolutely nailed it! Totally!"

As we made our way backstage, the elegant figure of Duchess Carousel and Estoff awaited us, their faces beaming with pride. This time, the duchess wore a genuine expression of admiration for Amphy's performance. She even went so far as to shake his hand, abandoning her usual gloves. It seemed that my Amphy was beginning to win her over!

However, our jubilation was short-lived as Estoff swiftly diverted our attention, brandishing a letter before us. "Amphere, this is for you. It's from Richard."