Triumph of the Brave: A struggle for honor and love

As the excitement in the Coliseum reached its peak, Lillia and Inis held each other's hands and watched the tournament unfold with beating hearts. Their joy that Bernard had made it this far was heightened when they noticed Mortis standing firmly behind the young fighter. This support indicated that the consent of the arranged marriage between Bernard and Nora was within reach. But Anton, Bernard's rival, had also made it to the semifinals, complicating matters. Uncertainty about the outcome of future decisions continued to hang in the air.

The spectators continued to fever as the next fight in the semifinals approached. Bernard was to face Anton, and the tension was palpable. John, who had also fought his way into the semifinals, faced a powerful vampire named Lorenzo Nocturne. The latter had previously defeated the second son of Gwinvia, thus securing his place in the semifinals.

The dwarves might have been a little disappointed that neither of their sons had reached the semifinals, but Gwinvia and her husband were nevertheless filled with pride. After all, both sons had performed magnificently and had prevailed against strong competition. Gwinvia, the worried mother, was comforted by Edna, and the entire dwarf family feverishly watched to see how the rest of the battles would go.

After a brief pause, during which the combatants had a chance to recover and replenish their energy reserves, Portet Valric once again stepped into the center of the arena. With an uplifting voice, he congratulated the children on their amazing achievements and announced the next fight. His deep voice pierced the air as he bellowed the names of the combatants, "Anton of Blue Beach!" He pointed to one side of the arena. Then he pointed to the other side and announced, "And here comes the challenger, Marquis Bernard of Venice!"

Bernard entered the stage with an expression of determination on his face. His gaze was fixed firmly on Anton, who in turn looked at him intently. When Anton refused to shake Bernard's hand, it only showed how much the rivalry between the two combatants had flared up. With postures ready for battle, they faced each other, Bernard with his leather fisted gloves and Anton with an elegant but menacing looking spear that looked more like a harpoon.

God Valric stepped forward and declared in his powerful voice, "It seems the combatants are ready. From now on, I will be the referee. So fight!" The crowd waited breathlessly as the fight between Bernard and Anton began, the rivalry and tension in the air literally crackling. The eyes of the spectators were spellbound on the two fighters who were ready to give everything to enter the final.

Anton had not reached the semi-finals for nothing - he had masterful control of his javelin. With precise thrusts and powerful swings, he drove his opponent, Bernard, into the corner of the arena. This really made Bernard stumble, as Anton seemed to show no weakness in his defense. With quick and powerful thrusts, Anton continued to push Bernard back and landed a few hits that mainly hit his clothes, but still made a huge impression. Bernard tried to dodge or block the spear with fluid movements, but he could not find the opportunity to reach for it, nor could he really block his attacks. His only option seemed to be to dodge the attacks as best he could.

In the stands with Mortis, Elara had a conversation about the fight. "That's why I chose the spear," she said, "You have freedom and set the pace, isn't that right Mr. Mortis?"

Mortis replied with a slight smile, "You can just call me Mortis or Honey. And usually you are right, but here the situation is different. The young man must choose to make sacrifices. Most of the time you have to accept injuries to win a fight."

Elara replied, "So you think he'd best sacrifice a shoulder to get Anton under control?"

Mortis nodded in agreement. "Yes, I mean he may have to expose a weakness to gain victory. After all, that's Bernard's strength, and scars are the rewards of a battle won. Dead men no longer bear scars."

While Mortis and Elara exchanged thoughts, Bernard continued to fight in the arena. He tried desperately to dodge Anton's attacks and look for a way to gain the upper hand. The fight between the two fighters was intense and energetic, and spectators watched intently as events unfolded. The fighters were put to the test, their determination and skill pushed to their limits.

Bernard bore more and more wounds, and after a prolonged period of dodging and maneuvering around the spear, he began to tire. Suddenly the voice of Mortis broke angrily through the arena, "You donkey! Do you want to get sliced? Jump in! And if it costs you the arm that stands last is the winner. Or is that your limit to protect Nora?" Bernard looked at Nora, who was held back by Zara to help him. At that moment, the young warrior understood what Mortis meant.

Without hesitation and driven by anger, Bernard charged at Anton. Anton tried to use his spear against Bernard, but the young margrave jumped into the spear and was pierced in the stomach. Despite the terrible pain, he grabbed the spear and pulled himself forward. Anton looked shocked, but Bernard had a victorious smile on his face and said only, "Gotcha." Then he banged his head against Anton's nose and followed it up with two powerful blows that forced Anton to let go of the spear. Bernard did not let go, grabbed the spear and finally threw Anton over his shoulder, even though his strength was almost exhausted. Anton hit the ground with full force and lost consciousness.

Bernard staggered, with the spear in his stomach, and roared with joy as Valric declared him the winner. Nora could not help herself and ran to him to heal him. But the god of war tried to stop her, saying that this was a serious case and no one would die. But Nora ignored the god. She remembered everything she had learned from Sahra and Helga, every vibration and flicker their magic showed. Using the magic bracelet, she tried to copy that magic.

Suddenly, a barrier of light formed around Bernard, infused with silver waves, and a healing light surrounded him. The God of War was surprised and watched as the wounds quickly disappeared. He pulled the spear from Bernard's body. But the spell ended abruptly, causing Nora to doubt. But then the same spell appeared again, and Primus appeared next to her. Nora's hand held the bracelet, which was charged with her energy. "Stay focused and never doubt yourself, my little granddaughter. You did an excellent job," she said.

The magic of Primus and Nora combined, and the healing spell was strengthened. Bernard was healed of his wounds, and the hole in his stomach closed. The crowd erupted in cheers as Bernard remained on his feet, now without injuries. Nora beamed with relief and joy as she held the bracelet. Victory over Anton had been achieved, and Bernard was able to join forces to secure his place in the finals.

As Anton slowly opened his eyes, he felt tears in his eyes. But as his gaze wandered to the stands, he saw his father with proud eyes cheering him on. His gaze continued to wander to the gods and also to Mortis and his family. When he saw them all standing up to pay homage to him, a warm feeling filled him.

The entire arena seemed united at that moment. Both the fighters involved and the spectators rose to congratulate the young count for his impressive fight. Guiding shouts and congratulations for future tournaments could be heard, which deeply impressed Anton and helped him to take the defeat a little easier.

The support he received from his father, the gods and the people around him was immeasurable. It was not just a victory or defeat that counted, but the courage, determination and bond he had experienced in this battle. Anton couldn't help but wear a proud smile on his face as he looked out from the stands into the cheering crowd.