Opening Gambits

The walls of the colosseum towered above us, filled with tens of thousands of spectators. I went limp with shock at the sheer numbers, feeling their eyes tear me apart. They must have emptied the Divine Throne and half the citadel to find this many people! The air was thin and cold, smelling fresh despite the cramped spaces of the crowd.

The arena itself was larger than I thought. The platform took up barely a quarter the diameter, meaning the walls were about two hundred feet apart and fifty feet high. The entire place, including the ground, was built of carved stone bricks placed together with hardly a seam between them.

I activated the Eyes of Fate and gazed around in awe. The complex magic enchanting the place took my mind off the crowd, albeit temporarily. Countless spells, focused around large crystals surrounding the arena, protected every shard of stone. They cast a web over the arena, shielding the spectators from large scale abilities and magic. The War Hero had a few spells around him too, but I didn't get a good look before it began.

A loud voice, magically enhanced so as to fill the entire colosseum, boomed from the crystals, casting a stillness over the crowd. I looked around and found the voice originating from a special spectator's box in the front row. The Pope was there, joined by several fathers and attendants. On the opposite side of the arena, I found another box, this one bearing the pendants of the Kingdom of Radia. The Royal family spectated from there. The second prince, Vorinth caught my eye and gave a knowing smile, bringing a frown to my face. There was no way he would smile at anything good for me.

"The duel between the Sun Hero and the War Hero will now begin! The proceedings and terms have been sanctioned by both the Holy Father and Kind of Radia, and will be magically recorded and broadcast to all the realm. Both sides are allowed access to all their personal might and wealth, including legendary weapons and slaves. The first to force their opponent to yield or render them unconscious will be declared the winner. While the duel will begin in one minute, no magical preparation will be tolerated."

Whispers erupted as the announcement ended. Soltair seemed tense, hand on his sword hilt. In contrast, the War Hero looked plenty relaxed, talking and laughing with his girls. I still couldn't believe he had the good fortune of being born as an elf, with all their talent and good looks beside. I suppose I wasn't bad looking either, but it's not like it mattered. All people saw were the horns and tail.

The minute passed by quickly. The crowd had grown antsy and were calling out support and jeers. Most of both went to Soltair, as he was seen as Radia's hero. All of the insults went right to me, and I could only ignore them. I wasn't here for them, anyway.

"Commence the Duel!"

"Xiviyah now!"

I nodded and immediately cast Link Ability. Gasps filled the arena as the third-circle spell flitted about me for an instant before resolving. I staggered, coughing blood, as the fearsome cold assaulted me, but managed to remain standing.

"What kind of spell is that?" Rochelle, the black-haired mage, asked with a chuckle. "If you need someone to bloody you, I'm more than happy to oblige. Come, sisters."

The ever-silent Niece chanted a first-circle spell and drew back her bow. Green runes surrounded the arrow, which sped from her bowstring like a bullet. Wind broke from the serrated steel tip, creating eddies in the air behind it.

Still not stabilized, I could only watch helplessly as it whistled toward my head. Moments before it hit me, Soltair flashed in front of me, and raised his arm. A series of golden runes formed a shield about his forearm. The arrow exploded the instant it touched the light, falling into fragments on the ground.

"Thanks," I managed, finally recovering a few moments later.

"Stay focused."

I nodded and looked at the War Hero's party. Despite the failed attack, they were all relaxed and still talking lightly. Their casual behavior might have seemed intimidating, but it was actually rather foolish. Bowing my head to thank them for the free gift, I began to cast.

"Aegis."

"Sure Strike."

"Fortunate Parry."

"Fire Shield."

"Encircling Winds."

"..."

Before anyone could react, I had cast more than ten spells. Most were buff and support spells on Soltair, who looked at me gratefully. A mass of magic surrounded him, intricately woven together to protect him from all sorts of attacks, be it projectiles, magic, or sword. Layering spells was difficult because the magic can interfere with each other, but I found it natural. My Eyes of Fate tracked the path of the invisible runes, allowing me to guide them in such a way as to make sure they didn't collide.

Having realized what happened, Ronin frowned. "You girls take that slut. Soltair's all mine."

"With pleasure," Rochelle said, raising her staff. I examined the weapon, and was shocked to find it a relatively high tier magic item. Her power was close to doubled if channeled through it!

She began casting a second-circle spell with the flame element. I didn't recognize the exact spell, but the runes were coded for a wide area of effect. Kirla kicked off the ground, blasting toward me with breath-taking speed. Fortunately, I had an Encircling Winds spell in effect, a first-circle wind spell that created a small cyclone strong enough to deflect most non-magic projectiles.

"Fire Bomb!" Rochelle finished her spell, shooting several small orbs of fire. I flinched back as they detonated in a circle around me filling the air with scorching cinders. The Aegis spell shook, but held without a scratch. That was unusual, considering Aegis was a first-circle, and shouldn't hold for more than one hit against anything more powerful.

The smoke was thick around me, creating a visual wall. I peered closely, but even my demon eyes couldn't pierce the veil. Even so, Kirla should be here soon, likely using the smoke as a, uh, smokescreen.

My suspicions were proven correct, but Kirla opted for a more blunt approach, ruining her attack with a war cry. I turned just in time, avoiding her downward slash with barely an inch to spare. Moving with a speed I almost couldn't follow, she recovered her sword and struck three more times, landing solid blows against the Aegis. Although her sword was enchanted, it still failed to penetrate the spell. I jumped as a few arrows slammed into the Aegis. Where had those come from?

I blew away the smoke with a Gust and looked around. While Kirla pressed the attack up close, Rochelle and Niece circled around to either side, surrounding me. I caught a glimpse of Soltair and Ronin fighting on the far side of the arena. Their battle was far more intense, sending shockwaves out that reached us some hundred feet away.

"No more games," Rochelle said confidently, beginning to cast a fourth-circle spell. "Dispel Magic!"