Festival of the Crimson Wolf (Part 4)

Yes, now that he thought about it, Sangfroid would have looked like this if he wasn't injured as an infant. Are they related, perhaps? The older Leron watching from the looking glass peered closer to see Eltorre's face better, and the resemblance was uncanny that it shook him to the core.

"Who is this man?" Both the young Leron and the Leron outside the Looking Glass asked at the same time.

"This is Eltorre 'Falcon Eyes' Freudiel, one of the greatest champions of wrestling here in Crescentia!" Vladstin said enthusiastically. "He keeps winning the gold prize almost every year."

"Haha, I haven't won the gold prize for two years now. I don't think I deserve such praise of being the greatest." Eltorre humbly shook his head.

"That's because Lion Fangs took it from you, right? But there was also a time when you have had a two-year winning streak against him, so it's a little equal now." Vladstin pointed at a cloaked man in the distance.

The cloaked man's upper body was mostly covered in cloth and was unseen, but you could see that he was almost similarly built to Eltorre, almost the same height, and mass. But his aura was not as approachable as the legendary Falcon Eyes, and he has not much people closely supporting him.

"Lion Fangs and I are of equal footing now. We have both 12 wins and 12 losses." Eltorre recalled his whole wrestling career fondly.

"Wow, you've fought 24 matches in total." Leron gaped in awe. "Did you not find it tiring?"

"I didn't. The thrill of winning against someone as good as Lion Fangs.... it was addictive. He too cannot let go of the wrestling ring whenever we become opponents." Eltorre glanced at the cloaked Lion Fangs. "The tradition says to proclaim your name when you win, but he only ever used the monicker 'Lion Fangs'. I don't know his name much less who he was beyond the ring, but he's already the person I had the most skin-to-skin contact with. Even my mother has not hugged me that much, and I can't count how many times we tackled each other with our whole bodies."

"Lion Fangs was your nemesis, the one who could only match you. The same goes for you, it's like you were two souls that mirror each other and fights as absolute equals." Vladstin gestured wildly as he explained the relationship between the two. "I could feel my heart drumming whenever you two fight. You could never guess who would win, you were that well balanced with each other!"

"Well, it is really fun." Eltorre nodded. "But we're becoming old men. I was not the only one thinking this, Lion Fangs as well. So we made a wager..... that this would be our last fight."

Everyone who was withing eavesdropping reach gasped in shock.

"Falcon Eyes and Lion Fangs are quitting wrestling!?" The loudest gossiper exclaimed so that the news would spread like a wildfire.

The people mumbled and mad reactions, asking several questions at the same time. The ringmaster blew his horn so that the other wrestlers could focus on their respective matches, but the crowd was livid. They flocked at Eltorre's side of the ring, almost squishing the poor Leron and his stuffed toy Varon.

Vladstin helped his dear friend out. "Hey, everyone move along! It's against the rules to go this close to the ring unless you are kin or loved one to the wrestler!"

"Are you and Lion Fangs really going to retire, Falcon Eyes???" A young female fan was teary and sniffling.

"People, please do not be upset. I'm sure you are getting tired of these old men as well." Eltorre raised his hand to calm them down. "We settled that this year's match would be enough. We've been rivals since forever, our names come in pairs when people talk about us. I have already spent 47 years in this life and I haven't been paired with a lover or a spouse, just to Lion Fangs who I spilled blood with on the ring."

"So the reason why you two are stopping is that you wanted to start a family?" One of the nosy spectators asked.

"For me, that is. I wanted that if I could still manage to do so. But I'm not really sure about Lion Fangs' reasoning. That is his business, please don't pry for he is a private person." Eltorre requested.

The ringmaster impatiently blew his horn. "Everyone, the next match is going to start! Please refrain from bothering the two opponents."

The crowd dispersed and settled to watch a little further away from the ring. But they have gained numbers now, and the square was packed with people in all directions.

"That's our cue, young one." Eltorre patted Vladstin's back.

"W-Wait! I'm fighting YOU!?" Vladstin could not believe it. "But I'm your biggest fan!"

"Then take this opportunity to prove yourself to your hero, give it all you got. You better be worthy of fighting the great Falcon Eyes." Eltorre grinned at him. "Though I have to warn you, I would definitely win. I have to continue this last match with my old 'nemesis' as I promised."

"Oh, it is on!" Vladstin said. "Your sash is the only one I need to get a whole rainbow of sashes!"

"Yeah, you really got quite the colorful collection. All I got were greys, blacks, whites, and violets." Eltorre said, his sashes being handled by his noble falcon friend, Little Torre. "How about this? Winner takes all of the loser's sashes!"

"Agreed!" Vladstin shook his hand. "Let's do this!"

The Leron from the future already knows the outcome of this match, but he can't help but feel his heart warm up with this interaction. Young Vladstin really was so full of life, so brave and confident. He's like an infinite source of light.

His face darkened when he remembered that he was the one who snuffed out that light.

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Vladstin and Eltorre did the standard bow with each other, and the fight has now begun.

They circled each other like animals do in the wild. Eltorre was three times taller than Vladstin. Yet the veteran knew the advantages of having a smaller and lighter body, so he never underestimated the nine-year-old prince. Vladstin could easily swoop between his legs when he attacks, so he kept them as closely as possible.

Vladstin had already seen this technique from Indigo, so he knows what Eltorre was thinking. While he was focused on angling his lower for defense, he went with a wild spider jump attack right unto his face and neck.

"Ooompf! You're heavier than I thought, kid." The great 'Falcon Eyes' tried to pull him away, but Vladstin clung to his idol closely.

Eltorre just found this amusing a lowered his body down, pining Vladstin on the ground. Vladstin did not let go. Instead, he twisted himself to slam Eltorre's face on the floor!

"The kid has some big guts!" The man said. "He has no respect nor fear for even legends like Falcon Eyes himself!"

What they didn't know is that the moment Vladstin slammed his idol's face to the ground, he immediately said. "Sorry!"

"Don't apologize." Eltorre smiled even with blood-stained teeth. "You fight hard, kid. I like that. What's keeping you going?"

"My friend over there, I want to impress him." Vladstin said.

"That's a good motivation. Too bad." Eltorre grinned as Vladstin tried to grab his violet sash, and immediately stood up and threw Vladstin to the ground this time! "I have a good motivation too. I cannot make Lion Fangs disappointed in me."

Vladstin felt his whole body, especially his spine, get jarred from the impact. Pain shocked his body, but his thin lips still managed to smile. "We'll just see who's motivation is stronger!"

They were two men who believed that wrestling is not a fight of bodies, but spirit. There was no superiority here, in the ring, they treated each other as equals. They grappled and fought for a whole 45 minutes until the sash was snatched. It was....

A gold sash.

"Falcon Eyes won! But look at that busted left eye!" One of the people from the crowd pointed out. "That kid is something else."

"Give him a few years and he might be the new champion now that the former heroes have come to the rest."

Vladstin, with a heavy heart, stood up from the floor and brushed the blood from his cheek away. But he heard these praises and was happy to even have the honor of having a well-matched fight with his idol. It made him felt even more exhilarated for the next matches to come.

"You did really well, kid." Eltorre patted him. "Forget about the sashes, go and keep them. I already felt like I bullied you enough. You busted one of my eyelids, that's no ordinary feat."

"Thank you, Master Falcon Eyes." Vladstin bowed, tears starting to fall. "I can't believe my first wrestling contest would be your last."

"Hey, I would still be here every year, just on beyond the ring." Eltorre patted his head. "I wish my future children would be half as brave as you. I will watch you and bring them along telling them you were the one who slammed their father's head on the ground, is that good?"

Vladstin sniffed. "Can I get a hug too?"

"I'd do you one better." Eltorre raised him on his shoulders for everyone to see. "Behold, people of Crescentia! This bronze medalist shall soon replace us old legends and start a new golden age of wrestling! And you shall remember his name as—"

"Crimson Wolf." Vladstin said. "You may call me Crimson Wolf."

The crowd was shocked at the audacity of a wrestler to use their own national symbol as their fighting moniker. But then they noticed his pure white hair and golden eyes....

"The Crown Prince is a wrestler!?" They all gawked and cheered. "It is indeed the Crown Prince! All Hail His Highness, the Crimson Wolf!"

And so, Vladstin got away with using such a bold wrestling name.

"You are the crown prince?" Eltorre blinked at Vladstin who was on his shoulder. Then he shrugged as he put him down. "Nice."

"Hahaha, how does it feel to defeat a prince?" Vladstin grinned.

"Very painful, Your Highness. You are as tough as my falcon, Little Torre." Eltorre then gave him back his gold sash. "You know what? You should keep this. I just realized that this might be woven with real gold threads, and I honestly don't like owning valuable things."

"But it's a sign of your victory from me! You should keep it!" Vladstin insisted. "Giving it back will be grave offense!"

Eltorre scratched his head. Who knew that the same spunky kid would be the royal family's heir? He doesn't want to get into any trouble before he could even retire, so he said. "Alright, then. Let us make another deal. If Lion Fangs wins, he gets to keep it. If I win, I give it back to you."

"That's basically the same as just you giving it back to me!" Vladstin argued.

"Fine, fine! I'll keep it for a year, and once you win the gold prize on the next Crimson Wolf festival, you take it back." Eltorre Freudiel was now having second thoughts on having a family if kids will be this stubborn at this age.

Vladstin thought about it, then nodded. "Okay!" And he went back to his friend happily.

"That child is a better fighter than both of us combined."

Eltorre turned around, and what met him immediately was a pure black cloak. He smiled. "You think so too? Strange, since we are considerably powerful beings, if I do say so myself."

"However, the child is irrelevant and mortal. Let us now settle our eternal fight and come to rest." Lion Fangs took off his cloak, and revealed long golden hair.... and golden eyes.

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