The Corner of Losers

"Alright, who's next?!" Boreas smiled as he handed us healing potions. He walked away, picking another knight to come in on the ring. The captain and I sat in a corner, tending our wounds as we watch his knights scramble to dodge Boreas's punch.

"Boreas is too strong!" I sighed as I leaned on the wall. "How is this suppose to be training!?"

The captain gave a knowing smile and laughed. "You wouldn't believe the wonders of getting half to death does for your skin." He winced after the joke, holding the side of his chest. He took a couple of swigs out of his health potion that Boreas gave us. His face gained back some color.

He too leaned back back a sigh.

"You alright?" He asked me out of concern, but I just laughed.

"Look who's talking, mister broken ribs! I heard you moaning and groaning just a second ago!"

"Well, I guess it was my fault for asking."

I stared at him in silence for a minute. He usually had his helmet on, but it was knocked off by Boreas. His brown skin, with his black hair and warm brown eyes, his looks were quite good. Speaking of which, I scanned across the room. All of the knights were quite handsome and good looking.

"Say, you got a love interest?" I flinch as his question came out of the blue.

"You startled me! Why the sudden question?"

"Well, you always look like you'll rather be somewhere else."

I gazed at the ceiling longingly. "I do. But answering your previous question, yes, I used to have one."

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be. It's not in the way you think. I just... can't remember her anymore."

Another few seconds went on with silence.

"Since you don't want talk about it, I won't force you to."

". . . Thanks captain."

He smiled.

"You can just call me Marquis like the rest of the knights."

"But no one calls you that..."

"Seriously!?"

We continued watching as it was 「Frost Light Crusader」's turn. He summoned a ice wall 10 meters long and as twice as wide in front of him. He panted in effort, wiped his sweat and readied his legs.

"3... 2... 1... En Garde!"

A second later, the entire wall was shattered with a single punch, with Boreas right in front of 「Frost Light Crusader」. He jumped to the side, avoiding the punch while wind pressure pushed him back. Then, summoning his spirit weapon leaped at Boreas. He slashed dozens of times, but without any luck. He tried to mix in ice bindings and attacks, but was all avoided yet again. Finally, Boreas got bored and knocked 「Frost Light Crusader」out of the ring with a flick.

I looked over at the crowd. There was only one person left that haven't tried yet. The person Boreas was saving for last. The new addition to the team.

Boreas grinned manically as he pointed at the last fighter.

The last fighter's purple hair and almost childlike features shone with confidence as he stepped into the ring. Akai pumped his fist, and unlike others, he activated his spirit weapon.

"That's quite a interesting strategy..." Marquis thought to himself.

Usually the knights won't activate their spirit weapon instantly, because it would just slow them down while trying to avoid Boreas's first fist. Unleashing your auras isn't allowed until later in the match.

But, since Akai's spirit weapon is a suit and complements his stats, so there was no reason to not have it on.

"3... 2... 1... En Garde!" As per usual, Boreas rushed over in a blink of a eye. Instead of dodging away like I thought he would do, Akai tried to face Boreas's first punch head on like Marquis.

The suit started producing ice in streams, attempting to push back Boreas as fist meets fist. No such luck. In a flashed of blinding light, Akai instantly got launched back out of the ring as wings made of ice tried to push back against the overwhelming force. Akai landed on the floor with a thump, seemingly unharmed. I looked at Boreas with his right fist completely frozen.

Akai gave a cheeky grin. "I used {Lonely Touch of the Ice Cold God} on his hand. That completely stopped his fist, but the wind pressure still blew me away. Even with all my mana I barely froze his fist..."

"That wasn't half bad, kid." Boreas blew on his frozen fist and as it defrosted instantly. Akai's eyes widened, as that ice was almost impossible to get rid of.

"Divine ice isn't that bad, but mine is better." Boreas opened his hands as a extremely dark blue ice crystal appeared on his hand. It was almost black.

"Well, it seems like Boreas was on a completely different level compared to me." Akai muttered.

Wait, that line is familiar.