The morning sun beat down on the White Order's Sacred Fighting Grounds, a vast circular arena carved into the mountain peak. Bleachers rose sharply around it, already packed with priests and robed members of the White Order, their hushed murmurs filling the air. The ground itself was a polished white stone, gleaming ominously under the harsh light.
A booming voice, amplified by magic, echoed across the arena. "Greetings everyone, and welcome to the Ordeal Games! Today, we witness a challenge between our esteemed visitors, and former priest, Arkar, against the might of the White Order Church! The first team to secure two victories will be crowned the winner of the Ordeal Games!"
The announcer paused for dramatic effect. "So, let us begin, our first match!"
On Arkar's side, Arkar clapped Ethan on the shoulder, his voice low and encouraging. "Good luck out there, Ethan. You can beat her!" Hythesion offered a nod, a silent message of confidence.
Ethan adjusted the lute slung over his back, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Hmmmm, of course."
As he began to walk into the center of the fighting grounds, the announcer's voice boomed once more. "On Arkar's side, their first fighter… Ethan SongWeaver!"
Ethan moved with practiced ease, his bardic presence already radiating a subtle charisma. But as he scanned the opposing side, he froze. Anniebie Incoy was in the bleachers, sitting casually, seemingly with no intention of fighting. "What the—"
"And from the White Order," the announcer's voice thundered, cutting Ethan off, "the strongest of all the Elite White Order… Louie Zafra!"
A collective gasp went through the bleachers on Arkar's side. Arkar, Hythesion, and even the usually stoic Akmenos were visibly shocked, their faces a mixture of disbelief and dawning dread. This wasn't the plan.
Ethan watched Louie Zafra calmly stride towards the center of the arena, every step exuding a quiet, terrifying power. A surge of mana, dense and almost suffocating, emanated from Louie—it was far beyond anything Ethan had anticipated from Anniebie. Ethan's fists clenched at his sides, his mind racing. What's going on? Hythesion was miscalculated? Why am I facing this monster?
Louie Zafra stopped a few feet in front of Ethan, his gaze cool and assessing. "So, you are a Council Knight, aren't you? What's it like being one of the Celestial Council's pets?" His voice was smooth, almost bored, yet it carried an undeniable edge.
Ethan took a deep breath, forcing a confident smirk despite the churning in his gut. "Woah, you really talk big for someone I haven't even heard of before today."
Louie's lips curved into a slight, mocking smile. "Just when I'm facing someone so small."
"I have to warn you," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "I may not look like it, but I can be as tough as Hythesion."
Louie's smirk widened. "I'll be the judge of that."
From the bleachers, Arkar gripped Hythesion's arm. "Sir Hythesion! What's going on? This isn't what we discussed!"
Hythesion's jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on Louie Zafra. "Damn it," he muttered, the single word thick with frustration and alarm.
With a deep breath, Ethan shrugged off his flowing bardic robe, revealing a close-fitting, long-sleeved leather tunic underneath. He secured his lute firmly in his grip, holding it not just as an instrument, but as a weapon. His eyes, usually warm and expressive, hardened with resolve. Louie Zafra, however, simply closed his eyes, a serene smile playing on his lips, as if savoring a pleasant melody even before it began.
"Let the First Match… Begin!" The announcer's voice boomed, signaling the start of the Ordeal Games.
Ethan didn't hesitate. His fingers danced across the strings of his lute, conjuring a crisp, sharp note that shimmered with latent magic. A volley of vibrant, glowing musical notes dashed across the arena floor, hurtling directly towards Louie. To Ethan's astonishment, Louie didn't move. He simply stood there, eyes still closed, and as the magical notes reached him, they seemed to veer off course, missing him by mere inches, harmlessly dissipating into the air behind him.
What the… Ethan's heart skipped a beat. That shouldn't have happened. He pressed on, his fingers flying with renewed urgency, playing a complex, soaring arpeggio. This time, a wave of larger, more aggressive musical notes coalesced into shimmering, sword-like blades, cutting through the air with an audible whish. They cleaved a path straight for Louie, promising a decisive strike.
But as they were mere feet from their target, Louie merely opened his eyes a fraction, a gentle blow of air escapes his mouth. It was barely a whisper of wind, yet as it met Ethan's magical constructs, the glowing sword-notes instantly fragmented, dissolving into motes of shimmering dust that floated innocently to the ground.
Ethan staggered back a step, his fingers faltering on the lute. A cold dread began to coil in his stomach. The smug confidence he had carried into the arena evaporated, replaced by a growing sense of shock and raw nerves. This wasn't just a tough opponent—this was something else entirely.
"Despite the chill of fear creeping up his spine, Ethan refused to yield. His fingers, though trembling slightly, launched into a furious, complex chord progression. This time, the musical magic didn't just fly; it coalesced. Shimmering, ethereal notes swirled and intertwined, growing in size and density, until they formed a towering golem. Its body was composed of translucent musical staves and glowing symbols, and in its hands, it wielded a massive axe, its blade humming with arcane energy.
With another powerful strum from Ethan's lute, the musical golem sprang to life, charging across the arena floor with surprising speed. It roared a silent, melodic challenge as it swung its axe in a wide, arcing strike aimed directly at Louie Zafra.
Louie, still unnervingly calm, didn't flinch. As the colossal axe descended with enough force to cleave stone, he simply raised his staff—a slender, unassuming rod in his left hand—and met the blow. The impact resonated with a jarring, thrumming sound, but the axe halted, completely arrested by the tip of Louie's staff. Not a single tremor ran through Louie's body.
A faint smile touched Louie's lips. "Impressive, Council Knight. A creative use of your talents." He then casually snapped the fingers of his right hand.
The air around the musical golem shimmered, distorting. Flames, born from seemingly nowhere, erupted across its form. The musical staves and glowing notes that made up its body incinerated in an instant, turning to ash and smoke with a faint, high-pitched wail that quickly faded into nothingness. Within seconds, where the colossal golem had stood, there was only empty air.
Ethan stared, dumbfounded. The sheer casualness of Louie's power was terrifying. His most powerful offensive spell, dismissed with a flick of the wrist. The realization hit him like a physical blow: he was completely outmatched.
"This is hopeless," Ethan thought, his mind reeling. "Arkar was right—they really will do anything to win. Louie walking into the grounds for this match… it was impossible for me to begin with." His gaze drifted to his lute, then back to the effortlessly powerful mage before him.
Louie, seemingly sensing Ethan's internal turmoil, spoke. "You are strong, Ethan SongWeaver. Your magic is unique and your spirit is commendable. But there's a lot of room to grow still."
"Hythesion, Akmenos," Ethan thought to himself, "I leave the winning of the Ordeal Games to you two. I cannot win against this monster." He stared down Louie, a plan beginning to form in his mind—not for victory, but for information.
Louie's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp with an almost taunting curiosity. "Why so quiet now, SongWeaver? Already giving up?"
A slow smile spread across Ethan's face, a flicker of his usual bardic charm returning despite the impossible odds. "No, not at all. Just warming up." He took a deep breath, meeting Louie's gaze. "You really are strong, I'll give you that."
Louie's own smile remained subtle, almost imperceptible. "Thank you. So are you, in your own way. But not quite as strong as me, though… like I said, more room to grow."
"Can I ask you something?" Ethan asked, his voice calm, betraying none of the chaos churning within him.
Louie raised an eyebrow, a hint of genuine interest now in his eyes. "Sure. What is it?"
Ethan took another measured breath, his eyes locking onto Louie's. "About the plague."
A slow, confident smile spread across Ethan's face. He raised his lute, holding it aloft with a dramatic flourish. But then, to Louie's visible shock, the polished wood and taut strings began to shimmer, then warp, dissolving into a stream of molten gold. It wasn't magic, not exactly—it was alchemy, pure and intricate. Louie's casual demeanor evaporated, replaced by a focused intensity, his smile gone.
The golden liquid dripped from Ethan's hands, cooling and solidifying as it flowed, forming into a pair of gleaming, form-fitting golden leather gauntlets that covered his hands and forearms. Ethan flexed his fingers, the gauntlets adjusting to his every movement.
"Challenge accepted," Ethan said, his voice ringing with newfound resolve. He brought his gauntleted hands together in a precise, almost prayer-like pose at his side. A soft, golden light began to emanate from his palms, growing steadily brighter.
I cannot defeat you, not conventionally, he thought to himself, his eyes locked on Louie. But I damn well can make you move.
Then, he began to chant, his voice clear and resonant, amplified by the golden gauntlets: "Music Make…"
From the bleachers, Arkar, Akmenos, and even Hythesion gasped, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Make Magic?!" Hythesion exclaimed, a mix of surprise and dawning realization on his face.
"—Thunder Halberd!" Ethan's chant finished with a powerful crescendo. The golden light flared, and from his outstretched hands, a massive musical lightning note erupted, solidifying into a thunderous, crackling halberd made of pure energy. It shot forward like a bolt of lightning, moving with incredible speed, far faster than any of his previous attacks.
Louie Zafra, for the first time, was caught off guard. He hadn't moved a muscle, but his eyes widened, clearly surprised by this unexpected magic—a type of art he had never encountered, a fusion of sound and raw elemental power. Without a moment's hesitation, he slammed his staff into the ground. A thick, jagged wall of stone erupted from the arena floor, solidifying just in time to intercept the thunderous halberd. The lightning-infused weapon struck the stone with a deafening crack, sending a shower of sparks and fragments of rock flying, but the wall held firm, blocking the attack and preventing Louie from being forced to move.
Louie didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, the stone wall that had just absorbed Ethan's attack dissolved into a flurry of small, sharp bricks. With a powerful mental command, he launched them at Ethan like a volley of deadly projectiles.
But Ethan was ready. He sprang into the air, dodging the incoming barrage. Mid-leap, his gauntleted hands glowed with renewed energy as he chanted, "Music Make… Heaven's Hammer!" The very air around him vibrated, coalescing into a gigantic, ethereal hammer, its head a swirling vortex of harmonious musical notes. With a mighty, downward swing, he brought the colossal hammer crashing down towards Louie.
Louie, however, remained rooted to his spot. A shimmering, transparent dome of gravitational energy flickered into existence around him, a shield of pure force. The Heaven's Hammer slammed into it with a resounding THWUMM! The ground beneath Louie shuddered, cracks spiderwebbing outwards from his position, but the gravity shield held, bending the space around him just enough to absorb the impact, and crucially, keeping Louie firmly in place.
Ethan landed lightly, but he didn't stop there. In a blur of motion, he vanished and reappeared directly in front of Louie, astonishingly close—a speed Louie hadn't anticipated. Before Louie could fully react, Ethan's hands flared again, and he chanted, "Music Make… Celestial Javelin!" A rapid-fire volley of glowing, spear-like musical notes, sharp and precise, shot from his gauntlets, striking Louie directly.
Each javelin hit with an explosive burst of light and sound. A thick cloud of smoke and shimmering magical residue billowed outwards, engulfing Louie and obscuring him from view. Ethan stepped back, chest heaving, his golden gauntlets pulsing faintly. "Did that work?" he wondered, utterly exhausted from the spontaneous burst of high-level magic. His entire body screamed with the effort, every nerve alight.
As the smoke from Ethan's furious barrage slowly began to dissipate, a dark, indistinct form started to coalesce within the swirling magical haze. It was Louie Zafra, still standing exactly where he had been, unmoving, unflustered. He gave a soft tap of his staff against the arena ground, and as if a gust of invisible wind swept through, the remaining smoke vanished completely, revealing him standing perfectly still, not an inch out of place.
Ethan stared, his jaw slack. His trump cards, his most potent, spontaneously conjured attacks, unleashed with desperate speed and precision—and they had done nothing. Louie hadn't budged. A wave of profound disbelief washed over Ethan, leaving him feeling hollow.
After a long, unsettling silence, Louie's calm demeanor broke. He began to laugh, a deep, genuine sound that echoed strangely in the now-quiet arena. "A wonderful performance!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with a mix of awe and amusement. He laughed again, shaking his head slightly.
Ethan could only watch, utterly drained and bewildered. "How strong is this monster?" he thought, a cold knot forming in his stomach. The true depth of Louie's power was a terrifying, incomprehensible abyss.
"Your power is truly wonderful, SongWeaver," Louie said, his laughter fading into a warm smile. "You weren't lying when you said you could match Hythesion's strength—your fusion of music and magic is unlike anything I've ever seen."
But then, his expression shifted in an instant. The warmth vanished, replaced by a cold, stoic focus that sent a shiver down Ethan's spine. "It was fun.. But unfortunately, I have to end this now."
Louie's eyes flashed bright red, glowing with an otherworldly light. He lifted his staff high into the air, and in response, dark, roiling storm clouds gathered overhead, blotting out the morning sun. Thunder rumbled across the arena, the sound deep and menacing. "You've shown me what you can do… now it's my turn."
Ethan, though exhausted and battered, forced his body to respond. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, his golden gauntlets flaring with what little energy he had left. He began to gather every ounce of mana he could muster, preparing to meet whatever devastating attack Louie was about to unleash.