The next day…
The next day arrived rather quickly. Enthusiasts from around the continent swarmed into the stands with foods and drinks. The commentators prepared their station while the black ops guarded the entire area. After a few minutes, Dante's voice rattled the audience.
"Welcome back to the Golden Hour tournament, people. Today is the beginning of the semi-finals of the Unarmed league!"
The fans let out a unified cheer, shaking the stadium. Then, Mack added onto Dante's commentary.
"Hold on, Dante – special news…" He drummed his hands on the table. "Our VIP guests are in the house. How could you forget?"
Dante face-palmed. "Ah! How could I forget? Yes! They are attending!"
"Yes! Ladies and Gents. Sir Christopher von Ashking and his majesty, the emperor Hadrian Pangea the third are in attendance!" Mack spread his arms.
The crowd blinked, turning their eyes to the VIP room which had empty for so long. Beyond the glass, the figures of Chris and Hadrian could be seen. They sat on their respective seats with the same clothes as before. The audience screamed out of excitement. They jumped, rocking the stadium with their coordination.
"Hey – hey! Calm down. We haven't even started." Dante waved.
"Keep your excitement for the semi-finals. First up…" Mack looked at his screen.
The holographic screen instantly displayed the next match. Mack lifted his head, shouting with all his might as the competitors exited.
"Yuri Akito versus Apollo Fides!"
Down below in the arena, a purple-haired menace wearing all white with red accents stepped onto the arena. On the other hand, another teen with curly blonde hair and hazel eyes stepped out, wearing yellow graphic T-shirt, grey cargo pants and sneakers. Both stopped near the middle, the audience rumbling with excitement. The referee approached, drawing a deep breath. The gaze of thousands locked onto him.
He placed whistle in his mouth and raised his arm. Yuri and Apollo stood ready. Then, the whistle blew. The referee ran and the first semi-finals match began. Yuri shot forward like a bullet. Rasing one leg, he chose to strike his enemies chest. But the next moment, something bizarre happened. Apollo avoided the strike with a simple side-step. Yuri flew past, landing on the wall. He landed on his feet and frowned.
'Future prediction…what a hassle…'
He lunged forward once again, splitting the air. Apollo dodged with ease. Each strike Yuri made swept past his opponent like a flying arrow.
"One – Two – three – Four misses from Yuri. Apollo is just dancing around freely, not caring for any attacks!" Mack announced.
As he continued to miss, Yuri suddenly, stopped. Apollo didn't look disturbed, locking onto his opponent. His attribute activated. A vision struck him like thunder. Yuri leapt towards him, striking him with countless jabs. The vision abruptly ended. He furrowed his brows as Yuri approached in the same manner as he saw. But unlike his vision, he avoided each attack. He backed off, preparing for more.
"Son of a bitch…" Yuri clicked his tongue.
He glanced towards the VIPs. Hadrian seemed intrigued by the fight whilst Chris looked unfazed. Yuri sighed, locking onto his opponent once more.
'Time to go full throttle…'
He began hopping on his two feet which alerted his opponent. Apollo frowned, preparing for another round. He saw another vision. Yuri sped around him – faster than ever before. He fell clutching his ears as a barrier erupted from the edge of the arena. The vision ended. He returned to reality again. He gulped, cold sweat rolling down his face. The crowd's cheers dimmed as he focused on Yuri's next attack.
'I know his patterns…I know what he's going to do…just…focus…'
Right then, Yuri stopped hopping. He peered at Apollo. Apollo looked back, meeting his rival's eyes. Yuri pressed his foot against the ground and then…
He burst off. The air split as the sound barrier was stretched to its limit. The crackling sound – detected by Mythos, activated the defense protocol. An energy barrier formed, blocking the sound. The observer's ears were saved. Yuri continued the circle around Apollo. His body cracked under the pressure. Bones cracked – muscles tore and his insides began turning to liquid.
"AHHHHH!!!"
Apollo screamed like never before his body pulsing with unforgiving pain. He clutched his ears and fell to his knees. Then, something burst inside and the noise vanished. He froze, a sense of wary washing over him. He lifted his head – Yuri still circled him. He touched his ear – Blood. A sudden realization struck him just then.
"My ears drums are…"
His voice cracked. He couldn't hear his voice anymore – he couldn't hear anything. Yuri halted, finally realizing his opponents scream. Just then, the referee whistled, ending the match. The barrier collapsed as medics rushed inside. As soon as Yuri saw, he smiled and fell to the ground. The medics were horrified. They quickly took both competitors and rushed them out. The referee signaled a review of the footage. He tapped his headset which morphed into meta glasses.
The audience waited patiently for the winner to be announced. The commentators filled the gaps of this awkward period.
"What a bloody match! I was on edge of my seat every second of it! Yet, the winner is remains undecided." Mack stated.
"Yuri seemed to have sustained minor bodily injuries while Apollo may have burst his ear drums." Dante added. "Now, let's wait for the referee decision…"
After a few minutes, the referee morphed his glasses back into a head set. He tapped the mic, checking it. The sound resounded through the stadium. Every fans heart jumped. The referee heaved a sigh and spoke.
"After a review of the footage, Apollo's ear drums burst after Yuri traveled at the speed of sound…but! After the barrier fell, Yuri was technically the last one standing while Apollo had sustained massive injuries…therefore, the final winner is Yuri Akito!"
The silence snapped like a stick. The crowd erupted in cheers, blowing horns and throwing confetti.
"And the winner is decided – Yuri Akito!" Dante clapped.
"What a great match to start off – Super cool!" Mack stated. "Now, let's move onto the next match."
Meanwhile, in the VIP room, Hadrian called out to Chris.
"Chris."
"Yes, my lord." Chris replied.
"Any thoughts on the match that just happened?" Hadrian asked.
"No…nothing in particular…it wasn't anything special – just a fight between two untrained chaos incarnates, sire." Chris replied.
Then, the two sat in silence. As the silence stretched on, the crowds shouting and commentators voice filtered out. Hadrian drew a sharp breath, leaning his face against his fist. Then, he opened his mouth and drew Chris's attention once more.
"Chris."
Chris tilted his head. "Yes, your majesty?"
"…Has your brother recovered yet? And…what about his transcendence?"
Chris exhaled heavily, thinking of Arthur who had changed so much – a change he didn't want. He tapped his finger and replied in a calm manner.
"He hasn't recovered yet, my lord…and as for his transcendence…he's ascending at a terrifying speed."