Chapter 388: Interlude – Takatane Sakai – The Gladiator Gauntlet IV

Scouting was difficult. Not only did Sakai need to study dozens, if not hundreds, of different [Warriors], [Mages], and [Rangers], but he needed to pay attention to the fights his own team was in!

Fortunately, he wasn’t alone. Kira – Takashige-dono in public, he reminded himself – had nominally divided the work up among the six of them.

Practically, the four of them. Futsu-sama was the shogun’s woman, one of the military dictator’s loyal retainers, sent to keep an eye on Kira. His lord couldn’t say no, and there did seem to be sparks between the two of them. Of the romantic sort. Either way, it didn’t change the fact that she had her own set of orders, and was only nominally scouting, taking two easy teams and calling it her contribution.

Nobody would dare suggest she wasn’t doing enough.

Sakura-chan – not that it was her real name – was a favor the Eventide Establishment had asked of Kira. He couldn’t say no, and the woman had been given her own set of goals and a private agenda that none of them knew.

She did fight in the event with them, and performed adequately, but vanished as soon as a round was over, performing tasks that only the ancestors knew. Sakai wasn’t quite sure if she truly had a Wood element, or if she had a Mirage class hiding a Poison element.

Deadly flowers fell under more than one element.

Sakai knew having Sakura-chan and Futsu-sama along with them was politically advantageous for Kira’s ultimate goals, but he couldn’t help but secretly grumble deep within his heart at the extra work being unceremoniously dumped onto him.

He kept one eye on the stage, where Sana-san was dueling one of the flea-ridden Vollomond werewolves, and the other roving over a dozen different teams he was supposed to scout.

Harper Hall had sponsored a team, the bards aiming to eke out just enough wins in the singles fight to dominate the teamfights. Sakai noted they were using an entirely different set of instruments this round, already showing off their wide variety early in the tournament.

He mentally marked them down low on his list. Anyone trying to show off all their tricks on the second day was doomed to mediocrity.

Black Rock had entered a single terrifying golem, just a hair under the weight limit, with six members to support it. It counted as equipment, and could remain on the stage round after round.

Defeat the golem, or defeat the controllers? Sakai wondered to himself, resolving to continue studying how their opponents handled the situation.

“Takatane-sama.” Kuma-chan grabbed his attention. “I apologize for being unskilled. Can you confirm for me that’s the Eternal Legion?” She pointed to a team.

Sakai squinted, his vision much better than the [Mage’s].

“Yes. Keep a careful eye on them. They will be a great challenge to Takashige-dono’s ambitions here. You will be well rewarded for good information on them, should we encounter them.”

Kuma-chan nodded, and Sakai continued looking around at various teams.

One of the teams caught his attention. They’d divided up the hundreds of teams among the four of them, knowing that day 1 intelligence was likely to be worthless. Many of their competitors would get immediately knocked out, and were not worth studying in detail. It was hard to know who would rise up, and who would fall, and knowing the capabilities of the losers did nothing for them.

A [Knight] of some sort had entered the tournament alone, a loss as sure as a kitsune’s ghostly flames. Sakai had been delighted for her to be assigned as one of the teams he needed to watch, as he could safely ignore her in favor of more likely opponents.

She had utterly crushed all of her opponents on the first day without a single loss, becoming the darling One Hit Wonder of the [Announcer]. The small wings on her helmet, the only decoration on her armor, jogged a memory for him.

She was a Valkyrie, a famed knightly order. Unusual to see one in a tournament; they tended to eschew these types of events.

One more team for him to track, and he spent a brief moment checking out her fight.

She had a walrus by the tail, and she was busy spinning it around in a circle. Sakai was entranced, watching the moment. He was rewarded by getting to see her launch the poor mammal in a beautiful spinning arc, before he moved onto more competitors.

A lich – a lich – had sunk its phylactery deep into the stone, and was slowly creating skeleton minions. A massive risk, but the creature was likely to win out unless someone could dig up his phylactery or win on stall rules. Crazy that the gods had recently answered the remaining lich’s prayer for another one, and even crazier that they let the phylactery go anywhere.

Unless it was a fake.

“Sakai-kun! Your turn has come.” Takashige-dono ordered his childhood friend. The kitsune had disguised himself from the start as a human.

Sakai nodded, adjusting his grip on his katana, resolving to win.

The tournament continued, and the number of teams Sakai needed to scout rapidly dropped as they continued to win and win and win.

“Thanks to the excellent work of Sakura-chan, we know who our final opponent is tomorrow.” Kira nodded at Sakura, who handed him a small slip of paper. He unrolled it and read.

“Team Iona. Sakai-kun, I believe you were responsible for scouting?”

Sakai nodded and clasped his hands together.

“If it pleases Takashige-dono, I will give my report on Team Iona.” He said.

Kira nodded.

“Proceed.”

“Team Iona initially consisted of a single [Warrior], predictably named Iona. She is clearly a Celestial [Warrior], an Ice [Ranger], and her third class isn’t obvious. I believe it to be a Wind, Gale, or Gravity element, and as a member of the Order Valkyrie, I believe it to be another [Warrior] class.”

Sakai paused a moment to reorganize his thoughts.

“There’s only a single opponent tomorrow?” Futsu-sama asked incredulously.

Sakai hesitated a moment.

“Possibly. There was a commotion as a large, armored wyvern landed nearby at one point, and Iona seemed to know the monster. The beast has never taken the stage, and is merely 256. While large and powerful, I do not believe he has the power to pose a threat. Iona herself has defeated every single opponent sent against her single-handedly. What concerns me is who’s giving her advice, who’s been present at every battle of hers.”

Takashige-dono’s eyebrow quirked up, and that simple move never failed to impress Sakai. The kitsune wasn’t changing his facial expression at all – he was masterfully modifying his illusion, pulling all the right muscles to show a ‘natural’ expression.

A show for his enemies, who naturally would have spies managing to watch them, even in this isolated location thousands of miles from home. A never-ending performance.

“Elaine, member of the School of Sorcery and Spellcraft’s team. An obvious alias, calling herself ‘healer’ when she displays as a healer. The School’s favored to win this year, and she’s their known sweeper. Nobody knows her background, her sponsors, not even where she was born! It’s like she popped out of the void, and there is a modest bounty from [Information Brokers] for her details. Her exact classes and breakdown are believed to be Celestial Healer, Radiance Sorcery, but there is some debate if her third class is physical, or Radiance Wizardry. She hasn’t displayed any obvious third class attributes, but has them. She’s demonstrated invisibility, but only invisibility, and other Mirage-like skills she’s used before have had mandalas involved.” Sakai said.

“Takatane-kun. We will concern ourselves with the School’s team, and the exact details of their champions, when it is time to face them.” Futsu-sama reprimanded him, her eyes flickering to Kira’s as she did.

The kitsune remained still, allowing the correction to stand.

“Apologies. Permit me to continue. Elaine is quite obviously in a relationship with Iona, and given her prowess, begs the question of why the woman is not a member of the School’s team. I believe there is some deeper plot that we are unaware of. Regardless, her perfect combat record has made it difficult to divine weaknesses, although I can share a number of observations I have been able to make.”

Sakai took a breath, and at a nod from Kira, continued.

“She is incredibly strong. I witnessed her throwing an animal weighing hundreds of kanme. She out-wrestled multiple members of the Order of the Fivefold Cross. Tower Faust attempted to chain her down, and she simply ripped through the chains, using them to beat the mage down. For footing, no grease or Ice mage was able to unbalance her, although she was slowed by them. Her armor is mallium, and she formed spikes on her boots, stomping around the arena. Multiple teams raised pillars, attempting to control the battlefield. The ones she didn’t balance on top of she smashed through, touching once again on her monstrous strength. Tower Faust tried to lift the platform up, to out of bounds her by sheer redirection, and her reaction?”

Sakai watched too many plays. He paused a moment, looking at Iemori-kun and Kuma-chan.

“She folded her arms and did nothing. The mage ran out of mana before she could be thrown out.”

Kira was frowning, and Sakai continued on.

“On the defensive front, she runs a classic set of aketon under metal armor. She naturally has skills empowering them, and light attacks will simply bounce off. Heavy blows are required to even attempt to pierce her armor. Her visage is terrifying to behold. A blank metal slate for a mask, the mallium allowing her to completely seal herself within her armor. A Water sorcerer attempted to drown her, but could find no purchase. Arrows occasionally swerve when they approach, although given how many hits her armor has deflected I believe the skill to be a weak one. She tanked an entire [Trigger] barrage, but the level of the casting mage left much to be desired. Now, looping back to the School’s Elaine being present, I would say the most dangerous part of Iona appears to be her intelligence network. She’s kept it quiet, but she appears to know all her opponents capabilities, and masterfully negates their skills and advantages.”

“What weaknesses have you observed? What strategy would you have us employ?” Sakai’s oldest friend asked him, cutting to the chase and demonstrating a staggering level of trust in public.

“With respect. She struggled a bit against aerial foes who were able to get off the ground. Most she managed to reach or shoot with her bow before they attained a significant height, but one Windrider managed to get high, and the two stalled for the entire time I was able to observe. It is my great shame to admit that at the time, I had many other opponents to scout, and was unable to see how she managed victory.”

Sakai bowed slightly, mentally begging Kira to forgive him.

“You are forgiven. Carry on.” His [Lord] said.

“Invisibility doesn’t work well. She simply fires a blizzard arrow to unveil her opponents, but given how she’s moved to defend herself against mages in the past, I would say our best chance is to focus our efforts on overwhelmingly powerful strikes, and not give her a chance to retaliate. Her biggest weakness is she is a single woman. Iemori-kun and Kuma-chan should ignore retaliation, and pour everything they have into hitting as hard and as fast as they can. They will be eliminated, but their combined efforts should weaken her shield to permit myself, Sana-san, and Futsu-sama to land a critical blow that will grant us victory.”

Sakai looked up at his [Lord], and there was one part unsaid.

Kira’s own trump card, a guaranteed victory against any team. It would only work once, and they wanted to save it for the main event, not use it in a preliminary.

“Excellent work Sakai-kun.” Kira praised him. “We will attempt that, but given the critical juncture and stage we are at, I would like to try one more thing. Sakura-chan?” He asked.

Sakai didn’t get chills at the implication. He knew what Sakura-chan was, and for his [Lord’s] ambitions, distasteful tasks were occasionally necessary.

The [Poisoner] nodded at Kira’s implied request.

“Takatane-san. Sakura-chan still isn’t back.” Kuma-chan told Sakai.

He frowned as he paused in strapping his armguards.

“She’s never missed a fight before, and this is the critical one.” Sakari briefly pondered, before going to report to Kira.

The kitsune looked displeased, then brightened.

“She has selected an inopportune moment to go missing. I can only conclude that she was successful. Given our guaranteed victory, and the chaos present during the last round of the preliminaries, she must be off on some greater task, seizing a moment in the chaos.”

Sakai politely bowed.

“Takashige-dono’s wisdom is unparalleled.” He sincerely flattered his [Lord]. The kitsune snorted.

“Go, finish your preparations. We must look as if we are entirely unaware of any issue, that we do not know who our next round opponent is, and there is always a chance that Sakura-chan simply weakened our opponent, instead of eliminating her. There is a further chance that Sakura-chan’s intel was incorrect, and we shall have a surprise fight on our hands.”

Sakai bowed, turned, and left to complete his preparations.

The team followed Takashige-dono to their assigned arena for the final round of the preliminaries.

“[Lords] and [Ladies]! Up next we have an exciting matchup! On the north side of the arena, we have Team Shining Shrine!”

The crowd cheered. Sakai watched his lord for cues on how to act. Takashige-dono stayed still and dignified, and the rest of his team followed his lead.

“And on the south side of the arena, the One Hit Wonder herself, Team Iona!”

The crowd was much more excited, and the [Warrior] herself exited the waiting area, striding up with her blank, faceless mask. A massive wyvern exited behind her, coated head to tail in shining armor, the mark of two entwined moons stamped in various places.

He was smoking a pipe, of all things.

“Sakura-chan failed.” Futsu-sama muttered darkly.

Sakai couldn’t help but agree. His eyes were drawn to some action by the sideline.

The Elaine exited the arena, taking up a place by the halfway mark of the arena. She crossed her arms and glared at team Shining Shrine.

Sakai would’ve paid it little attention, but a second individual joined her, mimicking her actions. Crossing her arms, and glaring at the team.

A third. A fourth.

The entire School’s under-30 teamfights team – and they just kept coming.

The members of the under-30 team did not concern him so much as the much, much higher leveled individuals that started coming out. Cursed Immortals started to join them, demons, devils, and elves.

All told, nearly 70 individuals, all wearing the crossed wand and lightning bolt of the School, were on the sidelines, crossing their arms – when they had them – and glaring at team Shining Shrine.

They didn’t say anything. The pressure was palpable, pressing down on them without a single skill being used. The [Referee] looked at them but said nothing.

“I don’t think we can expect Sakura-chan to be coming back.” Takashige-dono lightly remarked. “Takatane-kun. You have extensively studied our opponent. This battle is less strategy, and more about our ability to defeat a single foe. I place my hopes and dreams in your capable hands, and trust you to direct us to victory.”

Sakai was honored.

“I will not fail you, my lord.” He said. “Sana-san. Respectfully, I must ask you to go first, and test to see if she is at full capabilities. Attempting to win is futile, your goal is to try and draw out as many skills and abilities from her that you can, to drain her mana. If she is manaless against our mages, we stand a chance.”

“As you command, Takatane-san.” Takashige-dono’s retainer said to Sakai.

Sakai felt like an egg had been thrown on his face with how quick and brutal the fight was. Sana did her best, but the Valkyrie’s moniker of One Hit Wonder wasn’t for show.

The entirety of the School’s team continued to remain on the sidelines, throwing them death glares.

Sakai clenched his fists. Idiot. He berated himself. He glanced at Kira, who was standing stone-still.

His [Lord] must be up to something. The illusion wasn’t even breathing.

“Kuma-chan. Do not worry about defenses. Spend every skill at once, and aim for her chest. The goal is to do damage to her defenses. Iemori-kun, the same goes for you. She can defeat any one of us, but the purpose here is to trigger her shield, not win flawlessly. Go.”

“Fame. Glory. Honor. Fight!” The fight was on.

Kuma-chan put up a slightly better showing than Sana-san had, but the bar was low. The two traded long-range attacks, the Earth [Mage] firing dozens of high-speed pebbles. The rocky storm was powerful enough that none of Iona’s arrows could break through, and the Valkyrie was forced to hunker down behind a shield.

Kuma-chan managed to puncture the shield in a few spots, denting the Valkyrie’s armor before running out of mana.

“I surrender.” The [Mage] declared, before hopping off the stage. She glanced at him, worried.

Sakai clasped the woman’s shoulder.

“It was honorable to admit defeat when you could not continue. It would have brought us shame if you forced her to throw you out.”

Kuma-chan relaxed.

“Thank you.” She said.

“Iemori-kun. Don’t try to blind her, the faceless mask implies she doesn’t need to see, and it blocks your attacks. See if you can take to the skies.” The Brilliance-Radiance [Mage] stepped forth at Sakai’s commands.

“Fame. Glory. Honor. Fight!” The [Referee] announced.

Iemori-kun sprang forth, stepping up into the skies. Platforms of brilliant light formed under his feet, and hexagonal panes of light bubbled around him in a shield.

The shield shifted and moved, deflecting arrows one at a time. Sakai was elated. The Valkyrie had to be spending more mana per arrow than Iemori-kun was spending to deflect them, and [Warriors] didn’t have large mana pools! Victory was in sight!

The Valkyrie seemed to come to the same conclusion, the barrage ending. Instead, she started to run, then leapt. The jump was impossible, some skill needing to fuel it, but it was odd.

Iemori-kun continued to step up into the air, running from the fearsome leap, but every step he took caused the Valkyrie’s flight to wobble slightly.

“Drop the platforms!” Takashige-dono ordered, and Iemori-kun promptly obeyed. The two of them fell, and Iemori twisted in the air, aiming at Iona, the fighter stuck hanging in the air with nowhere to run.

The [Mage] blasted burning Radiance at her, aiming to melt through her armor, or overheat her enough to trigger the shield.

Masterful. Sakai thought to himself. Takashige-dono certainly had an eye for talent, and Iemori was one of his lord’s better recruits.

The armor rippled as the Radiance played over it, the two contestants falling in the air.

Gravity was a cruel mistress, and Iemori-kun wasn’t able to trigger a victory before landing on the ground. Miraculously, he managed to arrest enough of his fall to not trigger a loss – but that was before Iona landed on his head, feet-first.

The crowd let out a collective oooooh in mock sympathy as the shield glowed red. From the heights involved, with the weight of the woman and her armor, Iemori’s brains should’ve been splattered over hundreds of shaku.

“Victory! Team Iona!” The [Referee] announced.

Iona opened up her armor, great gouts of steam escaping as the blonde shook her head, sweat running down her face in rivulets.

Cooking her in her armor works. If only we had another Fire Mage, or similar. Sakai cursed to himself.

The two teams reset, the School continuing their unnerving vigil. Sakai was starting to sweat.

“I will go.” Takashige-dono declared, and Sakai sat back.

The [Referee] looked a little doubtful at Takashige-dono’s approach, but started the fight anyway.

“Fame. Glory. Honor. Fight!”

Iona grabbed her glaive, and immediately started an intricate dance around herself like a kabuki dancer. She completely ignored Takashige-dono’s moves and actions, simply moving like a rushing river.

Her glaive flashed in the sunlight as she danced. Takashige-dono – no, his illusion, Sakai reminded himself – tried to poke in, and find a gap in the whirling blades.

He failed, getting struck by the blades and being sent flying. He tumbled over the dirt before crashing into a tree, his shield unable to take that one last insult. It flared red.

“Victory! Team Iona!” The [Referee] announced.

Iona didn’t stop her spinning dance, and the [Referee] frowned. The faun marched over to where Iona was continuing to spin her deadly dance.

“Excuse me. The round is over. Please return to your side.” He ordered Iona. She didn’t move.

“Foul!” A member of the School cried out. The cry was quickly echoed by the remaining members of the School, standing on the sidelines.

“Foul! Cheating!” They cried out, a murmur rapidly spreading through the crowd. Iona continued her dance.

A faint pop occurred as the Black Rose himself teleported high above the arena. He touched a small rune on his shirt, and his voice was broadcast.

“Team Shining Shrine. Minor Penalty, Impersonating a Referee. Penalties must be greater than the attempted gain. Team Shining Shrine loses this round. Team Shining Shrine loses a second contestant, at their selection.” The Black Rose decreed.

With a louder pop, Kira stumbled as his real body reappeared in front of the team, the illusion on the field fading – all of them.

The kitsune shook his head, and his usual illusion spun off of him as Sakai’s lord disappeared from view.

“Futsu-chan. With respect, Takatane-kun has the best chance of winning.” Takashige-dono said.

Sakai stepped up, and mentally prepared himself.

He was going to attempt to end this in a single blow. It was his best – only – chance at winning and redeeming Takashige-dono. He needed to win, for his [Lord] and friend.

“Fame. Glory. Honor. Fight!” The normal [Referee] declared, although the Black Rose was still hovering over the battle. Still watching.

Sakai crouched down, one hand on his scabbard, the other on the hilt of his sword as he prepared his skills.

[Iaido]. [Lightning Strike]. [The Single Slash That Cuts Through the Heavens]. [Thunderbolt Speed]. [The Piercing Dark]. [Cut]. All his actives, buffed by a number of passives. [Kenjutsu]. [Stalwart Samurai]. [Retainer’s Resolve]. [Lightning Armaments]. [Sheathed in Darkness].

He couldn’t move, not with everything prepared and ready to go. He wasn’t worried about arrows, not after Iona had spent them all in her earlier fight, and his own defenses against such attacks.

Instead, he watched as the silent, faceless figure of death slowly approached. She didn’t run, she walked. One step at a time. An axe in one hand, a shield in her other.

Dread slowly mounted in Sakai’s heart. Who was he, to finally take down the invincible juggernaut? Nobody had stopped her. Nobody had slowed her down.

She had nearly 150 levels on him.

As she approached, he realized one last thing that he’d intellectually known, but was now standing in front of him.

The woman was a behemoth. She towered over Sakai’s slight stature, and her armor made her even wider.

Strength. Speed. Dexterity. Vitality. Armor. Toughness. Weapons. Skills.

She had it all.

Sakai carefully watched her, determined to make his mark. Determined to bring honor to his lord.

She paused, a single footstep outside of his range. A half-formed thought emerged in Sakai’s mind, wondering how she knew, before he banished it, and focused.

This was it. The final strike of the match. He was ready.

The two of them stared at each other. Sakai through the slits in his helmet, Iona with the blank, featureless mask.

The tension grew, and the crowd started to mutter as the two stared at each other. Sweat beaded on Sakai’s forehead, trickling down his face and neck.

Any moment now. I am ready. Any moment now. I am ready.

His grip tightened on his sword, and he shifted slightly, ready for the moment.

Then Iona suddenly jerked forward! This was the moment!

Sakai slashed out, only to watch Iona dance back, the movement having already been planned.

He had a brief moment to curse.

Shameless feints.

An axe to the face ended his hopes of winning a spot in the main event.