The match officials entered the arena, their movements sharp and practiced. They dragged the motionless body of Litlin out past the boundary, and to Emerald's utter bewilderment, the decapitated Viking warrior stood up, shaking off the dirt as if waking from a nap.
Emerald's jaw dropped. "What the fuck is that?" he whispered to Patrick.
"A barrier cast by the High Priest of the Ventrgiz family," Patrick explained calmly. "Every single injury, even death, can be revived here at the cost of one thing: a life of another person. We take the giver from the prison after they've received a death sentence. Unlike humans, we are not savages."
Emerald couldn't help but smile. "The savage part doesn't make any sense."
All this time, Clinton Krasinski stood with his arms outstretched, palms up, an arrogance that declared: This is all you need. He was claiming to be the strongest, the only one capable of protecting them.
As Clinton waited, the next challenger entered. Predictably, it took only a single, silent blow to slice him clean in half. Then came the next challenger, a rugged-looking vampire from the shores of Russia. "Prosieky," he announced his name before the duel commenced.
The flag was hoisted. Clinton launched a strike, but it met only air. The Russian was simply not there. Clinton gave a furious sidelong glance. Prosieky was standing behind him, smiling. Clinton lunged again, but the result was the same. As Prosieky effortlessly evaded the furious blows, he muttered in a deceptively gentle voice, "You lack experience, Millua."
The next moment was a horrific blur. Prosieky was obliterated into a million tiny pieces by Clinton. Emerald's gaze was fixed, lost in the sheer brutality of the spectacle. A moment later, an official rushed in, grabbed a piece of Prosieky's pulverized flesh, and dropped it outside the barrier. As expected, Prosieky was reincarnated instantly outside the combat shield.
Curiosity overriding the horror, Emerald asked Patrick, "What's the deal with the second shield?"
"It covers the damage taken from the duel," Patrick replied.
"Hmm, that's fantastic. What does the Manual say about the shield?"
"You didn't read it?"
"Nah, it's just... there's too much in it."
"If you step out of the shield, you're disqualified."
"It doesn't say which shield, right?"
"That's right. Why does it matter? A man of honor always stays in the inner ring; he doesn't run along in the outer space."
"You'll understand once you see it. Anyway, who's the next guy? Why isn't he coming out?"
With a profound sigh, Patrick stood up and walked over to Emerald. He gently patted his head and said, "I am going to put my faith in you." He then gestured towards the path leading to the arena. A shiver ran through Emerald's body. "There's nothing to be afraid of, boy. You're not going to die, but someone's life matters on you," Patrick added, his light tone barely concealing a deep-seated worry.
Emerald walked forward, each step carrying a ton of weight. He was consumed by self-doubt, barely registering the moment he stepped onto the ring. He looked around. The crowd was clamoring, many calling for him to simply give up. He looked towards the royal box and saw Genna's face, etched with sorrow, devoid of hope.
Turning to his opponent, he offered a greeting. "Emerald Mortaza, nice to be here with you."
"Clinton Krasinski," the vampire replied.
"I know who you are. Everybody knows."
"Same about you, human. You should look at yourself."
The flag was hoisted. Clinton landed a blow with impossible speed. Emerald was instantly blown away from the center, crashing into the north wing. He got up, coughing up blood, his nose and ears streaming with it.
"You should have stayed down. That was nice of me to do, brat," Clinton roared.
The seal on Emerald's arm began to shine, and simultaneously, the matching seal on Genna's arm flared. In the royal box, the elders of the Original Family shot to their feet. The eldest among them muttered with raw fury, "Unholy bitch," glaring directly at Genna. The crowd fell silent, witnessing the sacred binding vow of Genna manifest on a mere human.
Emerald's wounds began to heal rapidly. "That binding vow... she is really into you, I guess," Krasinski muttered, calming himself before unleashing his next move.
But a miraculous change had occurred. Boosted by the power of the vow, Emerald saw through everything. His agility and speed were now on par with Clinton's. However, an Original Vampire's strength remained far superior. It didn't take long for Clinton to land a critical strike, plucking out Emerald's throat.
Emerald, his neck severed, bolted towards the edge of the first shield, deliberately pushing his arm out into the second ring. He turned and smiled at Clinton, who was stunned to see the wound instantly healed by the binding vow. King Zedic smiled, finally understanding Emerald's plan.
Clinton engaged again. Emerald sustained the injuries repeatedly, but each time he was hit, he ran to the border of the inner shield, extended a limb into the outer ring, and healed himself. The constant healing, however, wasn't as instantaneous as he needed. Clinton tried to grab Emerald's arm to prevent the healing, but Emerald snatched his arm back just in time. Every single person present witnessed the ingenious, yet dishonorable, tactic. Clinton's mind, however, was now dwelling on plans to mutilate Emerald.
Clinton raised his arm. One of the Elite Five rushed over and spoke to him. Clinton whispered something, and the official left. Clinton smiled, and a new announcement boomed across the Coliseum:
"As of now, it's clear Emerald has been using an unethical way of combat. He used a binding vow, which is against the rule, but the opponent was okay with this. And now, to balance the rule, we are removing the shield as per the request of the opponent, Clinton. From now on, it's a battle of life."
The shield shimmered and vanished. Genna's face turned bone-white. Emerald stood there, unable to fully process the words. He was determined to step in, and he had. Now, all that was left was the perfect ending.
(To be continued)