Chapter nineteen: The Arena Trials part two

The colosseum roared with anticipation, the air alive with heat, dust, and the weight of countless eyes. The stone walls vibrated with the cheers of nobles and commoners alike, all eager to witness the battle that was promised Cidolfus Lynvern, the Hunter, against Johny Hursen, wielder of Hali, the colossal greatsword.

“You all ready to begin?” Roly’s voice carried over the arena, commanding silence “this round the one to collapse first loses.”

The crowd hushed as the two fighters took their places at opposite ends of the ring.

“You ready to lose, Johny?” Cid’s voice was steady, sharp with playful venom.

“You wish,” Johny growled back, hefting Hali with both hands. The sword was heavy enough to crush stone, yet in his grasp it looked as natural as breath.

Cid unsheathed one of his twin katanas. The black steel hummed faintly with particles. “You sound confident,” he said with a thin smile.

“Begin!” Roly bellowed, stepping back.

In an instant, steel met steel. The clash echoed like thunder, sparks flying in every direction. The ground beneath them cracked under the sheer force of their meeting.

“You’re strong,” Cid said, pushing back against Hali’s crushing weight. “But not fast enough.”

He twisted, vaulting into the air, and his boot connected with Johny’s chest. The blow threw Johny back, but the giant of a man barely staggered before planting his feet and charging forward again.

The crowd erupted.

Johny swung Hali in a deadly arc. Cid caught it on his blade, the vibration rattling up his arms. “You’ll have to be serious, Cid,” Johny said, pressing harder, his eyes blazing.

“Maybe,” Cid muttered and then deflected the blade with sheer strength, using the opening to drive his fist into Johny’s stomach. The impact forced the air out of him, but Johny only slid back, grinning despite the pain.

“Then it’s my turn.”

He raised a hand. Ice shards formed, then fireballs, then lightning and stone four elements swirling at once, conjured with terrifying speed. With a roar, Johny unleashed them in a storm of magic.

The air filled with chaos. Shards of ice whistled past, fireballs seared the ground, lightning cracked the air, and stones shattered against the arena walls. In the heart of the maelstrom, Johny charged with Hali raised high.

But Cid moved through it like a shadow in a storm. Every strike of Johny’s magic was dodged, deflected, or shattered. He weaved between bolts of lightning, twisted past fireballs, turned shards of ice with his blade. To the crowd, it was madness a monster’s dance.

“They’re… they’re not human,” someone whispered from the stands.

Cid grinned as he sidestepped another crushing swing. “Hear them, Johny? They want more.”

Johny’s grin matched his. “Then let’s give them more.”

Cid reached out mid-dodge, snatching an ice shard from the air and threw it back. Gasps erupted.

“What? How”

“He grabbed magic itself!”

“That’s impossible!”

The shard cut Johny’s cheek. Both fighters smiled, blood and excitement mixing in the air.

Their battle grew fiercer. Johny’s magic rained down like a storm, but Cid no longer simply dodged he struck back, blade flashing in deadly counters. Each clash shook the arena. Dust rose, the ground cracked, and the audience screamed their names.

At last, Johny saw it the smallest of openings. He didn’t hesitate. Hali whirled, and his fist slammed into Cid’s gut, launching him across the arena.

The colosseum exploded in cheers.

“Finally found one,” Johny panted, sweat dripping down his temple.

Cid wiped blood from his lip, laughing softly. “You got lucky.”

He blurred forward, faster than sight. Johny barely raised Hali before Cid was upon him, catching him off guard with a crushing punch to the jaw. Before he could recover, Cid vanished again appearing behind him to deliver a brutal kick that launched him skyward.

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The crowd gasped as Johny’s massive frame spun helplessly in the air.

“Not done yet,” Cid whispered, vanishing once more. He appeared above Johny, slamming a kick that sent him crashing into the arena floor. Stone shattered under the impact, a crater forming where Johny landed.

Johny groaned, body trembling, but his spirit refused to yield. Slowly, painfully, he forced himself to stand. Blood dripped from his lip as he raised Hali once more.

“Come on,” he growled. “I’m not done.”

Cid landed lightly before him, both swords now drawn. The black steel gleamed. “Neither am I.”

Johny roared, channeling the last of his strength, and hurled himself forward. Hali descended in a crushing arc. Cid caught the strike on one blade, sliding it aside, and with the other slashed across Johny’s stomach shallow, but enough to draw blood.

The arena went silent.

Then Roly’s voice thundered: “The winner, Cidolfus Lynvern!”

The silence broke into chaos. Cheers erupted, the crowd chanting Cid’s name over and over.

Johny swayed, still gripping Hali, then gave Cid a weak grin. “Guess… I lost.” His knees buckled, and he collapsed, unconscious.

Cid sheathed his blades, breathing steadily, his eyes scanning the roaring crowd. His victory was clear but so was the danger. Each battle revealed more of his strength, and more eyes would be watching.

He glanced up at the noble stands, feeling the weight of stares sharpen like daggers. “So,” he muttered to himself, “this is only the beginning.”

The servants entered the arena and escorted the battered fighters toward the medical wing. The air inside was heavy with the sharp scent of herbs and burning incense, meant to dull pain and quicken healing.

Cid sat down on one of the benches while a healer tended to the small cut on his cheek. His breathing was calm, his movements steady, as if the brutal fight hadn’t taken much from him at all.

“You don’t look like you took too much damage,” Bell remarked as she carefully cleaned his knuckles.

Cid smirked. “So… we’re already in the worrying stage of a relationship?”

Bell’s face turned crimson. “W-what? That’s not what I…”

He chuckled softly. “Relax. I’m just teasing. Don’t be embarrassed.”

Before Bell could reply, a weak but determined voice came from across the room.

“You…”

They turned to see Lilith Grayman, lying in one of the beds, her pale face twisted in frustration.

“How did you do that? How did my illusions not work on you? And who are you really?”

Cid tilted his head, his eyes cool. “Just a hunter.”

“You can’t fool me,” Lilith shot back, trying to sit up. “You’re not just a hunter.”

“My lady, please,” Bell said quickly, rushing to support her. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

But Lilith ignored her, fixing her sharp gaze on Cid. “I heard you’re a foreigner. Do you… know a man named Bill Grayman, by any chance?”

Cid froze for a heartbeat, his expression shifting into something colder, heavier. “You’re related?”

“Yes. He’s my uncle.”

Cid’s posture straightened. His voice grew solemn, almost ceremonial. “Then forgive me. I should have introduced myself properly.”

He bowed slightly, the room falling silent. “My name is Cidolfus Lynvern, from the village of Moonlight. Son of Charlie and Ellie Lynvern. And before she met my father, my mother’s name was Grayman. She was the sister of Bill… and by that, the sister of your father.”

Lilith’s lips parted, shock in her eyes. “What…”

Before she could finish, another voice came from the doorway.

“I didn’t want to believe it at first, when Bill told me about you and your sister,” the voice said, heavy with regret.

A tall man entered, his presence commanding. His hair was streaked with gray, his robes bearing the sigil of the Grayman line. His eyes, though sharp, softened as they fell upon Cid.

“I thought everything tied to my sister perished that night. I am… very sorry that you had to suffer so much.” The man bowed deeply, not as a noble, but as kin.

“Father?” Lilith whispered from her bed. “So… what he said is true?”

“Yes, my sweet daughter,” the man answered gently. “Now please, rest. You need your strength.”

Then he turned to Cid, his voice warmer now. “Cidolfus… if you need anything, anything at all, simply ask. My name is Michael Grayman. Please, address me as Michael.”

Cid gave a rare, soft smile. “Then no need for formality. We’re family, after all. Just call me Cid.” He shifted his gaze back to Lilith. “And to answer your earlier question… I am a hunter. But not a regular one. My rank is NT.”

The words fell like stones into water, sending ripples through the room.

“NT rank?” Lilith gasped.

Michael’s eyes widened.

Even Bell dropped her supplies.

“You… you’re the first in this kingdom,” Michael said.

“And the only,” Cid replied simply.

Michael frowned, doing the math quickly. “If I recall correctly, that would have been five years ago. Meaning… you were only fourteen?”

“Yes,” Cid said. Then his tone hardened. “But keep that to yourselves. It’s still a secret.”

Michael placed a hand on his chest and bowed again. “You have my word. Neither I, nor my daughter, will ever speak of it.”

“Thank you,” Cid said, then turned to Bell. “Take care of them. I need to see the next fight.”

“It’s your wife’s turn, isn’t it?” Lilith asked softly from her bed.

“Yes,” Cid replied, already heading for the door.

“Then tell her… good luck.” Lilith’s voice carried faintly after him.

Cid’s voice echoed back down the hall. “Thank you.”

Back in the ready room, the others were already gathered.

“Cid!” Emily called, waving him over. She pointed to the massive viewing window. “You got here just in time.”

“Come, look,” Charls said, standing by her side.

The crowd was roaring again. The arena floor was prepared, and Roly’s voice rang out:

“Now, I know the last fight was something else… but this one will be no different. Warriors, welcome your next duel: Fenrona Lynvern, the Frigid Wolf Hunter, versus her opponent Alpha Dorsten, Princess of Frost!”

The gates creaked open.

On one side, Fenrona strode forward with a calm yet playful air, silver hair flowing like moonlight, her golden eyes gleaming with confidence.

On the other, Alpha entered with a chilling grace, her aura radiating ice. The temperature of the arena seemed to drop with every step she took, frost spreading across the ground in her wake.

The colosseum fell silent, the air heavy with anticipation.

For the first time, the world would see which of the two women was stronger.