Chapter 225 The Black Raven Kingdom 1
In an Energised Training Chamber in the same passageway which held the King's Chambers.
Faxul sat on the ground while absorbing the white mist around him while the King of Lanthanor stood to the side observing everything with a keen eye.
Although expressions of pain frequently came on Faxul's face, he managed to bring his expression under control each time before continuing to absorb the Energy in the room.
After an hour, Faxul stood up with a rare smile on his face.
"It is as if my Mageroot is… Larger."
Hearing his friend's words, Daneel smiled in return before striding forward and saying, "That is to be expected, as your Mageroot was forcefully decal… nevermind. What I mean is, almost no one can bear this much pain everyday without going mad. Every time you feel that you're on the brink, do not hesitate from using the technique I gave you which will confine that entity for a time. But remember, the more you use it, the less effective it will become. I will keep trying to come up with better techniques to help you. Till then, this is all I can do."
Hearing the tone of slight regret in Daneel's voice, Faxul turned around and simply hugged his friend who was feeling concerned for him over this decision.
Although his nature was such that he could not put his emotions into words, this gesture was enough to show the solidarity and trust he had in Daneel.
Hugging back, Daneel only smiled before clapping Faxul on his shoulders and saying, "So what is the deal with the Black Raven Kingdom? What do you want to do about your ancestry?"
Stepping back, Faxul frowned as he tried to find an answer for the question.
Yet, after a few seconds, he only shook his head and said, "I don't know."
The tone of indecisiveness in his friend's voice made Daneel understand that Faxul still needed time to figure out just what his goal was. After all, he was the kind of man who might take time to analyze and ponder to make a decision, but would stand on it with a single-minded determination and focus after it was made.
As he saw the contemplative look on Faxul's face, Daneel also couldn't help but think about the Kingdom which had willingly thrown Lanthanor to the dogs by proposing the deal with the Echer Seeds.
Still, because of everything he had gone through recently, he did not feel any hesitation at all at the plan he had hatched long ago when he had accepted the deal which would definitely make the arrogant usurper gawk with surprise as he realized that the King of Lanthanor was not someone to be trifled with after all.
…
Meanwhile, in the very Kingdom that Daneel and Faxul were thinking about.
In an open structure which would definitely make Daneel surprised when he saw that it was very similar to the gladiator rings back on Earth, two figures were currently facing off against each other in the center while the crowds in the stands surrounding the open field cheered without abandon.
"Bets on the Fighter, 5 to 1! 5 to 1! 5 to 1! Just put a small amount, and you might win a fortune!"
The shouts from the men who were making their rounds on the stands while holding slips of parchment on which names and amounts were to be written to record bets were met with derision from most of the people who were waiting for the fight to begin.
"You just want us to lose money! There's no way a Black Raven Fighter can be defeated by someone on the same level!"
As one of the men on the stands said these words, the bookkeeper who was near him only smiled with a glint in his eyes before continuing to make the rounds. Although many bets on the competitor were recorded, very few decided to take the risk on the one who was actually being advertised by the bookkeepers.
In fact, many even increased their bets on the competitor as if in defiance to the statement by the bookkeepers who made sure to cover each and every part of the stands before making their way back to a certain part of the stadium in which a man wearing a black robe could be seen.
Seeing that his reverse psychology trick had worked, the lead bookkeeper signaled for the match to start before making his way to a private booth which was cordoned off from the rest of the public.
With a loud sound akin to that of drums being beaten, the match finally started between the two individuals standing in the clearing.
One had a piece of cloth which covered most of his face except for his eyes, while the other had a Black Raven double the size of a man's head on his shoulders.
Both men wore standard leather armor which did not seem like it was enchanted with any special defense mechanisms.
As the drumbeat resounded in the stadium, the Raven immediately flew into the air while keeping an eye on the person in front of it.
The man on whose shoulders the Raven had been perched on till now ran back, as if he did not want to get into a close quarters fight with his opponent.
As he did so, he was shocked to see that his opponent did not move or even attempt to follow him.
As a Black Raven Fighter, he was used to people trying to close the gap and defeat him before the Raven could get into a good position to begin his trump card attack.
Thinking that the opponent was just some dumb guy who did not even know this famous tactic, the Black Raven Fighter wondered why he had even been chosen by the Battle Royale's manager to take part in this fight.
Still putting all thoughts aside, he communicated with the Raven which had reached an altitude of 500 m in the air to begin its attack.
Getting its order, the Black Raven dived down and started picking up speed with its beak pointed at the opponent whom it wanted to impale in just its first attack.
Meanwhile, the Black Raven Fighter had enlarged the trinket in his hand into a short bow to which he nocked three arrows.
His opponent was still standing nonchalantly with his arms folded, making him think that he had gone senile due to the pressure of being watched by thousands of people.
Shrugging and thinking that it was easy money, the Black Raven Fighter let loose the three arrows which were calculated to cover all three spots which the man would try to escape to in order to dodge the Raven's attack.
SSHHWIISHHHH
With the sound of something being cut, the Black Raven shot through the air at a dizzying speed at the man who hadn't moved an inch since the beginning of the fight.
It had even taken care to make sure that its angle of approach was the one in which the sun was located in.
Even if the man looked up now to try and catch a glimpse of it, he would be blinded by the glare and be helpless.
Thinking that victory was in their grasp, both the Raven and the Black Raven Fighter rejoiced internally.
Yet, the next moment, the crowd that been cheering uproariously till now immediately fell silent.
SSSHHWWAAPPPP
Without even looking up, the man had simply punched in the air with such a speed that his fists had left after images in the eyes of those watching.
As if being swatting like a fly, the enormous Black Raven had no choice but to be knocked away in a different direction.
THUMP
Although the ground was covered with loose sand and earth, the Black Raven made an audible sound which rang across the stadium when its beak became half buried due to the momentum with which it had been flying.
As if the fight was over, the man just turned around and walked towards the exit with the audience and the Black Raven Fighter looking on, perplexed.
"My Kairox and I have been through a lot more without even flinching! What makes you think you can leave like that with just a single attack?!"
Although the Black Raven Fighter posed this question, his opponent did not even turn around. Instead, he just kept walking forward for three more steps before a scream and a screech startled the audience who had been trying to figure out just what was going on.
The screech was from the Black Raven which had determinedly picked itself up from the ground, only to fall back down after a PUCHI sound had made blood flow from all over its body, as if some sort of explosion had taken place under its skin.
The scream was from the Black Raven Fighter who couldn't handle the sudden pain that was transmitted through the link he had with the Raven.
As both collapsed to the ground twitching, the man whose confident back would be remembered by the entire audience reached the exit before pulling down his hood and asking, "Where's my money?"