Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

“Welcome back from the break,” Umi Kaldrops greeted the audience once again, 10 minutes after the first fight. “I hope all of you managed to take care of your business and get ready, for the next fight.”

Two new participants entered the stage. Although everyone was looking forward to the third fight, between Caleb and the ruffian cultivator, this fight still managed to garner much attention.

On the left side floating slightly above ground was a being of nightmares, a demon from uncountable fairy tails, a boogeyman that could make a grown man pee his pants, a Sanit'Bolg. creatures with the faces of deep sea creatures and a dark desire for the minds and memories of sentient beings. It wore a dark glossy attire, that accentuated its alien appearance.

Despite being revived without injuries, the creature had left the nearly 100 opponents it slew a lasting trauma, they may never recover from. Facing the materialized nightmare, was a chosen from a different world, a man aching to a battle bard with the powers of Bragi, the Asgardian god of poetry.

Both had shown incredible crowd control during the preliminaries, making this match-up very interesting. Would the chosen of god, using Word Magic be able to defeat the childhood nightmare of most people in the audience and those watching at home?

Even Umi looked a little uncomfortable, being this close to the creature, observing her with dark eyes full of cold intelligence. but as a professional, it didn't stop her from doing her role.

“On the left, we have Alhoon, a proud Sanit'Bolg from the Inchworm Swamps of the Sulphuric Planes. On the right we have Bregar, a Bard from a world called Asdef and the chosen of Bragi!” she waited a moment for the cheers of the crowd to subside.

“Are both combatants ready? Good. Then, let the fight begin!” she gave the signal after they both nodded and hurried back above the arena, outside of the shield, so she wouldn't be pulled into their fight. She was barely out of the barrier when the two clashed.

Bregar had unsheathed his blade, a saber with rows of small holes and a row of rings, that would generate sound in conjunction with his fighting techniques, however, the Sanit'Bolg had already raised its hand, and like the countless fighters during the preliminaries, Bregar seemed to experience incredible pressure, forcing him to lower his stance. He barely managed to keep himself from kneeling down, like the many before him did.

With a sudden acceleration, Alhoon shot toward Bregar, who had trouble standing straight. The audience already saw the repeat of the horrible scenes they had seen before. The Sanit'Bolg would latch onto his victim's head, crush its skull with the jaws hidden below the rubbery flesh and suck out all the emotions, memory, and brain, leaving a dead husk on the ground.

“Fall!”

It was a dark voice, a deep voice, one that penetrated everything and even raised the hair on the skin of the onlooker who only heard it through the loudspeakers. It didn't seem to fit the bard, but it was Bregar who pressed out the word through gritted teeth.

The Word Magic was like an irrefutable command to the world, and the creature charging at him was smashed to the ground with incredible force. Its soft body, a mockery of a human shape, squelched and burst, as the momentum carried it forward across the arena floor, leaving bits and pieces of violet goo in a streak on the floor.

Stunned, the injured Sanit'Bolg tried to stand up where it came to a halt. It was hissing and gargling, as if talking to itself, before turning to Bregar, who was now standing straight again. The sudden command, had stopped Alhoon's control.

“Very well, I underestimated you,” the Sanit'Bolg said in a cold, poised tone. Its voice was emotionless and controlled. “It will not happen again...” it said and started casting. A dark miasma rose from the arena floor, but it was accompanied by the light clangs, a harmonic whistling, that was generated from the bard's sword dance.

“I didn't get where I am today,

by letting myself get pushed around.

No man, or beast, or Sanit'Bolg,

or boogeyman Is going to drag me down!”

The pouring rain intensified around them, as Bregar's haunting voice penetrated the arena. His voice was oozing with dark disdain. Thunder rolled in the clouds above, and the dark mists rising from the stage couldn't withstand the waves of music.

Fumbling, the Sanit'Bolg found his spells failing in the heavy rain. His claws surrounded in a devilish aura, and he rushed at the bard to attack him, but as he danced his number the boogeyman was unable to touch Bregar, who kept dancing and singing, building up momentum.

“The lightning will be flashing. The thunder, it will roar. You'll never know what hit 'ya! Wait'll you see what I have in store!”

A savage kick to the stomach in the middle of the dance, pushed Alhoon away from him, as his choreography intensified. Only the whistling of the sword, the drumming of the rain, and the bard's voice could be heard in the stadium as if everyone was listening to a sacred ritual in silence.

“Great and loud It's gonna be great and loud. When you fall, you'll really fall! And you're gonna fall Big! And you're gonna fall Loud! You're gonna fall BIG AND -”

A blinding light filled the arena. The whole stadium shook with a thunder that penetrated the audience deep into their chest and marrow. A massive lighting had suddenly struck the center of the stage, in sync with the lyrics of the song.

Blinded and deafened, the people could only stare as they slowly regained their senses of sight and hearing. There was nothing to hear, the world had fallen silent, but the arena was a sight to behold. Where Alhoon the Sanit'Bolg hat stood was only a blackened crater, tens of meters wide, and only soot was left from the terrifying foe.

Bregar on the other hand had come to a halt. his dance was over, and the song finished. he was sheathing his sword. Sure of his victory. And then he turned around and- faced Umi who came down to congratulate him.

Against everyone's expectations, there was no sudden turnaround like in the first battle. Everyone would have thought especially a dark creature like the Sanit'Bolg had a way to evade that strike, but the announcer's appearance confirmed, that Alhoon had actually appeared at the revival spot in the medical wing.

“We have a winner! Bregar won with a crushing stage performance, kicking Alhoon out of the tournament! A great applause for our winner!” Umi exclaimed, breaking the audience from their stupor. The silence was gone, the rushing of rain and the roar of the crowd seemed even louder than ever before.

The bard waved at the crowd with a charismatic smile but didn't say anything. Despite trying to hide it, the attentive observer could see the sign of fatigue on Bregar. Slight shaking of his hand, weakness in his knees... The fight had not been as easy as it seemed, but he was victorious.

...

“Wasn't that a little fast?” Fin asked slightly disappointed. She had had some expectations of the boogeyman of the preliminaries, but the Sanit'bolg was gone in an instant.

The second fight was even shorter than the first, but there was nothing wrong with it as long as the fights were exciting. they had planned four days for the tournament, if things progressed faster than expected, they could simply elongate the scheduled break before the final.

Constant excitement would only cause people to get bored if the level wasn't kept high. A break was just the right thing to allow the people to calm down and recuperate a little.

“No, this is good Fin,” Jane suddenly answered Fin. but she didn't find it good for the same reason as Seth. “ A lot of people bet on the brain sucker to win, we made quite a lot with this quick loss,” she added happily and started laughing to herself.

“Psht, the third fight is beginning,” Monique admonished Jane. The chosen of Athene had been looking forward to Polter's fight. As a spear demon herself, she was looking forward to the poleaxe demon's performance.

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