Revival: Of Cethore ✔

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six: Trick of The Water

Samari gazed wearily at her card, plaguing herself with anxiety. After the ball game, each contestant had drawn a card to decide their matching for the next rounds.

One hundred matches, seven people per match, and only one victor. I could maybe take out one or two people, but six? No way.

The memory of that scene returned to her, pushing a new layer of dread over her mind. She still didn't understand it very well, why she had felt like she was dying, despite Dillian's best attempt to explain it to her. He had insisted on her leaving the tournament, but she brushed away his offer.

"If you are in match B1, B2, or B3, please report to your rings. Matches B1, B2, and B3, report to your rings now," the announcer paged.

"Cy is in B2. I guess...I'll go watch his match," she said to herself.

The announcement of the matches coached people to herd towards the arenas. From the density of the crowds, it seemed the entire festival had come to watch the matches.

Is watching mages battle truly so entertaining, or do they come for the tradition of it? she wondered.

Walking anywhere took a while because of the packed pathways, but she made it to the ring before the match started. While the crowd made it difficult to see the ring directly, there was lacrima poised above that projected an image if the ring.

Despite the crowd, the contestants must have had an easier time getting through though, for they were all present when Samari arrived. A referee was talking to them, most likely telling them the rules.

She played with the key on her belt to keep her busy, tracing it with her thumb.

When the referee finished, the fighters divided to separate sides of the ring. Once he was off the ring, they bowed and thrust their right hands into the sky.

BU-LUH! The match began at the sound of the horn. Three of them activated their ticon, included Cyrus, and two more drew their weapons.

A man who appeared to have bark on his skin charged at a woman near him. She noticed him and reacted defensively. They sparred well against each other.

A spell activated, diverting Samari's attention from the pair. She looked to the caster who was engaged in a fight between a firearmed and a battlemage. She was curious about the group, but forced herself to keep scanning the ring until she found her friend.

He stood attentively, unsure whether to join in a fight or challenge the other idle contestant. Already, he had what looked to be a water lasso wrapped around his arm.

Suddenly, he threw his lasso. It latched onto the battlemage, holding him in place. The man pulled against it, but the timing was just right to stall him as a spell headed his way. His body went limp at the shock spell, dropping.

The castor responded, abruptly levitating his hammer to smack him in the face. The lasso released, and the man stumbled backward, falling unconscious.

Whoops filled the air at the first defeat. A strange dome activated, lifting the man out of the danger zone.

The battle continued amongst the skilled fighters. Watching closely, Samari suspected that the firearmed and the idle girl did not have much combat experience. They were jumpy and tried to keep out of conflict.

After taking out the battlemage, the caster focused her attention on Cyrus. She attacked, using some spells that Samari did not recognize. Skillfully, the water boy either dodged or blocked, morphing the water into different shapes.