Chapter 201: The Strength Of Kings 2

The Lion King roared. His muscles expanded under his armour and fire covered his body. He broke the chains using pure power and charged forward, forcing Caelis to retreat. His second tried to intercept him. Garrath shouldered the attack. The Foxfolk mage was hit and tumbled across the ground. Before he could finish the exchange, Tavren appeared behind him. Their weapons clashed. A powerful force caused the dome to shake. "Still fighting everyone at once?" Tavren asked. Garrath grinned. "Someone has to keep you busy." They separated, their mana spreading across the battlefield.

The battle raged on for hours. Alliances were formed, but they soon broke as they realised only one leader could win. The Rabbit Queen used her healing and nature magic to keep her second fighting for far longer than he should have. The Deerfolk leader used his roots, vines and living barriers to control the battlefield. The Hawkfolk used their aerial advantage to attack from above and change direction quickly.

The Boarfolk used their earth power to break through defences. However, none of them could keep their advantage for long. The stronger fighters began to eliminate the weaker ones. The battlefield became filled with fallen fighters. Eventually the Rabbit Queen lost her second as he sacrificed himself to protect her from Tavren’s attack. She continued to fight, using all her knowledge of nature and healing but even her amazing control over life mana couldn’t stop the Tiger leader reaching her.

Caelis and his second lasted longer than most expected. Their spirit magic caused a number of their opponents to get into dangerous situations. Their illusions caused openings that should have been impossible to exploit. However, once the Wolf King’s Frostmane second had got the hang of their spell patterns, he began to predict their movements and freeze the ground under their hidden positions. Caelis managed to injure him but fell shortly after as his second was hit.

The number of fighters began to drop. Eventually only the three strongest leaders and their remaining seconds remained. Aldren. Garrath. Tavren. The Wolf and Lion King had an uneasy understanding that the Tigers were the biggest threat. However, they hadn’t worked together for long enough to end the battle. Tavren’s second attacked Garrath’s injured side, forcing him to defend. Tavren used this opportunity to attack Aldren. Their weapons clashed. They stood their ground. The ground beneath them shattered.

Tavren broke away first. He released a burst of condensed fire mana, forcing Aldren to take a step back. He then attacked with a series of precise spear thrusts to hit Aldren’s vital points. Aldren deflected each attack with his sword, using wind to change the direction of the spear and ice to limit Tavren’s footing. They were locked in a battle of positioning. Tavren suddenly changed tactics. He let go of his weapon. Aldren’s sword sliced through where the spear had been but Tavren had already moved inside his guard. He punched Aldren in the chest, releasing a burst of condensed fire mana. Aldren recovered quickly but Tavren’s weapon had returned to his hand and had pierced through his defences. The warrior fell. Aldren’s expression changed. He had fought beside this man for years.

"Enough Tavren." The Tiger leader raised his spear. "You should have accepted the outcome of the council." Aldren’s wind magic flared. "You should have known that ruling a kingdom is more than just fighting." The Wolf King attacked. Their weapons clashed repeatedly, causing the dome to shake. Aldren used wind to increase his movement and ice to create openings. Tavren used powerful bursts of fire and precise attacks to hit all his weaknesses. Neither seemed to have the upper hand and the battle continued as Garrath fought his second. Eventually Garrath had the upper hand against his injured second. However, he had paid the price. He turned to face the other two. Tavren and Aldren noticed. For a few seconds the three kings stared at each other. Garrath charged.

The final clash lasted for a few minutes. Garrath attacked first, his fists glowing. He swung both fists at Tavren. The Tiger leader crossed his spear, taking the brunt of the attack. However, the second blow forced him to stumble back. Aldren followed up with a wind blade, slicing Tavren’s shoulder and causing a deep wound under his armour. The Tiger stumbled. Garrath pushed forward. However, Tavren had been waiting. He crouched low and stabbed Garrath in the side with his spear. He released a burst of condensed fire mana.

The Lion King roared, but his body had taken too much damage. He attacked Tavren once more but Tavren tumbled across the ground. Garrath fell to one knee. Aldren used the opening. His sword swung down. Tavren rolled to the side but the sword had sliced his shoulder, tearing through his remaining armour. He grunted and placed his hand on the ground, releasing a burst of earth mana. This forced the Wolf King back. Before Aldren could get back into position, Tavren’s spear came forward. It pierced through his chest. The three kings stood still for a few moments. Aldren looked down at the spear in his chest before looking up at Tavren. He fell. The Wolf King had lost. Tavren withdrew his weapon and stood shakily. Garrath tried to get up but his injuries stopped him. He looked at the Tiger leader and slowly lowered his head. He had fought well. But he had lost. Finally silence fell over the dome. Tavren Raukhan stood alone.

The barrier faded. No one celebrated. The battlefield was littered with fallen leaders and seconds. The few remaining spectators were struggling to believe what they had just seen. The king of the Wolf Crown was dead, the Lion King too and the others had lost. Tavren was the only remaining leader, covered in blood and with a few injuries. He had won. Aldren’s final words echoed in his mind. Whoever wins will lead the kingdom. Tavren looked at the gathered Beastfolk.

"Everyone listen. The Tiger Clans have won the challenge. From today Bravelm will no longer be run as it was." He looked at the Wolf Crown guards. "You will accept my authority." The remaining Wolves looked at each other, their faces showing sadness and disbelief. None moved to attack him. He looked at Tanaka. "And you Tanaka Eldoris." Tanaka looked back. "You agreed not to fight in this challenge and I certainly won’t forget that. However, I will now be leading Bravelm so I expect you to accept my authority." Tanaka said nothing. "You may have been powerful enough to intimidate individual leaders but this is no longer just between you and one Beastfolk king. If Eldoris wants to stand with Bravelm then you will answer to me."

Tanaka’s expression was unreadable. However, before he could reply, an unknown aura appeared. It was massive. The remaining warriors could feel it. A few fell to their knees, unsure why. Even Raizen tensed. Raishin looked towards the source, automatically moving his hand to his weapon. Tanaka’s eyes narrowed as he felt the pressure spread across Varghelm. It was almost equal to his own.

A figure appeared from behind the broken area. He looked at the fallen leaders, the destroyed city and the Tiger king standing among the bodies. He sighed tiredly. "I give the reins to the Wolves but no one is happy." He rubbed the side of his head. "Ugh, what a drag." Tavren’s expression changed. The remaining Warriors of the Wolf Crown lowered their heads. Tanaka watched as the new arrival approached. The Beastfolk King had arrived.