Chapter 31: The Watershine Blade

As Orson and Lenora reached where the others were in line to enter for the match, thanks to Julian, they were able to enter. As Orson was pulling Lenora inside, he could not help but look at Aeron, who was trying to enter the match. He looked carefully at the guy who had just dropped a major crisis on him.

Orson had so many questions. Whether it was just a glimpse of the future. Or anything. And could he change it as well?

As he looked at Aeron, he just sighed.

Fuck you and your burdens. Why tell me this if you are just going to act carefree about my death?

He thought as he pushed Lenora inside the match.

As they entered, nearly every seat of the colosseum was packed with screaming fans, with most of the colosseum cheering for General Elias. Orson could see the shimmer of silver monochrome costumes throughout the stands. By the time they reached their seats, the announcer’s voice bellowed throughout the Colosseum.

"Ladies and gentlemen. It is the moment that you all have been waiting for. The greatest lineup across the entire world system."

The entire stadium cheered.

"General Elias. General Elias."

Even Julian, who attempted to deny General Elias’s power, was joining in the chant. "General Elias, General Elias."

Hearing the champion of the hour’s name throughout the colosseum, the announcer went all in on their wins and the contestant that you’ve all been waiting for.

"General Elias!"

As if to answer the screams of the audience, General Elias sauntered into the arena with his broadswords drawn and multiple blades behind him. He looked to the audience and waved, causing the cheers to grow even louder. And as they grew, Elias raised a hand to his ear and egged them on further.

But Orson wasn’t entirely sold on his introduction. Just from Elias’s initial appearance, Orson saw the man below as nothing more than a show pony who was mostly interested in looking versus actually fighting.

However, that quickly changed as Elias’s opponent came out.

The announcer’s voice cried out again. "And facing off against our General is a returning villain. Please give a warm welcome to Draven of the Demon Blank Guild."

The moment the deep navy blue armored Awakened stepped forward, he was greeted by a wall of boos. It seemed that the Blank Guild didn’t even have a single fan in the entire arena. With his puffed-up chest, Draven seemed to be almost encouraging their boos as he lifted his arms.

"Telling them to bring it on. Boo, you’ll never beat Elias."

Weird enough, even Lenora shouted, "Boo, General Elias, beat him!"

Looking at her, you would not even know someone just told her future. And besides, Orson thought, she did not even look bothered by the revelation.

Weird. Was he the only one thinking about his death?

Julian laughed. "I didn’t realize you were a General fan."

Lenora offered Julian a sheepish smile. "Maybe Corvin’s fandom is rubbing off on me a bit."

But Orson doubted that. He was even sure she did not hear a single word from Corvin since he had been ranting about the guy.

While here, focused on presenting it all, Orson was still keeping a close eye on General Elias’s expression. Despite the overly cocky grin on Elias’s face, Orson could see hunger in his eyes. Not only was he confident in taking down his opponent, but he was itching for a victory. Unlike his opponent, who seemed eager to pound on his opponent, Elias was determined to win.

Again, the announcer’s voice boomed over the entire stand. "Gentlemen, take your starting positions."

As both men turned to their starting positions, Draven stomped his feet as he turned to the crowd. His opponent, however, kept his attention extremely fixated on the man before him, not willing to give his opponent a single edge.

Elias was ready to take off, charging out of the gate as the match began.

"Match on!" the announcer cheered as the horn blared.

General Elias unsheathed the heavy sword strapped across his back, lodging it into the cracked stone of the colosseum floor. In a single fluid motion, he drew his massive broadsword from his hip, resting the flat of the heavy steel against his shoulder.

Across the roaring arena, Draven, clad in deep navy blue armor, raised a hand. With a flicker of light from his system interface, an ornate hilt materialized in his grip.

The two Gold Class Awakened lunged, closing the distance in a blur. Steel met steel in a ringing clash that sent sparks showering across the sand.

Before Elias could drive his broadsword forward, Draven’s weapon flexed with a sickening, fluid crack. The steel blade uncoiled into a segmented whip made of pressurized, rushing water, lashing out with terrifying speed.

"A Resonant Tier-2 weapon!" the announcer shouted over the roaring arena speaker, his voice echoing through the colosseum.

The crowd gasped in unison, leaning over the stone railings.

The water-whip cracked through the air like a thunderclap, aimed directly for Elias’s throat. Elias shifted his weight, raising the broad face of his sword to intercept the strike. The liquid blade slammed into the flat of his weapon, but the sheer force and momentum pushed Elias backward, his boots carving deep trenches into the arena sand.

Draven didn’t let up. With a flick of his wrist, the whip coiled around Elias’s guard, snapping violently to force him into a full retreat.

High up in the spectator stands, Julian scooted to the very edge of his seat, his knuckles white against the stone railing.

"The Watershine Blade!" Julian cried out, his eyes wide as he tracked the chaotic arcs of fluid steel. "How is Elias going to defend against that? He’s a short-range attacker—he can’t even get close!"

Beside him, Corvin let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know, but... he can’t lose, right? I mean, he’s never lost a match."

"You don’t have to worry about that," Orson said calmly, his eyes locked onto the sand below, taking in every subtle shift in Elias’s stance. "Elias knows exactly what he’s doing."

Down on the floor, the pressure was relentless. Draven kept his distance, snapping the whip in lethal, sweeping arcs that kept Elias entirely on the defensive. Every time Elias tried to close the gap, the liquid blade lashed out, forcing him back into the long-range dead zone while the entire colosseum watched from the edges of their seats.