Divine Beast Ascension

Oli’s essence hammer slammed down on the wyvern’s back and side. Gennor roared in pain as he winced from the injury.

But Gennor’s one good wing gave up on escaping and unleashed its strongest wind blade. It hacked into Oli’s hip and nearly cut his leg off.

“That’s enough!” Ingall declared, letting Vloz appear between them the panting candidates.

All essence dispersed as Oli and Gennor both let their bodies drop to the floor. Both of them were smiling while searching for more air to fill their lungs.

The medics rushed over to the downed combatants. Salves were applied first and divine elixirs were handed out next due to the seriousness of their injuries. This left Oli and Gennor able to breathe calmly again.

“This match is a draw. Well fought,” Vloz announced. “Take a breather before heading back up to the balcony.”

Candidates took the chance to cheer and start chatting again at their tables.

Ingall was the first to speak at his table, raising his goblet to Zelsh. “My… I’m a little jealous. If only your candidate was a peak-elder. He probably would’ve won. You weren’t kidding when you said you got lucky this time around.”

.....

“Something like that,” laughed Zelsh, clinking his goblet against Ingall’s goblet. “Gennor’s a solid candidate himself! You might actually be able to break out of that reputation of yours.”

Sighing, Ingall Sardin shook his head, “Don’t say that. I don’t want any more of your endless jinxes.”

“Well, I think that’s enough combat for this feast. Don’t you think?” Rhyner chimed in.

Yet Rhyner’s eyes were elsewhere. His gaze lingered on an empty seat at the opposite end of Iron Colosseum, near one of the entrances and exits.

“There’s no use staring,” Zelsh laughed some more, clanging his goblet into Rhyner’s. “No matter how much you stare, they won’t bother revealing themselves. And there’s no use pestering them about who they represent. You and I both know who they’re working for, don’t we?”

‘Why do you think Eeole banned Oli from using soul arts tonight?’ Zelsh added telepathically.

While sipping his wine, Rhyner mentally replied, ‘... Because wherever Netra appears, there will be eyes, on both her and those around her.’

Zelsh only nodded in reply, emptying his goblet in the meantime.

Then, a hard hand slapped Zelsh in the back, almost causing the king to spit out his last mouthful of wine. Bradok was laughing hard as he bowed his head to the other two kings, “Not bad! The boy’s not bad! With some more training and he might make it to the prefecture finals, but he can’t keep up with our foxy lady. Eh, King Rhyner?”

“I agree. But isn’t it time for the feast to continue?” Rhyner commented.

Coughing to quickly stop his laughter, Bradok bowed to Rhyner and Ingall before darting off toward the kitchens.

Smirking, Ingall elbowed Zelsh’s side. “You and Leader Bradok seem like old friends. Yet he’s from Rhyner Region?”

“No. His clan settled in Rhyner Region. But during his nomad days he used Rot City as his home away from home,” Zelsh replied with a nostalgic light in his eyes. “He’s the chef for all those banquets you refused to take part in.”

“I took part in plenty of your banquets!”

“But not the ones with Bradok! You always missed those.”

Glaring at Zelsh, Ingall grinned. “Really? I don’t recall missing most of your banquets in the past. Only in recent years.”

“And it’s only in recent years that he momentarily lived in Rot City while his son-in-law found a place for his clan to settle down for good. That’s how Bradok and his clansmen ended up here, founding the glory-hogging Iron Territory,” said Zelsh.

Rhyner added, “They also helped me take the region by sneaking me across what used to be prefecture borders and giving me intel on the surrounding territories and the region’s capital city. Of course, they had good reason to do so, considering how the acting regional king at the time was a treacherous snake under the thumb of the Tempest Prefecture Lord who sought to kill all the gorillas.”

Thinking things over for a moment, King Sardin blinked. “So it’s not just a rumor? Leader Bradok’s son-in-law was, in fact, Dioro, the Tempest Prefecture’s champion turned criminal?”

When Zelsh nodded, Ingall clicked his tongue and pondered for a moment. “... So that’s at least one good reason for Iron’s incredible rise. And explains how God Toseko allowed the interprefectural exhibition to take place. Yet I don’t see the champion anywhere. I heard he had passed, and it appears that part of the story is also true.”

The kings continued to talk of Iron Territory’s origins. At the same time, Oli returned to his table while the servers brought out multiple platters of food along with empty plates and utensils for every candidate.

“That was amazing!” Kako cheered, filling Oli’s cup. “I would’ve lost all my money betting on that fight.”

Sighing while rotating his leg slightly, still remembering the feeling of his nearly severed limb, Oli raised his cup. “I just got lucky. If Gennor had been flying around at all instead of flapping in one place, I never would’ve stood a chance.”

“Still. You forced him to a draw. And you’re not even a peak-elder.”

Shocked to hear Netra’s comment, both Oli and Kako stared back at her. Kako was astonished that Oli hadn’t denied the claim. And Oli was floored by the fact that Netra could still sense that about him, despite Oli’s essence-masking bloodline.

‘She’s a step away from becoming a perennial and has perfect, dark affinity. It’s no surprise that she could sense your strength after witnessing your hard-fought battle,’ Eeole telepathically remarked.

That comment helped Oli quickly adjust and resume his casual, cheerful expression. “You’ve got good eyes, but please don’t go around telling everyone.”

“You’re secret’s safe with me,” Kako replied, bowing his head, “Captain Oliver.”

“Captain?” Confused, Oli asked, “Why are you calling me that?”

“Because we’re on the same team, you, Yeter, and I. And you’re the only option for our team captain. I won’t accept it any other way,” Kako insisted with a mad grin. “Don’t tell me Yeter will think otherwise! I’ve seen how fanatically he follows your commands.”

Netra caught that hint but didn’t say or ask anything. It gave her a proven path to learning more about the mysterious “Oliver”, and it happened to be a close friend that was impossible to shut up. A perfect lead for Netra’s search.

The rest of the course was spent with Oli either receiving praise from Kako or Oli fending off Kako’s endless questions regarding all of Oli’s abilities. Kako claimed that “every good team is built on trust.” The only time Oli riled Kako up was when they joked about Hiztor and his epic loss.

Soon, dessert was being served to all the tables and the banquet was winding down after sunset. The many mortal candidates were all loosening up and getting more comfortable with each other.

Slam!

“Rot Region! Wrap it up and move out!” Zelsh abruptly proclaimed. He gave a prompt nod to Ingall and Rhyner before walking away without another word to them. “MOVE!”

Tilgron and Vant took the lead with Kraz and Oli behind them. After them came Yeter and the rest of the Rot candidates. Whenever Yeter shouted, Kraz teasingly knocked him aside, almost toppling the stallion over.

Without answering any questions or speaking another word to his candidates, Zelsh rushed everyone over to the teleportation circle.

It almost seemed out of character. Until Zelsh activated the circle and gave Oli a proud grin.

They were all consumed by the flash of spatial essence. Except for Oli.

He blinked again. Yet all Oli saw was the same-old academy around him. The purple energy hastily faded but the scenery never changed.

‘Don’t speak. Don’t make too much noise,’ Eeole’s voice rang through Oli’s head. ‘At the moment, no one can see or sense you. So don’t go wasting my efforts and give yourself away. Now hurry to the upper floor of the academy. Vloz will meet you there.’

Oli quietly breathed in while dashing through the dark night. Within minutes Oli ran into the academy to find all the doors and stairways unlocked for him.

Atop the fourth stairway, the newest floor that Oli had never seen before, Oli found Vloz there waiting.

“Don’t stop,” Eeole spoke aloud, suddenly walking past Oli in his cloak of shadows. A pulse of ethereal, black energy streaked out of Eeole’s body and engulfed the entire fourth floor before seemingly fading out of existence. “Here, right now, we don’t exist. No matter how many eyes Kartzal sends to Iron Town, we can’t be found like this unless he comes personally. And, according to their intel, Oliver is now back in Rot Palace resting before he starts training for the prefecture qualifier.

“So, now that you temporarily don’t exist, we can discuss the next role you’ll play, although for only a little while.”