Chapter 47 - First Draft

Chapter 47 - LOT

Jack’s first thought as he entered the arena, alongside all the other new recruit champions, was one of physical shock at the sound and energy of the crowd.

More than one hundred thousand people sat or stood crowded along the sides of the enormous coliseum, yelling and cheering from the stands. From Magma Clan officials, guards, or normal members to visiting nobles from other kingdoms, fighters coming to see a good fight, martial art masters coming to watch other masters battle, traveling merchants coming to see the results, a plethora of guests of every kind crowded the stands.

All these viewers cheering renewed as more of the participants came into the arena.

Jack shivered, feeling an uncontrollable urge to stand taller. This was his first time ever experiencing something like this.

He quickly snapped out of it, however, refocusing himself on why he was really here.

Still, the sheer power of the crowd shocked Jack.

More than a hundred warriors walked towards the center of the large coliseum, where a crowd of officials stood, talking and helping separate the warriors. Jack walked with the rest of the new recruits, towards where they had been directed to stand. He saw several more of those old men in white robes, men he’d learned were members of the Light Clan, specialized in healing.

The warriors walking towards the center were split into their own, smaller groups. Jack was with the new recruits. He saw one other large group, full of fighters all wearing the colors of the Magma Clan, dark red, with various symbols emblazoned on their robes. A few of them were even wearing full red plate armor.

The other groups were all much smaller in size, ranging from a trio of girls wearing strange orange robes, to a single, masked man with a pair of knives tucked into his waist, to a quartet of bear chested heavily muscled fighters, carrying what looked like small stone pillars.

As Jack studied them all, he felt his blood rise slightly. All of these fighters here seemed much stronger than those he had fought before.

Even those around him, he noted, the recruits that he was standing with, gave off stronger auras. A few of them even looked like they might be fun to challenge if he was here to honestly compete.

In the center of the coliseum was a one hundred meter wide stone platform. On this platform, there was a couple make shift huts, several large several meter wide stone boulders, and a few random trees.

This was the battle arena where all the matches would take place. A landscape artificially created by a family of unique crafters who specialized in projects like this, with a variety of Natural Abilities working together.

As Jack finished moving to where he was designated to go, the rumblings of the crowd fell away. Jack looked around in surprise before his eyes latched into a man that was floating in the center of the arena.

He had dark red hair, and was covered in muscles. He wore an open, red shirt, and a set of black pants. An enormous black greatsword was strapped to his back. Jack could just barely make out, in the distance, an odd set of scars covering the man’s face.

“Good morning, visitors, Clan members, and allies!” An enormous, powerful aura swept out from this man, blasting around the arena. With this aura came an extremely loud, authoritative voice.

“I am Miren, as I’m sure many of you know. I will be officiating this Clan Tournament to ensure the fairness of each match.”

His words boomed and echoed, rattling to the very corners of the stands. Jack stared at the figure closely, recognizing him. Lord Miren “The Berserker”, one of the five Burn Lords of the Magma Clan. A peak level figure.

“Let the Tournament begin!”

..

The tournament was organized incredibly quickly. Mere minutes after the Burn Lord Miren declared the start of the tournament, the first fight was already ongoing.

The first battle was between one Magma Clan member and another Magma Clan member, assigned together by random. Jack didn’t recognize them from the notes, so he assumed they weren’t notable figures.

He watched closely as they fought, however, the two men each wielding swords made of fire. They didn’t use any abilities that manipulated magma, only throwing balls of fire at each other, while rushing in for close combat.

One of the fighters was around 6 feet tall, Jack’s height, and muscular beneath their red robes. The other stood a little shorter.

The fight was brief, only a few minutes, but Jack paid careful attention, watching the attack patterns and style of combat. The two fighters seemed to have studied a similar style of fighting, probably one that was popular in the Magma Clan.

A winner was announced. The stage had remained completely undamaged through the fight. However, as soon as it was over, several workers stepped forward and slammed their hands into the ground. Immediately the terrain of the stage shifted slightly, any minor burn damage being instantly repaired.

“Fascinating…” Jack muttered, looking at the brown robed workers in surprise. He hadn’t noticed them among the other officials.

Soon, several fights happened, all in quick succession. One between a Magma Clan warrior, and a noble from the Sauriel Kingdom who’s Natural Ability allowed him to change the direction of the arrows he fired. The Magma Clan warrior destroyed any arrow before it got close, however, and closed the distance to defeat the noble before he was able to retaliate.

Over and over, Jack witnessed Magma Clan fighters defeating various nobles from subsidiary kingdoms or new recruits. The sheer power of just the flames from the Magma Clan’s Natural Ability seemed to be overwhelmingly strong. Even for those with a strong Spirit, it seemed difficult for them to resist the strength.

The first interesting fight happened in the 9th match.

“Hannah I’lle, of the Divine Phoenix Clan, please come to the stage!” Miren’s voice boomed as he announced the next contestant. He had called out the names of each fighter, having memorized the entire list of fighters, and the randomly picked order they were to fight in. The bored look he’d had from watching the previous fights faded as he looked at the girl coming on stage.

A girl from the Divine Phoenix Clan appeared on stage, wielding a long, slender metal whip. The girl was wearing long orange robes, with a delicate veil covering her face. She gave off a powerful fiery aura that matched the aura the Magma Clan warriors had, bit for bit.

Her opponent was none other than someone Jack recognized.

“Arial Burnheart, of the Magma Clan, please come to the stage!”

Jack smiled as he saw her, shaking his head. He’d grasped a pretty good idea of her personality from talking to her for nearly an hour. He waited expectantly.

“Hello! Let’s have a fun, friendly spar! Maybe we can be friends after!” Jack shook his head as he heard her loud yell. She certainly had a unique way of going about things.

The Divine Phoenix Clan’s Hannah I’lle was the first person Jack recognized from his list, apart from Arial.

The Divine Phoenix Clan possessed the Natural Ability to transform into a Divine Phoenix, giving them an extensive control of fire, and incredible regenerative abilities. They were considered one of the strongest Subsidiary Powers under the Magma Clan.

All of the Powers under the Magma Clan were groups that had incredible abilities, as far as Jack was concerned.

The Bulgodose Family of the Oriol Kingdom had a Natural Ability that allowed them to manipulate metal.

The Royal Family of the Amir Kingdom possessed the Natural Ability spread extremely deadly poison with a simple touch.

The Igbo House of the Nation of Fracé was a group of killers that could change the density of their bodies, becoming virtually undefeatable killing machines.

The Esteemed Laurette Family of the Wild Mountain Nation could use some type of strange technique that allowed them to control extremely strong Spirit Beasts.

The Doblock Group of the Mesmere Kingdom had the Natural Ability to create incredible illusions that could even trap Gem Beasts.

The Tasha Family was an elite hidden family who held the Natural Ability to create weapons from, and manipulate, the air itself.

And, finally, the Illmen Nobles Coalition from the Ashmere Kingdom was a group that didn’t have a single, unique Natural Ability, but a powerful collection that worked together.

All of these Powers, apart from the Illmen Nobles Coalition, had a single thing in common.

The Natural Ability they possessed was incredibly powerful or unique. Each of these groups was a ruler or leader in their respective nation. Power was what ruled this world.

Hannah I’lle was a famous character within the Clan, the Second Princess under the current ruler of the Clan, Mantis I’lle. Hannah was supposedly a prodigy that surpassed the First Princess in skill.

Jack had never seen a transformative Natural Ability before. He knew they existed. After all, the Sundering Sword Monarch, he’d learned, had fought against a Dragon Transformation User, years back, when he was avenging his wife.

“Begin!”

As soon as Lord Miren yelled begin, Hannah’s figure immediately gave off a beautiful white light. It took only a split second for her physical shape to transform, taking on a partially-Phoenix appearance. She gained a beautiful pair of gold and white wings that ruffled with pure white flames, her arms and hands were suddenly sheathed in beautiful flames of the same color, and her orange robes transformed into a dress made of pure white fire.

It was an incomplete Transformation, but still an extremely powerful one. From what Jack had read, there were only two members of the Divine Phoenix Clan that could completely transform. It took a large amount of practice, talent, and skill to achieve the full culmination of one’s Natural Ability.

Arial smiled as she looked at the Divine Phoenix Clan member, whipping out a small, slender grey sword. She held it in front of her confidently. As she did so, red flames of her own began to cover her body, boiling forth. Unlike the beautiful appearance of the Divine Phoenix Clan member, the flames on her body emitted a dangerous, deadly appearance, some of them sloughing off and falling to the ground, spreading.

A battle between divine beauty and raw power, it was a sight to behold.

Jack watched eagerly as the two girls rushed at each other, beginning to clash.

..

A few miles away, hidden in a dark alley between two random homes, two men stood, looking out from the alleyway. Random Magma Clan members could be seen, moving about on their day-to-day business.

“Do you believe in fate, Orin?”

A lean, silver-haired warrior, wearing a black silt shirt, and brown silk pants asked, continuing to look out at the main street before them. A long, brown leather belt strapped around his waist, where a pair of immaculate sabers rested.

“No, Commander.” The same bronze skinned spear wielder that had watched Jack fight the Void Shocker shook his head, looking at his commander.

“I do, Orin. I can feel the strings of fate pulling at me. Tugging at me. Demanding I do this, demanding I do that, oftentimes things I would already plan to do. It is subtle, incredibly subtle. But I can feel it.” Commander James O’Bald of the O’Bald Pirates, known by many simply as Silverwing, frowned, rubbing his chin.

He paused for a moment and then sat down, his face clouded as if he was thinking intensely.

“Is this that Mysterious Fate Theory, sir? I’ve heard you talk about it before.” The spear wielder shrugged.

“Yes, it’s related…” The silver-haired warrior muttered, fingering one the hilts of his sabers.

“Right now, I can feel that fate wants me to maintain our plans. To not attack now, but only after the first stage of the Magma Clan’s tournament finishes and reaches the Semi-finals.” He frowned, his eyes going cold.

“However… I am hardly ones to listen to the demands of others. To fight against fate… now that sounds like an idea indeed.”

He stood up, the normal smile that was always seen on his face reappearing as he gave Captain Orin a cheerful grin.

“Go, rejoin the men, and tell them to activate the Burning Signal Crystals. We are moving the attack up.”

“Yessir Commander!” Orin said, slamming his hand on his bronze chest, his voice carrying a bloodthirsty eager tone.

“Tell them to launch the attack immediately. The Magma Clan’s reckoning has arrived.”