Chapter 40: Dragon ball
I didn’t feel like writing today, since my eyes hurt from the constant screentime alongside my ears due to how long I was on my earpods while I wrote, but a powerstone from Newlin really pumped me up and showed me that even if only one person reads my work, that’s still enough for me. Okay, enough of my yapping, let’s get back to the Chapter. ✌️
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Trailing behind Kurt listlessly, I forced myself to listen to his ramblings in an effort to take my mind off the burning pain in my heart.
"Can you believe those greenhorns from the academy are going to be there?" Kurt spoke with an irritated expression.
My ears perked up, and I replied, "Aren’t they supposed to be in school?"
Kurt glanced at me and explained, "Most of them are, but the transfer students from different parts of the world are usually brought to places like this in order to get familiar with the culture."
Nodding in understanding, Kurt hailed a carriage, and we entered inside.
Sitting on the soft chair, I closed my eyes and cleared my mind of all thoughts, using [Masseuse].
A while later, Kurt called out, "Hey, kid."
Opening one of my eyes, I hummed in response.
"Is something bothering you?" he asked.
Forcing a smile, I answered, "Me? No, I’m just a little exhausted from all the activities today, that’s all."
Kurt looked at my side profile skeptically before sighing, "If you don’t want to go, we don’t have to."
Clenching my fists by my sides, I replied, "No, I’d love to go; after all, I know practically nothing about this place."
"...Okay, but if you have something on your mind, you can always talk to me," he suggested.
I nodded in response and stared at the two moons that hung majestically in the sky.
’Were the moons always two?’ I observed.
’I wonder what Laura would’ve said in response.’ I pondered with a weak smile.
She’d probably say something like, "What do you think, genius? This is why I said you should go out more." Or something like that.
Feeling my eyes burning once more, I glanced at Kurt and attempted to make small talk.
"So, how long till we get there?" I asked.
Bringing out what resembled a watch, Kurt answered, "By the next ten Zynths."
’Laura said Zynths are the same thing as minutes, so the next five minutes,’ I analyzed.
"The festival must bring in a lot of people from different places, no?" I questioned.
Chewing on a dried piece of wyvern meat, Kurt answered, "Not as much as you’d imagine, just the neighboring towns—but Brinehurst..."
Noting his sadness, I changed the topic as I thought, ’I have a bad feeling about this.’
Although Greg and I had double-checked there were no signs of our presence there, the dead bodies didn’t just disappear as I had hoped.
’They must’ve decayed, and the scent of dead bodies must have been too strong to ignore.’
’I just hope nothing bad happens.’
Little did I know that the statement I made in passing would cost me more than I could imagine.
"We’re here, sir," the coachman announced.
Alighting from the carriage, the sight that graced my eyes reminded me once more that I was in a fantasy world.
The Dragon Ball Stadium was huge—like, ridiculously huge. Rows of seats stacked so high it felt like the whole city could fit inside. The arena floor was smooth black stone carved with glowing runes, and right in the middle, a giant dragon coiled around a sphere was etched into the platform.
Floating crystal screens hung in the air, flashing close-ups of past fights, and the noise from the crowd rattled through my chest.
"This is amazing," I muttered in a daze.
"Bwahaha, I knew you’d like it! Come on, let’s go inside!"
After talking to a few people, Kurt handed me a golden ticket and held one himself.
"Are these VIP passes?!" I asked as we entered the loud stadium.
"Yeah! They know me well around here!" Kurt replied as we entered and walked upstairs to the upper part of the stadium.
The noise seemed to have disappeared immediately after we stepped foot into the large room.
A window wide enough for ten people to see through easily and seats that were placed expertly to ensure maximum privacy and comfort.
Immediately after we sat down, the broadcasting started, as if on cue.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the fifteenth annual Dragon Ball Games!" A woman with a slightly revealing gown exclaimed excitedly as she stood on the podium.
"Today is a sad day for the people of Brinehurst." She continued.
The entire stadium went silent, and I could see some people burst into tears after she spoke; they were most likely related to the people who resided there.
"So by the directive of the Vossier state administration, this year’s Dragon Ball Games shall be dedicated to the people who lost their lives in such a strange and unbefitting manner."
Loud cheers and clapping noises resounded in the stadium as the woman slowly made her way down from the podium.
Staring at the large dragons with two people on them, my mind was swirling with thoughts.
’Is it my fault they lost their lives?’ I reflected, ’If I hadn’t killed that beast kin and lost control of my emotions, then maybe....’
A sense of discomfort and guilt welled up inside me, and unlike before, nobody was there to comfort me, so I was forced to shake it off forcefully.
"Kiddo, it’s starting!" Kurt’s excited voice rang in my ears.
Flashing a smile, I studied the two dragons that floated in the air with what looked like a fireball placed on their backs.
The riders wore protective gear, which was more like a knight’s armor than anything.
The dragons roared as steam emanated from their nostrils in preparation to attack each other.
I could feel my adrenaline pumping as I watched the incredible scene unfold before my eyes.
"You know the rules!" The announcer began.
"The first person to lose his ball to the opponent wins."
"Attacking with potentially life-ending spells or skills is prohibited."
"A winner can also be decided in the event the opponent’s dragon is heavily injured and cannot continue!"
The two participants nodded in understanding at the host’s words and readied themselves with shock-absorbing spells and skills.
"Alright, you may begin!"
Almost immediately, the two dragons charged at each other with their sharp claws elongated.
The dome constantly rumbled due to the intensity of their attacks, but apart from a few loose rocks, there was no other noticeable damage.
Large roars of agitation from both the dragons and the spectators rang in my ear despite the fact that we were in a soundproof room.
Watching the fight closely, I studied the movements of the dragons and noticed it was eerily similar to a battle tactic I saw in the battle mage manual.
"Attack with full force, retreat, analyze, repeat," I recited.
Kurt was too lost in the game to care about my ramblings, as his loud cheers and laughter broke my thought process multiple times.
"RAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"
Loud cheers travelled through the stadium as the dragon on the left side started showing signs of fatigue after sustaining numerous injuries.
The red dragon on the right was still bursting with vitality, and I could clearly see a smug grin on his face as he said something to the guy on the green dragon, who was already losing.
The losing opponent’s face contorted in anger as he charged forward angrily and made his dragon spit blue flames.
"Hey! What is he doing?!" Kurt screamed out in protest.
"Isn’t it allowed?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows as I watched the panicky dragon who was currently being assaulted with flames.
"It is, but only under strict supervision. There has to be at least one fire and one water-based mage on the scene before it’s approved," Kurt explained with his eyes glued to the battle.
Refraining from making any other comments, lest I break his concentration, I chose to just focus on the game.
"Don’t worry, the seats are equipped with flame-repellant properties, so you won’t get hurt," the host explained in an attempt to calm the first-time viewers.
The green dragon seemed to be on the winning side, but the look on the face of the player told me otherwise.
Watching closely at the red dragon, I noticed that despite being under constant attack from the flames, the injuries were nowhere near fatal.
"Interesting," I muttered.
"What is it?" Kurt asked.
Glancing at him and back to the battle, I responded, "The flames seem to be doing less and less damage to the dragon."
Kurt sighed and slouched in his seat as he spoke tiredly, "The green dragon—Kritias—is a species of dragons that are well known for their fire-breathing capabilities."
Leaning backwards on the seat, I listened carefully.
"However, there’s a severe drawback," he continued.
"When they are forced to use their flames, they are unable to stop it, and it only takes the assistance of an S-class beast tamer to calm their nerves."
"And if there aren’t any available?" I inquired.
"Then that happens," Kurt gestured with a tired look.
Following his hands back to the arena, I watched as the green dragon’s movements slowed and the fire nearly dissipated.
The red dragon also began showing signs of exhaustion after dodging and receiving countless flame attacks, but it wasn’t as bad as the latter.
The red dragon charged towards Kritias under the instruction of the rider and collided with it, causing Kritias to lose balance and altitude.
Following the scattered movements of Kritias till it hit the ground, I picked up a drink that the servants placed on the table right beside me absentmindedly.
"And we have a winner!" The host announced excitedly.
"Put your hands and paws together for Pyroth!"
Loud cheers and booing drowned out the voice of the host as the dragons were teleported to their respective locations alongside their riders.
"An exciting match, eh?" Kurt asked.
"Quite enlightening too," I replied.
Watching the movements of the dragons and comparing them with the dragon-style movements in the battle mage manual, I made two conclusions.
They were both fierce and unrefined but needed undeniable physical strength to pull off.
And looking at my strength stat, I knew I still had some work to do if I was to succeed.
"The game’s not over yet; there are still a few more matches before the day—"
Kurt’s words were cut off as a butler approached and whispered something in his ear.
I could see his face turn from excited to irritated in real time.
After the butler left, I asked, "What’s the matter?"
"Those academy brats are going to be sharing this place with us," he responded.
"Oh, this could be interesting; I would love to meet them," I answered.
Kurt sighed and took a big swig of his drink with a frustrated expression.
The door on the left side of the room opened slowly, and three people stepped out of it.
Two boys with identical black hair, dressed in blue robes with a golden belt tied around their waist, walked towards the empty chairs closer to me with a girl with pink hair and emerald green eyes trailing behind them.
As they took their seats, I could practically smell the arrogance and condescendence as they glanced at me.
"Nice to meet you." I extended my hand with a polite smile as I tried hard to ignore their gazes.
One of them scoffed and mumbled something under their breath before facing the arena and watching the ongoing battle.
"Told ya," Kurt whispered from my side.
"They’re so arrogant it’s almost unbelievable," I muttered in awe.
"Exactly! Do they still think they’re in their parent’s house or something?" Kurt replied in mock confusion.
We continued our jest, knowing fully well they could hear us.
As expected, one of them spoke with hidden anger and annoyance, "Mere peasants dare to speak of nobles in this manner?"
"Well, you and your friends are sitting in the same space as these ’peasants,’ so doesn’t that make you one too?" I countered with a smile.
The girl replied in his stead, "This was under the arrangement of the academy. Do you think we would even be here otherwise?"
Glancing at her with an enlightened look, I replied, "So, despite your arrogance, you still follow the rules of the academy; that sounds more like weakness and fear to me."
Veins were visible on their faces at my jab, and the smile on my face grew wider.
’Laura’s training came in handy after all,’ I reflected.
"I wonder what an F rank is doing with the likes of Kurt Vynlx—one of the academy’s best teachers and blacksmiths," the second boy spoke.
’Is he trying to curry favor with Kurt? How shameless,’ I thought in amusement.
"Who dares speak my name with such disregard?" Kurt spoke in a cold tone.
A cold sweat broke out on their faces as Kurt released the aura of an A rank.
’Oh yeah, I totally forgot he’s an A rank,’ I recalled.
"M–mister Kurt...I...we...deeply apologize," the boy spoke in a strained voice as he tried to resist.
Kurt’s aura slowly receded after the three of them fell on the ground with gritted teeth.
Harrumphing, Kurt reclined back into his seat with closed eyes as he whispered, "How did I look?"
"Badass," I whispered with a wide smile as I watched the three people get up in embarrassment.
"That’s a compliment, right?" Kurt asked unsurely.
"You bet," I answered.
"Oh, okay then, I’m badass." Kurt spoke with a satisfied smile as we watched the last game for the night.
Standing up to leave the room, I heard a mutter come from the bunch of people we silenced recently.
"Just wait till my Decker family hears about this."
Turning around almost immediately, I faced the boy who I suspected made the utterance and walked towards him slowly.
"You’re from the Decker family?" I asked.
They must’ve mistaken my intrigue for dread as a haughty smile formed on their faces as they spoke, "Yes, the two of us are, and she’s part of the Virsch family. What do you want to do now, beg for forgiveness?"
Ignoring their laughter, I turned towards Kurt, who had confusion written all over his face, and said, "Let’s just say I have a grudge of some sort to settle with the Decker family."
Kurt’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and he answered, "Should I wait for you?"
Ignoring the questioning from the three, I answered, "Just for a little while; I’m not going to do anything yet."
"How dare you ignore us!" The pink-haired woman exclaimed and landed a slap on my face.
Turning my face to her, my eyes turned cold immediately, and the temperature dropped to frightening degrees.
"You people are fond of slapping, aren’t you?"
The smiles on their faces disappeared immediately as they heard my words and were replaced with slight apprehension.
The girl, on the other hand, was dumb enough not to understand the situation she was in as she continued speaking in a condescending manner.
"You’re just some nobody; how dare you try to belittle—"
"Shut up, bitch," I interrupted coldly, causing visible surprise on their faces.
"You’re going to pay for that," I added with an icy glare.
Time to vent all my anger and frustration on these unsuspecting people