Everyone waited for one long month, December 20th to mark the official date of Kite's rematch against champion Brash Danton. All members of the Trujima gang remained intact with the elite chain, keeping a figurative barrier of invulnerability just to make sure they could watch the match unfold on screen and in person. Just like before, the events here today would be recorded and broadcast locally throughout the tower, but even with all of the excitement in the atmosphere, Danton was certain he would be capable of defeating Kite again and again.
"I said I was ready to try again. Set it up Shadler!" Kite was growing impatient, but he felt this to be understandable considering all of that time in training and spell refinement. Danton really has become more powerful with his skills and abilities, and of all things, he has a special staff that can transform partially into a sword or another weapon. That has to merit a worthiness to be tested, and Kite knew he was finally ready.
Kite also remembered the rules and laws of Eldora Tower. Since he is challenging Danton using his immediate status as an Eldora elite, failure on his part will bring the end of his position in the Eldora Chain for a total time of three months. Kite would be outcast and pushed out of the group. Danton doesn't have as much to lose. If Danton fails tonight, he simply gets pushed down a rank, though Danton will also be unable to rematch Kite for a total time of three months. Those are the steaks made clear.
Danton stood firm in the center of the champion chambers, listening to the rushing waterfalls behind him, and taking mental note of the massive space of the room. Even after a month, this place is hard to get used to with the elegant craftsmanship put into this wonderful tower. Then there is Kite, who appears to be totally composed and still. Despite what it may sound like, Kite must have learned patience after all, but Danton wasn't doing this for a favor to Kite. Battles like these are fun on epic proportions. "We shall have our match then."
Shadler called out one more detail that needed to be confirmed before the battle was to start. "Don't forget that either winner will accumulate a large sum of credits for the attempt—"
"Negative Shadler," Danton ordered. "I'll set the bet as conditional for Kite. If Kite wins, he can have all of my earnings. But if I win, I get the satisfaction of proving how much I have grown in comparison."
"You're still as confident as always," Kite complimented. "I suppose if you'd like to get carried away..."
"If that is your wish Danton." Shadler knew this wasn't like ordinary champion battles, but Danton isn't all that ordinary himself. He did manage to tame Entiene, his new trump card, and as champion, Danton has full executive command. But today, that power might transfer over to Kite.
"Prepare yourself," Danton warned. "I won't lose." Danton never told Kite about his activity on Eupharus, mostly because it wasn't that important, and it is highly classified. Entiene is his new friend, and Danton had minor practice executing the summon in this chamber room. Losing means losing the bond formed for that new friend; another reason why Danton knew he can't lose.
"Let the battle between Brash Danton and Kite Fargenst begin."
Chapter Theme Shift:
Kite pulled both of his weapons first, still using the Dire Saber dual-wielding technique as before. The blades were both lighter material in his hands than before with his strength built up, but Kite remained passive and distant, making sure he and Danton were both ready to begin this one time rematch for champion title.
Danton pulled out his Mega-Staff, the special item handed down to him by Shadler, and a one of a kind rare weapon that he was only allowed to keep because he tamed Entiene. The flashy crystallized staff with a red tip at the end of it made Kite wince slightly, likely due to recognition.
"Hey, is that what I think it is?"
Danton nodded to answer with an explanation. "This Mega-Staff once belonged to Lawrence Citrin, and many other champions before him. The staff contains both passive effects of a crystallized staff and an absorber, with an extra twist. I had to earn this weapon through a few trials Shadler threw on me. Therefore, I think this weapon is suitable."
"Hey, whatever makes this more fun for me, right?"
Danton grinned and squinted his eyes in the expression of success coming early. "I also think you'd like to meet a new friend I made this month."
"What are you egging me on about?"
"Perhaps it's best if I just show you." Danton held his Mega-Staff up high in the air, sending tremendous amounts of energy through the crystal to generate a massive yellow colored aerial glyphring in the entire room, though fitting inside of the Siriean dome during generation. "Earth and fire be my blade. The spirits of us all be our eyes. Come out and fight with me! Entiene!"
In seconds, Danton's massive yellow glyphring transformed in color to bright purple, as did the intensity of the light bringing millions of tiny visible particles to the center of the floating disk. Danton's first move certainly had Kite stunned in place with uncertainty, giving Entiene all the time he would need to phase into this part of the world as a legal summon. When Entiene's full form revealed itself to everyone in the room, Danton stood only a few meters to the side of its hind leg. The energy scope of Entiene, given new battle parameters shifted in color from spectral purple to bright yellow yet again. The spirit dragon was incredibly large in size, taking up about half the width of the entire battlefield, and half the legal height of the Siriean dome. This time, as Danton remembered, Entiene spawned without its wings, as is natural for battle mode to slightly restrict the great advantage of the wielder. But Entiene doesn't need wings to battle effectively, and Danton knew this. Even if Danton stood here doing nothing, could Kite even scratch this creature right now?
"Wha— what is that thing?!" Kite held his swords tightly, but he couldn't decide on what to do. Summoning for Danton wasn't far out of the question, but how can something of this size even exist? What the hell is Entiene? The creature looks like a wingless dragon, but the entire essence of the monster is see-through, transparent with its strange color. Kite began to wonder if it were even possible that Entiene is simply just a summon of bluff used as a scare tactic, but he couldn't take the risk.
"I see you two need some time to get to know each other." Danton was taunting his power and he knew as much. Kite never froze in battle like this before, but Danton wanted to try and make this a fair fight by letting Kite try to attack first, and right now, Danton also needed another moment to synchronize his thoughts to command actions with Entiene. Though he couldn't see when his corneas would turn and glow yellow, Danton went by feeling and instinct.
"Fine then. I'll have to test this thing's limits!" Kite reacted at last to throw both his swords as high and far as possible. His target was a couple hundred meters away, and Kite wanted to aim for the face of that monster. As it was humanly impossible to throw such heavy weapons that far up, Kite added a Push Wave boost behind the blades, thrusting them through the air like shooting arrows; another trick he mastered from fighting against Danton. But when the blades came close to contact, Kite's face was drained of all hope as the metal simply flew through the essence of Entiene, eventually striking the ground of the Siriean dome. Entiene's health and stamina didn't budge! Is that thing really a ghost?
"I'll give you a hint," Danton assisted. "Entiene has a complete immunity to all physical attacks, at least when not assisted by magic. You're going to have to step outside your comfort zone today."
"Oh cut the crap! This can't be right."
Must he really choose the most important moment to start being a poor sport? Danton didn't care anymore, as he felt the synch with Entiene process during Kite's failed attempt of a sword toss. "Entiene, just Fire Breath him."
Kite heard Danton talking to Entiene, and then noticed a sudden addition of a holographic box display near Entiene's yellow energy scope. In that ADC read the same name of the skill type Danton chose; proving that this monster is his summon to the letter. Kite prepared to block or dodge the attack, after which his swords spawned back into his hands just in time to make that happen. Despite this, Kite wasn't ready to face what Entiene had to throw his way.
When Entiene opened its gazing jaws towards Kite, Entiene let rip a wide spread breath of magical fire that flew fast and violently to the target on the ground, and in less than a second of time, Kite was being burnt to a crisp by the special attack coming from Entiene. The area of the breath was far too wide for anyone to jump out of the way or block the fire breath attack. With a flesh burn lasting for two solid seconds, Kite was revealed, his body smoking, his lungs hacking up some of the burning tar, and his energy drained.
With the heavy breathing there only for Kite's recovery, he realized he was left with another chance to try again, but that last attack was so powerful and simply executed. It doesn't matter. Kite had to convince himself that any attack that deals damage to Entiene should be powerful enough to destroy the summon. Danton hasn't had his new pet for long, so its endurance rating has to be low. Still, just the sight of this creature was frightening enough to make Kite shiver. "Triple Fire!" Kite dropped his right sword and used his bare hand to generate a fire glyphring and use the spell he needed at his command. This would test what elemental resistances this monster has against magic.
Again only to drain Kite's hopes, when all three Fire Bolts slammed into Entiene's astral body to explode and cause damage, Entiene didn't even flinch or roar in distress, and the mild changes on his energy scope were the reason why.
It has such a little effect! How can this be possible?! "Shadler! What is this thing?"
Shadler knew that Danton would not interrupt Kite's need for answers, and tried to explain by projecting his voice through the Siriean dome. "Entiene is a rare one-of-a-kind summon. Danton was only able to tame Entiene by defeating it in a grueling battle. So if he can do it, you can too. Just relax and think."
Relax and think? Kite wanted to try a shot of fire towards the old man and watch how he would react, but strategy was defiantly important right now.
"I warned you this would be harder next time. Entiene! Raging Tail!" Without even waiting for the ADC to light up with anything, Entiene lifted its two right legs and swiped its massive spiked tail over to the other side of the field in seconds. Kite tried to react by dodging, but the massive size of Entiene's tail made that impossible for Kite as well. Upon impact, Kite was thrown all the way into the air, to the opposite side of the field where his body slammed into the edge of the Siriean dome with all of that momentum. Kite then fell to the floor without using a Push Wave to ease his descent, proving to Danton that Raging Tail was effective in both damage and debilitating pain. Kite's energy scope update proved this to be so.
It took a long time for Kite to get back up and come to his senses, with the feeling of a destroyed gut behind his stomach. That last blow hurt in every place imaginable, and he still needed to destroy Entiene somehow. There has to be some spell or element that Entiene is weak against. Kite lost his right sword when trying to dodge Raging Tail, but he still held on to the left blade. In this moment, Kite charged MP energy into the blade after switching it to the right hand, and shoved it down into the ground with a powerful spell. "Firesurge!" Kite could chant all the same, but he didn't scream it as loud since his throat and abdomen felt bruised up, though the spell worked all the same.
The Firesurge Kite generated created a visible wave similar looking to Shadow Wave with a larger size and a more violent color, as well as a faster speed. Danton knew that Firesurge would only impact Entiene's legs or stomach, but either way, Entiene has its magical resistances everywhere, something that isn't based on body parts. He was actually interested in watching Entiene absorb the damage, since he never got to see Firesurge's effects against a previously flying Entiene earlier.
As expected, the impact caused almost minimal effect for Entiene's baseline health. It was still higher than Danton expected considering Entiene's many resistances, so that was saying something about Kite's magical power level. Still, this wasn't going to be nearly enough.
"Let's try Stinger!" Danton wanted to test them all, every technical skill and spell Entiene knew in its attack parameters. Summons usually come equipped with five specific spells, and never do they learn anything different, but Entiene is a rare exception. Danton has so far discovered thirty different possible skills and spells associated with Entiene's natural knowledge. Unlike other summons, Shadler has told Danton that Entiene is capable of learning new spells without forgetting the old ones.
Kite tensed and clenched his teeth in regret, holding both his swords out in a crisscross to hopefully try and block this unknown attack spell. He got to watch how much more Entiene was made of when its horns lit up with magical energy, sparking like an electrical storm just before the discharge. Entiene used both of its horns to shoot electrical bolts of lightning towards Kite, and despite his attempt to block, the energy level exceeded the sword defense capacity, sending high voltage right through Kite. With a standing electrocution lasting for only a single second, the damage level of Entiene's abilities were all very high, and Kite once again paid a heavy price for not knowing what to do.
The draining feeling of quickly lost HP became stronger in Kite, and barely a minute passed since the start of this battle. This isn't fair. This can't be fair! "I'm taking one of you down right now! Blitz!"
Danton was surprised to hear that chant come from Kite. Blitz is a rare and powerful aura that is difficult to use, though highly effective in raising one's skill-shifting speeds mid-battle. It creates a nearly invisible aura around the body that acts as Dualcasting, but it lasts for a lot longer while generating better results.
Kite tossed his swords up in the air when his aura activated. Blitz increases his invocation speed and reaction time as well, which allowed him to instantly spawn two sub-machine guns for the method of Bullet Blitz. Kite fired both clips and had them emptied before his swords were close to the ground. He then tossed the guns to the side and caught both Dire Sabers by their hilts, and then he swiftly executed his next spell, expending tons of MP energy with instantaneous charge-up times. "Splice!" Kite slashed both swords to create a double Splice cross advancing forward. In the short moment he had, Kite noticed that his Bullet Blitz attack was worthless against Entiene, but Splice would take some time to make it over there, and Kite had plenty more inside of his Blitz aura.
Invoking a sudden Push Wave aimed at the ground, Kite launched himself several meters higher into the air. At the top of his massive leap, he launched off a Fire Wall spell before descending back down to the ground, and saw the amazing effects he practiced so far. Though Fire Wall is supposed to be an attack spell bound to the floor, it doesn't require that condition to be used like Earth Glave does, so Fire Wall's attack aura and radius can travel up in the air like Splice does. Splice and Fire Wall both impacted Entiene just before Kite landed on the ground again, knocking off only two percent HP; Splice had absolutely no effect!
But Kite still wasn't done. After dropping both sabers, Kite unleashed his next two most recently mastered spells against Entiene from his position; Photon Wave followed up by Prone Strike. The instance nearly drained him of his remaining MP energy, but Kite wanted to watch and see how much damage either spells would do, since they are non-elemental magical skills. The Photon Wave's projectiles all drilled into Entiene, causing it to react and wail in pain, as did the sudden explosive burst of Prone Strike, draining much of Entiene's health compared to the other spells.
Entiene suffered a lot more damage that time, while Kite's Blitz aura finally wore down. This brought to his thoughts both good news and bad news. The good news is that non-elemental spells seem to get through to Entiene's tougher defense. The bad news is that there is no possible logical chance Kite has anymore of defeating either Danton or Entiene alone. Now the ADC is active with another spell name, Fire Blast.
Though this spell name matched the official spell of an actual Fire Blast invented by humans, Entiene did something a bit different. The creature unleashed a lot of magic, generating a massive red circle about thirty meters in diameter under Kite's feet. Following the circle came the generation of a large star design; proving this to be a spell similar to Star of Darkness, just with a different name and better power level. In moments, Kite was sucked and drained of his life force energy, bringing him down on his knees and causing him to become dizzier, followed by a blast of fire magic. After the spell's effects wore off, the draining effect is all Entiene had to offer, unlike other Star of Darkness spells that end with a red lightning blast.
Kite huffed and puffed, defeated by this oversized creature Danton was calling Entiene. This isn't right. None of this was supposed to happen! "Dantoooon! This isn't the rematch I was promised!"
"Don't get all fussy over it now!"
"You promised me a battle of honorable and fair proportions! Skill to skill!" Kite stood up, angered that this was allowed to continue, but he knew he was right. "I wanted to face you with your expert sword skills! I wanted to see your Luminous Artemus shape shift again and give me hell! But this is too much even for you!"
"I defeated Entiene by myself Kite. I think that makes it fair."
"But you didn't have to do it fighting Entiene's controller as well. No matter what you promise, this isn't your battling style I wanted to face today!"
Chapter Theme Shift:
Danton suddenly relaxed, calming his nerves in thought. Shadler wanted to ignore those calls, but Danton kept to himself for a few silent seconds... Kite has a point. Danton fought only Entiene, which attacked him on natural instinct, not by intelligent command. This really was overkill based on the current stats. Kite should be fighting Danton in a rematch, not Entiene... "Shadler! Stop the match in the name of a draw!" Danton watched the Siriean dome collapse on its own, reminding him that Danton just did that himself by calling the end of the battle. With the collapse of the dome also came the response from the reward/spoil system indicating that draw.
Danton faced the colossal dragon that was his trusted ally, and raised his Mega-Staff to the creature. "Entiene? Return for now and rest." The response to Danton's command was nearly immediate, as the summon's essence dissolved into millions of tiny particles all being sucked back into the crystal core of the Mega-Staff Danton carried. The process took several seconds, but Shadler was already freaking out.
"Sir Danton! You can't just give in to such petty demands made by—"
"Enough Shadler!"
Danton wouldn't face him, but even a champion shouldn't behave this way. "But sir—"
"I said enough!" Danton walked closer towards Kite, who looked to be bent out of shape from a few attacks he took from Entiene. "I can fully comprehend why this experience has upset my opponent. If I'm being honest with myself, I know that was hardly a fair fight."
"The champion doesn't have to fight fairly in every battle."
Danton stopped and turned towards Shadler, but stood still since the man was far away. "Hold your tongue Shadler. Don't forget that I'm doing this purely by choice, and this isn't any battle. The trade of skills between Fargenst and myself retains a code of honor, which you yourself seem to lack. First, you nearly kill me over some stupid trial. And now you dare question what tactics I need to use in my own Leray matches?" Danton wondered if his words sounded harsher than they needed to, but Shadler was finally bowing his head slightly in shame and remaining silent as he was supposed to. "You should simply observe this battle in silence, assistant. You might actually learn a few things from me for a change."
Kite stood up completely, but his expression towards Danton reflected an uncertain regret. "Thanks Danton. I swear; this fair fight will be one to remember."
Danton suddenly focused on Kite next. "I get it Kite. I want a fun fight too, but I will tell you this. When I defeat you my way, and three months comes to pass, I will have learned how to properly control and tame Entiene to battle with honor as I do with a sword. By then, I will consider usage of his essence on the field paramount."
"Then it seems I'll need to learn summoning after tonight."
"That's the spirit I wanted to see. Here!" Danton tossed a healing orb to Kite and waited on his recovery. Danton never took a single scratch, so his stats would be full already. "In a few minutes, we rematch for real this time. No summoning! And I get to pick the weapon I want to use."
Reminding Danton of his options, Shadler allowed him the obvious option. "If you want to use your Mega-Staff, you may do so. You claimed to have earned it in a trial."
"Screw the trial!" Danton barked. "Come here Shadler!" After waiting on the confused old wizard to walk to Danton's side, he handed Shadler his Mega-Staff. "I'm not redeeming ownership of this staff or Entiene, but I want you to hold onto this while we battle."
"But you aren't supposed to use—"
Danton shot Shadler an aggravated glance that could have terrorized anyone smaller than him. Shadler shut up and gripped the staff tightly to correct his own answer. Danton nearly sighed in thought. Something about this championship chain of command and hierarchy isn't right. There are way too many rules in place that completely take away any and all fun for Leray battles, and the council shouldn't have their hand in everyone's faces either. After this match, things will have to change. But for right now... "Get some distance and prepare yourself. We're starting right now." With Kite's energy scope already still up, Danton saw the full recovery in a literal sense.
As Kite prepared his stance and Dire Sabers, he watched Danton bring out his Luminous Artemus weapon. In seconds, Kite's mood felt lifted as he relaxed. This is the battle he wanted to have all along. It seems Danton shares the same interest. Now this is what Leray battling is all about!
"I, Brash Danton will set the terms of battle to the same as before. The match between myself and Kite will commence shortly." With that speech, Danton knew he was helping himself establish dominance over his own arrogant assistant, and also creating the conditions for another Siriean dome at the same time. With all of the stats and battle parameters reset and renewed, the real rematch took off quickly.
Chapter Theme Shift:
Kite looks ready and much more composed. He's not scared to act anymore; he's free to fight as he pleases. This is how battles are meant to be fought. If no one is having fun, then why have Leray magic in the first place? Danton felt this way all the time, but it appears some people around here have forgotten that. Oh well. Danton held the Luminous Artemus close to his chest, and let himself feel the incredible feeling that magic in practice gave him, but he also knew that this staff would need to become a blade. This is Kite fighting against him of all people.
Kite watched the amazing display again, as Danton's special staff brightly lit up for a few seconds, and grew in size. The staff transformed slightly in shape, while the blade itself became partially transparent and see through, just like Entiene's astral body. So that's Luminous Artemus, and Danton only has one sword. This should be fun.
"You may have the first move," Danton offered.
"Don't cry to me when you regret that choice later." Kite held both sabers tightly, infusing his energy into each blade separately. On the left side, Kite's sword began blazing in a fiery effect of magic; Crimson Blade's skill. And on the right, the blade became shrouded in a purple almost invisible aura that gave a shiny finish to the metal; Spirit Blade's skill. For the skill that would start things off right... "Flashpoint!"
In the blink of an eye, Kite Fargenst flashed through space at the speed of sound, both blades out and ready for a critical striking pose. Once he reached the target, both swords and Kite were suddenly stopped with the ear piercing sound of clashing metal. Kite immediately knew that Danton blocked both of those swords on both sides. Luminous Artemus is a long bladed sword after transformation, so it wasn't that surprising, but Kite noticed that Danton was blocking the Crimson Blade with his sword, and the Spirit Blade using the top of his wrist? Danton's wrists were both encased in a metallic like armor unnoticeable from a distance, and it totally shielded a full powered sword strike. That's Mainne's technique!
Danton shifted his weight, slinging his new sword to deflect both of Kite's blades, while offering the short explanation given his surprise. "Metal wrists blockers can act as a shield, and I'm no fan of bucklers. Raugh!" Danton shot a sudden burst of energy in Kite's direction while he wasn't prepared, a Push Wave that easily sent Kite flying backwards and off guard. Danton didn't stop it there either. Even with the staff in this form, it can still be used to exert pure magical spells with artificial glyphrings. Danton quickly switched to creating a glyphring at the top of the staff with a wild chant, a spell that required tons of his concentration on such short notice.
"Mega Bolt!" The glyphring formed quickly, and the sphere of colorless energy shot forward towards Kite while draining a large chunk of Danton's MP levels instantly. Kite could barely recover his posture in time, but the bolt coming at him had homing characteristics, and a fast flying speed he wasn't used to dodging. Kite instinctively held up his swords in a cross to try and block, but the impact of the Mega Bolt was far more than he could handle with lone dexterity. The Mega Bolt simply exploded around him, creating an invisible damage field that knocked Kite off his feet a second time onto the ground, and drilled away at his HP levels on the energy scope report.
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Kite got himself back up quickly, but that blast of energy hurt like hell. Mega Bolt? That one was new sounding on the list. It must have a top power level if it knocked Kite off the ground during a block attempt, but this is far from over. Danton still thinks he can win with all of the new training Kite acquired this month. "Try it again. Exa-Plasmosis!" Kite shot off three energy bolts mixed with a green and purple color homing in on Danton's location. Their speed was only half that of Danton's Mega Bolt, and Kite wasn't so sure they would hit, but with this combination, they won't need to hit Danton. "Rotation!" Kite added another spell shortly after, generating a large vortex of wind traversing forward on the field towards Danton. While he is busy blocking or dodging the attacks, Rotation will swallow him whole!
Danton spun his staff around like usual to try and negate the damage, but the trick only worked on the first energy bolt heading his way. Exa-Plasmosis sends three at once in a similar wave pattern as Triple Fire, so Danton was still hit in the chest and arm by the other two bolts. Their power level wasn't all that impressive, as the damage only left him with minor first-degree burns that faded on their own either way.
Danton however had to worry about a second problem, Kite's Rotation attack coming head on, even though Rotation is still one of the slower moving spells. Danton figured he too would have enough time for two spells in a counter tactic decision against this. Kite thought he could use two attacks to his advantage, but this style wasn't quick enough. "Dimensional Strike!" With his glowing Luminous Artemus, Danton slashed the saber through the air, creating a line that looked exactly like Splice, only this one was far more improved and powerful. As expected, the magical line flew through Rotation without being affected by the enemy spell, and it likely managed to hit Kite who would have not expected it coming out the other side, but Danton still had to avoid damage from Rotation. He had just the spell. "Dampen Field!"
Danton invoked a new aura around his body, dark blue in color that would protect him greatly from magical attacks and spells. Now, he could simply stand here to take Rotation's attack with minimal effect.
Kite felt the surge of pain before he noticed the nearly invisible Splice line cut into his upper chest, as it sent him to his knees in agony. One of the most painful spells to ever experience is either Splice or Fiery Plume, and Danton was already going all out to be using either of them. Still, how did Rotation not stop or slow down that Splice line?
Danton began walking forward casually, charging up his energy carefully and slowly this time. Due to the effects of Dampen Field, Danton took minimal damage over time as he simply walked directly into the stormy tornado. The wind barely blew his hair, and the slashing damage from the spell could only cut through his aura occasionally. After a few moments, in the center of the twister, Danton activated his spell, continuing what he started. "Live by the sword, pay by the sword. Flashpoint Strike!" Danton shot forward through the vortex of wind like it was nothing, his glowing blade out and trailing light. Danton immediately reached Kite, who wasn't prepared to block or dodge, when Danton's sword cut right through Kite's stomach again, bringing Danton far behind Kite's position after the strike. Danton recalled himself to pose and turn around to study Kite's condition. That Dimensional Strike must have worked well, because Kite wasn't nearly ready to defend himself.
Kite learned to suck it up real fast upon noticing how well Danton played against his own spells. Trying to ignore all of that pain, Kite lifted both of his swords, and charged in towards Danton, who also did the same with his single blade.
After their blades struck each other the first time, Kite quickly switched hands and shot off another Push Wave at Danton, giving him a taste of his own medicine. The Push Wave worked just as well on Danton, and Kite took his opportunity to fight back. "Smite!" As Kite rushed towards Danton with both blades out, his body lit up with a white aura that grew with intensity. Over the short period of time, his dash became faster in speed, elevated through time. As the spell description suggests, Smite works a lot like Flashpoint, but accelerates overtime starting from normal speed, and tops off at a better power level. With a manly scream, Kite charged his blades into Danton just as he was flying just off the ground with the speed of a bullet. The force shot Danton backwards a second time just after recovering from the first Push Wave, and Kite got to watch Danton's stats drop rapidly.
With a painful groan, Danton pushed himself back up quickly, learning his own lesson while taking the stats on his energy scope into consideration. Kite retained his composure, ready to take Danton on at any moment, but Danton smiled while standing back up and recovering. This battle was going in a totally different direction than he ever would have expected. This is pure skill against skill; the way things should be. "Okay then, Dualcasting!" Danton generated the green aura around his body quickly, knowing that his MP reserves were tanking quickly, but there were plenty of additional spells used to recover them.
"Void Edge!" Generating another spell around his body, Danton encased his current aura with a secondary aura darker in color and wavier than the last. Void Edge, surrounded by Dampen Field would serve him well in this current battle against Kite, while keeping Danton on top with his heavy usage of magical powers. "Storm Build!" Invoking the next ability with normally impossible speed, Danton's second spell shifted the atmosphere inside of the entire chamber room, even outside of the Siriean dome. Storm clouds built and spun in rotation, generating arcs of lightning for an electrical storm inside of the building, and inside of the dome shield.
"Void Edge again?" Kite complained. "You've learned nothing then. No physical contact is needed to win. Prism!" Kite had Prism already charged up while ranting to Danton, and sent that energy through the colorful glyphring, shooting random elemental bolts in Danton's direction.
Danton knew Kite would realize this. Kite is smart enough to avoid physical contact at the first sign of Void Edge. The only way to play his game is to make Kite realize that ranged magic attacks are a waste of time and energy. Without invoking another spell, Danton spun his staff around in his hand again and again as fast as he could, the same trick he learned before which seemed very effective against Prism. It actually didn't work against Kite in the last round, but Danton perfected his timing from before, and deflected every single bolt of elemental energy he had coming, including the Lightning Strikes that cannot be dodged. In a matter of seconds, Danton deflected the entire attack just by spinning his staff, and he stopped spinning it when Kite's Prism glyphring disappeared from view. Now he just needed to wait for Storm Build to take full effect, which it might already have.
"You have improved," Kite noted. Holding both swords in hand, Kite prepared for a charge attack.
But Danton had the first move to him. Using the power of the artificial storm above him, Danton tapped into that power, and used little magic to direct the flow of the lightning down towards Kite's position. "Thunder Strike!" Zapping Kite in place for several long and painful seconds felt easier than it was supposed to, and when the bolt was done with its job, so was the artificial storm Danton created. Kite's health took another hard hit, while his stamina was shot, reduced from the draining effect of an electrical shock.
"I'm not finished yet!" Kite growled. "Flashpoint Strike!" Charging at Danton again with better speed, Kite lunged forward again at a speed hard to calculate to himself. Just like before, Danton blocked both sabers, using his sword and his wrist blocker. Kite immediately shifted to try hitting Danton again without the assist of magic, but Danton was far faster than he was in the last time they battled. Every single sword slash Kite launched at Danton was blocked every single time, and what worse, this only fed into Danton's MP regeneration from the activating Void Edge aura.
Kite soon backed off, realizing this wasn't the best strategy anymore. Danton has become an excellent swordsman and an excellent mage, but he isn't the only one who's been practicing new tricks. "Dark Slice!" Invoking more of his MP energy, Kite spun around in circles rapidly with both swords pointed outwards. Kite soon became surrounded in a small vortex of opaque air, when dozens of small air slashes of the same form flew to Danton in the shape of sharp projectiles.
Unprepared for the attack, Danton was suddenly cut in several places by the magical attack, immediately shutting down his Dampen Field aura. The Void Edge aura quit too, but that aura is based on a timer, not on a scale of damage absorption. Still, the several sharp cutting projectiles of magic sent Danton stumbling backwards, trying to get a grip for support. The HP reduction was already immense for a harmless looking spell.
Holding his staff high and strong, Danton unleashed the hell he needed to in order to put Kite back in his place again. Failure won't be an option. It would still mean the end of his friendship with Entiene, since Danton would be forced to give up the Mega-Staff should the powers shift again, and Kite won't take that away! "Radial Blast!"
"Shit!" Kite took off running in any aimless direction, since Radial Blast hits a large area in randomized locations. It wasn't likely he could avoid the hits, and Kite only had seconds to get out of there. Danton is reverting to area attacks now!
Danton watched as Kite effortlessly ran into the next explosion, blasting him far backwards into yet another randomized explosion. The blasts burst everywhere in clusters, and Kite took a tremendous amount of damage from it all, messing up his hair completely. Kite still managed to push himself up gripping both swords, now having appeared to be really pissed off.
Kite felt a silence growing into him, focus. Pure concentration. He would need all of it to defeat Danton. Pure focus! "Meteor Strike!" Kite launched his own area attack spell, forcing Danton's attention away from him in the moment. Kite used a lot of his remaining magic to create a burst of energy spanning outwards in all directions to an infinite range. "Zero Zone!" The aura spell worked, stopping time all around him, and effectively removing all color from the world. Kite felt dizzy and tired from the sudden dramatic drop in MP energy required to use Zero Zone, but the focus was worth it.
Now Kite could attack Danton without his reflexes, and avoid his own Meteor Strike before it hits. Kite didn't take all of that time to admire how differently the whole world seemed without the proper flow of time. With two charged electric blades draining what is left of his energy, Kite rushed forward on the legs that were bruised and hurting, and dug his sabers into Danton's flesh. "Raaaaaaaagh!" Kite switched sword over and over again, keeping their aura of electrical energy without letting up the combination on Danton. Kite was already beyond angry, and he unleashed this fury of combination strikes on Danton while he had the chance. Kite almost lost himself in his rage, but he still noticed the slight color shift growing back into reality, his cue to get as far away from Danton as possible, and when he was clear, the effects were stunning to watch.
Danton suddenly fell flat on his rear, holding his chest from the electrifying pain that all affected him from Kite's earlier spell. Danton wasn't even aware of what happened, since he was stopped from having any perspective over a certain period. Shortly after, a swarm of falling magic meteorites desecrated the field where Danton was sitting, blasting him in the face with the rocks until he simply braced himself on the floor for more.
Danton managed to stand back up, but it was already clear to him that Kite was saving some hidden weapons and tactics for the very end, though Danton had some moves he never tried out in a while either. Danton went with a simpler combination, hoping to trip up Kite in his current position. "Gyrobreak!"
Danton's spell took immediate effect in shaking the entire floor beneath him and his opponent, giving a swirling sensation that made it hard to balance, but he soon followed up his work with an attack spell before Kite could ruin it. "Earth Glave!"
The ground shot up, and once more approaching Kite's position. Even with this Gyrobreak making it hard to coordinate his movements, Kite didn't let go of that rage he felt earlier. Danton has to go down, and it has to happen right now! Feeling that no Earth Glave was going to stop him, Kite tested his theory by sliding his right sword on the floor, and fusing it with a small amount of extra energy. With an educated guess of timing, Kite slashed his sword in front of him while running, when the blade suddenly broke through and sliced through a large pillar of rock and dirt. Though it slowed Kite down somewhat, he literally cut down the Earth Glave with a single strike of vigor, then set his sights on Danton again. "Flashpoint Strike!"
"Uh-oh!" Danton knew he was in hot water the moment Kite's face revealed itself through the broken crevice of the disrupted Earth Glave spell. In a short moment of reaction based on instinct, Danton pushed off his feet and dived into the air on his side. While airborne, he saw Kite transform into a flash of white light, as it zoomed just past where he used to be standing.
Kite nearly tripped over himself after traveling a great distance, and he had to carefully stop his own aura. Danton somehow dodged that Flashpoint spell. He's too fast! Kite lifted his swords in preparation, and dared to recover and breathe as much air as he could. This battle was already exhausting.
Danton got back up rather quickly, and noticed how far away he was from Kite. This time, Kite was taking it easy. That would likely have to do with his low MP levels right now, but this gave Danton a new excuse to try out another new spell he learned earlier. "Dark Strike!" In a split second, Danton disappeared from view, and unknowingly reappeared standing right behind Kite Fargenst. Danton was still a bit slow on the impact of this spell, since it takes time to come out facing another direction. While he still had the element of surprise, Danton lifted his saber staff aimed for a clean hit.
Kite sensed the slight and subtle sound behind him just after watching Danton disappear, and he shifted both of his blades around with him in a defensive manner trying to find his opponent. Kite was suddenly slammed against Danton's long blade, but he ultimately blocked that attack. Since Danton was already this close, Kite suddenly got open again. He wasn't shy about sticking with his close combat tactics when going against Danton, and this suddenly forced Danton to fight in a similar manner.
Danton suddenly found himself dodging sword strikes and blocking others with his sword or his metal wrist guards, but Kite was fast and unrelenting, keeping Danton on defense and preventing him the only chance to try a counterattack.
Kite kept up his close combat combination, himself and Danton exchanging swords for almost half of a full minute, when he noticed Danton slightly slowing down for every time he dodged one of the sword strikes. Kite went with his plan, slashing upwards to force Danton to raise his staff with him. Kite then used his other blade to slam it into the ground with MP energy charged, releasing Kite's signature Shadow Wave spell, which impacted on Danton immediately before he could do anything about it. Kite knew a Crush Wave or Firesurge spell would have been far more effective, but he was trying to save energy at the same time. Either way, this worked for Kite in the end. Danton still can't defeat him in a sword battle.
Danton took another hit, but the blast wasn't all that powerful this time, and he kept his balance somewhat after Shadow Wave. Kite charged at him again, provoking Danton to react using some spell he knew would work as well as before. "Harmonic Blast!" Using the staff to aim, Danton shot a Harmonic Blast sphere into Kite's head, and the spell managed to make impact.
Kite's expression cringed in pain, but he didn't actually slow down his pace. Sending a mild Push Wave to Danton, Kite followed up his rebuttal with another spell to keep Danton off balance. "Radial Hammer!" Five small magical hammers appeared out of a short-lived yellow glyphring, all surrounding Danton just before they jettisoned into his flesh for additional damage. Kite could hear all of the painful frequencies in his head, creating a possible migraine, but he ignored the pain and distractions as much as he could. Danton must go down no matter what!
Blunted by five flying hammer-like objects at once, Danton took another beating from Kite, but even he managed to stay up and going. Danton felt surprised that either one of them could take so much punishment and shake off the damage, something that probably isn't healthy for either of them. Then again, these energy scopes would turn red as a warning if things got really dangerous. For a protective veil, it doesn't work well against the pain of taking any sort of damage. That much was soon made a certainty.
Danton held his staff firm and concentrated. Eventually, the Luminous Artemus transformed back into its former original state, allowing Danton to better control his own magical spells and dispersions. He then used that upgrade to try and unleash another spell against Kite, who was now showing some movement trouble caused by that Harmonic Blast. "Sereing Blast!" The glyphring Danton created lit up brightly just before shooting a beam of energy into Kite's arms, sending him backwards in a daze while he continued to struggle through the damage and pain of battle.
Kite tried to ignore the battle damage as much as he could, but he also had enough MP energy for one more spell. In a grand attempt to hurt Danton the same way, Kite took aim with a fire glyphring, and sprayed a steady stream of energy, a Flamethrower in Danton's direction.
Though Danton tried to dodge, he was too slow to move out of the way of the beam of fire burning his flesh. Knowing what was at steak and reminding himself every second why this fight is so important barely allowed Danton to prevent himself from being stunned out of pain, or put into submission. This fight isn't over until it's over!
Concentrating once more, Danton turned his staff back into a sword format, but he also put the weapon on the ground, leaving it away from his hands. Kite seemed mildly confused, so Danton elaborated on what this meant. "It's time we finished this Kite!" Danton held his fists high, easily provoking Kite to come at him. The moment Kite made a sudden movement, Danton acted immediately. "Telepower!" Danton punched and kicked at the air in front of him with glowing fists and shoes, creating a wondrous effect of telekinetic combat that managed to beat Kite up where he was several meters away. Danton used his MP energy to punch Kite in the face, kick him in the legs, and chop at his throat before finally up kicking the saber back to his hands.
"Come on!" Danton rushed in with rage and a magic sword in his hands, swinging at Kite, who managed to dodge easily with the speed he still had. Soon, Danton and Kite were both at it again, slashing their blades at each other, dodging or blocking each hit more than eighty percent of the time.
More than two full minutes passed with a heavy exchange of sword skills, or that of physical punches and kicks to each other. The effect slowly degenerated each other's health and stamina without a clear winner declared in prediction. But as tiring as this was for both of them, the sight of the exchange for Shadler and the others watching was an incredible and inspiring thing to watch. Though this is an important Leray battle in which neither person can die, both Danton and Kite were fighting as if their lives are really on the line.
At long last, Danton finally got the upper hand against Kite, and jabbed his sword into him from several angles, cutting him from the sides, and piercing his skin front the front. Kite still had a small amount of HP remaining, barely any MP energy, and as well as this combination played off, it also left Danton severely vulnerable.
Kite took advantage when the timing was right, using his sudden rush of adrenaline to push his swords back against Danton's and switch between each saber non-stopped in a linear patter that was too fast for Danton to do anything about it. Kite lifted his tongue in a rage felt scream while his arms and blades did the rest for his unstoppable frenzy! Kite wasn't just angry; but he was losing his mind trying to take down Danton. Unfortunately for his opponent, Kite's crazy frenzy of quick-paced sword strikes soon wore Danton down, and they dug into his skin over and over again.
Ten more slashes followed Kite's furious combo, after which Kite spun his blade around vertically, shoving them all outward in a double jab straight into Danton's shoulders. Kite struck fast and struck hard, the instance causing a tiny amount of redness to appear at both impact sites. Even with the veil, when one gets close to real time damage without being in official danger, the body is still allowed to bleed on a mild level. That's what Kite's double strike did to Danton's wounds, after they sent him to the ground. Kite didn't have his swords anymore after throwing them into Danton, but he would no longer need them.
Danton wondered what was going through Kite's mind right at this very moment. Danton knew he was in serious trouble, two Dire Sabers stuck in his shoulders, and himself on his knees with blurred vision. He felt so faint and close to passing out. Does Kite see him as less of a threat now because of this?
Kite simply waited carefully for both of his sabers to exit from Danton's wounds, and appear back into his hands again to finish the job. Magic could work too, but it isn't as effective if Danton blocks it somehow. Still, he won't be able to fight back anymore. Finally, Kite could feel victory a few seconds away.
Danton watched as both blades faded away into nothingness, as they were really just being displaced into another location, Kite's grasp. With his arm movement restored for a few seconds, it was time to finish this. Danton noticed that Kite was preparing to step forward and strike Danton from above with both sabers, but Danton suddenly brought himself to his senses then, leapt up and back to dodge, and lifted his staff in his hands again, charging energy.
"What?!" Kite didn't expect Danton to still be so fast with such a low stamina rating. Was he bluffing that whole time? What could Danton do with that much MP anyway? Kite decided to charge towards Danton before it was too late.
Danton unleashed the energy through his staff in a continuous wave, slowly draining his MP reserves over time while he activated the magic he wanted to use. Telekinesis: it has more uses than the spells integrated into them. "I am not losing this battle!" Danton lifted his staff up, synchronizing its movements with the invisible aura he imagined around Kite. Though this was a complete gamble for him, Danton had to go all out on his theory.
When Danton lifted his staff for a full second, Kite was suddenly stopped just a meter away from Danton. Kite wasn't just stopped, but he was completely frozen. All of Kite's limbs and muscle movement were disabled, and he floated off the ground into the air, all of this coming from Danton's special telekinetic magic coming from that staff.
Danton figured out the controls rather quickly, and he suddenly used them to put an end to Kite. Danton couldn't hold back anymore either, because he too was pissed off of how close he was to losing everything he worked so hard to accomplish here. Kite nearly took all of it away, and he'll pay for it all! Danton shoved his arm down, which incidentally forced Kite's body to slam into the ground just as it became unfrozen. It was like watching a ragdoll shoot into a hard surface. Danton lifted his staff again, and Kite along with it, controlling most of Kite's body movements in a magic thought to be untapped. Danton continued the pattern again and again, slamming Kite into the surface left and right, draining the HP so slowly. "You are a better swordsman than I," Danton howled. "But I am Brash Danton. If I can't win one way, I'll simply find another!" In his continued rage, Danton slammed the staff close to the ground without hitting the device or breaking it, and this caused Kite to again smash into the hard floor. "I've come too far to give it all up now! Submit!" Danton continued this brutality over and over, giving Kite no chance to try and break free of the telekinetic cage Danton had him trapped inside of. After a few more hits to the ground, Danton's staff ran out of energy, his MP reserves totally depleted. Kite on the other hand had a better source of MP, with his HP depleted. This time, he laid flat on the floor, unable to move or get back up. Because Danton was forced to calm down from the sudden lack of energy, he prevented doing unnecessary damage to his opponent. Thus the match was decided.
By the time Danton realized that Kite had collapsed and the dome shield was gone, he finally let himself fall victim to the severe loss of energy, taking a full body nap on the floor. Despite the lack of activity, Danton remained conscious, just out of energy to move another muscle.
Chapter Theme Shift:
It took moments longer than it normally would for Shadler to snap out of the trance led by that incredible battle, and head over there to help the two of them recover... Three percent health? Considering Danton started with 110% HP, Kite would have won if their battle took place in the wild. What an incredible show the two of them put on! This will boost the ratings for sure! "Hey, guy who is still champion. Have a healing orb." Shadler's request was rhetorical, as he simply activated the orb himself and placed it near Danton to give him its effects. Reviving Kite won't be so easy. On top of that, it looks like both of them suffered possible real time damage to a skin level. Why is that not surprising? "I'll want a medic up here for Kite Fargenst."
Shadler tended to both of them, though Danton naturally came to his senses faster. With some of the battle marks and cuts still on his skin despite his HP returning to a full complete level, it was proof for Shadler that non-fatal real time damage was still somehow allowed to occur. It just doesn't go noticed because that dangerous battle is what it actually takes to cause this kind of damage, but Danton didn't look too bad. With his champion robe equipped, all of his battle scars were covered up nicely, and his face didn't suffer the consequences either. "You sure can be reckless."
Danton was still getting his senses in order. Despite coming to a complete heal, that's only what the energy scope reported. It didn't reflect how he currently felt at the moment. "I still won." His voice was hoarse, but Danton still tried to ignore that for now. "Kite tried to take it all, my position, my Entiene, but he couldn't have any of it."
"Kite can't just inherit Entiene; he has to earn it the same way you did. And with that bedrock gone, it might be impossible for anyone else who tries it." Shadler recalled telling Danton that Kite would inherit Entiene prior to their battle just as a fib to boost Danton's motivation. But he may have gone too far trying it...
"He couldn't take Entiene. I wouldn't let him."
Shadler still had a number of previous questions about Entiene, regarding Danton's bond with the creature. He has grown fond of Entiene, but never in a sense of battle, it seemed. Those questions were however the personal kind that Danton wouldn't answer, even to him. "Well I'll need you to pull yourself together soon. I have a team coming down here to speed up your recovery."
"Why so impatient?" Danton sounded like he was becoming drunk off his own exhaustion, ready to pass out despite the healing orb, and likely the reason Shadler called a medical team to the area.
But Shadler felt this might be normal, and proceeded to answer his question anyway. "You're going to have a meeting with top officials of the mage council soon. So I need you and that brain of yours functioning perfectly."
"Kite?"
"He'll be ejected from the elite chain of course, and unable to rejoin or rematch you again for three months."
"Wait!" Danton immediately came to his senses again, knowing what else needed to be done. Though his sudden rush to try and recover caused Danton a storming headache, he had to put it off as long as he could for Kite's sake. "You can't do that."
"What are you talking about? That's what happens to any of our elites who fail a battle against a champion. The only reason I let Kite stay the first time is because he wasn't technically an elite when he lost, he was at champion status."
"I know that, but as champion of Eldora Tower, I'm at least giving him the option to stay within the elite chain. I won't let him battle me again for three months, but you're not firing him."
"You can't just pardon whoever you please."
Danton got serious real quick, and realized how backwards this system is. It's surprising considering how much legal power the champion possesses. Danton might as well be a king at this point. Yet Lawrence must have let people walk all over him at the time. "In that case, I'm changing the rules, effective immediately for the elite chain of command process, and how our structure is going to work. From now on, any and all elite members from the chain wishing to challenge the champion and fail to make victory will not be automatically expelled from the position."
"How then do you propose the members change?"
"You still have the Catalyst Grove, right? I'll be making some changes to that as well, to make sure it functions better. There's a lot of things here that I see, and I don't like the way our people are treated at Eldora Tower."
"Fine. I won't involve myself. But to make this work, you'll have to actually put it into the mage council's bills. I don't make the laws, but they do. Your executive actions do have consequences you know. The council can have you removed if you abuse your power. Just remember that."
"Like you actually care."
"You know I do. Kite never showed me that kind of promise, which is why I excluded some secrets from him. But over the next few days, you and I have a lot more catching up to do."
"If you drop me off at another damn volcano, I'm going to make sure Entiene gets a chance to pay you back for last time."
Shadler quenched his face in fear, spinning his hands for a quick reassurance. "No volcanos! Promise."
To further interrupt Shadler's inquisition, the sliding doors from the main elevator shaft opened up, allowing the medical team to storm in towards the center of the field carrying their best equipment. Danton made sure they didn't touch him, since his condition wasn't as bad, but one of the medics offered him a free unmarked stimpack anyway, a prototype version of new medication still in development for the populous to heal real time damage; Starlov Boosters. Kite was lifted onto a stretcher so that the team could carry him to the medical bay inside of one of the tower's many hidden rooms. Danton figured they were making this seem more dramatic than really necessary.
While a silence endured between Shadler and Danton, another team entered the room just when Kite was out of sight. A tall dark man accompanied by several other adults both male and female, all wearing suits and ties of professional business attire entered the champion chambers, bringing Danton's attention down onto them.
The tall guy introduced himself first to Danton with a handshake when he reached the champion. "Sir Danton. I'd like to introduce myself and the others here. My name is Osirus, and I am one of the representatives of the mage council."
Danton's brows lifted while shaking Osirus's hand, eyeing the others. "The mage council is here to see me?"
"I'm Baxter," the lady introduced, "and I too have seat in the council of mages. Long story short Sir Danton; we saw your show just now."
Danton glanced at Osirus, who nodded in approval for confirmation. Given the lack of time between the end of battle and their arrival, the council team must have been waiting inside of Eldora Tower while watching the match. So Shadler let the cameras in here broadcast to the members of the mage council and other teams, even though it isn't supposed to be broadcast to the general public for the next twenty-four hours? Oh, wait. The general public might not get a hold of this for another week or two knowing these clowns... But at least these kind of people might be useful.
Osirus further elaborated on the reason why that battle seemed interesting enough. "That display of swordsmanship and magic exchange is something rarely seen these days on our station network. A battle like that is only bound to bring in more ratings when people see it for real."
"So it's just the ratings you care about?" Danton knew his question was already answered, though he felt the need to test these people. They already don't sound like they have a very high regard for what is important. Being part of Eldora Tower is a value of high honor, a best-respected position. However, if they are top officials of the mage council, it means these goons are his only lead.
Baxter cleared her throat before speaking, a slight panic to deter Danton's insinuations. "Ratings give more to this department than you realize. The everyday minor taxes we collect only go so far to provide the Eldora championship process with the resources it needs. And I don't mean to bring hideous gossip to your ears, but Lawrence wasn't very popular with the station. Nobody ever came close to defeating him often enough."
With his brows creased forward and his muscles tense, Danton planted a foot forward to further intimidate Baxter and her talking suits. "I'm not some TV puppet made to dance around a camera screen for fun. Do you have any idea who you are talking to right now?"
"Uh, well I didn't mean to—"
"Of course you did." Danton crossed his arms and turned his head slightly, unable to look Baxter in the eye. "You thought you could just storm in here and brainwash a fresh and shiny new champion guy into funding whatever channels you want me to. Make no mistake that I get to decide which micro-departments of the mage council grow or shrink."
"I hate to say this Danton," Osirus began, "but that sounds like a financial threat to the council itself."
"That's because it is a threat, tough guy." Again, Danton took his stance, realizing already where he needed to begin. "I will say this much. For the purpose of the broadcasting all live elite and champion battles we conduct here, I would never want to do anything that would cause problems for loyal viewers at home, but all Leray battles are as real as they get; nothing is ever staged."
"We can live with that." Baxter had to accept Danton's logic for now, giving in to the new leader's demands while it was still smart and proper. "I just hope you and your new team are capable of keeping the legacy interesting."
"The Leray wielders of Sprawn Valley and ourselves are part of that already. If you don't start putting faith in the people, I'll have to take a closer look at what you've been up to for the past three years..." Again, Baxter did very little to express or show any sign of impairment to such a subtle rocking, but Danton wasn't trying to stir any trouble; instead the opposite. "Anyway, I already don't like how some of this is set up." Danton knew what felt right, and he spoke to Osirus to expect him to take the news to heart. "I'll soon be making bills of changes to the current structure and function of the elite chain and some of the events to Eldora Tower."
"What kind of changes?" the tall guy beckoned.
"Well for one, you have too many new faces in the elite chain all of the time. I understand that the weak must eventually yield to those more worthy of the elite chain, but the punishments imposed on anyone who are defeated in battle are far too strict for everyone to follow. I'll be making sure that elites are better treated with more leniency with regards to championship challenges."
"That's a bit ambitious, champion."
Danton promised on his persuading argument to make sure everyone here would be happier with these new arrangements. "All we have to do is make sure that the winning requirements for the Catalyst Grove for new challengers are tougher and stricter."
Baxter didn't see the current logic behind Danton's plan, and challenged him by interrupting his testimony. "Are they not already strict enough? New challengers have a time limit, health limit, and weapon to armor limit when attempting a rank takeover."
"And yet all four of my friends took over the ranks in a single session. I think not being allowed to carry the armor of your own choice is rash, so shall I have it abolished. As for weapons, new challengers of the Catalyst Grove are still not to use their own weapons unless they meet the very basic or standard conditions of low tier weaponry. But most importantly, the battle between a wielder and a champion should be equalized to determine who has the real advantage to lead the people of Sprawn Valley." Danton worked out the numbers in his head, then delivered the report to Osirus and Baxter, while their people hung behind them in silent observation. "I want my extra ten percent of health during all champion battles to be removed permanently. This includes equalization of both parties battling the standing champion, whether it come from one of the elites, or from a new wielder challenging the champion. And before you panic, I want all four elite members to inherit the extra ten percent rule of HP during any battle that is not between the champion, for any and all events related to Eldora Tower."
"But then..." Osirus had to breathe and process for a moment. This means that Danton will be slightly easier to defeat, yet harder to get to in the first place for new challengers. And since he said all events, that would ripple into the Catalyst Grove as well. All four elites start with 110% health, while Danton and the challenger of any front are on equal health... It's a strange decision, but also a balanced one. "Still, wouldn't that just take away from your battles of random challengers?"
"I see why you might think that," Danton granted. "But just imagine for a moment what happens when you have elites and champions who rarely ever get challenged. The aspects of the game change entirely, because it becomes harder to win, and requires a lot more dynamic thinking and battling styles. This process simply weaves away weaker wielders, and encourages the stronger ones to try harder to reach the top. Suddenly, your show receives battles more often fought with new and impressive fighting styles. I say leave all of that battling only to the experts who have what it takes."
"Very well," Baxter admitted. Danton might be new to this, but he is especially a smooth talker in these situations. "If you propose such a bill, I'll have everyone carefully review it."
"Hear me out though," Danton warned. "People who fail champion challenges should not be punished so severely as they have been recently. Elite members who wish to try champions in combat should not have the ability to try too often, a system that already works in place. But to expel them from Eldora Tower due to their inability to surpass their betters is going too far. I'll be making a change to correct this situation as well."
"Is that all?"
Danton wondered how much more Osirus and his men could take. "I know this will keep you busy for a while, but we'll also be looking into combining our funds with a couple of trusted technological firms to enhance the physical tower's experience."
"Meaning what exactly?"
Danton panned his head all around the large room. "Look at this place everyone! The champion chamber is an amazing place, one of style and value in its art, but the other elite battle rooms aren't so impressive to look at. You want better ratings, we need to restyle and improve the artwork of every nook and cranny of this place. I want Eldora Tower redone from the inside out. People who see it on TV want to be amazed, not put to sleep by the same thing all the time." Danton knew in his heart that he could care less about ratings. This was more about making sure Eldora Tower is a best-fit place for everyone involved, but these people don't talk in a normal language. "The same could be said for dynamic changes and systems to each battle room as well."
"Systems?" Osirus repeated.
"Air conditioning units with the power to create ice on a battlefield, or heating units that can set paper ablaze through the air. Spike traps and pits that cause great pain for any person who manages to touch them. Perhaps a bit of uneven terrain on sections of the circular field. And maybe add some sort of new lighting system to the sidewall panels of the interior with color-coded signals. I'm talking about specs!"
"That's a highly ambitious project, not just some tweaks here and there." Baxter displayed her concerns on her facial expression otherwise.
Why do these people not get the message? "These systems will further add dynamics to our battling styles and make things more fun and interesting. Of course they aren't minor tweaks! I'm not half-assing anything while I'm here..." Their silence was Danton's only signal that this was as far as he could go. "I'll send you the names of those tech firms later. Right now, you need to head back to your council and sort out everything before we all get disorganized."
"I think you underestimate our very ability to function and coexist with the elite chain... But, I will still inform my people that you've made compelling arguments. No promises on those changes though." Baxter knew Osirus was just as surprised as well, but they needed to leave now. Danton can't always have his way with every sentence. "Osirus? Let's go."
"Yeah, let me know how it goes. And don't forget that I'm willing to go public with this mess if it doesn't get fixed!" Danton figured that was enough. In front of those kinds of people, you have to appear and sound revered and in charge all of the time. Danton knew all about business mentalities like that. "Maybe I can use some of the public opinion to force the changes for good if none of these worms listen." Danton spoke softly and quietly to himself.
"Well that was interesting," Shadler approached. "I don't think they were expecting someone so ready to take full command with new bills ready to launch so swiftly."
"Do you like your job Shadler?"
Shadler winced slightly because of what Danton just asked. Is he being threatened now? "Of course I do, Sir Danton. I would never do anything to jeopardize my position."
"Then I suggest you prove it by helping me." Danton didn't go out of his way to straight up accuse Shadler of sabotage, because there is no evidence or concrete proof of anything, but it sure felt like a set-up. Why would Shadler think to call in the mage council for a personal unplanned interview with a new champion just after his battle, when he is tired and mentally exhausted enough as it is? Danton however felt further replenished. Do those special healing orbs really work that fast?
"Have I not been doing that all this time?"
Don't test me old man! Danton felt further inflamed by this so-called assistant of his. Shadler set him up on a highly dangerous mission to tame Entiene. Having Entiene's summoning essence and the Mega-Staff is a good thing, but it would have been more sensible to wait until gaining more experience before trying such a deadly trial. And now, Shadler just tried to destroy Danton's reputation and ability to effectively lead in his own position; at least that's what it feels like. Even if Shadler is just an innocent moron, he has to be replaced by someone who has better interests in the tower. "Then tell me which firm you think is best to invest our time into."
"I think we may look first into Ebon-Eye. They're the ones currently developing the tech for new and improved drone and camera technology. With proper funding, it wouldn't surprise me to see them develop some kind of flying remote controlled cameras that could reach all sorts of areas." Danton hesitated, causing Shadler to further try and persuade him. "Could be good for our business. We might get access to much better camera angles for the broadcasts."
So he is useful when he needs to be. Shadler is only buying himself more time for now, but his word should be useful for long enough. "Okay. Ebon-Eye. I'll look into that on my own time. But right now, I need to go speak to Kite. He'll want to see me after this defeat."
"Very well. I'll be waiting here for you." Shadler let Danton off to do his own thing. It's a shame he isn't more patient. There will be no easy way of showing him the way things really are here; the true nature of Leray magic.