1. The King's Price: A Bargain Forged in Defiance đ
Kevin and Even, along with their three loyal Freedom Fighters, marched back to the Royal Citadel and demanded an audience with King Elarion. This time, the King received them in a smaller, private chamber, recognizing the serious nature of their unscheduled request.
Kevin presented their case immediately: "Your Majesty, we demand entry into the Grand Samaran Tournament. We are the most formidable warriors in the world, and we will prove it on your stage."
King Elarion, amused yet intrigued, smiled. "Demands? From men who just took half my treasury? The roster is closed. Give me a reason to risk my finest Champions against two feral dogs."
"Because we are the best entertainment you will ever purchase," Even growled, stepping forward. "And because we are the only men who fight with nothing to lose and everything to prove. Your Champions fight for glory; we fight for the validation of our suffering."
The King paused, recognizing the deep, strategic ambition behind their challenge. He accepted, but laid down the exact same two conditions as before (reiterating the seriousness of the contract):
The Wager of Gold: If either of them won the Tournament, they must invest half a million gold coins of their own fortune into the Samaran economy.
The Wager of Loyalty: They must publicly swear that, should Samara face an existential threat from the Surat Kingdom, they would answer the King's call for aid as allies.
Kevin immediately agreed, understanding the terms. "We accept the wager, Your Majesty. We will be your allies against Surat, and we will win your prize."
The deal was sealed, and the news of the unprecedented entry of the 'Bandit Champions' sent shockwaves through the capital.
2. The First Rounds: A Test of Technique (Kevin) đĄď¸
The Grand Samaran Tournament began two days later. The arena was packed, the crowd roaring for the favoritesâespecially Sir Kaelus, The Royal Blade. Kevin and Even, however, were greeted with a mixture of silence, fear, and curiosity.
Kevin was placed in the difficult upper bracket. His initial opponents were highly skilled, but not the legendary champions yet. They were competent, heavily armored knights who relied on standardized combat techniques.
Kevin's First Fight: The Unseen Edge vs. Formal Technique
Kevin's first match was against Lord Teran, a massive, slow-moving knight wielding a heavy, two-handed axe. Teran was physically imposing and fought by the bookâslow, powerful strikes aimed at shattering armor.
Kevin used the arena as his training ground. He moved with a speed that defied his lean frame, allowing the Lord's axe to smash harmlessly into the sand near his feet. Kevin used the Unseen Edge, relying on the three core principles drilled into him in the Death March:
Perfect Deflection: Never absorb a blow; always redirect its energy.
The Geometry of Weakness: Ignore the armor; target the unprotected joints (elbows, knees, shoulders).
Efficiency: Use minimum movement for maximum damage.
Kevin's fight was a masterclass in controlled precision. He never struck to kill, only to disable. He circled, weaving through the powerful strikes, and with three quick, almost unseen movements of his blade, he struck Teran's wrist, knee joint, and finally, a quick, dull punch to the temple. Teran collapsed, completely disarmed and temporarily concussed, his expensive armor rendered useless.
Kevin won, but the crowd was confused. They expected brutal bloodletting; they saw surgical precision. He had won without a single unnecessary movement, without a shout or a change in expression.
3. The Second Round: The Brutality Unleashed (Even) đĽ
Even's bracket was on the opposite side, and his approach was the complete antithesis of Kevin's. Even entered the arena as a physical behemoth, his scarred face and unpolished fighting style intimidating the crowd.
Even's Second Fight: The Ghost Hook vs. The Brute
Even's opponent was Ragnar, a tough mercenary known for his immense brute strength and iron mace. This was a battle of pure power.
From the first moment, Even was in his elementâchaos. He didn't wait for Ragnar; he charged.
Ragnar swung his mace, aiming to cave in Even's chest. Even didn't dodge; he allowed the mace to graze his shoulder armor, using the impact's momentum to spin and deliver a crushing, weaponless strike to Ragnar's ribcage. The sound of splintering bone was audible to the crowd.
Even followed up with a terrifying display of raw, unpredictable violence. He used the Ghost Hook not just as a blade, but as an extension of his own physical rage. He didn't just strike; he pulled, twisted, and bludgeoned.
Ragnar tried to retreat, but Even was relentless. The crowd was stunned by the sheer, terrifying force. Even cornered Ragnar, and in a moment of untamed aggressionâa flicker of the madness honed in the Death MarchâEven delivered a final, unnecessary, crushing blow to Ragnar's skull with the dull side of his Hook.
Ragnar was not just defeated; he was left in a critical state, unconscious and bleeding heavily. The brutality was shocking.
The referee immediately halted the match and reviewed the rules. But the rules only stipulated against killing intentional and overtly dishonorable acts. Even's fighting style was simply too brutal, but technically, he hadn't broken the rule against "overtly lethal intent" during the bout itself. He was merely too savage to control.
Even won the match, but the crowd was horrified. He stood over his defeated opponent, his chest heaving, his eyes still burning with the residual heat of battle. He was a force of natureâuncontrollable and terrifying.
4. The Path to the Semifinals đŁď¸
The first two days of the Tournament eliminated the majority of the combatants. Kevin and Even, the 'Bandit Champions,' had cemented their reputation: Kevin as the silent, surgical assassin who won without breaking a sweat, and Even as the terrifying brute who left opponents on the brink of death.
The Semifinalists:
The final four were chosen:
Sir Kaelus (The Royal Blade): The favorite, the technically perfect champion.
Riona (The Desert Viper): The swift, foreign mercenary.
Kevin (The Unseen Edge): The analytical killer.
Even (The Ghost Hook): The engine of chaos.
The matchups were announced for the next round:
Even vs. Riona (Brute Force vs. Speed and Subtlety)
Kevin vs. Sir Kaelus (Strategy vs. Perfect Technique)
Kevin and Even looked at each other. Their final confrontation was delayed, as expected. They both knew the Semi-Finals would be their true test.
5. The Semifinal: The Executioner vs. The Viper đ
Even's match against Riona was a spectacle of contrasts. Riona, armed with dual, poison-tipped daggers, moved like smoke, targeting Even's exposed skin and joints. Even was a massive, slow target, constantly lunging and missing, his rage building with every failed strike.
Riona was too fast. She inflicted numerous shallow cuts, and the venom began to slow Even down, forcing him to rely on pure willpower.
The chaos of the fight eventually favored Even. Cornered and desperate, Even embraced the pure, brutal aggression of the Death March. He threw the Ghost Hook aside and fought bare-handed. He endured a deep cut to his thigh, but in that moment of agony, he caught Riona's wrist.
The roar Even let out was primal. He was not just fighting Riona; he was fighting the effects of the poison and the memories of his pain. He brutally broke Riona's arm, forcing her to drop her weapon. Riona screamed, but Even, completely out of control, delivered a series of savage, bone-crushing strikes.
The brutal assault continued until the referee intervened, pulling Even back before he could deliver a fatal blow. Even stood panting, his body swaying from the venom and exhaustion, but victorious. He had barely won, sacrificing his body to his own unbridled aggression.
He left the arena, victorious but broken, barely able to walk. He had pushed his body to the absolute limit and had shown the crowd the true, unyielding brutality of the Death March. The final was set.