TGW B4 Chapter 48: The Great Thunder Serpent! (Patreon)

Even with the hum of my whistle filling my ears, the crowd drowned the noise in an avalanche of sound.

Sunlight filtered through, drawing my gaze upward into the open sky.

It was... terrifying.

From afar, the people looked like giants, with me the little ant trapped on the ground. Some cheered, others booed. More than a few seemed to be screaming for no reason other than to add to the revelry.

Didn't think this one through, did yah?

I lowered my head and approached the middle. Each step ran a jolt of excitement that slowly built a charge in my chest.

My spear continued to spin, and a few pointed to my weapon. It was strange, but it wasn't the weirdest thing they'd have seen.

One of the competitors in the earlier matches used what was essentially a metal version of a pompom and won their duel.

As I came to a stop, I stared at the other entrance.

Did I walk out too early?

I stopped messing around and rested my weapon on my shoulder. My tail flicked, the illusion holding up. Currently, all the audience would see was a long furry tail.

What they thought about my horns, I wouldn't know, but the illusion made them appear bone-white and solid rather than the clear crystals they normally were.

Thankfully, they couldn't see behind my mask. I would look a lot less cool if they saw me clicking my fangs.

Another minute passed and I shifted my feet.

Where's the basta-

"Apologies for the delay, but it was well worth it. Today we have a returning face that some of you know. From a crippling defeat to spark a seven-month journey to refine themselves. It's the flashy caster we know and love! Eldredge the Thunder Serpent!"

Accompanied by the peals of thunder, the right entrance exploded with mana that whipped at the sand and churned a storm that stopped just shy of touching me.

My eyes narrowed at the emerging beastkin sporting electric-blue scales.

A little on the nose there...

The Thunder Serpent rushed through the arena and jogged to a stop a few meters away.

Their purple tongue slid from their mouths as they held up their hands and released a wave of crackling electricity. The sparks dripped down, touching their leathered frills and sank through their scales.

They drank in the cheers and looked toward me. "Sorry about this. Bad luck to be matched against me for your first match, but there's always next time."

It was entirely condescending, but it toed the line.

I grunted and lowered my spear. "Was the thunder necessary?"

"Certainly. How else would I greet the crowd? They're giving me their thunderous applause, it's only fitting I return the same."

"Names Strix. I hope you're ready."

"Of course," Eldredge bowed. "I'll ensure your defeat is swift and painless."

I shook my head, and sighed as Eldredge backed away.

Mana rushed through my veins, and I held the trigger, my familiar waiting inside my soulrealm.

Eldredge raised their hand, one hand extended into the sky, the other with their palm facing toward me.

I saw the mana build in the center of their hand, and a tendril of hardened air snaked around their back and blanketed around them like a cloak.

One theory was that their skill required them to draw real lightning from the skies. But the mana held no indication of doing so, and the sky was bright and clear.

The second theory, and the one I thought was more likely true; was that the stance was nothing more than a facade.

Either way, it wouldn't save them. Not when they thought their might was strong enough to best an affronted dragon.

I relaxed and stood casually.

The first chime rang, and Eldredge's scowl deepened. It didn't stop the growing grin on my face.

The cheers were drums beating against my head.

When the second chime rang, I sent mana into my skill and drew my familiar out. Before his body formed, I activated Spirit Lord's Invocation and consumed the motes.

As I popped my neck, electric-blue scales ripped across my arms and down my legs. My chest gained the tightness of the armor and I breathed in the sweet air that swirled around me.

"Ready to show an upstart lizard how wrong they are?" I asked.

"They will kneel and beg for forgiveness! To dare and claim themselves your better while I am your familiar! No mercy!" Sturmrorex roared.

"Alright, alright. No need to go supernova just yet. Save that for someone worthy."

Sturmrorex's displeasure tickled my thoughts, but he settled in, and I flexed my claws, feeling the wind bend around my scales.

"I hope you are prepared, Strix. This will be over soon," Eldredge said.

You're right, it will.

The third chime rang and at once, their hand above their head did something. It looked like a vortex that drew in mana before the charge in his other grew to an orb the size of a baseball.

Without wasting a second more to taunt or apologize, the orb sharpened into an arrow and zipped across the arena.

Already, Eldredge was lowering their hand before it crossed the midline.

With a flex, Sturmrorex's skill activated and the lightning entered my thoughts like a buzzing bee. I willed it closer and it swerved.

Instead of impacting my chest, I grabbed the bolt and forced it to stop before my palm. It bucked and fought my control; the energy demanded freedom and continuing momentum.

Sturmrorex's snarl brought it under rein, and I closed my fingers around the dancing electricity.

Eldredge stared, slacked-jawed, as I brought the mana closer to my face. It smelled of ozone and tasted like copper.

"No fucking way," they whispered.

I lowered my hand and cocked my head. The cloak of hardened air around them frayed at the edges. As Eldredge snapped their jaw shut, the mana hardened further slammed into the stone.

"You-"

At Sturmrorex's urgings, I pushed mana through my arm and into the bolt. It grew in size from baseball to softball. It wasn't a physical weight that pulled at my hand, but my arm stiffened at the rush and the hairs along the back of my neck stood up.

"Catch," I said cheerfully.

I twisted back and raised my hand high. As I lobbed it, I urged the electricity forward and watched the bolt become an arrow. It spiraled as it zipped, leaving behind a trail of thermal light.

Eldredge turned, and the cloak of air intercepted the bolt, but it continued to tunnel through. Inch by inch, the attack lost its power, but enough survived by the time it breached through their skill.

The electricity shot into their arm and Eldredge hissed as their side limb spasmed. They stomped, and mana rushed through their limb and into the ground before they sagged forward.

"Y-you. Thi-think you can bea-t me at my own game?"

My spear cut through the stone and started walking forward. My tail flicked, the flames underneath the illusion bristling with crackles of energy.

"Is that all you got?" I teased.

Eldredge raised their good arm and electricity snaked between their fingers. It was a different attack that drew upon the wind cloak around them.

"You could have made this easy. What happens next is a consequence of your actions."

In a flurry of light and whipping wind, they activated a skill and the electricity exploded, streamers of energy separating into five balls that led the charge. They forked and crossed, five separate attacks that surrounded me.

One aimed for my head, the second my chest–the third and forth my legs, and the fifth arced over my neck and dived for the small of my back.

Effective, for just about anyone who wasn't me.

I raised my arm and swiped my claws through the attack, collecting the balls and their trails like bugs. After the fifth, I attached them together, bound to my palm in another whirling ball of mana.

The new control feels great. Makes me wonder what tier two will bring.

"Sturmrorex. We'll have to test what we can do with water mana when we're free. We'll have Igas help."

His approval bled through the link and I accepted his feelings concerning the mana in our grasp.

It wasn't nearly as powerful as the bolt, but then again, it was a multi-pronged attack.

Eldredge backed away, retreating as I came closer. Their eyes narrowed and they watched my hand like a deer in headlights.

The cowardice acted as a wet blanket and doused my excitement. I expected a battle, not whatever this was supposed to be.

I sighed and activated another part of Sturmrorex's skills. The wind at my back started to push me forward and I shaped it to mold around my legs.

It was untested, but it worked like a charm. The barrier knifed through the air around us and helped remove the resistance as I started to jog faster. Eldredge kept retreating, going as far as to curve around the arena's edge.

Another attack grew, sprouting from their fingers down to their legs.

But, unfortunately for them, I was pumping mana into the balls of electricity, destroying whatever the original skill was and opting for rough power rather than something fancy.

Eldredge reached an end. They stopped with their backs pressed against the wall and extended their arms forward.

"Take this, Monster!"

I paused.

Monster? Really?

As the mana from their legs shot up their chest and toward their fingers, I forced the watermelon of electricity up and lobbed it forward.

A curtain of brilliant blue energy rushed toward my face. I accepted the hit, feeling the electricity bite my scales and singe my skin. My robes smoked and the wind around me stole it away, allowing fresh air into my lungs.

"Oww," I mumbled.

As I rubbed at my neck, I looked up and watched as Eldredge lay in a crumpled, twitching heap atop the arena floor.

I walked forward and used the butt of my spear to prod their tail when the victory chime blasted through my ear drums.

My bracelet pulsed, tightening around my wrist.

"And we have a victor!" the announcer screamed.

Thunder pelted my ears and it took me a few seconds to understand it was the stomping of the crowd's feet. Again, I felt small, but there was a new feeling.

Deliberately, I spun my weapon upward and lifted it high. That earned another round of cheers.

It was exhilarating and new. The feeling didn't overcome the annoyance I had at being denied a real fight, but it was nice to bask in the sound.

It’s like there’s soda in my guts, fizzling up. I don’t think you hate this, Cyrus.

I lowered my spear and watched a platform of light lift Eldredge up to my knees. A sprinkle of golden dust began to sprout from the sides. When they landed on their burnt and crispy skin, they popped like fireworks before sinking into their flesh.

As I walked out, Áine healed the damage to my nerves and gently patted my back.

"Thanks,"

"No problem," she replied.

I adjusted my hoodie and kept my head still as I entered the under arena. Myol stood with her arms crossed, a strange look on her face.

She held up her hand and I stopped.

"Is there something wrong?"

She squinted and leaned forward. As I was about to step back, she sniffed.

What?

"Hmmph," she mumbled. "Maybe not as foolish I thought you to be. Tell me, is lightening your highest affinity?"

Oh. That's what she wants to know. Still don't know why you sniffed me, lady.

I shook my head. "No. It's not my highest."

Her eyebrow lifted. "Second?"

I shrugged.

Myol snorted and she turned away. "Win the next fight, and I might even apologize. Now scram, whelp!"

This time I saluted and marched out the door, ignoring the stares of the remaining contestants.

There weren't any cameras or screens inside the under arena, but knowing the system and all the kinds of shit magic could reproduce, it wasn't too surprising the arena master had a way to see the matches.

I was tempted to order another round of sandwiches, but more than a few people seemed to recognize me and offer me congratulations or something to say.

As I entered our booth and closed the door, I was met with the incredibly neutral stares of Broken Tower, with Sereza mimicking their expression.

"What? What did I do wrong?"

"Cyrus..." Celenae began.