Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life

  Road to a Hero:

  Three chances in another world

  Chapter 4: Climb to the top

  Ophelia: “YOU WON THE SECOND TRIAL!”

  Musashi: “Not bad.”

  Rosemary: “YOU GOT US THE WIN!”

  Edward: “Yeah, we couldn’t have done it without you!”

  Soku: “Yeah… though you won in kinda a bullshit way.”

  Julius: “Reading between the lines, finding a way out of an unbeatable situation, I like to think that that was the purpose of the second trial.”

  Roy: “Yeah…I guess you helped us.”

  Loyd: “Come on Roy, be nicer. Thank you, Gray.”

  Rosine: “Twas god's divine intervention for you to be placed here to help me move forward!”

  Gray: “Look can we stop with the over-showering of glory, I love getting complimented but I didn’t do much, I got lucky that I didn’t get knocked out instantly. But I guess it’s all in a day's work for me.”

  Soku: “Oooooh so humble.”

  Gray: “Yeah I know”

  Gray sits down, placing his feet on the top of the chair below him, putting his arms behind his head, smirking with a sense of self-complacency.

  Edward: “I say we just rest until the next trial starts.”

  Gray: “Way ahead of yah, quick twenty-minute power nap.”

  Soku: “Yeah, I’m with *YAWN* you on this one.”

  Rosemary: “I’ll go bring us some water.”

  Edward: “Oh, I can do that if you want. Or I can come with you.”

  Gray: “HEY ROSE! I’m all rested, so I can go get the water with yah.”

  Rosemary: “OK, Um…if you want that’s fine.”

  Edward: “Guess I’ll stay here then.”

  Soku: “L-O-S-E-R!”

  Gray: “Shut up elf baby.”

  Ophelia: “I WANNA GO TOO!”

  Rosemary and Gray leave to go grab water for everyone, while Soku and Edward sit with each other awaiting their return.

  Edward: “Has Gray seemed a little off to you?”

  Soku: What do you mean acting full of himself and overall just stupid? Because that’s how he’s acted ever since I've known him.”

  Edward: “I’m being serious.”

  Soku: “I don’t get why you care about these types of things, just go with the flow man.”

  Edward: “SOKU.”

  Soku: “Alright damn…I mean yeah he has acted like this the whole time but he has seemed to grow a bigger ego.”

  Edward: “Can you go into further detail please?”

  Soku: “Look…When I met him he acted loud and goofy, for what seemed to be a front. Like putting on airs. But ever since he beat Jeremiah he has had this ego growing. It fell for a bit when we were under attack at the mansion, but after he saved you it came back a lot bigger. Now that mask he seemed to be putting on…seems to be his real self.”

  Edward: “If what you say is correct then his plan of working against the Ogre and winning the second trial for everyone his ego is only going to get bigger. If he keeps going down this path of self-righteousness he’s gonna break, and crumble when he loses.”

  Soku: “You’re one to talk. I can see it, I can tell if people are lying, and your eyes… hold too much pain. And After Al passed you seem to be even more talkative…look I know I’m not the first person you would come to and I would be happier if you chose someone else but if you need to talk…”

  Edward: “Look I get it. I’ll get over it in my own time.”

  Soku: “Well don’t crumble.”

  Edward: “I won't, I promise.”

  Julius looks on at Edward and Soku from across the room, mainly putting his attention on Edward. As if he’s looking into his soul, looking at something. Something scary, rageful, something that should be feared.

  Gray: “Alright! Got water.”

  Edward: “That was fast.”

  Soku: “You have fun, Ophelia? Gray didn’t do anything to yah did he?”

  Rosemary: “Stop teasing him. Be nice Soku.”

  Soku: “Bleh!”

  They rest, waiting for the Third Trial to begin. The crowd re-enters the room, with the announcer walking up to his stand.

  Announcer: “OK, NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT! THE KNIGHTS TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN, FIRST YOU WILL FIGHT YOUR TEAMMATES, THEN MOVE ON TO FIGHTING THE WINNERS OF THOSE FIGHTS UNTIL THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON LEFT! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE, WE ARE GOING BY DUEL RULES, YOU EITHER GIVE UP, PASS OUT, OR DIE! NOW FOR OUR FIRST MATCH!”

  Gray {Wonder who’s it gonna be}

  Rosemary {Come on…not me…}

  Soku {Ugh…Please be fair}

  Announcer: “NOW! OUR MVP OF THE LAST ROUND, CONNER GRAY KYOJIN!”

  Gray {DAMMIT!}

  Announcer: “AND THE GREEN-HAIRED ELF, SOKU!”

  Soku: “SHIT!”

  Announcer: “Now please will the fighters enter the arena!”

  Gray and Soku Drop down into the arena, walking to opposite sides of the room.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Announcer: “NOW ANY WORDS FROM OUR OPPONENTS?”

  Gray: “YEAH! Thanks for the easy first round.”

  Soku: “Thanks for the opportunity to break this clown's ego.”

  Gray: “Heh…funny, sorry but you’re gonna have to wait in the stands for a bit to watch everyone else finish their matches, sucks being the first one out, couldn’t be me though.”

  Gray looks at Soku, his bravado lifted and a large smirk on his face. They both pull out their swords, ready to fight.

  Announcer: “AND WITH THAT, BEING THE DUEL!”

  The third trial begins. Gray formed a cloak around him out of mana, with Soku doing the same. Soku plans to use her wind magic to outspeed Gray.

  Gray {Gotta watch out for her slashes, and her speed is better controlled than mine. Where I win is in strategy, pure strength, and durability.}

  Soku {He’s gonna do something when I get near him…I need to end this fast}

  Gray {I can’t use Satic well and her wind will blow Cenic away. No magic, just pure skill!}

  Soku speeds towards Gray. Gray stands firmly awaiting her to close the distance, though surprising Gray right before Soku gets in a swinging distance of Gray, she focuses all of her mana that was once around her right to her sword. Making a large blade of wind, slashing at Gray. Gray slashes the wind blade, stopping the attack, then preparing to counter-attack, keeping the momentum from his first sword swing, hitting Sokus's short sword, and knocking her light body back.

  Soku {SHIT!}

  Gray {Now for a game combo.}

  Instead of letting Soku fly backward, Gray grabs her leg in mid-air. Soku tries to use wind mana to cut Gray’s arm, But Gray outspends her, flings her through the air, and slams her into the ground. Pushing the back of his sword onto her back, holding her down.

  Ophelia: “No…way…Soku…”

  Rosemary: “Oh…she’s not gonna like this.”

  Edward: “That fast huh, damn.”

  Musashi talks with the Candidates while watching the battle.

  Arthur: “That Gray boy is your student right? You’ve only been training him for a month and he’s that proficient.”

  Elizabeth: “I expect nothing less from a student of the Ronin of the Mist.”

  Musashi: “Don't talk him up that much.”

  Kioshi: “He’s been in a lot of fights recently, he knows that if you make one mistake it’ll get you killed. Soku should have made a short strong wind blade, not a large weak one.”

  Soku tries and tries to escape Gray's grasp, trying to use wind mana to push him off but with no effect. Gray overpowers the wind mana with his mana, keeping her on the ground.

  Gray: “See, told ya.”

  Soku: “Damm..it…”

  Gray: “Soku…”

  Soku begins to tear up, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

  Soku: “I…I GIVE UP!”

  Gray lets Soku go, trying to console her, though it’s not luck. Soku runs out of the arena, crying, defeated, and embarrassed. Beaten in one motion, completely and utterly defeated.”

  Announcer: “ONCE AGAIN CONNOR WINS, YOUNG LAD MOVE ONTO THE NEXT STAGE OF THE TOURNAMENT, NOW WE MOVE STRAIGHT ON TO THE NEXT BATTLE! ROSEMARY GOLDEN WIND AND EDWARD VAN HELSING.”

  Ophelia runs after Soku, leaving the arena.

  Rosemary: “So now we battle…”

  Edward: “I guess so.”

  Rosemary: “I know I…”

  Edward: “I hope you try your hardest because I will be. It won’t be right to hold back.”

  Rosemary: “Ye…yeah, okay got it!”

  Gray moves up to the stands, with Edward and Rosemary walking to the arena.

  Gray: “Hey…Rose…did I mess up?”

  Rosemary: “That’s up to you to decide.”

  Gray {Damn…}

  Announcer: “NOW! WE WILL BEGIN THE SECOND MATCH!”

  Rosemary immediately powers up, going all the way to the third stage. Edward takes a deep breath, pulls out his sword, and stands ready. Edward awaits Rosemary's charge.

  Elizabeth: “So that’s Gotsu, the monster slayer's son. His hair isn’t white, how strange.”

  Musashi: “He is ready I promise. He’s a defense-style fighter.”

  Arthur: “Yeah, I got trust in him.”

  Gray {Come on Rose…I know she can’t win this but…}

  Gray: “COME ON ROSEMARY, YOU GOT THIS!”

  Rosemary uses Gray's shouting as motivation, throwing away her fear and heading toward Edward. She makes it to him fairly quickly, trying her hardest to get past Bj?rn. Her strikes are hard, enough for Edward to feel a small amount of pain even with Bj?rns dense iron.

  Rosemary {This shouldn't be impossible! I have experience, and the training I've done at Musashi's has risen my strength even further!}

  Rosemary forces only her leg to go into the fourth stage, jumping to the side, and mid-jump she makes her finger go into the fourth stage, shooting the wind pressure at an opening in Edward's defense.

  Gray {NICE! JUST LIKE WHAT I TOLD HER TO DO IN THE MANSION!}

  Elizabeth: “Guess she really is the Last Golden Knight. You've gotten quite the group here, Musashi.”

  Edward releases his grip on Bj?rn, ducking from the wind blast, and lunging towards Rosemary. Since Rosemary is still mid-air she can’t dodge the lunge. Edward grabs onto Bj?rn with his left hand, while grabbing Rosemary with his right hand. He pulls her close to him, hitting her with Bj?rn, knocking her to the ground. He places Bj?rn on top of her, holding her down.

  Edward: “You would struggle to lift my sword normally, though with me holding it on you, there is no way you will be able to move it.”

  Rosemary: “I'm not gonna give up that easy!"

  Rosemary uses a burst of the fourth stage around her body to momentarily push Edward away. Her punch, even if blocked by his sword, slamned against him and shook the arena along with it. Causing the dusty floor to kick up. But then the strain of the fight at the mansion, along with the other trials hit her the moment she used the fourth stage.

  Edward {She's open!}

  Rosemary {No!}

  Rosemary forces herself to punch forward, but Edward had already rushed around her, slamming the sword against her and pushing her into the ground.

  Edward: "How about now?"

  Rosemary: "Alright, I surrender."

  Announcer: “AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! THE FIRST HALF OF THE FIRST SET OF MATCHES IS OVER. EDWARD VAN HELSING HAS BEATEN ROSEMARY GOLDWIND. PLEASE SWAP PLACES WITH THE NEXT FIGHTERS. MAY JULIUS AND ROY CROMWELL PLEASE ENTER THE STADIUM!”

  Rosemary and Edward walk back up to the stands.

  Rosemary: “I’m sorry, I disappoint…”

  Gray: “YOU DID GREAT! You almost got the drop on em'! I couldn't even get that far! I’m lucky I didn’t get matched up with ya, you would have beaten my ass!”

  Rosemary is stunned and speechless, but manly embarrassed, sitting beside Gray, smiling and content. But his sudden out burst after her match, his upcoming one, and the previous interaction with Soku. It reminded her of what he was doing at the mansion, but she didn't think she knew enough to ask or think to help. Just hoping he's going to be okay.

  Gray: “Oh hey Edward, that Julius guy is like watching you hard. Almost like he’s studying you.”

  Edward: “Well this is a tournament, so it would make sense since he wants to study an opponent.”

  Gray: “No I mean he is eyeballing you. Like he’s enamored with ya.”

  Edward: “I’ll watch out for him then.”

  Gray: “You’ll have to go through me first, and I’m on a winning streak. Our last fight was just a test, and I think I've made somethin' strong enough to stop you."

  Edward: “I hope you keep that attitude when you’re giving up!”

  Gray: “Ohhh…who's this guy? Where’s Edward and what did you do with his face?”

  The two were being playful but also very distracting to everyone else in the crowd, as well as Rosemary beside them.

  Rosemary: “Come on, watch the match.”

  Gray: “Should I check up on Soku? I feel bad and I didn't mean to over do it and I just, sorry sorry.”

  Rosemary: “I wouldn’t…let her get herself together. And it's okay."

  Gray: “Alright, if you say so.”

  Announcer: “NOW FOR THE THIRD MATCH, FIGHTERS READY, BEGIN!”

  Roy pulls out his short sword and then begins to run toward Julius. Julius turns around, no longer facing Roy, looking directly at Edward. Julius smiles before his monocle starts to give off a faint glow. Without even looking at Roy, Julius can dodge him flawlessly, with ease Julius continues to dodge Roy, with both his eyes closed and his back turned.

  Roy: “STOP IT DAMMIT, THAT’S CHEATING!”

  Julius: “All is fair in war.”

  Julius grows a large grin on his face. Turning his body, then quicker Roy can react, Julius pulls out his Rapier, hitting Roy on the forehead with the hilt of the blade. Roy collapses to the ground, shocking the crowd.

  Gray: “Dang! I'm not beatin that!”

  Edward: "He must be extremely strong!"

  Rosemary: "It's kinda spooky."

  But further up in the room, Musashi thought the real answer.

  Musashi {He's good but he's not that good. He's showing off, but how the hell did he…No way! That monocle it can't be! I remember now…very peculiar.}

  Arthur: “Yep, that’s Julius for yah, he might be the youngest out of the siblings but he’s the strongest by far.”

  Announcer: …U..m... WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, JULIUS CROMWELL HAS TAKEN THE ABSOLUTE WIN! NOW FOR THE LAST MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND! MAY THE LAST TWO FIGHTERS WALK DOWN TO THE ARENA, LLOYD CROMWELL, AND ROSINE RAVORIA PLEASE GO DOWN NOW!”

  A few knights walk down into the arena and pick Roy up, moving him to the infirmary, while Julius walks up to the stands.

  Julius: “I hope to battle you in the finals.”

  Edward: “Yeah, I guess…”

  Gray: “He has to make it past me first.”

  Julius: “I do not doubt that he can take a buffoon like you out fairly easily, no offense.”

  Gray: “None took…HEY! YOU PICK-HAIRED DUDE! WHO CARRIED YOU THROUGH THE SECOND ROUND AGAIN? OH YEAH! ME!”

  Julius: “Do you need me to take you out here before you can make it to your match? I do not know if I can take your squeaky voice any longer.”

  Gray: “MY VOICE IS NOT SQUEAKY! AND I'VE BEEN TRAININ FOR A MONTH!"

  Gray pushes forward, getting right in his face, staring his wide open eyes filled with rage at Julius' closed lids.

  Gray: "AND I'M STANDING IN THE SAME ARENA AS YOU! I'd think twice about where you and I stand, with me and my friends. Even if you beat me, give me another month and you're gonna be nothin but an outpowered background character."

  Julius: “Oh, alright then.”

  Gray: “UG...WHA? Okay then.”

  Gray slumps down in his chair, aggravated, while Rosemary stares a bit cautiously. Surprised by Grays rapid switching between modes and how quickly his rage can fire out. Lloyd and Rosine make it down to the arena. Starting the last match in the first round.

  Announcer: “OKAY NOW BEING THE LAST MATCH!”

  Rosine: “Dear god, I pray to the spirits that I progress through this round.”

  Lloyd: “You should be praying to your gods that I don’t lay you out right here.”

  Rosine: “I heard you Cromwells had an attitude, but this is just arrogance.”

  Lloyd: “WHAT DID YOU SAY? IGNUS!”

  Lloyd shoots a stream of fire out of his staff, and Rosine spins her Bo Staff, causing the flames to diverge off the path. She grabs her necklace, praying before she moves forward.

  Gray: “I don't know much about trinkets and religion here, but what's with the black bird egg thing?”

  Edward: “Yeah it is kinda weird.”

  Musashi {Weird Ravorian people.}

  Gray: “How did he use that fire blast? He used a water one earlier?”

  Rosemary: “He’s a spirit mage, using his affinity to talk to elemental spirits and using the crystals as a conduit."

  Gray: “I feel like I should be learnin more of this. I am supposed to be a super spirit dude or whatever."

  Rosemary: "I wouldn't worry about it."

  Rosine closes the distance between them, closing any opening for Lloyd to be able to use a spell. Causing Lloyd to have to use his staff to combat Rosine.

  Rosemary: “Unlucky, mages usually sit near the back of fights, and go up against a Ravorian imperial army soldier. Even if she’s in training they have hand-to-hand fighting skills close to if not better than Athens.”

  Gray: “Coool…”

  They trade blows, though Rosine quickly overpowers Lloyd, Hitting him on the top of the head with her bo staff. Knocking him unconscious.

  Announcer: “AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! ROSINE RAVORIA IS THE VICTOR OF THE FINAL MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND! THOSE FIRST MATCHES WERE SHORT AND SWEET, THESE NEWBIES ARE GOOD! THOUGH VERY OBVIOUSLY SOME ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, NOW FOR THE SECOND TO LAST INTERMISSION BEFORE THE EXAM IS OVER!.”

  Gray: “Damn finally, get a break after this long ass trial. Gonna get some water and take another nap.”

  END OF CHAPTER

  4