Chapter 23: Poison Gas

Amphere Harrison

I can’t believe it.

How can Rudolf become so powerful?

It happened so fast. The blonde knight named Fang started the fight by piercing his broadsword on the ground. White petals started emerging from the ground and waltzed through the shrill air. Those razor sharp petals hove to Rudolf like homing missiles.

Kyrie rushed forward and protected her knight using her black and white wings as a shield. While keeping his enemies busy, Fang used his Vesryn Pulse to transform his dragonoid into a giant white lizard.

The dragon’s scales consisted of white rose petals, yet those very petals are keen like daggers. This dragon didn’t have any wings, but it has white rosebuds on its shoulders. Its arms and claws closely bear a resemblance to iguanas. It is a White Rose Dragon.

But before Fang and his dragon knew it, Rudolf already launched himself to the air. There is a dark aura emitting around Rudolf as he hacked the flabbergasted knight. It was a direct hit to the head, and the Shield Plate never gave any consideration on it. It was already on 0%.

The loud buzzer rang, signaling the end of this quick battle. “The winner is Rudolf Azregon!” The emcee shouted. The crowd went wild as they spotted a perfect candidate for the Princess’ Knight.

Fang slammed the ground with his fist due to frustration. But then Rudolf came in and lent him a hand with a smile on his face. The angered loser didn’t accept it. Instead, he struck Rudolf’s helping hand and walked away, gritting. It was such a humiliation. The fight just took about fifteen seconds. Rudolf didn’t even use his Vesryn Pulse to defeat that knight.

Airi and I were watching the fight off stage. When our paths crossed, I gave off a congratulations-smile at him, and he returned it back with an innocent smile.

Meanwhile, the two girls…they are not getting along. Kyrie and Airi. Airi is trembling with…I don’t know if it is fear or anger. Airi’s clenching her hand, while Kyrie just kept her silence in an arrogant manner. I know that Kyrie looks at Airi with disgust and hatred. Now that I noticed it, Rudolf also avoided eye contact with Airi too.

Maybe it’s about Airi’s secret; the Crimson Dragonfly? I would like to know more about it, but I promised Airi that I will never bring that topic back again. Besides, the more I know about that secret, the more distance I see myself with Airi. I can’t have that. I have to focus in the tournament. When everything’s over, that’s where I’ll have to learn more about her secret.

“Next fight will be Amphere Harrison and William Eiffer!”

I stood stiff in front of my opponent in the center of this very arena. How should I describe this enemy knight? He has muscular limbs, tan complexion, and his black spiky hair are all pointing to the skies. This guy is a super saiyan. He’s also with his green thick headphones. I can even hear his death metal music clearly. And also, this knight is using a pipe. Yeah, not a sword.

What makes it more ridiculous is that he’s with dragonoid who is a baldo kid wearing white judo uniform. Black belter. But still a kid. I can’t take it seriously because I will be fighting a kid that looks like a cancer survivor. Not to mock those who are ill, but I feel pity on him.

“Let the battle begin!” the emcee shouted.

“LET’S ROCK!!!” William shouted as the same time as his loud headset screamed the very same phrase. Darn, he makes me miss my Metal Rockz shirt.

He surged forward with a cheetah-like speed as he hacked sideways from his left. I evaded it easily by ducking and prepared for a counter attack. Without drawing any of my swords, I answered with an uppercut that directly went to his chin and made him fall back.

Annoyed, he then shouted “DIIIIEEEEE” the very same time as his music cried the very same word. He snapped something on his sword-pipe, and then black baseball balls started launching to my direction!

I had no problem evading all the twelve balls that has been scattered around me, but the real problem arises. The balls exploded and a thick greenish smoke surrounded my body! Is it a smoke bomb? No! It has a putrid rotten corpse smell in it! I have to avoid breathing in this area! I have to get out of the smoke’s area of effect!

Suddenly, the cloud of smoke opened and revealed the bald kid who pressed a palm to my chest! My lungs were compressed by force for a second and made me out of breath. I fell defenselessly to the ground. The bald dragonoid readied his other fist for another attack, but thankfully, Airi came in and made a head-to-head collision with the baldo. Airi’s forehead hit the kid’s nose, which made the baldo lose his ground.

I can no longer hold my breath, so I heavily grasped for air. There is no way I could pick the air I should absorb, right? So I was forced to inhale the green air.

“Activating Vesryn Pulse!” William shouted as he grabbed his chest.

The kid transformed into a wyvern-looking lizard. Every part of this creature is colored moss green, except for the eyes. It has a yellow sclera on its red eyes, and also, its wings and arms are fused together like those of a bat. Its mouth gave off a green gaseous smoke when it opened its jaws. I’m pretty sure this is a Venom Dragon.

I’m also about to use my Vesryn Pulse, but my body refused to move. Is it because of the gas I inhaled earlier? I can’t even touch my chest in order to activate it!

“Hahaha!” William laughed like a madman. “You finally inhaled my neurotoxin bombs. You’re now as good as dead! With you unable to move, I can finally assure free hits!”

The venom dragon charged a lime vaporous orb on its mouth. Then it launched to my direction. 87%. There are still a lot of Shield Plate batteries left on me. But with me unable to move, I’ll certainly lose in this fight! Just when will the toxin wear off?

“Are you totally forgetting me!?” Abruptly, Airi kicked the ground and launched herself to the air. Combined with cybernetic boosters and white platinum wings on her back, she crashed to the venom ball the dragon unleashed.

I wanted to shout her name, but my lungs are so weakened that I can’t even draw some air and make a sound. But all my worries washed-out when I saw her continuing her flight with full speed!

“You idiots totally forgot that machine-based dragons like me are completely immune to any kinds of poison!” Airi cried with a smirk.

Airi revealed the two photon sabers she just stole from me and dashed forward to the spiky-haired knight. Airi is an expert in swordplay, and combining her skills in flight, she is a force to be reckoned with. Her aerial agility is top notch! Aside from that, she is as reliable as the Beatles when it comes to delivering hits!

There is no way for William to win this sword fight. His pipe is only good for launching poison bombs, and not for whacking some crazily speedy-flying dragonoids. His venom dragon is not able to help either, since the battlefield is on top of his head. That lizard is as helpless as me right now.

Sparks fly in the skies. Williams shield goes down and down as Airi kept her sword combos connected and swift. 73%, 65%, 50%, 30%, 12%, 0%. His Shield Plate ran out of power in a matter of seconds due to continuous pressure of my dragonoid.

“The victorious one is Amphere Harrison, and his skillful dragonoid swordswoman!” the emcee shouted as the buzzer goes off. The crowd went wild again as Airi carried me on my shoulder and helped me to walk.

Duchess Corasell was waiting impatiently on the door. She was ticking her fingers on her arms, and when she saw me being carried by Airi, she immediately ran to me.

Then I got a brutal slap on my right cheek. It never hurt because the toxin apparently gave me a feeling of anesthesia, but I know that my cheek is now rosy.

“How dare you fight recklessly like that? How can I entrust you the progress of the bill if you’re just a useless half-assed knight!? That’s not how you fought with the Black Phantom! That’s not how you fought when you protected me!”