Chapter 21 - A Turning Point

Warning: Violent Chapter

8 September 2041 (Real Time) - Institute of Blades, Second Reality

While Hunter was meditating, the matches to decide the top 32 continued. The battles were so fierce that it had ignited fights even after the match had ended. In one such scenario, the loser came back and fought his opponent off-stage after he came out of the medical bay.

Graham Drayton had to make a personal appearance to stop the two Grandmasters. The ease at which he took control of the situation made it look as if he was handling a pair of squabbling children. This was Graham Drayton, principal and Saint level blademaster. His interference was a reminder of his strength and capability.

Following this incident, no other Grandmaster dared to bring on-stage grudges outside of the competition. Drayton had warned them that the next time such an incident happens, he will not be so forgiving. Who would dare further offend someone of this level? The answer was simple - no one.

It was the first time such an incident had occurred in the history of the Sword Arts Tournament. After holding an impromptu meeting with the council of Grandmasters, they came to the conclusion that wielding a real blade brought to the surface the dormant battle lust that all practitioners accumulate over time.

Having only used tournament style blades that were dull, the feeling of cutting flesh had aroused the battle lust in many of the contestants. For most, the first time they would have experienced killing a human being was if they had taken on jobs on behalf of the Institute. Second Reality had changed all of this.

From here onwards, the practitioners will become more battle hardened. In the future, the Institute of Blades will become a force to be reckoned with and the Empire of Nevrione will wield them as a weapon of war.

**********

It took just under an hour and a half for the Grandmaster division matches to proceed to the second elimination round. Within this period, a certain contestant was lodging a complaint against Drayton and the council of Grandmasters. This individual was no other than Jarred Simril, Hunter's opponent.

"Principal, that match was a farce! I would like a rematch!" said Jarred. "Never in our history has anyone come on stage wielding more than two blades!"

"Grandmaster Simril, I was watching the match the entire time. It irks me that you had already presumed yourself to be Grandmaster Markell's superior before exchanging blows..." said one council member.

"... and then have the balls to come here to complain about your loss in a fair match. Did he kill your pride as well Grandmaster Simril?" added another.

The council of Grandmasters worked under the guidance of Graham Drayton. They consisted of four of the Institute's strongest peak stage practitioners. These individuals had shown the most promise in breaking through to the Emperor level. Drayton sat in silence, observing the exchange.

Jarred gritted his teeth. "Since when were six blades allowed in the tournaments? Was there a memo that I missed?". His last words dripping sarcasm not lost on the five individuals sat around a semi circular wooden table.

"My question to you Simril" said the only woman within the council, "is when did we ever have the rule that it wasn't?"

The question had put Jarred off balance. Indeed, now that he thought back there weren't any rules outside of the conditions set to win a match. He tried wracking his brain for something, anything, but failed to come up with an answer.

"Judging by the stupefied look on your face it seems we've come to an understanding." said the woman. "It isn't because such a thing isn't allowed. There just aren't many blademasters who can make full use of all six."

"As an example, every one of us here... " a man gestured to the council members, "... used six blades during our tournament days. Others have tried but found it more distracting and so they focused on single or dual wielding."

One of the men had a look of disgust. "Ah yes, there were those pretenders who carried all six and ended up getting done in by their own blades. How shameful."

Jarred was at a loss. He had wanted a rematch with Hunter to regain some of his pride. His loss was a great blow by itself. Given the age difference, it was even more painful to bear, enough to make one think whether all the training had been for naught.

"Jarred." Drayton broke his silence. "You have been diligent in your training and you did well out there. Do not berate yourself over this loss. If you hold onto the bitterness that you are feeling, you will not be able to progress further."

Jarred closed his eyes as his fists clenched at his sides. He bowed deep from the waist and choked out the words "I... understand. My thanks to the council." Jarred turned to leave, his determination had been reignited by his loss.

Jarred didn't harbour any ill feelings towards Hunter, rather he found himself lacking despite all his efforts and that frustrated him. He respected and admired the young man and this event became the driving force behind his progression as a blademaster. In the future, Jarred's determination to succeed will find him standing at the head of the vanguard army.

"Do we have to worry about him?" asked one of the male council members.

"No, I don't think we do. I can understand his feelings. To be trumped by someone almost half your age is a bitter pill to swallow." answered the woman.

"Still... are we certain that the future of our Institute is best left to someone so young?" asked another.

"I agree. I too question this wisdom. Master Drayton, you've taken a personal interest in young Markell. You have done so with his parents but not to this extent. I believe I'm not out of line by asking you whether this is a good idea."

"It remains to be seen whether Hunter will be willing to accept the responsibility when the time comes." said Drayton. "What I can tell you is that events are taking place that we can take advantage of to bring him into our fold."

"What if he's just a bright spark that will burn out before he reaches the absolute peak?"

"I won't let that happen. I have already glimpsed the heights that he can reach with guidance. If I had to give up my life to ensure his success, I will do so with no regrets." said Drayton.

The four council members were shocked to hear such words uttered from the old man's mouth. They could only bow in silence at their master's fierce declaration.

**********

It was half an hour into the second round that Hunter was called again for his match. Although he wasn't able to gain any major insight, he realized after replaying the Jarred Simril match that he needed to be more aggressive. He had let the new environment intimidate him, thus affecting his early performance.

'Throw it all to the wind. I'll have to go all out from the beginning. There will always be someone stronger, but if I cower for a moment it could be just as dangerous.' he thought to himself.

"Attention! Hunter Markell and Vasi Chaiko to stage 2. I repeat, Hunter Markell and Vasi Chaiko to stage 2." announced Flynn.

LOUD CHEERING

FIGHT WELL LAD! KYYAAAA! HUNTER! HUNTER!

The Institute had provided Hunter a new set of gear to replace the tattered jumpsuit. Now donning one with the same features albeit in matte royal blue, Hunter stood ready on the stage as he faced Vasi Chaiko. Vasi looked like the average Joe, with no discernable features that would allow you to point him out in a crowd of people.

Vasi's blade of choice was a xiphos. It was a double edged short sword in the shape of a leaf with a short handle and a small guard. It was shorter than Hunter's standard single-edged straight blade but was a fine choice for exceptional blademasters with high dexterity.

"Match, START!" shouted Flynn.

Vasi jogged towards Hunter, blade twirling in his hand as he closed the distance. Hunter on the other hand went full throttle from the get go, unleashing his aura as he rushed forward. He closed the distance before Vasi reached the middle of the stage and began his assault.

Hunter's sword slashed down from right to left, reversing the trajectory at the end of the motion to slash across Vasi's legs. Vasi leaned to one side, avoiding the first strike before jumping up to avoid the second. Vasi rotated his body in mid air, legs spread apart to avoid the slash as his hook kick thundered into Hunter's left ear.

Vasi had gone out of his way to learn the details of Hunter's match with Jarred. He was one of the Grandmasters that had taken precaution in preparation for the fight. In response to Hunter’s overwhelming aura, he had worn his own aura like a protective layer of energy, mitigating the negative effects.

Hunter staggered as the impact disoriented him. Vasi took advantage of the momentary weakness and attacked. Hunter found it difficult to dodge as the world around him continued to shake, the incessant ringing in his head refusing to stop. He retreated with haste but kept Vasi within sight.

CLANG!

Shaking the disorientation off, Hunter had half a heartbeat to parry a thrust aimed at his heart. He avoided the fatal strike by a narrow margin but still suffered a deep wound to his arm due to the shape of the short sword. Vasi followed through with a left hook, his fist hammered down on Hunter's right ear.

'Fuck! I can't even counter-attack!' raged Hunter.

Hunter stumbled as he fought the nausea bubbling up inside of him. Each step he took in retreat was unsteady, the ground refusing to keep still. Vasi was relentless, his xiphos weaving in and out as his wrist flicked and twisted, a blur of motion.

SHICK SHICK SHICK SHICK SHICK

Hunter had closed his eyes, relying on his other senses to keep him alive. He managed to dodge and parry every other thrust but the leaf shaped blade always found flesh to bite.

'Damnit! Is he not affected by my aura? The fuck is going on!?'

Contrary to Hunter's thoughts, Vasi was indeed affected by his raging aura which was why he was using tactics that some practitioners may consider dirty. However in a life and death situation, principles needed to take a back seat in favour of survival.

Vasi sweeped Hunter's legs from under him and followed through with an axe kick to his mid-section. Hunter was smashed to the ground and he spit out mouthfuls of blood. Vasi intended to finish the fight, stepping in close to stab at Hunter's chest.

BANG!

Hunter rolled away just as the blade buried itself deep into the ground, almost half of the blade now stuck. He tried to stand, pushing himself further away from Vasi while the man busied himself in dislodging his blade. The entire sequence of events took less than two minutes and Hunter still suffered from disorientation.

Deciding that his main blade will be of no use as he is now, Hunter discarded it and drew both shorter blades on his lower back. Relying on his other senses to locate the presences on the stage, Hunter felt two people, one of whom was rushing him.

Locking onto the presence that was drawing closer, Hunter threw both blades, one trailing the other.

CLANG SHICK

He had drawn two more blades, one from each leg. Judging from the definitive sound of metal striking metal he could tell that at least one had been parried. He wasn't sure if Vasi had dodged the other. He had managed to buy himself enough time to recover.

As he opened his eyes, he took stock of the situation. Vasi was still approaching but he was wounded. One of his blades had found its way into Vasi, embedding itself just below the right rib. His other blade was nowhere to be seen.

Hunter tested his legs, making sure he had recovered enough that he could move unhindered. He was still shaken by the close encounter and had suffered massive injuries. He couldn't hear anything and when he felt his ears there was blood running down his neck.

'Shit. Can't grip my blades well and I'm getting dizzy. Lost too much blood...' he thought.

Vasi took out the blade in his midsection and charged the remaining distance. His right hand was pressed against the wound as he tried to stanch the flow of blood. He wielded the xiphos in his off-hand with just as much speed and precision. Two blades versus one and Hunter could only just keep up.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG

'Shit shit! Starting to feel sluggish.' thought Hunter as he gritted his teeth to delay the inevitable loss of consciousness. He could only deflect the attacks as he no longer had the strength to hang onto his blades should he block the attack head on.

Vasi pulled a feint then swung his xiphos upwards, leaving a gap in his defense but cleaving through Hunter's off-hand from the forearm down. Hunter bit down on his lip, cutting it open as he forced himself to focus. His vision cleared for only a heartbeat. He grabbed the opportunity.

Vasi's blade was coming back down but his left side was completely open to attack. Hunter stepped in and shoved the blade with everything he had between Vasi's ribs. Vasi vomited blood but his blade kept coming. The blade cut Hunter from left shoulder down to the right of his midsection.

The cut wasn't too deep, lacking enough driving force. Vasi had died the moment Hunter's blade pierced his heart. The two fighters collapsed into each other and Hunter lost consciousness. The crowd was silent around stage 2 as questions of who had won drifted in and out of conversations.

"Folks, there will be no such thing as a tie so please wait a moment while we review the last moments of the fight." As the two bodies were carried away, Steel Flynn made the announcement.

Stage 2 waited in silent anticipation for the results. It had looked like a draw, with both contestants striking the death blow. A Master dashed out of the medical bay. He pushed through the crowd and climbed the steps to the podium where Flynn stood. Words were exchanged.

"Announcing the winner of the stage 2 fight! Winner! Hunter Markell!" shouted Flynn.

THUNDEROUS CHEERING

"It was a close one folks but young Hunter managed to pull through! He moves into the third elimination round! MediVance employees on-site had determined that Hunter struck the killing blow on Vasi Chaiko and Vasi’s dying strike was too shallow to be deemed decisive." continued Flynn.

LOUD CHEERING

"That was a close one alright." said Darron. "Honey you can let go of my arm now, I think I need to see a medic."

Lashell was quiet. She had watched the match with baited breath, fingers digging into Darron's arm which was now bleeding from eight deep wounds.

"I'm... sorry." said Lashell as she let out a long breath. "Come on, maybe we can sneak you into the medical bay."

**********

Outside of the medical bay, Arron and Darell were accompanied by Irene and Heidi. The rest had decided to take after Hunter and were meditating in their own areas in preparation for the quarter finals. Two cloaked figures were approaching the medical bay, one had an arm injury that looked serious.

"Mom?" asked Darell. He was always sharp to recognize family. At his question, Arron, Heidi and Irene snapped their heads up to the approaching couple.

"That brat... it's like he can smell you or something." muttered Darron. The two of them pushed their hoods back.

"Come here." said Lashell in a gentle voice as she took a knee and welcomed Darell into her arms.

"You were awesome out there kiddo. I saw all your fights. You too Arron. We're proud of you." said Lashell.

"We didn't want our presence to distract you so we kept hidden. I'm sorry guys." said Darron.

The family continued to exchange pleasantries and it was only moments later that Hunter came out of the bay. After a round of congratulations a promise to Hunter that they will spend time catching up in full about everything, Lashell turned to Heidi and Irene.

"So... Hunter, mind introducing me to you friends?" she asked.

"Ah... yes. Mom, Dad, this is Irene Davenport and Heidi Alers. Guys, these are my parents Darron and Lashell Markell." said Hunter.

Lashell had to elbow Darron as she noticed that his eyes were wandering. "Honey you should get your wounds checked. Kids, go on and look after the old man and give him a good smack if he eyeballs the nurses too much."

Left with just the three women, Lashell motioned to the other two. "You two, come with me. We need to have a chat."

Lashell had brought them to one of the unoccupied rooms and began her interrogation. She was very candid with both women and her brows furrowed when they both mentioned that they were in their twenties. When asked to relate how they had met Hunter, Irene took lead of the conversation. Other than Irene's relationship with the Kingston family which she wasn't comfortable about, Lashell couldn't find any real fault with the two.

Sure they were older than Hunter, but he was no longer a child and was more than capable of making decisions with regards to his women. She only hoped that he would make it clear to them once he's decided. After all, the saying “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned” is oh so very true.

‘My dear Sasha. I think you’re going to have your hands full this time...' thought Lashell.

The women seemed to have hit it off and by the time were done, the men were outside the medical bay looking impatient. Hunter looked at Irene, the unasked question on his face. Irene smiled and shrugged to indicate everything was well.

The fights continued as the spots for the top 16 were filled. Hunter had excused himself from the rest and in order to sort his thoughts in preparation for the third round. This was going to be a long day. Once the quarter finalists in the Grandmaster division are decided, the Adept quarter finals will begin.

**********

It did not take long for Hunter's name to be called out again for the third round. With only eight matches spread across five stages, the elimination round cycled through the matches at a fast pace.

"Attention. Elden Solari and Hunter Markell, please head to stage 4. I repeat, Elden Solari and Hunter Markell to stage 4." announced Flynn.

Elden Solari was not a young man. He was at the very least forty years old with thinning black hair. He sat on the ground without care as Hunter unsheathed his sword. Hunter was unsure how he would approach this opponent. In his eyes, Elden was full of openings yet one could not help but feel it is a fly trap.

"Match, START!" shouted Flynn.

Elden continued to sit on the ground while he yawned and picked at his ears. Hunter was dumbfounded at the situation and looking at the referee for guidance, was answered with an equally helpless look. As Hunter brought his attention back to his opponent, he realized that Elden was gone!

'You've got to be kidding me!' Hunter was startled. He cast out his senses, a skill which he had eventually decided to name [Detect Presence]. It was a dull unoriginal name but he couldn't think of anything more suitable that described its function.

"Are you looking for me boy?" said Elden. He stood back to back with Hunter, sword sheathed and arms crossed.

Hunter jumped in surprise. He leapt away from Elden, pushing off twice to increase the distance between them. Hunter's heart was pounding so hard that he wondered if Elden could hear it. His senses had not picked up on anyone so close.

"Ah, don't be so alarmed. I did some homework on you, you know. I'm quite impressed. It looks like you have some elementary understanding into the Laws of Nature. That's amazing given your age." said Elden.

"Erm. Thank you... that means a lot to me coming from senior." replied Hunter.

"Bwahaha! It's nothing but the truth boy. You're probably wondering how I managed to sneak up on you. Well, as you deepen your understanding I'm sure you'll come to realize how it was done." said Elden, his broad grin flashing white teeth.

"Boy, I think you should forfeit this match." said Elden, turning serious. "If you don't believe me, how about you let loose that aura of yours?"

Hunter was speechless. Elden had already dismissed his ability to put up a fight. He couldn't be sure whether this was a ruse but he could detect no hint of deceit from the man. He decided to do as Elden suggested and unleashed his aura. The initial burst made the air within 20 meters vibrate.

"Oh! What a pleasant feeling." said Elden. "For you to have such an extraordinary aura... you must have spent a lot of time in situations where your life hung in the balance."

"Good. This will make it much more easier for you to understand." Elden continued as he took a few steps towards Hunter, arms crossed at the back of his head as he whistled a tune.

'Seriously? He's not even flinching...' thought Hunter. As other thoughts flashed through his mind, Elden disappeared from view. Before Hunter could react, the man was again standing back to back with him.

"You see, even I gave your parents quite a run for their money you know. You're still a pup and I quite like you. So how about it? Surrender." said Elden.

BOOO! DON'T SURRENDER! GIVE HIM HELL! SHUT UP OLD MAN!

"How about this, if I can make you kneel without physically touching you, would you concede?"

Hunter stood several paces away before replying. "Fine. I'm obviously not able to keep up with your speed but if you can do as you say then I will concede." He took his usual stance, blade at the ready.

Elden smiled and said "Smart lad." before an aura more menacing than Hunter's enveloped then poured off the stage, causing some of the nearest spectators to run away in fear as they wet themselves. Hunter gritted his teeth and struck his blade into the ground, using it as support to keep himself propped up.

'Jeezus. I wonder if this is how everyone else felt when my aura went haywire..' he thought as he struggled to remain conscious in the face of such an oppressive atmosphere.

'Hmm? For him to remain upright at this distance is very impressive!' thought Elden. ‘Maybe I can ask Drayton to let me teach him for a while.’

Hunter's body felt like it was being crushed that he had inadvertently coughed out blood in small amounts. He fell unconscious but had leaned onto the buried blade. It was enough to keep him upright.

'What a stubborn fellow. Already passed out and still wouldn't kneel.' thought Elden. "Bwahaha! Just like his father. Ahh Darron, your bloodline runs strong." he said to no one as he picked Hunter up like a sack of rice on his shoulder and walked off the stage.

"Erm... umm... hello? Grandmaster Solari? The match?" stuttered Flynn. Seeing as he wasn't going to get any replies from the departing back of the Grandmaster, Flynn announced the results.

"Erm.. so.. due to his inability to continue the match, Elden Solari wins by default!" shouted Flynn.

BOOO! BORING! REMATCH! WTF WAS THAT!?

Steel Flynn spent the better part of the next ten minutes placating the crowd. Hunter secured a place within the top 16 but was unable to proceed further. Hunter would later look back at the chance match up with Elden Solari and feel blessed that he became acquainted with such a person.

**********

Author’s Notes

Barely managed to finish the last third of this chapter today. It's a late Monday release (already afternoon here). The research project I have for work has kicked off fully, so it will be tough for some time. Be lenient on me if the release is slower than before!

-Harven

28 Apr 2015 - A/N Thinking Log

Somehow, I messed up. I wrote half of chapter 22 using the Hemingway App and I forgot to copy it over to Google Docs before I went to bed. My computer crashed overnight so bye bye to that half of the chapter. Shit.