"Aaand there you are! All done!" Loki handed me my new status, giggling with glee.

'Xavier Leopold Dorian: LVL 2

STR: SSS1550 DEX: SSS1200

DEF: SSS1490 MAG: SSS1190

WPN: SSS1140 SKL: Yes.

SKL: Juggernaut-Ignore Enemy WPN/DEF, SubSkill-Charge: Change DEX for DEF.

SKL: Relentless- Wounds don't Down.Stat,

SubSkill-Berserk: Wounds Temp.Up Stats.

STR+400 DEX+50

DEF+400 MAG+70

WPN+50 SKL+ Relentless.'

"Relentless... interesting... so wounds usually make people weaker, but no amount of wounds or fatigue will make me slower or weaker? And Wounds will actually make me stronger? What kind of skill is this?" I laughed softly.

"It's usually given to Tanks in Party's, as well as Juggernaut, though they're both very rare, but I guess your taking all those beatings last night might have filled the parameters of taking a certain amount of damage in a time frame, and still fighting... well done. I'll make you a Heavy Tank sooner or later." She smirked.

I chuckled. "Hmph. Well, good luck."

"To you, as well." She said seriously.

I nodded slowly. "I feel like I may finally, luck. But hopefully today is fruitful."

She hummed. "So let me get this straight... you plan to fight in a tournament that Ottar is taking a part of... Ottar <>, Lvl 7, high ranker for the Freya Familia, and ?"

"Actually, its Ottar is fighting that I'll win." I grinned.

"Explain..."

"Well, he'll fight the Lvl 6's first... and win. Then the Lvl 5's... and win... and on and on... until he fights me and Johnny. With my ability to ignore his Lvl 7 stats, and whale him into submission while he's still confused, I'll defeat him, and then the Level ones will either surrender and I'll win, or I'll beat their asses real quick, and win." I shrugged.

She nodded. "And because you never have to fight the Lvl 6-5-4-3 rogues, who would beat you, everyone only sees you defeating him, the Lvl 7 Ottar... so your victory in the tourney isn't ever challenged... ." She smirked.

I grinned. "I tried my very best to make this plan. Hopefully it will work. Now I have to go!" I leapt up, tossing her off my butt, and dressed quickly, moving my armor back to my chest, then commanding it to take the shape of my suit.

It flowed over me slowly, and I grinned, shaking myself to settle into it. "Eh? How do I look?"

"Very Nifty." She nodded.

I nodded. "Perfect." I jogged out, and strapped my sword onto my back, then a long dagger onto each of my ribs, just in case the sword broke, which I suspected it would.

I made my way to the Colliseum, which the Ganesha Family, (who were not participating today,) has graciously offered the guild for their use.

I laughed loudly when I saw a banner across the front, which read 'The Caesar Games'.

Johnny caught up to me, and walked beside me for a moment. "Tell me now, once and for all... did you do this?"

"Yes." I answered easily. "Though... the attack on Ishtar's girls wasn't me. I had something very different planned." I hummed.

He raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

"I was going to bribe them." I shrugged.

He chuckled. "Okay. Fine. Can you tell me why?"

"Not just yet, sorry." I shook my head.

He shrugged. "Okay. No worries. I'm happy you were honest with me. Now be honest again. Do we have a chance to win?"

I grinned. "Oh absolutely. But remember, if it's just you and me standing, you still have to win the tournament for Loki Familia."

He glanced at me. "Alright. Don't cry when you lose." He smirked.

I blinked. "Wait... how are you in the Lvl 2 bracket?"

"I'm not. I'm in with the Lvl 1 Loki guys. Your partner... I've got no clue who it is."

I grinned suddenly. "I do like keeping my promises, you know."

He looked confused, then blinked. "The Martial Arts Tournament... seriously? This is all to keep your promise?" He asked incredulously.

"I will move heaven and earth to make any promise I make come true, old man. You remember that, and never doubt me again." I scolded him gently, and headed into the line, to register.

---

I sat in the stands with Mother and Zoë, while Johnny and Alex sat a row above us.

"So... let me get this straight. The different Familia's are settling their beef... and it's sanctioned by the Cops?" Mother asked slowly.

I chuckled. "Yes, basically. And they think it's better to get it out in a controlled environment, instead of gunning up the streets, like a normal gang war." I said logically.

Zoë whistled softly. "That's for damned sure. Way better to fight in an Arena or Boxing Ring than in the streets."

I nodded. "Exactly. And Johnny and I are competing, remember, so cheer us on, yeah?" I grinned.

She chuckled and nodded. "Of course, mio caro, did you think I'd simply sit here? Go, kick some ass!" She smiled.

I grinned as Ottar stepped into the arena. "That's Ottar, the guy I was telling you about. He's one of the strongest Lvl 7's in the city, and his Name is <>."

She hummed. "I can't take him seriously, with those cute little ears."

"You won't say that once you see him destroy two Lvl 6's." I grinned.

His opponents, a member of the Ishtar Familia and a Half-Orc from the Ares Familia, stepped into the sands.

The speakers lit up slowly. ""

""

""

Ottar launched himself at his opponents, swinging a broadsword as tall and wide as my entire body.

Mother gasped when he disappeared, but I just grinned, tracking his movements as best I could, and learning his fighting patterns.

I quickly concluded that he was just as skilled as I was, in the Art of War. He hadn't earned the title of emptily, it would seem...

In a matter of minutes, he stood over their broken bodies, and then looked at the referee slowly. The small man quickly stuttered out his announcement. ""

Ottar slowly dropped his sword onto his shoulder, then raised his hand, pointing at the doors that held the next contestants.

I grinned and kissed mother's cheek. "I have to get going. Come on, Johnny. The next fights aren't going to last very long."

We started down the steps, and Alex took my seat, speaking quietly with mother.

---

I looked around the room that reminded me a lot of a baseball locker room. "Alright, so where's my partner?" I asked.

I chuckled when I saw James, one of my guards. "Here, sir." He nodded.

"Good. Now, you're a Tank, yes?" I asked, gesturing to his massive form.

He nodded again.

"Very good. I'm a Rogue/Mage Heavy Hitter, so we'll be a good team, I think!" I grinned.

He nodded a third time. "I hope so, sir. I don't feel like dying today."

I laughed. "Don't be so defeatist! We're gonna win, my boy!"

"We're going to ?" He asked dubiously, doubting my sanity.

I nodded. " the attitude to have! Whoo!" I cheered, pumping myself up more than him.

He noticed, and nodded again slowly. "Uhh... sure. ." He tried, so I'll give him points, I guess.

The doors opened, and I grinned, feeling adrenaline spike through me as I saw Ottar, standing with a bloody for a sword on his shoulder.

I sighed and cracked my neck, then let my armor change to its normal shape as I drew my sword. I dropped the visor, and then darted forward with James to one side.

I dropped back slowly, getting behind him, and waited for Ottar to react.

He did so in a savage charge, which I gritted my teeth at. 'I can't reveal my Trump Card just yet... let James get blown away, and I won't have to deal with him anymore... okay.'

James leapt aside, surprising me, and I caught Ottar's shoulder to my chest.

The world stopped for a moment, and I slowly sailed away, my armor dented, but unbroken.

I slammed into the wall of the arena, and was shocked back into reality, just as Ottar literally threw James out of the Arena, after James shattered his sword.

'Well... at least the Surfboard is gone...' I peeled myself out of the wall, and then shook myself as I felt my Relentless Skill activate. I surged forward, and activated Juggernaut just before tackling Ottar around the waist.

He grunted in surprise as my shoulder went through his DEF, and did some damage, even before I took him to the ground.

The crowd roared with disbelief and happiness as the one-way battles ended, and suddenly someone was fighting back successfully.

I began mercilessly beating him, slamming my shield into his face to stun him when he went to recover, but his foot found a way under my ribs anyway, and flipped me off of him.

I landed on my back, and stood up as quickly as possible, facing Ottar, who was also standing up. I allowed him no time to rest, and he took a leaping knee to the face, stumbling back in confusion.

He kicked me in the chest as he leaned back, old reflexes kicking in, and I skidded away, coming to my feet again.

He looked at the blood on his fingers, and then at me, and I grinned. "Been a while since you fought someone who could take it, right? Come at me,!!"

He darted forward before I could blink, and I blocked his punches with my shield, then knocked open his guard, and rammed a Spartan kick into his stomach.

He flew back a few feet, and I bashed his face with the shield again, before slamming my fists into him over and over, beating his temples, throat, and teeth, determined to continue until something broke.

He kicked me off again, but I was ready, and so I grabbed his leg, and used my best technique again, spinning with the force of his kick, which was significantly greater than any other I'd ever felt.

His leg ground itself into dust, because without his DEF matching his STR, it was like I had broken the leg of a Lvl 1 with the power of a Tank Lvl 7.

He grunted in pain, surprising me, and I went back to whaling on him.

Eventually, he stopped blocking and I was pounding away robotically at a beast of raw power, and actually winning.

Strong hands pulled me off of him suddenly, and I shivered, standing up on my own. I looked at my broken, shredded knuckles, (even with my armor activated, it had slowly peeled away from the damage,) and grinned, raising a fist upwards as my armor retreated into my Suit.

The stands, which had silenced as I mercilessly thrashed the Giant, erupted into sound, and I added to it, roaring out my victory with my full chest-voice.

"" The speakers burst to life, and I smiled, before falling onto my ass as the crowd rose impossibly higher in sound,

"... ." I groaned, unaware that the microphone was on, and that they could hear me.

The answering laughter was a welcome sound, and I chuckled, allowing the mage who had come out with the men who'd pulled me off to cast a quick healing on my knuckles and ribs.

Then I stood up, and cracked my neck. "" I grinned cockily up at the Referee, and then drew my sword as they carried Ottar out of the Arena.

The doors creaked open, and two figured exited. Johnny, and another man stepped through, approaching slowly.

I hummed. "." Johnny slowly drew his sword in an answer, and I sighed. ""

I sprinted forward, growing my shield and armor, and when Johnny leapt over me, tagging my back, my shield rammed his ally like a train, tossing him like a leaf into a hurricane.

I turned to intercept Johnny's attack, only to find that I couldn't catch the slippery bastard. He stayed in my blind spot, cutting at my armor slowly but surely.

I growled and gripped my Crystal, summoning my Sphere, and he retreated warily. I stared him down as I chanted my Fulminate, and then cast it directly behind him.

He was launched forward by the blast, and bent over my knee, which had used the explosion as a distraction, and was in his gut, while he slumped slowly, unconscious.

I looked at the Referee, and sheathed all my weapons and armor, creating my suit again.

"" The announced cheered.

I tsk'ed. "No need for all that information..."

He continued, heedless of my warning. ""