Hoo boy, I'm excited.
I have decided on a pairing, and I will let you guys figure it out in later chapters.
Enjoy.
Joe walked out onto the arena, with Dreu already waiting in his spot.
He walked to his designated spot, staring at the smug prince.
"Hey, Rat." Dreu beckoned. "If you throw the match, I'll make it worth your while."
Joe's face narrowed in anger, as he gripped the handle of his sword.
"In your fucking dreams." Joe replied with.
The prince simply chuckled to himself.
"It's your funeral." He threatened, gripping his own blade.
Meanwhile, up at the royal seating, Krieg and Blazette were standing by. Krieg then grabbed the microphone, and screamed into it.
"Welcome! One and All! To the Grand Tourney Finals!"
The crowd then went wild with excitement.
"We have two fighters here, who have pushed their way to the finals throughout the past few days. We have our new star fighter, in the West Gate, Joe the Merciful!"
The crowd was hysterical with cheers and applause, all cheering for Joe.
"And in the East Gate, we have our regal fighter from the South Kingdom, Dreu the Champion!"
This time, an even larger applause and series of cheers ran throughout the coliseum.
"Heh. Looks like the crowd likes me more." Dreu boasted.
"Less talking, more fighting." Joe demanded, getting ready in his pose.
"One of these fighters will be taking the Grand Mystery Prize, which we will be announcing before this Final Battle today."
Joe then turned over to the royal seating, and he could swear he saw the princess looking down in embarrasment.
He titled his head in confusion, as he listened to Krieg.
"The Prize will be…."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"The Princess's hand in marriage!"
Joe froze in place at this.
"What!?" Joe yelled, letting go of his sword.
"Due to the recent passing of the King and Queen, The princess will be needed to marry in order to keep the Kingdom running."
The crowd then went absolutely hysterical, some spectators almost falling out of their seats.
"M-Marriage!?" Joe yelled. "I-I can't go with that!"
"Oh? You don't think you can handle it?" Dreu said.
"W-Wait, you knew!?" Joe yelled at Dreu.
"Of course. A rat like you can't hope to have privileges like us." The smug prince replied, adjusting his hair.
"W-Well...I can't go through with that…" Joe said, lowering his hands.
"Oh, so you forfeit?" Dreu asked, grinning.
Joe then looked over to the princess, who was looking over him, with tears in her eyes.
"I….I'm sorry…" Joe said, as he turned around, and started walking.
This shocked everyone, except for Dreu, who was laughing.
"I guess that makes me the victor! Ohoho, I win the princess's hand in marriage!" He boasted.
The princess was about ready to start sobbing, as Joe walked towards the gate.
"Now, I have some rules when I become King." Dreu said, announcing to the crowd.
"One, the North Kingdom will now belong to the South Kingdom! Making one unified land!"
The crowd then started to boo and yell at the prince.
"Their taxes are outrageous!"
"Your military corps are corrupted!"
"People are executed daily!"
Dreu only laughed at this, as he looked over to the princess, who flinched.
"And, as for my future queen…"He said.
Joe then stopped in his tracks.
"She will cater to my every needs whenever I say so. She will feed me, clothe me, and whatever I may need." He said, looking at the princess. "And she will cater to any carnal desire I may come across."
Joe's face beamed in shock after hearing this.
"She will pleasure me whenever I say!" The prince announced.
He then started to laugh to himself, lost in his ego.
In that moment, a sound of loud, fast footsteps could be heard.
He looked down to the source, and reacted with quick reflexes.
Joe had ran all the way across towards Dreu, weapon in hand.
He swung it at the prince, who reacted by unsheathing his sword, blocking the blow just in time.
In that moment, Joe raised his leg, and planted his foot into Dreu's stomach, sending the prince flying backwards.
"What the devil…" Dreu said, standing up.
He looked up to Joe, who had an extremely determined face, pointing his sword at Dreu.
"I thought you forfeited! You said you couldn't handle it!" He yelled at Joe.
Joe popped hi neck into place after hearing this.
"Marriage, becoming King...Its a little too sudden...But…" Joe started. "If you think I'm going to let you place your greasy fingers on Flare, you have another thing coming!"
Blazette's face brightened with both shock and happiness, as she went red, and started tearing up at Joe's statement.
"So its not about the position...Its about the little princess?" Dreu asked, laughing.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. Slime usually has no emotions." Joe said, holding his sword with both of his hands.
The prince then made a loud cackle at this, as he looked at Joe.
"I'm going to rip you to shreds!" He threatened, fully unsheathing his sword.
"Bring it, pretty boy!" Joe yelled back, readying his blade.
Meanwhile, Krieg fumbled with the microphone, and then yelled into the mic.
"F-Fight!"
Both swordsmen dashed towards one another, and repeatedly swung at each other, only to have the other one block each strike.
Every swing Joe made, Dreu blocked, but every swung he made, Joe blocked it as well.
They seemed evenly matched, until they locked blades.
"I'm going to snap your rusty metal stick in half!" Dreu maniacally said, as he pushed on Joe.
Joe was able to push back, but he could feel the strain on his blade. He quickly pushed Dreu away, and jumped back.
"Crap...This thing will break if I go too hard…" Joe said to himself, as he watched Dreu sprint towards him.
He proceeded to parry Dreu's attack, making him open.
Joe took this opportunity to step forward, and grab Dreu's face.
"Down you go!" Joe yelled, as he slammed Dreu's head to the ground.
After this, he jumped backwards, putting some distance between him and Dreu.
With that moment, Joe felt a pulse on his right hand.
He looked to his sword, and found it was pulsing.
"What the…" He said, only to see Dreu standing up.
"You little rat!" Dreu screamed. "I'll show you not to toy with me!"
In that moment, Dreu held his sword up to him, with his eyes closed.
A purple haze seeme to release from the prince, and then surrounded him in a purple aura.
"Uh Oh…" Joe said, gulping.
The prince then opened his eyes, which were revealed an amber yellow.
"I'll teach you not to mess with the best swordsman in the Nether!" Dreu maniacly laughed, as he jumped all the way towards Joe, bringing his sword down.
"S-Shit!" Joe yelled as he managed to barely move out of the way of the blow.
The impact caused a cloud of dust to form around Joe, fogging his vision.
"Shit, I can't see anything!" He said. He tried to activate his Miner's Vision, but he then felt something strike his back.
"Oh no you don't." Came Dreu's voice through the dust.
Joe attempted to stand, only to have Dreu appear to his side, and kick him in the side. His added strength sent Joe flying, as he rolled roughly across the ground.
"D-Damn…" Joe groaned in pain.
In that moment, Dreu dashed through the dust cloud towards Joe, his sword in hand.
Joe couldn't react in time, as the prince swung his sword, striking Joe across the chest, tearing through his leather armor.
It managed to cut through to his skin, as a large gash was made between the cut leather.
Dreu then proceeded to repeatedly swing at Joe, making minor cuts all around him in a consecutive manner.
He then finished his swinging with a strong knee to Joe's stomach, knocking the wind out of Joe, causing him to drop his sword.
"Pathetic." Dreu said in disgust, as he kicked Joe in the chest, sending him flying backwards.
When he landed on the ground, he rolled into a wall, hitting it hard with his body.
"S-S-Son...Of a bitch…" Joe muttered, laying on the ground, unable to move from pain.
This isn't good...I'm going to lose at this rate…
Joe managed to stand up, despite his injuries struggling to bring him down.
"I...need...help…" Joe said. He then pulled out his wayfinder, and held it tight.
Meanwhile, Dreu was slowly walking towards Joe, the purple aura still surrounding him.
"Help? You have no help here. You're helpless!" Dreu yelled across the arena.
Joe looked over to Dreu, watching him walk closer to him.
He gripped his charm tighter, still feeling the pulse he had from the sword.
"W-What's...going on…" Joe said, wondering about the pulse.
"You're losing, thats what! Not so smug now, huh!?" Dreu yelled, as he stepped closer to Joe.
Meanwhile, Blazette watched in horror at the beaten and cut Joe, who was managing to keep himself standing.
"You can do this Joe...I believe in you…" She said to herself.
Back at the battle ground, Joe held on to his charm tighter.
"Please...I need...strength…" Joe muttered.
In that moment, Dreu stepped up to Joe, watching over his actions.
"You're pathetic. You're not fit to run this Kingdom." Dreu said, as he grabbed Joe's neck, and lifted him up.
Joe struggled to breathe, as Dreu gripped his throat tightly.
"The princess is mine." Dreu said, as he threw Joe in the opposite direction.
Joe laid on the ground, struggling to stand up.
"You won't...Touch her…" Joe muttered.
Dreu then cackled in a maniacal laughter.
"And whos going to stop me? You? Don't make me laugh!" Dreu mocked.
"You'll never be a good King...I'm sure you'll never amount as much as the previous king…" Joe mocked in return.
Dreu grew impatient as he kicked Joe over, making him lay on his back.
"The King was weak. He stood no chance against my blade!" Dreu yelled.
Joe's face beamed with anger at this.
"Your...Blade?" Joe asked.
"Of course. In order to become King, I have to make the position avaliable. To do this, I had to kill His majesty." Dreu explained, resting his sword on Joe's throat.
"You...Bastard!" Joe yelled through grit teeth.
Dreu laughed at this.
"Funny. The Queen said the same thing before I slaughtered her too." Dreu said, before grabbing Joe's torn armor. "Now, all I need is to kill you. And my position is cemented!"
Joe grabbed onto Dreu's wrist, struggling against his grip.
"You...won't get away...with this…" Joe said.
"I already have!" Dreu yelled, as he threw Joe forward.
He then proceeded to jump high in the air, readyiong his sword overhead.
He descended towards Joe, who managed to get to his knees.
"Die!" Dreu yelled, as he brought his sword down.
In that moment, moments before Dreu brought his blade down, time seemed to slow down for Joe.
"Everyone...Lend me your strength…" He said.
His wayfinder then flashed with the same mysterious light as the previous day.
"The strength to bring this bastard down…" Joe muttered.
The charm then continued to flash, eventually shining a radiant white light.
"The strength to punish him!"
After that, a flash of white light enveloped Joe and Dreu.
"What!?" Dreu yelled.
Clang.
After the dust settled, Dreu looked back to Joe, who had a blue aura around him.
He tried to move his sword, but found he couldn't move it.
"W-What the!?" Dreu yelled, as he could clearly see what Joe was doing.
Joe had stopped the blade, catching the blade with the flat parts of the palms of his hands.
He raised his head, looking at Dreu.
"Payback time." Joe said, making a dead stare at the prince.
He then proceeded tograb Dreu's rapier, and yanked it out of his hand.
"W-What!?" Dreu yelled in disbelief.
Joe took no chances with his opening, as he delivered a swift punch across Drue's face.
Then, at the speed of sound, Joe dashed behind the flying Dreu, and delivered a strong kick to his side, sending him flying in the opposite direction.
Dreu landed on the ground with a rough landing, as Joe stood in place.
The prince then stood up, as he looked over to Joe.
"So, the rats got a few tricks." He mocked.
Joe kept his angry face at Dreu, who seemed to be laughing.
The young man then took this chance, as he dashed towards the prince.
He stopped in front if the maniac, as he readied his fist.
"Rrrraaaaggghhh!" Joe screamed, as he delivered a firm punch to Dree's chest. He followed this up with a series of firm strikes across Dreu's face and abdomen, delivering punches in a gatling-gun manner.
He then finished this with a final, strong punch across Dreu's face, sending him to the ground.
Joe then stood above the downed Dreu, breathing heavily.
"You'll regret that."
Joe heard this, as his face beamed in shock.
At that moment, an unknown force sent Joe backwards, but he still managed to land on his feet.
He watched as the aura around Dreu intensified. He could see the prince being lifted off the ground, hovering in the air.
The aura around Dreu pulsed around him, growing stronger by the second.
"It's time for you to die." The prince muttered in a menacing tone.
"Come get some!" Joe screamed at the prince-turned-beast, as he struck a martial arts pose.
Back at the seating, Blazette watching in amazement at the power being displayed with the fight.
"What is going on? What's up with Joe?" The princess asked.
She could only watch as the demonic prince floated in front of Joe.
Down at the battle, the demonic Dreu exchanged stares with Joe.
"I think its time to end this." The prince said.
At the moment, before Joe could know it, Dreu seemed to teleport in front of him, and grab him by the throat again.
"Time. To die." He said, as he threw Joe against a wall, making him smack flat against the wall.
Then, in a split second, Dreu held out his hand to his side, in which his sword flew back to his hand.
"Perish!" The demonic prince screamed, as he threw his sword like a javelin towards Joe.
Blazzete saw this, as she jumped out of her seat, and leaned against the railing of her seating area.
"JOE!"
SHUNK!
"..."
It grew silent across the entire arena.
Joe laid against the wall, struggling to move.
Dreu's sword had him pinned against the wall, the sword piercing his chest.
"Filthy bug." Dreu said, as he watched the pinned Joe struggle top move.
Blazette could only watch in absolute horror, as she could see Joe pinned against the wall through his chest by Dreu's sword.
"F...Fuck…" Joe said, looking at the sword in his chest.
He could feel the life draining out of him, as he grew weaker and weaker.
After a few moments of struggling, Joe's arms slumped, as the few bits of life Joe had were being drained from him.
"I told you not to mess with me. You should have quit while you were ahead." Dreu said, as he walked up to Joe.
Joe could only raise his head so much to look at Dreu, until it slumped back down.
And then, at that moment…
Joe stopped breathing.
The entire coliseum was quite, shocked over what had happened.
Blazette was so shocked at this, that she burst into tears.
"Well, princess. It seems your hero has fallen." Dreu said, before cackling into a fit of maniacal laughter.
Don't give up…
You can't give up…
You have friends to return to…
Joe found himself surrounded by darkness, just like in his dreams.
"Well…Looks like I'm finally dead…" Joe said, as he crossed his arms.
You're just going to take that?
"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? His sword pierced my heart...I was dead before I knew it."
No. Theres still a chance.
"How!? My heart was pierced! I'm fucked! I'm straight screwed! Game Over, No chance!"
Shut up and focus.
"Focus on what!?"
The light within you.
"And what the hell is that going to do!?"
You have friends to return to, just do it!
Joe then sighed to himself, as he sat on the floor, and closed his eyes.
He focused hard, his concentration not on anything else.
He could feel a pulse.
"What...Was that?" He asked.
He opened his eyes, only to see his own sword floating in front of him.
"M-My sword?" He asked.
Susano. It is a legendary blade that was used in ancient times to defeat evil.
"Then why is it so rusted and chipped?" Joe asked, grabbing his sword.
It had been a very long time since it had been in capable hands.
"D-Does that mean it considers me...Capable?"
It has seen the way your heart works. It wouldn't appear in front of you if it didn't.
"Whoa...It's like from a video game…" Joe said.
In that moment, as he held the blade, he could feel the blade pulsing in his hand.
Its resonating with your soul.
"R-Resonating?"
Its time to awaken. Finish that low-life.
Joe could only look at the sword.
"Alright, sword. Lets bring that bastard to justice. For Flare, for the King and Queen...And for everyone he's hurt!"
A light then shined from the sword, as the light seemed to envelope Joe, cutting through the darkness.
"Lets do this!"
Dreu was basking in his victory, as everyone else watched over the fallen warrior.
Blazette was on her knees, sobbing her eyes out.
"He fought valiantly, Your Majesty. He will be remembered." Kreig said, holding back tears himself.
Dreu was laughing to himself, celebrating his victory.
Clink.
"Huh?" Dreu said, looking over where the sound came from.
He could see Joe's arms grabbing onto his blade.
"What!?"
An intense blue aura then surrounded Joe, as his arms were on Dreu's sword.
Joe raised his head to Dreu.
"Thought you could snuff me out."
Dreu was shocked beyond belief. Joe was still alive, even after he had pierced his heart.
At that moment, a pulse of energy emitted from Joe, removing the sword from his chest.
It flew past Dreu, grazing his cheek.
"Impossible! You should be dead!" Dreu screamed.
Joe then regained his footing, as he stared at the prince. All of his wounds seemed to be healed, as they all formed back together, as if he was never hurt.
Meanwhile, Blazette didn't know what to think.
Joe was back from the dead. And he was pissed.
"Its time to face your punishment." Joe said in a serious tone.
Dreu gritted his teeth, as his sword flew back to him. "Not if I kill you again!"
He then prepared his sword, and charged at Joe.
The moment the blade touched Joe, the blade shattered, only leaving the hilt of the sword.
Joe chuckled at this, as he watched Dreu's shocked face.
"Now its my turn."
He then reached his hand towards his blade on the ground, in which the blade rose from the ground, and flew back to him.
The moment that the blade's handle touches Joe's hand, the blade instantly flashed with a blue light.
Everyone was then shocked at what the blade had become after the light died.
The sword in Joe's hand looked as if it was never damaged. The rust, the chips in the blade, were all gone. The blade looked brand new, shining with a sterling light.
The sword had looked like it was completely restored, as Joe held onto the slightly glowing blade.
"W-What!?" Dreu screamed in shock.
"Accept your punishment!" Joe screamed back, as he raised his blade.
Dreu flinched at this, as he flew backwards, towards the opposite gate.
The blade Joe held the glowed, as it gathered a stream of energy from Joe's body.
The energy seemed to form a blade, basing from the base of the handle.
After a few seconds, the energy blade had grew to an enormous size.
"Suffer for those you've hurt!" Joe screamed, as he brought the blade down.
The energy blade followed after Joe's swing, as it came down towards Dreu.
Dreu saw this, and screamed.
"No! No! NOOOOOO!" He screamed as the blade came down on him.
Once it had hit the ground, a massive cloud of dust formed around where it had hit.
Joe stood there, holding Susano in his hands.
The dust cleared, to see the body of Dreu on the ground.
Blazette watched over everything, amazed at the climax of the battle.
The aura around Joe seemed to die down, turning him back to normal.
"Gotcha...Ya bastard…." Joe said, before collapsing to the ground.
Blazette saw this, as she vaulted over the ledge, and fell to the ground. She landed on her feet, and ran to the collapsed Joe.
"J-Joe!" She screamed as she ran to the young man.
She slid beside Joe, as she sat on her knees. She lifted Joe's head, supporting it on her knees as she looked over Joe.
"Are you alright!?" She screamed out of fear.
Joe then opened his eyes, smiling at the crying princess.
"Looks like I've won…" He weakly said, chuckling.
The princess couldn't help but smile back, as she held Joe close to her.
"Don't scare me like that…" She muttered.
Joe then sighed. "Man, that took a lot more out of me than I thought…" He said, rubbing his head.
"We'll get you to the infirmary. You'll be just fine." Blazette said, smiling back at Joe, tears still in her eyes.
"Thank you, Princess…" Joe said in return. He then looked over to the body of Dreu.
"D-Did you finish the job?" Blazette asked.
Joe made a sad sigh.
"Yeah...He's gone." Joe said. He couldn't help but feel a wind of guilt blow over him, as he stared at Dreu's lifeless body.
He then looked up, to whatever he could consider a ceiling or sky.
"The Queen and King have been avenged. May they rest peacefully."
The scene then closed, as Joe rested his head on Blazette's head, feeling his eyes growing heavier. He then relaxed himself, as he drifted off to sleep.
Holy Balls that was intense. It was like it was something out of Dragonball or Fairy Tail.
I dunno.
I tried the best I could, so I hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I did.
Thank you for your time, I will see you in the next chapter.