Chapter 5: If Someone Says "Stop" , Or Goes Limp, Taps Out- Fight's Over.

Summary: The Eliminations continue, with many surprises ahead!

Glave Bravewing the Fourth had never been more livid in his life.

First, the boot easily wins over the magicless trout!

("... Did Cooked Blue just win..?" Erin asked, dumbfounded, as she watched the barrier disperse.)

("Trace just won." Kouga confirmed for her.)

Then, because the boot had the gall to win, he pays the gremlin 2,000 jewel!

("Yes! Hell yeah! Take that L, Edgelord!")

("It's not an L!" Glave yelled, slapping the bills into Erin's triumphant palm.)

(It sure felt like an L.)

And now, that same gremlin won against Freya, meaning he owed her MORE money!

This is why he doesn't gamble! It's a cheapskate's game based upon luck and guessing!

And the Arcane Knight was NOT a cheapskate!

"It's not that deep, Glave." Lyra sighed, simply.

"Why don't you shut it?!" he yelled back. She only sighed again- deeper this time.

"I'm going downstairs to pay that wench off!"

Lyra seemed relieved. "You go do that, Glave."

"And don't you have a match to throw?"

"Yeah, I'll go down later."

Glave huffed, but didn't reply further. He hopped out of his seat, stomping to the infirmary.

"BOOT!"

As soon as Glave slammed the door open, his glare locked onto the frightened newcomer.

"...Hi Glave..!" Trace replied, nervously. His voice was cracking, and his body was shaking. "Y-you just missed the Guildmaster..!"

He stomped over to the lowly Artefact user, and slammed his foot over his head. Trace yelped.

"Do you truly think you're a suitable rival for me?!"

"I… I just wanted to join a guild…"

"You're pathetic! Your lanky fists are nothing to my blade!"

For emphasis, Glave grappled onto one of Trace's pathetic, scrawny, feeble hands. These were the hands that wanted to challenge him?!

"Look, we get it Edgelord." Erin said, with a smarmy grin, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "You lost the bet. You're salty. I get it. But threatening Cooked Blue isn't going to solve anything-"

"QUIET!" Glave screamed, at last lowering his foot. "Take your worthless bills!"

He slapped the money into her open palm.

"I'll drive your albino mongrel of a lackey into the ground!"

"Huh…?"

Kouga glanced up- almost like he was taking a nap.

"Nah! Kou's popping off this time!"

"What..?"

To the side, Onyx sighed, deeply. "I have a match to win. I'll deal with you kids later."

"I'll see you in the semis, dwarf!"

Onyx didn't seem surprised or even angered at that comment. He just seemed… Oddly hurt, as he left the infirmary.

"You know he's sensitive about his height…" Avalon mumbled, sadly.

"I guess Glave is sensitive about his bets…" Trace sighed.

"What was that, Boot?!"

"N-nothing!"

"Can I just give you the win?"

Lyra really didn't want to be here.

As a guild member of Wyvern's Flight, she was required to enter these tournaments. She didn't want to. She just wanted a stable job in a relatively quiet guild.

Apparently, it was in her contract, too. Ditching wasn't an option.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Onyx scoffed at her request.

She sighed- deeply, as she shook his hand. The barrier formed around them once again.

Just throw a couple of lousy hits, then give up. Simple enough plan.

An aura of energy surrounded Onyx, as he charged straight at her. Instinctually, she dodged the upcoming punch, and a kick to her legs.

Then she remembered she was supposed to be "throwing". Whatever it was called.

"Sparking Shield."

A bubble of green electricity formed around her being. An incoming kick to her head crackled against the barrier, creating an explosion against it. Onyx was sent skidding back- but she barely moved.

"Can I give you the match now?"

"No!"

Two orbs of blue energy formed in his hands- then several more around him.

"Bomb Barrage!"

One after another after another, he threw the volatile blasts- barely letting up. Lyra's shield would go down, at this rate…

"Thunder Strike."

A magic circle formed above Onyx's head. He quickly moved out of the way- as a bolt of lightning came crashing down from it.

"Can I please give you the match?"

"NO!"

Lyra sighed, deeply. She didn't really want to hurt the guy. "Have it your way."

The shield dispersed, and green electricity merged into her hand. Onyx grinned in delight.

"Electric Phaser."

She rushed forwards- aiming a series of jabs with her electrified palm. Onyx seemed to just barely dodge each one.

...Perhaps…

"Plasma Beam."

A point-blank blast of electricity. Onyx sidestepped just in time.

"Hah..! Not fast enou-"

In the middle of his monologue, Lyra chopped the back of his neck with an electric hand. He fell to the ground, twitching.

"Can I please just give you the match?"

"Pathetic!"

As soon as Lyra walked in, carrying Onyx's tazed body, Glave had to yell his thoughts on that match.

"You call that a duel, you gnat?! I'll show you a duel!"

"There's really no satisfying you, is there, Edgelord?" Erin huffed.

"Quiet!"

"I'm going back upstairs…" Lyra sighed, as she rolled Onyx onto a cot.

"Are you not hurt?" Tora asked, concerned.

"No." Lyra replied, bluntly.

"Don't be so antisocial. Stay with us!" Freya beamed, with a warm smile.

"...I'm okay, thanks." Lyra said, as she walked out of the infirmary. Freya's warm smile morphed to a dejected frown.

"It was worth a shot." Avalon offered, in support.

"Companions only weigh you down!" said Glave, tauntingly. "Mongrel! Are you prepared to die?!"

Once again, Kouga jolted out of his daydreams.

"Well?! Meet me in the ring if you're not a coward!"

Kouga glanced up- and frowned. "You really couldn't make me be scared of you."

"Oh, we'll see!"

Glave stomped out, grappling onto the pendant on his neck. He would win!

The Arcane Knight never loses!

("Come on, Kou! You're popping off this time!" Erin had cheered, as he left the infirmary.)

("We'll see." was Kouga's only reply.)

Before he even stepped into the arena, Glave was already in his One-Star Transformation. Silver and gold knight-like armor, and a broadsword in his hand.

How gaudy.

"Let's have fun." Kouga offered, as he extended a hand.

His hand was merely slapped away, with a blue-eyed glare.

"Give me a real fight." Glave glowered, as he walked away.

"Give me a real fight." Kouga mimicked under his breath, with a roll of his eyes.

"PIERCING DYNAMO!"

Starting off with the heavy attacks already, huh..?

A white aura formed around Kouga's being. To counter the incoming electrified sword, seven swords of pure light met the blade.

"Bet you can't hit me."

"Bet?! Electric Blur!"

Glave's sword arm turned into a rapid blur of stabs. Each one was met with one of Kouga's own- cancelling the attacks out.

"I said a REAL fight!" Glave barked.

Kouga smirked. "You don't want that."

"Storm Surge!"

A spin attack, that time. Kouga leaped away, before it could reach him.

"FIGHT BACK, DAMN YOU!"

Glave was basically trilling, at this point. How embarrassing...

"You don't want that." Kouga warned, again.

"PIERCING DYNAMO!"

Another one of those heavy jabs. Just as easily blocked.

"I'll break your stupid swords!"

Glave kept going- a relentless series of electrified stabs.

"Fight back, you coward!"

Kouga sighed, deeply. He really didn't want to do this.

"I warned ya. Limit Overdrive!"

All seven of Kouga's swords rushed forwards, too quick for Glave to dodge at this state. Each one pinned him down to the ground. With a clench of his fist, they burst- into a massive explosion. The aura of white faded away.

…

...Maybe that was a bit overkill.

"Gh..!"

Glave stood back up. His armor was tattered and chipped, blood dripping from the tears.

"I'm... Not… Done with you..!"

Kouga walked towards the knight, with a blank expression on his face.

"Piercing.. Dynamo!"

Kouga let the attack hit him. The sword stabbed right through the center of his chest.

"Listen."

Kouga pushed himself down on the sword. It tore further, impaling him. He didn't so much as wince, as he glared down at the so-called Knight.

"Don't think you're tough shit, you self-entitled brat."

Glave's eyes were wide, with surprise.

As he pulled himself off the blade, it slowly began to heal back- the flow of blood stopping.

…

Then, he fell over, clutching his regenerating wound, pretending to be in serious pain.

"Ow..! Ow, I give up..! Ow! You didn't have to stab me! Shit, that hurts! Uncle! Uncle!"

Glave was silent as the barrier dispersed around them.

-[uhhh lineboi]-

"Ow… Ah… Ah… That hurts…"

To stunt the bleeding (though Glave was certain the bleeding stopped long ago), Kouga had tied his jacket around his chest, falsely limping his way into the infirmary.

"You threw, Kou! Why?!"

Erin was hurt. Exaggerated tears were flowing down her face like a pair of gremlin waterfalls.

"We were supposed to be Finalist Boys!"

"He got stabbed…" Trace muttered, in confusion.

"Ow… My mortal wound…"

Glave couldn't bring himself to speak. He couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Erin…" the mongrel croaked, dramatically.

"Kou! Speak to me!"

A combination of boiling rage and utter shock stopped Glave from interfering in this grade-school play.

"If I die… Fill my casket with pancakes…"

"Get a… room..!" Onyx snorted, still suffering from the tasing.

"Screw you, Kiwami, the man's dying!"

"He'll be on his feet in twenty minutes." Gisa mumbled, after taking a glance at the cut. Kouga shrugged, and crossed his arms behind his head.

"You're no fun!"

While no one else was looking, Kouga locked eyes with Glave- and winked, smugly. Glave knew what that meant. "No one would believe you. It's our little secret, Edgelord."

He remained silent, glaring into the floor. That smugass mongrel...

Glave may have won the match- but it sure as hell felt like he lost.

A/N: Yeahh, I finished this chapter, like, last month. I was just too lazy to write the Author's Note. My bad.

A Glave P.O.V. chapter was honestly… Very intimidating to write. I still don't feel as if I wrote his complex and thought process with the justice it deserves. Though, now that I've done this trial, I can improve for when I go in-depth in the future!

I know none of these weren't exactly "surprising" outcomes, and all… But, I'm trying to showcase each character's personality while they fight. Lyra's standoffish personality in comparison to Onyx's fiery passion. Kouga's laziness in comparison to Glave's… Edge.

The scene with Kouga and Glave I wanted to do for a long time. Really, if you asked me who the strongest member of this guild was, Guildmaster excluded, I'd say Kouga, no hesitation. There's only one other scene in this arc I look forward to writing as much as this one.

Obviously for reasons I can't explain yet. But, I'm interested in seeing your theoretical explanations.

Since… uh… We didn't really get any reviews answering this last chapter, I'll reuse that Question of the Chapter: favorite magic so far! A bit more fair, now that every magic has been shown off.

And geez, I need to come up with more questions.

Follow, favorite, review, all that happy fun stuff. I love you guys. Thanks again for reading!

In Response…

DAve and Bob: Thanks for the support, dude! I like OC stories a lot- most of the fics I'll post will probably be OC-centric. They're criminally underrated.

Thank you Dragonslayer-Ryouta for the favorite!

Synopsis...

Electric Magic. A variation of Lighting Magic, focused upon speed over all else. The user's own creativity dictates the type of spells they can learn.

Arcane Soul Magic - Blade Charge Style. One of the many styles of this magic, unique to Kouga. The user controls levitating swords of light, signaled through simple thoughts. Though it doesn't have too great of a range to it, the user becomes devastating up close.

Next Chapter: A bit of an intermission, before the Semi-Finals begin...