Estarossa had been trying to find where Drole ran off to. Took around a few minutes but he had finally found the shrunken, disguised giant, practicing some attacks on a golem.
Estarossa watched closely. The Golem he had created for time was to be his temporary sparring partner; one that would help him be fully prepared for the upcoming fight. "Wait..." He whispered.
The fighting style the Golem had been using was similar to the Commandment of Love's.
"Gonna fight Estarossa! Gonna fight Estarossa!" Drole repeated as he threw his punches.
"Gonna fight Estarossa! Gonna fight-"
"Gonna fight me!" Estarossa interrupted right behind him. "AH!" Drole yelped, hopping to a defense position. The golem fell backwards, turning back into a clump of dirt and rock. "Woah, woah. It's just me, Drole."
"H...How long have you been there? I didn't see you anywhere!" Drole exclaimed. Estarossa crossed his arms and smirked. "I don't know. Maybe I was here the whole time and you didn't know."
Drole lightly gasped. "You can turn invisible?"
Estarossa blinked twice, bewildered. "That's not what I...Nevermind. What are you doing all the way out here anyway?"
"I was wanting to get a little warm up time before our match. That Golem I was using was copying the way you fight." Drole explained, pointing towards the newly formed rubble.
"I thought it looked familiar. Impressive how it was almost down to the last detail." Estarossa said. "I hope it was! I've never seen you fight without your blade before that fight in the forest so I made sure to keep my eye on your movements in particular. It's all due to Foresight, one of my magical abilities. With it, I can memorize the fighting patterns of anyone I see with my eye."
"Wait, I thought your eye could only read your opponent's strength." Estarossa replied. "It can! With how my magic's started to come back more quickly during all the free time I've had with Gloxinia, I've been wanting to get back into using it again! When I want to, along with being able to read their levels of strength, my vision shows me every move of someone I've seen them do. Like your Full Counter. From what I've seen, you need a weapon to to be able to reflect the attack back at your opponent, don't you?"
"That's exactly right!" Estarossa replied, visibly more impressed. "I knew it!"
While on the topic, since I was mainly just sitting around in my cell during the ten years apart, did my magic ever return?!" Estarossa asked excitedly. Drole lifted a finger but then hesitated to speak. However, that was all Estarossa needed to know the answer.
"Sorry, buddy. I barely see any sharp levels of magic coming from you but at least your strength's almost about halfway back!" Drole stated, trying to be cheerful for his friend. Estarossa's disappointment, though, was still there. "It's fine. If nothing shows up naturally, chances are it's probably never coming at all."
Drole lightly patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure it will and hey, you're still one of our strongest members, a lack of magic or not." He stated. "Heh...Well, enough about me. I've been meaning to ask something."
"Yeah, what's that?" Drole asked. Estarossa's expression along with his tone turned serious. "Why did you really come all the way out here?"
Drole's breath stopped for a second. He had been found out. He stepped back from Estarossa.
"You've been acting secretive while revealing yourself to us and highly unlike you, you were clearly lying about why you entered the tournament. While I know you were being careful with her, the princess could've gotten hurt."
"I...I know..." The Giant stuttered.
"So I'm going to ask again and please be honest this time, why did you enter the tournament?"
Drole looked down at the ground, then taking off the hood that was hiding his face. His shame was evident. "This is the only chance I'll ever have to spar with the Ten Commandments, one on one."
Estarossa's eyes perked up. His only chance?
"I'm a giant, it's in my blood. I love fighting! The thrill I get from using new abilities, the feeling I get in my arms and feet when I'm punching or kicking. Heck, getting beaten black and blue only makes me want to get even stronger."
"But what does that have to do with the tournament?" Estarossa asked.
"You heard the Captain. Giants were banned. We're too big to enjoy casual competition with the other races. And me? I was almost as tall as a mountain! I can kill so many people by just stepping on them. It's frustrating, like I'm trapped in my own size."
"And what about the other giants?"
Drole pointed at his own face. "Genuinely, look at me. Giants usually just look like bigger humans and yet, here I am with one eye, four eyes, and blue skin. Everyone just stayed away from me, thinking I was some different creature entirely, only really being accepted once I had finally grown bigger and stronger."
Estarossa looked to the side, only for a second. He knew the feeling of being outcasted.
"I was the largest Giant ever known, my potential was said to be unmatched. So great that I was named their king, even if anyone didn't really know anything at all about how royalty works. "Go fight whoever, bring home food for everyone.", that's all I really knew. Don't get me wrong, it felt incredible when I was getting celebrated at first but...now I was too strong! Too big! At first sight, people almost swore I was a demon. Despite the two friends I had, which felt nice...Now that I never had to try anymore, I was just more lonely than ever."
Drole then looked deep into Estarossa's eyes.
"But then I met you, Captain, Gloxinia, and the other Commandments. Almost everyone was as powerful as me or strong enough to send me flying. I felt like finally I wasn't that alone in this world after all. The problem before, however, was still there. I was still too big to spar against you guys without anything around us getting destroyed and so, I just kind of began waiting. Getting denied entry in the tournament was the last thing I needed."
"And now that you've shrunk?" Estarossa asked.
"Sure, I was scared at first but I realized that it was my chance! My time to finally fill that urge to fight against my closest friends without the pressure of being a danger to everyone else. I just...I couldn't let it go."
Drole sighed, catching his breath after letting all that loose. "I'm sorry for lying to you guys, I should've just stayed behind."
Estarossa suddenly put his hand on Drole's shoulder. "But now that you've made your decision, you better stick to it." He said. Drole's eyes perked up.
"A warrior's love for battle is unmatched. I should know since I can't exactly turn down a challenge myself. I can give you the battle of a lifetime, Drole but know this. If you try going easy on me because I'm your friend, I won't forgive you. A fight where both sides aren't giving it their all isn't a fight in the slightest. Got it?"
Drole was taken aback by his words but he quickly nodded in affirmation. "I'll give you everything that I have!"
Estarossa smirked. "But next time, just ask. We're friends with mages, I'm sure we'll find something out." He laughed.
Drole couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, Estarossa."
As Drole put his hood back on, the two then started to head back up to the tournament, both not saying a word to each but the shared excitement for the match was non-breaking.
"Where are they? We've been waiting for ten to fifteen minutes." Gloxinia huffed, his foot tapping against the ground.
The audience was as well getting restless from the wait. "At the rate, the final match might get cancelled entirely..." Melascula said. "Maybe it's for the best, Sir "Zeldoris" still isn't back yet from talking with Mr. Cain." Elizabeth added. "Hm...Perhaps you're right." Melascula replied, once again checking if the Princess was comfortable.
Howzer was probably the most disappointed of all. "Damn, and I'll never get this chance again. Oh well, might as well go see where Zeldris went with that old man..."
"Wait! Here they come!" The Referee called out, pointing to the bridge. Everyone turned to the direction he was looking at, seeing the two men
Gloxinia, Melascula, and Elizabeth sighed in relief. "It's about time!" Gloxinia exclaimed, now running towards them. "Oh..." Melascula murmured, wanting to follow the Fairy.
As the two Commandments approached, the other two were confused.
"What's going on, "Primrose"?" Drole asked. "Where's Zel?" Estarossa added. "His match ended a little while ago. He and the old man both forfeited and left to go wherever." Gloxinia lightly explained. "That means you both are the final match so...it's best to go ahead and fight." Melascula said.
Estarossa and Drole looked at each other. "Are you ready?" Estarossa asked. Drole took a deep breath in content. "More than ever!"
Estarossa nodded merrily. "Alright then."
He gave a quick wink towards Melascula before making his way to the arena with Drole, earning the usual blush from her.
"Thank goodness you two came back. For a second there, I thought we were going to have to cancel the rest of the tournament." The Referee stated to the two, wiping some the nervous sweat from his forehead.
"Sorry we made everyone wait. We're both ready now!" Drole cheerfully exclaimed. "Glad to hear! Begin when you're ready!" The Referee replied, then proceeding off the arena.
Drole and Estarossa stood apart from each other in the center.
"On the count of three." Estarossa stated.
"One"
"Two"
"Three"
Estarossa suddenly lunged forward with the force causing some of the stone below to his feet to crack. Drole, however, was prepared for this.
"Heavy Metal!"
From inside the cloak, Drole's skin, from head to toe, turned to a shiny grey metal. Though Estarossa couldn't see it, he felt the change as he threw a massive punch towards Drole, which the Giant quickly put all four of his arms together to block it. The recoil blew out a hefty gust of wind, nearly knocking some people over.
Drole spread his arms, knocking Estarossa back a little. He then held out his top pair of hands forward, his hands near clenching. "Giga Lock!"
The arena ground below Estarossa sprouted ten hands made of hard stone. All of which began wrapping around Estarossa's waist and legs, squeezing tight as they as well captured his hands. "Grr..." Estarossa muttered. His teeth gritted as he struggled to even move. The stone hands as well held their own, keeping steady and secure.
Drole's bottom hands pounded together and clenched against each other, his pointing fingers then pointing downwards as they went straight into the ground. "Quicksand!"
Estarossa's bottom half suddenly dove into the arena ground. He looked downward. "What the..."
A circle of sand had formed around Estarossa. He could feel the magic in the sand as it rubbed against his skin. Drole was making the sand suck him right in. Despite his sheer resistance to go down any deep, he couldn't help but smirk. "This is new." Estarossa said. Drole quickly walked towards the Commandment of Love, his plan had worked but now he needed to work fast!
"I call it Quicksand. A little different from the usual Sandstorm you would see from a giant since Quicksand will immediately make you fall through, not to mention Giga Lock holding you down so you can't get out. Now I have you right where I want you!"
With Estarossa's "size" now at Drole's chest, defenseless, Drole, with all four hands enhanced with Heavy Metal, threw barrage after barrage of punches at him.
BAM! BAM! BAM! Each one felt harder than the last!
The audience could hardly see Drole's arms pounding Estarossa's head and chest because he was moving so quickly.
"Oh my goodness!" Melascula said, covering her mouth in surprise. "They're going all out against each other??" Elizabeth exclaimed, sharing Melascula's shocked concern.
Gloxinia and ninety percent of the crowd, on the other hand, was more than pleased with the tense fight before them. "YEAH! Now this is a tournament! Lay into him, "Dolor"! WOO!" He cheered, lifted his knuckle up high.
"How did Sir "Dolor" do that? Sir "Rosetta" just sunk into the ground!" Elizabeth asked, barely able to watch any longer. "It's his magical power, Ground; an advanced form of Creation, the magical power of the Giant race. With it, "Dolor" is connected to the earth, able to manipulate it to his use. Anything from dirt, stone, or even diamonds can be utilized and shifted." Gloxinia cheerfully explained.
"Such advanced magic makes him truly dangerous in a physical fight to the death. But even then, while I know they aren't trying to kill each other...I must admit this is quite the showing of strength on both their parts." Melascula observed. "They're both incredible..." Elizabeth murmured in awe.
"Now this...This is what I expected from the Ten Commandments! Fighting like a bunch of monsters!" Howzer excitedly thought. He then looked straight at Estarossa, a curious smile forming. "Alright then, let's see how you get out of this, Estarossa."
BOOM! BAM! BOOM! Estarossa took hit after hit with Drole barely breaking a sweat. Estarossa tried to look for any way out but Drole shut his sights off with the sharp punches to the face.
Drole's top row of hands went for Estarossa's head and the bottom went for the chest.
"This is bad! I can't move or see! What's worse, he's actually hurting me! These punches are so damn heavy, it's...Wait, Heavy Metal! It's only supposed to last about three minutes and now..."
As Estarossa came to predict, the metal that was hard as diamond shifted then back to the usual sapphire blue. "Now's my chance!"
Now with the less force in Drole's attacks, Estarossa then put all his strength into his right arm. With all his might, the Giga Lock holding it began to crack, breaking through with one final use of force. Not only that but he had grabbed a piece of stone from it. His arm emerged from the sand and with a little slash with the rock...
"Full Counter!"
It worked. Drole, feeling the pressure of his own attack, was sent lightly flying back. This was important for Estarossa. He now had a few very important seconds given to get his other arm free.
With his body leaning forward and his hand clenching the ground, his trapped arm burst through the Giga Lock. A large proud smile plastered through as Estarossa pulled himself up.
Drole, however, knew something like this could happen. He regained composure mid air, landing gracefully. His battle instincts were kicking as he immediately went into a defensive position. Rightfully so as Estarossa made a quick barely noticeable dash to Drole's side. That of which he blocked. He knew Estarossa, he knew his attacks too with his magical eye. He had exactly what he needed to beat him!
Estarossa threw two more punches, both blocked by Drole. The Giant threw a punch of his own. Estarossa immediately jumped back, then lunged again. A multitude of kicks as well easily blocked. The last kick was when Drole suddenly grabbed Estarossa by his foot. He threw Estarossa away like a ragdoll.
Like Drole had earlier, Estarossa caught control of himself as he landed by his feet. The force made a big clump of dirt behind them.
They stood apart, analyzing the damage they've done to each other. Estarossa was heavily bruised around his face and chest while Drole spat blood to the side. The Full Counter had impacted his stomach and it didn't feel at all pleasant.
With the moment, they both caught their breath. No malice but respect and admiration in their eyes for one another. "H...How did you counter my punch? I thought you said I was correct in thinking you needed a weapon."
Estarossa laughed. "You were. I can use a weapon...or just about any object I'm currently carrying. After all, any good warrior knows how to make a weapon out of anything, right? Even something as tiny as a rock. " The rock that Estarossa had used then crumbled to dust.
"Incredible!" Drole exclaimed.
"Gloxinia, Mela." The two heard a whisper from behind.
The two Commandments turned to see their leader behind them, having returned from his short departure. "Oh, Captain..." Melascula said.
"You've been gone for a bit. Where'd did you and the old man go?" Gloxinia asked, slightly looking around for Cain.
"No time to explain right now, just listen very closely."
Elizabeth heard Zeldris's voice. She looked up to see the Captain himself whispering something to his two comrades. Whatever it was, it must've been important. "Sir Zeldris..." She murmured.
"Hope you're having fun, "Rosetta", because I'm not done yet."
Drole held out his hands, his fingers pointing downwards. "Giga C-"
A loud piercing WHISTLE echoed cut off the Giant's words. Estarossa and Drole looked over to the crowd where they heard it come from.
A little green glow emitted from within as a sudden burst of wind blew out harshly. Gloxinia's wings flapped and spread as he suddenly flew upwards. The sudden wind had blown Drole's cloak, head cloth, and the messy ribbon. The man underneath was now revealed. Most of the audience gasped in disbelief of his appearance.
Gloxinia's wings had completely ripped his shirt, his Death Thorn had vanished.
"Spirit Spear Basquias: Seventh Configuration: Moonrose!"
Basquias itself planted into the ground, then transforming into the bright yellow prickly rose. "Droplet of Life."
Three little drops of the healing liquid dropped on Estarossa, Drole, and Gloxinia. Estarossa's bruises vanished and Drole's stomach pain healed.
Zeldris stepped forward from the crowd, holding Melascula tightly with one arm. She was grunting and murmuring under her breath, she seemed terrified.
"Brother?! What's going on? What are you doing with Mela?" Estarossa exclaimed. "Shh!" Zeldris said, signaling everyone to quickly huddle up.
Everyone surrounding the arena was incredibly confused. Howzer, on the other hand, was perplexed.
"So they've finally going to reveal themselves. But why in the middle of a match? Why during a tournament of all things? Zeldris, Estarossa, or any of them didn't show any signs of hidden intentions. Are they just that good at acting? Wait, no. What about the raven haired girl? She was completely calm with them earlier, why the sudden hostility towards her? Could she be their captive?"
The Commandments then broke from their hurdle, looking out at the beyond. Estarossa took Mela from Zeldris's grasp and dragged her to the edge of the Vaizel Rock.
"What are you doing with that girl?!" A man called out.
"Yeah! What's going on with you guys?!" Another man yelled, frustrated.
"Wait...A public execution?!" Howzer thought. To everyone's surprise, he threw Melascula off the rock entirely. The audience gasped in horror.
"DAMN IT!" Howzer shouted. He immediately began pushing through the crowd, a tornado forming in his fist. He needed to catch her now or she's done for. Drole looked behind, having noticed Howzer.
The Holy Knight then felt a tight squeeze on his arm. A Golem had spawned from the ground, holding Howzer in his place. "YOU BASTARDS KILLED HER!"
All four Commandments turned to face them, Estarossa joining back up. They had serious expressions, almost wicked looks in their eyes. Estarossa and Gloxinia both had cruel smirks, Drole simply crossed his arms. Zeldris treaded forward.
"EVERYONE, LISTEN UP! We are the Ten Commandments: Zeldris, Estarossa, Gloxinia, and Drole!" He called out.
"And we're taking over Vaizel!"