"Woooo!!!" At the announcer's words, the audience went in an uproar as the two gates that had Leron and Valyr behind them were opened, allowing the two to make their way to the center of the battleground.
Being seated near the battleground, Arcenne and Wells quickly took note of Valyr and Leron's appearance as the latter two made their way to the center, quickly sensing the difference in strength between their auras.
Leron, who was dressed in a full set of dark gray leather armor with dark fabric covering the lower portion of his face, exuded an aura that gave off confidence accrued through multiple experiences, giving off the feeling to the audience that he would eventually emerge victorious all due to the strength behind his aura.
On the other hand, Valyr, who was dressed in dull gray light armor that glistened a faint crimson under the rays of the sun, also gave off a feeling of confidence through his aura. However, when compared to the aura Leron was radiating, Valyr's aura seemed to pale in comparison, even though both of them gave off the same feeling.
With this in mind, Arcenne and Wells hoped that luck was on Valyr's side during this event, inwardly praying in their mind as they watched the scene before them unfold with worry embedded in their neutral expressions.
…
"Hmm?" While making his way to where the announcer was, Valyr swiftly sensed the aura Leron was exuding, instantly noticing that the latter's aura was significantly stronger than his. Though he had the ability to match the aura Leron was exuding in terms of strength, Valyr decided that he would stay low-key for now as he recalled his conversation with Arcenne the previous day regarding the strength of the people from the forging emporium.
'If I remember what Arcenne told me correctly, she said that the strongest person I could possibly fight against in the duel was at the peak of Rank 1.' With this thought in mind, a frown appeared on Valyr's face, which Leron could not see due to the armor covering it. 'However, the aura this guy's exuding is definitely beyond that level.'
'Then… that means there's the possibility that my opponent for this duel is from that third party the system mentioned.' Standing just a meter away from each other in front of the announcer, Valyr activated [Analysis] on Leron, opening up the man's status screen in his mind to find out if what he sensed was correct.
Ding!
[Leron Enelron] (Level 30)
Class: Adept Shadowblade (Rank 2 — Uncommon)
Subclass: Shadow Disciple (Uncommon)
HP: 2,052/2,052
MP: 612/612
Stats: 114 VIT, 119 STR, 103 AGI, 93 DEX, 34 INT, 34 WIS, 88 PER, 34 LUK
Remarks: You have the power to fight against him evenly, but if you want to defeat him… fight wisely.
'Rank 2…' With his attention being taken up by Leron's level, a frown soon appeared on Valyr's face, feeling anger at how despicable the forging emporium was. Though Valyr wasn't sure if his opponent was truly from the third party or not, the fact that they employed a Rank 2 class holder to fight against someone in the middle of Rank 1 was already enough reason for him to be infuriated at them, much less what they've done back then.
Taking in a deep breath to calm himself down, a malevolent grin soon appeared on his face as he continued to look at Leron. 'Since your side is employing a Rank 2 class holder to make sure I die from this duel…'
'Then I guess there's no problem with me going all out.'
…
"With his combat expertise being the way of the dagger, to your left is the representative of the Hekaetos Forging Emporium, Leron Enelron!" Gesturing to Leron as the announcer introduced him, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience, which prompted the aura Leron was radiating to gradually increase in intensity in response to the support the audience showed.
"And to your right is a man that I'm sure a great portion of the audience already knows through his various feats." After allowing the applause for Leron to die down, the announcer then gestured to Valyr as he introduced the latter. "If you don't know of his identity as an instructor in our own Clossbay City's Combat Training Hall, then I'm sure you've heard of him as a Combat Elite, a title only those with great levels of experience could achieve at higher ranks. However, unlike those other people, he became a Combat Elite at Rank 1!"
"Aside from his superb combat prowess and his proficiency in the way of the spear, he's also a capable blacksmith in his own right, being recognized by the Blacksmith Guild as an Elite Member. This man is none other than the owner of the Crimson Forge, the man of many great talents, Valyr Zeihardt!"
"Woooo!!!" Unsurprisingly, with the announcer introducing Valyr through the multiple feats he had achieved within the Clossbay, the audience went into a far louder uproar when compared to their reaction to Leron's introduction. In response to the cacophony that greeted him, Valyr took off his helmet for a brief moment before waving at everyone with a smile, thanking them for supporting him through this gesture of his.
While Valyr was waving at the audience, Leron furrowed his brows in slight annoyance as a faint killing intent briefly radiated off of him. Though, before Valyr could even sense this killing intent from Leron, the latter had already suppressed it as his expression returned to normal. 'I'm up against a hotshot, huh. I guess it sucks to be you.'
'After all, with me around, your journey ends here.'
After Valyr put his helmet back on as the audience's excitement died down, the announcer informed the two to distance themselves from each other even more, stopping both of them once the gap between them spanned over 10 meters.
Nodding in satisfaction, the announcer then distanced himself from the two as he introduced the format of the fight to the audience. "As this is a life and death duel, only when one side dies would the remaining side be deemed the victor. However, one side could also choose to surrender in the middle of the fight, though their fate would be up to the winner."
"In any case, anything goes in this fight, so feel free to go all out."
"Are you two ready?" Posing this question to the two, the announcer nodded back once the two confirmed to him that they were ready to start the duel. Distancing himself even more from the two as he gave them enough space to move around, his voice eventually resounded throughout the coliseum once more.
"Since both of you are ready, let the duel…"
"Begin!"
