The next day...
"... What do you think you're doing?" Keane asked as he stared at the Boar whom he caught holding a small kettle over his mouth.
He had been sleeping peacefully a while ago, but after sensing a malicious presence approaching him, he woke up to face the danger he was in.
However, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a boar who was about to pour something inside his mouth using the kettle in its grasp.
"Oh? Did you finally wake up?" the Boar said after it lowered the kettle to the ground. "I was just worried that you are getting dehydrated, so I decided to bring you something to drink."
"... I am indeed feeling a bit thirsty," Keane replied.
"What a coincidence! I brewed this special tea just for you. Now, drink up! Hydrating yourself is important, you know? It keeps your joints lubricated, prevents infections, delivers nutrients to cells, and keeps organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. So, make sure to drink a lot, okay?"
"Okay," Keane said as he accepted the kettle that the Boar had handed to him.
Cai then produced a wooden cup that the skinny swordsman could use in order to drink from the kettle.
After pouring himself a cup, Keane looked at the murky "tea" that the Boar had prepared for him. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong with it, so he decided to do something about it.
He subtly started channeling his aura into the cup to purify whatever diabolical things the Boar had prepared for him. His master was also an expert when it came to alchemy, and had taught Keane plenty of methods to purify poisons, as well as other forms of hazards that could deal serious ailments to his body.
After making sure that the tea had been fully purified, Keane drank it slowly until the cup was emptied.
It was at that moment when a big smile appeared on the Boar's face as it looked at Keane with the "good boy, now prepare to get your anus rekd" gaze.
"It's good, can I have another one?"
"Of course! Please drink as much as you want. Fufufu! This will cleanse your colons and ensure that your body is well and healthy."
A mischievous glint could be seen within the boar's pupils as it poured more tea into Keane's cup. In its eyes, the skinny swordsman's butt cheeks were as good as clapped, and he no longer needed to worry about their match in a few hours.
After emptying the Kettle, the Boar happily left the Infirmary to have breakfast. It even happily greeted everyone it met with a "Good Morning", showing how good its mood was.
'... Master, the outside world is a scary place,' Keane thought as he drank the last cup of tea in his hands. 'Still, Cai is not as bad as it looked. Even though it tried to take advantage of me, there was still hesitation in its eyes. I'll make sure to not hurt it so much during our match today.'
The skinny teenager sighed as he looked outside of the window. His Master had told him to see the outside world and discover the meaning of the peace he was looking for. After experiencing many ups and downs in Barbatos Academy, Keane finally understood that in a world where the only one you could trust was yourself, being strong was a necessity.
'I wonder who will win between Nero and My Daddy,' Keane thought as he placed the cup on the desk beside his bed. 'This is a match that I can't afford to miss.'
Lux slowly exhaled while sitting down in Lotus position.
He had woken up quite early and started to meditate in order to clear any negative thoughts in his head.
His Grandma Vera had taught him this special meditation technique which he used whenever he was feeling faint back when he wasn't cured of his unstable body constitution yet.
This breathing method had allowed him to relax his nerves, and stabilize the flow of blood inside his body. After using the breathing method for half an hour, Lux finally opened his eyes. A faint golden glow spread inside his pupils for a brief second before disappearing completely.
"Grandma, I've made it," Lux muttered before standing up. "After all these years, I am finally able to stand on this stage."
Vera had brought Lux to watch the previous tournament that was held in Barbatos Academy. He had been in awe of the powerful warriors that had participated during the previous battle.
Nero had also participated back then and had reached the Qualifying Matches.
At the time, Nero was only fourteen years old, so he stood out and everyone became aware of his existence.
It was also due to this battle that the Elders in Wildgarde Stronghold decided to nurture him and made him the Guild Master of their Branch Guild in Elysium.
Lux envied him back then.
Nero had everything he wanted.
A strong body, powerful techniques, the recognition of the people around him, as well as the ambition to reach greater heights.
Ironically, Nero also thought that Lux had everything he ever wanted.
A caring family, a powerful background, strong connections with influential people, as well as having a beautiful step-sister like Iris always by his side.
Both of them envied each other, and now, the thing they both wanted was just a step away from becoming a reality.
If they became the Champion, everything that they wanted would finally become a reality.
If they became the Champion, they could finally shed their past selves like a caterpillar that was about to become a butterfly.
As Lux walked towards the arena, everyone that he met along the way stepped aside to allow him to pass. This was not because he was intimidating them or anything, but because of the awe and respect that he had garnered after reaching this far in the tournament.
Lux smiled as he looked at the arena in the distance. He was just waiting for Judge Dredd to call out his name so he could make his appearance.
Nero had already been called, and was showered by the shouts of the people that supported him from the background.
Now, it was now his time to step on the same stage as him, and end this decade long grudge between the two of them.
Only one of them could claim victory.
Only one of them could have Eternal Glory!
