Cai annoyance had long surpassed its limit. If in the past, it only felt tickled when it was being hacked by the Skeletons or pelted by their arrows, now, it was suffering for real.
The buffs Lux activated had turned his Skeletons into very thorny and nasty opponents, inflicting true damage, decay, and other status debuffs to the Boar, who was now losing its health points at a rapid pace.
The two enemies it was most wary of were none other than Diablo and Ishtar, two among Lux's Named Creatures whose strength had far surpassed those of his ordinary Summons. They had come to answer their Master's call and fight for his and his step-sister's happiness.
Diablo's attacks ignored defense, giving the Boar a world of pain each time the Skeleton Rider slashed his body. All of his attacks were infused with the Ethereal Element, making it ignore any kind of defenses.
Ishtar, on the other hand, would rain arrow after arrow to slow Cai's movements with the power of ice. The constant barrage was making it difficult for the Boar to have any breathing space, while it was being hacked, and shot at from all sides.
"Get off me, you damned Skeletons!" Cai shouted as it used its entire body to blow away the skeletons that were swarming it.
Some of them shattered, and some of them stood back up and continued to fight. With every Skeleton that died, Lux would summon another, making Cai feel as if it was facing a hopeless situation.
The worse matter that made it weep bitter tears was that with each Skeleton's death, it could feel Diablo's attacks getting stronger.
Diablo was wearing the Blackrock Legacy Set Armor, which gave him and his allies a massive boost in their overall offensive power. Cai had become hard-pressed enduring their attacks, which were now starting to take a toll on its body.
—--
< Warlord's Warcry >
– Increase the Physical and Magical Damage of all allied creatures by 200 Points.
< Warlord's Presence >
Your presence in the battlefield inspires your allies and makes them do well in battle.
– 10% Increase to Physical and Magical attack to the Warlord and its allies.
< Bloody Fervor >
Your physical and defensive abilities increase with each slain creature in the battlefield.
– For every slain creature in the battlefield, your attack and defense points will increase by five.
—--
Warlord's Warcy, Warlord's Presence, and Bloody Fervor.
These three abilities that came along with the prided armor of the Blackrock Clan truly shone on the battlefield.
Diablo, who commanded the Undead Army, faced Cai head-on from time to time whenever it would use a powerful attack.
His Duel [EX] Skill kept interrupting the Boar from casting its hard-hitting spells, further infuriating it.
Even Iris, who wanted her step-brother to win, found Cai's current situation truly pitiful.
The Boar's curses, shouts, and squeals of pain were the only consistent things in the arena, as well as the one-sided beating that the Skeletons were giving it.
Five minutes later, Cai's misery intensified when Lux had once again summoned Orion, who was out for vengeance.
The Rock Golem was a Revenger. Once he was killed by an enemy, the next time he appeared, he would gain a massive boost in his stats, making those who killed him regret their decision.
—-
< Revenger >
– Regardless of what happens in the future, this Named Creature will be forever loyal to you.
– All attacks made by Orion will deal extra damage as his health decreases.
100% Health = Normal Damage
80% Health = Increase damage by 25%
60% Health = Increase Damage by 50%
40% Health = Increase Damage by 75%
20% Health - Increase Damage by 200%
– When Orion is killed by an enemy, he will add the name of that creature to his Revenge List. The next time he faces the same enemy, all of his stats will increase by 200%
– The Revenger ability will apply to all types of monster. For example, if he was killed by a Red Dragon, the next time he faces a Red Dragon, his overall stats would increase by 200% upon meeting the creature on his revenge list.
– If Orion is killed by the same creature again, he would gain an additional 10% stacking bonus to the overall increase of his Stat Points, whenever he faces the same enemy.
Note: Vengeance is always an option!
—--
Cai's massive body skidded several meters away when the Rock Golem charged at it and gave it a mighty kick.
The Boar cried out of pain, as it was helplessly swarmed once more by the Skeletons who were like Soldier Ants, storming the prey that they had targeted.
"You forced me!" Cai roared as it used its tusk to blow away the Skeletons that were swarming it.
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind enveloped its body, preventing any skeletons from approaching it.
"Third Gea–."
Before Cai could use its ultimate Trump Card, it felt its body surged forward. Orion had engaged it in a duel.
The Rock Golem clearly felt the threat that Cai was about to unleash, so before it could do anything, he decided to cancel the Boar's third transformation, preventing it from becoming more formidable than it already was.
At the same time, the two clones that were sitting on top of Pazuzu's shoulders opened their mouths as two orbs of magical energy appeared in front of it.
""Dragon's Breath!""
"Gaia Smash!"
"Bone Spear!"
"Tempest Arrow!"
Lux's clones, as well as his Named Creatures unleashed their attacks at the same time, converging on the Boar's body as it helplessly charged towards its doom.
A powerful explosion shook the entire arena, as Cai's body was blown away from the impact of the combined assault of Lux's Summons.
The blow was so strong that the Boar's entire body smashed through the barriers until it fell out of the arena, rolling a few times on the ground before coming to a complete stop.
The giant boar's body was smoking, as the Clerics immediately went to its rescue.
The crowd all stood up and cheered, as they gave the Half-Elf a thunderous applause that seemed loud enough to make the entire Coliseum tremble.
"The Champion of the Lionheart Tournament is none other than Lux Von Kaizer!" Judge Dredd shouted as he pointed at the Half-Elf that was being carried by the Demonic Defender in the air.
Lux's gaze never wavered as he stared in the distance. However, those who were paying close attention to him already knew that he had lost consciousness some time ago, long before the battle had ended.
Summoning Orion was the last thing he did before he finally succumbed to the effect of the Abyss Corruption inside his body.
His sheer determination to see the battle through to the end kept his eyes open, despite the fact that he could no longer see anything.
As the crowd cheered his name, the Half-Elf remained motionless, unmoved by anything and everything around him.
Iris had tears in her eyes as she looked at the red-headed teenager, whom she had loved since she was young, as her grandmother wrapped her arms around her in a gentle and warm embrace.
Eiko, who was perched on top of Iris' head, looked at her Papa with pride. She had always believed in him, even though the hearts of others wavered after seeing the near-hopeless situation the Half-Elf found himself in.
High above the stands, Gilbert and Nero clenched their fists with burning determination. Right now, the only thing in their minds was to surpass the Half-Elf, who was currently basking in everyone's cheers and adoration.
They hoped that someday, they would stand in the same place as him.
High above the Coliseum, Alexander stood with his arms crossed behind his back. He gazed at his unconscious step-son with a calm expression on his face.
Alicia, who was standing beside him, didn't know what the Headmaster was thinking, but deep inside, she was happy that the Half-Elf had proven himself in front of Iris' father. The latter cared for the young man in his own way, despite the harsh facade he wore whenever the two of them met in the academy.
With the light shining upon him, Pazuzu gently raised one of Lux's hands high up in the air. Although his Master couldn't hear the thunderous cheers around him, he felt like this was the appropriate thing to do.
Seeing this gesture, the cheers and the applause became louder. Everyone who had come to watch the Lionheart Tournament and witnessed Lux's undying determination, paid their tribute to the Champion and showered him with the glory he so rightfully deserved.
