Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life
After a short break the large crowd sat back down in the seats overlooking the circular arena, holding their ears to the piercing voice echoing through the spirits around them.
Announcer: "OK! NOW THAT THE BREAK IS OVER WE BEGIN THE SECOND TRIAL! EVERY GROUP COME DOWN TO THE ARENA!"
The crowd cheers in anticipation, food is passed around, nobles from the countries spoke with each other, the knights and guards glared at each other, and the candidates looked down on the examinees entering down below.
Gray: "So we're doing this as a group?"
Grau found himself not shaking as much due to fear. The previous victory, along with his survival of the mansion, standing up against Edward, proving himself to Musashi, and defeating Jeremiah, hell even when he helped Soku against the thieves in his first thirty minutes in this world, was what it took to carve Gray's smirk.
Edward: "Yeah, but I assumed we would just be in a group the whole time."
Edward looked around them, passed Soku and Rosemary, to Julius and his brothers. Then to the lone Rosine standing away from them.
Soku: "The crowd needs something to watch I guess."
Rosemary: "I think it's to show that we can have good teamwork with the other nations."
Julius: "Yes, I do concur. You are very observant."
Gray: "AHH!"
Julius had walked right behind them while the doors began to open, surprising them all. He even managed to surprise his own brothers, not even realizing he had stepped away. Rosine was the only one who noticed it and did so without a care in the world, scoffing at all those around her.
Julius: "Are you alright? Did I alarm you by chance?"
Gray: "NO! Wait yeah you did! Don't sneak up on people bro."
Gray found himself comedically crossing his arms and turning away, feeling a bit awkward when not even Rosemary laughed. Unable to take everything with any bit of seriousness, as doing so would make things feel far too real to handle. It was only enough to make Soku feel a bit bad for him and keep her attention on Julius.
Julius: "Well then I apologize. I only wanted to know how you all thought things were gonna go."
Rosemary: "Is it not gonna just be another spirit beast?"
Rosine stepped past all of them, shoving Gray out of the way, and made her way to the center of the arena. The crowd cheered louder as the examinees entered, raining down their just bought roses.
Announcer: "OKAY, WE HAVE RANDOMIZED THE SELECTION, AND THE CANTADITE CHOSEN TO GIVE SOME RESISTANCE TO THESE NEWBIES IS THE UNDENIABLE STRONGEST! KIOSHI VAN HELSING!"
Again the crowd exploded. However for the first time Arthur looked down with a sour look on his face, a bit sad he wasn't the one chosen. Elizabeth could only stare on with a proud stern face at her waving daughter. Having already expected as much. It was thoughts in the area like Gray, Rosemary, Soku, and even Edward who instantly crumbled with the fear of such a daunting task. When Gray had first met Kioshi he instantly put her at the top, using his knowledge of manga and other stories to try and piece together reality before it formed. So he had Kioshi plopped right at the end, expecting to only see her go all out when they faced the last of the Sect. That was still true, but watching her fight for the first time against him, that was something he truly didn't expect.
Announcer: "ALL OF YOU DOWN IN THE ARENA! YOU CAN WORK TOGETHER AND TRY AND GET ON HIT ON KYOSHI! IF YOU DO, YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD! BUT IF YOU ALL FALL, THE LAST TWO TEAMS TO FALL WILL MOVE FORWARD!"
Soku: "Dammit."
Rosemary: "Is that even possible?"
Edward: "Ugh."
Julius: "Interesting."
Roy: "NICE!"
Lloyd: "Unprecedented, and unfair!."
Rosine: "If the gods ask of us I may."
Gray: "CAN EVERYONE STOP HAVING THEIR OWN CHARACTERIZED REACTIONS AND THINK OF A PLAN!"
Gray was the one shaking the most surprisingly, as the others knew exactly how and why Kioshi was regarded as the strongest. Not because of some grand battle that determined the fate of the world, but because of how she's protected Walgonia as its sword for the last fifteen years. It was the experience etched into their bones that allowed them all to keep a somewhat straight face. Sokus' time on the street, Rosemary's time with the Goldenknights, Edwards' few previous duels with Kioshi, the Valatroctius brothers shared practice, and Rosines own built up power. All having saved themselves for their own reasons or another to clench their fists in front of the surrounding countries.
Announcer: "NOW KYOSHI GET DOWN THERE! THE SECOND TRIAL BEGINS NOW!"
Gray jumped back just as Kioshi jumped into the arena, the force shaking everyone else while throwing him back. Kiss His presence and force pushing against the world. Forcing Arthur and Elizabeth to click their tongues, and causing the listening Musashi to chuckle.
Arthur & Elizabeth: "Show off."
Kioshis cloak blew in the wind, the white sheathed blades hilt grabbed the hole heartedly.
Gray: "EEEK!"
Gray rolled back while the others dove in, watching in panic as Kioshi lost the nice and friendly attitude she has had the entire time Gray has known her. Replacing it with focus. Her presence induced such fear that it's indescribable, Gray could not even panic any longer, now just frozen, and thoughtless. She's dressed in her Leviathan attire; Kisohi wore a white cloak with a tall collar, white chestplate, vambraces, leg, and side armor with a faint scale pattern, lastly fitted with her split black and white mengu mask.
Edward: "Sure you don't wanna go easy on me!?"
Edward pushed forward before anybody else, even Rosine, and swung his massive blade forward. The sight of two Helsings clashing causing the crowd to hold their breath. Kioshi was unresponsive, clashing and sending Edward flying into the arena's backwall.
Roy: "EL-DIGNUM"
Julius dirty brother didn't waste a single second, even when everyone else locked eyes onto Edward, screaming with a wide cocky smile on his face. The earth spirit mana then mixed with his own mana, becoming a stone the size of a boulder. It then flung forward, launching itself towards the flickering image of Kioshi. It's about to hit her face before all the mana in the ball gets absorbed into Kioshis body in an instant, the stone turning to ash as she ran through it.
Gray {No way! That's her mark of providence, no spells will work! Just pure force! AND EDWARD GOT THROWN BACK!}
Julius rushes in right as his brother is knocked down, Gray taking the chance to run back to Edward. When he did he found Rosemary doing the same, feeling a bit jealous even with all of the chaos around them. Julius was trying to use a quick flurry of strikes using his rapier, but alas Kioshi grabbed his blade without a thought and punched Julius in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall of the arena.
Gray: "Dang it!"
He had landed right beside Gray, Edward, and Rosemary, allowing the four of them to look on.
Soku: "Hey don't leave me!"
Soku turned back, Kioshis shadow appearing right in front of her and sending her flying into the air. Soku tried to use her wind mana to stop it but Kioshi had already leapt into the sky, grabbed hold of her, and gently set her beside her friends.
Gray: "Oh hey Soku!"
His eyes widened as Kioshi appeared and vanished, getting a back hand to the back of the head and almost falling unconscious instantly.
Gray {No! I won't go down like that! Not in front of everybody! Not after all the work I put into this! Or Als death!}
Rosemary, witnessing Gray get attacked, ignited her blazing golden aura to the fourth stage around her entire body. This sent off a wave of her own impressive force, taking Kioshis attention. She flung her hand across Rosemary's face, the sound of a loud slap echoing through the arena. Kioshis hand had pushed away the golden mana coating her, moving out of the way for Kioshi's armored hand.
Roy: "DON'T JUST STAND THERE! MOVE, FIGHT, DO ANYTHING TO HIT HER!"
Roy rushes to Kioshi while Edward does the same. Llyod, having been frozen in fear just like Gray, slapped his face and extended his magical staff.
Roy: "DIGEN!"
Roy took out a short blade, surrounding and empowering it with the glowing earth spirits in the air. His brother then screamed out -
Lloyd: "IGO!"
Kioshi {So foolish}
However the Llyod spell wasn't intended to shoot out a waste of mana, but instead caused a flash of bright white light to consume the arena and blind the observing crowd, aside from Musashi. Ophelia had her eyes covered by Musashi as well, trying to keep her safe.
Roy: "NOW YOUR OURS!"
Roy swung, Edward swung, and then the fighter hiding in the shadows rose out.
Rosine: "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FOOL BLESSED BY POWERS YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND!"
She screamed out at the strongest in a way that made her mother proud, holding Pandora's charm and sealed Kioshis marks instantly. Still Kioshi blitzed through Edward and Roy, sending them flying while getting face to face with Rosine.
Llyod: "IGNIS!"
Once again his red crystal glowed a bright orange before blasting out a weak, focused stream of flame at Kioshis unprotected back. Without a care in the world and using just her strength she pushed against the world, throwing a spiraling flick of air through the fire and into Lloyds stomach. He collapsed to the floor just as Rosine did.
Gray: "OH SHIT!"
Gray Kyojin was, as Ophelia said best,
Ophelia: "He's all alone!"
And Gray was screaming, breaking, but he had to win, he just had to. And, after everything, even if she was the strongest, he really thought he could.
Gray: "HEY KIOSHI!"
Everybody was on the ground and groaning, staring toward Gray with hope. Kioshi however looked on in confusion.
Kioshi: "Uh, yeah?"
Gray: "I'M!"
He had to, he had to win.
Gray: "I'M GRAY KYOJIN!"
And he flung his finger into the air, pointing toward Kioshi, and then pulled his thumb back to himself right over his heart. Giving a trembling smile through the sweat and panic.
Gray: "AND I'M GONNA WIN THIS DAMN TRIAL! AND SHOW EVERYBODY JUST HOW STRONG I AM!"
Strangely enough he had left out Walgonia, his friends, or the other contestants. Putting all the focus on himself, as aside from Rosemary and his jealousy toward Edward, he really wasn't thinking about anything else anyway. That, and winning.
Kioshi: "And how are you -
Kioshi attempted to rush forward mid-sentence, but Gray had already planned on interrupting her; Gray had flown a bit of mana out and screamed just as Kioshi appeared in front of him.
Gray: "SATIC!"
Instantly a small wave of distorting, agonizing, static like pain washed over him. Kioshi was protected, grabbing and holding Gray up by his neck.
Kioshi: "Satic? If you use it wrong you can put a lot of stress on your mind, affecting both you and your enemy. Which you just seemed to do. And I'm immune anyway."
Gray falls to the ground from the stress put on his body, the spell inches away from knocking him out. Yet, the fear and panic he felt from facing Kioshi was stronger.
Gray: "I know, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO WAKE ME UP!"
Kioshi {So he used it to make his fear go away, nice}
Gray gets up, leaping towards Kioshi. Pulling his sword out preparing for a useless swing.
Gray: "YAAAAAAAH!"
Kioshi: "Really?"
Kioshi dodges the swing, flicking Gray's forehead and almost cracking his skull. However, instead of passing out, the spell still active on Gray's body was still not letting him fall unconscious. He reaches out for her arm, struggling to speak.
Kioshi: "Nice plan, though it was a waste. I like you guys, but it would be unfair to go easy on you. Now I'll hold you here till the spell wears off, then you'll pass out. But you guys will go on!"
Gray taps her hand, getting her attention.
Kioshi: "Need something?"
Gray: "I…Ugh…I…I HIT YOU!"
Kioshi drops stares in confusion, the crowd doing the same.
Kioshi: "What? No, you didn't."
Gray: "I just did! When I touched your hand…I just hit you with all my strength."
Kioshi: "What? You didn't hit me, you just tapped me!"
Kioshi looked toward the observing guards, thinking of the crowd, and sighing Musashi, then back to Gray. Unable to believe what he was saying.
Gray: "Nope! I hit you with all my strength just then, you have no proof to prove otherwise."
Kioshi: "That does- "
Before she could answer the official referee and announcer screamed out, almost deafening the crowd.
Announcer: "NOW THE SECOND TRIAL HAS ENDED, CONNER GRAY KYOJIN WAS ABLE TO HIT KIOSHI WITH ALL HIS STRENGTH! WALGONIA SEEMS TO HAVE A GREAT STRATEGIST ON THEIR SIDE! ONE THAT HAS PUSHED THEM ALL FORWARD!"
Kioshi: "WHAT? NO WAY!"
The crowd roars, screaming and shouting like the examinees, while others sit in their seats dumbfounded or confused like Ophelia, while others are impressed with Gray's plan like Musashi. Arthur could only laugh, smiling and chugging down a chalice of wine.
Arthur: "That kid, he's one interesting fella."
Musashi felt a bit off by Arthurs words, losing the thought when the Exam moved forward.
Announcer: "NOW BEFORE THE THIRD AND FINAL TRIAL CAN START, ANOTHER BREAK THEN, WE WILL START THE FINAL TRIAL, SO GET DONE QUICK AND BE BACK IN THIRTY MINUTES!"
After all of that, the praise, his friends cheering, the thanks from the other examinees, and the hug from Rosemary, all added to something quite dangerous. The envious smile from Edward being the last push Gray needed to show a smile that said all it needed to.
Gray {That was way too easy.}
For better or for worse Gray Kyojins confidence was rising, even if it was a false confidence born from anxiousness and insecurity. Letting him move on, now completely full of himself. As to stay the bright light that was Gray Kyojin, he felt as if he would have to get louder and louder, stronger and stronger, win again and again, to not only live up to the expectations he was placing upon himself, but the expectation that comes with coming to another world in the first place.