Chapter 132 (1/2)

Tartet slowed his walk, and glanced over his shoulder, clearly shocked. And Randidly noticed the second that Agony’s range extended to the man, because his face immediately tightened.

“You… you are a mage?!?!” Tartet whispered, crossing his spears defensively in front of him.

Randidly didn’t bother to answer, instead just walked forward, his spear spinning slowly. With the addition of spells… Randidly had no doubt that he would be able to handle this challenger, and likely all of the bottom feeders surrounding the stage. He wondered why he had been too timid to do this in the beginning. This sort of power was exactly what the people of this world wanted. He should have recognized it from the beginning, based upon the strange tradition of Tassles.

It was time for this place to bear witness to The Ghosthound.

But before Randidly could attack, a strange chime rang out, filling every corner of the arena. Then a voice echoed outward, a low, calm male voice, who seemed almost bored with his words.

“We have reached the 1 hour threshold for the Qualifier for the Regional Tournament. At current… 23% of the contestants have been eliminated, either by withdrawing… or otherwise.” There was a long moment of silence, as the cold voice continued, still bored. “There are currently 21 individuals standing across the 10 stages. As a show of their accomplishments… their Tassles will be displayed over the stages on which they stand, until they are defeated.”

On cue, long poles slid out from the central tower, carrying with them a number of Tassles between 1 and 3. The one above Randidly’s stage had 3. His own, a rich emerald with gold lettering. A disgusting looking yellow Tassle with black letters, that belonged to Tartet.

But the final Tassle was just as strange and eye catching as Randidly’s: it was red violet, and the name of the contestant and Style were written in a sickly white. After a few seconds to consider the strange concept of Tassles, Randidly lowered his gaze, his eyes narrowed. It was time to fight. Tartet was still gazing upwards, his eyes shocked and slightly vacant.

Randidly glanced around, and it seemed like everyone was just shocked by this announcement. Was it his emerald causing trouble again…? Well, it didn’t matter. He had resolved himself to taking all of the attention, so this little extra was nothing.

He would blow away all resistance with force.

“I’ll say this once. If you don’t ready yourself, I’ll kill you.” Randidly remarked coldly, and Tartet looked down, his eyes focusing.

“Why are you… and her together…?!?!” Tartet mumbled, but he raised his spears, some of his fighting spirit coming back to him. Sensing that some of Tartet’s reaction was actually to the other Tassle, Dian’s, Randidly turned and looked at the girl.

And it was a good thing he did. The head of a spear flashed in front of him, approaching as fast as a biting snake. Randidly jerked his head to the side, and was able to narrowly escape with a small scratch. Growling, he hopped backwards, but as he made to land, his feet wouldn’t obey him, and he tumbled onto his back, a strange numbness suffusing his body.

Perhaps the snake metaphor was too apt….. Poison..?!!?

“So it was you.” Randidly could barely raise his head to look, but the voice was female, and the soft footfalls from the location where Dian had been standing revealed her. “To think it would end like this… die miserably, and let this cycle of revenge end forever.”

Dian raised her hand and flicked her fingers. As she did so, Randidly finally saw her weapon; it seemed to be more whip than spear, a long, ropey coil that ended in a viciously sharp, and poisoned, spearhead. And at that moment, with his body barely responding to his commands, the spearhead whistled towards Randidly’s heart.

****

When the Tassles were revealed, the area in the viewing tower around Shal fell silent. Egger’s expression turned nasty as he saw that only 4 of the stages contained the Tassle of the Iron Spear Style. Which, even Shal had to admit, was something of an accomplishment, even if only the non-core disciples of the Style were sent out.

But as Egger looked out, and finally saw the Tassle with the Spear Phantom Style written on it, and the Tassle next to it…

“Vampyrus…. Took a disciple?!” Egger said, gasping.

Shal nodded slowly. It had been news to him too. But none would fake their association with that Style. Even before Shal had acted, the Spearman School had turned against them.

“It appears…” Shal said slowly. “That the line of Vampyrus the Devourer has not yet ended.”

It was perhaps fate, Shal reflected, that he had bet Vampyrus’ spear earlier with Egger. A fate that was very heavy, and was now on the shoulders of his inexperienced disciple. It would be a trial, but…

No great spear was ever forged without fire.

Strangely, Shal found himself smiling. Even though obtaining information on Lucrecia was riding on his strange disciple that he had found lost and classless in one of the fiercest dungeons near Qtal. Even though the Devourer would not lightly take a disciple, and it seemed very possible that that small girl was hiding even more secrets on her body.

Besides, even if Randidly lost, Shal wouldn’t lose hope. He would kill Egger and force the information he wanted out of him, and damn the consequences.