Chapter 257 (1/2)

Was it just him, or…

Did this skill appear totally useless…?

Randidly tried to refrain from judging too hastily, and used the skill. Immediately, in the room around him, a light mist began to form on the ground. Very soon these figures resolved themselves into images of his father, who stepped forward out of the mist, his face lined and serious.

“What can you offer me?” The man said simply, looking Randidly up and down, his gaze lingering dismissively on his armor. “Even after all of this time, and all of this… ‘self improvement…’ you are nothing-”

Randidly dropped the skill, his fist clenched in rage. He breathed in slowly through his nose, then out through his mouth. Although he had addressed a lot of things in that strange purification process in the Trial of Ash, he had not rid himself of the long years of hatred and resentment and hurt he had towards his father. Besides, what Randidly experienced in the trial was at best the ghost of the past. It would have no bearing on the present.

That father that he connected with in that moment existed no longer. This father, the one who was disappointed, was the one who actually existed.

Perhaps there were some uses for this skill, after all, training his mental state, and maybe learning some assistance skills from it, but Randidly didn’t want to bother with it right now. Instead, he entered a meditation state, breathing slowly.

After an hour of sitting like this, his eyes flickered, and then opened slowly. It was time.

****

Ciel sat in the underground room below the stage, trembling slightly. Ever since yesterday, when she had had a long talk with Claptrap about seizing her potential, she couldn’t stop. She felt… out of control somehow. It was a wild, ravenous hunger inside of her that wanted her to rip and tear her way to the top. But…

It threw off her mental focus. It was a more wild and desperate desire to win than she was used to. Whereas she had previously had a firm determination to make the proposal, and then win, now she wanted to destroy in kill, cutting her way to a more perfect fate.

But she was not the pampered daughter for nothing. Although she had been powerfully incited by Claptrap, and it had carried her to now, she breathed calmly, and her trembling slowly fell away. The heat was pushed back as she focused on the issue at hand. A single victory, seizing the momentum by proving that she was more than just someone who would birth the next generation of the Steel Feather Style.

The referee announced her name, and Ciel stood, gracefully walked up the staircase, her nerves and strange fire from earlier disappearing. She shook her head, amused. Why was she so concerned and fearful. This was the spear. And in terms of the spear…

There was no one who could surpass her in mastery of the Steel Feather Style.

Ciel stood and turned, as her father cheered loudly from the announcer stand, and looked at her opponent. Perhaps what had shaken Ciel most of all was how Claptrap had changed so much, and attributed it to the man in front of her. The Claptrap she had known was sweet and somewhat shy, but now he was capable and intelligent, swiftly becoming the leading businessman in Deardun.

Maybe in the entire Northern Region, at this rate.

Her opponent stood tall, holding a thick and black spear made of heavy obsidian. His hair matched the spear, falling to his chin. His eyes were focused and bright, a brilliant emerald that seemed to grab the attention and wouldn’t let it go. There was a feeling in the air around him too, that made Ciel cautious. She was also aware that in addition to being a rather accomplished spear user, he was a master of spells, and would use the combination of these to throw off her rhythm and strike.

This was a daunting prospect, but her father had insisted on spending the previous few days going over ways to counteract the mage’s ability to strike. They hadn’t thought to discuss it before, due to the the nature of the tournament rarely attracting the mage types, but even her father admitted that when it came to utility, there were few who could match the Ghosthound.

But utility wouldn’t win matches, he assured her. Power and technique would. Although she knew that the extra attention was likely due to the proposal bet, it was still fun. But for Ciel, what made her the most upset, and the most happy, was suddenly how important her father seemed to regard her, training her in the break.

Happy for finally feeling valued and validated. Upset because of how much she relied on him for support and validation. Ultimately though… none of his actions would matter. Only hers were. In this moment, she could seize her own validation from this match.

Ciel smiled.

****

Randidly looked at the woman he would be fighting, his blood pumping powerfully through him. She certainly was lovely. He could understand why Claptrap had gone to such lengths to grasp her attention. But what had him the most interest in was her spear.

It was long and grey, and spread out in a fan of steel feathers on both ends of the shaft. He hadn’t really encountered it up to now, but he made a mental note that he would also need to watch out for the butt of the spear, which would also contain a large destructive power.

“Are both fighters ready?” The referee intoned. Randidly nodded. Ciel did as well, still smiling at him.