Chapter 331: Tournament Start! (2/2)
This was not the first time that Li Shiming ever felt the glory of his family. But this time, he felt an impending inevitability in the grace of his ancestors for the first time. He knew then that the deeds of his ancestors would, and should, never be forgotten. It was his duty to carry on the flame, protecting it so that its light would never wane.
”LI SHIMING!-LI SHIMING!-LI SHIMING!”
The shout of the audiences was intoxicating. When he younger, Shiming might have flushed in a fit of self-indulgence. But, he had grown up, and had become custom to the frenzied crowd. Li Shiming masked his face with a faint and aloof smile, then he bowed to the audiences. Li Shiming's natural and unaffected manner struck a chord with the audiences, as a wave of blaring applause erupted in the arena.
”What's up with the hype?” Karl said indignantly.
”Don't be jealous. When you are as powerful as him, you would be popular as well.”
”It's hard. He holds an advantage in the tactics he uses. We are born to serve the prince on his high horse.”
”Hey, don't be so pessimistic!” Karl shouted. Karl had dabbled himself in METAL combat before he switched to Fleet combat. Therefore, he knew the importance of tactics to a fighter's power. Although he wanted to see his friends remain hopeful in their victory, he conceded that the power gap between his friends and Li Shiming was huge, despite the fact that he still saw a sliver of hope in Wang Tong.
The fight had begun. Li Shiming's opponent, Dong Liang, shouted a battle cry and then hacked at Li Shiming with a blade. He knew that the odds were against him, but the hopeless situation seemed to have spurred his courage and lent him mettle.
Li Shiming was a good fighter, and an even better showman. He waited until the tip of the blade was only an inch away from his neck, then he suddenly snatched the blade with two fingers— a familiar troupe in many movies. Dong Liang struggled to get the blade out from in between Li Shiming's index and middle fingers, but the clamp was iron-tight. All the while, Li Shiming stood still and did not attack his opponent, nor did he take away the blade. Dong Liang's face flushed red and finally let go of the blade handle. He stepped back and bowed to his opponent, ”I submit. You have won.”
Dong Liang had realized that the gap between his power and that of Li Shiming was unbridgeable, and continuing the fight would be pointless, especially when Li Shiming had already given him face and didn't humiliate him in front of the crowd.
A wave of cheers rose from the audience. Although everyone had expected Li Shiming's victory, they praised his consideration for the dignity of the weak.
Li Shiming bowed to the audiences again before he retreated to the backstage. He had won not only a fight, but also the hearts of his viewers. Li Shiming knew that to he needed the public's opinion on his side to sit on the throne of the world. He reckoned that there was nowhere better than the stage of the tournament for him to perform PR stunts.
Meanwhile, on the Moon, the Ivantian Prince, Patroclus, had also shown up at his qualification match. Even the Ivantians were excited by the rare opportunity to take a glimpse at Patroclus's power. All the Ivantians believed that the title of champion of the tournament belonged to Patroclus, and even Li Shiming was no match for their prince.
Patroclus's opponent was a second-year student at the Starry Sky academy. Like many participants of his age, he was a fourth level METAL fighter. Knowing that it was hopeless to win the fight, the boy wanted to give up the match before it even started. However, neither the organizing committee nor the audience would allow him to spoil their show. After a while, the young boy plodded into the arena with a solemn face.
As desperation festered inside the Ivantian boy, he charged up his soul energy and hurled himself at Patroclus like a religious martyr. Before the tip of the boy's sword found its target, Patroclus suddenly disappeared into thin air. Seized by despair and hopelessness, the boy was not able to stop his movement, and he crashed into the wall behind Patroclus. The blade bounced off the wall, and the back of blade hit the poor boy in the face and knocked him out.
Game over.
Zhang Jin watched the short and almost comical ending of Patroclus's first fight, and she fell into deep thought. Just like Rilangalos, Patroclus was perfect, not only in combat, but also in anything that could lead him to more power. What was hidden under his power frightened Zhang Jin. She knew that no one would be able to stop Patroclus once the beast inside him finally woke up.