Holding tight on his trembling courage the announcer stuttered with urgency, imploring Augustus to heed Omeus's surrender.
"S…S..S-Sir, please! He..He..has surrendered! I beg you to stop," the announcer pleaded, his words tinged with fear.
Augustus paused, his expression flickering as he absorbed the announcer's words. With a sudden change in expression, he delivered a powerful kick to Omeus's face, rendering him unconscious. Then, with humility restored to his countenance, Augustus turned to face the crowd, raising his head and hands in a gesture of victory.
The audience erupted into cheers and congratulatory screams as Augustus basked in the adoration. The announcer, his voice tinged with unease at the brutality witnessed, proclaimed in a thundering voice:
"And with a display of exceptional skill, the winner of this bout by submission is AUGUSTUS MORIEL!"
With a wave to the crowd, Augustus gracefully returned to his seat. Meanwhile, workers attended to the blood-soaked Omeus, who pleaded with them to keep him away from Augustus.
Alan watched as the Two others diligently cleaned the blood from the arena floor. Still contemplating on the two sides of the citizens of this kingdom. "Anything goes as long as it brings money and fame, huh..?" Alan pondered, his fingers grasping on the fabric of his overalls as the announcer moved on to introduce the contenders for the next bout:
"Now, Pompeii, prepare yourselves! Stepping into the arena is the champion of many contests, a warrior of unparalleled skill - LEO MISLAMA! Representing the Mislama Lineage! Versus an unexpected contender, a farmer turned wielder - Alba Famicius from the Artisans Lineage!"
From the heights where Armius sat, Leo descended into the arena, his tall figure draped in a cloak and clad in black tights. From Alan's side, a humble farmer in a straw hat and his worn overalls, stepped forward to meet him.
Facing each other quietly, they awaited the announcer's call to declare their vows. With humility and respect, they followed the announcer's instructions, signaling the beginning of their battle.
In a moment of stillness, Leo and Alba stood in their respective corners. Alba bowed to Leo, who reciprocated the gesture, showcasing their mutual valor and respect.
Though the crowd remained silent, Alan couldn't help but admire the discipline displayed by both warriors.
With a swift motion, Leo shed his cloak, revealing his hardened yet determined face adorned with two sets of green eyes. He wore a tank top, beneath which Alan could glimpse Leo's mark—a darkened symbol of a vague longsword hidden by his attire.
As Alba prepared for battle, he removed his straw hat and shed his overalls, revealing the dark etching of a woodcutting axe on his chest. With a resolute grunt, his chest glowed with a green hue as a large woodcutting axe materialized in his hand, its iron handle and metal head gleaming in the light. He floated the axe in Leo's direction, ready for combat.
Leo remained composed, closing his eyes briefly before executing a swift maneuver. With a powerful grunt, he leaped into the air, moving his hand behind his neck.
As he descended, a shining longsword materialized in his hand, gleaming with sturdiness. Upon landing, Leo plunged the sword into the ground, standing tall with his hands resting on its hilt.
Witnessing this display of skill, the crowd erupted into cheers, rallying behind Leo. Among the voices, Armis's unexpected encouragement stood out—"Leo-ro! Best of luck!"
Alan had momentarily forgotten about Armis's presence amidst the excitement of the rounds. Despite the support, Leo remained unresponsive, focused solely on the impending battle.
After a tense moment of staring each other down, both combatants let out battle cries and lunged forward.
Alba initiated the first strike, aiming straight for Leo, who deflected the blow with his sword. The clash of steel rang out, met with thunderous cheers that echoed throughout the arena.
Regaining his footing, Leo forcefully pushed Alba back and swiftly executed a roundhouse strike with his longsword. Alba narrowly evaded the blow, bending backward in an impressive display of flexibility.
Without hesitation, Leo plunged his sword into the ground, using it as leverage to deliver a powerful high kick to Alba's chest.
The impact sent Alba hurtling backward several feet, but he quickly regained his footing and charged back at Leo.
As Alba closed the distance, Leo retrieved his sword from the ground and assumed a defensive stance. Alba maneuvered skillfully, sidestepping Leo's defenses and swinging his axe with force. Leo narrowly evaded the attack, feeling the breeze of the axe just graze his temple before redirecting the strike with his sword.
Despite feeling bewildered, Leo remained calm as he capitalized on the momentum of the battle. With a swift circular motion, he swung his sword forcefully, causing Alba to retreat a few steps. Leo then lunged forward, but Alba countered with a low sweep, causing Leo to tumble momentarily.
Regaining his balance swiftly, Leo spun around and delivered a precise kick to Alba's calf, causing him to stagger. Seizing the opportunity, Leo swung his sword in an arc, aimed at Alba's axe hand, knocking the weapon from his grip and slashing at his chin, sending him crashing to the ground.
The audience erupted in cheers of enthusiasm as they witnessed the magnificent battle unfolding before their eyes. Alba struggled to recover from the ground as Leo approached him, holding Alba's weapon in his hand. Gasps rippled through the crowd, expecting Leo to strike, but to their surprise, he extended the axe back to Alba, accompanied by a comment.
"I do not strike unarmed opponents. Take your weapon and stand tall. Fight me with honor," Leo declared, his voice commanding yet filled with respect.
The crowd reacted with a mixture of cringes and disapproving yells, unable to comprehend Leo's honorable gesture in the midst of battle.
Witnessing Leo's display of sportsmanship, Alba swiftly regained his footing and retrieved his axe from Leo. With a respectful bow, he expressed his gratitude before assuming his fighting stance once again. Leo mirrored this gesture, raising his sword in preparation as Alba charged towards him, swinging his axe with determination.
Alba swung his axe fiercely from left to right, but Leo skillfully dodged each strike. In a quick turn of events, Leo attempted to counterattack, but Alba anticipated his move and leaped into the air, delivering a powerful kick to Leo's chest. The impact caused Leo to lose his grip on his weapon and stumble backward.
Seizing the opportunity, Alba swiftly closed the distance between them, striking at Leo with his axe. Although he managed to graze Leo's chest, drawing blood, Leo retaliated with a quick sidestep, followed by a powerful punch to Alba's stomach. Undeterred, Alba countered with a kick of his own, which Leo deftly evaded before delivering a forceful elbow strike to Alba's chest.
With each exchange, Leo gained the upper hand over Alba, gradually backing him into a corner. As the crowd's cheers filled the air, Alba began to lose his balance under Leo's relentless assault.
With a swift strike to Alba's shin and a deft twist of his wrist, Leo disarmed his opponent, causing Alba to stumble and fall to the ground near Leo's sword. Leo looked into Alba's eyes with unwavering determination and spoke with resolve, "Forgive me, but I must end this."
Recognizing the camaraderie between them, Alba smiled with respect. Without hesitation, both warriors swiftly retrieved their weapons and charged at each other with all their strength and determination, ready to bring the battle to its conclusion.
As Alba lunged towards Leo with his axe aimed at his head, Leo skillfully sidestepped the attack. With precision and strength, Leo delivered a powerful blow to Alba's abdomen using the flat side of his sword. The impact echoed loudly amidst the cheers of the audience, sending Alba crashing into the arena wall, creating the fourth crater of the match.
As the dust settled, Alba emerged from the crater, dazed and knocked senseless. His axe dematerialized back into the mark on his chest as Leo stood tall, his sword resting on his shoulder, a symbol of his victory.
The crowd erupted into cheers as the announcer proclaimed,
"With a spectacular display of disciplined combat, the winner of this bout is LEO MISLAMA!" Leo graciously acknowledged the applause before approaching the unconscious Alba and retrieving his valuables.
Turning to the announcer, Leo handed over a portion of Alba's belongings, which the announcer accepted respectfully. With the bout concluded, Leo returned to his seat amidst the cheers of the crowd, while Alba was escorted from the arena.
Once again, the announcer's voice filled the arena, signaling the commencement of the fifth round.
"Prepare yourselves, Pompeii, for the next thrilling bout!" The announcer's booming voice echoed throughout the arena, signaling the start of the fifth round of the Physical Trials. "In this corner, we have Felix Orberto from the Orberto Lineage! And in the opposite corner, Diana Abacus from the Abacus Lineage!"