A Terrible Villain And Their Destiny

Kristel stared at Bodger cautiously. She wasn’t sure what happened, but something about him was different now. There didn’t seem to be anything behind his eyes besides abject rage. It didn’t even seem that the wounds that she had dealt to him earlier were affecting him at all now. Kristel blinked once, realizing that the blood that had been leaking out of his wounds had now ceased. What was more obvious was how his body seemed to have swelled up a little.

She didn’t need to be a genius to know that wasn’t right. There was something magical at play here and the hardest part of the fight may have just begun.

In the crowd there was visible confusion over how Bodger just picked himself up after looking as if he were finished mere moments ago. They were too far away to notice his wounds heal. But Duchess Coldwater, Primrose, Coni, and Frans all sensed the change of mana inside Boger. It was not his own; it was unnaturally coursing through him.

“So the boy’s resorted to cheating.” Duchess Coldwater said aloud. Sable whipped over to look at her in shock, “Should we call it dear?” Duchess Coldwater asked her husband.

“No. I want to watch this play out a bit longer.” Duke Coldwater said casually before allowing his booming voice to be heard by everyone, “No one interferes yet!”

Gilles sat down on his chair looking defeated. He had a good guess of what the result was no matter what happened to the two fighting. He is so dead. He fumed internally.

Oh, I recognize what he took. But how? He wouldn’t have the funds for it. Gilles Coldwater wouldn’t have risked giving him something like that. So how? Primrose the horned Anthousai flower spirit thought as she watched. No way. Afa?

“Are you kidding?” Bryson said muttering under his breath. He was shaking up and down wanting to get down there and wring that dumb adventurer’s neck, “Move Kristel!” He shouted down instead.

As he said that Bodger gave an animalistic roar and charged towards Kristel. He was alarmingly faster than before and Kristel instinctively leapt to the side. Good thing she did as the ground gave way where Bodger landed.

The magically enhanced floorboards cracked and smashed into pieces and Bodger didn’t take any pause as he continued to chase Kristel.

“Will she be alright?” Clarissa asked tugging Frans’s sleeve gently looking concerned for Kristel.

“I’m… not sure. Whatever drug he used is strong.” Frans said slowly as he furrowed his brow as he struggled to recognize what exactly was coursing through Bodger’s body.

“What did he take?” Coni exclaimed seeing the protection break from his now enhanced strength.

“He’s going to kill her.” Sable said in horror.

“We shall see.” Duchess Coldwater said leaning over the balcony as she watched with great interest, her eyes were even glowing as she watched.

Kristel was now in full retreat mode, she continuously backed away from the raging bull that was Bodger who chased her all around the obstacle course of the arena. While Bodger was faster, he clearly wasn’t in a logical state of mind.

He was just running towards Kristel with no clear strategy. He was just running after her, not trying to cut her off, not looking around for the various traps around the arena, just chase and crush.

Kristel decided to use this to her advantage, she needed to stop his rampage, and she was not exactly in the mood to get too close to him now. She led him over to an area where a horizontal beam jutted out of one of the walls smashing into Bodger like a battering ram.

Only to break upon contact with Bodger who paid the blow no mind. Kristel’s eyes widened as she realized that she would need to try something else. Quickly scanning around she spotted another trap.

“Not bad.” Duke Coldwater said giving a small nod of approval.

Leading Bodger over to another section of the arena Kristel got the two of them into a maze of several raised platforms and pillars. Bodger now forced to do so many twists and turns had trouble keeping track of Kristel and momentarily lost sight of her.

Kristel looked back to see that Bodger was no longer following her. She breathed a small sigh of relief as she had time to collect herself. Thoughts of this were quickly thrown to the side as a roar of rage could be heard from behind a wall, which subsequently was smashed through by a raging Bodger. He had her. She was stuck at a dead end, with nowhere to go. He was finally going to kill this girl.

“Kristel!” Lila shouted horrified.

“No wait, she got him!” Lottie said noticing Kristel’s setup.

As Bodger was closing the distance a small turret that was attached to the wall over the head of Kristel sprang to life and pointed directly at Bodger and fired a constant stream of fire.

“By the gods.” Nico said out loud.

“That’s brutal.” Coni said.

“She is very perceptive.” Clarissa said nodding her head approvingly.

“Very clever.” Duke Coldwater said observing the plume of flame.

“Not good enough.” Both Bryson and Duchess Coldwater said in unison as they saw how the mana presence from Bodger still did not disappear.

Bodger came roaring through the fire, hair now singed off but visually still fine as he roared and charged Kristel. Leaping to the side, Kristel avoided being smashed into the wall as Bodger slammed straight into it.

“Fight should be over. The man has lost all sense of self-awareness, he’s hurting himself. Only more needless damage will occur to both as this goes on.” Florence said as she gleamed down with her scarlet-red eyes.

At the same time, Kristel managed to get on a rising platform and was lifted up to the highest level within the arena. Looking down she saw that Bodger had already dug himself out of the wall.

With a wild roar, he whipped his head around searching for Kristel. Finally looking upwards he saw her and in a single bound leapt upwards. Smashing part of the platform as he did so.

He descended down upon Kristel. Gritting her teeth she realized that she wouldn’t have time to get out of the way and braced herself to take the impact. Only it never came as a gust of wind sent Bodger careening off the ledge. Bodger was barely able to cling onto the side as he dug his now swollen-up fingers into the surface.

Everyone then turned to the source of the spell and looked towards Bryson who had one foot on top of the guard railing and a hand extended out.

Duke Coldwater looked over to his son, looking extremely calm he asked him, “Bryson. What do you think you’re doing?”

As most of the others looked over to Bryson in concern, Frans silently prayed for Bryson to be punished in some manner. Bryson’s own hot-headed mood immediately died out as he looked up at his father’s cool expression.

Okay Bryson. Don’t mess up. He thought as he formulated his words, “Father. I understand that a spectacle is to be made of an event such as this. But clearly, Bodger has cheated. Continuing on would simply damage what is mine. It’s not fair to have what is mine be damaged.”

“Mine, huh?” Lila said cracking a small mile. Kristel hearing this turned a shade of pink while Florence watching Kristel’s expression folded her arms and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

Duke Coldwater stayed silent as Bodger scrambled himself up from the ledge and charged at Kristel again. Noticing this Duke Coldwater gave his wife a nod who smiled and looked over to Bodger.

“Uh, uh, uh.” Duchess Coldwater said wagging a finger.

Bodger immediately froze in place mid-step, still roaring like a maniac but unable to move anymore. Duchess Coldwater then looked over to Primrose and gestured for her.

In an instant Primrose was next Bodger, gently tapping him on the back of his head and he fell unconscious and was floating in the air. A second later they both disappeared from the stadium.

Duke Coldwater then waited another moment for everyone to collect themselves before announcing, “After witnessing what has just transpired before me. I have decided to award victory to Bryson Coldwater. I thank all for coming and watching. You may leave and talk about what had occurred here.”

“Bryson, Gilles. I want to see you both in my office, immediately. Bring the girl.” Duke Coldwater said before striding out of the stadium.

Bryson breathed out a small sigh and locked eyes with Kristel giving her a reassuring nod. Almost done. Almost done.