Victor gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on his sword. With a roar, he infused his blade with a shimmering blue aura and lunged forward.
Spark met the assault with ease, deflecting the strike with his wooden sword, the clash resonating through the arena.
"What?" Victor's eyes widened in disbelief as his powerful attack was effortlessly blocked by a mere wooden sword. His jaw clenched, and he charged again.
Under the relentless strikes of Victor, Spark moved with fluidity in his steps, his movements almost lazy as he deflected Victor's attacks with ease. Each of Victor's strikes, enhanced by his aura, met the solid defense of Spark's wooden sword, and each time, Spark's expression remained one of detached amusement.
"Just because you won against a few nobodies, you think of yourself as a genius?" Spark mocked, his voice carrying across the arena. He sidestepped another of Victor's attacks, his wooden sword coming down with a sharp crack against Victor's shoulder, sending a sharp pain through Victor's whole body.
Victor staggered back, the force of the blow almost making him lose his grip on his sword. He gritted his teeth, his aura flaring even brighter as he tried to regain his footing.
"You don't understand my resolve!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation and determination. He launched himself at Spark again, his sword a blur of motion.
Spark yawned, almost exaggeratedly, as he dodged each of Victor's strikes. Not a single blow came close to landing.
"Is this all you've got?" Spark asked, his tone dripping with disdain. "You're not even making me break a sweat."
He swung his wooden sword, catching Victor again on the shoulder and sending him sprawling to the ground.
The crowd gasped, their eyes fixed on the two combatants. Victor, who had been undefeated previously, struggled to his feet, his aura flickering around him like a dying flame. He charged again, his movements fueled by sheer willpower.
Spark's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he intercepted Victor's attack, twisting his wrist to disarm him. Victor's sword flew from his grasp, clattering to the ground a few feet away.
"Pathetic," Spark said, his voice a soft, cutting whisper.
Victor dropped to one knee, panting heavily. He looked up at Spark, his eyes filled with frustration and humiliation.
"I... I won't give up!" he shouted, trying to summon his aura once more.
Spark's expression softened into one of mock pity.
Before he could react, Spark delivered a sharp smack with the wooden sword, sending Victor crashing to the ground once more.
"Sneak attack on a noble? You know even the tower won't be able to protect you for this offense," Spark said, his tone cold.
The steward, on the side, paled, knowing the atrocity Victor had just committed.
Spark raised the wooden sword, ready to punish, but the steward rushed forward, his face pale with fear. "Young lord, please, stop!"
Spark's eyes narrowed and asked. "Are you also going against me?"
The steward's face drained of color. "No, young lord. Forgive me, but the Tower Lord left Victor in my care."
"Oh, that old man did," Spark mused, lowering the wooden sword slightly. "Seeing it's that way, I can let him go, but I need compensation."
"Compensation?" The steward looked bewildered, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Compensation for wasting my time," Spark replied, his tone icy.
The steward swallowed hard, his mind racing.
"How should I compensate you, young lord?" the steward asked, a wry smile forced onto his face.
"Give me the Golden Pill, and I'll forget his repeated offenses," Spark demanded.
"But the Golden Pill..." The steward hesitated, his expression one of distress.
"Why are you being stingy? It is only one pill. I'm sure your tower can bring out many," Spark said, his voice filled with mockery.
In the end, the steward relented, reaching into his robe and handing Spark a small box with a golden pill inside.
Spark took it with a satisfied smile, tucking it away. "Consider this matter settled."
With that, Spark left the arena, his demeanor calm and composed. The crowd watched in stunned silence as he walked away, leaving Victor and the steward behind.