A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1454 - 1454: Impressive Talents - Part 3

Given that the three of them were to be up next, Blackwell men came to take over their position as referees.

"I've got to go," Nila said regretfully. "Tell everyone good luck from me, will you, Oliver? I'll be back to cheer everyone on as soon as I've got a minute spare."

"Mhm, I shall do. Work hard," Oliver said.

"Uh-huh. Byeeee!" Nila said, waving to them all as she left. From the way that she was running, she'd already stayed around far too long.

"What do you suppose their chances are, my Lord?" Verdant asked, as their Patrick men took to the field, and lined up in waiting along with the rest of the men.

"I think they could win it," Oliver said honestly. "Provided they don't run into any Second Boundary men that have slipped through the cracks, I think they have the tools to go all the way."

"Wait? Captain? How come you didn't say that about us?" Firyr said.

Oliver didn't deign to give him a reply.

"The crowd seems to be in agreement with you," Verdant noted. They overheard some bets that were getting called out, and the Patrick men, it seemed, were quite a popular target for those willing to place down coin. For good reason, Oliver thought. Those that remained had put in a good showing for themselves, and even those Patrick soldiers that had been taken out of the competition early on had put on enough of a show that it seemed they could have gone further, had luck been on their side.

When the bell rang, Oliver's officers attacked the field in much the same way that they had before. Jorah preferred to keep his own position, playing it defensively – though this time, he had two other Patrick men that chose to stick with their Commander – whilst Kaya and Karesh sprinted in opposite direction, looking for whatever prey that they could find.

Ever since Kaya had taken his blades from his gauntlets, he'd been eyed with excitement. He was able to go forth with a ruthlessness that the other soldiers weren't capable of, for fear of holding back. Without hardly saying a word, he'd become very much a fan-favourite, for how unique his fighting style was.

A great groan of delight came from the crowd, as Kaya punched his first man in the stomach, winding him through the chainmail, and then smacking him across the jaw to knock him unconscious once he'd bent over.

Karesh must have heard those noises, and known who they were for, since he went about finding his first men with even more ferocity than before. He had barrelled into an ongoing duel to find his opportunity, and he swept with his greatsword, cutting a man across the cheek before he could properly reorient himself to the fact of Karesh's arrival.

To Karesh's great disappointment, however, his display wasn't met with quite the same excitement as Kaya's was. Oliver thought it to be a pity, and almost felt sorry for the youth, but he knew that to simply be the way of things. In a tournament where they could only stop at the first drop of blood, Karesh's more unwieldy greatsword found difficulty in holding itself back enough that it wouldn't simply cut a man straight in two. Oliver found that he respected the skill in which Karesh displayed in holding himself back to that degree, but even if the crowd didn't acknowledge it as he did, it didn't make for quite the same display a Kaya ruthlessly knocking men out cold with nothing but his armoured fists.

There was a great deal of complaining from the two men whose duel Karesh had interrupted, and in short order, he found himself surrounded by three individuals, as they seized on the opportunity to unite against a common foe. He spat on the ground, making clear his distaste, but he hardly took a backward step, as he warded them off with his weapon.

Though there were three, he didn't look to be disadvantaged. They dared not rush forward too recklessly, for fear of the retribution that Karesh would almost self wreck on them.

One man ducked forward, and in an instant, Karesh's sword was sailing his way, threatening to cut open his chin. Just barely did the soldier manage to get his short sword up, though the force of the strike sent him hurtling backwards.

Then the next soldier came, in place of the first, his spear low, his movements frantic, aiming his thrust at Karesh's belly, seeming to have forgotten the need to hold back. It was the sort of strike that could easily have pierced Karesh through.

Yet the boisterous young man met it with all the confidence of a soldier that had seen many bloody battles – and indeed he had, despite his youth. He let the point of his great sword run on the mud, as he reached out a hand, and deflected the point of the income spear across his bracers. He looked set to perform a counter strike, but before he could, the final man came in, closing the distance in an instant, and aiming his mace at Karesh's ribs.

Barely, just barely, did Karesh manage to step free of it. With his great sword in the ground, he punched the man crisply in the nose, making it clear for all who were in doubt that he and Kaya shared much the same blood. The strike crunched the bone of the soldier's nose, and quickly, a waterfall of blood ran its way down its lower lip.

Now the crowd was cheering for the young man with the greatsword, as Karesh had wished them to from the start. They'd seen how he'd turned the tables on three men all alone. Karesh picked his greatsword up with a grin, and descended upon the final two.

"Huh?"

A blur flashed past him, and he felt just the slightest nick of pain. Loud boos came from the crowd – a rare achievement. But the soldier and his dagger didn't seem to mind.

"Sorry!" He said with a broad grin, before dashing away, leaving Karesh to feel dumbly as his cheek, and the fresh wound left on it.

"OUT!" One of the Blackwell referees announced, grabbing the dumbfounded Karesh by the arm, and pulling him off the field.