Blade of the Goddess
Chapter 83 - Starfall Showdown Tournament Part 1

Chapter 83: Chapter 83 - Starfall Showdown Tournament Part 1

"Today is the day! Zion, wake up! You can be late!"

"Ugh, Mom, five more minutes." He groaned

"Nuh un, no way. Get up right now, young man." She ordered

He sighed, pulling the covers off himself. "Fine. Where’s Lacey? She’s usually the one to wake me up."

"She’s preparing your breakfast. Your sisters and everyone else are already at the stadium. It’s just us three left."

Spashing cold water on his face, Zion woke up, got dressed, and went to eat his breakfast.

"E-Excuse me, young master?" A young maid called for Zion, a bit nervous to speak to him, especially with his mother right behind him.

"What’s up?"

"C-Could you broadcast your matches? We would really like to cheer you on." She smiled

"Ahh, yeah, I already took care of that. The newly built media room on the third floor should broadcast the match so all of you workers take the day off and watch me kick some ass." He smiled

"Thank you, young master! You’re the best!" She ran off to tell the others.

"She’s pretty. Have you slept with her?" Zaleena asked

"Mother, I’ve slept with every female that works for us in this house."

"Womanizer."

"You raised me."

---

Zion, Zaleena, and Lacey arrived at the tournament spot.

It was a massive coliseum that towered above everything, its massive stone arches casting long shadows over the crowded roads that snaked toward its gates. It felt alive—buzzing, breathing, thrumming with a pulse that matches the heartbeat of the city itself. Every block of marble, every carved column, every banner flapping high in the wind feels like it’s leaning forward, just like the people, all straining toward what’s about to happen inside.

The crowd was enormous. They poured in from every direction—merchants, nobles, soldiers, children hoisted on shoulders, wide-eyed and kicking. The seats were packed to the brim, rising up in great rings that seemed to touch the sky. Voices blurred into a single, deafening roar, occasionally breaking apart into chants, songs, and laughter. People shouted over one another, waved flags, traded stories of past glories, and argued over who might triumph this time, not that anyone dared to speak too confidently. Not today.

The smell had been thick—roasted meats spinning on spits, sweat, smoke from incense burners, crushed herbs trampled under thousands of sandals. There had been a sharp tang of anticipation in the air, something almost electric, like a storm on the edge of breaking. Birds had circled overhead, dipping low through the open roof before soaring away again, as if even they could feel the tension in the air.

Trumpets had blared at intervals, and each time, the noise had shifted—cheers swelling, then falling into silence, as the crowd turned toward the gates and wondered: Was it time? Not yet. But soon. Every breath had felt like a pause. Every heartbeat had counted down.

Inside that place, nothing else had existed. The outside world had vanished. There had only been the stone, the sky, the thunder of voices, and the weight of something immense waiting just on the edge of unfolding.

As if on cue, two majestic carriages decorated with the finest flowers and jewelry rolled into the gates, their presence turning heads and conversations sparked, wondering who could be riding in such a luxurious carriage.

Audible gasps escaped the mouths of everyone there as a race just as beautiful and majestic as their carriage stepped out, showing the world their immense beauty and elegance. Elves.

There were fourteen elves in total, half of them being dark elves while the other half were light elves. Eight guards, what looked to be the five participants, and one elf who stood out the most, obviously the queen. The light elves had your typical blonde hair, green eyes, and white skin, while the dark elves had white hair, grey eyes, and black skin. Both elves were beautiful, the most beautiful race to exist.

The participants separated from the group, heading to the designated area for the tournament participants.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!!"

Just then, in the sky, a loud screech turned heads up to the sky. Four large griffons soared through the air, holding two people each on their backs. Once they reached the stadium, the eight people jumped off, landing in the middle of the arena as if they were the spotlight.

"Hahaha! It’s been a while since I’ve stepped foot in this kingdom!" He sniffed, long and hard. "As expected, the air smells like shit!" A beastman shouted with a smile on his face. He had light brown skin with light brown hair so large it resembled a mane. He was built like a tank, tall, muscular, and had an authoritative presence that surrounded him. It was obvious that he was a Lionkin.

"That’s because you’re smelling your own filth, Belwyn." King Zircon joked, greeting the king of beastmen with respect.

"Impossible! I cleaned my fur before coming here." Belwyn sniffed his body to see if it was truly him that smelled.

"I’m just pulling your leg, my friend. Come, Queen Melina of the Elves is already here." Zircon took Belwyn to the booth where the Leaders and other important figures would be watching the tournament.

"Hello, Belwyn." Melina greeted, sitting down. She wore an elegant green dress with vines and leaves as decorations. A wood and leaf crown sat on top of her head with an emerald gemstone in the middle. Her voluptuous body only complemented her beauty, her dress barely able to keep her assets from popping out.

"Melina! It’s been a while! Ready to lose again?" Belwyn asked

Melina smiled. "Remind me of the time when you’re race ever scored higher than last place."

"Hmph, this year will be different."

"You say that every time." She smiled.

Following in the same footsteps as the Beastmen, a flying ship with a massive magic circle at the hull darkened the sky as it floated above the arena.

"Seems like the dwarves made it," Zircon said

"And they’re on time as well." Melina noticed

"Ha! We made it before them!" Belwyn stood up, pointing at the dwarven ship.

Zion watched from afar, appreciating the dwarven craftsmanship. Although the ship wasn’t impressive compared to a jet plane or helicopter, it was still impressive. Especially since it had a bit of technology in it, such as steam-powered propulsion. However, they were still way off from Zion’s technology and still relied on runes and magic.

’Tessa, scan that ship for later research.’

[Ship scanned]

Ten dwarves left the ship: five tournament participants, the king, and guards. The rest stayed on the ship and docked it at the nearby ship docs.

While the participants headed to their designated area, the King and his guards were guided to the booth for important figures.

"You better have that new wine you promised me! I came here extra early just to try it." The dwarven king said with a smile on his face. He was a short man, no taller than 4’7, wore elegant clothing and jewelry that also served as protection, all crafted by the best blacksmiths in his kingdom. He had orange hair with a large orange beard, and his breath reeked of alcohol.

"I promise, I promise." Zicron laughed. "Sit, Bromir, we have prepared snacks. The main event will start with the tournament. You’ll get your wine then."

"Fine. Hello, Melina, Belwyn." He greeted halfheartedly

"Hahaha! Bromir, my friend! We should have a drink after this tournament!" Belwyn said as he slapped Bromir’s back.

"Agreed! I’m always down for a nice cup of alcohol."

Melina sighed. "Do you only think about alcohol?"

"Only on a good day." Bromir laughed as he continued to converse with Belwym.

"Now, only the dragons are left." Zircon looked in the sky, waiting for them to make an entrance.

The human participants also made their way to the designated area to not only do last-minute preparations, but also to get to know the other participants. Zion was the only one out there as he was with Lidia, spending as much time as he could with her until everything started.

"Do you think you’ll win?"

"I know I’ll win."

"Can you beat the dragons?"

"I’ll beat the shit out of those fire breathing lizards." Zion smiled, holding Lidia and Aurora in his arms.

"I’ll be cheering you on." Aurora smiled.

"Thanks. When I hear you call my name, I’ll blow you a kiss."

"Young Master!" Lacey shouted as she ran toward Zion. "You better win!"

"Haha, don’t worry, I don’t plan on losing, even if my opponents are-"

An overbearing presence cut off Zion’s speech as a massive shadow plunged the entire capital into darkness. From above, four massive creatures descended from the sky like messengers of a god, each of them a powerhouse in their own right. It was two dragons and two wyverns.

The largest dragon landed with a massive thud that shook the arena. The other three, not as large but still huge, especially the dragon, landed with smaller thuds. On the backs of the two wyverns, two humanoid figures leaped off, their features obviously draconic, rocking dragon horns and long scaly tails.

"Lord Drakoth, I’m glad you were able to make it." King Zircon greeted the King and the largest of the dragons alongside the other leaders.

"Zircon, you brat! You grew up! You’re not the little boy I remember!" Drakoth laughed, shifting into his human form. He stood at seven feet tall and had a lean, muscular build. His hair and eyes were as black as night, resembling the color of his scales. He had a goatee, and he wore a silk formal attire for the occasion.

"Greetings, Lord Drakoth. I hope you’re doing well." Melina smiled elegantly.

"Why, if it isn’t Melina. How long has it been? 100 years? You’ve grown up well, child." He greeted back.

"150, Lord Drakoth." Melina smiled.

"Ahh, well, time is almost non-existent for us Dragons, I apologize."

"Lord Drakoth! I challenge you to a duel! We shall battle to see who is the strongest!" Belwyn bellowed, challenging the higher creature.

"Hahaha! We’ll see about that, Belwyn." Drakoth turned to Bromir. "Are you still drinking, Bromir?"

"Do you think I’d ever stop? That’s like asking if you dragons would stop collecting anything that’s shiny and pretty."

"Fair point. Well, anyway, I brought some strong liquor, so I hope you’ll be able to handle it."

"Ha! You think I can’t handle dragon liquor? You’re crazy. I can handle any liquor in this world!" Bromir beat his hand on his chest as if won a glorious battle.

"We shall have a drink then, after we beat you all in this tournament, that is." Drakoth knew what he was doing. He was a proud dragon and would always welcome competition. Just being here has his blood boiling.

"Lord Drakoth, if I may. This year might be different from the others. We’ve trained our candidates specifically for this moment." Melina informed

Belwyn laughed, "You think well, Melina! The same can be said about me and my kin! Our Elders have trained our candidates since they were mere cubs just for this day."

"Hmph, you all underestimate the power of dwarven craftsmanship. It’s obviously us who will win today." Bromir chimed in, but truthfully wanted to drink some alcohol.

"Well, if that’s what you all think, then there is nothing wrong with that. However, it’s we who will be winning the tournament this year." Zaleena walked forward alongside her sister, Raven.

"Oh? And why is that?" Drakoth asked with an interested smile.