The God of Gravity part 1: Demigod District

Dance of the Sword and Shield

"Please standby while we repair the ring," said the woman on the speaker again. No wonder, because Darius destroyed a large part of the ring. I wonder how will they fix it.

I leaned forward to see what's going on at the ring, but the drawbridge has been pulled. Then I looked at the screen above, and I saw a bunch of people dressed up as construction workers, and pouring cement on the broken part. I can't find the debris. Where did it all go? And will that cement dry before the next fight starts?

I heard a clattering sound beside me. I found out it was Sander himself as he shivered like he's cold, so his armor trembled with him. Oh, that's right, it's because he's next.

"Hey," I said. "are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said in a quivering voice. "I'm fine."

Philip laughed at his situation. "Put yourself together, man," he said.

"What if I lose this fight? What am I gonna tell my mom?"

"You don't have to think about that," I said. "You're strong, you can do it!"

I tried to encourage him enough as the woman in the speaker spoke again. "Sander Baker and Mark Laskaris, please proceed to the entrance."

He stood up, and he was still trembling, so Philip and I slapped his butt. "Teach them a lesson, Sander!" we said.

He looked at us as his anxious face turned into a courageous one. He said, "I will, so watch me make him pay for what they have done to us," as he wore his helmet.

"Alright!" we shouted as we pushed him.

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The can of root beer is still on the floor where Darius left it. He looks calm but feels disappointed with Lucas. Although he is one year ahead of him in completing the endurance training, he just gave up his chance over the fear of someone's power. He picked up the can that isn't cold anymore and drank it.

In the ring, Sander and Mark are already facing each other, after the referee retreated to his spot, but they didn't start fighting yet. "Fighting you will be a waste of time," said Mark. "You should've sat this one out like Lucas."

Sander is already in his stance with his shield in front of him and the tip of his sword pointing to his opponent, while Mark just stood there at ease.

"Unlike him," said Sander. "I have to collect your payment after what you've done to us."

He laughed. "Are you serious about that? You're such a drag, I wished I had the luxury of time so that I could've made you sit this one out too."

Sander sensed something suspicious. "One question: What did you do to Lucas?"

"Oh, that guy? We just talked to him a little bit to not waste Icarus's energy, but he refused. So we persuaded him," he said with a smirk.

"You really are rotten people!" he yelled. "All of you!"

"Hey," he said with a calm face. "we tried to do it peacefully, but-"

"Enough talk! A corrupted person like you must be taught a lesson!"

Mark frowned in a serious face and put his stance. "I guess you really want a fight, then fine."

He advanced slowly as Sander held his ground. He got closer and cleaved at his feet. Sander stepped back to dodge and Mark lunged the tip of his sword at his shield. Sander felt the strength as he retreated, then Mark jumped over, and stood on Sander's shield.

Sander tried to push him out of his shield, but Mark struck where he left an open space. Using his sword, Sander blocked the attacks, they were very strong that sparks lit up the ring.

It continued for quite a time as Sander thought, "This strategy, he stands on my shield, and waiting for me to push him away that gives him an opening to strike. I can strike above, but it consumes so much of my energy while he easily blocks them, and leave me open. I'm sorry for this, but-" Sander used his sword to pierce through his own shield, and Mark was wounded on his face, but not that deep. "Mom's gonna kill me," said Sander with a worried face.

Mark jumped off in surprise. He touched his wound on his face and saw his own blood. It made him angry as he charged. He blocked the attack from Sander with his sword and collided with his own shield. Sander pushed back, but Mark crouched on the ground and made him ride over his shield, then pushed him very strong that Sander flew up the air.

"What the-" thought Sander as he felt pain in his body when it made contact with his opponent's shield. "I can't dodge while I'm in the air." His shield is opposite of where Mark is gonna strike him, so he can't use it to block. He just used his sword, but the strike was so strong that it sparked brightly and blasted him off to the distance. He was with armor and shield, so he fell hard on the ground.

He kneeled down while panting, and taking in every pain in his body, as well as the shallow cut on his shoulder line. "An inch higher," he thought. "he could've cut my throat. He went through my armor, now Mom's gonna kill me. This is a family heirloom after all..."

"What is this?" asked DJ. "Why iz this doy removing his armor?" he exclaimed while the people in the coliseum fell into confusion of why Sander removed his armor.

"This helmet is too heavy," he said as it hit the ground in a clanking sound. What's left of him is his shield, sword, and his courage.

Sander and Leo were moved while watching the screen. They realized how brave their friend really is as he looked at his opponent in the eye without fear.

"Why is he doing this, James?" asked Mrs. Ruiz to him while they watch at the screen too.

"You may not believe it," he said while smiling. "but my brother is the strongest warrior in the family, next to Mom." Mrs. Ruiz's jaw slightly dropped.

Back at the ring, Sander removed his gauntlets and thought it was heavy too as he said, "You really like that face of yours, huh?" to Mark. "Fine, you can keep it, it's ugly, and I don't want it anyway." There's a great distance between them, so he ran towards him with his shield and sword.

Mark is just as confused as the other people in the coliseum. "Are you looking down on me?" he shouted. "You think going n***d like a pig will make you win? I will s*******r you like you are one!" he said nervously.

"WELL, LET'S SEE ABOUT THAT!!!" cried Sander.

Slash after s***h, he attacked with all of his might, and Mark retreated but struck back. The air was full of the sound of their swords and shield clashing. Steel against steel, the ring seemed like a fireworks show, by the sparks created by their swords. The audiences also felt the air becoming warm as it rises from the blazing ring. The hosts went speechless like they are watching the greatest dance the world has ever seen.

The clanging and slashing were their music, as their fight danced with it. The smoke filled the ring and the audiences can't see what's going on, but glimpses as the sparks silhouetted their last actions. Here and there, they fought everywhere in the ring, until it came to a time when Mark was tossed up in the air, and above the smoke. Sander followed him from below, with a ready-made s***h. Mark used his shield to deflect it and this time, Sander is above him.

Mark said, "Fools like you will never beat me even if you train that hard!" He laughed evilly. "You will go home crying like that Lucas, along with your worthless friends!"

"Arghhhhh!" screamed Sander as he pushed him down with his sword by having his left hand against the flat surface of the sword. Mark did the same with a smirk in his face.

The audiences watched the two of them fall back down into the smoke. There wasn't any sparks nor clanging sounds, but dead silence. They waited for a minute, and that's when people fell into more confusion.

"What is happening?"

"Who won?"

"Did both of them die?"

Then the smoke slowly settled down, and there's the two of them facing each other with a significant distance between them. They look exhausted, and just stood up from the ground. There were scars all over them, and Sander's scars were clear on his body, and he is full of blood. He panted very hard, and so did Mark. They took their time to take a breath, as well as the awed audiences of the coliseum.

Mila watched the fight with her attention focused on Sander. He threw away his shield and used that free hand to wipe the sweat mixed with blood on his left eye. He looked at Mark at the distance. He is in the same state as he is, and his armor is in shreds.

He removed it like Sander, and said, "This fight is taking too long!" while panting. "SHALL WE END IT NOW?" he screamed.

"FINE BY ME!!!" answered Sander as they ran head to head towards each other with their swords behind them. "Yarghhhhhh!!!" screamed Sander.

"Harghhhhh!!!" screamed Mark as he hastened his pace, even more, preparing to strike.

This is the last bout, the last clash, and the last dance. Two swordsmen going for each other, with the intent to kill. This is not just a tournament for them. This is the fight for their lives. One fights for his pride, and the other fights for his honor. Pride and Honor, how different are they? What's more valuable than the other that gives a warrior the strength to fight?

The battle is at its end as they finally had each other within reach. Mark lunged the tip of his sword forward, but Sander stopped suddenly and, did a corkscrew flip over him. He landed far away from him and looked over his shoulder as his sword dripped with blood. Mark had a long, and not too deep fresh wound on his back, and fell down on his face.

"This can't be happening," said Mark on the ground. "This is a daydream, a worthless piece of trash can't defeat me." Then he coughed.

"I may be a piece of trash," said Sander with a blazing gaze. "BUT NOT MY FRIENDS!!! They worked harder than me, and no doubt all of you will lose to them! Those dirty tricks of your friends will never make you win this tournament!" He knelt down in exhaustion, and said, "You should've kept your armor on."

Mark fell unconscious, and the crowd cheered wildly as Ericka announced, "The winner of this fight is SANDER BAKER!"

DJ screamed on the mic.

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