A/N: Hey ya'll, it's been a while again, hasn't it? For some reason whenever I think I'm going to have time to do more fanfiction work, I suddenly fail at doing more fanfiction work. So moving forward, I think I'll stop saying that. Anyway, this is going to be a lengthy author's note so if you don't care about what I have to say just scroll down until the bold disappears.

Before anything else, let me just address a chief concern that many people harbored about my last chapter. Albedo losing a game of intelligence against Jircniv. First of all, Chess is less about intelligence and more about skill. Anybody with basic competence can destroy somebody smarter than them in chess so long as they spend an appropriate amount of time practicing and studying.

For a concrete example of this, Magnus Carlsen who has spent most of his life on improving his chess game has defeated Bill Gates in 9 chess moves. Does that mean Bill Gates is dumber than Magnus Carlsen by a good amount? No definitely not. The way many modern chess players get good is by studying chess theory, studying the thousands upon thousands of available games, reading the incredible amount of chess literature and of course lots and lots of practice. Even the forefathers of Chess whose theories make up the bread and butter of modern chess play had to spend years studying what moves worked in chess and what moves didn't. Chess ability is a skill not a determiner of intelligence.

In my chapter I clarified that Jircniv's chess set came with a manual that taught basic theories and he had spent much of his childhood playing the game and improving his skill in it. So, Albedo who had only heard of the game and never played it was clearly disadvantaged. The very fact that she even put up as well of a fight as she did was already pushing it. I say all this as an avid chess player.

Now onto agenda no.2. I have somewhat of a confession to make. This fic… has no plan. I had a basic idea of what I wanted and a few major events but other than that I spent no time preparing for this fic. At the start it worked out fine but as the story progressed(especially with the length of time between each chapter) it became harder and harder to sustain this approach of writing.

And it showed. Many details were added in on whims and I created waaaayyy to many plot threads. I had a sense that I needed to balance each and every aspect of a tournament fic but without planning and by just winging it that proved to be a difficult task. Many of the characters were there just to be there, and many lines were thoughtlessly added.

Needless to say I have decided to attempt to fix that from here on. I spent a while brainstorming and coming up with ideas and I now have a basic plan for what I want to happen. I figured out character motivations and how some characters are different from the others and I hope that it isn't too late to start implementing them at this stage. In my last project I learned that a rigid plan is no good and this time I learned that no plan at all is even worse. Honestly, it shouldn't have taken me this long to realize it but it did and that's that. I hope I can continue to provide quality content for my fellow overlord fans.

Along that same vein I am currently looking for competent betas who can help me salvage this fanfiction. Nothing against Pervy, he's great. But I think with two or more talented betas to really comb through the story and my writing then we can make this story much better than it is right now. Pervy has got the grammar part down pat, so I'm looking for somebody who can help with things like plot, dialogue, characters, etc. PM me if you are interested. Ideally it will be someone who has a published story that I can look at or somebody who can attest to their quality of work. Just so that I'm sure I'm getting somebody capable.

Now then you may enjoy the chapter(if you weren't one of the ones who skipped this note.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Overlord

Editor: PervySageChuck

Pervy's note: The Major is right. My skills are primarily with grammar, spelling and punctuation. I am very good at those aspects. But I am VERY weak at finding and plugging plot holes, so if anybody out there is good at that particular skill, PLEASE HELP!

Thank you for your attention. We now return you to the Fan Fiction that you were reading, already in progress.

In the enormous arena birthed by the Sorcerer King's magic were rooms located at the most isolated parts of the structure.

Simple enough in their design, they were square spaces enclosed by walls. There was no ornate design or impressive architecture. They were just rooms.

An astonishingly thick, but ordinary in appearance, wooden door situated in the corners of the rooms served as the only gateway into these rooms and within them was nothing else. If one had to note every item in the room they would be unable to mention anything apart from the evenly spaced torches that provided ambient light.

They were suffocating air was stuffy and moist, the light was dim enough to fill you with a sense of tiredness just from being in the room, and the silence was unbearably loud. Even a moment's stay felt like being imprisoned.

In this room one could hear every tiny movement reverberate like thunder in their ears as each miniscule soundwave bounced all around the room amplifying its sound. They could feel everything from the sweat trickling across their body to the blood coursing through their veins.

Spend enough time in the rooms and one would soon catch their eyes roaming, taking note of everything, They would desperately search for a break from the mind numbing nothingness. Every nook and cranny would be carefully examined and once they had scoured every inch they would do so again and again and again. When, inevitably, they were met with the same thing, it made one feel as if they didn't exist.

The room was reminiscent of solitary confinement. A fearsome punishment even for criminals. There was nothing quite like complete isolation to shake the stability of even the most hardened criminals. Endless repetition. A frightening concept.

Needless to say one would be hard pressed to house anything but one's worst enemies in these rooms, and yet on the first day of the third and final mode of battle within the Sorcerer's Cup, the door to this room swung open for the first time since the coliseum took shape.

Surprisingly there was no creaking sound from the heavy door. The smoothness with which it opened would stun even the most sophisticated carpenters. The door felt weightless, whether it was due to magic or engineering mattered not.

Following the soft thud as the door pressed against the wall, a large burly woman walked in through woman's unlady-like hair was a mixture of blonde and orange. Hardly the least lady-like feature about her.

She was large and stocky, significantly more so than most men. Her features were rough and chiseled, perhaps the furthest thing from the soft delicate appearance that had come to be expected of beautiful women.

Her robust frame was encased in an equally robust set of maroon armor. In her tree-trunk like arms was a red warpick no less impressive than herself. The ridiculously sized weapon should have weighed more than what a hundred normal men could just barely carry, but in her hands it seemed as light as a feather.

This manly warrior was none other than Gagaran of Blue Rose. From behind her, a second figure walked in. Contrasting sharply with Gagaran she was tiny and delicate. If Gagaran was the opposite of society's "perfect" feminine appearance then she was the perfect fit for it. As a maid of the Sorcerer King, despite being dwarfed in physical stature, her presence was not erased when they walked together. A testament to the beauty and grace she exuded with every simple movement.

The two walked fully into the room. Gagaran was able to take it all in for a scant few moments. Almost instantly, sweat began to drench Gagaran's back and anxiety entrenched itself into her heart.

"So... why the hell am I here again?"

Worried at the thought of staying in the room for very long, Gagaran asked the maid, who brought her here, for an explanation.

With a deadpan expression, the maid replied.

"Gagaran-san. By His Majesty's decree all participants will be shown to their own rooms just like this one prior to their match. You may use this time for anything you wish so long as you do not leave until after your match is over."

After the maid said this she bowed once, and closed the door behind her as she left.

The door made a clearly audible swoosh as it swivelled back around. This prompted Gagaran to whip back around wildly.

Gagaran quickly stretched her hand out as if to beckon the maid back but by the time she had fully turned the maid had already shut the door.

THUD. The sound of the door's closure matched her own heartbeat although her heartbeat was a much heavier sound.

Gagaran stared helplessly at the closed door, lips still slightly parted from her attempt to call the maid back. Following this brief moment of stillness, she rubbed the back of her head with a sigh.

"And I was going to ask for some company too… these maids really are all business. How do they expect me to stay here all alone?"

Her words bounced throughout the room several times before slowly fading away. At this point even Gagaran was starting to feel the heavy pressure. Large rivulets of sweat were quickly forming and gathering at the base of her chin before slowly dripping off. Strangely, when these drips of sweat splattered against the room's floor they would disappear. Clearly unnatural, it was perhaps a sign that the room had enchantments. Whatever the case, Gagaran was too preoccupied with wrestling her rampaging heartbeat down to pay attention to her sweat disappearing.

Driven perhaps by her need to feel like she wasn't alone Gagaran continued to speak despite the lack of an audience.

"How frightening. This tournament never ceases to be gruelling. Even when we're resting, our skills will be put to the test? Something like that perhaps? Should I say as expected of the Sorcerer King or as expected of the undead?"

Despite the sense of anxiety easily induced by such a tight claustrophobic room, the light in her eyes did not lose its luster. She clenched her hands causing powerful bulges to appear.

She slowly lifted her warpick above her head and formed a stance for striking.

"AHHHHH!", Gagaran let loose powerful shouts as she brought her warpick crashing downwards through the air. With a solid stomp she completed the motion of a downward swing.

The force of her swing displaced the idle air forming a moment of artificial air circulation. It wasn't much but it served to give Gagaran a moment to breathe easy.

"Fuuu~"

Exhaling, she stepped back and brought the pick back above her head.

"AHHHH! What is with this darned place?! How can a room be so damned annoying? Is there a magic enchantment to scare the shit out of me or something?!"

Though she had been led here by the tournament staff and told to wait until she was summoned she still had no idea why she had to stay in such an anxiety-inducing place.

Gagaran slapped her cheeks and shook her head rapidly. She then continued to practice her movements slowly transitioning from the basic actions to more complicated movements.

Coated in perspiration, Gagaran closed her eyes and pushed everything from her mind but the opponent.

"Brain Unglaus…"

In her memories she recalled the dashing blue haired swordsman. She saw every last detail in his movements, from the way he walked to the swings of his blade down to how he ate. Nothing escaped her notice.

"He's a formidable swordsman but he won't last against me in endurance or strength. He'll likely attempt to end it quickly and decisively with a single fearsome attack. Either that or he'll try to blitz me down."

A grin formed through Gagaran's stony features. In her mind's eye she saw the flashing of a blade,sparks flying as warpick slammed against katana. Bodies moving into a blur as they exchanged blows.

"The longer the match goes on the more of an advantage I'll gain. As long as I defend well against his first attack and then pressure him constantly I should win handily. The question is if I'll be able to survive through his initial assault."

Gagaran grunted in an attempt to psych herself up.

"Alright. No matter his trump card I'm sure 'that' spell can block it. I'll have to thank Evileye if this works out."

As she was immersed in thought a voice interrupted from outside the room.

"Gagaran? It's Lakyus. Can we talk?"

"Lakyus! Yes, come in please!"

Upon hearing a familiar voice, Gagaran's training form immediately collapsed as she turned to the door. With a half-smile plastered on her face, Gagaran set aside the warpick and walked over to the door. Gagaran rushed to open what seemed to grow more and more like the gates of hell the longer she stayed in the room but as her hand lay inches from the handle she hesitated. Out of the corner of her eyes glanced at the warpick she set aside, and a troubled look of consternation appeared on her face.

"Gagaran?"

Lakyus' voice wormed its way through the door and entered Gagaran's eardrums.

As if jolted by Lakyus' voice, Gagaran shook her head as if convincing herself of something and quickly opened the door.

A huge grin on her face, Gagaran was the picture-perfect image of an excited child. But reality was often disappointing.

When those doors opened, what met her eyes was the figure of her leader and friend, Lakyus. Her sunken eyes, pale skin,and bloodshot pupils formed a horrible sight in Gagaran's eyes.

Instantly Gagaran's smile dropped and all thoughts about herself vanished. Even the anxiety had left her in the instant her eyes took in Lakyus.

Contrasting this sorry sight with the Lakyus Gagaran knew and respected couldn't help but bring a sigh out of Gagaran. However, the disappointment quickly turned into sternness as Gagaran's eyes took on a peculiar glint.

Faster than Lakyus could react or even say anything, Gagaran brought her fist up and whacked Lakyus in the head.

Shocked, the girl clutched her head.

"Gagaran?! What are yo-"

Gagaran's lips twisted into a frown as she shouted.

"You idiot! You didn't sleep at all last night did you? Were you worrying yourself to death again?"

Lakyus' mouth opened and closed, her eyes swimming across the room as if the right answers were written on the walls. In the end she didn't do anything but sigh and bite her lip dejectedly. Or perhaps more accurately, she couldn't do anything else.

"I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm a professional I should know better."

Gagaran's heart ached to comfort Lakyus. To tell her it was okay for her to show weakness. She had been strong for them in all the years they'd been with each other but now it was their turn to be strong for her. And yet she did not. Reality wasn't so forgiving as to let such a thing slide. Steeling her resolve, Gagaran spoke coldly.

"This won't do, Lakyus. If you lose heart, the entire group will be in danger of falling apart." She placed a hand on her friend's weary shoulders. "You're the leader, right? Pull yourself together."

Lakyus smiled. Her friend's words were rough but perhaps rough was exactly what she needed.

"Yeah. Thanks, Gagaran."

Gagaran's cold demeanor quickly melted away, morphing back into her usual bubbly grin.

"Of course! Gahahahaha! If I wasn't here to knock some sense into that head of yours, where would Blue Rose be now? In the slums perhaps? Or maybe you'd all be dead?"

Lakyus pouted outwardly but the mirth in her eyes betrayed her gratitude to Gagaran. Such was the nature of their relationship that had transcended words.

With a smile that reached her ears Gagaran said, "We were turned away as Adventurers. As a noble you were invalidated. Maybe as Tournament rankers we'd finally be acknowledged,eh? Cheer up, this is going to work."

Lakyus nodded. The fierceness of her stare once again baring its fangs as she said to Gagaran.

"You better not lose, Gagaran! I won't forgive you if you lose."

Gagaran snorted.

"Hmph! I don't want to hear that from the one who lost instantly!"

"Wha- The maids were really strong! That's not fair, Gagaran!"

"GAHAHAHAHA."

Despite the initial dreary mood, the two managed to cheer themselves up as they laughed and bantered.

With her duties and desires as a friend out of the way Gagaran quickly found herself turning to their other affairs.

"Now that that's out of the way... Why is it that you came down here?"

Lakyus followed suit.

"Right... You know how Keeno's been acting weird ever since her fight with Alison?"

Gagaran nodded.

"Well, early this morning after you went ahead she said she had figured something out. And now she wants to leave for a while. The tournament's ending soon but I can't exactly let Keeno go alone and the twins are no good."

"Leave? Why?"

Lakyus shrugged.

"I'm not sure. She said something about players, meeting an old acquaintance, and the Six Gods said if she didn't get more information then things might go to hell before we get a chance to know why, much less do anything to stop it."

Gagaran frowned.

"Well, if that shorty says a situation is disastrous then we can trust that it is. Even still, it makes me uneasy."

Lakyus nodded in agreement.

"Mm. I feel the same way. That's why I'm going with her. Despite that we still have out mission here so it'll just be Keeno and I."

Gagaran stared in silence, brooding over Lakyus' words.

Perhaps guided by Lady Luck, a maid entered the room just as this lull in Lakyus' and Gagaran's conversation formed.

"Lakyus-san, Gagaran-san. I hate to break up your conversation but it's almost time for the round to begin."

The maid stared pointedly at Lakyus who nodded and got up to leave.

"I understand."

Turning to Gagaran she nodded and said, "Good luck, and I'll leave the twins to you. If we're not back during the appointed time, just fall back and head for the City-State Alliance. Find my uncle and wait for us there."

She then exited the room. Gagaran watched her back disappear from view. Though she towered over Lakyus in height, for some reason watching that back recede, Gagaran thought it seemed awfully large. With those thoughts she watched as Lakyus disappeared. She then clapped her cheeks hard with a huge smile on her face.

"Now then. Time to get fired up! Uooooh!"

She walked over to where she placed her warpick.

She picked it up slowly and gripped it tightly. With a blaze of enthusiasm lit in her eyes she resumed practice.

With every bead of sweat she flung away, every gust of wind her strikes blew. Her mind grew clearer and clearer. Eventually, only one thought remained as her body performed the movements that had been hammered into it.

"Renner! As your sworn friends, Blue Rose will definitely save you!"

"Your Majesty?"

Brain looked at his distracted liege with no small measure of concern. She was supposed to be leaving after escorting him here alongside the Sorcerer Kingdom's maid, and yet currently she stood across from him and was staring into empty space.

With his words seemingly jogging her back into reality, the Queen's eyes regained focus and she met Brain's gaze.

"Ah, yes. Brain-san. What is it?"

Brain shook his head.

"It's nothing. You seemed distracted, I was wondering if maybe you were… reliving certain things."

Renner smiled. A somber, bittersweet smile.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Brain-san. But… I've already moved on. I did what I had to do."

Renner's hands shook subtly as she said these words, an action that did not elude Brain's keen observation.

"For the people. Always for the people."

Brain sighed. He put his hands together and clenched them tightly. Tight enough for its veins to bulge.

Renner's eyes drifted to this sight for a moment before she averted them. Silence befell them. One had nothing to say and the other did not know what to say.

They relished it for a moment before Renner broke it.

"More importantly!"

Her voice rose several pitches from her previously grimmer tone and her eyes lit up as she spoke.

"I was surprised, you know! After Gazef-dono's death you went on about finding a successor and disappeared for a few years. Then all of a sudden you show up at our gates demanding to see me."

A wry smile on his face, Brain chuckled.

"How could I not? Back then, I had not found a successor that fulfilled my vision of a powerful person to grow into Gazef's shoes and maybe even surpass them. I wasn't planning on heading back just yet but when I heard the story of what happened here… I realized that this is where that powerful person resided."

Renner tilted her head curiously. On an indiscernible level her eyes narrowed with malice.

"Hmm? Who is that exactly? As far as I know there isn't a single man alive in the Re-Estize Kingdom that is as powerful as Brain-san."

Brain stared at the Queen wordlessly. An enigmatic look was nested in his eyes.

"Your Majesty...pardon me for grandstanding but over my years of travel, I've met a lot of people and learned a lot of things. And through it all I always came back to the same question."

Renner leaned towards Brain.

"Which is?"

With a smile on his face, Brain stared up at the ceiling with eyes that seemed to go beyond the roof and beyond the skies, to a place nobody could reach.

"What do you think makes a man powerful?"

Renner placed a finger on her lip as she thought about it for a moment.

"I don't get where this is coming from but… isn't it having the skills to defeat your enemies? And the courage to keep fighting even when those skills aren't enough."

Brain shook his head.

"No."

"Then what?"

Renner's brows furrowed for a moment before she caught herself and returned to a neutral expression.

"Your Majesty, I used to think that to be powerful simply meant to be stronger than everybody else. Then I met Sebas-sama and Climb-kun, and I found myself believing that power meant to have the courage to fight on and keep growing your skills. But in my years of travel I've come across a realization. The answer is neither here nor there. True power is to flow with the waves of fate. To give in to the universe's grand design. By doing this you slip beneath notice. When the strong see you as very weak that will be your strength. With that strength you can do a great many things without being contested. With that strength even the 'weak' can defy fate."

Renner grinned, holding back tiny laughter.

"Hehh? Brain-san, you've become quite the sage, haven't you? But even still isn't that logic quite flawed. If one was powerful there would be no need to give in at all. One could simply smash through the current that fate wills.

Brain smiled.

"Of course that is also power. But I believe the more impressive power, power that holds the greatest potential and holds that word's essence most deeply is the power found by those who were initially weak.

See, innate power will always come across something with greater power. It is an inevitability. Much as I came across a hurdle bigger than myself, I believe that hurdle will also find itself in a situation like that one day. In that instance it will have no other alternative than to get swallowed up because all its life it never knew any other option.

This flaw does not exist with the kind of power I seek. To know when to push and when to be pushed. To flow with the current such that you are not destroyed and to destroy in full force when the opportunity arises. Did you know that Water, the most pliant of all substances, has shaped continents. So too will this power shape all that may come before it no matter the gulf between them."

Renner's expression showed her skepticism. "Be that as it may it is still quite farfetched to use that and claim that it is power. If I were to apply that reasoning then a slave that accepts his slavery is powerful."

Brain shook his head at this.

"It is a foolhardy task to fight against the river's current. Instead you allow it to move you to where you need to be and use that brief moment of opportunity to anchor yourself and cross to where the waves do not reach you. This is the proper way to defy fate if you were to defy it at all."

Traces of sadness surfaced on Brain's expression.

"Your Majesty, did you know that the Sorcerer King offered to spare our men if Gazef were to become his vassal?"

A shadow fell across Renner's face, matching Brain's, upon hearing these words.

"Yes, I've heard."

"If he had said yes then not only would he have saved more people, he could have saved his king from an unsightly end. With the Sorcerer King's abilities, keeping Re-Estize in check is a trivial matter."

Renner frowned as she said.

"But he would have lived a captive essentially. Subordinate to a master he did not choose."

"Gazef did not hate the Sorcerer King. In fact he respected him. As for the matter of betraying the King. Gazef had always followed the King because he thought the King wanted what was best for the kingdom as much as he did. If he truly thought about it, the best path to peace would have been one under an absolute but just authority. That is something the Sorcerer King can provide. If Gazef had made the hard choice of giving in back then, perhaps we'd be better off for it now. But instead you were the one who ended up making the hard choice and bringing salvation to the people. Gazef tried to walk against the current and was swept away."

Brain's muscular but lean arms moved to unsheath his katana. Drawing it from its sheath, Brain held it up to his face. The light shone off of the blade's curvature reflecting within it Brain's face. Gone from it was the arrogance of his youth. The odd mixture of euphoria and pessimism that he had found with Sebas' help had all but vanished. He was simply content. He was at peace.

"Your Majesty, I thought I needed to find someone worthy to be Gazef's successor, someone unlike me who is too weak to defy anything even given the chance and also someone unlike him who was obstinately pushing forward with his way. But now I know, Your Majesty. That successor was here the whole time and now she has become the Queen."

At this point Renner could not hold her laughter.

"Fufufufu, Brain-san! Since earlier you've been making no sense. Me, the successor to Gazef-dono? I don't even own a blade much less have the know-how to wield one."

As he spoke, Brain's eyes showed an unwavering certainty.

"And yet you are stronger than any warrior I've known."

Renner fell silent and stared wordlessly at Brain who returned her gaze in kind. Eventually it was her who broke the silence.

"Thank you for that, Brain-san."

Smiling, Renner made a flexing pose with her forearms.

"After all your fancy talk about power you better not lose your next match! Otherwise I'll stop believing you!"

Brain laughed earnestly.

"That's unfair, Your Majesty. If you say it like that I've got no other choice than to comply."

The two exchanged knowing grins.

"Brain-san… you've changed quite a lot, haven't you?"

Brain flashed her a devilish grin.

"When a man travels the world and sees all the sights it has to offer, he is bound to change. In many ways, I'm not the same Brain Unglaus you once knew. Although I still have a lot to see, I believe I can grow a lot more as well."

At this point he paused to smirk.

"I'm even stronger too. I've yet to show all my cards in this tournament."

"Ahahahah. Well then, I look forward to your matches, Brain-san."

While telling Brain this, Renner moved to leave.

"Yes, of course."

Brain said in response.

"Well then. I suppose it's time I left."

With those words Renner headed for the door. As Renner left she gazed at Brain one more time. Her lips twisted into a deformed smile as she stared at him. She thought to herself.

"This man has found his peace... I wonder what sort of face would he make if I shatter his false sense of security? No, no I can't do that. I'm accomplishing His Majesty's orders. I can't indulge myself while on the job. Besides, Climb idolizes Brain-san."

She gazed at him with unceasing malevolence before leaving. Brain, the object of her sadistic desires was left none the wiser. He swung his blade a few times around the room. Similar to Gagaran's quarters it was stuffy and yet he seemed to move with ease and not the slightest sign of discomfort surfaced.

"So this is what it is to feel fulfilled… I feel as if even if I meet that Vampire again I can meet my end with no regrets. Well, not like that's likely to happen anyway. For now I'll chip away at this mountain known as the peak. I wonder how far I'll get before Fate finally catches me."

A knock came from the door Renner had just left through.

"Brain-san, it is time for your match."

Hand on his blade, Brain followed the maid to the arena without a sound. He truly seemed content. His steps as they inched closer and closer to the arena were even and calm.

"Gagaran-san. This is the fight of a man who strives for the peak and has found his path. Let's make it a good one!"

With those thoughts, Brain's content expression melted away and a roaring flame came to life in his eyes. The flame he had nurtured from when it was mere embers. The flame he had protected when it was in danger of being snuffed out. The flame he had learned to carry through each and every fight. The flame that now burned brightly within.

He took his first step into the light. His first step onto the arena as the new Brain Unglaus.

"UOOOH! BRAIN UNGLAUS! You better win you bastard! KYAAA! BRAIN-SAMA MARRY ME!"

Shouts and cheers of all manners erupted as the crowd caught sight of his figure. Dressed much the same as his usual, he had a simple shirt and pants. One might even see a civilian wear the arnaments Brain wore. The only thing he had for protection was chainmail underneath his clothes.

Across from him stood Gagaran who had already made her entrance prior to his. Her resplendent red armor glittering in the sunlight, the shadow she cast threatened to cover Brain's entire frame but he paid it no heed. He waved nonchalantly towards the crowd as he walked up to Gagaran.

A fierce smile seemingly permanently on her face Gagaran bellowed at Brain.

"Oi! Unglaus! You ready for this?! Don't make it too easy for me, GAHAHAHAHA!"

Brain smiled blandly. In a low, barely discernible voice he said, "If you think I'm the same Brain Unglaus you've known up till now then you are in for a severe loss."

Despite the crowd's incessant noise, Gagaran heard Brain's words just fine. Narrowing her eyes at him she said, "Is that so? Well then, I'll just have to show you. The extent of Blue Rose's power."

With the two exchanging provocations before the match, and the crowd cheering, the anticipation built up at an insane speed. Wasting no time, Aura gave the crowd a brief but enthusiastic announcement.

"Brain Unglaus vs. Gagaran of Blue Rose! Begin!"

Instantly, Gagaran jumped backwards. The distance between them widened about as far as it could go and yet both fighters knew that Brain could cross the distance instantly any time he wished.

"What's this? After all that big talk you immediately run away from me? Don't you know that if you just defend you'll lose the initiative and end up losing the fight?"

Unfazed, Gagaran scoffed.

"Why don't you just try me then and see what happens!"

Brain shrugged his shoulders. He drew his katana and entered into a stance.

Much to the crowd's agony, the two walked circles around each other. Gagaran, preventing cracks in her defense from forming. And Brain examining that defense from every angle.

"Perfect. A perfect defense. There's no opening to take advantage off… then I'll just have to burst right through it! A protracted battle is no good against her anyway."

Judging that there was no way into Gagaran's defense without slowly whittling it down, Brain decided to blast it open in one go and end her. He crouched into a low, pouncing position and activated two of his martial arts.

"[Gale Acceleration]! [Throttle Burst]!"

Like an enhanced arrow, Brain's body crossed the arena in a fraction of a second. The instant Gagaran was within his field of strike, Brain activated even more martial arts while already employing one.

"[Nail Clipper]!"

Three strikes of a blade, faster than light, with frightening accuracy, and empowered by high-velocity movement. Few people in the world could take such a move unscathed. Brain's killer move sent the surrounding air into turmoil as it moved forward seemingly unstoppably.

BANG. The resounding sound of metal clashing with metal blasted the audience's ears. When the haziness stopped, the sight before them was an amazing one to behold.

Smiling boorishly, Gagaran stood unphased by Brain's attack.

"It's going to take more than that to break through my defense, Brain Unglaus! If you think you're the only one who's built up new trump cards over the years then you're sorely mistaken!"

Brain jumped backwards without hesitation. It was this decisiveness that saved his hide as only a split-second later the spot he stood on was struck by Gagaran's warpick.

As he took his distance, Brain replayed what had happened in the moment that his move was supposed to have struck. His blade was following its path but when it neared Gagaran it suddenly came across some sort of barrier. It was as if he had just tried to hack a mountain down. Perhaps a mountain might have been even simpler to cut than whatever protected Gagaran.

"Hm?...the rebound force…"

Brain diverted his attention to his hand that held his katana. It was currently trembling uncontrollably as vibrations rocked the blade endlessly.

Brain controlled it with a second hand and jumped away once more at the same moment.

"Where do you think you're looking?!" came Gagaran's shout as she slammed her weapon into the spot he had inhabited only moments ago.

"Oryaaaah!"

While Brain had yet to catch his breath, Gagaran pressed her advantage and charged at him.

Reflexively, Brain almost jumped back but at the last moment he stopped. Gagaran's eyes widened into saucers and traces of excitement leaked in as she witnessed this action. In the very next moment she was within striking range.

"Here it comes! Take this, Brain Unglaus."

Accompanied by the tune of the shrieking wind, Gagaran's warpick hurtled towards Brain.

Despite the impending threat, Brain simply stood there with sword in hand. Traces of a smile on his face could be spotted.

WHOOSH. With the swing completing it's arc the shrieking wind turned into a booming sound as air was tossed about.

"Wh-what?!"

Gagaran was shocked still for a brief second as her eyes processed what was before her.

Her warpick, in the moments before it made contact, drastically changed direction. Brain's sword struck it with minimal force from an odd angle and the weapon had simply slid off.

Nevertheless, Gagaran did not stay shocked for long. Despite the ridiculous angle she was now holding the warpick in she continued her unrelenting assault. Once her ultimate move of fifteen strikes begun there was no stopping it barring her own untimely demise.

"AGHHHHHH!"

Yet no matter how desperately she struck or how hard her blows were they were all lightly swatted aside by Brain as he moved his sword in a strange way. It was almost like a dance the way Brain moved. There was something mesmerizing about the way he moved as he diverted the power of Gagaran's attacks.

At the end of Gagaran's Fifteen strikes, she was left gasping for breath and with no results to show for it.

She faintly heard a whisper from Brain which gave her the move's name.

"[Dance of Flowing Water]."

Underneath her breath she muttered, "That's quite the defensive martial art you've got."

And then it was over.

"[God Flash]"

Two words. With those two words Brain had effectively defeated Gagaran.

A large gash appeared on her armor, Gaze Bane, as blood burst out in enormous quantity. With how much of the blood was dripping, Gagaran might as well have gotten her armor a new paint job.

And yet Gagaran remained standing. Her eyes refusing to admit defeat.

She asked Brain a question. Like a dying man wishing to die with some closure.

"Was I too obvious?"

Brain smiled. His blade still drawn, he positioned into a stance.

"I've been through a lot. The way you charged at me, refusing to let me rest after successfully blocking my move. You were too rushed. I speculated that the block was a onetime use. Or at least had a small limit."

Gagaran chuckled, which was followed by blood bursting from her mouth and splattering onto the floor.

"Brain Unglaus. You've gotten stronger."

With this exchange of words, Gagaran fell to her knees. Her blood loss was quickly proving fatal as huge amounts of it poured out onto the arena floor around her. At the rate it went it wouldn't be long before she was surrounded in a sea of red.

Coughing up further blood her body lowered to the ground, her grip on her warpick failing rapidly. Brain saw this and approached. Perhaps to lend a hand.

STEP. Perhaps it was fate's way of warning Brain but in the exact moment he got within striking range of Gagaran his step resounded abnormally loud causing him to pause.

Roaring like an enraged animal, Gagaran swung her warpick at him.

"I told you! You're not the only one who's gotten STRONGER!"

At first glance this was a simple last ditch attempt. A desperate move with no chance of success. But if one looked closer, they would see that the strike Gagaran was attempting was leagues ahead of anything else she had done.

This was exactly what Brain saw. In the face of this ferocious attack, Brain saw no escape. Perhaps if he was in a better position he could dodge it but he was already much too close. There was nothing left for him but death.

SNAP.

With a resounding scrunch it went flying. The warpick in Gagaran's hand had flown off and slammed into the arena walls.

"F-Fuuu~"

Exhaling shakily, Brain calmed his trembling as his hair, which had been blasted up by the wind current, fell back down.

Just below him was Gagaran who was now teetering on the edge of consciousness. Her arm which was outstretched was bent at an impossible angle. One could see sharp but shattered bone protruding from her elbow. The blood which was already pooling up around her had made a mess everywhere. Even Brain had specks of blood on him from Gagaran's excessive bleeding.

"N-Not yet. I can't… I can't lose yet, I st-still..."

Though she struggled to rise, Gagaran's body could no longer follow her thoughts. With those last few words of defiance Gagaran fell to the ground completely.

One could say she was lucky to get off with just a broken arm. She had just attempted the special move she had spent recent years developing. It was powerful yet incomplete. Even when using it in peak condition Gagaran would suffer backlash. She had just attempted it with one arm and while seriously injured. It was a miracle that nothing more than her arm was damaged. With the immense amounts of stress the martial art inflicted on her body it wouldn't have been farfetched for her body to implode from the strain.

Inferring as much, Brain looked at Gagaran with some trepidation.

"What was she fighting for, to make her resort to such a risky move?"

While Brain was thinking about the matter, his match was pronounced over.

"And just like that Brain Unglaus defeats his opponent while sustaining little to no damage! What swordsmanship! What skill!"

The crowd cheered and many praises were thrown Brain's way but he heard none of it. Even as he walked off his mind lingered on his unanswered question.

"Why did Gagaran fight so hard?" Brain had an inkling that the reason wasn't a simple one.

"She must have had quite the reason to push herself so extremely hard like that… I'll have to ask her when she's healed."

A serious expression on his face, Brain walked in the direction of the arena exit. It was a simple hall that lead to a series of pathways and staircases that connected nearly every separate segment of the structure.

"Hm?"

Brain's steps came to a halt just before entering the hallway. There blocking his way was Alison Lillias.

She wasn't explicitly in his path and yet her sense of presence was crushing. Brain felt like a wall had dropped down right in front of him.

Alison had her back to the wall left of Brain. Her scythe propped up against it beside her. She did not gaze in his direction but Brain could clearly feel her letting out killing intent.

"Alison-san. Is there a problem?"

Despite being calmer than he used to be, Brain couldn't help but shiver.

Alison's eyes opened and she turned her head slightly to catch Brain's gaze. Brain's heart slowed from a crawl to a complete stop as those tiny pupils of hers locked his in. Despite the predatory nature of her gaze Brain couldn't quite look away.

"You… you held back on me during our last match. You and that irksome woman."

Alison's voice was calm but the undertones of rage could not be missed. Sweat pouring down his back in streams, Brain chuckled.

"It's a tournament after all. Showing all your cards at once is hardly appropriate."

Alison continued to stare at Brain. It seemed as if their staring match would go on endlessly. Brain gulped.

SCHING. Alison picked up and moved her scythe in a way that dragged it across the stone causing a loud screeching noise. In that manner without saying a word she broke her gaze and walked past Brain.

"When it's our turn to fight you better show me everything for real."

With those words Brain's heartbeat came back to life.

His shoulders noticeably slumped after being so tense only moments before. With a wry chuckle he muttered.

"I still have a ways to go before I reach the peak, don't I?"

Despite his helpless words, his body language clearly said he wasn't feeling the same way. He straightened his posture and relaxed his body. With a confident smile, he shouted.

"Bring it on!"

To whom? Even he did not know.

A/N: And there you go. Please do leave reviews, follows and favorites as I enjoy numbers. I'll see you all in the next one. (if this chapter didn't lose me all my readers.)