Chapter 483: CHPT 483: Against Remus; I'll Slaughter them All..... To Save Them All...
Tuesday Morning, March 10th, 2241.
The previous night's endeavors were nothing short of terrifying. Maris became world famous in a series of competitive martial upsets that almost caused Stadium-wide riots from pure monetary loss. Claude and his friends bribed someone for the first time. And Rupont Fiara returned in all his Vampiric playful glory. Then again, he may have never left. Maris' victories caught his eye. Claude didn't like that. Thankfully she resigned-- begrudgingly.
Now it was Claude's turn.
He entered a very gory headspace as he put on his armor in the Predators Forest. He relived every battle. Every slain Kobold, Gnoll, WereWolf, Demon. Everything. His best advantage was his experience. It was good to reaffirm himself in that aspect. There wouldn't be too many students in the tournament that killed a HellBreeder..... or fought alongside a fully grown Protartyrannus. And that was a good thing. It would be easier to save them-- as pretentious as that sounded.
The forest jumped collectively like a frightened cat as he yanked the leather strap of his pauldron to tighten it over his left shoulder. He moved and flexed his muscles, feeling the animal tendon bindings grow and expand with the shift of his form. He even shadowboxed and let off a few quick movements-- making sure everything sat and fit correctly. He'd take hits like never before in less than an hour.
Beside him, Frosty, Loba and Diamondback roamed. Ready when he was.
Speaking of.
DING!
[Name: Claude Grey]
[Class: Beast Tamer ((Lunar) Druidic Warrior's Apprentice)]
[Race: Lupine of Romulus]
[Title: Walker of The Wolf, (The HellSlayer), (The Second Progenitor of Romulus), (Horde Vanquisher)]
[Level: 46 (2580/4700)]
[Stat Points: 0]
[HP: 1400]
[MP: 1200]
[Stamina: 75]
[Strength: 68]
[Will Power: 38]
[Intelligence: 15]
[Accuracy: 25]
[Agility/Speed: 90]
***
He'd gained no new Skills since entering the Tournament, but changing Cassidy gave him a Stat Point boost like he'd never seen. He spent them all in the quiet forest and exploded with bright green energy as his physical and magical capabilities increased in seconds. His beastial siblings sniffed and bit at the rivulets of power as they ascended from his skin.
Nothing major, but no reason to leave them unspent. Especially not now. Not with his current goal established. Diamondback lightly bit his shoulder as if to test his strength.
"[Ready?]"
DING!
[Skill Merge Potential Recognized Between, (Combat Meditation (LV1)--> Sensory Focus (LV2). Creating, new Merged Skill, (Mana Sensory Focus (LV2))]
Claude pulled his spear out of the dirt, ears catching the Sunlandian Guards below ground waking the students.
It was time.
Claude exited the forest. The others followed.
***
What followed was the usual chaos.....
And then the stage. A flat surface of sandy stone surrounded by what was once more sand, and now..... grass. Grass so thick in volume it mimicked the many bodies in the stands. The eyes. The howls..... the greed and anticipation.
"ANNNND.... your name-- oh!" The Announcer put the mic in Claude's face, jumping back slightly as Diamondback sniffed it.
".... Claude Grey, Beast Tamer."
He could feel the eyes of The Nine on him from their pedestal above the rest of mankind in the stands. Along with them Rupont also watched.
But ultimately, they weren't the focus. The focus stood much closer-- their smells almost distracting enough for him to miss the Announcer--
"BEGIN!"
FWOOSH!
The student opposite him-- a second year Paladin threw his shield in a burst of directionally aimed wind.
Claude sidestepped the massive metal disk and pulled his fist down near his stomach, causing the slowly growing spike of wood behind his opponent to smash into him.
CRACK!
"ACK!"
He flew towards Claude. Claude flew towards him-- moving at speeds he wasn't fully accustomed to. Moving at blink-like speeds. He brought his arm out and clotheslined the student, causing him to flip and land flat on his back.
Claude skirted to a stop. Places between him and his opponent swapped as he wiped spittle from his sleeve.
There was a plan. The student planned to use his wind element to call the shield back from behind Claude. Take him out with fine-tuned elemental control. Unfortunately, Frosty was a master of fetch.
He trotted over to Claude with the shield held in his massive jaws, dropping it at his feet.
"Thanks." Claude said and picked up the shield.
But he couldn't even hear his own words from the roar of the crowd.
"OUCH!" The Announcer yelled, "Ladies and Gentlement..... New Gloria did NOT come to play this year. We have a winner, the fastest one yet. Everyone, Claude Grey!"
The Announcer grabbed Claude's hand and lifted it high as chaos ensued all around them in a weird opposing reflection of nature.
Ronin, The Red Knight and The Dominator stood from their cozy spot above, staring. The other members of The Nine, sat back eating and talking amongst themselves. Something so simple couldn't wow them. That was a good thing-- well, less of a problem at least.
"Any words?" The Announcer asked, just as he once did with Maris.
Claude leaned into the mic, his hair shielding his face from the crowd as it hung down below his chest in heavy black shadowy strands. "No."
He handed Frosty the shield back. The VanaWarg took it in his jaws-- a rather complex hold due to his fanged tusks, and trotted over to the unconscious student gently laying it over his chest before licking his face once.
Claude bowed to the student as Healers rushed to repair and recover what must've been a crushed trachea, sternum and cracked jaw.
As they worked he could feel the restorative magics in the air-- the familiar smells of herbs and leathers as if the magical winds of varying colors were spliced with holistic ingredients in their finest forms. It gave him memories of waking up to his ribs shifting back into place after being thrashed by Samuel.
When the student was risen back to health and on his feet Claude was still bowed.
An overperformance on his behalf. For what was to come, even. An apology, for the violence he would put every ounce and fabric of his Lupine being into. Many would respond in kind, and some wouldn't be deserving of it. Then again, it was the honor and respect of two opponents to go as hard as the other.
Even so. He whispered as he rose.
"I'm sorry..... but I have to try and beat the shit out of every last one of you. I can't let them see your potential. Only mine."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
_Avatar0FFury_
_Avatar0FFury_ Gold Rank Claude Versus the World. Just a lil intro chap to build things up before the big guns step on the stage. LMK what ya think so far. I'm sorry I haven't been able to show the power of the other nations I've built up so far. I think it would've been smarter actually for the first fight to not be Maris.... but it felt so in character for her.
Anyway we keepin it goin. Thanks for reading!
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