The final exchange was a simultaneous, perfectly timed blow.
Leon, harnessing his 'Heart of the Dragon' state, charged forward. Thrusting his gauntlet-covered fist without any restrain. Turning it into a hammer of living electricity.
Lion, channeling his 'Great Martial Resolve' state, also sprinted forward. Striking his bare palm outward with his remaining ki power.
A golden shadow of a gigantic palm met an enormous mirage of blue-and-silver lightning fist. The collision caused a blinding explosion.
KA-BOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward with such force that the arena floor were shaken violently. Dust rose like a cloud of ash. Even the spectators could feel their seats vibrated wildly due to the impact.
When the light faded, Leon stood tall in punching pose. His gauntlet was sparking. His breath was ragged.
Lion Fist, meanwhile, was dropping on one knee. A faint sheen of golden light still clinging to his fists. His breath was shallow but steady.
Jack noticed that the arena's floor around them was wrecked. The tiles seemed to be carved in an intricate pattern of scorch marks and electric cracks.
The official's voice resounded. Announcing the result of the duel. "Winner... The Battle King... Leon Drake!"
The crowd erupted. It was a spectacular finish. Leon stepped back. His armor faded. Looking exhausted but victorious.
He helped Lion Fist up. And the martial monk received the aid with gracious manner. He even bowed deeply. Acknowledging Leon's superior combat capability.
Throughout the entire process, Jack had stayed vigilant. He had watched the shadows in the arena and beyond the arena. He had watched the high-ranking officials in the box seats.
He had looked for the tell-tale signs of a hidden plot. A subtle spell being woven, a hidden weapon being drawn, a signal being sent...
But nothing happened.
The duel was clean. The troublesome elements... the pirates, the cultists, the syndicate members... They were all stayed in their seats. They watched with interest. Some with frustration, but none interfered.
This bothered Jack more than an ambush would have.
"You look troubled, Dear. What's wrong?" Reina asked.
"It's too quiet. Too clean." Jack said. He looked up at the mountains looming over the city. "It's hard to believe that the cultists and the pirates come to this tournament just to enjoy the show. But other than Baron Burst's insane stunt, they did nothing else."
Reina frowned. "That's true. Their target isn't the Barrle King Duel then. But, if that's the case..."
"The Great Game of Glory is tomorrow." Jack said. "There's a high chance problems will appear in that event. Let's keep our vigilance."
The award ceremony was held immediately after the final bout. By then, the sun still sat high in the sky. Just beginning to start its descent. Its light was reflected off the polished steam-pipes that lined the upper tiers of the stadium.
Leon stood at the center. He had completely retracted his draconic plate armor into his body. He now looked like a common mercenary with his leather outfits. Looking slightly tired but steady.
The official loud voice reverberated. "Let us now present the rewards for the winners of the Battle King Duels!"
He raised his hand. "To our Champion, Leon Drake, we present the great title of 'Battle King'!"
Suddenly, a glowing pillar of light descended from the sky. Bathing Leon with its radiance for a few seconds.
Jack activated his [Eyes of Judgement] to observe the title blessing. He had learned from the previous award ceremony given to Reina and Aella. The given title was actually some kind of a permanent buff.
This 'Battle King' particularly, had enhanced Leon's reaction speed, stamina, vitality, and health recovery. And the enhancement magnitude was quite significant.
"Alongside this blessed, honorable title..." The official continued after the radiance dissipated. "... you shall receive a substantial reward of twenty thousand gold coins, and a legendary artifact, the [Ancient Serpent Spear]!"
An assistant brought forward two large pouches of gold coins. Twice as many as the reward for the champion of the Marksmanship Mastery. Probably because there was higher risk of death and injury in the Battle King Duel.
Jack had already learned that the monetary prize was not actually literal. The coin pouch didn't have thousands of coins inside. Instead, each pouch would have at max a hundred white-gold coins in it.
In Grandmoon Kingdom, a white-gold coin was pretty much equal to a hundred gold coins. Unfortunately, that was not the case outside the kingdom.
In the arena, two other assistants appeared. Carrying a long, ancient spear. The shaft was made of a dark, oily wood. With patterns that looked like snake scales. The wavy, snake-like spearhead was forged from a green-tinted metal.
Jack used his [Eyes of Judgement] to appraise it from afar. It was definitely a top-notch, enchanted weapon. It could summon a great serpent shadow twice a day. And it had an extreme piercing force that could break most defense with ease.
When Leon took the weapon, a faint hiss could be heard echoing through the arena. Unfortunately, Leon wasn't a spear user.
In fact, none of the crew members had experience in using spear for combat. The closest one with experience for such weapon was Argust. He had learned how to use quarterstaff for battle in his youth.
Next to be rewarded was Lion Fist, the martial monk. He had taken his loss with a calm expression.
As the runner-up, he was awarded the [Eight Ring Bracers]. They were thick bands of black iron with golden rings that normally rattled with every movement.
Jack's appraisal saw that these bracers were designed to enhance the force of a punch and provide a rotating energy shield, quite efficient against both projectiles and melee attack. Provided that the user was accurate and quick enough, as the range of the 'shield' was pretty small.
Lion Fist also received a substantial amount of gold and the title 'Duel Lord', which granted him a bonus to his defense when facing a single opponent.
And then... Fuuka Chain, the shapeshifting sorceress who had secured third place, stepped up.
As the award, she received the [Earring of the Wind]. Jack's appraisal immediately worked again.
The earring was a delicate piece of jewelry. One that allowed the wearer to sense disturbance in the wind and enhanced the sense of hearing. Giving the wearer an ability to eavesdrop a conversation in the distance with proper concentration.
She took her gold and the title 'Master Fighter' with a sharp nod. The title simply gave her a slight bonus to battle instinct and physical recovery.
The crowd's cheering during the award session was a constant roar. Jack calmly watched from the stands with his crew members. He leaned back. His eyes were scanning the winners and the audience.
He wasn't interested in the gold or the fame. He had plenty of wealth already, and fame was too bothersome. He wouldn't mind gaining the fame by joining as his kamaitachi form though. Its rate of power development was linked to fame after all.
However, joining the tournament as a non human wouldn't be that easy. And he didn't want too many people, including his crew members, to know that he had multiple incarnation avatars. It was a hidden trump card after all.
But, since joining this expedition, he hadn't used many of his incarnation forms. Not once did he transformed into the Racer Jack. And it was also rare for him to be Jack Mystery or Jack Lantern. He needed to do something about this.
Jack looked at the dazzling light reflected by the polished steam-pipes on the upper tiers of the stadium. A rough idea came to his mind. A plan to let more of his incarnations to be involved with this treasure hunting expedition. He needed to polish that idea...
"Leon did well." Reina said. Her voice was quiet, yet it cut through the noise easily. "But, the spear was just like the bow I acquired before. Great prizes that didn't fit our combat style."
"It's a useful artifact." Jack replied calmly. "He could exchange it when there was a more fitting object in the future."
The ceremony ended pretty quickly. The crew of the Silent Mermaid gathered and made their way back to the harbor where their ship was anchored. Still disguised as the Ocean Wanderer.
The walk through the city was filled with the scents of roasting meat and the noisy chatter of people. Mostly talking about the tournament events.
Sweetmoon City was celebrating the tournament. But Jack's crew was focused on the next day.
Back on the ship, the atmosphere turned serious. Jack sat in the main cabin with all of his crew members. Looking at the list of participants for the Great Game of Glory.
Rune, his fairy guide, hovered near his shoulder. Glowing a soft, steady amber. Indicating a state of focused observation.
"Tomorrow is different." Jack said in blunt tone. "It is not an observable duel with protective rules. It is a deadly hunt without protection."
Baroness Artheim spread a map on the table. A rough map with a lot of speculation, because the Battle Moon Realm was a shifting spatial pocket. She had spent some of her time these days consulting local records.
"The Great Game is a pure transcendent event." She explained. "The spectators won't see the participants fight. They will only see the results on the magic stele in the arena. It will record the team names and the number of monsters we slayed. Constantly updated."
She paused to take a deep breath and continued. "The participants will be transported into a different realm entirely. The Battle Moon Realm. It is a place filled with hostile and vicious monsters."
Jack nodded. He looked at the teams they had formed and registered. The 'Silent Mermaid' team consisted of himself, Reina, Aella, Ned, and Barnaby. This was his high-utility squad.
He would be the vanguard. Reina and Aella would be the damage dealers. Ned would be the scout. And Barnaby would provide the combat buffs.
The second team, the 'Ocean Wanderer' was more destructive in arrangement. Baroness Artheim, Bell, Moby, Leon, and Chloe. In this team, Chloe would act as a scout. The other four members were pure combatants.
"The goal is points." Baroness Artheim said. "Killing monsters gives points. Stronger monsters give more. We have a set time. When the time is up, we will be forcefully teleported out. The team with the highest score wins."
"Be vigilant against the other teams." Jack reminded his crew. "The threat in this Great Game of Glory is not just the monsters. Often, humans are more dangerous than monsters."
He turned to those who didn't participate in the event. "The danger might not just be in the Battle Moon Realm. All of you have to stay vigilant."
The crew nodded with serious expression. All of them realized that tomorrow might be the peak of the tension. The day where the awaited storm would be unleashed.