Riel Kingdom, Royal Whitefort
The group stage battles of the Royal Knightly Tournament had begun. After the Hero's Ball, for a time the capital spoke of nothing but the masked thief, Liverpool. In marketplaces and taverns, songs were even composed about him—songs that told of how he stole the Princess's panties. Yet once the tournament arrived, the city's attention turned once more to the duels.
After the first two rounds of the group stage, only the best eight knights remained in the competition. Among the Wolfwoods, Xaba and Jula fell in the round of sixteen, each facing a Knight Captain they could not overcome.
The bracket leading toward the finals was set as follows:
1. Duel: Botond the Giant vs. the Hero, Eris Scarlett
2. Duel: Apollonia Velvett vs. Anita the Whirlwind
3. Duel: Christina Silverwood vs. Lazuro the Black Horse
4. Duel: David the Twinblade vs. Andrea Wolf
The winner of the first duel would face the victor of the second, while the winner of the third would clash with the victor of the fourth. The people of the city awaited the battles with excitement, for each match promised a new legend, and the champion of the Royal Knightly Tournament would forever inscribe their name into the history of the Kingdom.
Royal Knightly Arena, Royal Whitefort
The Royal Knightly Arena was filled to the brim. On the stands, scarcely a seat remained empty, the roar and excited murmur of the crowd filling the vast stone hall. Only in the Royal Box did empty chairs remain, for several of its usual occupants were absent.
On the side of the royal family, seated upon the ornate throne, was Princess Anabella. After the scandalous incident at the ball, she had been assigned a bodyguard: none other than John Scarlett, Captain of the Royal Knights. It was no coincidence he took on this duty, for he wished to witness his daughter, Eris Scarlett, compete in the tournament, and he also awaited with interest the matches of Lieutenant Apollonia Velvett.
Of the four great noble houses, only the Redwoods were absent. The reason was surely the unpleasant incident at the ball, caused by Annerose of the Redwood line. Yet the house was not without representation: on the battlefield stood Botond the Giant, Captain of the Red Wildrose Knights. His name came from his immense stature, nearly two meters tall, his strength far surpassing most knights. He towered over his foes like a mountain of roses.
The Greenwood house was represented in the box by Floralys Greenwood herself. On the battlefield, David the Twinblade took the stage, Captain of the Green Hawk Knights. His name came from the twin short swords he wielded with lightning speed, as though the wind itself were his weapon.
In the Silverwood box sat Christina Silverwood, present not only as a spectator but also as a competitor—she was one of the participants in the third duel. Her opponent was Lazuro the Black Horse, leader of the Black Colts adventurer band—the only swordsman to enter the tournament not as a knight, but as an adventurer.
And finally, representing the Wolfwood house, the Young Wolf, Andras Wolfwood, appeared once more. At his side stood his loyal maid, Noelle. On the battlefield, two Wolf Knights carried the banner of their house: Andrea Wolf and Anita the Whirlwind.
The crowd buzzed with excitement, and the sound of horns slowly rose, signaling that the first duel was about to begin.
The Royal Knightly Arena had two entrances to the battlefield: one from the left, one from the right. In the left passage waited Botond the Giant. From there he could already see the sand‑covered arena floor, where the first duel would soon begin. The roar of the crowd, the metallic blare of horns, and the fluttering of banners all signaled: the moment was near.
Botond drew a deep breath, exhaled once more, and his thoughts turned back to the events of recent days.
"Misfortune has plagued the Redwoods ever since we arrived in the capital. First that incident at the ball, before the royal dance… My lady, Annerose, is still crushed by it. After the Hero's Ball she wanted to return home at once. The head of House Redwood felt shame at his daughter's deed, and so the entire delegation—save for me—has already gone back to Redwood, along with all the Red Wildrose Knights. Only I remain here, alone, in the capital."
His fist clenched as he continued.
"I thought that if I reached the finals of the tournament—even if I lost there to the Hero—I would still earn some reward from the King. As a reward, I would have asked the Young Wolf to travel to Redwood and dance with my lady, Annerose. Just the two of them… Then she would smile again, and the sorrow would vanish from her face."
A bitter smile crossed his features.
"But as unlucky as I am, I've already been paired against the Hero in the quarterfinals. No matter how tall I've grown, even I cannot defeat a Hero. The last knight of House Redwood will be the first to fall among the four great noble houses. Another stain upon the name of Redwood… How cursed we are."
Botond straightened, his eyes flashing with resolve.
"There is only one thing left I can do. I will give everything in this battle. Even if I lose, I will lose with my head held high against the Hero. To battle, Botond! Show the world how hard and thorny the Mountain of Roses can be!"
The horns blared, the gate slowly opened, and Botond the Giant stepped into the flood of light, ready to face the Hero.
The Royal Knightly Arena thundered with the roar of the crowd. The blare of horns signaled: the first quarterfinal duel was about to begin!
From the left gate strode Botond the Giant—the last and greatest knight of House Redwood, Captain of the Red Wildrose Knights. His towering frame, blazing eyes, and the massive mace clenched in his grip struck fear into the spectators. From the right gate appeared the pride of the royal family, the Hero Eris Scarlett, only fifteen years old, yet already the favorite of the tournament. The crowd's cheers rolled like thunder across the arena.
The referee's flag dropped: the duel had begun!
With a mighty roar, Botond swung his mace, the weapon slicing through the air like a storm wind. Eris spun aside with lightning speed, her movements light as a dance. The Hero attacked from every angle, her sword sparking as it clashed against Botond's armor, while the Giant desperately tried to keep the flaming blade at bay.
Then Eris invoked the fire element: her sword burst into flame, crimson tongues leaping skyward as though heaven's wrath itself had descended. Botond was not idle—his mace flared like burning embers, and when the two weapons collided, sparks rained down as if thunder itself had taken residence in the arena.
The crowd gasped in awe: they were witnessing the clash of two warriors wielding the power of fire.
Botond's strength was terrifying—every strike landed with such force that the ground itself trembled. Yet his slow movements could not catch the Hero. Eris darted around him like lightning, her long sword cutting wound after wound into the Giant's body. Because of his fire‑element nature, Botond resisted the flames better than Eris's previous opponents, but his massive frame made him an easy target.
The wounds multiplied, Botond's breathing grew heavier. At last, he attempted a mighty counterstrike, a blow that surged toward Eris like a storm. But the Hero evaded once more, then delivered a precise slash to Botond's right leg. The Giant collapsed to one knee, sand and dust rising around him.
The crowd held its breath—was there still a way out? Botond gathered all his remaining strength into one final attack. With a roar, he charged the Hero, his flaming mace carving a blazing arc through the air. Yet Eris was faster. Her sword flashed like lightning, and with a fatal cut, she cleaved through the Giant's body.
Botond fell. The referee's flag dropped again: the victor—Hero Eris Scarlett!
The crowd's thunderous cheers shook the arena. Once more, Eris had triumphed without a scratch, this time against a Knight Captain. Healers rushed to Botond's side. His body was covered in burns and cuts, the deepest wound stretching from shoulder to waist, left to right. Yet the healers assured the audience: he would recover.