Chapter 12: Elysium Tournament

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Overlord: Celestial Crusade

"Here we are guys, the Colosseum of Elysium!"

Aethaion brought the now six Virtue Lords and Takara Kōun inside a building that proved to be a vast arena that had empty rows while there was a closed roof while beneath it were some windows from which rays of light were illuminating the arena and everyone was looking at it amazed "Listen up, everyone. In order to entertain our guest and to also train, we will have the first Elysium Tournament! The rules are simple: you will all fight each other in rounds and the one who will defeat their opponent in the final round will be the tournament winner!" he explained excited "Any questions?" he asked while being in one of the seat rows.

Everyone looked at each other skeptical "Lord Aethaion, will there be any reward?" asked Themis curious, with Aethaion smiling.

He then created eight straws in his left hand after placing Mimir and his pillow on a seat "The reward will be anything I can do in my power and is of course within the bounds of reason!" he claimed, with everyone being shocked "Getting an item of your choice? Changing the floor you will live in? Becoming the leader of Virtue Lords? These and many more wishes can be granted to the winner." he explained.

"Yes!" roared everyone excited and the girls were trembling from excitement "I will spend a whole day being spoiled by Father!" said an excited Sophrosyne while Nerida and Emmef were having their fantasies. Aethaion then descended and had everyone pick a straw.

"Since you saw your straws, create pairs with your opponent." instructed Aethaion and everyone did that "So, Mimir, which pair do you thing should go first?" he asked with a smile Mimir who seemed to be thinking about it.

"Before we begin, allow me to ask this, I am not sure if it's my eye but there is only seven participants here as I can see, six of the Virtue Lords and I am assuming the beautiful Takara Kōun is joining, so who is the eight participant if the straws represent the participants also?" Mimir thoughtfully asked Aethaion.

"This one." pointed Aethaion and everyone turned to see a figure that appeared on the entrance and caused the temperature of the building to drop a little. It was a girl of pale skin, blue eyes and blue-silver hair in two pigtails while the rest was reaching her back. She was wearing a white winter hat and a long-sleeved shirt of white and blue colors and white stockings, shoes and snow mittens while her pants and shoes were blue. All her clothing was ornate with symbol motives while there was a blue sword sheathed at her right.

"I'm the manager of the Turrets, the Snow Mistress Chione. I bow before the Celestial One and the main guardians." she introduced herself while bowing for a moment.

"Thank you for coming, Chione. This is a tournament mostly for training, so you won't all fight to the death. Your opponent is Panisher so go pair up with him." he instructed and she bowed her head before going near an excited Panisher "so, Mimir, which pair you want to see first?" asked Aethaion while looking at him.

"You know, I am quite interested in the power of the Fairy, so let Themis fight with her partner!" Mimir declared as his only remaining eye looked towards the fairy in question. "If that is alright with you Lady Themis?" he asked and she nodded with a smile, with her going on the one side of the arena and Emmef went to the other while the other guardians sat on the spectator seats.

"Fufufu, do your best, dear Themis." said Emmef in a polite but cocky tone, with Themis smiling and doing a bowing gesture.

"Begin!"

"She who strikes first wins, Triple Magic: Reality Slash!" she shouted as she swung her hands, with Themis being calm.

"**Greater Teleportation.**" she calmly said and then extended her hand "**Penetrate Maximize Magic: Call Greater Thunder!**" she shouted and an enormous thunderbolt was created and fused from multiple strands of lightning that was heading towards Emmef who wasn't moving.

"Will she do the first damage?" wondered Leto but Nerida shook her head.

"No. I know Emmef Elataf's abilities and she was waiting for something like this." she said while looking at the fight and before the spell could hit her, she grinned.

"Ahhhhhh!" shouted Themis who was struck by the spell to everyone's confusion except Aethaion and Nerida "H-How...?!" wondered Themis in confusion while struggling to get up.

"**Reverse Teleportation.** One of my skills that allows me to change the position of anything and anyone in my vicinity and just now, I changed our positions in order to have you be hit instead." explained Emmef while waving her hair in superiority and then "**Maximize Magic: Magnify Gravity plus Gravity Sinkhole!**" she shouted, with Themis' head being down on the ground and then was hit by the gravitational sphere and sent crushing on the wall greatly bruised

"Enough! Emmef is the winner! Themis, heal yourself with **Power Word: Heal**!" shouted and ordered Aethaion, causing Emmef to stop and Themis to be covered in a glow seconds later and getting up, with her bowing before going to one of the seats "Mimir, who do you want next?" asked Aethaion curious.

"Lets see, Chione and Panisher next?" Mimir wondered as he looked towards Aethaion with confirmation, with him nodding and looking at the two who bowed and got up. Both Npc then got their positions and Panisher was stretching.

"Let's have a nice match, even though it will be easy." said Panisher without thinking, with Chione smiling and then Aethaion brought down his hand.

"Alright, time to finish this." said Panisher who lunged swiftly towards Chione "Farewell!" he shouted while ready to unleash a palm strike, only for it to be blocked by a pillar of ice that appeared between him and Chione that slightly cracked from the impact, with Panisher falling back but he didn't see that there was ice in a spot that created an ice pillar that hit Panisher and then, a spear of ice pierced his left side much to the surprise of everyone.

"Wow, I take it back, it surely won't be that easy." said Panisher smiling and looking at his bloody palm. with him then having his palm glow and the wound was being healed but as he was in the middle of that, another spear of ice was launched at Panisher. "Sorry, but I won't fall for the same trick that easily, **Iron Skin!**" he shouted and blocked with his left arm, with the spear shattering to Chione's slight surprise. Panisher then was covered in a red aura and began walking strangely, all while having hiccups.

"Oh, so he used **Drunken Soul**, huh?" wondered an excited Aethaion "Now he has increased evasion and chance of doing critical hits!" he explained. Chione was trying to hit Panisher with her ranged skills, but to no avail as Panisher was avoiding them with his erratic movements.

"Ohhh,everythinggggg is spinninggggg." mummbled a drunk Panisher while trying to maintain balance, with Chione sighing while retaining her calm and smiling face.

"Seems like there is no further reason to continue this fight, **Smite Frost Burn**!" shouted Chione as she unleashed a blast of freezing energy that Panisher ducked to avoid, with it exploding and freezing a great part of the wall behind and the ice was spreading and Panisher jumped before it could reach him, with Chione smiling "not so fast, Frost Breath!" she shouted while unleashing a snowy breath that made Panisher smile drunk.

"Gameeee overrrrr." he said while spinning to avoid it and he was covered in a red aura that made him lunge at her swiftly "**Berserk Drunk.**" he said with a now angry voice, with Chione's eyes widening while unable to move in time and Panisher barraged her with palm strikes while having an angry look "You thought you could freeze me, huh?!" he asked, with the final palm strike sending her up.

"That's enough!" shouted Aethaion who had an angel appear between them "**Widen Maximize Magic: Mass Heal!**" he shouted while unleashing a wave that healed both Chione and Panisher, with the latter returning to his senses "Panisher is the winner!" he declared and Panisher helped Chione get up with a smile and bowed before going to take seats. "Who do you want next, Mimir?" he asked while looking at him.

"To leave one of the good character named after a Greek figure, let's see Nerida and Takara go about in the fight, a Half-Elemental against the ever-encompassing Kitsune." Mimir told Aethaion. "I rather see the very best for last after all." Mimir said as he eyed Kratos, as if suggesting Kratos was the best.

Nerida along with Takara Kōun took position "Oh my, fighting against the leader of the Virtue Lords, what bad luck." said Takara in a playful tone while covering her mouth, with her eyes being that of a predator.

"You say that, but your bloodlust can't be hidden." said Nerida with sword in hand "Prepare yourself, **Widen Maximize Magic: Tidal Wave!**" she shouted while pointing her sword at Takara and a big wave of water sprung forth, heading towards Takara who wasn't moving an inch.

"Come forth, **Nurikabe**." she calmly said while throwing a talisman, with a ravaged from time wall appearing before her that blocked the wave with zero effort, with the wall then manifesting cartoonish eyes and mouth much to Nerida's confusion.

"Oh my, you seem confused. I'm a Yokai Talimancer, being able to bring forth numerous types of Yokai, like these ones." she said and raised two talismans which got electrified, with two wolves of electricity appearing from them "You are a Half-Elemental of Water, right? So these bad **Raiju**  here must be *very* strong against you." she deduced and they began moving with a snap of her fingers.

"Let's see them deal with this, **Maximize Magic: Investiture of Ice!**" she shouted as her body got covered in ice, just in time as the Raiju closed in and bit her, unable to dig in but before she could smile "Aghhh!", she was suddenly electrocuted, with her body smoking and her face being perplexed.

"Raiju are fast summons that do lightning damage on contact." she explained as Nerida swung her sword to drive them back "Finish her." she ordered and they lunged again.

"**Widen... Maximize Magic: Tidal... Wave!**" she shouted as she unleashed again a wave that managed to push the Raiju back, with one falling on Nurikabe and shocking it until both disappeared in puffs of smoke while the other fell on a shocked Takara, with her being electrified for a minute before the Raiju disappeared.

Takara got up and saw her clothes being burned "How dare you?! How dare youuuu?!" she shouted angry with red eyes while her fangs and claws seemed to become more bestial "I will *crush* you! Come forth, **Daidarabotchi!**" she shouted and threw a talisman on the ground. An earthquake occured and a mountain of soil began forming and what appeared was a black giant of rocks and soil that had only its upper body coming from the ground, with its presence getting the awe of everyone present "Hahaha, this is the strongest Yokai in terms of Physical Attack and Defense. You don't stand a chance! Crush her!" she ordered and the giant began moving through the ground slowly.

"You truly lack experience." said Nerida to Takara's confusion "Just what is there around us?" she asked smiling and then Takara looked around and realized that the whole arena had water that was feet high.

"Don't tell me...that was your plan all along?!"

"Of course, **Maximize Magic: Shape Water!**" she shouted and both Takara and her summon had their limbs restrained.

"Ha, my Yokai will easily destroy these shackles! Your plan is ruined!" she said cocky, only for her to become shocked as she saw great amounts of water gathering around Nerida.

"My plan wasn't to restrain you, rather," she said and pointed her sword at Takara's direction "it was to use this spell at its greatest power possible. You see, it does almost twice its original damage if there is already water present so, farewell, **Maximize Magic: Tsunami!**" she shouted as a towering tsunami emerged to Takara's shock and overwhelmed her summon that ended up falling on her after she was sent crushing on the wall.

"It's over! Nerida is the winner!" shouted Aethaion who was healing Takara from his spot.

"It was an amazing fight, Lady Nerida. I really have many issues to reflect on." said Takara in a calm tone while bowing her head in genuine respect and then headed towards the spectator seats, with Leto and Kratos then standing up and jumping or flying to their spots.

"So, finally our turn, huh? Let's have a nice fight!" said a fired up Leto while stretching and warming herself up, with Kratos sighing upon hearing that.

"I disagree. I'm a ranged specialist and the most powerful guardian in terms of magic attack, so a close quarters fighter like you can't win."

"Begin!" shouted Aethaion and Leto took her stance while Kratos extended his hand.

"**Penetrate Maximize Magic: Call Greater Thunder!**" shouted Leto.

"**Maximize Magic: Vermillion Nova.**" said Kratos calmly, with both being engulfed in lightning and fire each, with Leto receiving visibly greater damage "I told you, it's pointless." he said and the flames surrounding Leto got intensified, with her pausing her spell from the pain but she began grinning.

"We..will...see about that! Activate, **Horns of the Berserker!**" she shouted and her horns glowed red.

"Horns of the Berserker, a Divine Class Item that raises Leto's HP and Physical Attack but can make her lose control more easily." commented Aethaion as Mimir looked at him "It's pointless in activating now-" he tried to say, but his eyes widened from realization.

"Time...to end this, **Steel Wind Strike!**" she shouted while swiping her club in front of her and before anyone could realize it, Kratos was sent crushing on a wall greatly beaten and his flaming wings were greatly diminished.

"Wait, what happened?!" asked a surprised Panisher who was grabbing the railing and could fall down at any moment.

"Steel Wind Strike, a 5th tier spell that allows the user to move fast like the wind and practically teleport in a desired straight line." explained Aethaion "That's why she activated her horns. Most of you Virtue Lords have the 8th tier Antimagic Field spell which prevents usage of any spell below 8th tier, what irony, he would have won if he used the spell." commented Aethaion "Leto is the winner!" he declared.

Kratos healed himself and flied up "To think that I would lose like this..." he muttered disappointed with himself and looked at Leto "You are indeed the Virtue Lord of Humility, because you showed me how cocky I was. You have my gratitude." said Kratos thanking her while bowing his head.

"Nah, it's ok, chill." she said smiling wide and both turned their attention to Aethaion who clapped his hands.

"Emmef Elataf, Panisher, Nerida, Leto. You four pass to the next round. Take a half hour break and we will return to determine the pairs!" declared Aethaion.

"Yes!" shouted the four of them in unison. Back at the throne room, Jasmine and Marie saw something that made them shed tears of happiness.