Strongest Duo Part 1

Chapter 26- The Tournament (1)

Athiens is a planet much like Earth, but vastly different in terms of what is considered normal. It contains species that are otherworldly such as Elves, Dwarves, Demogres, Dragons, and many...many more species. There are five continents on Athiens and the one we are at right now is the Ashia continent. In the Ashia continent, prominent nations are established here like the Elven Forest, the Dwarven Kingdom, Silis, Aglona, Igni Town, and Noblela.

"Woah. Thanks for the geography lesson Clein... but what does this have to do with Zelke?" Isaac interrupted while staring at the grayish wood ceiling.

Clein frowned at Isaac. "I was just getting to that part, Isaac. Bellagros is a continent south of Ashia. It is the homeland of fierce warriors who thrive in its blistering climate. Zelke was born and raised in Bellagros."

If I'm remembering right, Zelkes skin tone was on the darker side, almost like my skin color. If the climate there is hot, and he was raised as a warrior, it would explain his physique.

"Zelke was one of the few men the Bellagros Warriors sent over to Craidol. Since their reputation is well-known throughout the world, no one questioned the ranks they were given. Zelke was given the commander position in my battalion."

"The queen trusted them that much? Seems kind of stupid if you ask me." Isaac said casually.

Clein nodded at Isaac's words. "They were extremely desperate. Rulers make choices that others don't agree with. Aglona, the Holy Kingdom, is a nation that shouldn't be taken lightly. Anyways, with the help of the Bellagros Warriors, the troops of Aglona were pushed back in a matter of days all because of Zelke besting one of their prized commanders in a battle to the death. If I were to describe him at that moment as I watched from afar, he was like a blood-starved beast, relishing every second of his battle with his foe. After the commander was killed, the other troops were in disarray, and we easily dispatched those who were left behind. Aglona soon lost their momentum as they lost more and more battles until a peace treaty was finally formed, thus ending the conflict."

That is a lot to take in and it's not even the tip of the iceberg. I could already feel a headache forming as my thoughts wander. Like... what was the spark that made Aglona go to war with Craidol, or why other nations didn't step in?

Clein noticed I was struggling with what I heard so he just sighed. "To sum it all up, Zelke traveled from Bellagros to fight strong opponents in Ashia. That's why he entered this tournament last year and was a part of the war on Craidol. It's in his blood. A warrior's blood. With that in mind, I thought of one way that drastically improves your chances of winning."

Isaac, who was bored just moments ago, now had his curiosity peaked. "Now you're finally getting to the point. I was about to fall asleep. So, what is it?"

"Stalling." Clein said bluntly.

Isaac furrowed his brow at Clein's suggestion. "Ah. I see. I understand what you mean. In a fight with him, study his every move, down to his mannerisms, and exploit any weaknesses you can find. Do that while stalling for time until you can come up with a plan."

"Hold on." I interjected. "That makes sense Isaac, but you're missing an obvious fault. What happens if we can't think of anything in the heat of battle?"

Isaac went quiet for a moment and answered in a way that was uncharacteristic of him. "I guess we're screwed then. Our chances of winning are low anyways. What can we newbies do to a veteran?"

I opened my mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. I couldn't think of any kind of rebuttal to Isaac's words. There must be some way to beat him though. We need that wish at all costs just so we can go back home. Even a small clue from the king is enough. Training won't work since there's not enough time, and cheating is out of the question...