Lineir hung in the air, his toes desperately trying to touch the ground. It was an incredibly uncomfortable position to say the least.
"**** it's that dragon lady! She doesn't care about how I got into a different block, she thinks I told those sect assassins where to find her!" Lineir panicked.
Mei carefully instructed Lineir,
"Don't bother moving. I told you that girl is many times stronger than you. As a member of the dragon race she isn't someone you can handle head on! Find some way to convince her it wasn't your fault!" However, no matter how Lineir tried, he couldn't cough out a word, her grasp on his throat was simply too strong. His face purpled and the world began to spin.
"Kiddo, I'm going to slow down your heart rate. This undead heart of yours is under my control, and I can very convincingly bring you to the brink of death. Provided you stay absolutely still and learn some acting skills, even she should not be able to tell that you are faking!" Gradually, Lineir's struggles became less and less. He let his eyes stop glaring frantically and hung limply like a dead fish. The girl stared at him deeply for a few seconds, but she could feel that there was no pulse on his throat. With one last shake, she tossed him aside and proclaimed,
"I refuse to marry anyone, least of all the Nero Sect, their disciples are unworthy and I do not recognize them!" She pointed directly at the king as she spoke, and then leaped from the ground. From her back, scaly red wings unfolded and she soared away at frightening speed. Immediately, Nero Sect elders took off after her,
"That girl! Going so far as to hurt our disciples to avoid a legal agreement between her elders, she's really gone too far this time! She needs to be punished, all elders, bring her back!" A dozen black robed elders shot out after her, and the crowd cowered as the air whirled viciously from their passage. It was a few minutes before anyone dared speak. However, once the first whispers broke out, others followed.
"It's true, the daughter of the king of Dracherus is one of the imperial dragon line!"
"She denied the Nero Sect, no wonder, if they got close to her, they would have access to the dragon bloodline!"
"I wonder what the king is thinking, letting the Nero Sect close to such a precious heir."
"I doubt he had much of a choice, they probably pressured him into it!"
"But wait... who wins the tournament now?"
Everyone was looking around, but the princess had clearly left the arena, and the Nero Sect disciples were both unable to free themselves from the wall.
"Wait... that man is still alive!" Gasps came out as Lineir got his hands under himself and stood. Brushing off the dust from himself, and adjusting his hood, he choked out as clearly and confidently as he could,
"I'm the last man standing, I demand my compensation now!" He looked directly at the commentator, and then they both looked towards the king who was standing, staring after the direction his daughter and the Nero Sect had flown off to, trembling. Looking down, in a distracted manner, he simply stated,
"What?"
Lineir sighed, "This is gonna be tricky, I need to gamble and bluff my way out. Knowing the temperament of this Nero Sect, they will insist that this tournament is void after this, and if I don't get out of here soon, they'll come after me. But that core... it's worth the risk!"
He boldly announced even louder,
"The core and the gold, I require them, I am the winner, is there anyone else in the arena with me?"
The king looked and indeed there was absolutely no one but Lineir still standing. He shakily looked around, but there were no Nero Sect elders left, they had all gone chasing after his daughter. The rewards were supposed to seal the alliance with the Nero Sect, but he had promised them to the winner of the tournament, and suspicious gazes were being mounted by the expectant audience.
"Alright, alright, present the man his rewards, he is the winner" The king distractedly said and walked out of the balcony. He muttered to himself,
"Now what, my daughter was supposed to be married to the winner of the tournament, but she's gone and ruined my relationship with the sect. I'm going to have to find some other way to pay them now..." After he left, in a few moments, the commentator was handed the core and a large bag of gold, and presented it to Lineir.
"Esteemed competitor, you've emerged victorious after... many trials.... could we see your face and know the name of our champion?" Lineir took the gold and core, and turned his back. He calmly walked out of the arena with a stride befitting an emperor. "Careful... careful... this is the key moment, I need to pull this off or I'm gonna be hunted down for these treasures." He answered in the most confident self assured voice he could,
"My face is..." His voice barely squeaked out in front of the silent arena, nobody could hear.
"****... bluffing is really hard."
Mei sighed, "Kiddo... I got you" Instantly, a direct strong and utterly tyrannical voice expressionlessly boomed out from the arena. It's entire tone bespoke weariness and boredom.
"My face is beyond all of you, you don't have such face as to see it. However as for my name... you can remember me as Chains!" The arena nervously tittered for a moment before erupting into cheers. While a lot weren't exactly sure what they were clapping for, there was a winner, and they dared not offend such a domineering presence. Lineir walked out of the arena. Immediately, he sprinted for the hills, exploding through the city with every step.
"Got to get far away now, if I can just get out of the city, I could be anybody, nobody saw my face, and only that girl who's being chased knows what I look like. Cya Dracherus, you've been good to me!" As Lineir left, he left behind a message with the guard at the gate. It simply read,
"The time of end nears. Beware." Lineir didn't care whether or not the royal family heeded his warning. He had paid his debt to the wagon owner. Now it was time to leave before someone called his bluff!