Gacha Harem System

"Got you."

She opened her mouth wide, then breathed.

Fire spiralled out of her mouth in a cone, releasing everything she’d stored inside her chest at point blank range directly into Jakob.

The flames engulfed him completely.

He screamed, stumbling backwards, while frantically trying to beat off the fire covering his arms and chest with both hands.

At this point, the only thing he could think about was the pain that was currently burning through his whole body.

If the fire he’d faced the first time had been a light burning, this one felt like he’d been dipped in hell itself.

But all that didn’t matter to Kaida, for she wasn’t about to let him go.

She yanked the leg she’d been holding onto with both hands, pulling his feet out from under him.

He hit the floor hard, and she was on him before he had finished landing, one hand grabbing his collar, with the other balled into a fist and swinging hard at his face.

She snarled as she kept punching, her vision a haze of red. She was determined to pay him back for the hits he’d given her.

He hadn’t pulled his punches even a little bit, so she had no reason to do so now.

She didn’t know how long she kept punching until a hand closed around her arm from above, lifting her cleanly off Jakob with almost no effort at all.

She twisted, her mind filled with just hitting whatever was in front of her as she swung at whoever had grabbed her.

Smack!

Her punch was easily caught in a single open palm, and she looked up in surprise.

Rollo looked back at her, his expression calm.

Her eyes went wide.

"Are you calm?" he asked.

She exhaled once, as if trying to breathe out the rage within her. Then she nodded.

He released his grip on her and stepped back, before raising his hand and calling the match.

Noise instantly engulfed the air as the stadium erupted into cheers.

Healers rushed onto the arena, most converging on Jakob, who was still on the ground, while two others moved to Kaida and began working on the damage she’d taken.

Both fighters were guided off the floor, then Rollo turned to face the crowd.

He raised a hand, and slowly, the spectators began to quiet once more.

"A battle between two fighters, both with different kinds of grit." He looked across the stands. "They fought well."

He raised his hand.

"But now, it’s time to continue."

"Our next match," he said, "features two fighters who could not be more different from each other. And yet, both have earned their place on this floor."

He gestured to one side of the arena.

"Our first combatant moved through yesterday’s matches with an elegance that drew the eye of every spectator fortunate enough to be watching her matches."

"A fighter as graceful as she is dangerous. Let us all welcome, Verity Saaaage!"

A drow woman walked onto the floor from the competitors’ seating, and the description Rollo had given her was not an exaggeration.

Verity Sage moved as if every step was a dance. It was as if she was gliding instead of walking, and she moved with the kind of confidence that said she was completely comfortable being watched.

She wore a dark blouse with a fitted cuirass to protect her torso. Completing the look was a pair of black trousers and brown boots.

She wore a belt on her waist, and on it was a sabre, one at each hip.

She stopped a few meters from Rollo at the centre of the arena, looking completely composed.

Rollo turned to the other side.

"And her opponent." He paused. "One of only two dual Awakeners registered in this tournament."

"A name that has generated more conversation than any other. Some have already called him the favorite to win this tournament." Another pause. "And his name is Liam Walkeeeer!"

The crowd burst into loud cheers. This was the heir to the Iron Fist guild. The person everyone expected to win.

Liam stood from his chair and began walking. It was as if his every step was a statement of victory.

He stopped several meters from Verity, hands in his pockets, dark eyes staring at her with apathy.

Both fighters stared at each other, no one saying anything.

Rollo raised his arm and brought it down.

"Begin."

Verity moved immediately, unsheathing both sabres in a single motion as she crossed the distance between them at full speed.

Liam watched her come with his hands still in his pockets and made no effort to move.

He knew she was a [Swordsman], but he still stood there as if there was nothing she could do to even injure him.

She knew just whom she was facing, so she didn’t bother to test or feint. She simply activated her most powerful skill, [Thousand Cuts].

Her sabres blurred through the air, until most had trouble following their movements.

Their strikes landed across Liam’s torso, arms, and shoulders in a flurry that kept on speeding up as it built atop each other.

Each cut was shallow, but since they didn’t stop, the sabers tore into the same spots, stacking the damage, until it couldn’t be ignored.

She moved like she was dancing, putting her all into the attack, then finished with a two-handed thrust that drove both sabres forward at the same time.

Then she leapt back, creating distance between them.

She landed, sabres raised, and stared at what she’d done. Then her jaw d popped in shock.

Liam still stood there, hands in his pockets.

His shirt was in pieces, with strips of the fabric drifting down to the arena floor around him. The cloth had been cut thoroughly, leaving almost nothing intact.

But that was not the shocking part. It was the fact that his skin was intact. He didn’t have a single cut on his body. Not even a scratch.

At the sight, a wave of cheers, disbelief, and excitement swept through the stands.

"I can’t believe it! That’s [Unbreakable]!" Someone yelled. "It’s a [Hero] class skill. When he activates it, he can’t be knocked back, staggered, or interrupted. He can push through anything that hits him during the duration. He’s essentially invincible against hits weaker than him!"

"Damn! So that’s why he just stood there and let her use [Thousand Cuts] on him. On fucking purpose?"

"Don’t forget, if that’s what his first class can do, what do you think his second one would even look like?!"

As if on cue, down on the arena floor, Liam slowly withdrew his right hand from his pocket.

Verity adjusted her stance immediately, her eyes tracking his hand as she prepared to dodge in any direction the situation demanded of her.

Liam stared at her. Then, moving almost lazily, he raised his hand and waved it.

Golden energy erupted from his hand like a hungry beast, moving fast as it tore through the air. It spread in a wide arc, with a sound like rushing waves accompanying it.

Verity’s eyes widened as she tried to dodge, before realizing the attack swept in all directions around her.

There was nowhere to go.

The energy slammed into her, sending her flying.

Wherever the wave touched the ground, it shattered it, a loud crack filling the air.

Verity slammed into the ground at the edge of the arena, sliding a few meters before stopping.

Silence filled the air, all eyes on Verity.

After a few seconds, Rollo confirmed it. She was unconscious, with both internal and external injuries.

So, he called the fight.

"Winner, Liam Walker!"

The healers were already moving before he’d finished, rushing towards Verity.

As for the crowd, they erupted into cheers, the loudest it had been since Rollo had introduced himself on the first day.

Eventually, the cheers resolved into the chanting of a single word.

"Liam! Liam! Liam!"