Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 206: Shocking Upset

“Hurry up, you dumb ape!”

Not waiting any longer, Burt had already climbed onto the stage and shouted at his opponent. This amazed many and cut through the tense yet elated atmosphere following the last match.

“Oh, you’re in for it now!” Worrik boomed, rushing up the steps. “Be lucky I’m only allowed to cripple you and not leave you dead.”

“Oh no, I’m so scared. Whatever will I do against a stupid ape turned a wannabe warrior?” Burt replied, pretending to quiver in fear.

Oli’s calm, collected mood was instantly flipped as he took in a sharp breath at Burt’s continued comments. Regaining his calm, Oli kept a keen eye on Burt and was curious to see what the rambunctious guy had to offer as a fighter.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s about time we continue the tournament!” The announcer shouted, playing along with Burt’s uncommon character, “And here we have a no-name wild card challenging a respected competitor without a care in the world. Will he be able to back up such claims? Does he have the strength to cause an upset? Do we have someone capable of flipping the entire bracket?! There’s only one way to find out!”

With the crowd back in full swing, the announcer eyed the two competitors with an eager gaze. “Are you two–”

.....

“Hurry up or you’ll blink and miss it,” laughed Burt.

“You... I’m ready to clobber you to the brink of death...” Worrik stated, clenching his fists till his knuckles popped and a pair of heavy gauntlets appeared on his hands.

“BEGIN!”

Earth essence immediately gathered around Worrik’s fists. He opened his mouth and readied a battle cry before charging into his opponent of no merit. “AAAAAAAaaa–”

THUD!

“I told you not to blink!”

“It’s over!” The ref made the call, stunned at the result and putting every morsel of his surprise into his passionate shouts, “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s already over!”

Electricity dispersed from around Burt, who was standing over his fallen opponent with a laughing grin. “I’d tell you to try again next year, but I don’t think you’d fare any better...”

“Uh... Uuuuuuhhh...” Worrik groaned and twitched with his face on the floor. His neck was crooked, the result of Burt’s lightning-fast swipe.

Again, the crowd rushed to their feet upon seeing the birth of a new favorite.

“There you have it! Another upset, one after another! With ease, Burttin has dispatched his opponent and left us wanting more!”

“The name’s Burt!”

“Burt! What will happen the next time we see Burt out on stage? Who will be his opponent, and will they even get a chance to move before falling victim to his inhumane speed?!” adjusting on the fly, the announcer milked Burt’s victory for all the hype he could. “Give it up for Burt, ladies and gentlemen!”

Riling up the crowd, Burt pumped his arms in the air as he slowly descended the stairs. He also milked his victory, savoring the cheers for as long as possible. Burt then walked up to Oli while winking at Jezza. “Mind if I join you?”

“N-no, go right ahead...” stammered Jezza, not looking Burt in the eye.

“You could always congratulate me... I’d appreciate having a pretty lady on my side for once.”

“How far are you going to take this?” Oli laughed. “He was only the thirteenth seed. It’s not like he was a difficult opponent.”

“Huh?” Jezza was baffled by Oli’s comment.

But Burt laughed and agreed, “Sure, but it was nice giving that ape a taste of his own medicine, you know?”

“Either way, congrats. I’ll be over there...” Oli sighed while patting Burt on the back. He walked off toward another open area so as to not be near Burt’s constant, indirect slander.

“Why leave? We can finally talk with that ape–”

“I’ve got mental prep to do, so don’t mind me,” stated Oli, waving him off with a grin disguising his inner disgust.

Up in the stands, many were blown away by the results of the match. Some dared bet on it even when there was no crowd favorite involved at first glance, most of which lost their money. But Reginol was celebrating more than anyone.

“But how did you know he would win?” Graent asked.

“A great man never reveals his secrets,” stated Reginol.

Hurman, however, coughed loudly and mentioned, “Not until they’re dragged out in a court of law, then he’ll admit the least convicting ones.”

No one nearby could control themselves after hearing such a comment. Keldon and Jonon were the loudest by far but some of the Libarn bodyguards would’ve likely beaten them if they were allowed to let loose. They let out a chuckle but sucked their laughter back in without wait, already knowing what it may lead to after such a remark.

But Reginol said nothing more. He carefully eyed Hurman, seeing Hurman emotionless face and clicking his tongue in disgust at Hurman’s comment.

The following fight was nothing compared to the hype of before. With two of the top three facing off and a no-name entrant wiping the floor with a respectable seed, it was hard for the next few fights to get anything beyond generic cheers. And the fifth match wasn’t much better. Yet the same couldn’t be said for the sixth fight, one containing a top ten seed.

“Give us a good show!” Lizbeth shouted before the announcer could even call up the next competitors. “If you don’t win, I’m blaming Hurman for his poor judgment and declined reputation!”

Shaking his head, Oli spotted Hurman squinting in the audience. But Oli still replied as he walked up the stairs, “There’s no need to blame the patriarch.”

“Then don’t lose.”

“Who said I would lose? And you believed them?” Oli laughed, finding an irked expression on his opponent’s face. “Sorry for ignoring you, but I can’t ignore the lead assistant’s remarks. I look forward to our match.”

“Then shut up and show me...” the young man shook his head and readied his stance, showing off his green and white robes while glancing at his family’s seating area.