47 Combat of fire and blood (1)
They entered the Arena to louder whoops, screams, and cheers.
The frigid winter air was thick with the punishing stench of blood and
sweat.
The combat tournament was attended by the strongest warriors from numerous Celestian kingdoms and empires as well as their royals. There would undoubtedly be a huge banquet that night in the imperial regal
Castle.
Nikolai moved toward the main stage, where his family was seated, while maintaining a firm hold on Ophelia’s hand. Alexander’s lips twitched as he met his son’s gaze and gripped the throne’s armrest. He was enraged by the dragon’s participation in this sacred event.
Ophelia, who remained silent the entire time, joined Nikolai in front of his father. The Novikovs were all in attendance. And like in the dining room that day, they continued to fixate on her. Gods! She was uneasy with them so she dipped her head to escape their eyes.
“There’s no room for us here,” Nikolai arched an eyebrow at his father.
“Did you come to this place to cause a scene?” Danil, who was seated with one knee on top of the other, asked while projecting composure.
“I politely inquired, didn’t I?” Nikolai smiled, his eyes gleamed menacingly. Was he always going to resort to violence to address his problems? Yes, because there was no other option.
Danil grinned wryly. “Pathetic.” As he snarled.
Sighing, Alexander motioned with his hand. A guard standing by the stage lowered his head and walked away. After a brief absence, he reappeared
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47 Combat of fire and blood (1)
with two big chairs, placing one next to Beta Devin and the other close to Luna Alina. He then made a courteous bow before leaving.
Nikolai’s mother, who had been fixated on Ophelia the entire time, received a stony look from him. She was presumably getting her words together. He snorted. Not on his watch. Afterward, he let go of Ophelia’s hand, walked up to the chair meant for her, picked it up, and dragged it back next to Sasha, whose eyes widened in his direction.
Vladmir was seated next to her, wearing a big scowl. Oh the drama. It was becoming old.
Nikolai returned to Ophelia and helped her settle on the chair. She looked at him nervously, and he gave her an unsettlingly soothing smile before sitting down next to Devin, who was obviously uncomfortable with his
presence.
The current Novikov family tree was straightforward.
Nikolai Novikov was the sole child and son of Alpha Alexander Novikov and Luna Alina Novikov.
Viktor and Danil Novikov were born to Beta Devin Novikov and Maria
Novikov.
Pavel, Vladmir, and Sasha Novikov were born to Gamma Albert and
Anastasia Novikov.
Boris and Yulia Novikov were born to the chief warrior Yakim Novikov and
the late Tiana Novikov.
Every single family member, including the deceased ones, had a part to play.
The two competitors were currently engaged in a violent combat, and the audience roared at them. The strong–built men didn’t appear to be giving up until one of them was dead, despite having their exposed flesh covered
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47 Combat of fire and blood (1)
in bruises and sweat. The only rule for the tournament was that no one was allowed to transform into their wolf form, and the tournament’s only motto was “kill or be killed.” It was a competition of survival strength, which was how the world was currently operating. It was an event of cruel willful death. Each of them carried a weapon. One held an ax and the
other a sword.
“Bringing a sword to an ax fight.” Nikolai murmured and clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“How certain are you that the situation is not reversed?” He was directly behind Danil, who asked in absolute disgust.
Nikolai pursed his lips and gestured toward the man with the ax. “No matter what kind of warrior wields it, only a fool will agree that a sword is more powerful than an ax.”
Alexander grinned in response to his son’s remarks as he kept his eyes on the competitors.
“How is it that the one wielding the sword is less powerful than the one wielding the ax?” Boris sent a dejected look at his father after Yakim’s apprehensive question. The tournament appeared to be creating a small connection. He despised that.
“Watch.” Nikolai hissed, pointing at the man wielding the ax.
On the main field, the warriors were fighting to the death in a contest of strength. Their violent weaponry collisions produced a thunderous roar from the spectators. The warriors‘ eyes burned with rage, but they fought the urge to assume their true forms to put an end to the struggle once and for all. Both of them attempted to push the other away, but they were unable to do so. Instead, the stress and agony of using such a great amount of effort left their features scowling and tight. The man holding the ax abruptly moved his ax away from the man wielding the sword,
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47 Combat of fire and blood (1)
taking him completely by surprise.
Realizing that the ax wielder was trying to divert his attention, he took a step back, and drove his sword unhesitatingly into the ax–wielder’s abdomen.
Both the delighted and the sad angry yells of the audience could be heard
in equal measure.
At this scene, Danil grinned. “You were saying?” He questioned Nikolai, who appeared as unconcerned as ever and continued to point at the ax–wielding man, who was now on his knees and gasping for air out of exhaustion and pain. Despite the fact that his weapon was now on the ground, he had a solid hold on it.
Pavel and Ophelia both rose up at the same time to watch the struggle and then turned to stare at one another in surprise. Ophelia was the first to look away as Pavel peered at her with a mixture of amazement and curiosity. Pavel nodded slowly and turned his head away.
“Finish him!” Boris, who was sitting next to Yulia, jumped in response to
her scream.
Vladmir laughed at her outburst and poked Sasha’s cheek but she didn’t react instead, she appeared to be utterly lost in contemplation and uninterested in the game.
“Sasha?” Vladmir called, poking her cheek continuously.
“Stop.” Viktor grabbed Vladmir’s wrist and yanked his hand away from
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