Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Chapter 182: The Champion

The two enormous men were still in fierce combat, the Arena fighter sending out fiery stab after fiery stab from his enormous spear, which Boson met head on, slamming his glowing green axe into each blow.

"Graffius!" Anteris yelled out, his voice a mixture of disbelief and worry, he could scarcely believe his eyes, the titan clashing with Boson, was none other than his son, Graffius.

He had known all along that Graffius had been enslaved by the Empire, after he had so foolishly gone on a quest to avenge his mother, taking his friends from amongst Anteris' soldiers along with him on his doomed quest.

When the rumors had trickled in, Anteris had been inconsolable with grief, and as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't take on the mighty Empire with his power alone, and so his years-long relationship with the Dragon's Breath liqueur had begun.

Graffius froze at the sound, his now exposed face bearing a clear resemblance to Anteris, the same craggy brow, the same proud nose, and the same piercing eyes, except his were a bright green color. 

His spear lay forgotten in his hands, the flames swirling around it dying down, and Boson's axe continued unimpeded toward his chest. A look of confusion flickered across Boson's face, why had his opponent suddenly stopped at the sound of Anteris' voice.

"My son!" An anguished scream escaped Anteris' mouth, as he saw the heavy axe travelling toward his son, after so long, Anteris had seen the face of the son he had thought lost, and in calling out to him, had doomed him.

Anteris leaped toward Graffius, even though he knew that there was no chance he would reach his son in time. 

Boson, hearing Anteris' cry, his axe mere centimeters from slamming into Graffius, pulled his axe as hard as he could, twisting it at the same time, in vain hope that he could stop his heavy axe from slamming into Graffius.

"Block it!" Boson yelled into Graffius' face, who's dazed expression had transformed into a warm smile toward his father, who he had disobeyed all those years ago, vainly going to sea with his loyal friends, confident that they could take on anything, even the mighty Empire.

As the axe slammed into Graffius' chest, disintegrating the already cracked and ruined breastplate, Graffius came to from his daze. He was in battle!

Graffius sent all his aura towards his chest, but the axe had already sliced clean through the breastplate and bitten into his skin.

Anteris' dashed toward Graffius, who was falling backward, a massive gash torn into his chest, Boson standing next to him, his axe cast aside in despair, as he realized what he had unwittingly done.

"Anteris, please. I had no way of knowing, I did my best to turn my blow aside, but-" Boson removed his helm as he tried to explain to Anteris, but was interrupted by Anteris, tears dripping out from below his helmet as he was engulfed with grief.

"It was no fault of yours, I should not have forgotten myself, and called out to him while he was engaging in so fierce a battle." Anteris bent down, gesturing to Boson to do the same, tearing pierces off his cloak in an attempt to staunch the bleeding.

The Arena fighters looked on in confusion, as the two most powerful of the invaders, were in despair after having taken out their current Arena champion. 

"Come! Staunch his bleeding, and hurry him to the healers!" Anteris yelled out, his voice choked and his shoulders shaking, as he stifled the barrage of tears. 

The Ursten soldiers ran up to where Graffius lay, his face pale from the blood he had lost, but a warm smile still on his face. He began to speak, his voice weak and trembling, and Anteris leaned closer to him.

"Father. Do not shed tears for me. In my heart I always knew that some way, you would come for me. I fought so long in the Arena, and today, so that I could gain an audience with the Emperor, and slay him then. But when I heard your voice, everything fell away." Graffius took heaving breaths, and pink foam bubbled at his lips. Anteris had removed his helmet, and wept openly, embracing Graffius, while his tears soaked his face.

"To think I would see the day where the Empire would fall so, the Emperor, on his last legs. The Storm Generals, nowhere to be seen, and my father, leading the onslaught. Do not weep for me, Father." Graffius' eyes flicked up toward the sky, where Tam continued to exchange blows with the Emperor, his wings faded and his defenses increasingly weak. 

Graffius sighed as he slumped back, his breaths becoming weaker and weaker. 

"My son, I shall burn this city to the ground for you." Anteris murmured into Graffius' ear, and then stepped away.

"Take him to the healers! Now!" He bellowed to the Ursten soldiers gathered around him, and they bundled around Graffius, one soldier picking up each of the enormous man's limbs, carrying him away.

Anteris replaced his helm over his head, and picked up his halberd, the blade bursting into flame. 

"What are you moping around for?" He said gruffly to Boson, who watched as Graffius was carried away, 

"The best we can do for my son now, is to ensure we grind the Empire to dust." Anteris growled, as he turned to the gathered Imperial soldiers and Arena fighters.

"Fighters of the Arena! Why do you fight for an Empire that has enslaved so many of you? Why do you fight for a nation that forces one through years of combat for an audience with its ruler?" Anteris bellowed at the Arena fighters, who had watched, confused, as Boson and Anteris tended to their champion.

Anteris let out the entirety of his pressure, seizing control of the mana around the Arena fighters, so that they would feel the full force of his might. 

"My son was your champion! He was enslaved after his mother was taken from him by the Empire, and he fought to avenge her! Now, tell me! Will you lay down your swords? Or will you meet your end at my hands!"