Ale's journey: The rise of an adventurer

The arena was boiling with excitement. The three opponents took their stances, ready for battle. The colossus charged forward with surprising speed for his size, swinging his massive axe in a deadly arc. Ale sprinted to meet him, narrowly dodging the blow that crashed down where he had stood a mere second earlier.

"Now!" Ale shouted.

The archers among the workers released their arrows, aiming at the woman archer and the mage. She deflected most of the arrows with agile movements, but one grazed her arm, making her grimace in pain. The mage, meanwhile, raised a magical barrier, momentarily halting his spell.

Ale darted toward the colossus with swift movements. "I need to break his reinforcement enchantment," he thought. He murmured a spell: "Flamma Manus." Flames coated his sword, crackling with energy. He struck at a specific point on the colossus's armor with precise, deliberate blows. The metal began to heat up, glowing a fierce red.

Despite Ale's relentless assault, the colossus did not falter. His massive frame trembled with each impact, but he showed no signs of slowing. Raising his axe high, he brought it down with devastating force. "Die, vermin!"

Ale leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. "Terra Murus!" he shouted, summoning a wall of rock from the ground to intercept the colossus's next attack. Without hesitation, Ale followed up with another spell. "Ignis Orbis!" A blazing fireball shot forward, aimed at the overheated point in the armor.

"Boom!" The fiery projectile collided with the weak spot, erupting in an explosive burst. Shards of metal flew from the impact, shattering the enchantment and exposing the colossus's vulnerable side. The massive warrior was sent sprawling to the ground, his face contorted in pain. The guests in the stands were shocked, clearly impressed by Ale's prowess. "That boy is strong! He can cast so many spells!" they murmured in awe.

Meanwhile, the woman archer prepared a deadly energy-infused arrow, its sinister glow surrounding the tip. She took aim at Ale, her intent clear: eliminate him. As she loosed the arrow, Ale sensed the imminent danger. He raised his free hand, summoning a barrier of wind that caught the arrow mid-flight, slowing it to a near halt. With a swift motion, Ale grabbed the arrow, now moving as slow as a snail in the wind shield, and hurled it back at its sender with incredible force.

Caught off guard, the archer had no time to react. She dodged with all her might, but several arrows from the workers pierced her legs, pinning her to the ground. "Petraliane," Ale whispered, directing his spell at the woman. Stone vines erupted from the earth, entwining around her, locking her in place.

She was now completely immobilized, her fierce determination snuffed out by the binding stone vines. The spectators in the stands gasped in amazement as Ale's magic and strategy continued to outshine expectations.

"Impressive," murmured the mage, his fiery red eyes gleaming with intensity. He completed his incantation, summoning several flaming orbs that hovered ominously above the group of workers.

"Taste this!"

Ale, sensing the danger, shouted, "Spread out!"

The fiery spheres crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves through the arena that knocked several workers off their feet. Flames erupted from the impact, quickly spreading and threatening to engulf those caught in the blaze.

Up in the stands, the nobles clapped with delight. "Marvelous!" "Now that's a real fight!"

Princess Ismérie clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing. "That mage... he's using destructive magic... These aren't just ordinary prisoners, are they?"

The viscount smiled slyly. "They're former high-ranking adventurers, Your Highness. That's what makes the spectacle so thrilling." She couldn't help but wonder how they had ended up as prisoners.

Ale, witnessing the devastation caused by the spreading fire, quickly searched for a way to protect his comrades. An idea flashed through his mind. He closed his eyes and focused. A powerful gust of wind swirled around him, forming a wind aura that enveloped his entire body. This aura expanded outward like a wave, extinguishing the flames across the arena.

The colossus squinted, clearly taken aback. "Wind magic? Just who are you, kid?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," Ale shot back before turning to the workers. "Hold strong! I'll keep them occupied. Support me with everything you've got!"

The archers repositioned themselves and resumed firing, their arrows raining down on the mage. Frustrated and visibly drained from his previous spell, the mage attempted to drink a blue potion to restore his mana, but the relentless barrage of attacks forced him to raise his defenses.

Ale charged at the colossus once more, their weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. This time, the impact was enough to push the heavily armored warrior back.

"Impossible!" the colossus growled, feeling the searing heat of Ale's enchanted blade as it cut through his armor.

Ale saw his chance. He poured all of his energy into one decisive strike. His sword pierced through the damaged armor, slicing into the exposed flesh beneath. The colossus staggered, blood seeping from his wound.

"How...?" he gasped.

The colossus collapsed to his knees, his grip on his weapon loosening. "My family... they're waiting for me... my children..." he whispered, his eyes clouding with despair.

Then he pulled out a small vial from his pouch, filled with a vibrant orange liquid that sparkled like fiery embers. Without hesitation, he downed the potion in one swift motion. Immediately, his skin turned from yellow to orange, and then to a deep, glowing red. Flames began to coil around his massive frame, licking up his armor and burning with intense heat.

From the stands, the nobles were left in stunned silence before their awe turned into murmurs of excitement. "What in the world?"

"He's surrounded by fire!"

"This is it, princess," the viscount said with obvious glee. "The potion he just drank sets his spirit ablaze, making him invincible for a time. No one can stop him now."

"Isn't that kind of potion banned?" Princess Ismérie asked, her concern palpable. "I thought the Empire was still in the experimental stages with it. It's unstable and incredibly dangerous."

The viscount merely chuckled. "Nothing is banned here, princess. That's what makes it so... entertaining." He cast her a smug look, and they both exchanged a laugh, as though they shared a private joke.

Back in the arena, all eyes were on the colossus and his sudden, overwhelming transformation.

Seeing an opportunity, the mage quickly downed a blue potion to restore his mana. He leaped into the air, summoning a barrage of fireballs that rained down on the group of workers.

Ale, moving with incredible speed, rushed back to the group. "Aero Murus!" he shouted, summoning a massive wall of air above them. The fireballs collided with the air barrier, igniting in a violent whirlwind before dissipating harmlessly.

"No way!" the mage screamed in frustration, disbelief etched across his face.

Without giving the mage a moment to react, Ale appeared behind him in a blur of motion. With a precise strike to the back of the mage's neck, Ale knocked him unconscious. Quickly, he bound the fallen mage with his signature stone vine spell, immobilizing him completely.

Now, with two of the three opponents defeated, only Ale and the colossus remained. The massive warrior was rising to his feet once again, his eyes now burning with a ferocious, fiery glow. Flames curled around him, intensifying with each passing second.

Ale took a deep breath, the heat from the colossus pressing against his skin. This was it—the final clash.

The crowd in the stands held their breath.

In the arena, Ale observed his flame-cloaked opponent with calm focus. "I don't know what kind of potion you drank, but it may make you stronger—it's also burning away your vitality," he said, his voice steady.

"I'll give everything I have," the colossus replied, a fierce glint in his eyes.

The colossus charged at Ale with surprising speed, like an enraged, flaming bull. Flames trailed behind him, leaving searing marks on the ground. At the last moment, Ale dodged to the side. The colossus crashed into the arena wall, leaving a deep fissure upon impact. The spectators felt the ground tremble beneath their feet.

"What incredible power!" one noble exclaimed.

"Your potion makes you lose agility," Ale remarked, sidestepping as the colossus charged again. Ale raised his hand and invoked, "Terra Scutum!" A shield of earth formed where he stood. The colossus smashed into the shield, shattering it into pieces, but his momentum was halted.

Enraged, the colossus grabbed several weapons from the scattered tables, hurling them with monstrous strength toward Ale. As soon as the weapons left his hands, they ignited, becoming flaming projectiles streaking through the air at blistering speeds. From the stands, the spectators saw only streaks of fire cutting through the arena.

Without flinching, Ale whispered, "Aero Murus Maxima!" A thick wall of air formed in front of him, trapping the flaming weapons mid-air. The intensity of the air currents fueled the flames, causing them to burn out within seconds, leaving only ashes in their wake.

"Does this kid have endless mana or what?" a noble gasped.

"He keeps casting stronger and stronger spells!" another added, clearly impressed by Ale's mastery.

Aldric, seated in the stands, observed the scene with a perplexed expression. He had dismissed Ale as a mere novice, yet now, Ale's strength was far beyond that of even a seasoned adventurer. "Imposter!" Aldric muttered, unable to comprehend why Ale had presented himself as an amateur. "He's mocking me," Aldric thought, trying to make sense of this affront.

In the arena, the colossus, infuriated by Ale's constant dodging, roared, "Stop running and fight me! Face me like a man!"

He was trying to provoke Ale, to throw him off balance. But Ale remained composed. He closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them with renewed determination. "Glacies Manus," he incanted, and thick layers of ice enveloped his hands, emitting an intense cold that seemed to freeze the air around him.

Ale approached the colossus. Now face to face, they sized each other up. The duel between fire and ice had begun. Their blows came at lightning speed, fists of ice meeting fiery armor, each impact creating a sharp hiss of steam. Where Ale's ice struck, the flames were momentarily extinguished, only to flare back to life.

The colossus's flaming strikes landed on Ale, igniting patches of his clothing, but his regenerative abilities extinguished the flames before they could cause serious harm. Both fighters moved fluidly, as if time itself had slowed down around them.

Slowly but surely, the colossus began to feel his energy draining. The potion's effect was wearing thin. "Why won't you fall?" he shouted, desperate. His rage drove him to unleash even more powerful attacks, but it didn't matter. Ale absorbed the hits, regenerating as quickly as the damage was done, while the colossus grew weaker with each passing moment.

The flames surrounding the colossus started to flicker. His movements slowed, his breathing became labored.

The colossus swung one last time, but his strike hit nothing. He didn't even notice that Ale had already moved away. Finally, his strength gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, utterly spent. Struggling for breath, he whispered, "My family… I'm sorry… my family…"

The arena fell into a heavy silence. Then, slowly, scattered applause began, growing into an overwhelming ovation. Princess Ismérie stood, her face reflecting a mix of awe and emotion. "What an incredible display!"

Viscount Alaric, though clearly displeased, tried to maintain his composure. "Indeed, it was a battle worthy of the greatest."

Ale turned to the remaining workers. "The fight is over. We are free."