Trapped in the lightning cage, the stone-like forms of the Holy Knights convulsed.
Golden light spilled out from beneath their armour, granting them the briefest reprieve, before the lightning shocked them once again. Runes flared, desperately repairing scorched armour, to no avail. As soon as it mended, the devastating current seared it anew - not that it really showed on the dark metal.
The Holy Knights continued jerking and healing.
At first, Alden had felt a little admiration for the Storm Sentinel's and their cunning strategy. Very soon, however, that feeling turned into unease.
A pit formed in his stomach.
Surely someone had to call off the bout by now. The Holy Knights were being ruthlessly tortured and no one was doing anything. Every time they healed, unrelenting agony coursed through them again.
Warm, holy light poured out from the narrow slits of their visors in response.
It was a vicious cycle.
As soon as the Storm Sentinels established the lightning cage, the crowd had fallen deathly silent. At first, they thought the Holy Knights would find some way to escape the harrowing net.
Maybe they had some trick up their sleeve.
…An ace they had never revealed.
Soon enough, though, it was apparent that was not the case.
Near-silent gasps echoed around the arena, the spectators shocked at the morbid display. Parents covered the eyes of their children, while several onlookers could not bear to watch and looked away, hoping for it to end.
The Paladins interspersed within the crowd wore grim expressions, as well.
Alden turned to look at those beside him. They each wore impassive expressions, making no move to halt the gruesome show. Perhaps they felt it beneath them to intervene. Perhaps they did not want to dishonour the Holy Knights by jumping to their aid.
…Perhaps they simply did not care.
Either way, the result was the same.
Alden shifted his gaze back to the grounds of the arena where the Holy Knights continued to resist. He fought the urge to squirm. The dark-armoured warriors writhed, their necks angled as if releasing a silent, rictus scream.
They continued to suffer, the Storm Sentinels unrelenting. The lightning-wreathed custodians seemed to have snapped, mirroring the callous nature of the storm. In fact, their figures appeared to glow brighter, siphoning more power from the heavens.
Very soon, however, any indifference the Storm Sentinels might have had quickly turned into frustration. Remarkably, the Holy Knights were still enduring. Still fighting.
Even as their resistance grew weaker and weaker, they still did not give up.
The Storm Sentinels gritted their teeth, bulging veins visible on their temples from the strain. They let out an agonised scream, as if they were also experiencing great pain, before the lightning cage abruptly flickered out.
The Holy Knights crumbled to the ground.
A weak, feeble light enshrouded their figure, trying to heal the excruciating damage their bodies had sustained. Unfortunately, it snuffed out like a dying flame only a moment later, doubtless a sign they had exhausted their mana.
The Storm Sentinels were not faring any better. They swayed and staggered, experiencing a dizzy spell that was all too common for those who had used every last drop of their mana. Both Guilds suffered from Mana Deprivation.
The Holy Knights were very fortunate their opponents had run out of mana when they did. It was just in time - Alden shuddered to imagine what might have happened if they continued to suffer.
Overall, he was very relieved.
The crowd displayed a similar reaction, heaving huge sighs, finally remembering to breathe. A second later, they also found their voice. Almost instantly, a thunderous cacophony of boos and jeers reverberated, no less intense than the storm which still raged above.
The Storm Sentinels did not seem to care, though. They stabilised themselves after a brief, but arduous struggle… a fight they were still fighting, if the trembling of their limbs and muscles was anything to go by.
Opposite them, the Holy Knights clawed at the ground, desperately trying to summon whatever energy they had left to rise. The spectators cheered them on, hoping their champions could tap into the combined well of their wishes, and use it to stand.
Alden internally marvelled at the sheer will required for one to drag their battered body up after experiencing something so chilling. Yet, the Holy Knights did just that. One by one, they slowly rose; first propping themselves on an elbow, then a knee, before finally lurching upright.
The process was extremely tortuous. Alden found himself inwardly wincing whenever one of the Holy Knights seemed to go through a particularly painful maneouvre.
Similarly, the Storm Sentinels also found it very difficult to move. Perhaps even more so than their dark-armoured foes. It was as if they had paid a grievous price for channeling so much lightning, and now their muscles had spasmed, refusing to obey their will.
Every step required gargantuan effort, and resulted in more than one moment where Alden thought they had reached the end of their rope. Against his expectations, the stormy warriors kept fighting, just like the Holy Knights.
The only difference, though, was that they did not have the crowd on their side. In fact, the vitriol spewed reached such a fever pitch that even Alden felt inclined to empathise with the Storm Sentinels.
That feeling only lasted a brief moment, though.
'Note to self: never get on the bad side of an angry mob. They're terrifying!'
The Keeper's Apprentice suppressed a shudder.
Down below, the Storm Sentinels and the Holy Knights slowly converged. Remarkably, the latter were still on their feet, although they swayed and stumbled a lot.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, the two Guilds faced each other.
Only a small distance now separated them.
Six warriors raised their weapons with unsteady, trembling arms. Their legs also shook.
'Are they really going to fight in that condition?'
As if on cue, a tremor ran through them, and both groups paused mid-step. Their bodies reeled from what seemed like a surge of sudden pain, and they toppled, collapsing to the ground.
…The match had ended in a draw.