Chapter 8: Practice Duel, and First Match Up! Gobryx versus Gobeye!

Gray cleared his throat, scanning the crowd of goblins before him with his eyes. "My loyal summons," he declared with authority. "I have decided to host a duel practice right now to test your abilities and to prepare ourselves for tomorrow's battle as well."

The goblins stirred with excitement, their beady eyes gleaming with anticipation. They chattered excitedly amongst themselves, their high-pitched voices rising in enthusiasm.

Gray had tried talking to them in the past few days, but their language was so guttural and foreign that he couldn't understand a word they said.

Instead, he had learned to interpret their gestures and behavior and had come to understand them a little bit. Despite the language barrier, Gray could tell they were eager for a chance to prove themselves in battle

Gray raised his hand, silencing the chatter. "But remember," he warned. "This is practice, not a real fight. No killing, and no permanent injuries."

"If anyone disobeys," Gray stated firmly. "There will be consequences. They will have to answer to me for their actions."

As Gray spoke, all of the goblins nodded in sync, their eyes were focused on their lord. They knew better than to cross their master and understood that disobedience would not be tolerated.

Gray appraised each goblin carefully, taking note of their individual strengths and weaknesses in order to create balanced and challenging match-ups for the upcoming duel practice.

After a few moments of careful consideration, Gray finally announced the match-ups to the excited goblins. He spoke clearly and loudly, ensuring that each goblin knew their opponent and their order in the practice duels.

"The first match-up will be Gobryx versus Gobeye."

"Next, we have Gobulus versus Gobius."

Gray paused for a moment before announcing the third match-up, "Goburus versus Gobsuke."

The goblins cheered and shouted in excitement, looking forward to seeing their fellow goblins battle each other.

"And for the final match-up, it will be Gobnar versus me," Gray said, his voice resolute. "Yes, I will fight, and please don't worry about me. I am more than capable of defending myself."

As Gray declared his participation in the final match, a heavy silence descended upon the gathering of goblins. Their raucous cheers and excited chatter ceased as they stared at him in a mixture of shock and reverence Their earlier excitement was replaced with a burning curiosity.

They had never seen their lord fight before, and they were eager to see what he was capable of. The silence was palpable, as if every goblin was holding their breath in anticipation of what was to come.

Gray led the way as the goblins followed him to the training ground in the territory. The walk was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps breaking the stillness. The goblins were deep in thought, wondering what kind of fight they were about to witness.

After a few moments, the training ground finally came into view. It was a large open space with no obstructions around it. The area was wide enough to accommodate a small number of spectators, around 50 at most. Despite the limited seating, there were enough wooden benches lining the perimeter to accommodate those who wished to watch the fight.

The ground was covered in a fine layer of dirt, with patches of grass growing here and there. In the center of the field stood a raised platform, where the matches would be held.

The platform was made of sturdy wood and was large enough for the fighters to move around freely. On the sides of the platform were wooden training dummies and various wooden weapons that the goblins could use to hone their skills.

The training ground was simple but functional, with no unnecessary frills or embellishments.

As Gray walked towards the platform, the goblins followed suit, making their way to the wooden benches and settling their selves comfortably as they waited for their lord to speak.

Gray ascended the platform and took a deep breath, feeling the eyes of his summons on him. He scanned the crowd, making eye contact with each of them in turn, before finally speaking.

"We will start the practice duel now!" Gray announced, his voice boomed across the training ground.

The goblins erupted in cheers and applause at Gray's declaration.

Gray looked at the crowd once more before calling out to two goblins who were standing nearby.

"Gobryx, the Dual Arcane Pistolero Goblin, and Gobeye, the Archer Goblin, come up to the platform," he said firmly.

Gobryx strode confidently towards the platform, a pair of pistols wear strapped to his hips. Gobeye, on the other hand, hesitated before making his way up, clutching his bow nervously.

He knew that in a practice duel with Gobryx, he was at a disadvantage. But he was also aware that this was his opportunity to enhance his own skills and abilities.

"Gobryx, Gobeye, you both know the rules," Gray said, addressing the goblins on the platform. "Let's see what you've got," he said, as he signaled for the practice duel to begin.

As soon as Gray signaled for the practice duel to begin, Gobeye took a step back, putting some distance between himself and Gobryx.

Gobryx drew his dual arcane pistols from his holsters and held them in a steady grip, his eyes fixed on Gobeye who had already readied his bow and quiver of arrows.

Gobeye's hands shook slightly, knowing he was at a disadvantage against Gobryx's dual pistols. But he tried to steady his breathing and focus on his aim.

After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Gobeye quickly fired a single arrow at Gobryx, using it as a distraction while he prepared his skill, "Arrow Rain". As soon as the arrow was released, he began to channel his magic, his hands glowing with a faint green light.

Gobryx was quick to react, dodging the arrow with ease as it sailed past him. However, he knew that Gobeye was a skilled archer and that he needed to be on guard.

As he prepared to counterattack, he saw Gobeye's magic taking effect. He looked up and saw a volley of arrows raining down from the sky, heading straight down to his position.

Without hesitation, Gobryx aimed his arcane pistols towards the sky and fired a barrage of magical bullets. It was a sight to behold as the bullets collided with the arrows, causing them to explode harmlessly in mid-air.

Gobryx then took the opportunity to launch a counterattack, firing a rapid succession of arcane bullets in Gobeye's direction.

Gobeye was forced to dodge and weave as the bullets peppered the ground around him. He knew that he was at a disadvantage in a close-range fight with Gobryx, so he decided to retreat, using his agility and speed to put distance between them. As he ran, he continued to fire arrows at Gobryx, trying to keep him at bay.

Gobryx followed suit, quickly dodging all of the arrows that Gobeye fired and closing in on him with his pistols at the ready. Gobeye tried to maintain his distance but Gobryx was quick and skilled, and soon he found himself at the end of the platform.

Gobeye's heart was pounding with fear and he couldn't think of a way to win this battle. He knew that he had to come up with a plan quickly or he would be defeated. He looked around frantically, trying to spot any advantage he could take, but there was nothing that could save him from Gobryx's skilled marksmanship.

In a panicked move, Gobeye fired a barrage of arrows at Gobryx, hoping to catch him off guard. However, Gobryx remained focused and activated his skill, "Arcane Barrage." He stood still, his eyes closed in deep concentration as the arrows were fired towards him.

As soon as the first arrow was in range, Gobryx's pistols lit up with a bright, magical glow and he started firing rapidly. Each bullet collided with an arrow, destroying it as soon as it was fired.

Realizing he was outmatched, Gobeye lowered his bow and conceded defeat. He raised his hand in a signal of surrender, letting Gobryx know that he had won the practice duel.

Gobryx lowered his pistols, a look of respect in his eyes as he acknowledged Gobeye's decision to concede. The goblins watching from the sidelines continued to cheer, impressed by the display of skill and sportsmanship from both fighters.

Gray stepped forward, clapping his hands in applause for both Gobryx and Gobeye. "Excellent! That was a sick fight! Well done," he said, addressing the two goblins.

"And the winner of this practice duel is Gobryx!" he announced, as the goblins cheered once again.

"Alrighty guys, it's time for the next round! We got Gobulus, the Shadow Blade Goblin, and Gobius, the Shadow Sniper Goblin!" Gray announced calling for the two next fighters.