All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Within the hour, Justin, Eldrin, Kargan, and Lila were gathered in a circular arena within the palace. The ring was vast, with high stone walls encircling a sandy floor.

The seats around the perimeter were packed with the Elven population, and Justin had to wonder how so many could get here on such short notice. Scanning the faces of the crowd, the general mood seemed to be a mix of curiosity and disdain.

Ornate banners hung from the walls, depicting a silver tree on a field of gold. The sunlight streamed down through the open roof, casting a golden glow over the combatants.

So far, their opponent had yet to show up.

"So, what's the plan?" Justin asked. "Should I start off by hurling an insult or two?"

Lila let out a disbelieving laugh. "Haven't you done enough of that already?"

"It might make him blind with aggression," Kargan said. "That could go one of two ways. Whatever the case, someone needs to take the hits. I suppose it must be me."

"You are too low-level for that," Eldrin said. "You might survive for a while, but the Vault would not make this one versus four unless Seraphiel proved to be a fair challenge. It would make more sense if you functioned as a healer."

High above, Shadowflight circled the arena, his dark violet feathers almost black against the bright sky. Eldrin glanced up at his falcon with a slight nod, as if confirming some silent arrangement between them.

"Hmm, you might have a point there," Kargan said. "Well, what's your idea, then?"

"I will take on the role of tank, fighting with my longsword. My higher level will prove key. You will keep me healed with your Vital Surge, and if possible, maintain your Blood Aegis to improve the power of your healing. And of course, that Sacrificial Armor spell you have. As long as I can draw his attention and keep him focused on me, we should be able to beat him. I'll do everything I can to bring down his thera. Once he loses that, he loses his advantage."

"I could use my Blood Aegis to start off," Kargan said. "Maybe we can bait him into charging us, then I can set up the spell quickly. It should knock him back, or at least stagger him a bit."

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Lila said. "But will it work on someone as strong as Seraphiel?"

"We'll have to see," Eldrin said. "It's certainly safer than my trying to take on both the beast and its rider. Assuming this works, focus everything on Seraphiel. He's going to be the weaker of the two."

"Either way, that monster is going to be quick," Justin said. "What if it goes around you and attacks us directly, Eldrin?"

"In that case, Kargan is the second line of defense. Lila can stay behind him and throw her knives with ease."

"What about me?" Justin asked.

Eldrin thought for a moment. "You can join the melee if you judge it safe. While fighting is not your forte, you are Level 6 now. Just try to stay back if Seraphiel focuses on you. And of course, your Dazzling Display and Dandy's Swagger could prove pivotal in distracting the enemy. And if you can stun him with your Poison Barb, all the better."

"And Shadowflight?" Lila asked.

"He'll be our eyes from above," Eldrin replied. "He can dive in to distract at critical moments, but I'd rather keep him as a last resort. Seraphiel's thera might see him as a snack otherwise."

"Sounds like a plan," Justin said. "It's easy to fluster a blowhard like Seraphiel."

"That can be a good thing or a bad thing," Eldrin said. "Either way, your skills have proven pivotal in every Vault so far. Just play it safe. I don't want you risking yourself too much. While this Vault is only Level 8, we shouldn't let that make us too confident."

"Eldrin," Kargan said. "If we need to switch out the tank role, there's no shame in it. That bow of yours could probably do even more damage than your sword."

"Sensible," the Ranger said. "If I need to swap positions, I'll let you know."

With the plan set, they continued to wait for their opponent's arrival.

At last, the iron gate at the edge of the arena raised foot by foot, and out came Seraphiel atop his thera, which was also covered in silver armor. It loped gracefully to its position on the other side of the arena. Seraphiel twirled his staff, his silver hair and armor making it difficult to tell where his skin began and where the armor ended. He gave a cocky, self-assured smile as if this trial were already decided.

The crowd erupted in approval at his entrance. Nobles shouted his name, their faces alight with admiration. It didn't seem to matter what he was fighting for. Justin could only assume that the majority not only supported their champion but also wanted to continue the war with the Orcish Confederation.

"I want to wipe that stupid smile from his face," Lila said, twirling her knives.

The announcer, a tall elf, stepped on top of a podium over the gate from which Seraphiel had emerged. His robes were deep green, embroidered with silver thread, and his presence commanded the attention of the crowd. His voice washed over the arena like rolling thunder.

"Welcome, noble spectators, to this rare trial by combat! Today, we witness a challenge of great significance. On one side, we have Seraphiel Thalarion of House Eryndor, a warrior of unparalleled bravery, whose deeds in battle have become legend. His skill with the staff is unmatched, and his courage knows no bounds. He rides his mighty thera, Aravath, a beast of formidable strength and speed."

At the mention of its name, the thera opened its wide mouth, giving a beastly scream that revealed rows of needle-pointed teeth.

Justin felt the vibration in his bones. He tried not to wet himself as he had with the other Vault trial. But in case he did, well, that was what the Ring of Hygiene was for.

"And on the other side," the announcer continued, his voice dropping slightly, "we have a delegation of Mysterious Strangers from the Orcish Confederation. They stand before us in defiance, hoping to prove the sincerity of the dastardly Orcish Confederation. If they win, the Ilvari Elves have agreed, under the eyes of the Goddess Lathalon herself, to enter peace talks with the Orcish Confederation. If Seraphiel wins, the war will continue until the last breath is drawn. Anything goes in this fight. May Lathalon, Goddess of Life, watch over the valiant!"

The crowd's reaction was mixed. Some booed, others remained silent, while the rest watched with keen interest.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The announcer lowered his hand, signaling the start of the battle.

From high above, Shadowflight let out a piercing screech, as if announcing his own readiness for battle. Seraphiel's thera glanced up momentarily, distracted by the sound.

Seraphiel wasted no time, immediately kicking his beast into a charge and twirling his staff. Kargan gave a guttural yell, creating a Blood Aegis just in time to deflect the creature's assault. The beast gave a pained scream as it was thrown back by the aegis, along with Seraphiel, who went flying through the air.

Justin's eyes widened. Damn, that was easy.

"Charge!" Eldrin called.

Justin didn't immediately follow in Eldrin's footsteps; instead, he activated Dandy's Swagger, performing a little jig and cane twirl.

Some in the crowd laughed, others jeered, thinking he was insulting the great warrior, but he didn't care. What mattered was that he was infused with confidence, giving him the bravery to charge forward.

Already, Lila was tossing her knives at the beast, which was blocking her view of Seraphiel. Its hide and armor were so thick that the knives simply clattered off.

Seraphiel clambered up from the dusty ground, running to mount his thera again, which had intercepted Eldrin before he could reach the elf. Unable to get around the beast, Eldrin started attacking it with fury. Seraphiel was approaching from the side for a flanking attack, and Justin rushed to meet him before he could catch Eldrin unawares. The elf was none the wiser about Justin's approach, apparently still rattled from his fall.

Eldrin whistled sharply, and Shadowflight plummeted from above, talons extended. The dark falcon raked across Seraphiel's face just as he was about to swing at Eldrin's back. The elf warrior cried out, momentarily blinded as he swatted at the bird, which deftly twisted away and soared back up.

Edified by his Charisma bonus, and Seraphiel still under a Charisma malus from Dandy's Swagger, Justin hurled his first Poison Barb as he moved in.

"Getting flanked isn't part of your strategy, I take it? So much for being the best warrior in the city!"

Seraphiel froze in his tracks. It was enough of a distraction for Lila to throw a fresh round of knives at him. Five in a row all clattered off his armor, but the sixth found purchase in his right thigh, sneaking in through a gap in his armor. Such was the nature of Justin's stun that the elf couldn't even scream.

[Poison Barb refreshed.]

Justin began his attack, twirling his cane and giving the Elf Warrior a few good thwacks, his staff ensconced in a yellow light. He wondered why it was doing that until he realized his new boon, Add Injury to Insult, had activated. Indeed, he was hitting Seraphiel hard enough to make dents in his armor.

He was about to finish him off with a solid thump to the skull when something charged into him from behind.

Justin's vision immediately darkened, and when the pain hit him, it was searing hot and extreme. He arced above the dirt of the arena and landed with a graceless thud. His side was wet, pouring out blood.

Immediately, a refreshing coolness surrounded him, and it was as if his wound were frozen solid. He scurried to get up and defend himself, but the thera was already focusing on Eldrin, while Seraphiel was limping along to aid in his mount's attack.

Already, the fight was bloody and not going according to plan.

Justin, still reeling from the pain, at least had his wounds knitted together.

He hobbled forward, once again going on the offensive. He wondered if Dazzling Display would do any good here, but right now, no one was in immediate danger, and it would only place all the focus on him when he needed a break.

He would use the skill when the time was right.

Justin ran right through the perimeter of Kargan's newly cast Blood Aegis and felt himself refreshed and edified by it. Both Seraphiel and his mount were fighting fiercely within the bounds of the ward. Justin charged at the thera, stabbing deep into the dinosaur's exposed flank, which was fleshier than its tough exterior. The creature gave a high shriek, wheeling around and swiping with its armored tail. Justin was hit so hard that he immediately went flying back.

He landed hard on his side, and once again felt himself surrounded by refreshing coolness. He scrambled up to see that Kargan was struggling, his body coated with blood from his healing exertions. But both Seraphiel and his mount were focusing on Eldrin again, who was doing all he could to hold off both with his longsword and limberness. The Ranger had already taken some hits, and Justin knew he couldn't keep it up forever, nor could Kargan with his healing.

Shadowflight dove again, this time targeting the thera's eyes. The beast reared back, snapping its jaws at the air as the falcon narrowly escaped its teeth. The momentary distraction gave Eldrin just enough time to roll away from what would have been a devastating bite.

"Good work, Shadowflight!" Eldrin called out.

It was at this moment that Lila started singing, even while throwing more knives, using her Bardic Inspiration ability. Her voice rose above the din of battle, clear and melodious, weaving a song that seemed to dance in the air. The lyrics, which Justin couldn't even catch in the chaos, were swift and light, urging quickness and grace.

Justin felt himself more limber, and he realized she was edifying the party's Coordination Attribute by +4. This gave him a breath of fresh air, enough to have another go at it.

Instead of attacking the thera, Justin went for its rider. He lobbed another insult, hoping that his Charisma was high enough to make the stun stick.

"Nice moves! Did you learn them from a children's puppet show?"

Seraphiel's face contorted with fury, the words cutting deep into his pride. Eldrin seized the moment, stabbing the elf warrior right through a gap in his armor, where Justin's earlier cane work had made way. Seraphiel's eyes went wide as he sank to his knees. Justin followed it up with a series of quick strikes, ending with extending the blade and slicing the elf's neck.

The crowd gasped in shock and awe, never having expected their champion to fall so soon.

"Lila," Justin called. "Switch to charisma!"

He was going off script a bit, but thankfully, she understood perfectly what was coming. She changed tunes to something inspiring and playful, boosting his Charisma by +4.

And not only that, he felt a refreshing coolness surround him. He recognized it to be Lila's new boon, Descant Defense, triggering to give him some light healing.

It was at this point that Justin activated his Dazzling Display, knowing that he needed some way to distract Seraphiel's thera, which would no doubt become enraged by its master's death.

When the legendary actor Russell Crowe entered Justin's mind, he wasn't even surprised. He simply accepted it, taking on the actor's aspect, grabbing the fallen warrior's staff, and throwing it into the surprised crowd, just below where both the king and queen were sitting.

"Are you not entertained?" he shouted.

The whole stadium seemed to go still, sucked into the performance. All but Justin's companions, who continued to assault the thera, which was also watching Justin, unable to tear its gaze away, even as it was being attacked.

"Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?"

The Dazzling Display ended, and time itself seemed to resume.

The thera roared, attacking with renewed vigor, going straight for Justin.

"Eeek!"

Justin dove to the side, in time for Kargan to approach with a crimson shield of Sacrificial Armor. The beast, however, was still targeting Justin, who was running for all he was worth. The thera's jaws extended, and Justin performed an adroit dodge just as its sharp teeth clamped together.

Thankfully, Lila had switched back to her Coordination song. Without that, he doubted he could have avoided the attack.

He slid behind Kargan, who tanked the hits of the thera's jaws and claws. Eldrin began unleashing arrow after arrow, almost all landing true in the exposed gaps of the beast's armor.

Shadowflight, seeming to sense the thera's weakening state, made one final dive. With incredible speed, the falcon slashed at the creature's already wounded eye, drawing blood and an agonized howl. The thera thrashed its head wildly, disoriented and half-blinded, creating the perfect opening.

By now, the creature was a bloody mess and was slowing down.

Now was the time to drive the nail into the coffin. The party came together, surrounding the thera. With coordinated strikes, it was only a matter of time before it dropped to the dust. With a final stabbing of his longsword right below its exposed neck, Eldrin ended the beast once and for all.

The thera made no sound as it finally slumped into the red-tinged dirt.

As the party backed away, the crowd erupted into a mix of shock, cheers, jeers, and boos, witnessing what they perceived as an incredible upset.

Shadowflight descended to perch on Eldrin's outstretched arm. Eldrin stroked his companion's head once, a silent acknowledgment of their victory.

The announcer's surprise was obvious as his announcement sounded over the entire arena. "It's over, it's over, the fight is over! The Mysterious Strangers of the Orcish Delegation have won!"

Justin looked into the stands in a daze, battered but not beaten. A wall of sound beat against him. Many in the crowd had been won over to their side by his Dazzling Display. Even now, they were chanting, "Strangers! Strangers! Strangers!" until the cry took the whole arena by storm.

Was this what victory felt like?

Whatever the case, it was time to claim their just rewards.