> Kira PoV <

“Welcome once again, ladies and gentlemen!” (Announcer)

The crowd goes wild as expected. Sometimes I wonder if they like this announcer more than the actual events.

“After an unfortunate two month delay, the Grand Martial Arts Tournament will commence once more! I’m sure we’re all eager to see what plans and strategies our fighters have come up with during their downtime!” (Announcer)

Well, I can’t deny the man has a certain charisma around him. He certainly knows how to get the crowd excited, for one. He really should just move onto the actual duel though.

“And without further delay, we will begin immediately! Facing off once more - Roel Denka the [Sword Master] vs Ellie mil Quasse the [Dragonbane]!” (Announcer)

“Come on! Come on! Look there she is!” (Lara)

“Mommy looks weird in those clothes…” (Sophie)

I agree with Sophie, that armor they forced Ellie to wear really doesn’t suit her. I understand it’s part of the rules, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. The least they could’ve done is let her paint or dye it beforehand! Well, I suppose function is more important than fashion in a fight.

“EEHEELIE! EEHEELIE!” (Crowd)

“Wow, there they go again, huh?” (Kelly)

“Yeah. I’ve had to accept that noise as the new norm, unfortunately. You know that chant broke out pretty much every time someone saw us in public yesterday?” (Kira)

“Oh yeah. I could hear it all the way down in the workshop! Ah, or is that all the way 'up' in the worshop? Well, you get the idea.” (Kelly)

“These worms have done well to finally express Mistress Ellie’s greatness in an acceptable fashion. Though they really should be groveling at her feet and licking her boots. Wait, wouldn’t that actually be a reward for their service?” (Ariel)

Kelly throws her a rather disgusted look, which I wholeheartedly mirror. Far from getting better, Ariel’s head seems to be growing even more rotten! I think she might have developed some sort of foot fetish in addition to the other problem she has. Which is, to be honest, probably my fault... I’m also pretty sure she’s still holding onto the charred remains of my old left boot, but my intuition tells me nothing good will come of asking her about that.

“It seems that the two contestants have finished exchanging greetings and are about to start!” (Announcer)

> Narrator PoV <

Kiressara immediately forgot any stupid thoughts she was having about a certain perverted canary, and instead refocused her attention on the two cat-eared contestants facing off each other in the ring.

“Contestants!” (Announcer)

Ellie assumed a stance on all fours while Roel prepared the two swords in his hands and the rapier on his tail to intercept her. So far, it seems to be a repeat of what had happened almost two months ago, except for one major detail - Ellie was equipped with two swords instead of one. The cause of that was simple.

‘When you kick that guy’s ass, make sure you break a few bones on my behalf.’

While Ellie was never one to hold back or go easy on her opponent in the first place, those words inspired her to put in all of her effort into winning this fight. If that person said they wanted something, then Ellie would grant it without question!

Reasons? Doubt? What are those? Do they taste good?

“Begin!” (Announcer)

To most spectators watching, Ellie disappeared instantly. All that was left behind was a cloud of dust and four small holes in the sandy ground.

*CLANG*

A loud noise reverberated through the arena as Roel blocked Ellie’s leaping downward sword strike. The sheer heaviness and speed of the blow surprised him, so he had to meet it head on with both longswords. Noticing his opponent was briefly suspended in the air, Roel thrust his tail-guided rapier towards Ellie’s chest. However, it was easily deflected by her steel bracer.

Even if it was fast and accurate, a tail simply could not exert enough force to penetrate armor.

Roel roared and threw Ellie back, creating some distance between the two. Roel had surmised Ellie had the definite advantage when it came to close range combat, so he would not allow himself to be dragged into that sort of fight. He was also wary of Ellie’s second sword which was still sheathed on her back.

This woman was not one to carry a weapon if she had no plans to use it.

Ellie rushed forward again and swung her sword sideways. Roel was fully prepared for her this time and deftly turned it away with one hand while counterattacking with the other. The fierce stab was dodged by a paper-thin margin before Ellie swung her sword around while blocking another scorpion-like thrust with her bracer. That too was parried and met with another brilliant riposte, which again missed its mark.

Unable to land any sort of attack, both of them traded blows at a speed that could barely be registered by the audience. Sparks flew and clanging echoed as metal met metal countless times. After about a minute of this, Roel saw an opening and took it, landing a fierce kick on Ellie’s abdomen. It forced her back a few meters, causing her feet to slide across the ground.

The short break in the action snapped the mesmerised announcer out of his stupor. Even though he was a professional that had casted multiple tournaments in the past, he was still left awestruck, staring dumbly with an open jaw.

“Ah! My apologies ladies and gentlemen! The fierce exchange that just took place was simply beyond words!” (Announcer)

Finally remembering he had a job to do, he started the belated play-by-play.

“After numerous exchanges that were all either blocked or dodged, Roel was the one to score the first clean hit of the match with a kick!” (Announcer)

The crowd finally started getting noisy. Much like the announcer, they were also struck dumb by the masterful display in front of them. Any lingering anger and unpleasant thoughts caused by the tournament being delayed unexpectedly were instantly forgotten. Because, in front of their very eyes there was a spectacle easily worth waiting another year for, let alone a measely two months!

While Roel briefly registered the sudden increase in noise, Ellie ignored it completely. If anything, she was an expert at tuning out the background. Right now, her head was churning away at high speed. She was trained as an assassin. The one before her was a swordsman of the highest caliber. The kick she took, while not particularly dangerous, signified that Roel was gradually getting used to her rather simplistic swordplay. Although she was superior in strength and speed, Roel’s technique and experience was easily catching up to her. Things would get worse for her the more this dragged out.

This much was within Ellie’s expectations, however. Although the advantages she had in terms of physical aptitude were being gradually overcome, so too could Roel’s strong points be made meaningless. All it took was the right approach.

She dashed forward once more, swinging her sword sideways at Roel’s neck. The blow was once again deftly turned away, only instead of blocking the counterattack, Ellie avoided it completely by leaping back the instant the swords made contact with each other. She flew gracefully backwards with a quick backflip landing on three pointswith one hand on the ground and another holding her sword above. She sprang into action from this lowered position, not forward, but sideways - circling around her opponent. She ran with a bizarre gait, using her free hand as a third leg. She was obviously aiming to disturb and confuse her opponent.

Roel naturally followed her with his entire body, but just as he repositioned his foot, Ellie changed directions on a dime. She pulled off an impossible 180 turn by thrusting her gloved hand into the ground like a shovel and swinging around it, redirecting her momentum. This unorthodox maneuver allwed her to catch Roel slightly off guard and get on his flank. She lunged at her opponent from the side without giving him a chance to regain his proper footing. Roel spun his body in a rather exaggerated motion, getting out of the way of her charge and blocking the sword strike that came at his chest as she moved past. Ellie simply grabbed onto the ground and flung herself around to repeat the fierce attack.

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Back in the VIP box, Ellie’s friends and family were thoroughly enjoying the show. From up here the two combatants looked like two blurs orbiting around each other, but failing to collide. Ellie would pull off some strange maneuver that would snap a normal person in half, while Roel deftly avoided it with his whole body. Much like the rest of the crowd, Kira was watching it with baited breath.

However, in her excitement, she completely failed to notice someone approach her seat. It wasn’t until the humungous figure cast a shadow over her that she realized someone was there.

“Quite fast isn’t she?” (Grandmaster Kilroy)

“Ack! G-G-grandmaster? Good to see you in good health!” (Kira)

He snuck up on her. Someone whose very existence seemed to be the polar opposite of stealth had managed to catch her completely by surprise.

“Of course. It would take a lot more than being encased in a little ice to pose a problem for one of us mountain giants.” (Grandmaster Kilroy)

The Grandmaster looked down sternly at Kira, who almost broke out in a cold sweat in return. She was vividly reminded of yesterday’s incident where she inadvertently encased him in a glacier.

“You mean… you actually saw us!?” (Kira)

“Nope. I did not.” (Grandmaster Kilroy)

Kira’s face became pale. She realized the Grandmaster’s position wasn’t just for show. Even without seeing her with his own eyes, he had accurately deduced the culprit and confronted her. And said culprit invulntarily admitted to the deed under the unexpected pressure.

The man in front of her was quite formidable in many ways.

“I’m sorry! I truly am! I just- I had no idea!” (Kira)

“Don’t be like that. I don’t hold it against you. Assuming anyone was taking a casual swim in those icy waters would be a leap of logic that would normally make one question their own sanity. I completely understood it was an accident. Besides, it was a good reminder to stay on my toes.” (Grandmaster Kilroy)

Kilroy seated himself on the floor with crossed legs. It’s not like these seats would handle his enormous size anyway.

“Mind if I keep our number one adventurer company?” (Grandmaster Kilroy)

“No… Go ahead…” (Kira)

Truthfully, Kira had several things she wanted to say about that  whole Ladder debacle, but what was done is done. There’s no way she would be able to derail such a large-scale initiative just for the sake of her selfish desires. Especially since both the Crown and the Adventurer’s Guild were in full support of it. She instead turned her attention back to the fight.

Ellie and Roel were both on the move. The duel had transitioned from a static one into an active one, leading them both into an odd dance of sorts. None of them would tire out easily, however. Ellie’s enhanced body boasted deep reserves of stamina, while Roel’s actions were efficient and without a single wasted movement. It would be difficult to say who would last longer in an endurance match, but Ellie had every intention to end this before it went that far. Her preparations were almost complete.

It had not snowed at all in the last week, so the ground was as dry as it normally was. Which meant every step raised some dust. The cloud of fine powder-like sand hung heavily in the air due to the complete lack of wind. Ellie kept Roel’s attention focused on her and her blade while moving around at high speed, drawing his eyesight toward the ground and away from his surroundings. Taking note of a rather thick veil of kicked up dust, she backed off and put it between herself and her opponent.

The earthen cloud seemed to glow in the midday sun’s pale blue light, effectively hiding her from Roel’s view for a brief second. Losing sight of his target, the aged swordsman heightened his senses. A steel sword flew out of the improvised smoke-screen like an arrow. Roel fully expected this to happen - the only reason that woman would bring a second sword with her would be because she planned on discarding the first one anyway.

The deadly projectile aimed at his stomach was easily dodged despite its great speed. But it was not the only one. A lump of something also flew at him from behind the cloud, forcing Roel into an even more awkward posture. He had no time to confirm what that something was, however, as a third projectile came hurtling towards his face. Already leaning to an unreasonable degree, Roel was forced to roll to the side as a way of avoiding it. The sound that last one made as it whizzed by his head sent a chill at his spine - it was definitely not a good idea to meet that thing head on!

But, in hindsight, letting it hit would probably have been the right decision.

“GUHA!” (Roel)

“A hit! Roel was hit by one of Ellie’s ranged attacks! Ellie has scored first blood!” (Announcer)

Roel felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. While rolling to the side was a form of dodging, the end of that movement turned one into a sitting duck. And that brief moment was what Ellie was aiming for. She had thrown her second sword, which intercept Roel and left a noticable gash on his lightly armored body.

“Looks to be a deep wound, but Roel is not giving up! Truly a fighting spirit worthy of a Rank A adventurer!” (Announcer)

Roel scrambled to his feet and took stock of his situation. The swordsman in him knew it was pointless - his right arm no longer listened to him. However, the adventurer in him refused to give in, as evidenced by how his now useless right hand defiantly tightened its grip around the sword it was clinging onto.

“Ellie bursts out of the dust cloud and charges forward!” (Announcer)

Roel instantly noticed it. Her steel bracers were both gone. She had thrown them at her opponent in order to drive him into a corner. Essentially, she created a scenario where he walked into her thrown blade all on his own. This was Ellie’s plan. Not as an assassin, nor as a swordsman. Or is it a swordswoman? Maybe a swordscat? Whatever the case, she had faced him in her full capacity as a Rank A adventurer - someone whose thinking was completely free of the shackles of common sense.

But, Roel was Rank A as well. Even if it was hopeless, he would not give in. His opponent was now unarmed and her wrist guards were gone. Ellie had weakened her defense in order to create this chance. Although her CQC was formidable, it would be meaningless if she failed to get in range.

That was Roel’s only hope. He thrust his sword toward Ellie’s approaching face. His tail was ready to strike at her the moment she dodged to the side!

But she didn’t dodge the sword.

*CLANG*

She caught it. She punched at it from both sides, trapping the blade between the Durasteel-reinforced knuckles of her gloves. Gripping onto it like a vice, she used it as a lynchpin, allowing her lower body to swing forward. Her leg drew a crescent in the air as she spun, her steel-toed boot driving into Roel’s unsuspecting groin with bone crushing force.

Roughly half of the audience cringed in imagined pain as Roel let out a voiceless scream. Many were silently praying that poor man already had descendants, for it seemed unlikely he would ever get the chance.

“Uhm… Ellie delivered an, uh, well… I know the rules said ‘anything but magic goes’ but…” (Announcer)

While the announcer was at a loss for words, Ellie did not miss her chance to act. She grabbed Roel’s outstretched left arm and threw him over her shoulder, forcing him onto his back with a heavy thud. Still gripping onto his arm, Ellie trapped it between her thighs and abruptly twisted it with her hands, forcing the elbow to bend completely the wrong way!

*SNAP*

“...” (Roel)

Roel was already unconscious, so the tell-tale ‘GYAAAAAA’ did not come out. The referee on the side was eagerly signaling the announcer that it was over with one hand, while urging the team of medics nearby to hurry up with the other.

“Ah, *Ahem* The winner! Ellie mil Quasse!” (Announcer)

“...” (Crowd)

“Come on you guys! Ellie’s waiting for you! EEHEELIE! EEHEELIE!” (Clara)

Clara jumped up and down while clapping her hands and chanting Ellie’s name. Her fanatical vigor when it came to all things Ellie soon spread through the rest of her club, who began to mirror her actions, getting caught up in the flow.

“EEHEELIE! EEHEELIE!” (Crowd)

This kept spreading through the rest of the audience until their chanting was back into full swing. Oddly enough, the ones who cheered the loudest were all male. Whether it was out of fear, admiration or something else entirely was best left unsaid.

Having been declared the winner, Ellie simply nodded once and headed unceremoniously towards the dressing room. She was silently admonishing herself over her blunder. Roel’s last-ditch effort forced her to improvise. And although she had aimed for his ribs, Roel’s body shifted forward at the last moment, causing her foot to end up in completely the wrong place. It was truly unfortunate, but she had to settle for a broken arm rather than broken ribs. However, such thoughts were quickly forgotten. She had completed her goal of showing off sufficiently for Lara and Sophie while and fulfilling her wife’s instructions. Selfishly deciding the result was satisfactory, she started idly humming as she walked down the cold and dark corridor.

Back in the VIP box, Kira was smiling happily that her dear wife won. Hmm? Traumatized opponents? Such things are unrelated and unimportant. Sophie and Lara were still hyper from Ellie’s dazzling display of speed, both of them blissfully unaware of the truth behind Ellie’s final blow. Kelly simply laughed at the surreal scene of three medics desperately concentrating their healing magic on Roel’s crotch.

Ariel, on the other hand, had conflicting feelings about the situation. On one hand, she was glad that ‘worthless shit-eating centipede’ named Roel was taught his rightful place. On the other hand, she was extremely jealous of watching someone else being crushed and humiliated in public by her ruthless Mistress. And while Ellie may have been the perpetrator, it was undoubtedly Kiressara’s will that drove her to act. This realization reaffirmed her conviction that she had found her rightful place in this world - firmly beneath her Mistress’s domineering heel. Both figuratively and literally.

The Grandmaster? He wouldn’t have any qualms regarding the way Ellie’s fight had ended. Honor? Fairness? Cowardice? Clinging onto such idle thoughts on the battlefield would inevitably lead to one’s downfall. In fact, far from admonish, the Grandmaster would probably laud and encourage this sort of behavior.

After all, Ellie was a person who was resourceful enough to turn the environment to her advantage. Someone cunning enough to forego common sense and use her armor as a weapon. An adventurer who could ruthlessly and decisively exploit an opening and strike at a weak spot with no hesitation.

A truly exemplary individual, well deserving of her position as a member of the top-ranked adventurer team in the country.

Well, such thoughts and musings would have to wait for later. Even though he was sitting cross-legged on the ground and slouching forward with arms resting on his knees, the Grandmaster was currently unavailable.

He had fallen asleep pretty much the instant he sat down next to Kira, after all.