*** Chapter 3: The Duel ***

Eren bowed deeply, a common courtesy before a friendly duel; Kena did not return the favour, standing with her arms crossed disdainfully.

Eren didn't know what to make of his opponent.

From her bright red hair, he could tell she was mage-born; Eren would guess she came from a clan of fire witches. But she dressed like a peasant- cheap leather forming only the most rudimentary armour, barely capable of stopping a glancing blow.

So she doesn't have money. Another exile? It would explain her lack of manners; many exiles came to hate mage tradition.

Weirder still was her attitude. The moment Eren walked in, she seemed determined to fight him. She didn't even know what the test was- she just wanted to fight.

Eren didn't know how to feel when the examiner, a dull woman named Yuki, dispassionately informed them they would be duelling.

"This duel will follow the standard Sune Mage Association friendly duelling rules. Do I need to explain them to either of you?" From her tone, it was clear she didn't want to.

"No need," Eren muttered. The rules of a duel were simple: there were two ways to win; either get your opponent to yield or knock your opponent unconscious. Intentionally killing an opponent was, of course, discouraged. But it wasn't illegal. If someone died, they would consider it an accident.

Duellists had pretty much complete freedom- they could use any weapons or magic they liked. Mages didn't have a concept of cheating; they preferred to call it tactics.

With a blast of her whistle, Yuki started the duel.

The instant the whistle sounded, Kena burst into action. With swift, fluid movements, Kena cast her opening spell, materialising a ball of flames as big as her head. Thrusting her hands out, she sent the ball careening towards Eren.

Eren summoned a sheet of iron, jumping back as he did so. With little time to dedicate to its formation, the barrier wasn't nearly strong enough to guard against Kena's attack. But it was enough to set it off early, stopping it from blowing Eren's face off. Instead, it detonated harmlessly in front of him, a wave of hot air blasting him in the face.

Eren didn't have long to celebrate. As soon as the smoke cleared, a set of three fireballs replaced it. Thinking quickly, Eren created a fistful of iron balls, each ball no larger than a pin's head, throwing them towards their counterparts before they could hit.

His plan worked. All three burst into brilliant flames just shy of their target. Eren's iron was a pure magic construct; he could dismiss it at a moment's notice, breaking it down into mana, essentially making it disappear. Not wanting to risk being pelted by his own iron balls, Eren dismissed them in sync with the fireballs’ detonation.

Smoke filled the air. It was much thicker than the first time, providing a reprieve from Kena's assault. Eren summoned a hollow metal body, the approximate size and shape of his own. Satisfied with his work, he slipped away, hiding behind a rocky outcrop, waiting for the smoke to clear.

"Stop hiding, you coward!"

Predictably, Kena fired as soon as she caught a glance of 'Eren' through the smoke, the brutal attack destroying the statue on impact. But it also revealed Kena's position.

Still obscured by the smoke, Eren raced forwards, summoning a war hammer. He closed the distance quickly, aiming a mighty swing at Kena's head. She noticed him just in time, leaning backwards, out of the way of his attack. But Eren was ready. The shaft of his weapon extended rapidly, pushing the hammer's head out and into Kena's core. Kena took the full force of the hit. Unable to stop herself, she flew into the air, falling gracelessly to the ground.

"Yield," Eren offered, feeling secure in his victory. Slowly picking herself up, Kena turned to him. She didn't look defeated, as he'd hoped. Or angry as he'd feared.

She looked excited.

"Finally. This is what I'm talking about!"

Grinning like a madwoman, Kena charged blindly. Such a brazen attack left her full of openings. Eren planned to take full advantage of her poor decision, aiming a brutal swing at her core. If she tried to dodge, he could always extend his hammer again. But just before he connected, she jumped, her feet exploding at the same time propelling her up and over him. Twisting in midair, Kena landed gracefully behind Eren.

Before Eren could react, Kena launched an overwhelming series of attacks at his unguarded back. Eren's armour was strong; neither swords nor spears could pierce it. Yet with every strike, Kena triggered another explosion. The raw force and heat were shockingly painful even through his armour.

***

Yuki usually hated overseeing the early rounds of the exam. The mages at this stage were almost always underwhelming. But watching the duel unfold, Yuki couldn't help but feel differently. On the one hand, it was thrilling. Both contestants were incredibly skilled, fighting with spectacular power and creativity. Yuki truly believed they'd both make excellent additions to the guild-at least potentially. But then, only one of them could win the duel.

Currently, they were at a standstill, but it could only go on for so long. Kena was on the offensive and would appear to the untrained eye to have the advantage. But her assault was unsustainable. Yuki could feel Kena was using far too much mana on her attacks. In comparison, Eren's defence barely required any mana; he only consumed a trickle to maintain and repair his summoned equipment. If Kena didn't end the fight soon, then she'd tire herself out. Then Eren would knock her out without resistance. But Kena certainly didn't seem ready to give up.

"Flame burns hot and bright. Iron tower will not burn, but will metal melt?" Yuki muttered to herself, watching as Eren tried to make some distance, Kena sticking to him like glue, refusing to give him the opportunity. Yuki just hoped the winner could continue afterwards. She hoped the match didn’t end with a double knockout.

***

"You're like punching a brick wall," Kena yelled. She wasn't complaining; she was loving every second of their fight. Eren was an amazing opponent. Her fists dripping with blood, she had hurt herself as much as the iron giant.

"My iron is much stronger than a brick wall," Eren bragged, smirking as he blocked a knockout blow with the shaft of his war hammer. Kena smirked right back. "It doesn't matter how many times you punch me; you'll never hurt me."

"Well, if my fists aren't enough," Grabbing Eren's hammer, she launched an explosive kick at his stomach. His grip on the hammer loosened for a second, just long enough to snatch it away. Pleased with her success, she reared it back to strike. The hammer was huge-almost as long as Kena was tall- far too big for a woman of her stature. Normally. But using her fire to propel it, she moved it effortlessly, the giant head racing right for Eren's own. "Let's see how your iron does against itself."

The hammer disappeared.

"Pretty well, it seems." Kena didn’t know how he'd done it. It seemed impossible. The hammer was gigantic, yet it had disappeared in an instant. But she also didn't have long to contemplate the issue. Surprised by the sudden disappearance of the hammer, Kena continued spinning aimlessly. Moving quickly, Eren capitalised ruthlessly on the opportunity granted by her failed attack. Grabbing her extended arm, he used it as leverage to knee her in the stomach. Coughing from the blow, Kena retreated a step for the first time since the fight began.

Staying close, he peppered her with light jabs, testing her defences. Kena raised her arms, focusing on protecting her face and chest. Eren forced her to follow his rhythm-his attacks weren't as fast as hers, but they were strong. Very strong. Kena had to use both arms to block each blow. Kena's magic focused on attacking. Usually, defending wasn't an issue. If you're constantly attacking, you'll never need to worry about blocking. But when it was, her magic was useless, forcing her to rely on her natural agility to dodge the worst of his attacks.

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Kena attempted to counter, but she'd lost all momentum now. All of her energy was being used to defend herself, weaving between his blows, waiting for an opening. She managed a few glancing blows, but he absorbed them effortlessly with his armour, continuing his assault unimpeded. She needed something to throw him off so she could launch a proper counterattack.

Eren's cape billowed behind him as he fought; Kena grinned cruelly. As a child, she'd always admired those who wore capes; they were signs of status. They were the traditional garments of mages, symbolising power and authority.

But they were also impractical in a fight. The large sheet wrapped around Eren's neck was practically begging Kena to pull on it. One stiff tug and he'd fall onto his back, helpless to defend himself.

Feinting right, she used a burst of fire to blitz past him on his left side. Acting quickly, she seized the end of his cape with both hands pulling hard. His cape was huge-he was a giant-but it put up remarkably little resistance. The moment she pulled, it came flying back.

Flying right into her face.

"On come on!" She cried out as her world went dark.

***

Eren almost cried out in joy when his cape covered Kena. He'd designed it years ago. All that held it in place was a small piece of conjured iron. The moment he felt a tug, he needed only to dismiss it, and the cloth flew free. A simple trap, but it had proven itself extraordinarily effective.

Eren briefly entertained the thought of summoning another weapon- but soon thought better of it. It would take too long.

Eren opened with a knee to the gut, doubling Kena over. Following up with an uppercut, he met no resistance. Blinded by his cape, she was incapable of defending herself.

He didn't let up. Every punch was strong enough to fell a grown man; being a giant granted him unnaturally enhanced strength, but he knew she could take it. The moment she got free, she'd make him pay twofold. She was too fast to fight normally; he needed her pinned down. If he didn't take this opportunity for all it was worth, he would regret it.

***

As Yuki had suspected, the tide of battle had turned. Eren’s cape trick had surprised her too. It was an elegant trap, perfect for getting that vital moment of weakness to take control.

Some might call it a cheap trick. But cheap tricks were vital in actual fights. A trump card was nice, but if it didn't work, that was it. It was over. Seeing your trump card fail was incredibly demoralising, not to mention how taxing they often were. Whereas a cheap trick like Eren's cost him almost nothing, yet was just as effective.

It wasn't over yet.

Eren couldn't feel Kena's mana building, but Yuki could. If Eren didn't decisively end the battle- fast- then he would be in trouble.

"Smothering the flames. Cover them; hope they weaken. An inferno brews."

***

"Bastard!"

Seething with rage, Kena let it all out. Flames erupted all around her, bursting out from every part of her body. She blew the sheet covering her away. As was the giant that had, until moments ago, been dominating her so thoroughly.

Eren recovered quickly, scrambling to get to his feet. But she didn't let him off so lightly. Leaping on top of him, she launched a vicious barrage of attacks at his chest and face.

"Enough tricks! This is how a real warrior fights," Kena screamed. Pinned under her, Eren struggled in vain to defend himself. Kena's fists barely even slowed, flowing around his attempts at blocking effortlessly. Every blow hit a sensitive part, focused on doing as much damage as possible.

His armour was ludicrously tough, but Kena didn't care. Even if it hurt her, she knew it was hurting him much more. That was all she cared about.

Letting her rage guide her, she hammered him. She heard a distinct cracking; was it his armour cracking? Or was it a bone snapping? Kena didn't care. She didn’t let up.

"I yei-" Kena's fist silenced his surrender. She didn’t let him end this so casually.

“This. Ends. When. I. Say. It. Ends,” Kena shouted, punctuating each word with a punch. Hands laced together, she smashed them down onto his face, the resulting explosion cracking the ground beneath them.

Raising her hands, she prepared to do it again. Eren's hands grabbed her wrists, stopping her dead. His grip was firm, too strong to break free.

"Stop!"

Using his hands as leverage, Kena head-butted him, her forehead exploding as it made contact. His hands fell away limply.

"Pathetic."

Kena tried to punch him again, but her hand got caught on something. Looking down, she saw why. She was wearing tight handcuffs; she could barely move them an inch. When did he do that?

Kena didn't get to ask her question.

Eren lunged forward, crushing her nose with his forehead. Reeling back, Kena grabbed at her nose. It was bleeding and definitely broken. Not good.

Eren feinted an attack to her face, forcing her to block with her shackled hands, then hit her in the gut instead. Kena's eyes bulged from the shock. She tried to counter, but with her hands bound, it was hopeless. Eren effortlessly brushed her attack aside, swatting her off of him like a fly.

Rolling with the hit, Kena tried desperately to break her cuffs. But they were strong. Her struggles did nothing.

Before she could react, Eren picked her up like she weighed nothing, throwing her across the room like a rag-doll. The wall rushed towards her; Kena did the only thing she could think of. It was a desperate gambit to soften the impact, even if only a little. The moment she touched the wall, she exploded. Literally.

The wall shattered to pieces. Dirt, dust, and rocks buffeted Kena from above. It hurt. But not as bad as it would have. The explosion had arrested her motion.

Looking up, she saw Eren looming over her. He looked rough, his armour covered in cracks, and some patches even melted off entirely. He was standing awkwardly, revealing the existence of several injuries. But with her hands tied, she knew she couldn't fight him. Not with any hope of actually winning.

"Yield, you crazy bitch."

Kena met his eye. "Never." He responded with a snap kick, knocking her onto her side. Before anything else could happen, Yuki's voice cut through the air.

"It's over."

***

"No! I can keep going! I refuse to lose!" Looking down at Kena, Eren scowled balefully. Eren had beaten and bound her, but he knew better than to expect her to give up. He knew that if he dropped his guard for even a second, she would make him regret it.

"That's irrelevant. We have already decided," Yuki replied coldly. "Kena is the winner."

"What?"

"What?" Kena raged, sounding even angrier than before.

"How did I lose?"

"Yeah, in case you didn't notice, I'm the one on the floor in handcuffs. This isn't what winning looks like!"

Sighing slightly, Yuki answered their questions. "Eren tried to surrender. Even if he filed to finish his sentence, the intent was still clear. I have no choice but to accept his surrender. Kena won."

Eren couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was ludicrous. They had kept fighting, so obviously, the match was still ongoing. He had turned defeat into victory, yet she took it away from him.

A contestant could only challenge The Trials of the Valkyrie once. Eren had lost, and so soon, too. He could never join Odin's eye.

It was over.

"I refused his surrender. This fight isn't over," Kena said, making her way to her feet to meet Yuki's eye. Eren was more than a little confused by her behaviour. She seemed determined to keep going, even though she was so close to losing. Did she not want to pass the Trials? Or is she trying to be honourable?

"That's not your decision to make. The rules were clear." Yuki met Kena's eye, not intimidated in the slightest. "You must move on-while Eren must turn around."

"You can't honestly believe this is fair. I was just about to win." Yuki stared up to meet Eren's gaze. Her icy blue eyes caught his own, demanding his attention.

"My feelings do not matter. The rules say you lose, so you lose. Now turn around."

"Turn around," Eren repeated with a frown. He wasn't sure, but it felt like she was giving him a hint. And she would only do that...

... if he still had a chance.

"No!" Kena's voice broke through the tension. "I refuse this victory. I demand a rematch!"

"No. The fight is over. Eren must turn around, or I will disqualify him." Eren nodded, now fully understanding. She wouldn't threaten disqualification if he had already failed; that meant he could still pass if he turned around.

Seeing this was going nowhere, Eren nodded. He had an idea what Yuki was hinting at. "Understood. I'll obey the rules."

"Oh no, you won't! I'm not finished with you!"

"If either of you tries to continue fighting, I'll disqualify you both." That stopped Kena. Eren could tell she was still weighing her options, her eyes shifting wildly. Not wanting to tempt her unnecessarily, he began making his way back the way he came.