The alternate was forced out of position, struggling to dodge to its left to get out of the way, but Eirenne was already behind her, ready to meet her with a knowing grin and a drawn dagger that flashed with Vareluth's violet light.
With a single, fluid motion, Eirenne grabbed its shoulder and sliced at the tendons and arteries beneath its armpit. It tried to twist its wretched body around to get her with an elbow, but Eirenne blocked it with her forearm and used the momentum to curl her arm around its head, twisting its chest toward her with extreme force.
As the alternate curled over, Eirenne dragged the blade across its neck, spilling blood onto the ashen floor as its body continued to rotate, eventually decapitating it. Air fled the alternate's lungs from its trachea, causing it to bubble and gurgle as it fell to the floor, still twitching and reaching for Eirenne blindly.
Now that was something I know she could have only learned from Derion, I smirked, genuinely impressed at the outcome of the battle.
"And the victor is: Eirenne Idris!" Sabura called out, earning her a roaring applause as many of those in the sands began to reconsider their weapons of choice. Eirenne held the blood-soaked blade high in the air as cheers erupted from the stands, but I was more focused on Vyra, who was watching her with a mixture of pride and disbelief.
"Don't worry, I won't tell her you cried," Bernar said cheekily, earning him a swift punch to the shoulder. "Don't you dare," Vyra sniffled with a warm smile, wiping away the stray tears before Eirenne began to make her way back.
"Fuuuuck, I didn't think I was going to make it for a minute there! Ugh, that thing was giving me chills down my spine with every word it said," Eirenne shuddered as she wiped the blade off and handed it back to Derion. "Thanks for this, by the way. Not sure how it would have gone without it," she said with a warm smile.
Derion, the only person I'd ever known to be worse with women than Ren, nodded once and immediately turned away.
"Congratulations, sister," Vyra said, clapping Eirenne's shoulder and pulling her into a short embrace. With the glance Vyra gave me as she pulled Eirenne in, I could tell she was doing it to take the attention off of Derion.
Smart move, I sent with a smirk. Oh, shut it, will you. I've known about Derion's crush on her for years, Vyra scoffed, catching me by surprise. Is that why he's usually so distant with her? I asked, but Vyra merely upturned her lip before pulling away from Eirenne.
"Thank you. It was certainly one of the more difficult challenges I've faced, but Thoma's advice really helped," Eirenne said, offering me a slight nod.
Haldir was up next, and like Vyra, he'd watched all the other battles and fully understood what he had to do. Granted, he was the most experienced of their group aside from Mom, and I can honestly say that his experience showed. His fight was over in much less time than Eirenne's, but still not as quickly as Derion's, though I suppose the latter's was fueled by a desire to experiment, rather than win.
Needless to say, the crowd went absolutely wild with his advanced displays of archery skills.
Here we go, I mentally sighed, knowing who Sabura was going to call up next.
"Our next contender for this incredibleDavo Dugo Guva is one from a place in their realm known as the Gramm Isles. A half-dwarf, half-human who goes only by Meliss," he called out, prompting me to turn toward her. "Are you ready?" I asked, prompting her to take a deep breath.
"About as ready as I can be. I think I've gotten all the help I could from everyone, so it's my turn to put all of that to the test," she said, drawing her blade. "And… I have to do this. For Ed and for your trust in me," she said, averting her gaze momentarily as if considering the weight of whatever consequences would fall on her if she failed.
I took a step toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think about it too much and trust your instincts. From what I've heard from Ren and Thorn, you've got decent combat skills, so use those to your advantage," I said with a firm nod.
Her eyes searched mine for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, she nodded her understanding. "Right. Of course. Wish me luck!" she said with a half-baked smile. "Good luck, little one!" Vyra said with a wave as Meliss entered the arena.
Her kataki blade, on loan from Kalia, shone brightly in the violet light as she raised it above her head. Off in the distance, her alternate did the same, mirroring her movement with perfect accuracy. Even from where I stood, I could see Meliss white-knuckling her hilt for a brief moment, likely fighting back the fear that gripped her.
"You really think she'll survive this?" Bernar asked, approaching my right while Buruz came to my left. "Only one way to find out," I sighed. "She has a good heart, but what did she mean by earning your trust?" Buruz asked, his violet and golden eyes ready to find any shift in my expression.
"She was possessed by Mideia during our battle on the Isles. Syldir and Sabura helped heal her from the after effects, but we're still uncertain of exactly what they are," I explained, causing his eyes to widen. "I see," he said after a few pensive moments.
A clash rang out from the arena, signaling to the rest of us that their fight had started, drawing our attention to the center of the arena. Meliss seemed to waste no time in launching her attacks, using every bit of her training from Codrean. Through each of her strikes, I could see traces of Pyle, Roburn, and even Thorn's styles of fighting.
I have to admit, I was impressed by how much she'd grown during her time with the others.
Her alternate, however, deflected each strike with perfectly mirrored precision. Meliss, growing a little frustrated at that, lunged forward, aiming the tip of her blade at the alternate's neck. It leaned aside just in time, but it was just a bit too slow to react to the feint she'd plotted.
Didn't know you had that on you, I smirked, noticing the dagger she was drawing from her hip and using it to pierce through her alternate's heart.
"Not bad at all. I think it was a good idea to have her watch the others fight first, after all," Bernar noted with a proud nod. "I think so, too," I agreed, hearing the crowd roar in applause and cheers for her.
Guess I'm up next, I mentally sighed as I rolled my shoulders and cocked my head side to side. "Hey, shit-bird. Are you going to be alright to do this?" Bernar asked as he put a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, struggling to tear my eyes from the arena before me. "I'll be alright. It's not like he's got anything new up his sleeve this time," I said with a sorry attempt at a light-hearted chuckle.
Bernar smirked and shook his head. "Just don't let it get to you. Remember why you're here; why we're all here. Good luck, shit-ass," he said with a single firm pat on my shoulder. I didn't say anything, only giving him a nod as I turned my attention back to the arena before me.
"And for our final contestant on this glorious cycle, we have one of our very own members of the Iron Plume Clan, Thoma Fayren!" Sabura's voice echoed throughout the arena, invigorating the crowd even more than they had been before. I raised my kataki blade high into the air, getting another wave of cheers as a result.
"As this fight will not be to the death, we hope you all understand that there are reasons for this change that will not be openly discussed here. Nevertheless, let the final match begin!" Sabura said, though I was grateful I didn't necessarily have to hide what I was doing.
Well, that makes things easier. I wasn't expecting him to be so open about that, I sent Ysevel and Kalia. I already know this fight is going to put a lot of pressure on you, so I thought that might help ease your mind, Kalia replied with a nod. Thank you, I offered with as much sincerity as I could convey.
As the gate at the far end opened, I saw Ed's alternate making his way into the arena, a sword gripped tightly in his right hand, and a glare that I knew was anything but welcoming.
"Alright, Ed, ready for round two?" I asked under my breath, though the disturbing grin I got in response told me that the alternate might have heard me.
"So be it," I said, lifting the hilt up to the height of my cheekbone and pointing the blade directly at him.