As the earth mages once again stepped onto the fighting stage, weaving their hands through tight formations to repair the cracks left by Jeska’s raw power, the crowd took the mont to breathe byand buzz with speculation.
Whispers moved like wildfire through the stands. Who would win the next bout? Would speed or precision triumph? Would Mira’s elegance finally be undone?
Kai leaned forward in his seat, watching closely as the last of the floor tiles slid smoothly into place. Just beside him, Vepice nibbled at a skewer of grilled vegetables she’d gotten from a nearby vendor, still wide-eyed from the previous match.
The familiar boom of the announcer’s voice shattered the idle murmurs.
"And now we co to the fifth match of the Octofinals! We’re halfway through the day, but don’t you dare get tired, because this next one’s going to be a blur!"
A pause for effect. A dramatic inhale.
"In this corner... He’s fast, he’s deadly, he’s impossible to pin down! Ard with dual short swords and the footwork of a dancer, he’s carved his way up the League ranks and into the hearts of spectators everywhere! Let’s hear it for Redford the Relentless!"
Redford erged from the gate, his lean fra taut with coiled energy. His twin swords hung at his sides, curved slightly like claws, glinting silver in the sunlight. His red-and-black uniform was close-fitting, emphasizing efficiency over flair. The crowd roared in delight, a familiar roar, this man had fans.
Kai tried to pretend he wasn’t jealous, but he wanted to be the crowd’s favourite.
He raised one hand to acknowledge the cheers, but his eyes were locked ahead.
"And in the opposite corner! The woman who wields her longsword like a serpent and a storm! A mistress of misdirection, rhythm, and unpredictable counters, she’s as graceful as she is lethal, give it up for Mira!"
Mira stepped into view from her gate. She was dressed in light, flexible leather armour, dyed a mottled blue and silver. Her longsword was broad near the hilt but tapered into a vicious curve near the tip.
An unusual hybrid between a sabre and a katana.
She moved with calculated grace, eyes cool, lips tight. No waves. Just a calm sea before the storm.
"These two have climbed far, and one of them’s going to be climbing higher today! FIGHT!"
Redford didn’t hesitate. He dashed forward, blades flashing, movents smooth and deliberate. His strikes were like music, fast, rhythmic, relentless, each one flowing into the next without pause.
But Mira... Mira was a dancer of a different style. Heavier. Refined yet strong.
She twisted.
She pivoted.
She leaned, not to dodge, but to guide Redford’s attacks away from her core. Her sword intercepted at odd angles, parrying with the flat of the blade, deflecting instead of contesting.
She struck only once.
And that one strike nearly shattered Redford’s left-hand blade.
Kai blinked.
"That longsword," Kai murmured, "it isn’t normal. That thing’s had sothing done to it... sigils, perhaps... Her movents, too. She’s used to fighting dual-wielders."
Redford grunted and stepped back. His left-hand weapon now had a visible hairline crack near the base. His strikes grew more cautious, but only briefly. He tried again. Fast steps. Low slashes. Overhead feints. And again, Mira was just out of reach, brushing aside strikes like she was swatting leaves from her path.
The crowd murmured. This wasn’t domination from Redford. It was a stalemate.
Kai leaned forward.
’Maybe I won’t have to face Redford at all to get my League promotion. Mira might actually take him out.’
That thought barely ford before it was shattered.
Redford exhaled, one deep, powerful breath.
Mana flared to life around him, cascading off his shoulders in bright arcs of pale blue. A pale blue that probably nobody but Kai could see.
The cracked sword in his hand trembled, vibrating as though resonating with the energy coursing through his body.
Kai’s eyes narrowed.
"He’d been holding back. A lot."
Redford murmured sothing under his breath. Even at this distance, Kai could just make out the words:
"I’d hoped I wouldn’t need this for the tournant."
Then he moved.
And it wasn’t just fast.
It was sickeningly fast.
Kai could barely follow it.
A cyclone of slashes surrounded Mira.
Redford spun, once, twice, a dozen tis in rapid succession. His blades beca arcs of silver light, and the very air around him seed to whistle with speed. Sparks exploded where his swords t Mira’s blade. She cried out, not in pain, but in alarm.
Her longsword cracked once.
Then again.
Then it snapped in two.
Before Mira could react, a third spin sent one sword under her guard, ripping through the side of her armour. The second strike shredded across her chest, not too deep, but brutal.
A fourth cut grazed her thigh. The fifth caught her shoulder. And then she fell.
Kai could feel her mana flicker, then fade.
Unconscious.
The cyclone of attacks stopped.
Redford stood at the center of it, panting lightly, both swords dripping with Mira’s blood. Her armor lay in tatters around her.
"The winner of the fifth fight is Redford! What a wonderful display of speed and skill! I got dizzy just looking at his final attack!" the announcer crowed.
The stadium erupted.
The loudest cheer of the day so far.
People chanted his na. So waved little red flags with his crest. Others stood on their seats, yelling praises into the sky.
Kai squinted at the swordsman still catching his breath.
"No hesitation. No rcy. He took her down in under a second once he stopped playing around."
Redford slowly sheathed his swords and walked off the arena floor like it was just another spar.
Kai sat back in his seat, frowning.
"Well... So much for Mira." He stared down at the arena, then at his hand, curling it into a fist.
And with that, Kai knew, from seeing the end fights in the last round, that the last three fights would prove uninteresting. Alira and Quinn would fight, then Karl and Wren, and then Tyla and Rurik. Each of them would fight hard, but none of them had techniques he would need to be concerned about.
So, instead of watching them, he grabbed Vepice’s hand.
"Wha-?"
"Let’s enjoy the rest of our day. I don’t need to see anything more."
"Okay!" Vepice said, her face glowing happily.
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