Celenae bit her lip and pulled out a book as the second ring whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
"The name sounds familiar, but it's not a noble house in our kingdom," she muttered.
"You sure?"
"Positive."
She summoned another book and began her search anew while humming furiously, but I tuned her out and watched Sereza. Lolthis stared at her with a cocky grin and with an almost eased stance that saw the tip of his blade lazily placed before him.
The bastard looked entirely confident that he was about to win; if that was the goal. His statement sounded righteous enough, but something told me there was more to the beastkin than the desire to win against Sereza.
As for herself, the felkin looked furious. But it wasn't an explosive rage, rather a cold one. Her mana pulsed out of tune and it was easy to see that Lolthis had unsettled her. Her hands were steady, with her legs firmly planted into position. Her daggers had already been prepped with poison glistening off the edges of the blades.
She mouthed something inaudible. Even with the enchantments in the booth to assist filtering the cheering and allow the contestants voices' to be heard, only silence rang.
Lolthis however dropped his grin and snarled. His grip tightened around the sword just as the third alarm signaled the start of the match.
Both fighters rushed forward, neither using a movement skill. Lolthis prepared a swing but Sereza jumped to the side and stabbed for his gut.
Lolthis grabbed her wrist and twisted it away but Sereza's tail jabbed his arm. Before he could kick, her second blade hit his leg.
I grinned as the blades pierced the ragged leather. It didn't penetrate deep, sinking about an inch of the blade. Sereza's dagger glowed yellow and a small baseball-sized orb of acid shot out of her hand. Lolthis let go and jumped away allowing Sereza to activate her movement skill. She became a cloud of green smoke that retreated thirty steps before materializing. Yet despite scoring two hits on the beastkin she stared at Lolthis with a guarded expression.
"That should be enough. Considering her bandolier, the poison she uses should be potent enough to turn the match," Khrem said.
"Even if the amount is small, being slowed down will allow her the win," Eodyne stated.
Teddy shook his head. "I don't think it'll be so easy."
He pointed to Lolthis who cocked his head. He slowly circled Sereza, approaching closer with each step. Sereza retreated, copying his movements while her tail tracked her opponent. Every adjustment of his blade was followed by her tail, poised to strike.
"Confused?" Lolthis asked.
Sereza didn't respond.
The beastkin ran a hand through his gray fur and down his side. His hand stopped along the edge of the hole in his stomach. His claw thumbed the leather and pulled it back, revealing a solid yellow-white material underneath.
"So that's why it felt strange," Sereza said.
"I understand scum like you are without the means to educate yourself. But for a fool like your father to leave your education so poor; it's a shame," Lolthis taunted.
Sereza slid her blade into a different vial along her chest and relaxed her shoulders.
"Are you finished?"
Lolthis paused. The fur along his tail bristled and his ears flicked backward.
"Excuse me?"
"You're excused. Now are you finished with the pointless talking?"
"You motherless wh-"
Lolthis raised his hands and took two of the spectral daggers along his forearm. The third he swiped with his blade, shattering the projectile.
"Enough talk. You don't belong in this empire. Time to go home to your masters." Sereza declared and crouched. "Beg hard enough, I'm sure they'll let you keep your limbs."
Lolthis jumped and covered the distance between them. Sereza rolled away from the oncoming strike and slammed her tail against his leg. A solid thunk echoed the impact before his sword carved downward.
She retreated and sent a salvo of daggers across his flank. Three he blocked using the white-armor underneath the leather and the last three he dodged before jumping again.
This time his blade met Sereza's and he punched her other arm, eliciting a wince as a meaty crunch put her arm limp. She activated her skill and floated away before landing on the sand.
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Lolthis stalked forward, dragging his blade across the sand.
"I wouldn't worry about me. If I see my masters I'll be sure to present your corpse for their pleasure. House Meldras can put even an ugly sow like you to good use," he growled.
My eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. That strike looked too telegraphed for her to casually take the hit.
Sereza held her arm close to her side and continued to back up. I could see the green overtake her weapons, as well as the bead of mana filling her tail.
"He must have a strength passive. Her arm is broken," Igas grunted.
From how it limply hung and swayed even with her steadying the limb, I had to agree. It wasn't good, but she managed to keep her grip on the dagger in her hand.
"Jumping movement skill. Need to take out his legs if she wants to win," Isaac added.
"His defense. Seem familiar, Igas?"
Igas leaned forward and observed Lolthis as he continued to chase Sereza lazily through the arena. With more holes puncturing the leather armor, it revealed more of the hard material underneath.
"Active. Same as his blade."
His blade?
Lolthis dragged the bone-blade across the sand. Its length resembling a short sword with a slight curve at the end. As he followed Sereza away from the arena's corner, the sunlight shined across his body.
"Bone," I stated.
Igas nodded. "Chances are he's either summoning the bone before the strikes hit, or he has a set underneath the leather. My bet is on the former."
"Why's that?" Khrem asked.
"Maybe if he was tier two, I'd believe it if he claimed his skill could create an entire armor set."
"But he's not," Khrem said slowly.
"No. He's not. He blocks some attacks but not all. If he could block them and had an entire suit, he wouldn't need to dodge either."
"Meaning there's a limit to his skill," I said.
"Exactly."
I glanced at Celenae, who by now had pulled out a mini library's worth of journals and books. She continued to read through book after book without looking up.
Eventually, Sereza stopped retreating and Lolthis pressed forward. His arm swung upward and he jumped. Sereza charged, rolling underneath his punch and stabbed a dagger into his leg. Her broken arm flopped against her but she spun and managed a slash across his calf. Lolthis snapped a kick and speared her side, forcing her to roll once more.
This continued, with an exchange of blows slowly wearing through the rest of Lolthis' armor. The leather facade could barely be seen as chunks fell away and revealed the bone plates resting against his fur.
Come on Sereza. You've fought worse than this clown. Why are you taking these hits?
She repelled attack after attack, using either her remaining dagger or her tail. Whenever Lolthis punched or aimed a kick against her, she would roll out of the way before springing into another attempt.
The exchange lasted for a minute, the crowd roaring with each hit. Sand kicked up, creating a light haze around them but both two kept fighting.
Until Lolthis accepted an attack along his side and secured his arm against her tail. Sereza, forced to press forward, moved in for a stab against his shoulder. She unleashed two daggers at close range, one landing against his neck and the other along his sternum.
Both attacks landed with hard thunks. Lolthis' eyes widened and Sereza grinned, slamming her blade into his clavicle.
"Got him!" Isaac cheered.
Lolthis secured his arm around her bicep and pulled her against his chest. She didn't resist, her arm straining as the blade pushed deeper into the leather.
The audience erupted in cheers and screams. Those who paid attention to Sereza's fights before would have known how deadly it was for her to secure a hit.
But she doesn't look happy...
"I don't think so. Look at her blade," Teddy said, confirming my suspicion.
Lolthis dug his claws into her skin, drawing blood. It stained his fingers green, the same spilling out of her tail and onto his fur.
"Brainless fool," he spat.
Sereza's tail tugged against his grip but he squeezed down, cracking the chitin. She winced and he pulled her arm down his chest, dragging the blade out of his armor before twisting her wrist away.
There was a snap, and her dagger slipped from her grasp and into the sand below.
"Prepared to suffer? I promise to make it long and miserable," Lolthis sneered.
Sereza attempted to free herself once again, but Lolthis maintained his hold. Slowly, she met his eyes.
"You can't kill me here. No matter how much your masters crack the whip. You're a spineless hound without the courage required to go against the arena master," she hissed.
Lolthis brought his snout low and bared his teeth against her cheek. Another crunch and the segment of tail beneath his fingers shattered. Sereza beared it with a grimace and continued to stare unflinching.
"You know who I work for. Call me whatever name you want, scream it even. I'd love nothing more. But do you really think I'd be given a choice?"
I pressed my fingers into my thigh and leaned forward.
Come on... Just a little more.
"Is she throwing the match?" Isaac complained.
Teddy said something but I ignored them and watched the mana building inside Sereza. She angled her face in a way that gave her clear view to the beastkin's sadistic grin.
"Do I think you have a choice? A mutt?" she growled.
Lolthis tongue slipped from his mouth and licked her cheek. Some of the audience started to boo, and even the rowdiest was turned off by the display.
But the match hadn't stopped, and the announcer stayed silent. The fight continued, whether or not the creepy bastard grossed them out.
Lolthis slid his hand down her arm and squeezed. With the crowd's subdued state, the sound of her creaking bones filled the air.
My fingers drew blood as my nails dug into my palm.
Snap!
Sereza whimpered, and her arm dropped to her side. Lolthis released his hold and moved his blade to her neck. Droplets beaded and dripped down, covering his chest. But even with his blade pressed close, he didn't move to take her out. Instead, he jerked downward, and cut into her shoulder, hitting bone.
"You're wrong," he chuckled. "I do have a choice. The masters don't care if I was to lose my life here. But they'd reward me all the more when I bring you to them. My only mission is to send a message. And as pretty as your head would look on a silver platter, I can do better."
"Coward," she coughed.
He laughed and pulled his blade free, positioning it against her other shoulder. As he was still holding her with his other arm, he pushed closer and moved his tongue against her ear.
"You're only protected here in the arena. Nothing protects you from us outside it," he whispered. His blade pressed down and she leaned into his chest. "Now scream for me! Let me hear you cry. I want to know what to expect for later."
Sereza spat into his face, but a plate of bone emerged from underneath his eye and parted the fur around his cheek. It blocked the spit, growing across his skull and around his ear like a half-formed mask.
"Save it. You'll need it when I shove my c-"
"Fuck. You."