I snapped out of my reverie at the sound of John's voice.
"Our next fight will be between number 29 and 36! As you can see, we have a duel between sword and spear! Will 36 dominate with his spear, or 29 with his sword!"
My head turned back toward my opponent as I tightened my grip around the hilt.
John continued.
"Place your bets before the fight begins! May Althessa bless you with good fortune!"
A storm of shouts erupted from the stands as bets were placed and ratios adjusted.
"One to two for 36!"
"Give me sixty on 36!"
"Fifty on 29!"
"Forty on 36! Show them your mighty spear!"
John's voice cut through the chaos.
"Let's not wait any longer and begin!"
His voice echoed across the arena as he gave the signal.
"BLOOD!"
I raised my sword into guard.
The crowd finished the chant, and the duel began.
"NO MERCY!"
Step.
I stepped back as the shout thundered through the arena.
Mana flowed into my right arm as I locked my eyes onto 36.
He stood at shoulder-width, spear pointed forward. Ready to strike.
Neither of us engaged for a few breaths, and we assessed each other.
This was my first time facing a spear user in a real fight. But I understood the basics from training.
A spear is the easiest weapon to use, but that didn't mean it was easy to master.
The advantage a spear held was simple—reach.
Especially between amateurs.
The spear didn't need any sort of technique—
You just thrusted forward.
While with a sword, I had to step into range to attack and expose myself.
With a spear, he could attack, while I could not.
And as long as he kept me at distance—
He would win.
That was the advantage of reach.
The only thing I could do was evade.
To dodge his attacks while waiting for him to make a mistake or a gap opened.
I gripped my sword tighter and stepped forward—not to attack, but to test the edge of his reach.
The moment I stepped slightly closer—
Step.
He stepped in and thrusted.
Swoosh.
The movement surprised me, and I dodged a fraction too late.
Slrrt.
The tip of his spear grazed my left shoulder as I shifted aside.
Step.
I stepped back quickly, feeling blood run down my arm.
Drip.
He was fast.
There was almost no delay between his step and the thrust. And I had misjudged the range once he stepped forward.
I cast a quick glance down.
A small cut, nothing serious.
He didn't give me time to recover and attacked again.
Step.
Another step.
Swoosh.
Another thrust.
I sidestepped, barely dodging, and let his spear cut through air.
He retracted instantly and thrusted again.
Swoosh.
Slrrt.
I stepped back a breath too late again, and his blade left a cut across my forearm.
Step.
I took another step back to create distance.
The wounds weren't deep.
As long as he didn't hit my torso, I was fine.
Step.
I lowered my sword slightly and stepped forward again.
Mana pulsed in my arm, ready to deflect his attack aside.
He took the chance as I came close and pushed his spear forward.
Swoosh.
I reacted in time—
Clang.
—and struck the shaft of his spear, redirecting the spear's tip past my body.
His eyes widened briefly at my parry before he stepped back into stance.
Swoosh.
Another thrust.
I wasn't ready for another attack, and my feet moved too late to dodge.
Slrrt.
His spear grazed my right arm, leaving a small cut behind, before he pulled back and—
Swoosh.
Thrusted again.
Clang.
I deflected his attack aside and was about to step in, closing the distance.
Step.
But he was faster.
He stepped back and attacked again, pushing me away.
Slrrt.
I couldn't react in time, and he left another cut across the side of my torso.
Step.
I stepped back.
That was when I understood.
The only way for me to come out of this alive would be if I were faster than him.
And to do that—
I needed to enhance my legs as well.
But that was impossible under this constant barrage of attacks.
I had to somehow get close and land a strike.
One good hit was everything I needed.
Slrrt.
Another stab grazed my torso as I missed my dodge.
I locked my eyes on the tip of his spear while trying to channel mana into my legs.
Clang.
He thrusted his spear forward, and I could deflect it aside, but my concentration broke.
The mana dispersed.
It was hard.
I needed enough time to enhance my legs properly.
But he gave me none.
All my attempts were stopped by another of his attacks.
Swoosh.
Clang.
Every time I parried his attack, he would pull back and thrust forward again.
And I wasn't able to block every attack.
Small cuts accumulated across my body.
Exhaustion slowly crept in.
But I couldn't back down.
I had to win.
To survive.
For her.
Shuk.
Another thrust pierced my left arm.
Step.
I stepped back, creating distance, while I focused on channeling mana into my legs.
Luckily, he was breathing harder, too.
The constant attacks cost him stamina.
That gave me just enough time.
Warmth spread into my legs and feet.
Just as I finished the enhancement—
Swoosh.
He thrusted again.
Step.
Instead of retreating or dodging—I stepped in.
Clang.
A light strike shifted his spear aside—it grazed my shoulder—but left him wide open.
Step.
I took another step forward.
Closing the distance at a speed that seemed inhuman.
He tried to step back, regain distance, and thrust again, but I was too close.
My sword would have hit him before his spear could hit me.
With victory in sight, I was about to take another step forward and raise my sword when—
The enhancement broke down.
At the same time—
Instead of pulling back and thrusting again, he turned his spear and swung at me.
Shing.
I tried to step back and dodge.
But—
Slrrsh.
"Aghh!"
The spear's blade was faster, slashing a wide cut across my side.
Drip.
I stumbled back, blood falling to the ground every time I breathed.
Haah.
Drip.
Haah.
Breathing became difficult.
Haah.
Drip.
Warm blood flowed down my stomach, soaking my clothes.
'Fuck.'
That was bad.
I hadn't landed a single strike while he had left shallow wounds all over me, and now he even slashed my side.
The blood loss felt like a timer.
It wouldn't take long before I couldn't move anymore.
Time was running out.
Pain stopped all my attempts to enhance my legs again.
Haah.
I forced a deep breath and raised my sword into guard.
None of my ideas worked.
He wouldn't make a mistake, and there was no gap I could use.
It was hopeless.
...
Then I understood.
If he wouldn't make one—
I would create one myself.
Not with technique.
But—
With madness.
I had to be willing to sacrifice something in order to land a strike.
Only when he was injured would I have a chance.
Swoosh.
Clang.
I parried another thrust aside.
Haah.
I abandoned the idea of enhancing my legs and poured all mana into my arms.
Both of them.
That was easier than my legs.
Swoosh.
He aimed another thrust at my stomach.
'Now.'
Step.
I stepped aside, letting the tip shift toward my left arm—
But instead of dodging it—
I lifted my arm.
The blade phased between my side and arm, leaving deep cuts on both.
I clenched my jaw and forced the pain down.
Then—
Step.
I stepped forward, letting the blade pass—
And pulled my arm back in, locking the shaft at my side.
His eyes widened, but he reacted immediately and pulled back.
But—
My left hand was already reaching out, grabbing the shaft tightly.
Slrrt.
The spear's blade cut deeper into my arm as he struggled.
Pain flared up as the metal cut into skin.
I ignored it and swung my sword.
Shing.
A downward lash aimed right at his shoulder and chest.
The attack surprised him, and he tried to retreat, but his hands firmly gripping the spear held him in place, and instead, he fell backward.
But—
Slrrsh.
"Aghhh!"
My blade sliced a fine line across his chest.
The wound wasn't deep as he fell back, barely enough to evade a lethal wound.
But it was enough for me.
Thud.
He stumbled back, still gripping his spear firmly, and fell to the ground.
Slrrt.
His weight as he fell yanked the spear from my arm, carving a deeper wound as it tore free.
I didn't care.
My left arm was already ruined.
And I had accomplished my goal—
Injuring him.
His speed wouldn't be the same.
Distance opened between us.
Haah.
Now, with the added distance, I could try to channel mana into my legs again.
Warmth spread through my limbs.
36 was already standing as I finished the enhancement.
Step.
He stepped forward, spear raised, a pained expression across his face.
Haah.
I exhaled as I lifted the sword into position.
My focus was split between holding up the enhancement and my next move.
Step.
He stepped forward and thrusted toward my chest.
Swoosh.
I stepped inside and held my left arm up.
His spear came.
My left forearm—already bleeding and injured—caught the shaft and shifted it aside.
At the same time—
I pushed my sword forward and stabbed his right arm.
Shuk.
The blade pierced his biceps deeply,
Slrrt.
Blood gushed out of the wound as I pulled my blade free.
Then, as I was about to stab again and end it.
Shing.
I heard the familiar sound of a blade cutting through air.
The attack came from my blind spot, but I reacted nevertheless.
My head lowered at once as I crouched down into a lunge.
Shing.
His horizontal slash passed over my head, leaving an air current in its wake.
I rose immediately after the spear passed and pushed my sword forward again.
Stabbing—
Swoosh.
—right into his chest.
Shuk.
The blade pierced the center of his chest, right through his lungs.
His eyes widened as they locked on mine.
We stood frozen in that position for a moment.
Then—
Slrrt.
I pulled the blade out.
Splurt.
Blood sprayed across my face, and he collapsed a breath later.
Thud.
Haah.
Short, ragged breaths escaped me as I stood over his corpse.
Haah.
Only now did the sound of the crowd return.
I had shut everything out.
Now it crashed back in like a wave.
The crowd roared.
Shouting about bets and winnings.
But above everything—
The chant.
"BLOOD, NO MERCY!"