Elena observed the other matches from the side. As they were the final ten knights, all of them fought with great skill.
âThis wonât be easy.â
She had not yet fully recovered from the arrow wound on her back. If she didnât overdo it in the beginning she would be fine, but it might hamper her later. The only way to avoid the worst possible scenario was to win each match as quickly as possible.
The upcoming battles were simple tournament-style matches where the winner moved up and the loser was eliminated. There were a total of ten knights, so Elena had to fight three or four matches.
âThat man stands outâŠâ
At the moment, Wickley was completely dominating his opponent. It looked to be a tight match, but Elena knew that Wickley could have won a while ago and was deliberately toying with his opponent. After the knight was worn down, his face darkened as he realized what Wickley was doing.
âIs he going to forfeit after all?â
Elena watched the scene with narrowed eyes. The knight turned to the referee as if he couldnât endure the battle any longer.
âIââ
Puk!
A sharp spear pierced the manâs shoulder before he could even get a word out. Wickley was strong enough to even pierce armor, and blood started to spurt from the knightâs shoulder.
âAaaagh!â
The knight fell from his horse, screaming in pain. The referee watching from the distance turned towards Wickley.
âHe was about to forfeit. Was this necessary?â
Wickley simply gave a shrug.
âWas he? I didnât know.â
The referee looked doubtful because of Wickleyâs unapologetic attitude, but Wickley hadnât violated any rules. At the time, it wasnât clear whether the other party had forfeited, and soon the referee declared the winner.
âThe victor is Lord Wickley!â
Other injuries had occurred during the competition, and it didnât matter much to the spectators. A thunder of applause rang in the stadium for Wickleyâs victory. Some murmured among themselves about the cruel nature of his win, but it was not considered an official problem anyway.
Wickley, having won his first match, exited the arena with a bold swagger in his step and he glanced towards Elena. He grinned, showing his yellow teeth. She couldnât help but notice that his smile bore a current of provocation.
âWhat? Does he have a bad relationship with my brother?â
Elena was puzzled, but she soon smiled back beneath her visor.
ââŠFun.â
It had been a long time since she faced the tension of a fierce battle. Her blood tingled in anticipation of fighting as a knight again. Although her condition wasnât the best due to her injury, she wouldnât let that hold her back.
As she watched Wickley walk away, she heard the host announce the next fight.
âNext up is Lord Paul Dayed, and Lord Derek Blaise!â
âOoooh!â
Much of the crowd was expecting Derekâs fight, and there were loud shouts coming from the stands. Elena stood up from her seat and climbed onto the horse that Derek was supposed to ride for mounted combat.
Now it was her turn to fight her first match.
*
*
*
Carlisleâs worry grew when Elena did not return from giving Derek his handkerchief.
âWhere the hell has she been?â
Her brotherâs match was up next, and she had been anticipating it the most. Carlisle couldnât wait any longer, and he was about to summon a servant, whenâ
Chaleuleuleuleug!
Kwadangtang!
A loud clash caused Carlisle to pause and look towards the arena. As soon as the match began, Elena had aimed for her opponentâs chest with her lance, and the opponent was quick to change the direction of his horse to avoid it.
But thatâs exactly what Elena wanted.
She swiftly rotated her lance in midair and struck her opponent on the shoulder with the momentum.
Kwaang!
The sound of metal clashing on armor was enough to fill the stadium. Elena followed up with a series of attacks, causing her opponent to lose balance on his horse.
Hwiiigâ
The spear was so fast it was like a whip.
Taaaaang!
The knight, unable to withstand another blow, finally toppled from his horse. He tried to pull himself up quickly to make up for the disadvantage, but it was too late.
Seuegâ
The tip of Elenaâs lance touched the opponentâs Adamâs apple. The knight weakly lifted his hands and he spoke with a defeated expression.
ââŠI surrender.â
Never had a match been decided in such a short amount of time. The grace and power that Elena displayed was vividly embedded in everyoneâs mind. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then a thunderous cheer broke out from the stands.
âWow!â
It was a short but intense game, and the crowd leapt up from the stands and whooped. Elenaâs red eyes slid towards the referee. He was just as astonished as everyone else, and he coughed and finally shouted out the judgment.
âT-the victor is Lord Derek Blaise!â
The cheers bursting from the stands did not abate even when the match was over. Elena lifted back her lance with a smooth motion, then slowly exited the stadium on her horse.
Carlisle had been watching the scene intently.
âHas he been holding back his skills? The previous matches were good, but this timeâŠâ
Carlisle sat in his seat, mulling over what he saw. As he watched the knight leave the stadium, the knight turned towards him, and he caught a glimpse of red eyes. A sudden realization rushed into Carlisleâs head.
âCould it beâŠâ
The distance made it difficult for him to see, but those eyes looked familiar to him. He knew what Elena looked like in armor as well, and while others might not notice the small differences between her and Derek, it was glaringly obvious to Carlisle. He also knew that Elenaâs abilities were far superior to anyone elseâs, and it was strange that she hadnât come to see Derekâs game. Moreover, the knight had wielded the the lance with great skill.
Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu
âSomeone with a weaker arm usually uses that kind of technique. The momentum can deal a stronger blow than a direct attack.â
Elena was an excellent knight, but nevertheless, as a woman she was relatively weaker to a man. Naturally, she would attack with a style suited to her physical capabilities.
If Carlisleâs guess was true, then it was likely that Derek had been compromised.
Carlisle suddenly stood up from his seat. If the knight was indeed Elena, he was both immeasurably proud and worried for her winning the match when she hadnât fully healed yet.
ââŠI really canât take my eyes off her for a moment.â