Chapter 73 - A Greater Yearning

A dynamic thrust to Amanda's face left her nose bleeding. She had to take several steps back, away from Kiesha.

'Shit, I have got to stop getting hit in the face!' She reminded herself, focusing on recovering from the punch.

"Stop this! Stop this now!" Christopher ordered, seeing Amanda get hurt again. His heart was ready to jump out of his chest, feeling more nervous than before.

Amanda merely wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt and pressed her nose with her fingers. She said, "No! I'm not stopping!"

She was already halfway through, and she could see Kiesha hobbling, focusing her weight on her other leg.

Amanda felt her torso was sore, but her legs were still functioning efficiently and that was her upper hand. She yelled again, "I'm not done yet. Chris! Let me finish!"

The soldiers and the advisers were already mocking Amanda. Among the two, Amanda's face was the most bruised. They did not realize how Keisha had not yet charged at Amanda, despite having an opening.

While flaring her nose, Kiesha was screaming silently, 'Give up now, woman! Give up! I can't believe she has been holding up this long!'

With a fight that Keisha thought she could win in five minutes, she had been battling Amanda for over fifteen minutes now and her rival was still standing. She was wounded and bruised, but she was still standing.

"Amanda, please. Let's stop this!" Christopher pleaded, attempting to walk down the wooden platform.

"If you walk down now, you'll never marry that woman!" Revealed Theo. He shot an angry look at his son for interfering with the amusement.

"Chris, I am fine. I swear I am fine," said Amanda. She raised her chin, showing her nose had stopped bleeding. "I'm not giving up! I'm not giving up!"

From the wooden platform, even Cassy was already clenching her hand into a fist. She was dreadfully worried for Amanda. She was at the edge of her seat, taking heavy breaths while watching the entire fight.

While Amanda was distracted, Kiesha advanced, grunting at each step she took. Once again, she threw fists at Amanda, but to Kiesha's surprise, Amanda seemed to have become better at blocking her attacks than earlier.

What she did not realize was that she was becoming slower.

Despite the pain in her leg, she forced her steps towards Amanda and used all her upper body strength to deliver attacks. When she saw an opening on Amanda's stomach, Kiesha punched in her abdomen.

"Aaahhhh! Fuck! That was - Fuck!" Amanda groaned in pain, curling against her stomach with her hand. Kiesha quickly followed it with another punch to her left face, making Amanda once again fall to the ground.

While Amanda was trying to get up, Keisha leaned down. She held on to Amanda's tunic with one hand and thrust another blow, regardless of how Amanda was raising her arms over her face. She swore to ruin Amanda's pretty face.

Simultaneously, Amanda turned to the other side of her body. While still down on the ground, she threw her right leg back and thrust it forcefully against's Kiesha's leg.

"Aaaahhhh! Curse you woman! Aahhh!" Kiesha curled down to her to feel her legs, recognizing they were in so much pain.

Just when she thought Amanda was over, another kick came to her leg, further making her groan in pain.

Amanda was already feeling dizzy, but seeing her opponent in agony, she perceived it was time to bring Kiesha down. She carelessly got up, moved back. She challenged, "Come on, Kiesha. You did say you - you will win!"

Once again, Kiesha forced her leg. She got into a stance, waiting for Amanda to charge.

Both stood two meters apart, panting and seemingly waiting for the inevitable. After nearly a minute, Kiesha began to laugh. "Haha! I knew it! I knew you could not win! What are you waiting for - "

"Haaahhh!" Amanda advanced, running towards Kiesha.

Kiesha threw her hand back, preparing for a punch, but instead of hitting Amanda, her target ducked down and slid behind her. She turned her body with difficulty, but just as she did, Amanda already had a fist going for Kiesha's face.

"Haaahhhh!" After a punch, she followed it with another low kick on Kiesha's leg. "Hiyaaah!"

Distracted by the pain on her leg, Kiesha did not notice an uppercut coming her way.

"Hiyaaahhhh!" Amanda threw in another punch to Kiesha's chin.

Right then and there, Kiesha felt everything went in slow motion. She was falling on her back, unable to keep standing. She was grunting in suffering and just as her back landed to the ground, Amanda walked toward her and stomped on her right leg forcefully.

Kiesha's cries of pain became endless at that point.

"Do you give up now?! Do you?!" Yelled Amanda. She showed Kiesha that she was ready to stomp on her leg once again.

It became clear to Kiesha that she underestimated Amanda's low kicks. She realized only now that it was her main purpose, to begin with.

"No! I won't give - Aahhhhh! Urrrgggghhhhh!" Another set of screams came from Kiesha that tears flowed down her cheeks. Amanda stomped her feet twice on Kiesha's leg.

The soldiers and the advisers fell silent. They were shocked at how Kiesha had fallen. They were earlier surprised that Amanda had gone this far, but they never expected that she would bring Kiesha down.

Everyone saw for the first time the fierceness in her eyes as she repeatedly thrust on Kiesha's leg.

"No! I don't want to give up! I can still fight you - Aaahhh!" This time, Kiesha tried to get up herself and Amanda let her, but after letting her right leg step on the ground, she fell right back down to her left side.

Kiesha was in complete and utter pain that she asked for her colleagues, "Please check my leg - my leg. I think it's broken. Please!!!!"

It became clear who won the fight from the platform, Christopher quickly ran to Amanda and embraced her tight.

"Urrgghh... It's painful," complained Amanda while catching her breath. "Give me some space."

Ending the strange silence from the people, Theo stood up and announced, "I do not have room for a weakling in my forces! Amanda! How about you end the life of Kiesha?"

Stunned by the request of Aero's ruler, Amanda's mouth fell open, but soon after she looked Theo in the eye and said, "Master Theo, Kiesha is not weak. She is a strong fighter, one that I struggled to win over."

"She is one of your loyal soldiers. Her longing to win this fight was strong, but the only problem is, my yearning is greater than hers!"

After Amanda spoke, Christopher walked in front of Theo and kneeled. He begged, "Father, please. Let me be with Amanda now. More than the strength and the will, I sincerely love this woman. I love no one else."

Instead of answering to Christopher, Theo announced to the crowd, "This fight is over. Amanda wins. Carry on with your tasks."

He then turned to Amanda and Christopher and said, "Let her rest.. I'll speak to you both again tomorrow."