Chapter 209: Tournament: Valeria (2)

Valeria sized up her opponent, her gaze narrowing as she took in the spear he held with a practiced grip. The polished weapon glinted under the sunlight, each movement revealing the sharp, deliberate stance of a trained spearman.

'It's been a while since I last faced a spear…'

she thought, feeling a flicker of anticipation.

She remembered her sparring with one of her family's knights, though those sessions felt like memories from another time. Her opponent today was no ally—this man carried the weapon not for practice, but with the intent to win, to dominate.

Indeed. Even from the start, his face was focused and he did not speak. She thought, most fighters were arrogant, but it seemed this one was not to be the one to speak.

'Careful, Valeria.'

"START!"

The moment the shout of the referee came, the man wasted no time, thrusting forward with the spear in a quick jab, testing her defenses.

'Quick!'

SWOOSH!

She sidestepped, narrowly dodging the strike, her body flowing with the familiarity of her training. His movements were fluid, each strike aimed with the precision and control that came with experience.

'Not an amateur,'

she noted, adjusting her stance, her hands firm on her Zweihander.

He moved with a spearman's grace, his spear striking out in a flurry of quick, measured attacks that forced her to stay on the defensive.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

The spear's reach kept her from closing the gap, and she realized that each strike was designed to keep her in place, to restrict her movement.

As his next strike shot toward her, she shifted her weight, sidestepping and swinging her Zweihander in a swift, precise arc to deflect the spear.

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Their weapons clashed with a sharp ring, the impact sending a jolt up her arms, but she held her ground.

Her opponent's eyes glinted, a silent acknowledgment of her strength, and he pressed forward, his spear's tip glowing faintly with mana. He lunged again, aiming for her shoulder in a move meant to exploit any opening in her defenses.

'Change the stance.'

Valeria took a steadying breath, her gaze sharpening as she readied herself.

'This one's no joke,'

she thought, recognizing the skill in her opponent's stance and the controlled precision behind each of his strikes. She would need to channel the foundation of her family's teachings.

"Sword of Olarion. Form One—"

she murmured, grounding herself as her body flowed into the practiced stance.

With a shift in her weight, she let her mana channel through her body and into her Zweihander, her grip firm as her aura aligned with the weapon's heft. Her sword moved in sync with her momentum, building the power behind her next swing. The Zweihander, though large, now felt balanced, almost weightless in her hands.

The spearman's gaze narrowed as he sensed the shift, and he lunged forward, his spear glowing as he aimed for her shoulder with a controlled, calculated thrust.

Valeria swung in a wide arc, her sword intercepting his spear with a resounding.

CLANK!

Mana clashed in a visible spark of energy, her Zweihander overwhelming the force behind his weapon. She felt him falter, his stance breaking as his spear buckled under the weight and momentum of her swing.

Without missing a beat, Valeria rotated her body, twisting her sword at a reverse angle, her form fluid as she prepared for her next strike.

The man's eyes widened in realization, and he attempted to regain his ground by throwing a quick kick toward her midsection. But Valeria's sword moved faster, the momentum of her rotation carrying the Zweihander down in a swift, powerful swing that forced him to stumble back.

"Tsk."

The man steadied himself, his stance widening as he channeled mana into his arms, the glow spreading down to his hands gripping the spear.

With a grunt of determination, he pulled the spear back, his feet digging into the ground to regain balance. His eyes met Valeria's, glinting with the recognition of her strength, but she saw his resolve harden as he prepared to meet her head-on.

'Keep the momentum,'

she reminded herself, her own mana pulsing through her Zweihander.

She moved forward with purpose, her body flowing into another powerful swing. The man's spear shimmered with mana as he swept it across his front, a wide arc designed to intercept her approach and force her back.

But Valeria was ready.

–CLANK!

As his spear swung forward, she met it halfway, her Zweihander deflecting his weapon with a sharp clash of mana-infused steel. The impact rang out, but she kept her balance, using her body's momentum to absorb the force and redirect it. The deflection threw his spear just enough off course to prevent him from resetting his stance.

SWOOSH!

In a fluid motion, Valeria stepped forward with her right leg, her grip steady as she swung her sword in a seamless arc from the lower right, bringing it up and across with precision and force.

SLASH!

Her blade cut through the air, aimed squarely at her opponent, who struggled to recover from the unexpected turn of her attack.

Her Zweihander's edge gleamed as it swept toward him, carrying all the weight of her movement and the relentless power of her family's technique. The spearman's eyes widened in realization, the speed of her strike leaving him no time to counter.

SPURT!

Valeria's Zweihander cut through the air with fierce swiftness, its edge cleaving through the mana barrier protecting her opponent.

The blade sliced into his chest, the sharp impact breaking his defenses and sending a spurt of blood into the air. Her strike left a deep gash, and he staggered backward, his face twisted in pain as he fought to maintain his stance.

THUD!

He struggled to steady himself, his legs trembling as he tried to raise his spear. But Valeria was already there, her Zweihander poised at his neck, her expression calm yet unyielding.

The man coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and he managed a pained yet resolute smile. "I… admit defeat," he said, his voice rough as he lowered his spear in surrender.

Valeria retracted her blade, stepping back with controlled grace. Her opponent met her gaze, a sigh escaping him as he surveyed his own wounds, the blood staining his tunic.

"You know," he said with a weary smile, "it's my unlucky day, facing a noble in disguise. Had I known, I might have been better prepared… perhaps even brought a sturdier spear."

He paused, glancing up at her with a glint of respect despite his weakened state. "It's truly a pity, little Lady Valeria. I hope the fight was to your liking?"

"….." Looking at the man, Valeria could only purse her lips.

'Was it really that obvious?'

She asked herself, not expecting to be discovered this fast. Still, she felt obliged to answer, as her opponent indeed fought well.

She inclined her head, a hint of respect in her expression. "It was," she replied, her voice steady and calm.

"I am glad then."

Valeria allowed herself a rare, small smile as she looked at her opponent, her appreciation subtle yet sincere. He had fought well, and despite his clear recognition of her skill—and perhaps her background—he had remained resolute. She inclined her head once more, acknowledging him fully before she turned away.

A quick scan of the stands brought her eyes to where Lucavion had been standing earlier, his shadow unmistakable even among the crowd. But now, as she searched for him, he was nowhere in sight. She bit back a faint sigh, half-annoyed by his vanishing act, though something told her he'd be waiting just outside the arena, his familiar smirk already forming.

As she made her way through the exit, weaving past the congratulatory nods and approving murmurs of the other competitors and spectators, Valeria's thoughts returned to her duel.

Despite its intensity, there had been a strange ease in her movements today, a sense of clarity that had steadied her hands and guided each strike. Was it just the buildup of her training—or had Lucavion's words managed to weave into her mind in some unspoken way?

The cool mid-afternoon air washed over her as she stepped outside. And there, leaning casually against a stone pillar, was Lucavion, arms crossed, his expression relaxed and faintly amused as though he had all the time in the world.

"Finished admiring your handiwork?" he asked with a grin, pushing himself off the pillar. His tone was teasing, but there was an unmistakable hint of respect in his gaze.

"Didn't I tell you I don't need pointers from you?" she replied, her voice carrying just a touch of mock disdain as she stepped closer, yet she couldn't help the faint curve of her lips as she looked at him.

"Yep, yep….You don't, you don't." he chuckled, matching her pace as they walked. "Let's grab something to eat, I am hungry."

Valeria rolled her eyes, but the faint warmth of his presence lingered as they made their way down the bustling path, leaving the arena behind with a strange sense of ease between them.