Chapter 122 - The Awaited Rematch

Zander's men carried Vaughn to his room. The military physician attended to him at once. Luckily, he only sustained superficial wounds. It was a good enough result for Ovid. In the past, they allowed guests to try the Cave of Fire. But, all of them sustained severe injuries and even suffered from memory loss. No one remembered what happened to them in the Cave of Fire.

Ever since then, they have decided not to let outsiders go through the cave. Ovid conditioned Vaughn's body just so he could obtain a good chance in the Cave of Fire. He was glad that Vaughn chose to persevere.

Zander and Ovid tried their best not to let any information about Vaughn's condition to leak out and reach the ears of Renaria and Zenia. It would only cause unnecessary alarm and concern.

Vaughn was unconscious for almost twelve hours already. He only had another day to get ready for the rematch. The doctor told them that it was natural to sleep for a long time because his body was trying to heal the wounds that he sustained. The doctor gave Vaughn an elixir that could help him hasten the healing of his wounds.

"Father, I already blocked all the things that happened to brother-in-law within the camp. Why can't we let Zenzen know?"

Ovid sighed and explained, "Do you remember that after Zenzen has completed her training she did not go through the Cave of Fire to cleanse the impurities in her body? Men who can go through the Cave of Fire can gain increased strength and stamina."

Zander nodded and added, "I've been meaning to ask you, Father, why didn't we let Zenzen? She can withstand it since she had a solid martial arts foundation."

"Zenzen is still a girl. Men and women have different body constitution. Because Zenzen is a woman, her body will not be able to withstand the intensifying heat of the Cave of Fire even though she's strong. The fire releases certain elements that bring a negative effect on a woman's body. Did you see her gust of wind technique during the duel?"

"Yes, and I think it's quite impressive." Zander looked smug as he praised his little sister.

"Zenzen knew that she was not as powerful as most of her brothers in the military. She developed a technique that could help her defeat her enemy right away. She would be at a disadvantage if she prolongs the fight."

"Why is that, Father?"

"A woman's body is naturally weaker than a man, but Zenzen is stronger than most men. Still, her stamina is almost the same as any ordinary woman. Her stamina is just slightly better than any woman but inferior to any man."

Zander was shocked at what he learned. He had no idea that Zenia had such a problem.

"Father, are you telling me that Zenzen had known that her stamina is not good?"

"Yes, she has probably known it for a long time now. It could also be the reason behind her interest in developing weapons. She is trying to create a weapon that could offset her flaws."

Zander looked at his father and thought about how Zenia usually fought her battles.

"Is that the reason why Zenzen was always in a hurry to finish her fights? She's aware that her stamina will deplete quickly, and she may never have enough energy to go on?"

"That's precisely as you say."

Little did they know, Vaughn heard everything that they discussed. He felt like he would be cheating if he would use Zenia's weakness to his advantage. The day after tomorrow would be their rematch, and he was not confident enough to defeat her. But, the discussion between Zander and Ovid sparked some ideas. He knew that his idea was underhanded, but he had decided to only use it when he was about to lose.

* * * * *

Zenia thought about Vaughn while she was grooming Quicksilver. Their rematch was about to happen, and she had no idea what was going on with Vaughn. They did not receive any report about the ongoing training, and she did not want to know. She felt that she would be distracted when she learned something. She was able to remain focused on her work and tried her best to improve herself.

The Anisen Training Hall had everything that she would need for her training. She felt that her body became heavy and less agile after slacking off for a few months in Tisurria. Now that she had trained her body properly, she finally gained back her usual speed and dexterity. She was confident that she could defeat Vaughn.

She smiled and couldn't wait for the day of the rematch.

* * * * *

"Is there anything on the Ninth Prince's side and the Palace of the Crown Prince?" Zekiah asked Ruvin in a domineering tone.

They were about to leave the Solaria Inn, but they failed to detect the spy that the Ninth Prince had planted. They also did not receive any news from Redivo during their stay in Solaria.

The next destination on the itinerary was Gretia. Zekiah received another message from Zander that Vaughn and Zenia might be able to join them on the next destination in the itinerary depending on the situation. Zekiah somewhat understood his meaning. His main concern was the lack of news from the Ninth Prince's group and Redivo.

Zekiah knew that the Ninth Prince's spy did not find anything suspicious. He told everyone to just act as they normally would. He hoped that Zenia and Vaughn would be able to resolve the issue between them.

* * * * *

The day of the rematch finally arrived. Vaughn was in tip-top condition, and his superficial wounds had completely healed. He could not believe that the rumor about Ishelon's excellence in the field of medicine was true.

"Son-in-law, there's something I need to discuss with you," Ovid was having second thoughts when he approached Vaughn.

"What is it, father-in-law?"

Ovid looked at Vaughn and sighed, "During your rematch, try to make the fight longer."

Ovid felt like he was betraying his daughter, but he really had no other choice.

Vaugh played along and tried to sound confused. "Why, father-in-law? Isn't it better to end the fight immediately?"

Ovid was tempted to tell the truth but held himself back.

"Just do what I say if you want to win against Zenzen!" He quickly walked away from Vaughn after saying his piece.

Vaughn looked at the departing back of his father-in-law and smiled. He would heed the warning and thank him some other time.

Everyone gathered on the designated venue of the rematch. They had a larger audience than the duel. Everyone was silent. No one was cheering for the side that they wanted to win. The tension in the air was heavy as Zenia and Vaughn took the center of the arena.

"I hope you won't disappoint me, Young Master Pernell."

"I assure you that I will bring you home with me Young Madam Pernell."

They both flashed a sinister smile and ran toward each other with a sword in their hands. 

Clang, clang, clang!

The sound of clashing swords reverberated in the air as every spectator held their breath. Zenia was fast and merciless in each thrust of her sword. Vaughn could do nothing but dodge and run to stall for time. Whenever he got a chance to strike, Zenia would return twice the amount of power that he had given.

Clang, clang, clang!

Vaughn knew that he still lacked the skill and experience. He grinned secretly. He never thought that after her training, she would improve so much. His little devil was ruthless beyond compare. She knew that his acquired skills were not enough to defeat her, and she was not giving him a chance to recover. 

Swish, swish, clang!

Zenia struck him time and again. She was quick on her feet and did not hide her  secret technique  to the spectators. Zander's men were awed by Zenia's gust of wind. They could not believe that their Junior Commander had developed another technique of her own.

Vaughn's heart began to beat faster than before. He had to do something if he wanted to win. He tried his best to delay the fight, but Zenia was always robbing him of the opportunity. He knew that it was shameless to run around in circles, but he had no other choice. He needed to bring down Zenia's stamina.

Vaughn was getting tired from all the running that he had been doing. Zenia still looked fine. What he didn't know was that Zenia was already too tired. She was trying her best not to show it on her face or movement.

Clang, clang, clang!

Vaughn had no other choice but to face his wife. Their swords clashed once more, and no one dared to utter a word or even breathe. The husband and wife had been at it for almost an hour. None of them showed any sign of giving up.

The spectators had one thought in their minds, 'MONSTERS!'

They were just glad that they were on the same side as the husband and wife. The more they watched the fight, the more determined they become to not take any side and just enjoy the spectacle.

Swish, swish, swish, thud!

A sword flew and struck the ground. No one dared say the name of the winner.

Zenia smiled even though she was almost out of breath.

"Young Master Pernell, I…"