He was waiting. Avir Fortis stood at the far side of the training grounds. He, too, wore half-plate armor just like Elise, but unlike her neglected armor, his shone brilliantly under the afternoon sun. It was not extravagant like most nobles' armors. It was simple, well-crafted, and well-maintained.
Both of their sword-fighting styles relied on speed-based close combat, making half-plate armor the best choice. Her old sword master at the Vandenberg Household had taught her this style, as she was likely to face bigger and stronger opponents. However, it was an unusual choice for someone like Avir Fortis. He was by no means a small man. Warriors of his size usually depended on their strength and durability. Full-plate armor was the best fit for them, paired with a greatsword to maintain momentum and crush opponents without caring much about injuries.
But Avir Fortis was different. He used a greatsword—slightly longer and heavier than Elise's longsword—with half-plate armor. It was a deadly combination utilizing both strength and speed, but it required a high skill level. Few tried to learn it because it demanded a great amount of effort to master. Unfortunately for Elise, Avir Fortis was one of those masters, and perhaps the best among them. Elise looked around the courtyard. One side was arranged for soldiers and government officials who wanted to watch the duel. Most of the nobles curious about the situation watched from the walls surrounding the courtyard. They had set up giant umbrellas and tents to protect themselves from the sun. Some looked at her as if she were mere entertainment, while others were simply curious.
On the other side stood the Royal Palace. Beneath its walls, a giant tent hosted the Royal Family and their closest aides, mostly those from the dinner she had attended. Her parents were also there, watching from their seats next to the Royal Family. Her father's expression gave away his tension, but her mother remained as cold as ever, showing no emotion. While checking her surroundings, she felt a gaze from an unusual direction. It was different from the ones she had felt so far. It was as if someone wanted her to know they were watching. The intent behind this gaze wasn't harmful; on the contrary, it gave off a calm, almost soothing feeling. She looked up to see its source.
It was coming from atop the leftmost tower of the Royal Palace. Elise could not identify the white figure standing on top of it, but she knew who it was. She didn't know how; perhaps because she was used to spending time with him. But she knew the Traveler was watching her. Knowing this strangely helped her gather herself. Taking a deep breath, she unsheathed her sword and took her place in the dueling area. On the opposing side, Avir Fortis had a squire beside him to carry his greatsword. He drew his sword from the squire's hands and took his place while the squire left with the empty sheath. The crowd fell silent as the King stood to announce the start of the duel.
Even though Elise heard the King's speech, she didn't understand a word of it. She focused solely on herself. This was the time to show everyone what she was capable of. She knew no one expected anything from her in this duel. She was just a little girl playing knight—that was what everyone thought, just like her mother. Even if there was no way to win, she had to do everything she could. She was up against Avir Fortis; anything less would be an insult. Her opponent's change of stance signaled that the duel had started. Avir Fortis took a defensive stance, waiting for her to make the first move. "Fine," she thought, "let's see what I can do." She drew in as much Energy as she could and charged right at him.
***
Avir Fortis was ready. He intended to fight his opponent seriously, but he was also curious to see what she was capable of, so he decided to stay on the defensive at the start to exchange a few blows. The young Lady of Vandenberg looked rather tense and a bit out of sorts, but her eyes showed she was as focused as she could be. Yet, he also realized she was not focused on him or the duel. What was she thinking about in a situation like this? A warrior had to be sharp in any condition. Most young warriors made the same mistake, and she was no exception. But then, something happened beyond his expectations.
A crushing pressure emanated from her. Avir Fortis had felt the same feeling against some of the formidable foes he had fought, as well as some magicians of the Kingdom. She then charged at him with impossible speed. If any of his other soldiers had been there, they would have been caught by surprise. But Avir Fortis was different. His Blessing always worked best at times like this. He felt the familiar tingling pass through his body, starting from his head. His body moved almost on its own, managing to react in time to block the attack with his sword.
The power behind the attack was greater than he had anticipated, forcing him to slide to the side and almost lose his balance. She quickly followed it up with a high, vertical swing. Her attacks were not the kind one could easily block; they were simply too strong for that. Instead, Avir Fortis deflected and redirected her attacks, using her own power against her. She kept pressuring him with endless attacks. She had a great sense of combat, continuously trying to attack his openings and changing her approach with every strike. It was obvious she was an experienced fighter. If she was this good at her age, who knew what would become of her when fully grown under a capable master? It had been a while since he had fought someone like this young woman. But she had a big flaw.
After exchanging a few attacks and analyzing her, Avir Fortis realized her sword skills were only above mediocre, and she was not used to fighting other humans. She most likely had trained against various beasts and monsters, just like the barbarians of the North-East. She had no idea how to fight a composed and experienced fighter. She attacked like a wild beast, flinching and backing off from even his slightest moves. She depended entirely on her highly developed fighting instincts without thinking anything through. Her power and speed were great, but she was wearing herself out with unnecessary movements.
Aside from that, Avir Fortis was enjoying their duel. He couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. A fight between two warriors, solely focused on each other's movements, away from the concerns of the world. His opponent kept charging, and he kept redirecting her attacks. It was easy to get hooked on this feeling, and something told him to follow it. He dropped his defense and started attacking. His body tingled all over from his Blessing. It enhanced his reactions, but somehow also tremendously increased his muscle strength. No magician or priest could explain how Blessings worked up to this moment.
He attacked with a feint, following it up with a horizontal slash, expecting her to dodge. But she did not. She could not, to be exact. Avir Fortis only realized what he had done after the attack hit. He had lost himself in the moment. He had forgotten he was up against a young warrior and had attacked with full strength. She took the attack on her side, barely managing to guard with her arm. She flew toward the wall at the side of the dueling area, embedding herself slightly inside it. A cry of surprise rose from the crowd. It was a fatal blow. Most of her ribs and right arm were probably broken, and her spine could have been severely damaged from the impact, along with internal injuries—if she was even still alive.
"Elise!" a man shouted. Probably Lord Vandenberg. Avir Fortis was too shaken to notice who it was. The girl remained against the wall, motionless. There was a high chance she was dead from a broken neck or various other reasons. How could he do something like that? Avir Fortis, the greatest warrior of the Alethani Kingdom, had lost control in a duel. What was that feeling he felt during the fight? Only young warriors felt such frivolous feelings. It had been more than ten years since Avir Fortis last felt such things during a battle. It had come out of nowhere. Those feelings blurred one's mind and caused mistakes. Just like he had made.
Fortunately, the young Lady moved out of the wall and stood in front of it. Her standing meant she had no serious injuries at the moment, but there was a high chance she was high on the adrenaline of the battle, causing her not to feel anything. She stood there for a moment, looking down and breathing heavily. Then, she started to glow.
***
It was comfortable. Sitting partially embedded in the wall had given Elise some time to think. It would have been great to just sit here and pretend to faint, resolving the duel entirely. Hadn't she already proven herself? Fighting almost on par against the best swordsman in the Kingdom was enough, right?
Of course, it was not. At least, not for Elise. She had come here to give her all, and she had no intention of leaving before doing so. The blow she had just taken stung her right side, and her back ached slightly from the impact against the wall. She was shaken and out of breath, but otherwise, there seemed to be no serious injuries. At least, as far as she could tell. It could be like the time she tore her leg muscles and didn't realize it initially, but even so, this was not the time to worry about it.
With a little shake of her shoulders, she freed herself from the wall. She was incapable of hearing or recognizing her surroundings. Voices and images were fuzzy and hard to understand, prompting her to take deep breaths to gather herself. After exchanging countless blows, Elise realized she possessed greater raw strength, but Avir Fortis was reacting faster. Even though she attacked relentlessly, he always found a way to counter. Initially frustrating, she eventually started enjoying it as time passed. Her only thought was how fun it was to duel someone at his level. Getting hooked on this feeling had caused her to let her guard down and take a serious blow.
Avir Fortis stood inside the duel area, looking at her with a worried expression. And he was not the only one. Her father had stood up from his seat and approached the duel area, only to be stopped by a couple of guards. The rest of the crowd remained a fuzzy blur, but she didn't need to see them anyway. They must have thought she was done for. Normally, that would be the case; such an attack could probably decapitate an ox. He must have been going easy on her at the start if that was his true strength. That meant she also needed more strength.
Taking one last, deep breath, she forced her limits and drew in as much Energy as she could. Just like during her training yesterday, she started to emit a glowing smoke. The Energy within heated her muscles to the point they felt ready to melt, begging to be released. She charged at her opponent, determined to change the duel's outcome in her favor.
She was faster. Avir Fortis readied himself to clash once again. He was relieved to see she was fine, but this was absurd. After taking a blow like that and smashing into a wall, she must have suffered internal injuries that would slow her movements. Instead, she was moving even faster, and her attacks were far stronger. More importantly, she was glowing.
A faint glow emitted from her body, creating a trail with every move. With every clash of their swords, she shone momentarily brighter. Her devastating attacks gave him no time to think about anything else. He could see the wild look in her eyes. She had left reason behind, ready to do anything to win. This was no longer a duel; if he wasn't careful, it could quickly become a matter of life and death. As a veteran warrior, it was his responsibility to put an end to this.
***
Elise pressured him with everything she had. Just one opening was all she needed. Avir Fortis retreated, but his guard was always up. She kept attacking without giving him a moment's rest, aiming to make him lose balance with every strike. But whatever she did, he always found a way to deflect her attempts. Elise was sure she was much stronger than him now, and they were evenly matched in speed. So why? Why was she still unable to bring him down?
Whatever the reason, she just needed to maintain the pressure. Eventually, he would fall, Elise thought. But after countless attacks, she felt her muscles starting to wear out. Her entire body burned from the inside, and that warm, energizing feeling was replaced with a stinging pain. Her body was giving up. She had to finish this quickly.
She rushed in with all she had left for a final thrust, realizing something she should have noticed long ago—but it was too late now. She was not the only one seeking openings. With the tip of his sword, Avir Fortis countered her attack. Their swords slid against each other, throwing Elise off balance due to the sheer strength she had put behind the strike. Her opponent's sword pommel landed directly at her stomach, taking her breath away.
She put a hand on the ground to regain her balance and control the Energy inside her, but a shining piece of metal landed right on her nape. Her world began to spin with that blow, and the Energy on the verge of disappearing dispersed in an instant, leaving only pain behind.
Her entire body was screaming at her, feeling as if it were being ripped apart from the inside. She found herself facing the ground. She tried to get up, but her body didn't listen. Before she realized it, tears began to fall from her eyes. This was not how it should have ended. She tried to fight the pain and get up, but it was pointless. She finally started to hear the sounds from her surroundings again. She heard Lord Avir Fortis telling her to stay on the ground. She heard her father, but did not understand what he was saying.
Then, she saw bare feet enter her view. They were surprisingly familiar. They stopped in front of her, and their owner crouched, letting some white cloth strips touch the ground. Lastly, she heard a voice before everything went dark.
"You did well, girl."