Only Liora took her position. She was the embodiment of serenity. The sun's rays made her silver hair appear as if it were light. Her quietness made Kiera's mocks sound like a children's game and idiotic.
"I am," her tone was emotionless and clear. She raised her sword; the act was very elegant and without effort.
"Cease playing the holier-than-thou role!" Kiera hissed, her nonchalant attitude gradually eroding his confidence. "You will be screaming for mercy!"
Liora chose not to speak. She only waited.
"Come on!"
Kiera shot forward. He was lightning fast, a blur of dark clothes and metal flashing through the air."Shadow Dance: First Step!"
His hits were one huge, untamed, unorganized whirlwind of strikes; insane, random blows, all aimed at confusing and overpowering his opponent.
So, if there had been an audience, they would have thought that Liora was going to be devoured by Kiera.
Nevertheless, Liora didn't run away. She seemed hardly to move. Her feet made micro-movements, her body swayed very slightly.
"Moonlit Elegance: First Form-Gentle Snowfall."
Her sword went in a tender, natural curve, meeting every one of Kiera's frenzied attacks not with a firm block, but with a mild, redirection touch.
Although the fight was very rapid, the loud clang-clang-clang of the swords, it seems Liora was very composed as if she were listening to a dull poem. She hardly breathed.
"What?!" Kiera shouted, his irritation reaching its peak. He slammed harder, his breathing becoming very irregular and noisy. "Shadow Dance: Second Step!"
He was not in front of her anymore. He reappeared behind her in a cloud of dust, with his sword pointed out.
Liora didn't even look at him. She just moved aside, the action so flawless and expected as if she had known he would be there all along.
"You...!" Kiera growled, his face getting very red. "Stop running away!"
"I am not running," Liora said, her voice still calm. However, her sword now seemed to be vibrating with intention.
"I am listening. Your fighting style is the loudest one here. And at this moment, it is the loudest that you are screaming that you are in a panic."
That was the final straw. The way she delivered it so calmly and analytically was much worse than any insult. "Shut up!" Kiera's whole body appeared to be shaking with rage.
His hits went from being a mixture of skill and anger to only being all rage and no skill. "Shadow Dance: Third Step-Eclipse Frenzy!"
Without warning, six brilliant duplicates of him were made, each one attacking Liora from a different side.
This was his big move, a final, desperate gamble.
First time ever, Liora shut her eyes. She took one big, slow breath, as if she was calming herself down.
"Moonlit Elegance: Second Form-Crescent Veil."
Her sword came out in one long, lovely, silver curve. It was not a violent cut, but a large, cleansing gesture, like a tide washing over a dirty beach.
The soft light that came from her sword touched the six shadows, and they disappeared like air bubbles.
Only one Kiera was left, who was jumping off the ledge down towards her with his sword high up for the final, two-handed, powerful strike.
CLANG!
The sound was very crisp and final
Liora's blade was already there, being held flat above her head. She hadn't budged from her place. The two swords touched, and for a moment, they were stuck.
Then, a spider web of fissures ran across Kiera's blade before it tore into a dozen shining fragments, scattering around them like metallic confetti.
Kiera came down very hard on his knees, gasping for breath, and his hands were empty. He looked at Liora from the ground, his eyes expressing a mixture of utter surprise and heavy shame.
The arena, which had been very quiet up to this point, suddenly went insane with noise. The shouts could actually be felt, like a very big and loud wave of sound that was celebrating not only a victory but also a total masterclass.
Liora put her sword down. She looked at Kiera, who was panting on the ground, and her face was not that of a victor but simply that of a fact being stated.
"All that mess and you haven't gained anything," she said softly but firmly. "Noise without a tune. If you are not able to find the balance, you will never discover real power."
Kiera could only glare, and the shame felt like a fire that was burning inside of her.
The announcer, his voice filled with excitement, shouted out the result - "Winner: Liora Moonshadow!"
Leonel, from the side, was watching her while supporting his chin with his hand. Not only is she good, he thought, a little bit of real and genuine admiration stirred inside of him.
Almost unwillingly, his gaze moved from the arena towards the place where Garic Stormblade was standing. The older boy looked really angry with his face like thunder and his arms crossed so tightly that he appeared to be trying to hold his insides together.
They exchanged glances.
Garic's lips moved, forming words without sound: "You're dead."
Hatred in its purest form was emitted by him so strong that Leonel almost felt cold. But he didn't react. He only slightly, as if he were bored, shrugged his shoulders.
Continue with your talk, he thought, the old, familiar calm coming over him like a worn-out jacket. It is my sword that does the talking that matters.
Garic's glare grew fiercer and his hand was twitching at his side.
On his side of the bench, Thaddeus was letting out a soft laugh. "You know, little cousin, if there was a prize for making enemies the easiest I'd say you are the winner. You only by living, you get enemies."
Leonel once more gave a shrug. "They are doing all the work. I am just sitting here."
Thaddeus's smile was even wider. "As humble as a rock you are. I hope you win your next fight. If that jerk Garic manages to beat you, I will never stop talking about it. I will tell the story at your wedding."
At this, Leonel gave him a glance, a real flicker of amusement showing in his eyes. "One time only," he said in a low voice, "that I let you down, can you point it out."
Meanwhile, Garic was still furiously pacing. He was like a tempest about to unleash its fury. However, there was something in Leonel's serene demeanor that served as a reply.
The storm that Garic wanted to let loose would not find a frightened little kid. It would find something else altogether. Something solid, and patient, and unmovable.
The announcer was signaling the next fighters to get ready. The tension in the air was almost tangible again.
Leonel was throwing himself into the chair, his hands on his knees, and his breath slow and even. The seeing is almost done.
The talking is done. It will be just the earth, the metal, and the raw, simple truth soon. And, as it always did, the arena would be the one to decide.
The First Elder observed the event from the elevated platform, his face carved out of stone, showing his deep thought. The furrowed brow that he had from the start of the matches had not disappeared.
Even though the other elders were commenting and making noise, he was the only one who kept quiet and was thinking. With his twisted hand, he was softly rubbing his long, white beard.
He was not watching the fight right now but was looking at the area where Liora Moonshadow had been standing before. An ancient memory, fragile and faded, was awakening in the inner recesses of his brain.
Her swordsmanship… he thought, keeping the words to himself but they were like thunder in his chest.
Not the outward gestures, but the core. The manner in which she used the sword, not against it but with it. I remember that. A long time ago. A little bit of that same elegance.
He nodded slightly. To be able to follow the sword's movement so naturally in her was not just a cleverness. It was a kind of listening.
"A rare talent," he said, almost inaudible and mingling with the noise of the crowd. "That girl…she might become the one who changes things."
Vorlan, the elder next to him, a man with an inflexible character, eyeing him closely said, "Her control is beyond belief, First Elder. But let me tell you about the next match…The Stormblade boy.
His energy is almost like a wild beast. If it gets out of hand, we must step in. Safety first, always."
The First Elder kept his eyes fixed on the ground. His gaze was as cold and hard as pieces of flint. "Children have to go through trials, Vorlan," he answered, his tone being calm and even
"Still, you are correct. We won't allow them to get crushed. We will find out the truth from that flame."
After that there was the fire.