As Elza walks to the centre of the arena to face Ren, she starts tying up her hair into a shorter ponytail while not taking her eyes off him for a second, "I assume you have no problem with that?". Ren can't help but admire the memorisable sight before him, "…none whatsoever", damn she's pretty! Elegant, beautiful, stylish, and erotic!Staring so intensely at me while tying up your hair like that is just not fair!!!
Having finished tying her hair, Elza raises her hands and signals for something to be brought to her, "good. I like strong and confident men, so I would've been pretty pissed if you said you needed more time after not having to fight", if a man isn't even capable of that, he doesn't deserve to be by my side.
Ren, "I'll let you be the judge of the 'strong and confident' part. As for the fight, I'd like to gauge my strength against you as you seem to be the strongest around", let's see how I compare to a nations best. Elza can't help but laugh as a small smile forms on her lips, "gauge? This is the first time anyone has been able to say that to me, which is pleases me more than you could know. However, I'm conflicted about what happens if you win. I would be all yours, but that's not even on your mind. I don't know if I should take that as an insult or a complement", it's insulting as a warrior, but the thought that he could be so far above me alluring in itself.
Ren tries to explain his thoughts, "No disrespect intended! I thought I'd get an idea of where I stand from fighting a bunch of strong people in this tournament...but I only fought one guy, who I feel like was just probably slightly above average...at best", these are what my instincts are telling me. But they're also telling me that you're leagues above than anyone else who entered the tournament.
Elza chuckles, "I see, my tournament disappointed you. Guess I better make up for that...with my body", she says with an enticing smile as she holds out her hand to the guards who are approaching her. Ren can't help but let his male instincts kick in, weapons of mass destruction...older women are weapons of mass destruction! Their sensual smiles can literally stop hearts!
The thing the guards brought over was a huge cleaver sword, almost the length of her body in size. Ren can help but watch as she lifts it effortlessly, wow…wait, was that flirting? If so, she's good. Didn't even notice it. She's very enticing...too enticing. But the sword is also distracting...it was probably the sword.
Elza rests the sword on her shoulders, "this is a training sword. It's edge is dull, so it won't kill you...well, unless I hit you too hard", but it wouldn't be worth it if you can't at least dodge those attacks. My body is on the line, so yours will be too. Ren, "thanks for the ominous warning. I'm ready when you are".
Elza signals to the announcer to get things rolling. They both size each other up as they get ready to fight, Elza's demeanour changing completely while Ren tries to calm himself by steadily breathing. Elza abandons any thought that doesn't concern the enemy in front of her, the sheer concentration making Ren feel like he's being hunted down by a predator. Even the crowds cheering is completely cut from her senses as she stares down Ren with laser focus. Ren can't help but gulp at her intensity, her aura is menacing. She's completely different from the people in the tournament. I need to be on guard. I'll restrict my field to only the area of the arena.
The announcer addresses the crowd now that both of them are ready, "ladies and gentlemen, it's finally time for the apex match! Brace yourself and don't fall out of your seats as we begin in 3...2...1...fight!". Ren's instincts scream the millisecond the countdown ends, as if a jolt of danger rushed down his spine and spread to his extremities in a flash.
The second the announcer started the match, Elza closes the distance between her and Ren in a single leap, cracking the ground from where she leaped. Elza swung for full force Ren's neck without any hesitation. Ren's instincts made him hone his field to the utmost limit within an even smaller area than the arena unconsciously, thus allowing him to track Elza's explosive movement...barely. By the skin of his teeth, he was able to dodge by crouching down...with the most ridiculous expression plastered across his face. His eyes almost pop out of his head from desperation.
Having missed her target, Elza's momentum took her far past Ren. She had to use the barrier wall to fully stop herself despite digging her heels into the ground, She looks back at Ren over her should, an involuntary grin creeping across her lips, he...dodged. My full strength, my max speed, and he dodged!My body is screaming with excitement…amazing! This is the best feeling in the world! Is this...is this what love is like? No wonder I've never been interested in anyone until now, they never made me feel like this!
Ren is in pure shock as he turns to face her, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi! What the hell is that speed and power! That's definitely not humanly possible! I knew Dark Elves had extraordinary strength, but I didn't really understand it until I had to experience it personally. And that grin is scary! Elza slowly strolls towards him, clearly elated. But Ren is irritated at her despite the intense vibes she's giving, "OI! I THOUGHT YOU SAID I WOULDN'T DIE! MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE DECAPITATED FROM THAT! BLUNT SWORD OR NOT!!!".
Elza chuckles, but it quickly turns into a menacing laugh. He smile would be extremely off-putting for anyone, but also enticing at the same time. She looks like a deranged mad woman, but one who looks like they're experiencing an extreme adrenalin high. Ren is understandably a little put-off by this, why's she laughing like that? I don't get what's happening. The audience is stunned silent...but then erupts into ecstatic cheers.
After a few seconds, Elza finally calms down enough to talk, "that was me completely serious...I didn't hold back at all, but you dodged! Nobody has done that…ever! Until this moment...you sure know how to get a woman excited", as she looks to the sky, her eyes a little glossed over. She looks so content that it's like a wave of tranquillity swept over her. It's hard to believe it's the same woman from mere seconds ago. Then she abruptly looks back down at Ren with the biggest, excited grin yet as she readies her stance, instantaneously changing gears.
Ren instinctually takes up a defensive stance in response, man, she's instance...in more ways than one. She's super cool...if not a bit psycho...more than a bit. Elza, "I don't know how, but you dodged, and no normal human is capable of that. But even if you dodge, that doesn't mean you've won. We're just getting started".
As Elza is about to leap again, Ren fires off a lightning bolt, "then let's get this show on the road then, shall we?". Elza reacts and dodges, completely unfazed by the attack, as expected, it was lightning he made that sword out of. Ren, my lightning magic isn't as fast as actual lightning when I direct it to where I want to go, but it's still very fast. Being able to dodge is no easy feat...though Vall also dodged it.
Elza instantly closes the distance again, but Ren dodges her swing easier this time because she's not going as fast as last time. Her momentum doesn't take her as far past Ren as before, allowing her to use follow up swings...Ren barely dodging them all. Ren tries to come up with a strategy on the fly as he evades by the skin of his teeth, if lightning bolts don't work, that severely limits my options. Firing one at this range can catch me in the crossfire.
Having her swings constantly dodged isn't pleasant, so she takes some distance to sort her thought, he doesn't seem to have the most impressive physique, probably a bit above average for human standards, Yet he can dodge all my attacks, even with feints. He falls for them, but still doges the follow up attack. He has no experience, but something's allowing him to operate at a higher level than other humans. I can't attack recklessly without knowing what that is as he could be leading me into a trap.
Ren uses this opportunity to catch is breath, I don't know why she backed off, but I couldn't be more thankful. Who knows how much longer I could've kept that up. I need to finish this quickly or I'll run out of stamina. Actual battles are a hundred times harder than training for track and field. Let's try to...break her sword. I should have the advantage with that out of the way...probably. I can't just go for it as she'll instantly know, so...time to bluff!
Elza still can't make sense of how he dodged, how is he evading? His athletic capabilities aren't anything special, so he must be using his Unique somehow To compensate for his human limitations. There's no other explanation, but how can he do that by using lightning? Unless manipulating lightning isn't his Unique? It's possible, but he's surely too young to train a form of magic to be this useful against me. Then...does he have two Uniques? Is that possible?That's the only thing coming to mind. Lightning and something else...
Ren forms two lightning katanas as Elza tries to decipher the secret to his power, one in each hand. Elza examines his form more closely, he's too unrefined. It's clear he doesn't know a thing about swordsmanship. His powers itself are what's strong, not himself. If I keep that in mind, I should come out on top.But that doesn't change the fact that those things are dangerous. I need to be careful not to completely disregard them.
Having sufficiently analysed the situation as much as she could, Elza runs up to Ren this time, not making one big careless leap, "you're strong, but a complete armature in battle. You let your emotions show too easily on your face, and it's easy to notice the location of your gaze. It's obvious you're aiming for my sword. Plus, anyone would be on guard for it after seeing your last fight!".
As she finishes saying that, she stops a bit of distance away from Ren and stomps the ground, breaking it. The break spreads out in a spider web pattern, causing Ren to lose his footing once it speedily reaches him. Ren almost falls, but he's able to use that momentum to kick off the ground and dodge Elza's swing, mainly thanks to his constant use of his field. Ren rolls and jumps back to gains some distance, that was close! That probably would've broken every bone in my body, if not straight up killed me! I need a bit longer but it's in place, and I need to stay put or else it breaks. I need to stall for a bit of time.
Elza maintained her swing pose for a moment in shock, he even dodged that? He shouldn't be able to do that based on his clearly lacking combat experience, but he can. What's going on? They both just stare each other down for a minute, neither making a move once again. Elza, he's an amateur, but he's able to dodge even when he's lost his foothold. He would've fired a bolt from up close if I followed up just now, so I had to let him take distance. The whole using his hand thing to fire them is a good diversion, but it wouldn't work against veterans who assume it could be regular magic instead of a Unique. I have to take both scenarios into account, but it must be some kind of power…or maybe it's both? If I don't figure this out, winning will be a lot tougher. However, he's unable to attack me. His lightning bolts aren't fast enough to hit me. He seems to think if he gets my sword, he'll be able to win, and that's my chance. Even if he somehowmanages to break my sword, I'll use that moment to turn the tables on him. He'll have to strike it with a bolt or cut it as I swing at him. I'm on guard for both, so it's only a matter of time.
A bead of sweat falls from Ren's chin as he concentrates. The unexpected toll from the short but intense battle, as well as Elza's laser focus putting so much pressure on him, is forcing his body to eat through its stamina like nothing before, dammit, her level of experience is completely different from me. I mean, what normal person would think of breaking the ground to disrupt someone's footing! As the fight drags on, the more of an advantage she gets. She didn't follow up after my last dodge, so she must know I don't need to use my hand to fire bolts. My instincts are confirming that. I don't have many more options...so I'll have to bet it on that. She seems to be cautious of me, but it won't last long. I need to get her to stay still for a bit longer. I get the feeling like talking isn't permitted anymore. And she'll probably guess I'm stalling for time. I need to do something, not say something.
As both are thinking of their next moves, Liza is in complete disbelief from watching them, amazing...really amazing. Queen Elza's physical abilities are on a completely different level. If she fought Vall, she'd probably win on that alone. Ren said he has some way that he could defeat Vall…and Lorilay actually did it. I'm the only one who isn't capable. She clenches her fists and grits her teeth in frustration, what's wrong with me? I'm more pessimistic than I've ever been. My feelings have been all over the place the last few days. I need to focus on Ren's match. Seeing a match like this is rare.I need to absorb what I can!
As Ren and Elza are having a stare down, the tension builds in the air. Elza is about to go on the offensive again. In response, Ren releases one of his swords and grabs the other with both hands, intensifying its rotation so it gives off menacing electric crackles, I need to make her think I'm going for a hit-or-miss gamble, and the moment she begins to move is when I'll strike. That'll be when her guard is down the most, and her sword is most out of her view if I'm to go off her previous attacks. Just a little longer.
Elza stops herself from running in at the last second, he's released one of his swords and the remaining one looks far more menacing now. Getting slashed by that would be the end of anyone...if he knew any swordsmanship. His stance gives away that he knows nothing, but his eyes say it's all down to this. I agree, the next move will end this...but not for me. You have so much potential, so you may be able to beat me if you train more. I'll have to wait some more, but I think you'll be worth the wait. I'm looking forward to the next tournament already. Time to put an end this this fight! Elza starts to change her stance to allow her to leap at Ren instead of run, readying her sword behind her for one single decisive swing. Just before she's about to leap, Ren makes his move, just in time!
Their Queen was readying to attack Ren, so the whole crowd was looking at him, eager to witness the moment they clash...but nothing happens. Elza, now rooted to the spot, goes wide-eyed in shock as she feels the weight in her hands suddenly get much lighter. She can hear thuds from something hitting the ground behind her. She looks at her hands, the only thing remaining is the grip. She is utterly bewildered as her mind can't process what just happened...how?
The crowd goes silent, no, everything is silent as everyone tries to process what happened. There is only one question that is in everyone's mind at this moment. And since they are all thinking the exact same thing same thing, nobody voices it out loud, ...how?
The silence is early deafening. Since Elza is just staring at the grip in her hand, Ren looks across the crowd, feeling a sense of unease at the silence. Then Elza abruptly starts laughing with the biggest smile on her face, causing Ren to recoil. Elza throws the grip to the ground, "HAHAHAHA. MAGNIFICENT! I can't even figure out how I lost!". She looks up at the sky, seemingly in ecstasy. She can't help but embrace her own body tightly, squeezing it as tightly as tightly, ah…my chest feels like it's about to burst. I'm tingling all over...I've never felt like this before...and it's fucking amazing!
Ren is dumbfounded by the sight before him, and it's hard not to stare at the erotic...display, but he manages to speak, "you're *cough* admitting defeat? That's a bit of a surprise, I thought you'd come at me with your bare hands", is she trying to get my guard down by seducing me now that her sword is gone?...that might work if this goes on any longer. Please stop smushing your breasts together!
Elza releases her hold on her body and looks at Ren, hand on her hip and speaking calmly as if she wasn't hot and bothered a second ago, "I would've attacked you with my bare hands if that attack could have only hit my sword, but you missed me on purpose. If you aimed at me, I would be dead right now. Plus, I'm not very good at hand-to-hand combat. It's a last resort in a life-or-death situation, which this isn't". Just remembering what happened causes her eyes to gloss over a little, and she can't help herself from biting her lip lower lip, ah…what a feeling. It's taking everything I have not to push him down right now...but a Queen can't act in such a manner in public.
Ren scratches his head, "...well, I can't kill you, so I had to hit you with non-lethal attacks until you couldn't fight no more, or aim for your sword. And I wasn't having luck with the former". Elza instantly regains the focus in her eyes and looks into his despite the distance, "it's not that you can't kill me, it's that you wouldn't. Don't forget that". Ren can't help but feel the weight of the meaning she's putting behind those words, I get it. Anything more and it will just ridicule you.
Elza quickly composes herself and walks over to Ren to knee in front of him, "you've truly impressed me with not only your current battle prowess, but also your potential for growth. The ability to emerge victorious despite your shortcomings has grasped my heart and mind. I wish from the bottom of heart to stand by your side and to see what the future holds for both of us. I submit to you knowingly and willingly".
Ren's quite surprised by the sudden...submissiveness, "...thanks? I accept your...fealty?", is that the right word? It's the only word that comes to mind. And it's not like I could reject a kneeling Queen anyway. My head would fly! Elza stands and signals a guard to come over to them as she starts to walk, "let's go". Ren starts to follow her without thinking, "go where?". Elza looks over her should and gives him a wink, "to celebrate, of course". Ren can't help but be enamoured by her beauty.
The two walk side-by-side as they follow after the guard. Elza feels completely at ease while Ren feels a little awkward. The crowd was too stunned to make any noise as they process the situation in their minds. Nobody saw how Ren won, and they never thought things would turn out this way. The announcer eventually snaps out of her daze the declares Ren the winner. The crowd starts clapping and cheering, but not as intense as before, an air of unease permeating through the venue.
In a viewing box not far from where Elza was seated, a few guards in armour are guarding an individual seated in the middle of the box. Just from the shape of their ears, it's clear that the individuals are Elves. The woman is wearing expensive looking clothes, making it clear that she a figure of authority. She looks up at the roof of her box, letting out a sigh, "things have certainly took an unexpected turn, and at a faster pace than even a pegasus dive-bomb. How am I even meant to report this? I know the chief said he doesn't want any information about her in case we crossed paths...but this is a little too big to not report. I'll have to ask Queen Elza to send one on the matter instead. I'll owe her a favour, but it really saves me from this awkward position". She briefly glances over to the empty seating box next to her before returning to her thoughts, even excluding that, will one reta be enough to explain what just transpired? I might need to send two...or even three. Thing are going to get busy, and I'm scheduled to tour the regions here in not to long as well...maybe it's time I retire.