NOVEL WEB Chapter 18: 18
The day had come and leaving my room in the morning wearing my new gear, I made my way silently to the waiting area taking a seat on the benches at the ramp leading up to the red gate.
i was still a newbie so I would still be fighting in the morning, but I once more held the main event slot of the undercard, since mine was the only death match of the newbies.
Three fights preceded mine and they served their purpose to draw in the crowd and bring out their thrist for blood.
The guard came up and called my name, before I walked up the ramp and taking my position before the gate, sword drawn.
"Are you people ready for a bloodbath!"
"RAAAAAAAA!!!!"
"We've got a death match coming up between two promising newbies the winner of this match will get the chance to rise in rank so the stakes are high, make sure to get your bets in if you haven't already! Without any further ado Let fighting commence!"
The gates opened before me.
And the arena cheers roared like a beast unchained.
There were thousands of voices rising in unison for the carnage to come, chanting for blood, stamping their feet on the wooden planks of the stands.
I stepped further through my gate, my heavy boots crunching the coarse sand of the arena floor.
My polished blue armor gleaming in this mid morning sun.
Across from me I caught sight of my opponent, different from the true newbie I fought last time, this man was fully suited in leather armor, but instead of a shield and sword like me he fought with two swords.
Through his simple leather helmet the man smirked at me, already envisioning what he'd look like when wearing my armor for himself.
As we continued to move towards one another, I took a deep breath the stakes were the same life or death.
As we got closer I caught the simple words spoken from my opponents mouth before we clashed.
"Let's see how slow this statue moves."
I didn't respond, simply remaining on guard.
He figured he had the advantage thanks to his lighter gear, but sadly for him to me my heavy armor was weightless, it wasn't a listed buff on the armor itself but it felt like I was just wearing normal clothes while wearing it so I never got a decrease in agility.
He sprung forward with a burst of agility, both swords flashing in the sun.
He was fast, impossibly fast, closing the distance between us in an instant.
I raised my shield bracing myself as the first blade came in - a sweeping slash meant to test my defenses, as I didn't move much at all as I braced to take the shot.
The impact rattled my arm but I absorbed the blow with not much real impact delivered.
He didn't stop the second blade darting like a snake for my now exposed side, but using the shield I shoved the first blade aside and Balmung came up to parry the second incoming strike.
Clang!
My opponent failed to see it but I didn't miss it.
Balmung up against his copper sword was a foregone conclusion, his sword was chipped.
"Not bad, let's see if you can keep up!"
Then came a whirlwind of attacks that did put me on the defensive as I had to work to dodge, block or avoid slashes coming from every possible angle.
But I stood like a fortress absorbing the blows, and not taking a single real hit, meanwhile my opponents gear was taking a pounding.
Repeatedly impacting my firm shield had bent one of his blades while the chips and cracks had spread along the second.
Not to mention his stamina was waning and with that was the opening for me to launch my own assault.
So as he retreated to fix his position I advanced like the reaper.
For the first time in this fight I took the initiative so in response my fans in the crowd roared in approval.
His breathing was heavy, and when he saw me shifting weight both swords were raised up in an X pattern to block my incoming blow.
But this was Balmung were talking about here.
SMASH
as the blade dropped vertically both his swords were shattered and as he looked stunned at what was left of his arms, my shield came flying in with the edge cutting through the air like a discus or frisbee, and thanks to that jab.
A deep cut could be seen in the chestpiece of his armor, with his swords reduced to broken daggers, Balmungs tragectory shifted and with the second strike blood flowed as one of his arms was taken falling to the sandy floor as screams of pain were brought forth from his mouth.
But even as he was wounded, possibly even fatally so, he kept his grip with his remaining arm on the remaining broken sword.
Blood pouring from the stump of what remained of his arm.
His eyes had become bloodshot, and rage took over in place of pain.
The man growled like an animal, charging forward in a last-ditch effort.
He feinted left at first, then lunged right, aiming for my unprotected thigh on my sword-side.
But but as quick as he was, i was ready.
Sidestepping the lunge and bringing my blade crashing down on his remaining arm.
There was a new sickening crack, and he fell to the ground screaming bloody murder, his last attack failed, and as a result he now was missing both arms.
The crowd exploded in cheers and gasps as the full measure of what had just happened became known throughout the stands.
struggling to get to his knees, breathing heavily as his face got more and more pale.
Blood dripped into the sand as he looked up at at my face, his own face twisted in pain and anger.
Like an executioner i stood over him, sword raised.
I hesitated for a moment, the roar of the crowd fading into a dull hum.
He could end it now. One swing, and it would be over.
And rather than let the man continue to suffer, even though he could be saved with the [Holy Grail's] Elixer Balmung reaped his life, causing his head to be separated from the stump serving as his torso.
The crowd was going crazy, this fight had turned into a hack and slashfest, my opponent lay dead but in four pieces on the arena floor.
Even as the announcer spoke about the match I just silently sheathed my blade, raised my shield high in victory before heading towards the gate to get cleaned up and prepare for my next dungeon run.