PICK ME UP, ANOTHER LOBBY!

[Hey, I told you before! No fighting!]

The fairy repeated herself upon hearing my suggestion.

"But we're not exactly fighting because we're quarreling. We just want to see whether he's the strongest amongst us or not."

I told her.

[B-but still!]

"Heroes fought against each other during training all the time. Why can't this be treated the same?"

After hearing my argument, the fairy hesitated to give a rebuttal.

[Hah… So it's a duel you're suggesting then?]

She asked.

"Yes. I'm forming a duel. Is that not allowed?"

[Master can authorize it. But only if the two participants gave their consents.]

"Alright then, we've already got Jyrgil's consent since he's been wanting a fight. What about you, Trudy?"

I looked to my comrade.

She seemed surprise upon my naming of her.

"Me?! Are you sure, Serafina? Don't you think Jonah or Shanny will be a better choice?"

Trudy asked from the square above.

"Don't worry, you're more than enough to face him. Will you do it or not?"

I asked again.

Worry still lingered on her face.

But the blue-haired girl swallowed her doubt and stared at Jyrgil sternly.

"If you say so, Serafina, then I'll believe in you. I'll face that man!"

I looked back to the fairy.

"Well then?"

[Alright. I'll send the duel request to master. Is there any stake in this battle?]

The fairy enquired.

"Just for the loser to listen to whatever the winner has to say."

I told the warden.

For a few seconds, the fairy was pressing unperceivable things in the air.

She then looked back to us.

[Okay then! Master approved the duel. Do it wherever you want. Mind though, the duel is only over once one side admitted defeat.]

The fairy said before vanishing.

I turned back to the others.

"Shall we get started?"

We all made our way to the caged arena in the second floor training ground.

There, Jyrgil and Trudy readied themselves to fight each other.

"Tch! Are you serious? This scrawny woman is the warrior you said a match for me?"

The giant man said condescendingly.

"Don't be deceived by her looks. This forged land is governed by different laws to our world."

I told him from outside the cage, where Jonah, Shanny, and I, alongside the other three 3-stars were watching.

"Um, Serafina, are you sure this is okay?"

Jonah asked.

"Don't worry. Trudy will be fine."

I replied.

"So you said. But she had never won against Jonah or I in training. Not in the hundreds of duels we had."

Shanny stated strongly.

"Well that is the exact reason why Trudy will win."

I told her with a smile.

Jonah and Shanny stared at me confusedly. But they would soon be relieved from their wonder.

Trudy readied her shield and faced her sword against Jyrgil.

"Serafina believes in me. So I'll prove my worth!"

With her taunt, Jyrgil raised his axe.

"Just so you know, I won't hold back even though you're a woman. Hyah!"

With a forceful kick, Jyrgil jumped forward and sprinted toward Trudy.

Despite his huge mass and heavy weapon, he was able to run through entire field within few seconds.

Trudy held her ground in the face of the intimidating foe.

"Haha! Take this!!"

As soon as he reached Trudy, Jyrgil lifted his great axe and swung it forcefully downward.

Still maintaining her position, Trudy raised her shield over her head.

Clang!

The sound of the two metals clashing resounded throughout the entire training ground.

Jyrgil had put his entire strength in that swing earlier.

Even with perfectly-crafted shield, regular people would not be able to block the weight of the attack.

But alas, Jyrgil was not facing regular people.

"What?!"

Still on her feet, Trudy maintained the shield over her head with trembling arm, bearing the pressure of her opponent's force.

I had seen Trudy trained with Jonah and Shanny ever since we came back from the fifth floor.

I had seen what Trudy had to face against every day since then.

And from what I had seen, Jyrgil was a definite far-cry from the two monsters Trudy kept fighting every single day.

Jyrgil's axe had become stuck within the cracks it created on the shield.

He could not immediately pull away to launch another follow up assault.

An opening which Trudy did not let go to waste.

With Jyrgil's torso exposed in front of her, she thrusted her sword and sliced through the side of the man's stomach.

"Arrghh!"

The pain of his wound made him hurriedly pulled his weapon away from Trudy and backed away a few steps.

"You bitch!"

Jyrgil turned his axe and swung his weapon horizontally, trying to cleave Trudy's torso from her hip.

But as if seeing the attack in slow-motion, Trudy swiftly stepped back and avoided the attack.

Before Jyrgil could redirect his axe back to Trudy, the woman quickly sprinted forward and closed the distance between them.

Seeing her coming, Jyrgil tried to avoid Trudy's attack by jumping backward, but it was too late.

Slash!

Jyrgil could not get away from Trudy's blade in time.

A deep cut was formed on his right shoulder. He would not be able to swing his axe as forcefully as before.

Since they were battling inside the caged arena, the lobby's healing power did not work.

Jyrgil had to keep fighting with this injured state.

"Grahh! Die you bitch!"

Seeing he could not land a single hit on Trudy and was the one being wounded instead, Jyrgil began swinging his axe erratically, hoping a simple graze would land eventually.

Clang!

Crash!

Clang!

Using his strength, Jyrgil flipped the giant axe around like it was a mere twig. Swinging the weapon in every direction.

But Trudy could see the attacks coming that she avoided them with ease.

How could she not?

Jyrgil's floppy assaults could not even compare to Jonah's swift and sophisticated moves.

Trudy was used to anticipating much faster and more unpredictable attacks.

She tried to slice through Jyrgil's other shoulder, but the man parried the attack with his axe.

"Raaghh!!!"

He then charged forward and tried to ram through Trudy with his overwhelming body.

Thud!

Jyrgil immediately clashed against Trudy's shield.

"Gugh!"

Instead of pushing Trudy to the ground, Jyrgil found himself smashing against an immovable wall.

After battling Shanny who had a skill that could increase her strength, Trudy was used to facing an opponent with greater power.

From the moment Jyrgil arrived, I had known he was actually weaker than Shanny.

This happening was not a surprise to me.

Thrust!

Provided with another opening, Trudy pierced her blade into Jyrgil's thigh.

"Arghh!!!"

['Trudy (★)'s Basic Shield Technique has levelled up to level 3!]

['Trudy (★)'s Basic Swordsmanship has levelled up to level 3!]

['Trudy (★)'s Basic Shield Technique and Basic Swordsmanship have combined into Basic Sword-Shield Technique level 3!]

With the added wound, Jyrgil fell to his knees.

Trudy wasted no time to pull her sword away and bash her shield to Jyrgil's head, knocking him to the ground.