Chris' name was called up, it was his turn to enter the enclosure and face his opponent in the sword-fighting competition. Before he entered an attendant gave him his competition longsword. Chris stepped into the enclosure and opposite to him was a large man in full steel plate armor, with chainmail underneath. Chris wasn't even fully armored.
Before the competition had begun, a judge came up to him. "Excuse me, young man, where is your armor?" the judge said slightly annoyedly.
"This is my armor", Chris simply stated back.
"It is not exactly against the rules to participate without armor, but we do not recommend it. Are you certain that you still wish to compete?", the judge answered back with a worried expression.
Chris understood the judge's concern, but he was confident in his abilities. "I'm certain, I will simply drop my weapon and accept defeat if I feel that I am in any significant pain or danger."
The judge nodded and went back up to his seat in the middle of the stands close to this competition's enclosure.
Chris' opponent's visor was up and he could see his smug face. He seemed amused that his first fight would be against an opponent with no armor. He probably thought this would be the easiest match in his life. Chris was determined to prove him wrong. He tried swinging his sword and feeling out its weight and balance. It was a fine sword with a dulled blade to prevent serious injury, but it would still be dangerous to be hit without armor. Chris' entire strategy rested on him being much faster than his opponent.
A judge proclaimed that the match would begin and Chris' opponent lowered his visor. Chris took a stance holding his sword and aimed at his opponent with his feet spread wide. The opponent's form was far sloppier and even looked arrogant. The opponent calmly approached Chris with a relaxed grip on his sword. Chris would certainly make him regret this and immediately swung to action. He rushed forth and managed to stab his opponent just below his breastplate.
The opponent staggered back, unprepared for Chris' speedy assault. Chris took this opportunity to pull back and swing at his opponent's left leg. The hit connected and there was a loud clank. However, the force was not strong enough to pose a problem against his opponent's heavy armor.
The opponent made a downward swing at Chris. Chris easily avoided it by stepping to the left and countered with a stab aimed at his opponent's right armpit. Then he almost instantly stabbed below the breastplate again. Chris tried to stab at the same spot again, but this time his sword was blocked.
Chris had the upper hand, but his opponent's armor was tough. He had to change tactics or he would eventually be hit or worn out.
Chris goaded his opponent to attack and the opponent took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. Chris dodged past his opponent's swing, went in close, and pummeled him in the face with his hilt. Then he sidestepped and swung his sword toward his opponent's neck. The hit connected and his opponent dropped his sword. The match was over, Chris had won. The crowd cheered loudly at the incredible display of agility and swordsmanship he had shown.
...
Chris was facing his fourth and final opponent. He had climbed all the way to the final. Unfortunately, he and his opponent were now in a stalemate. Each attack either of them attempted, the other one blocked or dodged. They were now solely in a battle for stamina. This was not how Chris had expected the match to go. Sure, each match after the first had become more difficult and none was as easy as the first, but eventually, he had found a way past each of his opponent's defenses.
This time he felt he had tried everything, but nothing worked. They were evenly matched. Chris was faster, especially in his light armor. His opponent managed to make up for the fact that he was slower by making sure that he didn't expose himself at any time. Chris thought that this man must be incredibly skilled, experienced, strong, and fast. This was not based on the fact that Chris was particularly skilled, he wasn't really, except for when compared to that first opponent. No, that was not the case. It all seemed to come down to Chris having an unfair advantage, he was incredibly fast. It must be because of the fairy and her wish-granting.
The fight continued for a long time and the crowd had already lost interest. Eventually, Chris' opponent forfeited. "I am far too tired to go on. Despite your novice swordsmanship, I cannot match your speed or your endurance. Well fought!".
A judge proclaimed Chris the winner of the sword fighting competition and the prize was his to claim. The crowd cheered as the match was finally over and they had a winner!
Chris went out and hugged Amelia who had stood and cheered him on throughout the entire competition. At first, she had mostly looked worried, but then she had gotten into it and encouraged Chris to go at his opponents.
Afterward, Chris was led by an attendant to his prize. The prize consisted of twenty silver, a finely crafted longsword, and the opportunity to join the joust.