『Neutral Region — Nupokute Forest』
The rules were already disclosed to Archibald during his registration.
They were:
(1) You can use magical items, stones, scrolls or even beasts; for beast tamers.
(2) Flight magic or flight of any kind is not allowed.
(3) No killing. (Obviously)
(4) Last 30 seconds against the Ranker and you win.
(5) You're only allowed two rematches.
....
Archibald's demeanor turned serious, and he drew his sword, <
Rachel did the same, and the two of them stepped closer to each other until their swords were almost touching.
The crowd grew even more silent, anticipating the start of the fight.
Suddenly, with lightning-fast speed, Archibald lunged forward, his sword aimed directly at Rachel's chest.
But Rachel anticipated his move and parried the strike expertly, causing Archibald's sword to clang loudly against hers.
Archibald seemed undeterred, and he came at her again and again with a flurry of strikes, trying to catch her off guard.
Rachel met each of his attacks with precision and grace, her sword moving almost faster than the eye could see.
The two fighters danced around each other, exchanging blows and dodging attacks.
It was clear to the onlookers that the two of them were evenly matched, each one of them skilled and talented in their own unique way.
Five seconds of continuous fighting had passed and they paused.
Only when they were fighting would the seconds be counted.
Then again, Archibald and Rachel had ruled out a timer.
They'd decide the winner who brought down the other first.
Archibald observed her sword, admiring the intricacies of the weapon.
"That's a pretty nice sword you have there.." (Archibald)
"The
"What a beautiful piece of work," he mused. "The <
Rachel nodded, a proud look on her face. "Yes, it's one of the legendary [Dragon King Swords]. This one is a Scarlet-ranked weapon."
Archibald raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A Scarlet-ranked weapon? No wonder it looks so deadly. I can't wait to test it out," he said with a grin.
Rachel smirked, placing her sword forward. "We'll see about that," she said teasingly. "Enough talking, let's get back to fighting."
With that, Archibald charged towards her with lightning speed, launching thrusts that moved almost as fast as sound.
Rachel blocked each one with ease, a smile on her face as she danced around his attacks.
Archibald's last thrust stretched for her breastplate, and it looked like he had won.
However, in a fraction of a second, she waved her sword up and struck it against his, causing it to bounce off and sending him back by a meter.
Rachel charged at Archibald with incredible speed, a heavy swing of her sword aimed at his side.
Withal, he managed to quickly parry the attack by striking his sword firmly against hers.
Immediately after, she reversed their clashing of swords and performed another swing, but this time Archibald was lucky enough to move back in time, though Rachel's sword grazed his neck, causing a small amount of blood to roll down.
As their swords connected, sparks flew, Rumia, Lamperogue, Lutessa and Vesta just watched in amazement.
Archibald panted, looking at her. He hadn't imagined she'd be this strong.
Rachel warmly smiled at him, genuinely enjoying the fight. "You're not half bad either," she said.
"I can say the same about you." (Archibald)
He wore a smug grin.
"(This chickʼs gonna kill me...)" (Archibald)
"If you're being so enthusiastic, then I'll show you one of my attacks, let's hope you live!" (Rachel)
『Crimson Dragon King Style • Vertical Form, Blazing Undulation!!』
Rachel's grip on her <
Archibald tensed up, felt his own sweat dampening his clothes.
Suddenly, she drew her sword down and swung it in a vertical arc, unleashing a massive wave of flames that would consume anything in its path.
Archibald could feel the intense heat of the flames even from a distance.
As the wave of flames rushed towards him, Archibald saw the desperation in Rachel's eyes and decided he wouldn't let that attack hit him.
『Sky Lord Arts • Attack Form Two, Clean Sweep!!』
He immediately concentrated his mana into his sword, preparing to counter the attack.
With a sharp cry, he swung his sword with all his might, the blade glowing with pure mana.
There was a deafening explosion and smoke covered the entire area.
All the other adventurers, Lutessa, Vesta, Rumia, and Lamperogue, could hardly see the fight anymore.
They only heard the continuous ringing of Archibaldʼs sword vibrating at an ultrasonic speed and the sound of his sword cutting through the wave of flames.
When the smoke finally cleared, everyone saw Rachel with her <
"I win," Rachel stated in a calm, yet satisfied tone.
Archibald, raising his hands up and relenting, dropped his sword onto the ground.
"You're too strong for me," he said, panting heavily.
The other adventurers cheered and clapped at the end of the fight.
The surrounding trees shook momentarily before returning to being still and serene.
The sun began to set in the background, casting an orange hue across the clearing where the fight had taken place.
In total, Archibald lasted 21 seconds.
As some adventurers wailed about their loss in the bet, Vesta was jumping for joy.
He had staked a hundred silver coins on Archibald to last more than fifteen seconds, and now he had won a chunk of money.
Vesta dashed towards Rumia and hugged her tightly, thanking her for instilling the confidence in him to make such a wager.
"Thank you, Rumia, you're the best!" Vesta exclaimed.
Rumia looked happy for him too and replied, "I'm so glad to be a part of your good day, Vesta. But remember, I'll be collecting my twenty-five percent."
Vesta laughed and said, "Haha, of course, of course, I wouldn't dream of denying you your fair share."
"And don't hug me again," Rumia wasn't a hugger.
"Sorry ma'am," he scratched his head nervously.
Lutessa walked over to Vesta and congratulated him, to which he replied, "Thank you, Lutessa. You're such an angel!"
Rumia and Lutessa smiled at each other, both happy to see their friend Vesta win big.
It seemed that the he had a good day at the betting table, and they celebrated his success together.
"These people.." Lamperogue sighed.
The setting sun cast a warm light on Rachel's petite frame, making her ethereal beauty radiate even more.
Her long, black hair flowed in the wind, and her white dress fluttered against her skin, giving her the look of a goddess.
As the other adventurers rushed around, celebrating or commiserating their bets, Rachel's attention remained solely on Archibald.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him with her deep, blue eyes.
"You were amazing," she said, her voice low and sultry. "The fight was awesome."
Archibald chuckled softly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'm not amazing enough if I couldn't beat you," he said, still panting slightly.
Rachel grinned, dimples appearing in her cheeks. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Because you're one of us."
Archibald looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"
Rachel's smile turned enigmatic, as she told him to wait a bit.
She called out to the officials, who dismissed the event, announcing the end of Ranker Season.
The other adventurers groaned and others whooped, all disappointed because they didn't win the event.
But Rachel wasn't done yet.
"Come with me," she said, taking Archibald by the arm and pulling him away from the group.
As they walked away, Rachel explained to Archibald that she wasn't just fighting for fun, despite how much she loved fighting.
"I'm fighting for something more," she said cryptically, her eyes shining.
Archibald raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"