The hour mark is approaching. I won't be getting nosebleeds, hopefully, and while my other may not be in her room to give full focus, I can fight as I have before.
Now then, time for the duel with a B rank.
"Umm... I heard the rumors but... are you sure?" asked the confused Gradon.
Like everyone else, he stares in confusion at my decision to grab an armory of weapons. A great sword, a wooden long sword, a wooden axe, a spear, throwing knives, and a shield. All tipless and wooden by his decision, with the exception of the two-hander and spear, as there were only padded variants due to the harm these two bring on their own.
"My grandfather thinks I'm a natural-born weapon master so how about saying something after you get a taste."
He shakes his head, deciding not to even try understanding by sight alone. "Alright, let's see how your sideshow stands up to my defenses."
'End the fight quickly and don't get distracted by the conversations happening on my other's side. Though my other is seated, I am having to split my perspective by making up these stories. Not the most ideal situation, I can still win if I follow my instincts as every fight before.'
The receptionist, Miri agrees to referee the fight as she prepares a countdown. Gradon prepares his shield with his sword ready right behind it while I plan out which weapon to start the fight with.
My heart thumps as she counts down from five, coming to a decision on my course of action from this point onward as I plant the two-handed weapon in the grinded-up dirt of the ring.
"Start!"
My spear leaves my hand, darting toward Gradon who defends against it without much effort. It spins through the air till it lands on the left side of the ring. Next, the hatchet flies out of my hand, carried by the momentum of my sprinting body only for it to be blocked again, this time sent opposite side of the ring from the spear. With an exhale to steady my heart. Everything is in place as I begin charging in, slamming my shield against his.
Gradon doesn't budge an inch before winding up a downward swing. I move to his left, following his shield and blocking with my own sword, but my muscles scream when our swords collide, my hand going numb by blocking the downward strike.
I make the decision to drop it, but the spectators start laughing at the idea that I was disarmed. I already got out of range from his next sword swing as I back into the spear. I pick it up and begin to charge him again.
He deflects my spear with his shield, but I continue forward regardless. That's when I raise my shield hand to throw a punch at his face. For the first time since the start, Gradon was panicked, lifting his shield to block it as I succeeded in hiding the knowledge I jumped until our shields collided, using it to go over his body with the help of the spear, something I could only do because of Verei's small form over Gradon's large build.
The spear was left implanted into the dirt, causing him to waste time knocking it out of the way to keep his area unobstructed. But by the time he saw where I was, I'd already jumped towards him with the axe being swung downwards from on high.
He moves his shield to intercept only for my axe to hook onto the shield's top. He noticed at the last moment I had a wooden throwing knife in the hand my shield used to be, forcing him to dodge it by bending his body.
That large body of his was unexpectedly nimble but pulling the axe hooked to his shield towards me made him stumble. The moment the axe let go of his shield, the tip was heading for his neck.
"Enough! The victor is Verei Deidura!"
Miri called the match before the blow struck, the room erupting at the insanity of the battle that lasted just over two minutes. My axe head was at his throat but since it's wood, it didn't leave a mark. Gradon was trying to register what happened in this fight, how it escalated in difficulty the moment after I released my sword.
I pat his shoulder, bringing him out of the daze. "Nice fight."
Just as I head over to the Frozen Sapphire that joined the crowd, Gradon calls out to me. "I want to ask you something!"
Turning to him, I saw a conflicted look in his eyes as he points over to the only weapon I hadn't used. "Was that just for show? Did you have any intent to use it?"
'Ah right, the wood two-handed sword was still in the dirt.'
I couldn't help but chuckle. "I didn't know your fighting style. Had the fight gone any different, had you been more aggressive instead of defensive, I probably would've been closer to it, being made to use it. Or maybe if I didn't have a shield, I would've met you with that instead of a sword and shield."
I showed that my hand was still a bit shaken after trying to block that strike downward strike, the pain that felt like it woke me up in a similar fashion to when I first got my hand on weapons.
"There is really no helping it because my fighting style adapts to the situation. Depending on the weapons at my disposal and the actions of the enemy, none of my battles would go the same way twice. It's all just instinct."
He had a dumbfounded look at my answer before shrugging. "I see. I think I understand now. All what-ifs are for before the fight, not during."
Looks like he gets it. This way of fighting I adapted from whatever used to be this body's fighting style is bizarre, but it works.
The Frozen Sapphire congratulate me on my victory. Sapheir looks inspired after watching my duel because he asks if I could spar with him again, but I offer a better idea. "How about we all train, the Sapphires against me? Not because I don't think you guys can't defeat me but because your teamwork could use some work."
They''re surprised by the suggestion. The two guys are more than hyped by the idea, but Jikani calls me out. "You practically DID just say you could defeat us all!"
So I gloss over it. "Alright since you guys are in an agreement let's work on it tomorrow because I am worn out!"
Playing off the joke, the group of adventurers listening in got a good laugh as the day ends with one duel ending in victory while a 1v3 is set for tomorrow.
--------
"This has been a wonderful conversation. I would love to chat with you again when next we can." The princess looks refreshed as she cleans her mouth using a napkin.
On the other hand, I feel embarrassed, some of the laughter from my other's side coming through. "I enjoyed this as well. I am going to be eating breakfast with Emeri in the morning and possibly get some shopping in if you and Serci would like to join."
The princess looks to Serci who reminds her of her schedule. "Maybe not immediately after breakfast but I think I can get permission to be your bodyguard while making my rounds."
Princess Maridia smiles with satisfaction by her answer. "It's a date! I can join you for breakfast too as tomorrow's tasks aren't overly important."
Serci sighs, "Please don't push off your tasks as a princess..."
I give a light giggle thinking of the plan that's come together. With Serci and the Princess coming along, I can hang out with Emeri without her getting as overly clingy as she had in the bath. I also remember her saying she would buy anything I wanted if I got Serci to come along.
Looks like tomorrow is going to be a nice, eventful day on Veda's side.
As I return to my room, I see my book and Counter Blade, along with the knapsack used to carry Uldrei's remaining stuff where I last left them before collapsing in my bed. Around the same time, Verei worked out the room arrangement with the Frozen Sapphire.
The primary problem as well as the ending result was; Jikani got a room to herself and all the guys had to work out the situation of there being only two beds in the other room.
Though there was a second bed in Jikani's room too, getting that out of there seemed to be an impossible task seeing as the bed frames were too big to fit through the doors, something this inn might've planned to do this on parties of differing genders as the Innkeeper's words were. "If you want another bed put in your room, you will need to pay for one."
Sapheir volunteered to sleep on the ground, and though I was hesitant to accept when I wasn't the one who paid for the room, I'm more reluctant to not sleep in a bed while Veda gets an overly soft one. I should sleep in a bed when possible if my other will be too.
...
With the lights off, lying in a bed, there is finally some peaceful silence. I shouldn't be having a hard time sleeping but I just can't seem to fall asleep. 'Today is the first time I am sleeping in a bed since the disaster.'
Comparing beds, Veda's is very clearly a softer one... but Verei's doesn't feel so... empty.
Yet beyond these positives and negatives, sleeping in separate beds after so long reminds me of a feeling from deep inside...
One I know I didn't want to feel again...