Charlie was seriously scared. There was no way he could resume the hurricane! He couldn't recreate it either, it would take too much time! There was no time to waste! Charlie decided to attack her at once and kill this cunning b.i.t.c.h.

At the last moment, Juno scanned Charlie attacking her from behind. She tilted her body sideways to avoid the strike, and yet, she received a severe blow in the shoulder that sent her rolling on the ground a dozen meters with her pants ripped.

«You will be punished for your s.h.i.+tty reaction!» – Charlie began to mock her.

Juno instantly reacted to his voice and managed to dodge just in time. Without ever stopping, she ran along the protective barrier to win some precious time...

«You can't run away!» – Charlie giggled viciously, dissolving in the hurricane... If he had used this technique at the very beginning, he would have enjoyed the game! But it was too late now. It was time to finish the battle.

At the right moment, Charlie caught Juno by surprise like a professional killer, delivering a powerful punch to her back...

Juno rolled head over heels across the arena, wincing with pain. Tears sprang to her eyes. Things didn't look good, but she had to endure! She got to this tournament for a reason. Grandpa, mother, and all the Stones must be proud of her! Nothing but victory! She must keep going! Besides, the sand hurricane was slowly but surely thinning out...

Juno had barely noticed a kick in the leg. She s.h.i.+fted lower and got a kick in the thigh... It was h.e.l.lish painful and would later turn into an ugly bruise, but once he hit the bone, it would surely break, leading to her crus.h.i.+ng defeat!

A powerful blow came from the impenetrable hurricane, striking Juno right in the ribs.

~crash~

«Agrrr…» – Juno groaned, tumbling like a rag doll until she hit the barrier. The pain in her chest was unbearable. There was a metallic taste in her mouth. Everything blurred before her eyes… She couldn't breathe or get up, not even scream! The injury was too serious. The judge... Why didn't he say anything? Wasn't he scanning the arena? Was it the end? A feeling of despair overwhelmed her... Charlie wouldn't spare her... He would kill her without thinking twice!

«I don't want to die!» – She muttered to herself in a trembling voice amidst the impenetrable sandy hurricane. No one could hear her... No one would save her. Lovr...

Suddenly, she felt a pleasant, refres.h.i.+ng chill spread from the formation on her forehead all over her body. The pain was gone. Her body felt so light that she could fly away. Her mind had become clearer, her vision and hearing sharp as never before!

With a rapid movement, she rolled over. A huge granite hammer smashed the place where her head was a moment ago... If it had hit the target, her head would have burst like a ripe watermelon.

«Huh? How did she do it?! Who are you, b.i.t.c.h?!» – Charlie yelled frantically, gasping for air. His previous blow was supposed to crush her whole body, but according to his senses, she had only a few broken ribs! And now she had dodged so briskly as if it didn't hurt a little bit!

«I am your doom!» – Juno rushed to Charlie, but he immediately disappeared in the hurricane.

«You're a spineless coward! Even with a huge hammer, you are afraid to clash with a girl who is eight stages weaker than you! You're disgusting!»

«Shut up!» – Charlie squealed.

Juno instantly turned to his voice and ducked just in time as the hammer whooshed over her head. She kicked him fiercely in the stomach, sending him flying.

Juno rushed to get him, but he disappeared again like a shy mouse! Her hatred of Charlie seemed to have become even more intense. She despised two-faced b.a.s.t.a.r.ds like him! Unlike Kyon, this ugly bed bug was pathetic and cowardly! He made her sick!

Soon Juno deftly blocked his insidious blow to the back...

«How… How did you do you it?!» – Charlie muttered, and then he understood everything: the density of the hurricane had decreased more than twice, and Juno could feel him approach her!

Juno clenched her sparkling with electricity fist. – «Are you scared? You should be, jerk!» – She threw her hand forward, releasing a stream of water and ether.

Charlie hit the stream with his hammer, fencing it with the wind element, and rushed towards Juno with a fierce roar. He was hoping to get this deft but wounded b.i.t.c.h because with his advantageously long weapon. It was time to s.n.a.t.c.h victory from the jaws of defeat!

Juno concentrated on parrying and retreating, launching streams of electric water into him, making Charlie constantly waste his energy.

A few minutes of this weird endurance battle and Charlie significantly slowed down.

At the same moment, Charlie screamed. – «I GIVE…»

Before he could say, I give up, Juno grabbed him by the throat and lifted him on her outstretched arm like a naughty puppy. Charlie's eyes bulged in horror. His defenseless body twitched helplessly in electrical seizures.

The sand hurricane instantly dissipated, covering the arena with a thick layer of sand. The ominous dry aura had completely disappeared.

The audience could finally see what was happening in the arena that had cleared up from the sand whirlwind... They saw Juno, proud and decisive, albeit somewhat battered. She looked like a war maiden from old tales. She was holding deadly pale Romanov by the neck like a fox that had caught her prey.

The spectators were breathless, many of them opened their mouths in surprise. Hardly anyone expected to see this today.

Juno dropped Charlie on the ground and tightly squeezed his throat so that he could not utter the cherished words, I give up. – «Now's the time to pay off debts!» – He heard the angelic voice of the rather upset s.a.d.i.s.t girl, her little fist clenched tightly. – «This one for insulting the Stones!» – A crus.h.i.+ng blow landed in his solar plexus. – «This one for trying hard to be someone you're not !» – She smashed her fist into his jaw. – «This one for calling me a pipsqueak!» – This time, her fist crashed into his nose with the most terrible crunching sound.

The enumeration of the sins of the unfortunate victim continued for half a minute. The heartrending sounds of the battered flesh and cracking bones made the audience sick. Juno knocked all the c.r.a.p out of Charlie, just as she had initially planned.

The judge should have declared Juno the winner, but formally, he had no right to do it until the conscious opponent said, I give up.

Now Charlie looked like the highest quality mincemeat: his face was bloated; both of his eyes were horribly bruised, swollen shut; his teeth were missing, or there were only their fragments left; his nose was caved in and flat... This masterpiece creation of the talented executioner was generously sprinkled with blood and saliva.

Charlie experienced animal fear of this girl with angelically charming looks. She scared him more than death! If only he could rewind the time, he would have never messed with her, not for anything in the world!

Juno stood upright and smiled ominously. A bright sphere filled with pulsating energy flashed in her hand. Death itself was hanging over Charlie.

The once handsome guy shuddered like a fish on the sizzling frying pan. Some gurgling noises and moans came from his twisted mouth. It could be a plea for mercy. He couldn't see it, but he heard and felt the approaching danger.

Charlie raised his trembling hand.

Juno said, displeased. – «I see, you've decided to praise me for the good fight. How nice of you... Considering the fact that you nearly smashed my head with your huge hammer! Drop dead already!»

Without a second's hesitation, Juno blew off Charlie's head with her sphere. His brains scattered all over the arena. The eyeb.a.l.l.s flew out of the sockets and burst as soon as they hit the protective barrier. So inglorious was the death of Charlie the Great, by the standards of the Romanovs family. Long afterward, there were gossips about what had become the main reason for his defeat. Was it indiscretion or stupidity? Or maybe excessive self-confidence? No, it' wasn't that. He had crossed Juno's path. And as it later became known, it didn't end well.