Ch. 223 There Was Only One Way (2)

Elena observed the other matches from the side. As they were the final ten knights, all of them fought with great skill.

This wont be easy.

She had not yet fully recovered from the arrow wound on her back. If she didnt overdo it in the beginning she would be fine, but it might hamper her later. The only way to avoid the worst possible scenario was to win each match as quickly as possible.

The upcoming battles were simple tournament-style matches where the winner moved up and the loser was eliminated. There were a total of ten knights, so Elena had to fight three or four matches.

That man stands out

At the moment, Wickley was completely dominating his opponent. It looked to be a tight match, but Elena knew that Wickley could have won a while ago and was deliberately toying with his opponent. After the knight was worn down, his face darkened as he realized what Wickley was doing.

Is he going to forfeit after all?

Elena watched the scene with narrowed eyes. The knight turned to the referee as if he couldnt endure the battle any longer.

I

Puk!

A sharp spear pierced the mans shoulder before he could even get a word out. Wickley was strong enough to even pierce armor, and blood started to spurt from the knights shoulder.

Aaaagh!

The knight fell from his horse, screaming in pain. The referee watching from the distance turned towards Wickley.

He was about to forfeit. Was this necessary?

Wickley simply gave a shrug.

Was he? I didnt know.

The referee looked doubtful because of Wickleys unapologetic att.i.tude, but Wickley hadnt violated any rules. At the time, it wasnt clear whether the other party had forfeited, and soon the referee declared the winner.

The victor is Lord Wickley!

Other injuries had occurred during the compet.i.tion, and it didnt matter much to the spectators. A thunder of applause rang in the stadium for Wickleys victory. Some murmured among themselves about the cruel nature of his win, but it was not considered an official problem anyway.

Wickley, having won his first match, exited the arena with a bold swagger in his step and he glanced towards Elena. He grinned, showing his yellow teeth. She couldnt help but notice that his smile bore a current of provocation.

What? Does he have a bad relations.h.i.+p with my brother?

Elena was puzzled, but she soon smiled back beneath her visor.

Fun.

It had been a long time since she faced the tension of a fierce battle. Her blood tingled in antic.i.p.ation of fighting as a knight again. Although her condition wasnt the best due to her injury, she wouldnt let that hold her back.

As she watched Wickley walk away, she heard the host announce the next fight.

Next up is Lord Paul Dayed, and Lord Derek Blaise!

Ooooh!

Much of the crowd was expecting Dereks fight, and there were loud shouts coming from the stands. Elena stood up from her seat and climbed onto the horse that Derek was supposed to ride for mounted combat.

Now it was her turn to fight her first match.

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Carlisles worry grew when Elena did not return from giving Derek his handkerchief.

Where the h.e.l.l has she been?

Her brothers match was up next, and she had been antic.i.p.ating it the most. Carlisle couldnt wait any longer, and he was about to summon a servant, when

Chaleuleuleuleug!

Kwadangtang!

A loud clash caused Carlisle to pause and look towards the arena. As soon as the match began, Elena had aimed for her opponents chest with her lance, and the opponent was quick to change the direction of his horse to avoid it.

But thats exactly what Elena wanted.

She swiftly rotated her lance in midair and struck her opponent on the shoulder with the momentum.

Kwaang!

The sound of metal clas.h.i.+ng on armor was enough to fill the stadium. Elena followed up with a series of attacks, causing her opponent to lose balance on his horse.

Hwiiig

The spear was so fast it was like a whip.

Taaaaang!

The knight, unable to withstand another blow, finally toppled from his horse. He tried to pull himself up quickly to make up for the disadvantage, but it was too late.

Seueg

The tip of Elenas lance touched the opponents Adams apple. The knight weakly lifted his hands and he spoke with a defeated expression.

I surrender.

Never had a match been decided in such a short amount of time. The grace and power that Elena displayed was vividly embedded in everyones mind. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then a thunderous cheer broke out from the stands.

Wow!

It was a short but intense game, and the crowd leapt up from the stands and whooped. Elenas red eyes slid towards the referee. He was just as astonished as everyone else, and he coughed and finally shouted out the judgment.

T-the victor is Lord Derek Blaise!

The cheers bursting from the stands did not abate even when the match was over. Elena lifted back her lance with a smooth motion, then slowly exited the stadium on her horse.

Carlisle had been watching the scene intently.

Has he been holding back his skills? The previous matches were good, but this time

Carlisle sat in his seat, mulling over what he saw. As he watched the knight leave the stadium, the knight turned towards him, and he caught a glimpse of red eyes. A sudden realization rushed into Carlisles head.

Could it be

The distance made it difficult for him to see, but those eyes looked familiar to him. He knew what Elena looked like in armor as well, and while others might not notice the small differences between her and Derek, it was glaringly obvious to Carlisle. He also knew that Elenas abilities were far superior to anyone elses, and it was strange that she hadnt come to see Dereks game. Moreover, the knight had wielded the the lance with great skill.

Someone with a weaker arm usually uses that kind of technique. The momentum can deal a stronger blow than a direct attack.

Elena was an excellent knight, but nevertheless, as a woman she was relatively weaker to a man. Naturally, she would attack with a style suited to her physical capabilities.

If Carlisles guess was true, then it was likely that Derek had been compromised.

Carlisle suddenly stood up from his seat. If the knight was indeed Elena, he was both immeasurably proud and worried for her winning the match when she hadnt fully healed yet.

I really cant take my eyes off her for a moment.