7.125 - Coliseum IX

How did she approach this third and final round?

While she doubted Elida had another ace up her sleeve, she also couldn't count it out entirely. It would be absurd if she had another ability equal in strength to long-range blood magic that skipped defensive stats and HP. But she could have something smaller that could still catch her by surprise. Natalie needed to keep her guard up and not make too many assumptions.

Generally though, her odds seemed good. All it took was one [Insatiable Strikes].

Natalie just had to avoid getting cut. Blood posed too much danger. The unfortunate part was that she didn't even know if Elida could use that skill again. She had to assume she could.

Nothing should have changed in Elida's arsenal, and Natalie had nothing new up her sleeve either. It was going to come down to a tactical fight. All cards on the table, the better combatant wins.

She couldn't say she hated the sound of that.

She had a plan. There was something to make a play off of that Elida might not expect. If it would work? Who knew.

The Coliseum counted them down, and the third and final duel began.

It started the same as the first two, and developed faster. They had taken each other's measure earlier, so they got straight into the meat of it. Natalie rushed forward and used her reach and general momentum to set the pace of the battle. Elida used her superior speed to keep away.

Elida was slower now. The rage boost from Natalie's demeaning treatment earlier had faded—or maybe it had been a vengeance multiplier the whole time, and now that they were on even footing, one to one, it didn't trigger.

Unfortunately, Natalie couldn't seize the advantage, because she had to worry about even minor injuries; she took far fewer risks this round. Elida's blood magic might not even be usable anymore, but it very much could be, and if she were a betting woman suspected it was—Elida seemed too confident. She definitely had a way to win this fight, and only that skill explained it.

The important part was never staying in one place, even if she grew exhausted. Full momentum, the entire time. That way if Elida's daggers did make purchase, she wouldn't collect enough blood to form a serious weapon. If volume even mattered. She didn't know that either. Too many unknowns, but that was how most fights went.

On and on they exchanged blows, Elida barely staying out of range. Routine. Not much different from the last fight. The whole time, Natalie reminded herself: one [Insatiable Strikes], and it was over.

The impossible part was finding the opening. Elida was brilliant. A genius, the best fighter of their year which already hosted the best talents of a nation.

Natalie wasn't half bad herself, though. It took considerable talent to qualify for Tenet as a nobody from the far reaches of Valhaur's south.

Playing it safe was where her plan began. Lulling Elida into a sense of security. After all, playing safe was the right play—she knew Natalie knew about her blood magic, and knew she couldn't discard the possibility it could be used again. Both of them were acting around their absolute win conditions.

A minute passed, then two, and finally, Natalie made a mistake.

Or rather, a 'mistake'.

It wasn't obvious. Just a slight enough 'miscalculation' that Elida's dagger tore a thin red line across her forearm, and blood flew in a clean arc through the air.

Elida's eyes flashed with victory. She grinned, jumped backward, and her hand shot out. She activated her skill—

But she didn't. Because there was no

The confusion bought her the micro-opening she needed. The fight had always been on a razor's edge.

[Hunker Down] to prevent the dagger from breaking skin, a flicker-usage. Then [Empower] and [Illusion] to feign a fake spray of blood, as well as to mask her charge forward. Illusions were more easily seen through when expected, but Elida didn't expect this one, finally.

It was enough.

Elida twisted away in a panic, lightning-fast to realize a ploy even if not the exact details, but Natalie had closed the gap. Her hammer seared toward her, and—

Just a glancing blow. Caught her on the elbow as she fled.

[Insatiable Strikes] activated.

Elida screamed in fury, and Natalie started laughing.

Elida, indeed, did not have some last trick up her sleeve. Her blood sang as she chased the woman down. Despite the enjoyment, she focused on ending the fight as fast as she could. This whole event had come down to the wire far more than she liked. She wouldn't create an opening through arrogance.

Her hammer cracked down on Elida's skull, but before it made real purchase, the Coliseum reset them to either side of the arena.

Natalie sagged in relief, exhaustion crashing through her.

Thank the gods. She might have pulled her hair out if she lost to Elida. There had genuinely been few things in her life that she had wanted as desperately as this win.

Elida, to say the least, did not look happy on the other end of the arena. She stabbed her daggers into their sheaths and, eyes burning, thundered over to Natalie, who met her in the center of the Coliseum.

"I will reluctantly admit," she seethed, "that that was a moderately clever ploy. But don't be mistaken. If we were on remotely even footing for this duel, I would have won. Two to zero, not this pathetic half-victory of yours."

Natalie couldn't fully deny the claim. She'd gone in with every advantage, an extra level and a set of gear, and it had still been close. At the same time, Elida had the class advantage—duelist versus tank—and her only round win had been that pure bullshit ability.

…Yes, her skills were also somewhat unfair, especially [Insatiable Strikes]. She acknowledged that.

"Nobody likes a sore loser, Elida," Natalie said, mirroring her words from earlier.

The look Elida gave her dripped venom. Taking a deep breath and letting it go, she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Well, fine. You did win. Your Dare, and your Truth."

"If I ask what you're okay with, are you going to call me spineless again?"

"Yes."

Natalie crossed her arms.

Elida let out a huge, frustrated groan and rubbed her face with both hands. She studied Natalie between her fingers, then dropped her hands back down.

"Look, Natalie, I'll be honest with you, if that's what you need. Yes. You're attractive. You seem like you know what you're doing in matters of the flesh—I wouldn't mind finding out to what extent that holds true. Would I have agreed to be here at all if that wasn't the case?"

Despite those words, she looked at Natalie like an insect.

"There is, however, nothing in the entire world that sounds less interesting than being held and kissed and making love." She made a gagging noise. "Maybe those dumb hussies enjoy it, but I would rather die, genuinely. The singular reason I agreed to this fight, knowing you might win and get to do what you want to me, was because I was sure you hate me—or aspects of me. And that's the very reason I'm interested."

Natalie stared at her. "You are seriously fucked up, Elida."

Elida laughed. "Am I? What a revelation. Someone should write to my father and warn him. Now, do I have to keep calling those whores of yours whores, or will you hurry up and make this worth my time? Get this over with so I can go out and vent my frustration."