Just one fight remained. Elarissé managed ninth. A remarkable placing given her age, size, and strength. She lost to a spear user—another true warrior with a custom weapon. In fact, all 13 true warriors placed in the top 15, which was hardly a surprise given that they earned their titles through battle prowess.

  It seemed Elarissé lost for the same reason he did in the earlier rounds. Range. She couldn’t get into striking range to effectively use her short axes. Her opponent’s spear proved to be a hard counter that even her blazing speed couldn’t overcome. Frustrated, she had stormed off after losing.

  Krag had fared a little better, placing fifth. His undoing was a True Warrior who wielded a longsword. The pair seemed rather evenly matched, but Krag relied heavily on his shield, which eventually fell apart from all the striking. Without it, he succumbed to the superior sword skill of his opponent.

  It felt a touch cheap for his adversary to win this way, given that a metal shield wouldn’t have yielded, but then again, combat wasn’t always fair, which he was all too aware of. Electricity that he couldn’t shoot? It was like some sort of sick joke. He still hadn’t gotten over it. With each thunderstorm, he condemned the lightning.

  As the final fight loomed, all but two combatants joined the crowd, having no need to prepare any longer. Even Elarissé returned, not wanting to miss the final showdown. It was no surprise that Luran earned his spot in the final. He had bested his opponents compellingly, none lasting more than 20 seconds. While the speed with which he dispatched them was impressive, what was more so was the diversity of skill he exhibited.

  For each duel, he had used a different weapon. As a True Warrior, this was high right, and it clearly placed him at a disadvantage over his opponents. Yet that was the intention. Luran wanted to prove the vast gulf in skill level.

  In the first bout, he used daggers; in the second, he switched to sais; and in the third, he used a trident. What would he use in the final? Thomas couldn’t wait to find out. Regarding his opponent, Thomas was just as excited. After learning the man was competing, he was certain he would make the final, but for some reason, he had figured he wouldn’t make an appearance. His mistake.

  Akesh made the early rounds look as easy as his top pupil. If Thomas didn’t know better, he would have assumed Akesh’s opponents were amateurs and not the elite fighters he knew them to be. It just went to show how big the skill gap was among the warriors. He had an enormous ladder to climb.

  The Chief, Zerron, took center stage once more.

  “Have you enjoyed the day’s combat?” he roared, extending his arms in a crucifix. The crowd cheered in agreement, a few eager ekari campaigning for the final fight to get underway. “Yes, I know. I know. You want to see the final fight! The climax. The best our village has to offer! And see you shall. Without any further ado. I present our final fighters!”

  Akesh walked to center stage with a subtle nod to the crowd—not one for flashy displays.

  “Don’t let our first fighter’s age fool you. He may be getting on in years, but he has seen more battle than any ekari alive, and he has the skill to prove it. Our very own combat instructor. The Three-Fingered Reaper, The Staff Saint, The Slayer of Vorgatl, Akesh!” The crowd erupted into cheers for their honored instructor, continuously chanting his name, “Akesh! Akesh! Akesh!”

  Thomas had thought Krag’s welcome animated, but this made his look like little more than moderate encouragement. He wasn’t sure if he was more impressed by the man’s reception or the numerous titles he had earned. The ekari embodied respect, and he was getting goosebumps just thinking about watching him fight.

  The Chief motioned for the crowd to settle down to announce his opponent, and they quieted, but not completely, for they were too enthusiastic. If it were not for the Chief’s booming voice, he wouldn’t have been heard. Shame this place didn’t have microphones or loudspeakers.

  “And now I present, Akesh’s opponent!” Luran walked to the center of the combat ring, opposite Akesh. The crowd re-surged with cheers and cries of encouragement. “Like our esteemed combat instructor, he needs no words of introduction. He rose through the ranks faster than anyone before. And as a runner-up for the last three years, the top spot is all that eludes him. Will this be the year he finally succeeds? He’ll need to go through his master to do it! Star student vs teacher! Who will emerge victorious?”

  Screams of “Luran!” and “Akesh” burst out from random spots among the crowd. At least in terms of supporters, the pair seemed evenly matched. Luran span on his feet, waving to the crowd, and soaking in the attention. Withdrawing his sword, he threw it far up into the air and held out his hand. Without looking, he caught the sword, smiling mischievously, earning further cheers.

  Yet then his demeanor shifted. He turned his attention from the adoring crowd to his opponent, and as if removing a mask, the smile fell away, his face completely deadpan—not a hint of emotion. Quite the jarring change. He was taking this seriously; that much was clear.

  Thomas had settled next to Krag and Elarissé after congratulating them both on their placings.

  “Who do you think will win?” he asked, jostling Krag. The ekari ceased his thunderous clapping and leaned across to him,

  “It’s anyone's guess,” he said, “They are very evenly matched. This is how the tournament goes every year. They are just too good for everyone else—we can’t keep up. But if I had to guess, I’m backing our boy Luran. As good as he is, Akesh isn’t the fighter he used to be; he is getting on in years. 63 this year! All combat skills decline with age, and last year it was so close. I think this is the year Luran finally takes it.”

  Thomas’s eyes widened in surprise. He knew Akesh was getting on. His graying hair and brow wrinkles betrayed that much, but 63? He never would have guessed. Akesh wasn’t jacked by any means, but he had the build of a swimmer. Physically, he appeared to be in remarkable shape. Elarissé butted in, eager to add her opinion.

  “No chance Akesh loses,” she said. “He is a living legend. Still has plenty of life left in him. He’s undefeated for what? 15 years now? Might as well just make it 16.” Krag tutted in response, clearly not convinced by how dismissive Elarissé was of Akesh’s aging body and Luran’s growing skill.

  “Combatants. Ready yourselves,” commanded the Chief. Akesh thumped the bottom of his naginata on the ground before clutching it with both hands, appearing ready to thrust it at a moment’s notice. Luran instead traced a horizontal figure of eight with his sword before stilling the blade down the center of his body. Thomas almost didn’t notice it, but Luran exhaled heavily in preparation, and he noted his skin tone appeared paler than usual—he was nervous.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Begin!” thundered the Chief, his voice reverberating off the surrounding buildings. Without delay, both fighters leapt forward, their meeting marked by the clatter of wood on wood. They moved at blazing speed, transitioning from offense to defense like a swinging pendulum with accelerated gravity, never overextending themselves.

  He couldn’t tell who was more skilled, mostly because he was unfamiliar with the fighting style of the naginata. It seemed to excel at a further range than Luran’s sword, and Akesh expertly slashed and thrust at Luran, never letting him get too close. However, Luran’s defense with the sword was near impregnable.

  He blocked the slashes and flicked away the thrusts, countering with his own attacks when he could, but he was too far away to strike his master. It was like he was fighting the naginata itself rather than the wielder.

  The blows grew louder and more forceful as Luran pushed the pace, deflecting Akesh’s naginata further and further each time, which made it increasingly difficult for his master to withdraw his weapon. Luran was trying to close the distance; that much was clear.

  “You can do it, Lurry!” encouraged Krag, from Thomas’s side. Deflection after deflection, Luran slowly advanced, but Akesh backstepped just as easily—he was no closer to getting into effective range. And then it happened. Luran grabbed the shaft of the naginata just in front of the blade and dove at Akesh. The combat instructor jumped back in response, quickly retracting his weapon, but the blade couldn’t catch up with Luran’s speed.

  He thrust his skinny sword forward, aiming for the chest. The crowd gasped in surprise, but it was for nought, as Akesh flicked the rear of his naginata up, deflecting the sword with the shaft of his weapon. The crowd surged in approval with a mix of cheers and wolf whistles. Thomas hadn’t expected that! He thought it was all over! Nevertheless, this could signal the beginning of the end.

  Luran was finally in his effective range, and he seized the opportunity, relentlessly attacking. He swung his sword like an aggressive painter, leaving no part of Akesh’s defense untouched, but the master showed why he had earned so many titles. Switching his grip to hold his weapon in the middle, he took advantage of the improved versatility, defending strikes both with the shaft and blade alike.

  Eager to regain control and strip Luran of his favored range, the older man backstepped and sidestepped to create some distance—just a few feet, but Luran followed with every step. Almost as if he knew the man’s movements before they happened.

  As the fight drew on, Luran’s strikes grew more brazen, and he caught his teacher with a grazing slash to the hip. Emboldened, he slashed overhead with a powerful strike. Akesh caught the blow with the shaft of his weapon, his hands on either side of the sword, and rotated in a flash, causing the shaft to smack into Luran’s head with a violent crack. Dazed, he stepped back, trying to shake off the momentary delirium.

  This gave Akesh the brief window he needed to assume control, attacking ferociously with the blade of his naginata. Luran gained composure just in the nick of time, defending the strikes, but his faculties didn't seem to be all there.

  This made no difference to his master. He thrust his weapon with relentless determination, finally catching Luran twice in the arms and once in the rib. He stumbled backward through gritted teeth and smacked the blade of Akesh’s naginata, which sought to finish the job.

  Akesh seemed to sense the beginning of the end, walking his pupil down, getting the better of the exchanges, but Luran wasn’t done just yet. To everyone’s amazement, he jumped into the air without warning. This was no ordinary jump, for ekari were much stronger and more athletic than regular men. He sailed into the air, several feet above his master, his sword drawn.

  Wide-eyed and caught completely unaware by the move, Akesh quickly withdrew his weapon and tilted it skyward, intending to skewer Luran as he landed. The weapons may have been made of wood, but Thomas wholeheartedly believed that Luran would indeed be impaled if the naginata caught him in the air.

  Fortunately, this did not come to pass, as the flying warrior flicked the blade of the naginata away with his sword and cracked the older man in the chin with an ekari-hardened fist as he landed. Staggering backwards, Akesh was too slow to defend the onslaught that came his way, taking stabs to the belly and right shoulder.

  He winced, taking several more steps backward to regain his composure, but Luran leapt at the opportunity like he had a vendetta to settle, striking three times in quick succession at the shoulder once more. Akesh moved to defend, blocking the first two, but he failed to stop the third. He let out an almighty cry of pain, and his right arm slumped to the side of his body, almost as if it were paralyzed.

  Strangely, Luran didn’t exploit the opening; quite the opposite. He took two steps backward, bowing his head to his master. The crowd fell quiet, confused by the move, and all eyes turned to Akesh. With a pained expression, a smile bloomed across his face, and he let his naginata fall to the ground.

  “I yield.”

  Roaring cheers filled the air. Many ekari jumped for joy, screaming Luran’s name, while others stood there in shock, dumbfounded by his victory. He had finally done it. He had beaten the master. Krag rushed to Luran’s side, gripping him in a bear hug and lifting him off the ground like he wasn’t even there.

  “You did it, Lurry!” he squealed, gripping his friend even harder. All Luran could get out was a groan of pain. It was nice to know Thomas wasn’t the only one who found them painful at times.

  “Right! Sorry!” Krag said hastily, putting him back down. Elarissé and Thomas promptly jogged over to give their own words of congratulations.

  “Well. I’ll admit. I didn’t think you would be able to pull it off… you were pretty amazing out there,” Elarissé praised, earning a mischievous smile from Luran. The pair slammed their fists into one another with a deep thwack, the sound considerably louder given they both had their hardening activated.

  The move appeared to be their version of a fist bump. Frankly, he’d take one of Krag’s spine-cracking hugs over that any day. He instinctively flexed his hand a little, remembering the damage Luran’s hardened face had inflicted upon it. Perhaps he got off lucky.

  “What a show!” Thomas exclaimed. Looking from master to student.

  “You think?” said Akesh, smiling warmly. “I fear I was a little off my game, but that is to take nothing away from Luran, here. He earned his victory in full,” encouraged Akesh, placing a hand on Luran’s shoulder.

  “But wait!” snapped Elarissé. “What happened there at the end? You just dropped your weapon!” said Elarissé, narrowing her eyes and raising an eyebrow as if to suggest some kind of conspiracy.

  “Well, at that point I’d already lost!” said Akesh matter-of-factly, laughing as he did so. This seemed to make Elarissé even more confused, so the master elaborated.

  “I have a lingering injury on my right shoulder. When struck, it cripples my arm. And Luran exploited this weakness to devastating effect. The final exchange prevented me from even lifting it. Even now, I can barely raise it above shoulder-level. See?” said Akesh, attempting to lift his arm with a strained face. It did indeed not make it past shoulder height.

  “Had I been wielding a sword, I could have simply switched hands, but the naginata is a two-handed weapon. I was simply out of options.”

  “I didn’t know you had such an injury,” said Krag, studying Akesh's shoulder. He moved to poke the injury, but Luran caught his wrist before he had the chance.

  “And neither did anyone else, I suspect. Well, besides Luran. He caught me there in sparring a month or so ago. I’m pleased to see that he took note. I wondered whether he would be targeting it in our fight today.” It was at this point that Akesh pivoted from addressing the group to Luran alone. Placing a hand behind his student’s head, he spoke frankly.

  “Excellent showing today, Luran. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come. There is no doubt in my mind that you will soon adopt my position.” Luran interjected,

  “Please, master. Don’t talk like that. One victory is inconsequential. I still have much to learn from you.”

  “That may be so,” Akesh responded. “But I’m getting old, Luran. I feel myself declining each year. At some point or another, I will have to vacate my position on the battlefield. I suspect the council is where I will end up. In any case, you are the clear candidate to replace me. Continue to work hard, and it will come to be.” Luran bowed his head in a show of respect.

  “You honor me, master. I will not let you down.”