She's Hurting

I got out of that moment when I heard the announcer mentioned my name for the next duel and I am not sure if I should be grateful or not to be called at this time. I am not sure what should I feel at this time. I am not sure if I am nervous, agitated, or terrified…I just walked towards the center of the stadium, unable to comprehend the feeling that has emerged within me.

If I lose today, this will be the last match that I will have in this stadium for this year…given the consideration that I will finish this duel alive. There is a probability of being killed here, today. I wouldn’t care less, though. If I get killed with me being just so weak, then I deserved that result. Perhaps, it is the fate made by heaven.

My opponent is a woman belonging to the family of swordsmen. She looks serious at this match and so am I… It will be the last match if we did lose today. I cannot see myself losing, I want to improve myself and I could do that by having duel in this stadium. Otherwise, there will no one who would dare to train me or have a combat against me to test my abilities. It is the only chance that I will be able to have a decent fight with other wolves.

In her hands, there are two sharp samurai swords. It was lengthy, probably three feet in length. By the looks of it, I will surely die when those sharp swords sliced my body. I am sure of it…It is my life at stake here that made me even more focused.

“How does it feel to be left by our family member?” She said with a smirk on her face, probably referring to Darren as her family member. She’s trying to get my emotions to affect my duel, I could see that. She is mocking me because of that mission in her mind.

“You guess…” I answered with a little bit of mock to test her patience.

I can see that she was slightly surprised with my answer but she did answer it back with another mockery, “painful…excruciating, perhaps?” She laughed devilishly after those words.

Whatever that she is doing, it will not affect my focus at this duel. She probably watched my last duel where I got so emotional and acted with impulsiveness. That will not be the case for now, I felt more emotionally stable as compared before.

She immediately attacked me after her laugh subsided. With her speed matching mine, I was able to dodge her samurai aiming for my waist. Her samurai is a bit lengthy, though, and this made my waist to have some small cut when the tip of her sword touched my skin.

By the looks of it, the cut must have been painful…but the adrenaline rushing over my body stated otherwise. I cannot feel the sting from that cut, my body felt numb and free from any pain. I take that as my advantage.

“Still confident?” asked by my opponent. She is the one looking confident and she is probably making fun of me in her own mind, probably belittling me.

I widened the gap between me and my opponent to avoid her lengthy samurai sword. It was safe for me to widened the gap both for my own defense and offense. By having a long distance between us, I will be able to dodge her samurai sword and it will be difficult for her to attack me. As for the offense, I can only attack her with my arrows in a long distance.

She tried her best to move towards me to close the distance between us and I only shifted from one direction to another to avoid her sword and widen the distance. I was able to do so because of my trained thighs and legs that can withstand the changing water current of river. My stamina was able to keep up with my movement, I don’t feel tired.

I am doing good at avoiding her attacks, I am doing fine. I said that to myself as I jumped from one direction to another.

My movement made my opponent pissed, she is getting frustrated with the fact that I was able to avoid her samurai sword. Her confident is starting to collapsed, which made her vulnerable.

I took two jumps behind to widen the distance even more. I positioned my arrow and bow, aiming at my opponent’s arm to disable one of her samurai sword. Luckily, it landed where I exactly wanted it to be pierced. That made her stopped and winced with pain, the samurai sword fell out of her hands.

Luigi’s POV

My brother arrived at the stadium without notice, he’s been busy these days strengthening our defense from any attack. It was the first time that he set a foot here in the stadium. It wouldn’t be a coincidence when he arrived exactly when Clary’s match was about to begin. It is too perfect to be called coincidence.

I cannot ask him directly but it did make me clench my fist. The sight of Clary crying over him made my fist clenched and now, he is here. For what reason? It will only make her hope high. I hate the thought that she is crying because of some false hope.

I did not bother to talk to my brother as I was too focused on Clary alone. She looks determined and serious. I could say that she looks different when we are together and when she is fighting. She looks fragile and sad, normally. Today, she looks brave and confident.

My jaw clenched when the sword of her opponent landed on her waist, the cut is probably three inches long and it was deep. Blood is excessively dripping from her waist but I couldn’t understand why it did not affect her even a bit. It is definitely painful, but there is no hint in her face that shows that she is hurting.