Chapter Two-Hundred-and-Five
The audience roared and stomped as the two fighters pulled out their weapons.
Natalia immediately double-activated her cloud skimmer jacket and flew through the sand, leaving behind a long furrow in her wake as she cleared the distance between her and the duellist in the blink of an eye.
To her credit, the duellist reacted fast enough to swing her rapier out to meet the long sword, but just before her thin rapier struck the katana’s edge, Natalia jumped over her to land in the sand behind her, driving the tip of her blade down the duellist’s back.
The blue shirt presented no defence against the katana’s sharpness, and Alicia’s blood spattered down onto the sand.
The spectators were stunned for a full second, before erupting into whooping and clapping.
“What astonishing speed! The Traveller wins by first blood!” the announcer exclaimed, his booming voice echoing out of the magical megaphone in his hand.
The duellist sheathed her rapier as the healers came running out of the nearby tunnel.
Natalia put her katana away as well, and the pair shook hands, before returning to their respective exits.
“That was quick,” Diwa remarked as the crowd murmured loudly about the loss of the city’s young hope.