Chapter 436: Growing Power
The moment I asked for his surrender, Gayron stiffened, his tail lashing out. I braced myself, a defensive spell ready on my tongue, for his inevitable outburst. His type hated to lose, and he’d find any excuse to reject defeat. Perhaps he’d accuse me of cheating, or feign surrender only to launch a sneak attack when my back was turned. He was just like Levin, and Vithrass, and...and...something wasn’t right. Why was he smiling?
Gayron shook his head, a wry grin twisting his lips. "Very well, I accept defeat."
I stared in shock, my eyes wide as saucers and my tail twitching nervously. I glanced around, even checking behind me for some kind of trap or ambush, but the Oracle of Eternity revealed nothing. My confusion only deepened as Gayron clapped his hands, and his remaining incarnations vanished into thin air.
"What?" he asked, sounding a little defensive. "Is something the matter?"
"N-no," I stammered, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I looked up at the towering earthen arm, then back at him. "I-is it really over?"
He stared at me for a beat, then burst into laughter. My blush intensified, and I fidgeted with my tail, acutely aware of ten thousand eyes on me. What was happening? Why wasn’t he angry? And why in the world was he laughing?
"You don’t spar much, do you?" he said, his chuckles subsiding into a wry smile.
I shook my head. The only times I’d sparred were in official arenas, each with high stakes. The first was against Ronin, the war hero. The church had manipulated that match, bending and breaking the rules to ensure my defeat. If things had gone differently, I would have met Lord Byron much sooner.
The only other duel I’d participated in was at Western University. Again, it was a grudge match. I had no chance of losing that one, but the students we fought were determined to kill me and one of my closest friends at the time. At the very least, they wanted to ruin Elise’s reputation and crush her spirit.
I’d never fought without something precious, often at significant personal risk. Yet here I was, against an apostle who wished to see the world burn, having a "friendly" match? It was a concept I struggled to grasp, and even as I dismissed my spells, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from Gayron.
As the shimmering golden curtains of Bastion faded away, Korra dashed onto the field, a triumphant grin on her face. "Hah, how about that, Gayron? Not so weak, is she?"