Getting spoiled in a woman dominating world-Chapter 404: Second-year tournament [2]
*thoom*
Lira and Kalia exploded forward in perfect coordination.
Lira dashed to his left, and her rapier was a silver blur as she lunged with a precise thrust aimed at Brandon’s ribs.
The ether condensed along the blade into a needle-sharp point.
Kalia attacked high on the right, her gauntlets crackling with blue-white lightning.
She threw a straight punch as the air around her fist hummed and distorted from the raw power.
Brandon shifted his weight to the left that Lira’s thrust sliced past his side, missing by inches.
In the same fluid motion, he dodged Kalia’s punch effortlessly.
The crowd roared.
Lira recovered first, pivoting on her heel into a spinning slash that carved a wide arc across his midsection.
Kalia followed up immediately, stomping the ground to launch herself into a spinning backfist.
Brandon stepped inside the arc.
He slipped between them and his shoulder brushed Lira’s as he passed, disrupting her balance for a second.
He caught Kalia’s wrist mid-spin and redirected her momentum, using it to pivot her into Lira’s path.
"Ah-"
The two women stumbled, forced to abort their attacks to avoid colliding.
The arena erupted louder.
"This guy..." Lira snarled and her ether flared brighter along her rapier as she reset her stance.
Kalia cracked her neck and looked at him.
Lira feinted high, then dropped low with a sweeping cut aimed at his legs.
Kalia leaped over the blade, using Lira’s attack as cover to deliver an overhead hammer blow.
But he vaulted backward as he landed lightly outside their range.
Lira pressed the advantage and lunged forward, but he caught her wrist mid-motion, twisting just enough to lock the joint and force her to drop the rapier.
*clank* The blade clattered to the sand.
Kalia saw the opening and roared forward as she raised both of her gauntlets for a devastating double hammer blow.
Brandon released Lira and turned into Kalia’s charge.
He stepped inside her guard, and one hand caught her forearm while the other hand caught her elbow.
With a sharp pivot, he used her momentum against her, redirecting her forward and sending her stumbling past him.
"What-"
Lira scrambled for her rapier, grabbing the hilt and Kalia recovered with a spin.
With that, Lira dashed forward and thrust her rapier at him.
She expected him to dodge like last time, but Brandon stepped right in and blocked the thrust with his palm. *clang*
Huh? Her eyes widened, and she quickly slashed her rapier, which he blocked easily with his forearm. *clang*
"RAAH-"
Kalia roared from the side, seeing the opening.
She charged in with explosive speed, and her punch came straight to him.
*thoom* But Brandon twisted his body and kicked straight at the punch.
"Urgh-" The impact rippled through the air, lightning scattering in wild arcs as Kalia’s arm was knocked upward.
The force traveled through her shoulder, lifting her off her feet for a split second before she stumbled back several steps.
Lira gritted her teeth as she circled quickly, looking for an angle to attack.
Kalia shook out her arm and looked at him again "My arm is still tingling."
She charged again and raised her gauntlets for a double overhead smash "HORA-"
Brandon raised his forearm and blocked the strike casually *BOOM* and the impact shook the sand in a perfect circle around them, lightning scattering in wild arcs that scorched the ground black.
In the same heartbeat, Lira saw her chance.
She dashed forward from behind and thrust her rapier toward his exposed back.
Brandon pushed forward against Kalia’s locked gauntlets, using her own downward momentum against her.
Clenching his fist, he gave a punch straight to her gut.
*thoom*
"Guagh-" Kalia’s eyes bulged in shock, and the breath exploded from her lungs as the force lifted her off her feet.
*THOOM* She flew backward, crashing through the barrier line and rolling across the outer floor.
The crowd gasped for a second but then screamed in excitement.
"One opponent eliminated!" the referee announced.
Lira’s thrust arrived a second later.
Brandon twisted his body to dodge, and the rapier tip sliced only air, passing inches from his back.
But Lira was far from finished.
Gripping her rapier, she slashed the air horizontally, vertically, and diagonally in a furious combo.
*swoosh* *swoosh* *swoosh*
With each swing, blue arcs of ether detached from her blade, lingering in the air like crescent moons before hurtling toward Brandon in a storm of cutting waves.
*SWOOOOOMM*
The slashes came from every angle, crisscrossing in a deadly net meant to box him in and shred anything in their path.
Raising his forearm, he effortlessly blocked the incoming slashes.
*clang* *clang* *clang*
He swatted the ether arcs away like annoying insects, shattering them into harmless sparks that rained down around him.
Lira’s eyes widened as he closed the distance, and she thrust desperately one last time, pouring everything into a final piercing strike.
*SWOOSH*
But Brandon caught the blade between his fingers.
The rapier stopped dead, and Lira tried to pull, but she couldn’t.
He twisted the blade gently from her hand and threw it away as it clanked down the arena floor.
*clank* *clank*
Silence fell for a moment.
Then the arena detonated, and the cheers shook the stands.
"BRANDON!"
"BRANDON!"
"BRANDON!"
Lira stood there, and her chest rose up and down "Haa.. haa..."
She let out a deep, shaky breath and lowered her head.
"I lost..."
Brandon stepped forward, raising his hand for a handshake. "That was a good fight."
Lira looked at his offered hand for a moment... then ignored it.
Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a sudden, tight hug, burying her face against his shoulder.
"I’m also your big fan," she mumbled into his shirt in a muffled voice.
Brandon froze. Eh?
His arms hovered awkwardly for a second before settling lightly on her back.
The arena, which had been roaring his name, somehow got even louder.
"OOOOOOOOOH!"
"WHATTTTT???"
"CHEATER!"
"NOOO!"
Whistles, cheers, and playful catcalls rained down from the stands.
Kalia, still recovering on the sidelines, let out a breathless laugh.
Lira finally pulled back, and her cheeks were flaming red, but her eyes were shining with admiration.
She gave him a quick, respectful bow before hurrying off the field.
Brandon also quickly stepped back and left the arena while Elena quickly followed him.
---
As they stepped out of the arena, Elena tapped his back playfully "I didn’t expect you to defeat them so easily."
"Don’t tell me you are joining the seniors’ competition just to bully them?"
With a chuckle, he replied "At first, I just wanted to have some fun."
"But currently I have a beef with a third-year student; I want to teach her a lesson."
Huh? Elena frowned "Hm? Who? Is it that... student? Yverine?"
Shaking his head, he replied "No, it’s someone else; you will know soon."
Elena narrowed her eyes at him "You’re being mysterious. I don’t like it."
Brandon laughed softly, bumping his shoulder with her "It’s more fun this way."
She grinned "Leave that then; I will find it soon enough. Now, come buy me something to eat from the cafeteria."
