Rise of the Devourer
Book 4: Chapter 19 — Tournament Pt. 6

The arena had been completely fixed up after the turmoil of Neal's bout, but Noah saw that some of the defensive wards still flashed from time to time where his power had stressed them. Even though the tournament matchups were getting more and more unexpected, the crowd's energy stayed high.

"Sixth match of the first round! Korvan Ironscale and Thessa Windcutter, two proud warriors from Drakonias!"

Noah sat back in his chair as two Drakonian fighters walked into the arena. After the disturbing encounter with Neal in the morning, he was almost glad to see a more normal fight amongst local fighters. Both fighters appeared skilled and professional, like the kind of strong warriors who had earned their spots in the competition through hard work and skill, not through magic.

Korvan was constructed like a fortress, with thick bronze scales that showed he came from a military family and a lot of muscles. His two-handed sword was almost as tall as he was, and the way he stood to battle showed that he had been trained in the royal academy's combat schools.

Thessa, on the other hand, was thin and swift. Her lighter physique made her speed more important than her brute strength. She had two curved blades hanging from her sides, and when she drew them, Noah could see how well they were made.

"Traditional Drakonian swordplay," Seraphina said with enthusiasm. "This should show some old-school methods."

The fight that came after was precisely what Noah had thought it would be: competent, professional, and completely normal. Both fighters were highly skilled, as their blade work showed years of hard work. Korvan's hefty blows were very powerful, but Thessa was able to dodge them and hit him with precise countermeasures because she was so fast and agile.

It was good fighting, the kind that would have been impressive in any normal tournament. But after seeing chaotic magic that breaks the rules of reality and spell-breaking that is just theory, regular swordplay seemed almost old-fashioned.

"Both have good technique," Aurelia said with approval. "Not a lot of flash, just skill."

The game went on for about fifteen minutes before Thessa's better movement finally won. She was able to tie up Korvan's huge sword with both of her blades, and then she exploited her advantage to take it away from him. Her next thrust stopped just short of his throat, and he gave up without a fight.

"Victory to Thessa Windcutter!" the announcer said, as the crowd cheered in response. "Classical Drakonian swordplay at its best!"

Noah's mind started to wander to the royal box as the arena got ready for the last match of the first round. Noah saw that King Draxius's eyes kept moving to a person sitting a little behind him in formal court robes that showed they were a member of the royal household.

Noah could see Vion's bright red hair even from this distance. She was still pretending to be a court official, but he could tell she was getting tense as her battle got closer.

"Final match of the first round!" The announcer's voice rang out over the colosseum with new vigor. "Vion Ashscale, the Dragon-blooded warrior," and "Alaya Swiftstrike, the Eastern Blade Dancer!"

The crowd reacted right away and with excitement. Vion was one of the early favorites, and her strange past made people even more interested in her. Noah could understand why the audience was so interested when she came out of the tunnel.

She moved in a new way now.

It was a small alteration that most people probably wouldn't notice, but Noah had known Vion before she changed. Her walk had become predatory, with each stride well placed. There was power in the way she moved, and strength in the way she held back.

Alaya Swiftstrike, her opponent, was exactly what her reputation said she would be. The Eastern warrior flowed like a river flowing, and her two curved blades seemed to dance about her as she entered the arena. Her footwork was so light that each step barely touched the ground before moving on to the next one.

Valeria leaned forward with professional curiosity and added, "This should be interesting." "I've heard stories about Eastern blade dancing. They say it's more about art than fighting."

As the warriors got closer to each other to shake hands, Noah watched Vion closely. She seemed calm and attentive, but he could see something burning behind her eyes. It was an intensity that hadn't been there before she changed.

"An honor to face the dragon-blooded," Alayaremarked, bowing her head in respect. There was a little accent in her voice that sounded like it came from the eastern countries. "I've heard a lot about how good you are."

"The honor is mine," Vion said. "Your reputation comes before you too."

They went to their starting positions, and Noah held his breath. This would be the first time he'd seen Vion battle since she changed into whatever she was now. The first time she could see how much she had really changed.

"Start!"

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Alayawas the first to move. Her blade dance style was obvious right away as she swept around the arena with fluid ease. Her two weapons made beautiful and lethal patterns in the air that were both beautiful and deadly. She moved quickly over the ground, and her motions were so smooth that they looked like they were planned.

Vion stayed completely still until Alayawas almost close enough to hit her. Then she made a move.

The speed was insane.

One second, Vion was ready, and the next, she was three feet to the left, having magically dodged Lyra's first combination without seeming to try. The weapons of the blade dancer went through the air where Vion had been standing only a second before.

"Fast," Noah said.

But it wasn't simply how fast it was. Noah could tell that Vion's physical abilities had improved all around as the struggle went on. When she stopped one of Lyra's punches, the intensity of the blow made the smaller fighter slide back. Her sword was so strong that it rang like a bell when Alayawas able to block it.

Alayasoon changed her dancing style to fit someone who was physically stronger than she was. She started using the whole arena as her canvas, moving in large circles around Vion and attacking from unexpected places. Her sword skill was truly exquisite; each strike flowed perfectly into defensive patterns that set up the following attack.

But Vion was also learning.

Noah was fascinated as she started to read Lyra's patterns of movement. The blade dance style was beautiful and worked well, but it had certain rules and flows of motion that you could figure out once you knew them.

And Vion learned everything pretty quickly.

"She's getting used to the dancing style," Seraphina said with curiosity. "Look at how she's getting ready to cut off the flow patterns."

It was real. Vion started to get in the way of Lyra's moves, showing up in places that made the blade dancer stop her rhythm. Whenever Alaya tried to set up her flowing combinations, Vion would mess them up with perfectly timed attacks or movements.

The crowd was now completely involved, enjoying the tactical chess match that was going on in front of them. Lyra's skill against Vion's raw strength, technique against power, and experience against adaptability.

Then Vion gave her the first sign of her actual self.

Alaya had gotten some space and was getting ready to use one of her most complicated moves: a spinning attack that would hit both blades from many angles at once. It was the kind of move that needed to be timed and positioned just right to work.

Vion didn't try to fight it. She didn't do that; instead, she opened her mouth and breathed out.

Dragonfire came out in a controlled stream, not the uncontrolled burst that most fire magic made. Instead, it was a precise, focused flame that went exactly where Vion told it to. The fire didn't just burn everything in its path; it moved around Lyra's position like water, making a wall that made the blade dancer stop her attack and jump back.

The crowd gasped at what they saw. Fire magic wasn't rare, but this amount of control was very rare. The flames moved as if they were alive, perfectly following Vion's orders.

Aurelia murmured in a low voice, "That's not normal fire magic." "Look at how she's in charge of it."

Noah nodded and got more and more excited as Vion started to use her fire powers in her fighting style. She employed the flames to protect herself by making barriers and obstructions that messed up Lyra's movements. She utilized them offensively, delivering streams of controlled fire that made her opponent move to certain places.

But the most important thing was that she never allowed the flames to go out of hand. Every flame was in the right place and performing what she wanted it to do. It was a level of power over the elements that showed she was changing her magical nature in a big way.

Alaya was having a hard time now. Vion's fire control was making it hard for her to move freely, which was important for her dancing technique with a blade. Every time she tried to set up a flow pattern, controlled flames would show up to break it. Every time she tried to get away, precise streams of fire would push her back into close battle, where Vion's physical advantages were most clear.

The conclusion came when Alaya tried one more desperate move: a jump attack that would bring her down on Vion from above, using gravity and momentum to make up for the gap in power.

Vion caught her in the air.

One hand grabbed Lyra's wrist and stopped the downward strike altogether. The other hand grabbed her about the waist and stopped her movement as if she were weightless. For a time, the blade dancer was stuck in Vion's hold, and both fighters were frozen in place.

Then Vion put her down gently and walked back, with the point of her blade against Lyra's throat.

"Yield?" Vion asked in a nice way.

Alaya gazed at the sword and then at Vion's face. She saw something there that made her nod slowly.

"I give up," she said with real respect. "That was... amazing."

As the walls came down, the audience cheered. Many people were standing up because they had seen something quite amazing. It wasn't the fastest match of the competition, but it did display a degree of control and power that was very outstanding.

Noah's mind was racing with thoughts and implications as Vion assisted Alaya to her feet and they moved together toward the exit of the arena.

Vion had been holding back. Anyone who knew her skills could see that much. She had used her improved strength and some fire control, but Noah could tell that she was holding back a lot more. Her alteration had made her different in ways that were still changing and growing.

The way she caught Alaya mid-jump, the accuracy of her fire control, and the predatory beauty of her movements all showed that she was still figuring out how powerful she was. And if Noah's gut feeling was right, those boundaries would keep getting bigger.

"That was great," Aurelia exclaimed as they got ready to depart the viewing box.

Noah nodded, but his mind was already on the next battle. Eight fighters moved on to the second round once the first round was over. The competition was about to get a lot harder.

But the idea of perhaps facing Vion in the finals was exciting. She had changed into something new, something that made people question what they thought they knew about what was possible. He had never fought anyone like her before.

Noah was really excited for the first time since he got to Drakonias about the chance to go all out against an opponent who could match his passion. Vion had changed in a way that was amazing, and part of him wanted to see how he would do against that change.

That was still a long way off, of course. Because of the tournament brackets, they were on opposite sides. They would only meet in the finals if they were going to fight each other. This meant that both of them had to win three more bouts, and the opponents would get better each time.

But first he had to make it through the second round. From now on, every bout would be exceedingly risky because of Neal's reality-bending chaos magic and the other skilled fighters who had moved up.

The main battle was about to start.