The Ashen Dominion
Chapter 73 - Hardwork [3]

Chapter 73: 73 - Hardwork [3]

THUD!

Ivy’s body fell loudly onto the sand as Jenna retrieved her dagger from her throat.

"..."

A pool of blood quickly formed beneath Ivy’s head. She wasn’t moving... she was dead.

"..."

And Jenna showed no reaction to that.

I mean, yes—she was nervous—but she had always been confident in winning the moment she saw Ivy earlier.

’She looks stupid, and she can’t focus on the fight.’

She thought.

Then, in that moment—

"ANOTHER FAST MATCH...! WE ALREADY HAVE A WINNER!"

The announcer’s voice thundered throughout the area.

Short fights like these were normal, especially when two newbies were going against each other.

The crowd reacted right after—

"...Already?"

"That was fast."

"Hah. That girl was useless."

"What a waste of time."

"Didn’t even last two minutes."

A few scoffed in disappointment, others were just annoyed.

But there were also some that watched closely—

"Her hands didn’t even shake. That’s rare."

"At least someone knows how to finish a fight."

"That girl... she’s good."

Jenna didn’t listen to any of them. She didn’t even glance at the crowd.

She turned away from Ivy’s corpse, tightened the strap of her quiver, and walked out of the arena—her face calm, eyes steady.

But then...

"Ah."

She remembered something.

"The arrows."

Jenna mumbled. Then, after that, she started picking up the arrows scattered around the arena.

They were still in good condition.

"Buying new ones is a waste... they’re too expensive."

She told herself.

And seeing her do that—

"What is she doing?"

"Ugh, she’s really a slave, huh."

"She should’ve just bought new ones."

The nobles in the crowd threw those remarks at her like they were nothing.

"..."

Jenna felt annoyed... but she didn’t let it get to her.

She kept it in—because she knew nothing good would come from letting her anger take over.

She stayed quiet, composed, and picked up each arrow one by one.

Finally, after retrieving the last one and sliding it into her quiver—

"Ugh... I can go back now."

She muttered softly, brushing some sand off her arm.

Then, without looking back at the crowd, Jenna turned around and calmly started walking back toward the waiting room.

*****

As soon as Jenna got back to the waiting room—

"I’m back~!"

She exclaimed with a wide smile on her face, she returned to her usual energetic self.

Viktor and Kaiser looked at her and smiled as well.

"Welcome back."

Viktor greeted.

"Congrats."

Then Kaiser added.

The both of them remained seated side by side on the bench.

Anyway, right after them... Rose and Jhamillah walked up to Jenna.

"You did great."

Rose said with a small smile.

"Yeah, that was a clean win."

Jhamillah followed, she was clearly glad that Jenna won just seeing her face.

Jenna just chuckled and scratched her cheek.

"Hehe, thanks~"

She said bashfully.

Jenna, Jhamillah, and Rose were about to talk more.

But just then—

"THE FIGHTS ARE FAST TODAY, HUH?!"

The announcer started shouting again.

"BECAUSE OF THAT—LET’S GET ON TO THE NEXT FIGHT IMMEDIATELY!"

Then he declared that.

"YEAAHHHH!!!"

"THEY DON’T NEED REST, LET THEM FIGHT ALREADY!"

"THAT’S RIGHT!"

The crowd erupted with cheers and excitement after hearing him.

And without further ado—

"THE THIRD MATCH TODAY IS BETWEEN DEBUTANTES AGAIN!"

The announcer started introducing the next fighters.

"Ugh, again?!"

"Why so many this time?!"

"This better be good!"

The spectators weren’t really happy when they heard that.

But not giving a fuck about them—

"NOW LET’S WELCOME—ROSE AND ZOR!!!"

The announcer just went and continued.

"..."

The waiting room where Kaiser and the others were became silent. Everyone’s eyes turned to Rose.

And Rose—

"Looks like it’s my turn now, haha..."

She just muttered that with an awkward laugh.

*****

Rose started preparing when her name got called.

Fwip-

She strapped her fairly large circular wooden shield on her left forearm, holding its handle too firmly.

Shiiik—

Then she unsheathed her one-handed iron sword with her right hand.

"I’ll be going, wish me luck."

She said as she looked at everyone in the room, and without waiting for their response...

Tap—

She stepped out of the waiting room onto the arena.

And as soon as she came out, the crowd started reacting again—

"Ugh, another girl."

"Doesn’t look like much either."

"At least she has a shield, maybe this one’s going to last for a bit."

Mixed reactions, again. But mostly negative.

"..."

Rose heard them... But she didn’t show any reaction. Instead, she walked confidently forward until she stood in her designated spot in the arena.

Then across her—

TAP!

Another fighter stepped out.

A tall, muscular man with a shaved head and a crooked nose. His expression was that of boredom.

He doesn’t look nervous at all, very different from Jenna’s and Jhamillah’s opponents. The spectators started cheering for him as soon as he came out.

Then the moment he saw Rose—

"Hehe..."

He laughed creepily.

Zor, her opponent, had a thick club slung across his back.

SWOOSH~

He pulled it off slowly, resting it on his shoulder while cracking his neck.

"This’ll be easy. Get ready, woman."

He muttered, smirking.

"..."

Rose didn’t respond.

Swish~

She just raised her shield up slightly and held her sword steady.

"Fuuuuu..."

She took a deep breath.

And then, as she was doing that—

"BEGIN!!!"

The announcer shouted without delay.

The match had started!

*****

As soon as the match started—

BAM!

Zor rushed at Rose while grinning!

Unlike Jenna’s and Jhamillah’s opponents, he was confident. It doesn’t look like it was his first time fighting. The spectators noticed this too, and as an explanation to that—

"ZOR IS A CRIMINAL WHO’S SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON—HIS CRIMES? R*PE AND MURDER!"

"MOST OF HIS VICTIMS ARE GIRLS WHO WERE WITH THEIR PARTNERS...! THIS MIGHT BE HIS FIRST TIME IN A GLADIATOR MATCH—BUT HE’S CERTAINLY NOT NEW TO KILLING!"

The announcer went and exclaimed that.

And hearing that—

"YEAAHHHH!!"

"DO YOUR BEST, YOU DEMON!!"

"HAHAHAHA—KILL THAT WOMAN!"

The crowd suddenly started running wild. The hate they had for debutantes disappeared. Now, they were all shouting at Zor to do his best!

"SHOW HER NO MERCY!!"

"MAKE HER SUFFER!"

They even added with a mocking tone!

And as that was happening—

TAP!

Zor arrived in front of Rose!

SWOOSH!

Then he swung his thick club sideways with all his strength!

"GRRRAAAAHHH!!"

CRASH—!

The club slammed onto Rose’s shield. She was pushed back a few steps, but—

"Keuk...!"

She held her ground.

"...You and the people supporting you are disgusting."

She muttered coldly, glaring at Zor from behind her shield.

SWISH—

Then she launched a horizontal slash!

Seeing Rose’s sword coming at him—Zor immediately retrieved his club and raised it.

CLANK—!

He successfully blocked Rose’s attack with ease, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips!

"Hah... That’s it? Come on, girl..."

He mocked as their weapons clashed.

Then—

"DO BETTER THAN THAT IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!!!"

SWOOSH—!!

Zor began attacking Rose relentlessly!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

Rose raised her shield and blocked them all, but—

"Urgh...!"

She groaned quietly, gritting her teeth.

Each strike was powerful. The force of the blows spread through her arms and shoulders, making her stagger slightly with every hit.

But even with that...

"..."

She didn’t panic.

Her eyes remained sharp—fixed on her opponent the entire time.

And not long...

’An opening!’

SWOOSH—

She countered with a diagonal upward slash when she saw Zor swing his weapon wildly!

"...?!"

Zor’s eyes widened in shock at that, and desperately—

PHAK!

He raised his left forearm and blocked Rose’s blade with it!

"Ugh...!"

He groaned. The sword cut through his flesh...

But it was not deep!

"THAT WAS A GOOD ONE!"

BAM!

Zor retaliated with a heavy swing of his club!

"GAH...!"

SHIIIK—

Rose was able to block it with her shield, but she skidded back a few meters because of the force behind the attack!

"That hurt... I thought I was about to lose my left hand."

Zor mumbled, looking at where Rose’s sword cut him with a sly smile.

"Luckily for me, I’m a bit durable and you don’t have the raw strength to cut me easily."

He added, turning back to Rose.

"..."

Meanwhile, Rose just glared at him.

Her left forearm felt a bit numb, but nevertheless—she didn’t show it on her face.

"Hmm? Not coming?"

Zor tilted his head, seeing Rose standing still in her stance, staring at him with hateful eyes.

And realizing that she probably wouldn’t attack first—

"THEN I’LL COME TO YOU!!!"

BAM!

Zor rushed again instead!

TAP—

He immediately reached in front of Rose, then he swung his club again!

SWOOOSH—

After blocking his attacks a few times now and feeling the numbness on her left arm—

’I won’t last long if I keep taking his attacks head-on.’

Rose realized that.

Fwish~

So this time—she tilted her shield slightly, and just as the club landed—

SHHRR—

Zor’s weapon slid off the surface of her shield! She had parried the attack!

"...?!"

Zor was caught off guard by that, and not wasting the moment—

SWISH—!

Rose swung her sword as a counter!

TANG—!

Zor blocked it just in time!

Then—

"BITCH!"

SHIIIIK—BAM!

"...!"

SWISH! CLANG!

Their exchange continued!

Zor kept attacking with brute force, but Rose now used smarter blocks and quick parries to redirect the impact, occasionally finding moments to strike back!

’His low temper... Let’s try and use that.’

Rose planned in her.