The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 232 - A Moment Of Victory, The Fire Of The Crowd, The Weight I Manage & The Frost That Wonders Why

Chapter 232: Chapter 232 - A Moment Of Victory, The Fire Of The Crowd, The Weight I Manage & The Frost That Wonders Why

The three dueling grounds were scheduled to be traded for a spot near the center stage as officials got ready for the regional winners. The break between the end of the third semi-final and the beginning of the last tournament matches of the day was only as long as it took for staff to quickly prepare the new circle.

That act was also, in a way, a showcase of those who focused on non-martial pursuits. The supporting mortals and cultivators that would later strive to repair or plug holes in fortress walls while others fought off assaults of Voidlings.

Fundamentally, the construction of the whole ’temporary city’ of the competition grounds was meant to show the human capacity to build quickly. It just was not as ’exciting’ to think about this factor as it was the warriors that prevented your death. While everyone had different requirements to be roused and thrilled, weapons expertly clashing simply ticked more boxes than bricks being laid.

Qat stood with the other two finalists as the head judge explained the format. Five points to win each match. Total points across both of their fights would aggregate to determine the regional champion. In the case of a tie for the top, a single sudden-death point duel would determine the victor.

The swordswoman’s spirit remained steady as she studied her opponents.

One of them had knocked her newly found relative out of the running. A light weapon user with a thin main blade and a parrying dagger from an important family in their region. To the other side was a polearm user, a bill wielder from the Saltfire Storm Alliance - their movements during previous matches had shown their impressive use of the weapon’s hooking techniques.

Her wife had positioned herself in the prominent seat in the section of the healers though this time she appeared to be genuinely paying attention rather than feigning sleep. The brunette waved very obviously when her glance drifted in that direction, but Qatrand’s slow attempt to return the gesture was interrupted by a speaker.

"The first match will be..."

The judge reached into a lacquered box containing their names. The brackets for the finals placed her against the light duelist first. Their success against Talva’s spear and shield made sense in hindsight. Precise strikes and quick footwork could exploit gaps that wouldn’t exist in Army formations.

But those same techniques faced different challenges against a heavy blade user... who could make their weapon move in unexpected ways.

The duelist’s opening combination looked contextually perfect - a feint toward her shoulder flowing into a true thrust at her midsection with the shorter blade. Against most opponents wielding such a large weapon it would have scored cleanly. Instead, Qat let her greatsword fall at a rapid angle and used the flat to sweep both attacks aside in a single motion.

The light tap she scored to his midsection during that forced open stance drew appreciative cheers from the crowd. Especially those who had watched the heir’s earlier fights and noticed the pattern of adapting to the opponent for the first clashes.

Relying purely on speed without trying to feint earned them a point of their own shortly after, but then they fell back to their basic practice again. Attempting to parry her blade with their main-gauche proved costly.

When they tried to create a momentary opening by catching her falling sword, she performed her Weighted Strike technique. The sudden strain forced them to abandon their dagger’s position or risk injury. The clean thrust to the shoulder that followed his distancing put her ahead once again.

The final exchange demonstrated the gap in their overall strategies. Footwork kept them both at the edge of each other’s reach as they probed with vaguely threatening lunges. Qat waited just outside her own optimal range, patient until they committed to an attempt to press.

Their eventual extended position left him unable to recover before her blade found its mark. 5-3

The bill wielder in her second match showed his own versatility. The weapon transitioned between point thrusts and hooks in their opening exchange to keep her at bay. She weathered the assault while studying how they shifted their grip between techniques.

’Different from the glaive, but I can see why it is an important tool to their Guild.’

When they attempted a powerful hooking strike meant to catch and pull her blade aside, she increased it and her weight at exactly the right moment. The unexpected resistance threw off their timing and his own steps.

Qat got inside their range while their weapon was still too far out in the motion to score.

Though they adjusted by trying to maintain maximum distance with quick thrusts, similar to how the glaive user had approached her earlier, each deflection of her blade forced their attacks slightly wider. The gradual overextension of their guard each time finally allowed her to advance through their too-wide spacing for the winning point.

5-2... a bad match up considering the fighter had little recourse if the large blade got close.

The success in winning both matches automatically placed her as the winner. Combined with their other results throughout the last three days, it left Qatrand er Yecine as the name gracing the most lips. Or at least... ’that Yecine’ or ’the black haired sword fighter’ for those being less direct.

More important than any of that growing fame, she felt satisfaction in how she’d applied the lessons from earlier matches so quickly rather than simply relying on power or speed in totality. The fragment in her chest had also been warm with her wife’s ’pride’ for a long while.

And if she wasn’t mistaken, a touch of ’impatience’ about their eventual reunion. Qat had asked her not to repeat her exuberance twice in a row. Though... she had to promise to sneak off and kiss alone tonight to improve the cute girl’s mood.

’I was tricked into that, wasn’t I? Or maybe I just responded too quickly.’

Her puffed out cheek had seemed genuine at the time, especially with it being backed by her ’displeasure’. The Yecine heir only started to think, now that her mind was clearer from her winning bouts, that she could have made her wife happy with less. Which also made her realize that she herself was happier... giving more.

As her spirit wobbled and solidified in epiphany, she felt the weight of many gazes - the crowd and its bubble of joyful fire, Yecine elders watching sharply for any sign of weakness, Corde’s frosty stare from her position near the official seats, and of course the heaviest of them all.

A mint-eyed heiress that just watched her husband-wife ’disappear’ again from her spiritual presence despite being clearly standing in the middle of the competition grounds.

The match to decide the other placements were underway and Qat began the motions of returning her practice weapon. A bloom of ’alarm’ in her fragment warned her even before Corde’s measured steps approached from behind. The Frozen Duskblade’s stance radiated its usual focused intensity that drew attention from those still lingering nearby.

"Your matches were quite enlightening. Perhaps you would indulge me in a friendly exhibition next? I’ve been curious about... something."

The particular emphasis she placed on the final word made it clear this wasn’t just about martial prowess. Yet passing up the opportunity to fight someone stronger than herself was out of the question.

Her Challenge with Ondua at the wedding had helped her a lot. Especially with being more sure in her growing mix of Element and swords style. There was no telling what she could gain this time.

"I would be honored. Though I hope you won’t find me too disappointing. I may fail to meet your expectations."

Her low voice carried genuine respect beneath the diplomatic phrasing. Corde’s lip quirked slightly, seeing what she considered an ’effect’ already. She signaled to one of the officials, who quickly began preparing for an unexpected bonus match between the multi-regional champion and the mature famed warrior.

"I think you’ll prove interesting. Shall we say... first to three points? Just enough to satisfy my curiosity."

The glance given towards the medical area that accompanied her words confirmed she had noticed more than just Qat’s fighting style. The small cultivator approaching from that way walked steadily and didn’t rush. The ancient cultivator’s spirit was filled with complex emotions.

’Curiosity’ warred with ’caution’.

Underestimating, overestimating... whatever the Frozen Duskblade might have pieced together, Elua was confident the woman was wrong. But being wrong did not prevent people from interfering in the ’right’ ways. The illusionist did not expect the swordswoman to approach until later in the competition.

"Oh? Have you taken an interest in my husband’s technique again?"

Elua’s ’sweet’ voice carried none of the sharp edges that had emerged during the earlier medical crisis - a side that had been carried in rumors to those in charge. Instead, it was that same ’pointedly innocent’ self that she used during the dinner at the camp. Her mint eyes unabashedly appraised the three time Descent veteran as she positioned herself as part of a triangle.

Corde’s gaze shifted between the couple, noting how the Yecine heir remained steady despite the tension. No sign of the hesitation one might expect from someone under undue influence. If anything, those pigeon blues carried a warm certainty when looking at the small cultivator.

’Then it’s either better or worse than I thought.’

"The integration of various styles caught my attention. I’d heard the Yecine were more rigid. It’s a rare talent to be able to thoroughly... adapt."

The woman gave an answer and inserted a probe, though she had already learned that conversation was not something she could lead with the young girl.

"Isn’t it wonderful? I confess most of the technical details are beyond me. I just enjoy watching him succeed."

The brunette’s ’bright’ tone drew a flicker of something complex from the Frozen Duskblade’s spirit. Her next words carried much more care.

"Success earned through proper guidance can be quite impressive. Though sometimes the price of achieving it quickly isn’t immediately apparent."

The tendrils around her wife were singed with a sudden sharp ’focus’ even as the Goltbred’s facade never wavered. There was clearly a dynamic of some sort already established between the pair that Qat was hesitant to intrude on. Not because she wasn’t sure whose side to take, but because she wanted to ask the cute girl how to do it most effectively.

"How charmingly cryptic! I was not aware you were a fan of philosophy. I’m sure whatever you’re curious about will become clear during your match. I shall return to my duties and let you prepare."

Corde watched the ’medical fairy’ depart, though unlike her steady arrival... this walk had a well timed pause after a few yards of distance.

"Darling, please don’t let yourself get hurt just because I’ve been a little bored over here~"

The words were spoken to the spouse, but the air around the older cultivator frosted slightly. The two-fold meaning was clear. A warning not to harm her person... and an expectation that the brunette found her capable of doing so.