Cat Fight
The representatives of the kingdom's delegation, Turgo, and the elf kingdom's delegation, Manuel, witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Contrary to expectations of an easy victory, the fierce clash between Ardena and Allen was so evenly matched that the phrase "neck and neck" fit perfectly.
Allen's raw power clearly held the advantage. But Ardena, her armor radiating near-infinite mana, unleashed firepower that refused to yield an inch.
Allen's assault even faltered momentarily under that overwhelming barrage.
"Get crushed and die, you pest!!"
"What a dishonorable fighter."
Ardena muttered as she deftly deflected Allen's slash. In the same motion, she launched a counterattack.
Yet Allen reflexively parried Ardena's strike, proving there were no gaps in her offense or defense.
"Yushin's your slave? Don't make me laugh! Yushin's my fiancé! Don't you dare try to claim him, you disgusting elf bug!!"
"I can confidently say I'm far better suited than a beast like you. You should vanish right now. If you withdraw quietly, I won't pursue."
"You better than me? What the hell do you even know!!"
Rooooaaarrr!!!
Allen's lion-like roar unleashed a wave of oppressive pressure rippling around her.
Mad Dog. A fitting moniker.
The kingdom's knights were caught in her aura of intimidation, but Allen couldn't care less.
As the duel between Ardena and Allen intensified, ferocious storms whipped up around them. The humans and elves locked in nearby skirmishes had no choice but to flee toward Urhel village for safety.
"The houses are collapsing!"
"Hurry and evacuate! You'll get swept away if you dawdle!"
This wasn't the time for fighting. Humans and elves tacitly agreed to a ceasefire amid the two heroines' battle.
No one was foolish enough to let grudges blind them into getting swept up in the mana torrent.
Their will to survive outweighed any hatred. Even the Kingdom's Seven Swords and the warrior captains watching from afar felt the same.
'Ardena Valencia... Who would've thought the fourth-ranked warrior captain could hold her own against Allen Rocksfield. That armor's no ordinary gear. Could that be the legendary elf kingdom relic...!'
Roverdik Anje focused on Ardena's armor, gleaming with radiant mana.
White Lily Scale. The armor that unleashed near-limitless energy based on its wearer's purity and pride.
Without the White Lily Scale, Ardena never could have traded blows evenly with Allen.
Allen was Valua Kingdom's second sword, one of the nation's absolute strongest—one of the top two in the Kingdom's Seven Swords.
Rumor had it only Heinkel Envidia could best her one-on-one.
"Sis, what now?"
"What do you mean? Grab the rangers and fall back!"
"Urhel villagers'll get caught up too. Humans are bugging out, so let's evacuate the villagers."
"Good idea. We'll get praise from Senior Ardena later!"
"Yeah!"
The twins, Seira Leon and Emily Leon, directed the rangers.
Stopping the fight was out of the question. Even with ten lives, jumping into that frenzy was suicide.
So the cunning twins prioritized evacuating Urhel's residents—both to avoid the fray and to score points with Ardena later.
"Bug! Bug!! Buuuugggg!!!"
Allen slammed her foot down. The ground cracked like a spiderweb under the impact, triggering a massive quake.
Fissures originating from Urhel's center spread outward, swallowing homes already on the brink of collapse.
"I heard you're Yushin Gilliard's fiancée..."
"Yeah! I'm Yushin's fiancée!"
"But you're unfit for Yushin Gilliard. Mad Dog without honor or pride—whatever dirty tricks you used to get engaged, it doesn't matter. He's mine now."
Ardena declared.
Yushin was her possession. And Allen was unworthy.
The elf warrior captain spat exactly the words Allen hated most, stoking her rage each time.
Allen's killing intent grew venomous, its peak so heavy it crushed breathing from those nearby.
"Who the hell are you to say that?! What gives you the right to mess with me and Yushin!!"
"...His master."
Ardena had no proper retort, so she brushed it off simply as "master."
She absolutely couldn't yield to this lunatic. Losing Yushin like this was unacceptable.
This woman was dangerous. She'd become a threat to the Liberia Elf Kingdom someday.
As long as she drew breath, her obsession with Yushin would never end.
So Ardena resolved to end Allen Rocksfield here and now.
"Didn't wanna use this yet."
Allen reached out. A sword hilt materialized from thin air.
She drew it without hesitation—a bastard sword too heavy for her slender arms, its thick, razor edge capable of severing a beast's neck in one stroke.
Dragon Chaser. The blade forged from a dragon's entire spine, or so the legend went.
If Ardena had received her relic as an elf warrior captain, Allen had been granted Dragon Chaser as the Kingdom's Seven Swords' second rank.
"I'll hack you to pieces."
Allen grinned wickedly. The world flipped the instant she swung the bastard sword.
* * *
The real fight had finally begun.
Allen was going berserk now.
Yushin, waiting in Laseu just beyond Urhel, sensed the shockwaves radiating from Ardena and Allen.
'These shockwaves are engulfing the entire mountain range past Urhel. Allen, you trying to kill everyone?'
Yushin sighed deeply, eyes fixed toward the Akiteon Mountains.
The elf warrior captain guarding him spoke up.
"What's going on? The whole mountain's shaking since earlier!"
"They're fighting."
"That's bad! We need reinforcements...!"
"Your job is to watch me."
"Tch! Arrogant human slave giving advice!"
The elf warrior captain floundered, inexperienced in crises, unsure how to react.
Yushin wondered why they'd stuck him with such an amateur. Not all warrior captains were elite veterans, apparently.
In the chaos, the surveillance target—Yushin—had to speak up.
"How many residents in Urhel?"
"Around three hundred total!"
"Then they'll all flee here. Prep to shelter them. Urhel folk are your elf allies, right? You won't let your allies die."
"Of course not! Tch, why am I listening to a human... But it's an emergency, so even human words have merit now!"
What a tiresome elf. She openly scorned him yet followed his advice. Yushin grimaced.
Had she finally conceded he was right? The captain summoned her subordinates, ordering them to guard the delegation heading to Urhel and handle refugees. Urgency made her hustle.
"Of all times, empty-handed."
Yushin muttered, glancing at the captain's sword.
She barked back.
"I can't give a sword to my surveillance target! Don't get cocky, human!"
"Ardena's gonna get hurt."
"Ridiculous! Senior Ardena won't lose to some human!"
"But if she does—by some chance—it'll be your fault. You kept me from going. Your foolish call might get her killed."
"K-Killed...? Senior Ardena?!"
"Yeah. Circumstances point that way."
Her opponent was the Mad Dog—a terrifying human from Valua's Kingdom's Seven Swords, second strongest of seven monsters.
Staying in Laseu, Yushin drilled the elf captain on Allen Rocksfield's fearsomeness.
His preemptive seeding worked like insurance; her face drained pale at the thought her idiocy might doom Ardena.
'N-No way...! I finally landed this cushy gig! Upper-class status, fat pension on retirement! Mom'll kill me if I get fired as captain!'
The elf captain's eyes darted in inner turmoil.
Her mission: surveil the human. But the mana waves spreading through the Akiteon Mountains felt ominous—like endless dragon breaths scorching the land.
The forest races' screams reached the elves' senses. The cries amplified her anxiety.
Worst: incompetence leading to dismissal.
"I'm heading to Urhel now. Follow me."
"Why should I?!"
Don't order me around, human! The stubborn captain yelled.
Yushin had to explain circuitously.
"You're my watcher. I'll save Ardena; you keep watching me. No loss for you."
"I-I know...! Just confused now... Yeah, that's all!"
So damn annoying. Yushin shook his head at her reluctant agreement.
He got a standard longsword. A sharp named blade would've been ideal, but it exceeded her tolerance.
Mass-produced junk in hand, Yushin headed for Urhel in the Akiteon basin.
"Don't lose me."
"I'm an elf! Even in dense mountains, I won't—wait, together!"
Yushin vanished like an arrow.
His blistering speed forced a shriek from the elf captain.
Human speed like that?
She scrambled after him, smashing through obstacles. Losing him even briefly could mean pay cuts—or worse, severe discipline.
'So fast! Heard he rebelled mid-escort, got recaptured by Senior Ardena, and dragged powerless to Pamplona! At that speed, he could've escaped back to Valua!'
But subordinates had been with him then. Yushin valued their lives over his own—wouldn't abandon them.
That's why Ardena recaptured him; not from any personal weakness.
The captain learned that firsthand. This human who'd beaten fourth-ranked Ardena was top-five in the elf kingdom—mocked as a slave, but equal to their elites.
"Ow!"
A branch smacked her face mid-sprint. Blood trickled from her nose.
Hiss... The captain grumbled.
Night runs, nosebleeds—all that human's fault.
She blamed Yushin entirely, grinding her teeth for future payback.