ยฉNovel Buddy
Reborn with a Necromancer System-Chapter 183: Quinn vs Rurik
When looking at the two fighters panting away below him, Kai couldnโt help but smirk.
And across the arena, Redford glanced up toward Kaiโs seat, met his eyes, and gave the smallest of nods. ๐ฏ๐ป๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ท๐๐ฟ๐๐.๐๐ธ๐ข
A challenge.
An invitation.
Or maybe both.
"Maybe he knows our role in this tournament. If we donโt fight in the semi-finals, Iโll have to win the tournament."
But Kai doubted that he, nor Redford, would be able to put up enough of a fight to beat Grim.
โI guess the status with the league isnโt extremely important for the future.โ
With the arena floor unmarred and no injured fighters to escort from the stage, the anticipation of the crowd didnโt have a chance to dip. The announcer, energized by Redfordโs crowd-pleasing performance, stepped forward again, voice magically amplified to ring out across the massive stadium like a clap of thunder.
"Alright, alright, my roaring lions of the Arena of Kings! No rest for the wicked, and no delay for the daring! Weโre moving right into our final match of the day!"
The crowd stirred, buzzing with curiosity.
"Coming from the Northern Reaches, with speed that slices wind and a weapon that bends reality, we have the agile, the unpredictable, the lightning-fast whip-wielderโQUINN!"
A figure burst onto the arena stage, flicking her whip out as she strode forward, the coiled metal snaking around her arm with a hiss like a snake. Her light armor was a mix of enchanted cloth and reinforced leather, dyed deep blue with streaks of silver. Her hair, dyed violet, fluttered in the breeze as she twirled her whip once over her shoulder for flair. It hummed with enchantmentโits tip glowing faintly with stored mana.
"Now thatโs showmanship," Kai muttered, seated beside Vepice. She leaned forward in excitement.
The announcer didnโt pause long.
"And facing her, a juggernaut of strength, power, and a sword so large it needs its own governor and land title! Straight from the forges of the northern mountains, here to test his masterโs sword, the unrelenting storm of steelโRURIIIIIK!"
The arena floor shook as Rurik stepped out, carrying a blade that looked more like a slab of sharpened steel than a sword. It was easily as long as he was tall, etched with faint red lines that pulsed with heat. His armor was thick, heavy plateโthe kind meant to take a direct hit from a wyvern and walk away.
Kai leaned in slightly. "That sword... reminds me of a few anime I used to watch. No way that thing is balanced."
"It doesnโt need to be balanced if he just crushes everything in his path," Vepice replied, eyes wide.
As Rurik reached the center of the arena, he jammed the massive sword into the ground beside him. The impact sent a tremor through the tiles.
The two combatants eyed each other. Quinn rolled her shoulders, the whip dancing between her fingers like it was alive. Rurik gave no banter, simply cracking his neck with a deep grunt.
The announcer raised their hands.
"Let the final fight of the dayโBEGIN!"
Rurik didnโt waste time. He heaved his massive sword in both hands and brought it down in a diagonal arc meant to cleave Quinn in two.
But she was already gone.
The blade tore up the ground and the crowd gasped.
A crack like a whip split the air as Quinn sidestepped, and her weapon lashed out, the magically-enhanced cord wrapping around Rurikโs wrist. She yanked. The leather and metal weave pulled tautโand the glowing magic at the tip flared.
Rurik snarled, yanked his arm back with brute strength, and nearly pulled her off her feet. But Quinn rolled with the momentum, kicked off the ground, and used her movement to spin and lash out againโthis time striking the back of his hand, the whip vibrating with a concussive burst as if striking him multiple times at once.
"Interesting," Kai said aloud. "Sheโs not trying to pierce his armor. Sheโs targeting his joints."
The fight continued, Rurik throwing massive, sweeping swings that forced Quinn to dance and dart. With each missed strike, her whip lashed outโalways striking a wrist, elbow or shoulder. It was a flurry of fast, surgical strikes.
The crowd gasped when Quinn managed to vault herself into the air with a whip-assisted flip and struck down onto Rurikโs hand mid-swing, forcing him to drop his sword for the first time.
He grunted, flexing his fingersโbut the glowing whip had left angry red welts and burns on his knuckles. His fingers trembled. Still, Rurik wasnโt finished. He roared and threw a punch with his unarmed hand.
Quinn ducked low, swept his legs, and lashed the back of his kneesโsending arcs of magic biting into the joints of his plate armor. Rurik stumbled, tried to recoverโand thatโs when she moved in for the finishing blows.
One whipstrike.
Two.
Three.
Each precisely aimed at pressure points: the tendons of his wrist, the base of his thumb, the meat of his palm. His hands trembled uncontrollably. When he finally reached for his greatsword again, he couldnโt close his fingers.
Rurik fell to his knees, panting. His arms dropped to his sides like dead weights.
The announcerโs voice rang out like a bell tower chime.
"And thatโs it! Rurik can no longer wield his blade! The winnerโQUINN!"
The audience eruptedโmore than they had for Redford, even. The acrobatic grace, the clever tacticsโit was the kind of fight that inspired applause from even the hardest veterans.
Kai clapped slowly, arms crossed, eyes thoughtful. "Fighting her wouldnโt be too difficult. Iโm not sure her whip could get through my barriers. If Grim gets her, sheโll be obliterated."
"But sheโs amazing," Vepice whispered, fanning herself with the noble fan sheโd won the day before.
As Quinn gave a theatrical bow and the announcerโs voice promised more action in the coming days, Kai sat back in his seat, his gaze flicking to the darkening sky overhead.
Only two fights remained. Four fighters.
Tomorrow, the semifinals would begin.
"Letโs go, Vepice. I want to rest up before tomorrow."
"More food?" She asked.
"Sure."