BXBX NOVEL Chapter 122 - 6th Challenger
Aaron, who was also watching, noticed that Ellena was getting challenged. Since it has already passed 5 minutes, Ellena must be having a hard time seeing through her opponent's defense.
Before the fight started, as the 6th challenger stepped into the ring, cheers erupted louder than before. Apparently, Ellena's facing the strongest ranker in Azmar.
The challenger was a young lady in her mid-20s. She has long almond-brown hair that lengthens to her waist. Not ignoring that she has fierce-looking eyes, her thin lips contradict her in a manner that makes her beautiful.
In front of Ellena was a young noble lady, having great prowess in ability-less fights. Apparently, she did not come here for the prize, but for the reputation behind it, since Ellena came from the Lumbert family. And defeating one influential family is akin to recognition. Noting the fact that Azmar is from the countryside, it would help their family if news spread after defeating her.
A gleam flashed inside the challenger's face. As she had already read Ellena's fighting style, she was confident that she could defeat her.
"Start!" The announcer shouted, and the both of them started fighting.
The first 5 minutes were slow but fierce. How? It's because the challenger can see through Ellena's targets. She already knew that Ellena's target was the vital point; therefore, she could protect herself if she became wary.
Cheers exploded, but Ellena wasn't agitated. Inwardly, she was smiling in joy. It was not because she finally found a challenge, but because she got a chance to change her fighting style.
The challenger launched consecutive punches to Ellena's upper body, and Ellena protected herself with her forearm, covering her head. She swings it when her side is targeted, and also dances her body to confuse the challenger.
But it was futile since the challenger could still follow her movements. And when Ellena finally missed one and got hit in her cheek, the crowd exploded into cheers.
In their eyes, Ellena seems to face some challenges. Those veteran knights who watched the fight on a whim just shook their heads when they noticed Ellena's fighting style.
The fight didn't prohibit weapons, but since Ellena didn't pick one, the rest didn't have one either except for the first challenger. Thus, all of the fightings were just bare-handed close-combat.
Ellena wiped her cheek, feeling a little tingle from it.
"You are good. Even though I am confident in my prowess, I can commend you for that."
Ellena's abilities Arm Acustomization and Footwork Acustomization gave her a tremendous improvement to her reflex and style. Not just because it helps her to register a style in her foundation, but also because it helps her to become reflexively aware of her opponent.
The challenger smirked at Ellena's remark. Even if she was already cornered, how could she remain composed? She couldn't understand why Ellena was seemingly unaffected by things.
"Thank you for your words, but it is unnecessary," she retorted.
Ellena, on the other hand, smirked as well. Inside her mind, she was aware of how the challenger fought. With the style of her attacks and the way she twists her body, Ellena seems to know it instinctively.
"Let's continue. I promise that you won't have a hit anymore."
The challenger dashed towards Ellena with a feint readied. She made a successful feint left hook and as she saw Ellena protecting her right side, she launched her right fist for a straight jab.
However, Ellena was prepared for it, thus, instead of continuing to protect her right, she caught the right fist by holding a grip on the challenger's wrist.
In a mere second, after gripping the wrist, Ellena continued to widen her grip to the forearm and faced her back to the challenger's body. Her back touched the front of the challenger, and she slightly bent. And as she already gripped the forearm with her left hand, she continued to overlap her right arm, passing through the underarm to the bicep of the challenger and gripping it as well.
Aaron was already aware of Ellena's plan. She wanted to throw the challenger over her shoulder. Ellena's feet were also positioned with the left foot forward and the right foot backward.
Ellena lifted the body immediately, throwing it over her shoulder. And as the challenger was already clueless and had lost her balance, the next thing she knew was that her back was slamming the ground.
Ellena didn't stop and quickly punched the shoulder joint.
The crowd was speechless. In a mere second, after making a feint, the challenger throws the ball on the floor. And as they realized what had just happened, everyone erupted in cheers.
Ellena won the 6th match and it seemed like the rest of the challengers had lost their spirit after seeing their strongest adventurer defeated.
"How did Ellena learn it? This world doesn't have this particular martial art." Aaron mumbled.
However, Ellena still won and everyone got compensated for the fight despite not defeating her.
***
Selena was confused. Seriously confused about how Ellena survived that long fight and defeated everyone. Also, her idol, the adventurer she admired, was defeated by Ellena. Selena began to admire Ellena instead after witnessing such a feat.
"That was great, Ellena! I couldn't keep up with your movements. And the last move you did was surprising. You made the Shining Lady drop to the ground!" Selena bombarded Ellena with a cheerful greeting.
"Shining Lady? Was that the 6th challenger?" Ellena asked.
"Yes! She was my idol! But after you defeated her, you are now the one I admire!"
Ellena awkwardly scratched the back of her ear.
"You make me flatter." Ellena awkwardly said.
"That was amazing, Big Sister!" Thalia followed with praise.
"Thank you, Thalia."
***
Inside the changing room of the adventurers' guild, the so-called Shining Lady, also known as the 6th challenger, dropped her face into her open palm. A strange feeling urged her emotions as she remembered the experience of defeat.
"What should I do?"
And without realizing it, Ellena's face flashed into her mind.
"I… want to… be with her…" she mumbled after remembering again how she was defeated.
She was confident in her capabilities, and she was not expecting to be defeated either. And as in the past, she made a promise to be taught by someone great and powerful. She came to realize that she wanted to follow Ellena.
It was an absurd idea in actuality. Ellena wasn't the strongest individual. However, she was defeated in a way that she doesn't know how was executed. Thus, she realized that Ellena is more powerful than them because she knows how to defeat someone who's way more experienced than her.
"This is frustrating." she groaned and she stood up with a resolution in her mind.
She will follow Ellena, and even though she wanted her family to be known, this is also a chance, since she can have a chance to be a servant of a powerful lady!