Veliona lay motionless, face planted on the sand as Rainer walked away triumphantly.
The mercenaries had looks of surprise and Flavius let out a breath he forgot he held, revealing a wry smile.
"I don't think that's enough to defeat her, Rainer." He noted, nudging his head behind Rainer.
Rainer glanced back with a curious brow raised.
Veliona trembled faintly on the ground. She steadily pushed herself up, laughing lowly to herself.
She stood and looked toward Nantosvelta with a grin.
"I think I like him, Lady!" She declared, glancing at Rainer. "His movements are a little stiff but he shows great battle sense. I approve, he can court my nieces."
Rainer swerved around and scoffed.
"And who said I needed little girls. I want you, remember?"
Veliona's smile instantly fell, her eyes darkened and the look in her face became hazy and unreadable.
"You do not know of what you ask." She darkly murmured, looking away.
Rainer shrugged, twirled his spear in a showy manner and readjusted his stance.
"Meh. I know enough. Just get over here and receive your beatdown already."
She trembled as a laugh rumbled up her chest. Unable to keep it down any longer, she guffawed to the sky like a lunatic.
When she looked down again, her eyes were the most lively they had ever been.
"Very well, godling."
Veliona deftly reversed the grip of her second sword and got into a stance. When she looked at him now, her gaze was razor-sharp.
Rainer seemed to be the only one in her eyes, the only one to have her attention.
The mountain breeze came heavily all of a sudden, raising a cloud of dust that momentarily blurred everyone's vision.
Rainer waited patiently, squinting at her fading silhouette with a nervous smile.
'It seems this is the final bout.'
He heard running from within the dust and his grip on the spear tightened.
Veliona pounced out of the dust like a beast, both swords coming down like hammers, dust trailing after her form in the wake of her savage attack.
*Clak!* *Ding!*
Rainer blocked with his spear raised horizontally, but she wasn't finished. As if predicting his block, as soon as she landed, she moved swiftly like a dancer, hooking a blade up against the spear so he couldn't pull back, then spun, thrusting back at his belly with her sword held reversed grip.
Rainer's eyes widened in shock, but that didn't slow his reaction. He let go with one hand and fluidly dodged the other way with a twirl.
Holding onto the bottom of the spear, he smiled as he had managed to create some crucial distance.
An impressed light flashed across Veliona's eyes, then she turned and moved to attack before he could regain his spear. However, he quickly drew the spear to himself and reposted her attack, pushing her back with several quick thrusts, which she, to Rainer's surprise, evaded. Albeit with some grazes to her leather armor.
Space was created, however, it was merely momentary as she promptly pounced on him again, locking Rainer on the defensive.
Her slashes and thrusts were dished out with a ferocious grace, and the skills implemented seemed to have been drawn from an inner well of experience fighting a better adversary.
Rainer wasn't afforded time to breathe, he felt like he was fighting with a tiger with the amount of endurance and beastial intuition she showcased, effortlessly linking up her attacks with the singleminded goal of making him bleed.
He was sent on the back foot, chased around in the small circle reserved for them, twirling, dodging and rolling; everything he could to safeguard his vital organs... Worst of all, he could already feel his energy fading and it looked like she could go on for half an hour more.
'Hells! What have I taken on!?'
He ducked a slash meant to lop off his head and slipped. Velonia grinned viciously at this chance and promptly thrust at his heart.
"Rainer!" Flavius exclaimed, but Rainer planted the butt of the spear against the ground behind him, then desperately pushed to the side, dodging with a foot stretched out to make her stumble forward and away.
An awkward but important moment passed were they both scrambled to stand, but Rainer was faster. He moved and feigned a thrust against her on the ground, but when she hastily threw out a block, he pulled back, switching to a heavy upward swing which sent her blade soaring up into the air and out of the dueling grounds.
Rainer didn't stop there, though. He pressed his advantage, deliberately thrusting in quick succession as she stumbled back, trying to stand on her feet.
To her credit, she parried most of the attacks, even desperately deflecting attacks with her greaves. But it was too much in the end. Rainer had managed to hit her sword hand, weakening her grip. As a result, when Rainer executed a disarming move, the sword was destined to be sent flying into the air as well.
Velonia staggered, falling back, her mouth wide open in shock as she watched her last blade soar high, catching the sunlight.
Sensing that his victory was assured. Rainer moved to claim his prize.
He rushed forward to catch her with an arm, grabbing her firmly across the waist, and preventing her from falling. He let out a sigh of relief amid heavy pants, but managed a smile.
"Got you now, tiger. I guess it's over—"
*Bang!*
Before he could finish his sentence, Velonia drew her head up like a hammer and headbutted him.
Rainer immediately staggered back, feeling woozy. The world swayed left and then right as Flavius' worried cry echoed in his mind.
He gripped his forehead in alarm.
'Oh no! Don't tell me I hadn't healed fully from the Chieftain's attack...back at the...wall.'
His breath quickened and he struggled to retain consciousness. But the world wouldn't stop spinning. When he tried to turn toward Flavius' voice, he stumbled and fell, slamming face down against the dirt.
Darkness soon filled his vision, and he fell unconscious.