Chapter 49: I Yield
Just as Silas’s sword was about to slash Gwyn on her body, she muttered a quick spell while raising her hand in a defensive arc. Immediately, a swirling white sphere circled her like a cocoon of light, and Silas’s sword slammed against the white sphere with a deafening metalic sound, making sparks to fly everywhere but it did not penetrate through the Sphere.
Gwyn’s breaths became very fast as her eyes shifted to the cut on her shoulder which was still oozing blood that soaked her uniform. She let out a tired sigh, her vision already becoming blurring from exhaustion and perhaps blood loss. Holding the shield was draining her last strength and she could feel her knees getting more weak.
Silas’s face turned in rage at the the blocked strike. "You whore! Reynold Starweaver is no better than me!" He yeled, his veins bulging as he swung his sword again but the sword crashed into the white sphere with a brutal force.
Gwyn groaned, her arms trembling as she poured everything into holding the shield. Her sweat was already mixed with her tears on her face, but she would not break, not yet.
"Let’s see how long you can hold that pathetic shield, healer," Silas snarled, his eyes shifting from their normal colour to a fiery blue colour, and anger were burning on his face as the scenes from the public humiliation Reynold had caused him all returned to his memories. He blamed Gwyn for all of it. All because that lawborn Starweaver wanted to protect the who£re.
More tears trickled down Gwyn’s cheeks as her gaze shifted to her bleeding wound, then back to Silas. If she dropped the shield now, in this half dead state she was in, he would cut her down with out thinking twice. She did not want to lose her spot on the tournament to this scum, but survival came first. There had to be another chance to reclaim the spot before the tournament kick off.
"I will see how long you can keep it up in your weak state, cunt" Silas taunted again, raising his sword for another blow.
Gwyn groaned softly, her strength was already failing. Just then, a figure rushed to the side of the ring, her voice cutting through the roar of the crowd. "Gwynny, come on, you have to tap out! It is not worth dying for. If the tournament means that much, you can challenge someone else once you are healed. But right now, you need to tap out!"
Gwyn shifted her eyes, and they landed on onto the worried face of her girlfriend, Nyx. "Nyx..." she murmured weakly.
Nyx’s eyes were wide with fear, her hands gripping the ring’s edge. "Please, Gwyn. I love you. Do not do this to yourself."
Hearing Nyx’s word, a faint smile tugged at Gwyn’s lips despite the pain. "I have been waiting for ever to hear you say those words. If I had known getting beaten like this would make you spit it out, I would have done it sooner."
Nyx let out a choked laugh, tears glistening in her eyes. "You are impossible. Now tap out before I drag you out myself."
Gwyn nodded, facing Silas one last time. Survival first.
She muttered a spell and the shield dropped with a shimmer. She quickly raised her hand in surrender. "I yield!" she shouted, her voice sounding across the arena.
The crowd murmured in surprise, but Silas’s smirk vanished immediately and was replaced by fury. He had not expected her to tap out so soon and where the hell was Reynold Starweaver? Silas grip tightened on the sword as he raised it high despite Gwyn surrendering. He wanted to draw more blood.
Gwyn’s eyes widened in horror. Nyx screamed, "She yielded! Take your fucking sword down!"
"Stay out of this Dyke.." Silas yelled back as he raised the sword mote high..
The crowd murmurs turned to gasps as Silas ignored them, bringing the sword down to slash Gwyn. But just as it almost get toward Gwyn and Gwyn eyes wide opened, the atmosphere suddenly changed with raw power and a surge of energy slammed into Silas like it was an invisible force, carrying him off his feet and sending him hard across the ring. He crashed hard against the barrier, his sword clattering away as he fell while groaning in pain, and struggling to rise.
Gwyn backed away slowly, fear mixing with relief as she looked up. "Rey... Reynold..." she whispered before her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
Nyx rushed into the ring, scooping Gwyn into her arms. "I’ve got you," she whispered, cradling her close, her face pale with worry.
Reynold’s gaze shifted to the fainted Gwyn in Nyx’s hold, her face were already drained of color, the shoulder cut was still bleeding. Reynold fists clenched slowly as he trying to calm the storm brewing in his chest. He stepped forward, his presence suddenly intimidating the crowd.
Silas smirked through the pain, pushing himself up. But before he could steady himself, another force hit him, sending him flying again. He slammed into the ring’s edge, the impact making his bones crack.
Silas let out a sharp cry.
How the hell was the Starweaver boy doing this without even moving? Shock rippled through Silas face as Reynold walked into the ring, closing the distance in an instant.
Seeing this, the crowd move closer, their faces etched with shock. Murmurs began to spread like wildfire. Everyone was surprised that the Two who was rank 150 was unleashing hell on Silas.
Even Kael and the other highborns who had plotted froze on their spot, their expressions turning from anger to disbelief. They muttered among themselves, "What the—how is he...?"
Three of the highborn charged into the ring to back Silas, but Reynold turned, flinging his hand outward and immediately an unseen wave blasted them off their feet, sending them tumbling out like ragdolls. A loud collective gasp echoed in the arena, the gasp was very loud and paired with the stunned faces.
Everyone stared speechless at Reynold’s terrifying form. His eyes had even shifted to the black colour of his dragon. It was terrifying that some of the crowd shifted back immediately.
Silas hissed in pain as he gritted his teeth. "You bastard!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet. "Think you are a hero now? Come on, Starweaver and show me what a rank 150 lowborn can do!"
Reynold did not respond with words. He bent down, grabbing Silas by the collar and hauling him up. His fist connected with Silas’s face, once and then twice, each punch landed with a crack that made the crowd gasped more. Blood trickled from Silas’s nose, his eyes widening in real fear for the first time today.
"You touched her," Reynold growled low, his voice like thunder rolling in. "Big mistake."
Silas spat blood, laughing maniacally despite the pain. "She yielded and tap out so it’s over! But you... you are nothing without your glitches. Face it Starweaver, your parents died because of freaks like you. Weak, unstable. No wonder they left you or maybe you probably killed them yourself with that storm inside you."
Reynold’s black eyes narrowed, but he did not care. The taunt hit, stirring the storm within, but he channeled it outward. "Keep talking," he said coldly, slamming Silas back down. "But it won’t save you."
The highborns hesitated at the ring’s edge as they murmured among themselves..
Silas eyes was scanning the crowd. He was cursing Kael inside. The self guilt plan was crumbling. Reynold was not even burning out. He fu£king look like a force of nature.
Silas, pinned and battered, had to manoeuvre and punch Reynold on the face. "Reynold Starweaver, why don’t you get into the challenge properly and challenge but the fight has to be fair. Since you’re a two we use the sword and no powers just sword. Who draw the first blood wins..." Silas smirk at Reynold who was holding his punch face..
"So what is it going to be, lowborn?"
Reynold’s eyes went straight to Silas who was already smirking.
"What is going to be lowborn?" A voice shouted from the highborn line.
"Say yes if you fucking have the balls" Another voice sounded.
Right now the crowd started murmuring. Reynold’s eyes shifted from Silas to the crowd and then to the challenge table where the cadets had their names registered. His eyes then shifted back to Silas again.
Silas was nothing like the other highborns and he had always acted differently from them. He was more like a demon from hell who would do anything to get what he wants and prove a point and right now, he wanted to show the crowd that he was better than Reynold Starweaver.
Seeing that Reynold was hesitating and not making a move, Silas let out a mocking laugh as he raised his hand dramatically as he yelled to the crowd. "The boy with the three dragons is afraid to get into a fight with me." He paused and then laughed again. " He is a fucking nobody without his dragons and magic. He is nothing but a fucking lowborn."