The air crackled with tension as Rynhara and Lyra faced each other, their breathing labored but determined. Blood dripped from their wounds, painting the cracked stone beneath them, but neither showed any sign of backing down.
Rynhara tightened her grip on her katana, as the dying rainbow-hued flames on it flickered dangerously. Across from her, Lyra steadied her rapier, its icy aura sending chills down the spines of the spectators.
"Are you still standing just to annoy me?" Rynhara growled, a mix of irritation and grudging respect in her voice.
"Someone has to keep you grounded," Lyra shot back, wiping a streak of blood from her temple. "Besides, I haven't hit you hard enough yet."
The audience roared as the two charged at each other once more, their weapons colliding in a flash of light and sound that rattled the remains of the arena.
Every swing of their blades carried devastating force, gouging deep scars into the arena floor. Each parry sent shockwaves rippling through the air, causing chunks of stone to crumble from the already battered walls.
Rynhara unleashed a flurry of slashes, her katana leaving trails of searing light in its wake. Lyra weaved through the onslaught narrowly avoiding Rynhara's attacks by a centimeter, her rapier darting like a serpent to deflect each blow.
"You're faster than you look," Rynhara admitted, her tone laced with grudging admiration.
"And you're stronger than your arrogance suggests," Lyra retorted, lunging forward.
Her rapier glowed with frosty energy as she yelled, "Cryo Fang!" The attack sent a jagged wave of ice racing toward Rynhara.
Rynhara grinned despite the danger. "Aether Spiral!" she countered, swinging her katana in a wide circular arc. The ghostly flames erupted in a spiraling torrent, meeting the icy wave head-on.
The collision created a massive explosion, the sheer force of it carving a crater into the center of the arena. Both combatants were thrown back, slamming into opposite walls with bone-jarring force.
Rynhara struggled to her feet, her body screaming in protest as the pain allowed her to stay consious. Blood trickled from a gash on her side, soaking into her shredded uniform. Yet, amidst the pain, she felt a strange sense of pride.
"This is the kind of fight I wanted," she muttered, a grin breaking through her exhaustion. "Someone who can really push me."
Lyra coughed, spitting out blood as she stood. Her arms trembled from the strain of holding her rapier, but her resolve never wavered.
"I'm not done yet, Dragon Princess," she said through gritted teeth. "I promised myself I'd take you down, and I don't break my promises."
The crowd, equally captivated and horrified, watched in stunned silence as the two combatants returned to the center of the arena, their eyes burning with unrelenting determination.
Their next clash was unlike anything the stadium had ever seen. Rynhara and Lyra moved with blinding speed, their blades a whirlwind of light and shadow.
The force of their attacks generated a tornado of destruction, swirling with physical and magical energy. Razor-sharp winds tore through the arena, shredding the remaining banners and scattering debris into the stands.
Each strike carried with it an almost unbearable weight. Rynhara's katana burned with raw power, every swing leaving scorch marks and gouges in the ground. Lyra's rapier, in contrast, radiated cold precision, encasing entire sections of the arena in frost.
As the fight progressed for Rynhara, she felt that the fight was agonising and exhilarating in equal amounts. Her muscles ached, her wounds burned, but the thrill of battling someone so evenly matched was intoxicating.
As gor Lyra, the pain was a constant reminder of her limits, but it also fueled her resolve. She could feel the weight of her determination pressing against the edge of her endurance.
Neither intended to losemthe battle and so continuedto push themselves forward.
As the tornado of slashes reached its peak, the arena began to crumble under the sheer magnitude of their attacks.
"Let's end this round with a bang," Rynhara shouted, her katana flaring with rainbow stardust.
"Agreed," Lyra replied, her rapier glowing with icy light.
They charged at each other one final time, their weapons meeting in a cataclysmic clash at the tornado's eye. The resulting explosion sent both combatants flying, slamming into the far ends of the arena as the destructive energy dissipated.
When the dust settled, half the arena was gone. The remaining walls were charred and frosted, a testament to the destructive power of their fight.
Both Rynhara and Lyra lay on the ground, battered and bleeding but still conscious.
Rynhara let out a weak laugh. "You… still alive, Frosty?"
Lyra groaned in response. "Barely. You?"
"Never been better."
The crowd erupted into a mixture of cheers and stunned silence, their excitement tempered by the sheer destruction they had just witnessed.
The commentators, for once, were speechless.
Finally, Fira managed to say, "I… think we need a new stadium."
Drollas nodded. "And a new rulebook."
The chapter closed with the battered fighters staring at each other, neither willing to back down as the next round loomed.