The End of Your Arrogance - Chapter 13.2

“Yes,” he said near her ear. “See? You are already doing it right.”

She could feel his hot breath on her neck. She could see her reflection in the mirror, aiming a weapon while his arms were around her. Her heart began pounding so fast that she was afraid he might hear it.

“Now imagine yourself shooting this, Evelyn.”

Evelyn shut her eyes and pictured the Marquis’s main castle. Akrid Castle, the fortress that was placed up high that once was her prison.

“You’re going to shoot all the bastards that hurt you.”

Evelyn turned her head in surprise. His blue-gray eyes were full of rage. Evelyn almost stopped breathing.

“You’re a hallucination sorcerer,” he said. “Don’t sell yourself short. Do you know how powerful you are? You could make them feel and see unimaginable pain that they beg you to kill them.”

Could I? She doubted herself. Although she was in a much better state now than in the past, she was still low on confidence.

“When that day comes, I will leave Odin Maduse for you to finish.”

His words made her hands shake on the trigger. “I will be going with you to the Central Coast when you fight for your revenge?”

Ilya replied casually as though it was obvious. “No one knows Akrid castle better than you. Besides, there are no hallucination sorcerers among the Black Forest Knights.”

“W-will I be o-of any help?” she stammered.

He needs me and my powers? This was the first time in her life that she had ever felt like he needed her. Evelyn was shocked and excited, in equal measures.

“Of course,” he said. “You could drown that entire bloody place with a bunch of sea creatures and save us the fight, even. You are good at making whales, remember?”

His casual words made her blush. It was as though he suddenly had so much faith in him.

“I’m going to go see Arthus practice,” she said, flustered.

“If you don’t, he will be upset. He is fighting for you.”

Although she was still nervous about Arthus, her heart beat in a renewed way.

Evelyn closed one of her eyes and aimed outside the window. Ilya looked at her in surprise. He then readjusted Evelyn’s arm that was supporting the base of the weapon.

One thing at a time, she told herself. I can start small right now and then one day…

“Now,” he whispered.

She pulled the trigger with her finger shaking. The arrow flew and pierced through a lamp that hung sneakily on the branch of a tree. Her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe it.

“Did you see that? I hit it!” she exclaimed.

Ilya hit her shoulders playfully like he did with his knights. “Good job! That was quite a shot.”

Evelyn’s cheeks turned red. He smirked as he watched her turn bright red and try to hide her face with her hair.

* * *

Time passed quickly and the day of the duel arrived. The place was packed with the audience from early morning. Ilya was sitting in the front seat. People whispered as they saw the woman in a veil sitting next to him.

“It’s the witch of Maduse! She has a veil on. I can’t see her face.”

“I heard this duel is because of her?”

Evelyn was praying with her hand locked. Please, keep him safe. Evelyn begged and begged to any gods who would listen. The crowd roared and Evelyn raised her head.

Arthus walked into the stadium with his sword on his shoulder. A gold-colored string accessory swung from the sheath as he moved. Ilya watched the accessory reflecting the sunlight. He then extended his arm. His hand found its way underneath the veil and touched Evelyn’s hair.

As the hair wrapped around his finger, his brow furrowed.

The horn that signaled the start of the duel blasted inside the stadium. As the two stood in front of each other, tension filled the area. Arthus’ nickname was ‘Brown Bear’ because he was big and burly, but his opponent was bigger than him. The audience mocked and yelled at the man who was a head taller than Arthus.

“Maduse is a coward! You ran away from an apprentice knight.”

“Size doesn’t matter in a sword fight. Kill him!”

The two glared at each other with bloodlust. Then their swords clashed. The fierce sound of metal on metal rang across the stadium.

“You’re not even a real knight!”

“And you’re a prick who hits women!”

As Arthus kicked the ground and jumped, their swords clashed against each other again. The giant skillfully blocked Arthus’s lightning speed strikes. While Arthus was catching his breath for a second, the giant lifted the sword with enormous strength and pushed Arthus’s blade away.

The giant smiled, showing off his rotten teeth.

Sprinkle.

Sparks flew off the swords that clashed, but there was another unidentifiable power in the stadium.