Chapter 98

Anyway, the third match. With the situation at one win and one loss, the ones to step onto the arena were a dwarf wielding a heavy axe and shield, and an elf who summoned spirits right from the start.

The elf, mainly utilizing wind spirits, fired arrows wrapped in wind currents, making them far more powerful. Meanwhile, the dwarf simply advanced, guarding himself with his massive shield.

This was like watching a heavily armored human tank of a dwarf trying to close in on the elf, while the elf taunted with superior mobility and range.

The elf’s wind-wrapped arrows embedded themselves into the iron shield, showing they weren’t ordinary shots. Yet the dwarf astonishingly blocked these powerful arrows, displaying incredible defensive prowess.

It was almost like watching a long-range battle between a heavy tank and a medium tank.

And let’s not forget that the elf’s spirit attacks were no joke either.

Invisible blades of wind scratched against the shield and armor, leaving thin wounds. If it weren’t for the iron protection, those could’ve caused serious injuries.

And so… the result? The elf lost after exhausting all their arrows and mana without taking down the dwarf.

Even though the elf had attacked as if to empty their quiver, the dwarf’s iron shield and armor were shredded to pieces but still held strong.

The dwarf pushed through all the attacks and approached the elf, who resisted by transforming their bow into a staff—but even that wasn’t enough to beat the dwarf in close combat.

While the elf tried to maintain distance using the staff’s reach, the moment the dwarf discarded their shield and gripped the axe with both hands, it was over.

This was the dwarf unleashing pent-up frustration after enduring years of humiliation and oppression.

What could the elf possibly do with a frail staff against such an attack?

The elf’s staff was split in two by the axe blade, followed by a devastating blow to the head from the massive axe.

After the match, checking the injuries revealed that while the elf had suffered no major harm, the dwarf was riddled with holes all over their body.

Hmm… despite being full of holes, it wasn’t fatal for the dwarf. Their durability is truly remarkable.

By the way, when the elf woke up from fainting, they burst into tears upon seeing their broken bow.

It was a precious bow received during their coming-of-age ceremony from the sacred tree, so it makes sense they’d cry over losing face like this.

Seeing the elf sobbing pitifully, we moved past the minor issue of fixing the bow.

Anyway, with the dwarf now leading 2-1, came the fourth match: a dwarf armed with a war hammer and shield versus an elf dressed lightly.

Wait, “lightly” doesn’t quite cut it…

There was a sword hanging from their waist!

And not just any sword—it was a decent-sized one-handed blade!

For an elf!

Anyway, a duel between the sword-wielding oddball elf and the war-hammer wielding dwarf commenced.

The early stages mirrored previous matches: the dwarf advancing while enduring arrow barrages, while the elf maintained distance, evading and whittling down the dwarf’s defenses with arrows.

However, this time the elf refrained from actively using spirits, seemingly conserving them.

Were they worried about running out of mana again? Or saving it for some other trick?

The purpose soon became clear when the elf, after firing all their arrows to no avail, dropped their bow outside the arena and drew their sword from the waist.

A sharp iron blade—something only a dwarf could craft in this era. How did the elf acquire it? Did they buy it from a merchant?

Holding the sword skillfully, the elf summoned a fire spirit into the blade.

Flames began flowing from the sword. Truly, imbuing spirits into a weapon to wield their power.

Though unique, how effective would it be in real combat? That was somewhat intriguing.

Discarding the shield and gripping the war hammer firmly, the dwarf clashed with the elf wielding the fiery sword.

Metal clashed, sparks flew—a bloody battle ensued. Both sides accumulated various large and small injuries.

But overall, the dwarf’s armor gave them the edge. The elf in light armor couldn’t match the dwarf’s heavy protection.

What turned the tide was the elf’s swordsmanship.

With graceful movements, deflecting attacks, exploiting openings, and cutting with their fiery blade, the elf danced like a masterful performance.

Adding secondary damage from the spirit-infused blade, flames seeped into wounds, gradually damaging the dwarf’s muscles.

The dwarf’s movements slowed bit by bit. Swinging the war hammer in defiance proved futile against the elf’s skilled dodges and counterattacks.

Thus, the oddball sword-wielding elf triumphed, securing a victory for their side.

—

After the fourth match, I healed the duelists, praising the fierce battles.

The dwarf was strong, but wow, that oddball elf with the sword was impressive! I wanted to talk more!

“Summoning spirits into your sword—quite the rare elf you are.”

“I’ve been fascinated with swords since the first time I saw one. It’s been about 500 years since I picked one up.”

500 years! That explains why their movements were so refined.

“But why a sword? Arrows… Hmm. Is it because setting trees on fire would be troublesome?”

“Yes, my contracted spirit is of fire, so I couldn’t imbue it into arrows. Attacking recklessly might accidentally set trees ablaze. So when I discovered swords, I fell completely in love.”

“Indeed, fire spirits aren’t easy for elves to use.”

“First, I used stone-carved swords, then bronze-made ones, and now this iron sword crafted by dwarves. Honestly, I’d have loved to meet the dwarf who forged this sword, but the war made it a bit disappointing.”

Ah, so it was indeed a dwarf-crafted sword. Certainly, it’s an excellent sword for this age.

“In this situation, I’m satisfied knowing my 500 years of wielding a sword weren’t wasted. And the spirit-infused blade also showed its true power.”

“Hmm. A splendid combination of swordsmanship and spirit magic. Naming it ‘Spirit Sword’ would be fitting! Take pride in it!”

“Spirit Sword… a good name. I hadn’t named it until now, but Spirit Sword works well.”

“Hmm! Be proud! Among everyone except the hero, you’re probably the best swordsman!”

Let’s exclude the hero from this discussion.

“Hooh… is the hero really that strong? I’d like to fight them.”

“Hmm. The hero seemed interested too, so let’s arrange a match after this. Rest well for now.”

Although there were no life-threatening injuries, bones were bruised from blocking the war hammer, and the palm leather tore.

After healing the wounded from the fourth match, the final bout began.

At 2-2, the last match would decide everything.

As the final elf duelist stepped onto the stage, cheers erupted from the elf spectators.

Standing opposite was the Dwarf Representative.

The Dwarf Representative carried a weapon concealed in cloth on their back and held a shield in hand.

Meanwhile, the elf checked their quiver and glared at the dwarf representative.

With the hero’s signal, the final match began.

The moment the elf fired an arrow, the dwarf representative planted the shield into the ground to block it, then drew the weapon from their back, unraveling the cloth.

What lay hidden beneath was… a crossbow?! A rather large one at that! One that fired short javelins like arrows!

Seriously?! A crossbow appears here?! What’s going on? Are the dwarves evolving unnaturally fast or something?! Are the dwarves even normal dwarves anymore?! Or is it strange that a crossbow appeared at this point?! I don’t know!

Anyway, the dwarf representative, having pre-tensioned the crossbow before stepping onto the arena, aimed it at the elf over the shield and pulled the trigger.

The tightly drawn string released with a twang, launching the javelin at high speed.

The javelin flew toward the elf at a speed incomparable to arrows.

“Khhk!”

In an instant, the briefest of screams.

Speed and destructive power far exceeding arrows. An overwhelmingly powerful attack for an elf in light armor.

The final duel ended in the blink of an eye.