The Decisive Strike

“One strike on Renji.” Balam’s voice rang through the training grounds, though everyone else was dead quiet. Even Princess Illyandaril herself didn’t expect Renji to get back up after a hit like that, and that smile, usually it would have gotten on her nerves something fierce. Ordinarily, she’d have shouted at him for insulting her, for being an idiot and not staying down, but the fire in his eyes excited her. This was the first time someone other than Balam didn’t stay down after taking a hit from her. Slowly, a smile began to grow on her face, widening more and more by her growing interest in her new opponent. She didn’t want this to end so soon all of a sudden, this could be some real fun for her.

Just as before, she began with her most practiced move. Her flash step was the first move she ever mastered, and it was exactly what she had intended to use on The Dark Lord when she finally found him. Swinging her blade down upon him once more, she held back her strength as promised, enough not to kill him, at least. This time, however, Renji was proactive, he didn’t dodge away, but he stepped in towards her, and she felt it; the tip of his rapier pressing against her gut. He had gotten her. “One strike on Illya!” Balam’s voice, followed swiftly by the mutterings of the court. She might have been embarrassed and lashed out, but instead she swiftly returned to a neutral position. That hurt. She knew that the thrust from Renji would bruise her. Even Balam rarely struck her seriously. The way her hands shook, the way everything seemed to move faster than it was—she was having fun.

Renji pulled back to a neutral stance, but this time he wasn’t about to let her be the aggressor. She knew that he wasn’t going to sit there and be a dummy for her to beat up. Taking two cautious steps forward, he entered her critical range, and she didn’t hesitate. With startling speed, she whipped the pole of her axe to the right, the blade barely missing his face as he leaned back to evade. Stepping in, he went for a deep lunge towards her body again, but she side-stepped him, lifting the butt-end of her greataxe to try and wrest control of his blade from him. He pulled back just in time, taking a micro-step back before stepping back in, slashing and cutting to try and catch her where she’s open. In response, her body moved with frightening speed, plugging up the holes in her defenses as he found them.

It was clear to Renji that her skills with this greataxe were indeed something to boast of. She maneuvered the hilt well enough to defend herself, such defensive aspects often weak for users of weapons such as these, but most impressive to him was how she avoided his attempts to cut her hands. With no hilt to protect her hands, they should be an easy target now that they are in such a clash, but her hands always shift along the pole, and where he could get her to let go momentarily, she clutches back onto the blade just as swiftly. Her reaction time and reflexes were otherworldly, which made it clear that she was either skilled, or superhuman strength wasn’t the only blessing given to her.

Grabbing the shaft of the greataxe, Renji lunges high, both feet leaving the ground as he went for a lunge at her upper body, she evades by twisting her body hard to the right, but not in time as his blade found her shoulder, brushing off of it after she completes her failed dodge. With a swift movement, she throws Renji back before his feet touch the ground by swinging her greataxe forward, though incredibly he landed on his feet, managing to land back in his stance. “Second strike on Illya!” The murmurs were louder this time. Could this outsider really stand a chance against THE Princess Illyandaril Rose, the immovable object that was set up to defeat The Dark Lord? If she lost now, it could shake the confidence the nobility had in her, but she didn’t care for that right now. This was the most fun she had had in years, and she wasn’t about to let up, even if he was just some outworlder. Even if he was just some peasant compared to her.

Another swift flash step, Illya closed the gap, keeping her blade held high, but she waited for Renji’s step-in. When he did, she thrust the butt-end of her greataxe to his face as hard and fast as she could. Bending back hard, he barely avoids it, saving himself the immediate pain but leaving himself open. Lowering the head of her axe, she cut forward, again aiming for his face, but he evades again, just barely, by letting his body drop. He twisted mid-fall, landing hard on his hands and knees instead of his back—but he was still wide open. Slashing at him again, their blades met as Renji scrambled to his feet. A parry, and a desperate one. She continued the assault, keeping her attacks rapid and relentless as he backed up, parrying her over and over to try and create a window, but she wasn’t giving it to him, and eventually she found an opening of her own.

A sharp step forward, she rested the head of her axe on his blade, knowing one hand alone would be enough to keep his blade out of the way for the moment she needed. With her left hand, she grabbed him by the leather jerkin at his chest, she pulled him forward as she drove the butt-end of the axe into his gut, causing him to retch and drop to his hands and knees once more. “Second strike on Renji! One left for either combatant!” Even Balam was starting to sound into it, the duel had begun to capture the attention of everyone watching. They kept silent for the sake of the fighters, but the tension in the air spoke to their desire to cheer and cry out. This didn’t feel like a duel anymore, it felt like an exhibition match.

“Come on, we’re not done yet, Renji.” Illya was panting, but that wide smile never left her face. It felt good to land that hit, but she needed more. Renji didn’t miss it, nobody did; she had said his name, not a title or an insult: Renji. Taking off his helmet, Renji wiped off his mouth before standing up. He stretched, that defiant spark still in his eyes. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she took her stance again. The climax of their duel was here, but despite that she knew she didn’t want it to end. “Perhaps after I finally squash him, I’ll train him and have him fight me some more.” Illya thought to herself before the two faced each other for the final time.

There were no swift flash steps or fancy openings, the two were now well and truly cautious of each other. Renji stayed out of her range, trying to bait her into swinging her axe prematurely so that he could go in and get a quick retaliation, but Illya was privy to his tricks now. A back-and-forth where neither opponent swung had begun, stepping back, forth, and around, feinting swings that never came, trying to lull the other into making a mistake that would ensure victory for the other.

This game of back and forth continued relentlessly for several moments. It spoke volumes to Illya’s father, her mentor, and her best friend. Never before had she given any opponent this level of respect, even Balam. They observed as the two tried to catch the other in their footwork, just seeing if they could get the other to slip up just once, and just as the tension rose ever higher, the first move was made. Illya dashed in hard, entering Renji’s range, but instead of attacking as she telegraphed, and instead, put a lot of strength into her legs to dash back, hoping that Renji would take the bait she had dangled so enticingly right in front of him before she would lower her axe upon him, claiming her righteous victory. However, to the surprise of all, Renji didn’t attack at all, instead, he dashed in with her, causing Illya to panic. Lowering her axe quicker than she would have, it caused her to lose control over her own attack, allowing Renji to parry her attack to his left, wrapping his arm around the handle of the greataxe, he hooks his right foot in behind hers and presses the hilt of his rapier against her shoulder, disarming her and throwing her to the ground.

Princess Illyandaril Rose was on her back. Her blue, plated battle-regalia suddenly felt heavy. She didn’t know what just happened to her, only that her axe was no longer in her hands, and that a cloud had just begun to roll in front of the sun. The skies seemed so blue. She was defeated, but why wasn’t she angry about it? Despite hearing Balam’s call of Renji’s victory, she knew she should be upset. She should cry and call foul. However, when Renji’s hand extended down to her to help her up, she didn’t feel a sting to her pride at all, instead, she felt something stir in her gut. This outworlder defied her expectations, what else was there about this stranger from another world? Perhaps it might be worth picking his brains after all, for now. She still wasn’t convinced that he should be the one going with her, but she lost. She’d need to find another way to prove that he was unworthy, but at least for now she met his expectations.

Taking his hand and standing up, Illya gripped his hand tightly before wordlessly leading him away. Renji tried to let go, but she didn’t let him go. She had a destination in mind, and concerned for the safety of the victor, Roland, Hutch, Balam, and Nemi all followed, all simultaneously asking numerous questions to probe into just what Illya was trying to do, until they soon realized just what she had intended.

Illya wanted to see if Renji could be blessed.