Ancient Technique vs Modern Weapon

Melvin clenched his fist. "Did that guy just said beggar noble?"

"Yes, Mr. President, and my ears didn't deceive me," Rederick said.

Melvin glared at the Marquess. No wonder he was laughing at him earlier. They were writing the script for announcing his fighter.

Looking at the audience they were laughing their guts out at Celine. She didn't look like a gladiator but someone who just lost her way in the arena. As she walked, she almost slipped which caused the people to laugh even more. They were in disbelief. "Hey, hey are they serious?"

"She's obviously a newbie and this match will end quick."

"How boring. Vahenna! Just slice her head so we can go home."

"Tsk, I was anticipating a big shot. It looks like the Duke are fond of jokes."

Melvin just picked up the idea that the owner of this coliseum was the Duke. That explained why he was able to create a lousy script to humiliate them.

Melvin clicked his tongue. "What's his problem."

"Sir, Duke Harges hates the lower branch. That's why he does what he can to humiliate and degrade them. His father, Sir Alfred was from the higher branch who almost took the throne. The royalty lineage was supposed to be to them. But because he was assassinated, it passed on to his uncle. They found out that the culprits were from the lower branch. Also, the assassin they hired was my father. After that incident, he brew up conspiracies against the lower branch." She lowered her head and sighed.

Melvin was silenced. He understood why he had a deep hatred towards the lower branch. But hell, he didn't have a title of nobility. Monarchy and its political system were a headache.

Rederick then smiled. He snapped his fingers. "Mr. President, I have an idea."

Melvin raised his eyebrow. "My ears all yours."

"Listen carefully, this has happened before. When we were cockfighting one team had received most of the bets, yet we tried something only madmen would do. When everyone backed, we layed."

Backing was a term used in betting for an outcome, which was this fighter would win. Laying would be the term to bet that the opposite result would take effect. Usually, most people would only bet on a fighter which they think would win with certainty. Thus, they fell into a trap.

Since almost no one would bet for Celine, Rederick planned to be the laying bettor against the entire coliseum. "Mr. President, I'll handle this scheme." He was smiling as he went to the other nobles and do his thing.

Melvin trusted him to deal with it. For now, he observed the arena.

The audience booed at her. They had an annoyed look seeing Celine was incompetent.

Celine was annoyed. She wanted to get close to the Emcee and punch him, too bad he was already away. Having the name of a worm was already humiliating. Even she hadn't received this treatment back on earth.

She finally understood how Melvin had felt being degraded by the public. No strangers were supporting her. Though, she never looked back at them and focused on the arena instead. What mattered was how to end it quickly.

***

When Vahenna was walking with her fully armored on towards the arena. She was prepared for this day. This was her final battle. She could remember the time when she got captured and was sold to slavery.

Vahenna talked once with her master, Harges. She could remember his words.

"You want to be free? Then win me 50 battles in the coliseum and if you do I might even bring your sister to you."

Every grueling training she done was for this moment. She even broke her bones a few times just to master the deep fierce swing technique. She once lifted rocks twice her weight just to reach her potential.

She would swing her heavy sword on a dummy until the day goes out. The sword she even held was unwieldable even for most men due to its weight.

It was about 10 years of endurance and pain.

Some slave warriors were given a promise by their Master. She was one of them. If they could win 50 battles they would be given freedom.

On one of her defeats she almost died and it wasn't the only time. She felt like surrendering from the pain of training. For the sake of her sister she endured it. Her struggle wasn't fruitless.

With her strict routines, eventually, she became unstoppable after she learned the ancient technique.

The fierce deep blade technique was taught by her father. She just polished it once she became a slave warrior. Mastering it, none was able to defeat her in the arena. Thus, she took pride of herself as a great warrior, a fierce deep blade user. She even believed it was humanity's strongest weapon.

Finally, it was her final battle and the moment of truth. If she wins this she gets her freedom and would be able to see her sister. She thought this battle would be the most difficult she would ever face since this was her last opponent. In fact, she was confident on her previous battles but this time she was nervous.

Upon stepping on the arena. She frowned. On the distance, she observed a woman with no sword or armor. The only thing she held was a small black object. Vahenna thought that it was probably a staff or an employee of the coliseum. "Hey, where is my opponent!"

"That's her, Miss Vahenna." Someone from the crowd yelled.

Vahenna was in disbelief. "He's not serious right?"

Celine took a deep breath. She calmed herself. "He is and I'm your opponent for this round."

Vahenna couldn't believe it. Since it was her last fight, she expected it to be someone of a challenge. This must be one of Duke Harges tricks just to entertain himself.

The Duke and the other nobles were pleasured to see the slaves of the lower branch being cut alive in the public. She done it a couple of times humiliating the slaves of their rival nobles, making them suffer as long as possible for their amusement. They wanted to see the blood being spilled.

But for her right now this was just a walk in the park, there was no honor in this fight. "Grab a blade and fight me like a true warrior of the arena."

Celine aimed the colt towards Vahenna. "This thing is all I need."

Vahenna assessed that thing. It was the first time she saw it. It didn't look like a magical item since it would be affixed with a magical gem. Her best guess it was just a bluff or a joke.

The audience were already booing Celine and she pretended to be deaf. But any moment she could snap.

"Hey the worm warrior. Yield. There is no honor for me if I win this fight."

Celine got annoyed. "Huh? Who are you calling a worm? If you won't attack then I'll do it first."

Vahenna harrumphed. "What can you do besides throwing your life away? If you don't back down, I'll make you suffer as the command of my Lord."

Celine smiled. "No need to hold back, I'm gonna defeat you with one attack."

Vahenna understood that Celine wasn't crazy. Her eyes meant it. Vahenna then held her weapon tightly. She heard the audience on the sides spurring her to fight.

She may as well attack. She then charged fast towards Vahenna.

Vahenna aimed well on her right shoulder. When she had a clear shot, she fired.

Bang!

A loud strident noise echoed across the coloseum. The audience were surprised after hearing it. Their jaws were dropped on the result.

Vahenna was close to Celine. Though she just dropped flat on the ground and let go of her sword.

The sword slid towards the ground close to Celine's foot. She assessed Vahenna that was already down. Celine grabbed the sword yet she couldn't even lift it well, it was heavy. "I can't believe she can carry this."

She then threw it outside the ring so it would be out of her reach. She sighed.

Vahenna was gritting her teeth. She wondered why her right shoulder felt strikingly painful and hot. It was also bleeding profusely.

She knew what just happened. After that noise, a projectile even faster than the eye can blink were released from the weapon she was holding. "Is that even possible?"

It shot her body. Vahenna's eyes widened. "If that kind of weapon exists, then what was my 10 years of training for? All the pain and suffering that I went through. I had to sacrifice them all just to make myself stronger." She clenched her fists. "This is unfair!"

Celine let out a sigh of relief. It seems it was over. She then aimed the gun at Vahenna's head. "Yield."

The audience were frozen. They didn't know how to react as things happened to fast. They were murmuring to each other.

Vahenna tried to stand up. Yet she fell again. Blood trickled out of her shoulder.

Celine were worried about her. "You should yield now before you might lose more blood. My superior still needs you."

Vahenna couldn't take this loss. It was the first time she was lying on the ground after she mastered the fierce deep blade technique. Since before, she was unbeatable.

"For my sister!" Vahenna wanted to stand up but the blood was now pooling below her. She then finally dropped unconscious.

It was clear that Vahenna was the winner but the audience were silent. Only Melvin and Rederick were clapping. "Yeah! That's our gladiator!"

"Wooo!" Rederick loudly cheered.

Shira was applauding while smiling.

Celine smiled. She then raised her arms like the gladiator and announced her win since the Emcee didn't. She then walked out of the arena with the audience's confused gazes.

Afterward, Rederick was laughing as he carried multiple sacks of gold coins. They gathered around 300 gold coins from the bet. The colosseum lost against them. "I can't believe we have this a lot of money. Ha ha ha!"

Celine was proud of herself because she defeated a big shot of the death arena. In fact, Melvin and his team were proud of her.

Shira beamed a comforting smile at Celine. "See, I knew that you can do it."

"Thank you, I was scared at first but I became confident when those people treated me bad. I feel like I have to show it them." She then gave the Colt to Melvin.

"That was pretty slick move, you got her good. Now we need to take our main reward." The team were moving to the infirmary where Vahenna was found. He hoped this would go smoothly since the Duke could be present.