Chapter 11

The warriors charged each other as the battle began.

Ibaeran found herself face off against a man who looked at her with a smile on his face, thinking she would be easy to defeat.

“Listen girl, I’m in a good mood and I don’t really like hurting girls so I’ll go easy on you,” said the man.

Ibaeran recognized his voice, he was the warrior in the room that said she must have been mad, to come and fight in the tournament.

Ibaeran then charged in, straight for the man, feeling immense rage over the way he insulted her.

The man, believing she was weak smiled at her and allowed to come close to him, dropping his guard down and giving her the chance to deliver the first blow.

The man eyes widened upon receiving a blow to his stomach from Ibaeran as he had never felt so much pain from a single blow.

He then immediately fell down of his knees and then looked up to Ibaeran who stood before to him with her eyes still red with rage.

He looked at her with a look of fear and horror, now knowing she was far stronger than she appeared to be.

Ibaeran, wanting to end their fight quick kicked his chest and sent him fly before crashing hard to the ground.

The man was now down on the ground unable to find the strength to get up as he was now down and defeated by the girl underestimated.

Everyone both the warriors fighting, the people and the Uha Tamunaran’s observing the battle looked at Ibaeran shocked that she just defeated one of the warriors easily.

Then for brief moment the arena became silent as everyone even the warriors that were busy fighting each other stopped and stared at Ibaeran, unable to believe what she had done.

They did not expect a girl of all people to be strong enough to defeat a warrior so easily.

They all stopped staring once the Uha Tamunaran that rang the bell appeared to carry the warrior Ibaeran had defeated, after that the fight resumed this time though the warriors took Ibaeran seriously and refused to underestimate her not wanting to make the same mistake the warrior she defeated made.

Bafuro just looked at Ibaeran with a proud smile on his face as the tournament continued.

One by one the warriors that dared to face Ibaeran fell, losing to her immense skill and strength, she was so formidable that most of the warriors had to work together to face her but even that wasn’t enough to defeat Ibaeran.

Occasionally a warrior would manage to bring Ibaeran down to the ground but each and every time she fell, she got up and continued to fight until she was victorious.

Soon there was no one left to fight and to everyone’s surprise Ibaeran stood tall as the champion.

Both the people and the Uha Tamunarans looked at her with a look both shock and confusion, unable to believe that a girl not only contested in the tournament she won, defeating each and every warrior in the tournament.

Bafuro then stood up from his seat and began to clap then not too long after everybody apart from the Uha Tamunaran began to clap and cheered for Ibaeran.

Ibaeran herself could not believe it; she had actually won.

She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or if it was actually real.

Ibaeran made her way out the arena where she was greeted none other than Bafuro.

“Congratulations Ibaeran” said Bafuro with a smile on his face.

“I still can’t believe I won” said Ibaeran.

“I can and do you know why?” said Bafuro as he took a step closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Because you are one of a kind, you have the soul of warrior and a heart of gold. That is why I believe you will make a great Su Baera” said Bafuro.

Before Ibaeran could give a reply to Bafuro two Uha Tamunaran’s approached them.

Ibaeran upon seeing them felt uncomfortable and scared.

Bafuro noticed Ibaeran’s fear as the Uha Tamunaran’s approached them.

“It’s okay Ibaeran; they are not here to hurt. They are here to take you away” said Bafuro.

“Take me? Where?” asked Ibaeran.

“To the city of Porti Hara, the capital city of South Nation where you will have to fight in the national tournament” said Bafuro.

“What? I have to fight in another tournament?” said Ibaeran shocked to hear that she had to fight again in another tournament.

“Actually, you have to fight in two, the national tournament and the international tournament. Only after fighting and winning in the international tournament which is the main and final tournament will you be taken to steel wings to claim it and its power” said Bafuro.

“What?” said Ibaeran both shocked, enraged and annoyed by the fact that she still had to fight in two more tournaments and win.

“I know how you feel, I felt the same way when I won my first tournament but don’t worry, you will win those other tournaments just like you this one” said Bafuro.

“How do you know I will win” asked Ibaeran.

“Because, you are the Su Baera” said Bafuro with a smile on her face.

Ibaeran was about to say something to Bafuro but before she could the Uha Tamunarans held her by the hand and dragged her away.

As the Uha Tamunarans dragged her turned back to see Bafuro, her master one last time.

He still had that smile on his face.

Ibaeran then thought about how Bafuro could be so certain that she was going to be the next Su Baera as she herself wasn’t even sure.