Ava's Pov

I could hear the battle drums beating impatiently as I stood tall in my spot.

In my hands was my sword. While at the side of my foot was a dagger.

Knight Lydia stood at distance, with a look of delinquency on her features.

"You could just walk out and wait for the day, you know."

My wolf calmly suggested.

"Of what use? Still amounts to combating Knight Lydia."

I spat at her, taking a hold of my sword and lifting it up, remembering Master Zu's words.

"More stubborn than I expected." she retorted.

Looking around, I could see Francesca and Cicilia's devious glances. She demonstrated a look of elimination with her hands slicing through her neck as a blade would.

I scoffed immediately.

I wasn't dying easily if that's what they both thought.

"So tell me pawn, why would you risk your life and combat with me?"

Knight Lydia echoed from where she stood. Clothed in a shining armor.

I looked at mine, old and almost rusted.

"I'm clearly not risking my life, Knight Lydia. Right now, you're the one at risk."

I said confidently, with my chin held up.

That definitely pissed her.

Those were my intentions.

I needed her to fight angrily, so she didn't think straight.

"You little cunt!!"

She yelled, approaching me with full force with her blade.

She begun to make slashing motions which I clashed with mine.

Her moves were quite defensive. It seemed like she also discovered her chakra too.

Quite difficult, but not impossible.

"W-wolf,"

I hissed immediately.

"What?"

"I need you to sniffle her. Look for any weak spots she isn't protecting."

I muttered. From that ancient book, once an opponent seems hard to conquer... looking for weak spots proved helpful.

"She's well guarded, Ava. But I'll keep looking."

My wolf's words made me entirely distracted. That I didn't block a move of hers. Thus, my sword came trembling down just beside her.

She sighed, kicking it away.

I held gasps from the pawns.

Emily held Piper, making her close her eyes at the sight.

"What? Surprised?" she asked. I trembled, with my lips quivering.

This couldn't be.

"Tell me, who's at risk now, Ava?"

She said as she approached me. Knight Lydia styled the sword approaching me.

"Any last words?" she spat, as I laid on the ground with dirt covered all over me.

I shifted back to keep a distance between us.

"Yes. You underestimate me, Lydia."

My hands immediately scrunched some sand. I splattered it into her eyes. She screamed from the effect, taking steps back.

"You bitch!!"

She snarled angrily.

I used that opportunity, climbing on some fighting board to support my motions. Lifting my legs high in the air, I kicked her lots of times.

"The delight you take in cussing. How low for a Knight, Lydia."

I stated, as she fell on the floor.

"Don't worry cause I'll be taking care of that rank now."

Approaching her with my dagger I untucked from my leg, I said.

"In your dreams."

I was about to slice through when she rolled over. With her sword still in her hands.

I widened my eyes at her persistence.

What was she doing?

She should be giving up by now...

"What did you think, Ava? That you perhaps won?"

"With that lame strategy of yours."

She mocked, with her eyes closed.

"There is a reason I'm called a beast on the battle field, you know."

"When fighting, I use all of my senses." she added fiercely.

I hastily approached her, with a move from the dagger.

She ducked, dodging it smartly.

Knight Lydia suddenly lowered herself, taking a stance squatting low.

One of her legs knocked me off balance. I landed well though, rolling over.

"Wolf."

I called out.

"Yes, princess Ava?" she replied mockingly.

"Need your help once more. Find out what she's using to see, in spite of her being temporarily blind."

I remarked.

"Dim whit."

Wolf muttered immediately. I dodged a blow move from her immediately.

"What?"

"She clearly can't see. Means she uses her other senses."

"Like..." I trailed impatiently, ducking from another move of hers.

"Your pants, footsteps and motions."

I stopped on my spots, realizing.

I clearly was the one giving her the opportunity.

"Common warrior, fight!"

She yelled angrily, definitely unable to sense me anymore.

I didn't reply those words, knowing it was just a ploy.

"What are you suggesting?"

I said, inwardly to my wolf.

"Use the assassin's technique Elder Zu, trained you with."

I arched my brow at her words.

"How useful will that be?"

"Try it first." she answered, in a pissed and enraged tone.

"Okay."

I immediately seized all natural body sounds, moving around her like some death walker.

I slashed one of her legs immediately. Then the second.

Knight Lydia gasped in pain, trembling to her knees.

"I-Is that a-all you got?"

She stammered, from the obvious effect of the pain.

I hung my dagger high, throwing it towards her shoulders. It dug through with blood seeping through her.

The audience jeered in support of me, while some groaned in disapproval.

"Answer me like a true warrior, you pawn!"

She said, standing up but I knew better than to say any words. Using the assassin's technique, I dug my paws into her second shoulder.

Knight Lydia laid on the ground helplessly.

The battle drums commenced once more that I had won.

I looked towards the pawns, raising my hands towards them.

This was just the beginning.

"Ava!!"

My wolf suddenly yelled.

I turned back towards where Lydia lay, only to find a void spot. An arrow came piercing through me suddenly.

Widening my eyes, I coughed out blood looking up at her.

"Missed me?"

H-how?

How was she still energetic?

"I-I purposely didn't end your life."

I grunted out.

"And this is how you choose to repay that privilege." I added, falling flat on the floor.

"Your mistake."

She snarled, taking a hold of my sword just beside me and about to slash my neck.

I weakly dodged it.

"W-wolf... help."

"This is bad. Really bad, Ava." she stated as I coughed more crimson.

It splattered on the floor, and I felt myself slowly loosing consciousness.

"T-try connecting with my chakra."

I weakly voiced out, dragging myself on the floor only for her to appear in front of me.

She was clearly human.

Yet... her fighting strategies were maddening.

Just like Master Zu's.

"Going somewhere?"

My hands dug into my chest, removing the piece of arrow that lurked inside.

I writhed, from so much hurt and pain.

"All these years of training..."

I trailed on my words.

"You b-became undefeatable like that, didn't you?" I stated slurry with my eyes seeing her figure in a blur.

Hope I didn't pass out...

"W-what are you talking about?"

I used my last energy to untuck the arrow.

Thankfully wounds healed, giving my wolf a chance to connect with my chakra.

"You were once a pawn like me, weren't you?"

I looked up at her, saying.

From her trembling hands, I could tell that my words were true.

"How heroic." she mocked.

"I'm about to end your life, and this is what you're talking about?"

"Your one impossible child, Ava."

She raised her blade, once more.

"I'm giving you a chance."

She halted at my words.

"To rethink and join me to save the girls. Or die here, Lydia."

I spat out.

"Who do you think you are? Mother Theresa?"

"This has been going on for centuries and you suddenly show up wanting to put an end to it?" she added.

I looked her in the eye, standing at the mercy of her blade.

"I'm the beast's mate. Chosen by the Moon Goddess to save this Kingdom and all districts."

I remarked.

"Dying wouldn't be so easy for me, you know."

I extended my paws, trying to connect with my vicious circle. Only for her to begin to laugh hysterically.

I narrowed my eye brows at her, wondering what was so funny.

"To think you'd rehearse that line to defeat me." she commented, with a snarl.

"You can't be the beast's mate? If you were, you won't be a pawn right now!!"

She moved to slice me, which I dodged.

I made the motions, with my wolf connecting with my chakra. I felt insanely powerful just then.

"Now, Ava."

I immediately connected the blade to his neck, slicing through.

With her hands encamped around it, she fell to the floor with so much blood seeping out.

Couldn't believe it.

Couldn't believe that in spite of all...

I had just won the fight.

***

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