by Brent Tyman
Aurielle’s sword had been knocked away from where the Hydra had attacked her and happened to be right in front of me. Since I didn’t have time to sheath my own weapon, I simply dropped it and grabbed the artifact sword’s hilt. Whatever fancy metal it was made of looked pristine, despite being half buried in the sand.
“Everyone get down!” I shouted as I threw the crystal with all my might at the Hydra.
I wasn’t sure if the soldiers knew who I was, but when Juliana’s retinue heeded my advice, they did so as well.
The crystal sailed through the air, attracting the Hydra’s attention as it crashed into the side of the second head from the left. That head whipped around in a blur as it snapped at whatever had hit it. Even I was impressed with my aim, as the crystal bounced off the side of its head, only to be snapped up by one of the Hydra’s mouths.
It roared in rage before a massive flash of light burst from the Hydra, forcing me to avert my eyes. A wave of heat washed over me. When that finally passed, I looked up to see that two of its three remaining heads had been blown apart.
I honestly hoped that might be the end, as the Hydra stumbled to its knees. After a shocked moment of silence, though, the final head hissed, lifted itself high and roared. Then it glared right at me.
Seriously, how was this thing still alive?
Orders passed between the soldiers as they got back to their feet. Magic once more streaked through the air to crash into the Hydra’s flank. It seemed it was time to give it all we had, since the dampening magic was no more.
I honestly couldn’t tell how much of a difference there was now from before, but given that the spells seemed to finally inflict a semblance of damage to the monster, our plan had clearly worked. Now all we had to do was finish the job.
“Let’s join the fight and finish it,” I shouted to my women before rushing forward.
Daiver had immediately reengaged, swiping his sword along the beast’s side. At least this time, his sword wasn’t simply bouncing back from the hard scales. He seemed to be doing some decent damage.
Karl’s lighting ran along the Hydra’s body and did cause several scales to weaken, before smoking and falling off. This allowed the soldiers to be more effective, as long as they aimed for those scaleless patches.
Juliana’s fireballs smashed into the Hydra’s side, causing its scales to char and shrivel. This was a stark contrast to how her fire magic had simply winked out, before, doing little to no damage.
Clarissa even darted forward to join in the fight, using that same close range lightning spell on the Hydra that she’d cast on the Titan, and then to weaken the crystal. Her magic streaked across the monster’s side, adding to the combined magical damage with the rest of the mages. Even Anny blurred by, using her daggers to do her part in finishing off the Hydra.
Vencia and Kesara seemed content to aid those who had been knocked out from the Hydra’s blows.
With so much damage being inflicted, I couldn’t imagine the Hydra lasting much longer. Yet, somehow, against all odds, the monster shook its last head from side to side and its dazed stun fell off after only a few moments.
Far sooner than I’d hoped, it ponderously got back up to its feet, raising its final head up high.
I swiped Aurielle’s artifact sword across its front legs, hoping it would deal some serious damage. With all my might behind the blows, the artifact sword cut through its scales with ease and blood flowed freely from the wound.
I could tell that the Hydra really wanted to stop me, as it tried to stomp on me. I dodged its attack and slashed the back side of its leg.
The monster roared in pain and rage. But it refused to lower its head down to face me. I knew then, that once I got the final head, it would be game over. No matter what kind of strange thing this artifact sword did to monsters, the beast refused to lower its head.
The Hydra swiped the ground in front of it with its other front leg, knocking half of the two dozen or so soldiers still in the fight into the air. Unlike before, though, these men weren’t just knocked back, but practically blown all the way to the edge of the fighting pit.
It was gaining its strength back. That much, I’d gathered from how it would twirl its head around to stare at my attempts to finish it. Somehow, I knew it understood what the dampening magic had done to it, and that any residual effects were fading fast.
It would regain its full power soon and was just waiting for that to happen before it took care of me. That was the only reason I could think of, as to why it hadn’t already lowered its head and attacked me.
I soon noticed that my blows weren’t doing quite as much damage as before, either. Daiver’s attacks started bouncing off its scales again. We didn’t have much time to finish this.
The Hydra suddenly spun around, knocking everyone back from its body.
I somehow managed to jump back out of the way in time, but not everyone else was so lucky. A couple of soldiers were thrown back several dozen feet.
There hadn’t been a whole lot of momentum behind this attack, leaving Clarissa, Anny and most of Juliana’s retinue uninjured. Suddenly, though, our damage slowed significantly.
I was just about desperate enough to try throwing the artifact sword at the Hydra, hoping it might duck its head down or something, when a sudden burst of light filled the sky. Several translucent spears pierced the Hydra’s back. Two Ethereal Spears struck the neck of the monster’s remaining head, forcing it down to the ground.
I looked back to see that Aurielle was awake, leaning against part of the arena wall and holding out a hand in concentration. I couldn’t help but grin at her when I saw that the Hydra was struggling to lift its head.
I knew this was my chance.
I darted forward towards the Hydra’s head as it flailed about, trying to dislodge the spears stuck in its neck. For some reason, just as I was about to strike, Aurielle’s Ethereal magic suddenly winked out. I wasn’t sure if the Hydra would be able to raise its head out of range just before I could strike. It certainly seemed like that might happen, until the Hydra’s head suddenly smacked back into the ground with a resounding crash.
I knew that was Aurielle’s gravity magic at work and I didn’t intend to waste the opportunity this presented. Holding the Artifact sword with both hands, I raised the blade over my head and struck down with everything I had.
The sword cut deep into the Hydra’s neck for a moment before it became stuck. I didn’t hesitate and jerked the blade free to raise it high overhead once more. I struck it a second time, then a third. With the artifact sword, I sliced into the monster’s neck again and again.
With each blow, I knew I was getting closer to ending it, but even with my great Strength, cutting through the final neck like this was going to take longer than Aurielle could keep it down. Unsure whether or not this would work, I summoned another Icy Cloud spell.
The magic immediately dissolved into crystals that latched onto the Hydra’s neck. Its scales suddenly seemed more brittle than before, and a frigid blue sheen washed over the Hydra.
I cast the spell again and again, until the rising nausea felt like I was approaching my Magical Capacity limit. I left just enough Magical Capacity in reserve, that I could still swing my sword without falling over.
My bones ached as the aftereffects of my magic use announced themselves. My head swam, a wave of dizziness gripped me all of a sudden, and my legs felt wobbly. Casting so many Icy Cloud spells in a row is something I definitely would not recommend, but as a result, the Hydra’s neck had been covered in a thin layer of ice.
The Hydra’s efforts to break free of Aurielle’s gravity magic was already causing the ice to crack. I lifted the sword up onto my shoulder and put as much Strength as I could into this final swing.
I didn’t expect that I’d have enough energy left for another one.
The sword bit into the Hydra’s neck, slicing through the ice to fracture its weakened spine. Once I broke through the beast’s spine, my blade jus
t kept on going until the sword’s blade bounced off the sand below.
I’d managed to cut its final head right off.
Once the last head was gone, the hydra’s body toppled over onto its side. The legs continued to twitch, and its claws waved eerily in the air for a few moments before it finally stilled.
There was utter silence in the Arena. Everyone seemed to hold their collective breath as they absorbed what had just happened. When the monster no longer moved, though, a massive roar emerged from the spectators huddled in the stands.
Given that they couldn’t leave the Arena, it made sense that they’d come back to watch the final moments of our fight.
I let out a breath before sinking slowly to my knees. A wave of exhaustion rolled over me.
Juliana and Clarissa were immediately at my side, the latter pouring heals into me.
“You did it Alex,” Juliana said, a beautiful smile beaming from her face.
“Of course he did!” Clarissa enthused, more than a touch of pride in her voice. “If my handsome Alex can fell a Titan, then clearly a Hydra wouldn’t be a match for him, either.”
Anny blurred into my sight and looked all of us over before sighing in relief.
“I… I really don’t like Hydras,” she said. “That one was hard!”
“I’m just glad we managed to defeat it,” I replied honestly. “It was touch and go at the end there.”
“To think it could survive with so much damage wrought on its body…” Juliana mused. Finally, she shook her head. “Its endurance was… astounding.”
Just when I was about to agree, Daiver appeared at the edge of my vision.
“Yet again, you take all the glory, Alex,” Daiver complained. “At least leave some for the rest of us. I’m sure the damage I did was the deciding factor.”
“Yes. You certainly managed to scratch its knee up some, Daiver,” Kesara drawled before rolling her eyes.
“Impressive work, as always, Alex,” Karl said with a nod. “To fell a beast such as this is a monumental achievement.”
“Such is its fate for challenging My Lady,” Vencia growled, before blowing out a breath. “But I am pleased to see that it is over.”
“I’m glad all of you were here to help out,” I said, finally feeling I had enough energy to struggle to my feet with Clarissa’s and Juliana’s aid. “This was one heck of a team effort. I certainly didn’t do this alone.” The others seemed pretty pleased with my comment.
I was pleased, however, when Clarissa and Juliana pressed their breasts into my sides. I enjoyed their attention for a long moment before I noticed Juliana’s father coming our way, followed by Clarissa’s father.
Several soldiers that had laid down on the ground to rest after the Hydra’s defeat quickly stood to attention as they neared.
“I’d wondered where my father had run off to…” Clarissa snickered, all the while shaking her head.
I turned my head, looking for Aurielle. I had expected her to join us. I saw that she had fallen to her knees and was breathing heavily. I knew she was fine, though she had clearly exhausted herself by using so much of her magic on the Hydra.
“Juliana, Clarissa, can you…”
Each of my women untangled themselves from me before leaning forward on their tippy toes to give me a quick kiss.
“Go to her,” Juliana said. “Don’t worry, we will deal with our fathers.”
“Remember handsome, wide open beaches,” Clarissa said, winking at me before she turned to roll her eyes at her father.
I couldn’t help but shake my head at her antics. With a grin, I walked quickly to Aurielle.
“Are you okay, Aurielle?” I asked as I neared her.
“I am… well enough, Alex,” she finally said, looking up at me rather pensively. “Once again, you have saved my life.”
I laughed as I sat down next to her. “And how do you know it wasn’t Clarissa who healed you?” I asked.
“I just knew it was you,” she replied with a shrug. “Your healing magic leaves a distinct… residue, even though I was not able to perceive it with my own eyes. I am at a loss as to how I can ever repay you.”
I was glad that Aurielle seemed to be herself.
“No need to repay anything,” I said. “Your magic is pretty much the only reason I was able to finish the Hydra off.”
“It was… it was nothing,” Aurielle said. A blush slowly lit up her cheeks.
I took her hand. “No. It was far from ‘nothing’, Aurielle. It was everything! Seriously, thank you.”
Her blush travelled all the way down to her neck as she smiled bashfully at me. I found myself being caught up in her eyes and leaned forward to press a kiss to her beautiful lips.
Tentatively, at first, but then with an increasing hunger, she deepened the kiss.
I wasn’t entirely sure how long we stayed like that, but when we eventually parted, the spectators were cheering even louder than before. I couldn’t quite catch what they were saying at first, but eventually I managed to comprehend the single word they kept shouting over and over.
“Hero! Hero! Hero!”
32
The Tournament’s final match in the Arena hadn’t quite turned out the way everyone had expected. Despite that, the spectators seemed grateful that the Sovereignty and Hogannan soldiers had fought to keep them safe.
I wasn’t entirely sure what might happen with the Tournament turning out like this, but all I really wanted to do was to spend some time with my women. Well, and rest, of course.
Clarissa’s father thanked me profusely for keeping his daughter safe, while also insisting he had been directing his troops against the Hydra the entire time. From the droll look on Clarissa’s face, I had my doubts.
Juliana’s father, on the other hand, said very little to me as the main entrance to the Arena was finally cleared. He did exchange a few words with his daughter, before having his men gather up the loot from the Hydra.
At least that answered my question about whether I would be allowed to keep the loot. The answer seemed to be a resounding no.
We noticed that once we got free of the Arena, there were signs of fighting in the city. The fact that many Yunissan soldiers were being held under guard by groups of adventurers at almost every street corner, confirmed they’d had something to do with all of this.
It made me wonder if Stephania had known all along that this would happen.
We were also all wondering where the Hydra had come from, or even how the Yunissans had brought it forth from the depths of the Dungeon. It didn’t seem like it was the kind of monster you could just knock senseless and drag to the surface...
We found the Academy’s headmaster outside the Arena, directing some of the city state council troops. I could only assume he hadn’t been around when it had been attacked by the Hydra. He nodded to us as we passed, but looked to have his hands full directing spectators away from the Arena.
In any case, Juliana’s retinue headed back to the Academy with Anny while Aurielle, Clarissa, and Juliana came back with me to the Golden Bear Inn.
There were a few people wandering about in the streets who followed us for a ways, but we eventually lost track of them. When we got to the hotel-like inn, we relaxed.
Juliana and Clarissa wanted to go grab a bite, leaving me alone with Aurielle in our room. She had stripped off her armor and jumped into the bath, before changing into her night wear and joining me on the bed where I sat, after simply wiping the sand of the Arena’s fighting pit off with a wet rag.
For one reason or another, she was fidgeting with the bedcovers, as if something was on her mind. She wore a bright white nightie that seemed a bit more revealing than her usual one. Her breasts were pushed up by the fabric—was that silk?—resulting in my eyes being drawn to her exposed cleavage.
Gods, she was gorgeous…
“Uhh, are you okay, Aurielle?” I asked, momentarily distracted by her beautiful curves before turning my head to the bathroom door to s
ee where she had discarded her armor.
“Of course,” she said, nodding her head. “Uhh, I…”
Aurielle’s straightened her back, and reached her arms over her head, pushing her breasts forward even more.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I couldn’t look away.
“How do you like this… attire?” Aurielle asked. “Clarissa assured me you would be… dazzled by it.”
“Uhh, yeah. Dazzled is certainly one word for it…” I hardly dared to breathe.
Her breasts seemed to jiggle with the slightest movement. Aurielle seemed really pleased for a moment, before she pulled her arms back down with a sigh.
“I owe you an apology,” she said. “I have struggled with what I can do for you, ever since you saved me from the Hydra. No… that isn’t right.”
I tilted my head to the side, not understanding.
She frowned. “Ever since we met, if I am to be honest.”
“Do for me?” I questioned. “You mean this whole ‘debt’ thing?”
She nodded solemnly.
I let out a long breath. It seemed she was still adamant that she owed me a seemingly large debt. I wasn’t entirely sure how to convince her otherwise, at this point. I reached around her hip with my arm and scooted her closer to me on the bed.
I didn’t possess Aurielle’s rather amazing Speed stat, which apparently translated into an ability to take a speed bath and change clothes in but a moment. Hence, I still had most of my armor on and had barely managed to wipe the grit from my face.
“Aurielle, I really want you to know that you don’t have to do anything to pay me back.” I spoke as earnestly as I could.
“But Alex,” she retorted. “You have healed me from certain death not once, but twice. My honor demands I owe you a debt I cannot hope to repay in my lifetime… twice over.”
She looked away, staring wistfully out the small window to our room, where a sliver of light shone through.
