Ultimate Level 1-Chapter 462: Round 2: Tanila

The crowd’s shouting and cheers were slightly different than they had been for Fowl.

I guess they weren’t expecting what happened at all.

Unable to hide her amusement, Tanila smiled and waved when she heard her name announced.

Loud cheers came from the section where the merfolk were located.

Across the arena floor were her two opponents.

Just like Fowl described, the Aasaura was difficult to make out. Only a brief outline of something that wasn’t right would occasionally appear and then vanish. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

The Naiad who was to face her was on a different level than the previous one. She stood at least twenty-five feet tall and had two swords similar to what the previous fighter had used. Each of them was made of solid black metal and was at least nine feet long.

The armor she wore was also a black chain, a stark contrast to her milk-white skin. A pair of green eyes glared at her.

“If you keep breathing like that, you might pass out!”

“Your taunts won’t work!” the woman shouted back. “Unlike my sister, I’m no fool and won’t be distracted! I’ll take my time, cutting you to pieces!”

“But if you do that, won’t I just surrender?”

Gone was the calm demeanor and a low growl came from her opponent.

“I’ll–”

“Cut out my tongue? Ok… sure, how will those swords fit in this tiny mouth?” Tanila called out as she used her hand to demonstrate. “I mean I can’t even fit–”

“ENOUGH! Prepare to–”

“Die?! Be killed?! Oh, how original…”

Both swords slammed into the sand as her opponent’s face began to turn slightly red.

I need to thank Fowl for teaching me how to piss off people… who knew he had such a talent.

She summoned her lightning elemental and tapped her staff against the ground.

The announcer was finishing as he had before, and she knew it was almost time to begin.

“Oh, I forgot one last thing!” Seconds before she knew the gong would sound, her hair and eyes began to change color, and she felt the true power of her blood course through her.

Every part of her felt alive, so often, she wished she could stay like this. Max had told her she was strong enough to resist the temptation to give in to the sweetness of this intoxicating effect, but she wasn’t sure that was true.

Her whole body tingled, and every inch of her skin coursed with a power that was hers to command.

The expression on her opponent's face made the sensation of it all like frosting on a cupcake.

Damn you, Max… Now I’m hungry…

In her mind, she focused on him—his smile and the way it felt when he touched her. So many times, he had said she grounded him, but no matter what he said, the truth was he allowed her to be the person she was.

The gong sounded, and as her opponent grabbed both swords and raced toward her, Tanila grabbed an air spear and let it carry her toward Max and the others.

I really need to thank him for teaching me about this.

Walls formed and got in the way of her opponent as she sent smaller spells to distract and buy her time.

Overhead, a large cloud was forming, and she just needed more time to make it what she wanted.

[ Wizard Step ]

Two black blades struck the spot where she had been standing as the Naiad turned around, trying to find where she had gone.

Over and over, they played the cat-and-mouse game, and every so often, she sent out a Frost Nova, making sure nothing snuck up on her.

“Stop running!”

“Stop being too slow!”

Another growl came, and she waited, knowing something had to change.

Her opponent turned red, and the speed at which she moved told her everything she needed to know.

Ugh… Berserker…

Hate-filled eyes locked onto her, and it took every ounce of concentration she had to stay away from the charging Naiad.

What had been three to five seconds of peace turned into only one as she continued to zigzag back and forth across the arena floor, using all the space she could to get away.

Seconds ticked away, and then the red glow faded, and the woman slowed down.

“Seems your skill ran out! You should–”

Her taunt seemed like a good idea, but then Tanila discovered the problem with talking all the time.

She had forgotten to cast Frost Nova, focusing on staying alive and being a pest.

Pain began to radiate from her back as cold seeped in.

[ Wizard Step ]

Instantly, she was just a few yards behind the spot where she had been standing and cast Frost Nova immediately, causing a shape to appear as it radiated out from her.

[ Stone Prison ]

[ Root ]

Every nerve in her back ached, but she ignored them, moving again as the Naiad came at her.

“You forget! There’s two of us!”

Not giving in to the desire to point out how the second one was currently not moving, Tanila continued to pour mana into the storm cloud above.

Lightning crackled and popped, unable to be contained by how much she had already fed the spell.

Ten more seconds…

More attacks came, and she felt the drain on her mana pool. Using this spell over and over was taxing, and while she could do it more than most, especially in this state, she was running on fumes.

Two more…

One last cast sent her to safety, and she called down the spell she had been building up.

This is going to suck…

[ Spell Burst ]

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[ Lighting Storm - Focused ]

She screamed as the cost she couldn’t pay tore through her, the agony of running completely out of mana and demanding a price that wasn’t there.

Yet her scream was unable to be heard of the sound of the bolt which came from the cloud, striking the Naiad who had smiled for a moment, just a dozen yards away, swords raised and ready to cut her in half.

Like lightning rods, the spell traveled down both of them into the woman, and a bright light blinded anyone watching.

The scent of burning flesh was gone the moment it had started, vaporized by the amount of heat and power conducted in that one section of space.

Black glass formed, racing across the center of the impact zone, expanding for dozens of yards, stopping inches from where she lay crumpled in the sand.

Silence.

Breathing.

No noise reached her ears as her mind screamed in agony and pain.

“SAY IT! SAY IT, TANILA!”

The voice.

That voice.

She knew it.

Every part of her loved its tone.

Chills and shivers filled her when it said her name.

It reminded her of what needed to be done.

“I… forfeit!”

Her throat was dry, and she could barely speak, yet she willed everything she had to yell.

“I forfeit!

“FORFEIT!”

The sound of a gong rang out.

A few seconds later, a second one came.

Cheers came from almost half of the arena.

She could hear it, and it made her head hurt more.

A cool sensation washed over her, and slowly, the pain of everything began to fade away.

“I’ve got you.”

Wetness ran down her throat.

It tasted awful, and she knew it was a potion so rare that most mages would give up so much for one.

Warmth spread through her body as the liquid raced down her throat.

Mana crept into her body and was immediately sucked away.

She owed a price and until it was paid the pain of what she had done would not diminish.

Another piece of glass touched her dry lips.

“Drink.”

Something sweet flowed down her throat after dancing along the top of her tongue.

Unable to help, she cried out in pain as her body shook, yet hands held her against something warm.

Max… he’s holding me.

She wanted to cry out, to say his name but couldn’t.

Once again, the same awful taste came, and this time her body absorbed it, and when it was all over, only a slight amount of mana was left in her.

It was enough, though.

“Max…”

“Heal her!”

Warmth came as life sprung up inside her.

Blinking, she saw the face of the man she loved looking at her. His bald head glistened in the arena's light, and his smile looked forced.

Reaching up she stroked his cheek.

“Thank you.”

“Gods woman… You were amazing.”

He bent down and kissed her, and all the pain and dryness that was on her lips began to vanish as the wetness of his touched hers.

Wrapping both arms around him, she pulled him close, not caring that Fowl or Cordellia had said something she would repay them for later.

All she cared about was the man who held her and loved her.

Slowly the world returned to normal, and she pulled back, taking in lung-filled breaths.

“I… I needed that.”

He laughed and nodded.

“Anytime you need that, I’m more than happy to provide. Now then, my love, can you stand?”

Smiling, she nodded, let him lift her to her feet, and quickly found her balance.

Her whole team was there and the expressions on their faces told her they understood what she had done.

“I’m proud of you, lass,” Batrire whispered as she came next to her and hugged her. “You showed them we’re not to be trifled with.”

Next the one she wasn’t sure would ever be able to see past her being a princess strode toward her.

Gone was the look of timidness that had so often filled those eyes.

She could see something different.

A new kind of respect.

“You… wow. I’m not sure anyone else in our world could have done what you did. Not even Max. Your child is lucky to have such a strong mother.”

Her knees went weak for a moment, and Max was right there to keep her standing.

Unable to speak, she simply nodded and smiled at their archer who moved a step so Fowl could come next.

“I must say you’re a quick learner, Tanila. Usually it takes a lifetime to find out how to infuriate people, but you did it on the first try. Perhaps I’m a genius when it comes to teaching. If this adventuring stuff doesn’t work out, I’ll open my own shop. Fowl’s School of Smack Talk.”

She reached out and grabbed the dwarf who had worn her down when they first met. His smile and joy of life had allowed her to join them and not be concerned with who she was. Watching him love on Batrire even when he wouldn’t say the words gave her hope of something like that one day.

“You know you’re my favorite dwarf,” she whispered into his ear so Batrire wouldn’t hear.

She felt him stiffen and then laugh. “You’re an evil one,” he declared, wagging a finger at her. “Saying that and doing it so that you can deny it… I’m too good for my own britches. Now you’ll find ways to piss me off without even trying.”

Winking she watched as he stepped back.

Max reached out and took her hand, slowly turning her until she faced him.

“I never doubted you. I knew you could do it.”

“Please, all of my plans always go perfectly. You know that.”

She watched him roll his eyes and shake his head.

“Not that… you. Right now. You don’t feel it, do you?”

Blinking she realized what he was talking about and reached over her shoulder, pulling a strand of braided hair so she could see.

The gold glow of it was there.

Even though every part of her felt alive, her hunger wasn’t there right now.

“Wha… I…”

“It’s because you replaced it with something else, didn’t you? The same thing that allowed me to resist the hunger.”

Letting her braid fall, she touched her chest and took a deep breath.

Closing her eyes, Tanila realized that he was right. At the edges of everything was the desire for power she had feared for so long. Yet, holding it back was exactly what Max had just said.

I… I’m loved… for me… just as I am and not what it wants me to be.

Smiling, she stroked his cheek.

“Thank you. For everything.”

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