Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 41

Adesh dashed into Darin's guard. His two weapons sang in his hands as he swung them with alacrity and speed. It was a dazzling combination. Light gleamed off of the highly polished surface of each blade, creating flashes in the air as Adesh danced to the tune of combat.

Despite the impeccable combination of attacks, none of them hit. Darin moved back, his feet shuffling along the ground, and his blade rotating along the path of each strike, intercepting them with ease. If Adesh hadn't known any better, he would have said that his opponent was predicting his attacks before he even made them.

Sparks flew as his two swords were intercepted by Darin's single blade, which barely seemed to move to block each attack. Indeed, it seemed as if all Darin was doing was changing the angle of his sword instead of the position.

"You are quite stylish," Adesh said with a grin. "I am pleased to be facing an opponent as stylish as you."

Darin said nothing, though he did offer a nod of acknowledgement to the other boy. It was enough.

With a shout of "stylish!" Adesh leapt back into the fray. He and Darin danced across the arena, clashing blades, attacking and counterattacking. His opponent was like water, a ceaseless flow that moved around all of his attacks. A backhand swing was avoided when Darin shuffled backwards. Adesh tried to attack with his other scimitar, but Darin raised his blade, blocked the attack at an angle, and redirected it over his head. Then he launched his own attack, swinging his blade in a horizontal slash that cut into Adesh's clothing.

It's like he can predict the future!

Darin was truly a stylish opponent. Not only were his moves impeccably stylish, but so was his sense of fashion. All Adesh needed to do was look at that stylish hat to know this was a man of stylish taste.

Back and forth they moved, a constant stream of never ending attack combinations were blocked by the ceaseless movements of Adesh's opponent. Adesh realized that he would never win this way. Darin was too quick, too capable, to let himself be hit by such plain attacks. If he wanted to win, then Adesh would need to come up with something more stylish than his foe.

Just what that something was, he didn't know, but Adesh promised himself that he would come up with something, and it would be more stylish than anything he'd ever done.

The sounds of clashing swords echoed across the arena.

***

Caspian had never seen Erica look so frantic before. The woman appeared completely out of sorts. It wasn't just in her messy hair, which looked akin to someone who'd been shocked by lightning. Her entire countenance screamed worry—not that he could blame her.

"Tiffania is... missing? When did this happen?"

"It was during your friend's match." She pointed at Christo. "Tiffa needed to use the restroom, so I took her to the nearest stall. I waited for nearly ten minutes, and when she didn't come out, I grew worried, so I went inside to see if she needed help—except she wasn't there. It's like she completely disappeared."

"Oh, no," Cassidy gasped. "W-what do you think happened to her?"

"Do you think she was kidnapped?" Caspian asked.

"That's the only possible explanation," Erica determined. "She wouldn't have run off on her own. Certainly, I would have noticed if she'd left the restroom. What puzzles me isn't that she was kidnapped, but how the kidnapper took her without me being aware of it. The restroom only has one door."

"What about windows?" Christo suddenly asked. "Does it have any windows?"

Erica blinked. "I... don't know. I was too busy dealing with other issues to check."