Chapter 49: The One Time I Didn’t Even Want to Try, I Got Rejected
Tillysha attempted to use the Divine Analysis Technique to assess Aistride’s Divine Authority and Realm effectiveness. The moment she activated the technique, her scalp tingled from the overwhelming amount of elvish text displayed in the information panel.
Each elegant and beautiful Elven word pierced her mind like a silver needle, causing her immense pain.
It was way more complicated than Princess Filisia’s Divine Authority, with information so dense that her current mental capacity couldn’t handle it, leaving her no choice but to back out.
As the Elf girl danced under the silver moonlight, her blade glimmered, elegantly slicing through the air.
Rainy knew that regardless of her will, the fight had begun. She raised her shield to block.
The silver flames erupted and scattered over the wolf-skin shield, its regal lunar fire proudly overlooking the leather-clad girl who dared to resist.
The wolf head on the damaged shield glowed crimson, and simultaneously, a gray hue rose on Rainy’s skin to defend against the silver flame.
However, this dull protection was nothing against the powerful flame and offered no substantial resistance.
This was a Divine Authority strike. Even though Rainy’s shield was also derived from Divine Authority, the bloodline and Divine Authority grade were just too inferior.
As expected, Rainy was sent flying by the crescent slash, tumbling and stirring up a storm of dust.
Not long after, the leather-clad Wild Female lay motionless on the ground.
Aistride slowly lowered her blade. She hadn’t used her full strength, not even a fifth of her power in that strike.
Watching the girl who fell in a single exchange, Tillysha sighed softly from the audience.
“The match is decided; Aistride Orlanie has won…”
“Wait, wait…!” Just as Aistride was about to leave and the referee was about to announce the result, a stubborn voice interrupted.
All gazes were drawn to Rainy, who struggled to her feet.
Her leather armor was burnt and nearly destroyed, her Realm almost completely shattered, and the severe burns on her skin left a crackling, charred mark.
This was the result of Aistride holding back significantly.
Yet, she rose anyway, purely driven by her dogged refusal to yield.
“I… haven’t lost yet; don’t go….” Rainy’s eyes filled with intense emotions—strain, defiance, confusion—but for the first time, it was not the dominant sentiments of inferiority that controlled her look.
It was the overwhelming emotion of resentment.
The barriers erected by bloodline and family created a gap the Wild Female deity could not overcome, but she refused to accept it.
She couldn’t accept that all her hard work behind the scenes resulted in her not even lasting a single strike against a pure-blooded deity.
Isn’t this essentially telling her, whether you work hard or not, it’s all the same?
Not working hard means one cut from others; working hard still means one cut from others. So what was the point of all the bl**d and sweat she shed; didn’t it make her just like the unimproved idiot she was before?
The Wild Female deity had nothing, nothing but the hope for improvement through diligence and effort. If even that was negated, then she had nothing left.
So, she couldn’t be defeated in one strike, at least not without a fight!
She picked up her sword and shield. Perhaps she had no remarkable attributes from head to toe, but she wouldn’t let her efforts and sweat be dismissed.
Thus, driven by her discontent with fate, Rainy charged at Aistride once again.
“You… don’t… underestimate me!”
Aistride hadn’t expected Rainy to rise again.
Her Elven empathy and sharp senses allowed her to feel the heavy defiance in Rainy’s heart, her violet eyes flickering with mixed emotions.
Looking at the approaching opponent, she raised her crescent blade again.
Aistride knew that Rainy didn’t need sympathy, but acknowledgment, so she wouldn’t hold back any longer.
The second blade fell.
The match was over.
Rainy, as everyone had foretold, lost, and lost thoroughly.
Yet, there was not a single jeer from the spectators.
They had witnessed the determination burning in the girl’s eyes. They themselves doubted if they could stand up after enduring a single blow from Aistride and charge towards an unsurmountable fortress.
The crowd fell silent.
“May the Mother Goddess bless you.” Watching Rainy being carried off the field, Aistride prayed.
She understood that Rainy had found the answer she sought.
See, effort wasn’t entirely useless, was it? Without any effort, she wouldn’t have even risen after taking that strike, right?
Rainy didn’t want to surpass anyone or defeat anyone; she merely wanted to prove that her hard work wasn’t meaningless.
As Rainy departed, Aistride left the stage after a long pause. Her silver hair shimmered under the moonlight, just as she came, she didn’t care about the compliments and cheers, nor did she look at those who wanted to share in her victory.
The competition was over, it was time to go.
But the referee’s voice halted her.
“Third match of the afternoon: Ailinka Difin versus Tillysha! Contestants, please prepare, the match will begin in ten minutes!”
…………Tillysha??
Upon hearing that familiar name, Aistride turned slowly. Sensing a peculiar feeling, she glanced at the silver moon pattern on her hand. Through her keen senses, she spotted the gold-haired girl sitting among the audience.
It was her.
If she was there, where was he?…………
Did he not want to see her?
Unaware, Aistride was overthinking. Tillysha shook her head and leaped off her seat.
What had to come, would eventually come.
Time to go and take a beating then.
She didn’t care what these spectators were murmuring about “another Wild Female deity?” She wasn’t even a deity, so titles and bloodline concepts didn’t concern her.
Actually, watching Brin and Rainy get beaten had reminded Tillysha of herself.
She didn’t need to empathize with them. Soon enough, she would fully feel their experience on the battleground.
“Your Highness, are you leaving?”
“Since Aistride won’t be around for the rest of the matches, what do I stay here for?” Princess Filisia smiled.
“True that… huh? Princess Filisia, isn’t it, Aistride seems to still be here and even found a seat?”
“You must be mistaken; there’s no way… Hmmm?” Noticing the commotion not far off, Filisia hesitated.
“Is Aistride interested in the next match?” Filisia glanced towards the arena where the staff were cleaning up.
…
