NOVEL NEXT Chapter 97
Chapter 97: Clash of the Elves and Dwarves (1)
“Anyway, if you’re going to ignore me and the hero and wage war against each other… I’ll crush you before that happens.”
At my calm words, the representatives of the elves and dwarves swallowed hard.
They seem to have grasped what the Dragon’s Priestess really is, and actually understand that such a thing is indeed possible.
They must know that if they provoke me recklessly, they will be absolutely wrecked.
So,
“Let’s choose five representatives and hold five 1-on-1 matches. The side that wins three times will be the victor.”
Best-of-five. This should definitely convince them.
“Five battles, three wins…?”
“Hmm. So we can afford to lose two, huh? There’ll be skill disparities and matchups among the five representatives, so the order of the duels will also matter.”
Right. The dwarf certainly has a sharp mind. They’re already getting the strategy of best-of-five down.
“We’ll need to fine-tune the detailed rules a bit, but it looks like the winner will be the one who knocks down their opponent within the confined space. However, I’m going to put a rule in place that they can’t kill the opponent.”
“Why can’t we kill them? Those little dwarves would drop dead in an instant!”
“Oh ho, is that a challenge? You lanky elf, should I make you fall like a tree under an axe?”
Once again, the elf and dwarf representatives start growling at each other. Seriously… Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha are rather on good terms, but why are the ones who worship them as gods always at each other’s throats?
Must be due to their stark racial differences. Hmm.
“Stop trying to intimidate each other already and save your energy for the real fight. Since preparation will take a bit of time, let’s hold the battles three days from now.”
“Three days from now… Understood.”
“In three days, I’ll crush that bothersome arrogance of yours!”
“Can your hand even reach my face?”
Ah, they’re off again. Just non-stop growling. They’re complete oil and water.
It’s baffling to think these two were friendly in their letters… Really hard to understand.
Anyway, as the representatives of the elves and dwarves departed, I turned to the hero, who had simply been standing by watching.
“Alright, this is your chance to see how other races fight, so keep your eyes wide open. Got it?”
“Yes, understood.”
This is a rare opportunity for the hero to observe the combat styles of other races. It should serve as a good learning experience.
Unlike the physically robust dwarves, elves have tricky spirit magic.
If the hero pays close attention to the battle between these two races, he should be able to grow a bit more.
“Now, let’s create the arena for the matches.”
Since elves use bows, should I make it really spacious? But if it’s too far, that would really disadvantage the dwarves.
Hmm… A distance that’s fair enough, but still lets the dwarves charge in. I don’t want the elves just picking off the dwarves from way back.
I think I’ll settle on a square around 100 meters. That should allow the dwarves to endure and make their way in somehow.
Overall, can the dwarves withstand the arrows and close the distance? And after they get close, will they deal with the spirit magic? That’s the kind of vibe I’m getting.
It seems like the battle will tilt in favor of the elves… But hey, those rushing out for war must have some sort of skill, right?
I don’t want them to look helpless!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Three days later.
“Alright! The long-awaited battle for the honor of both races, a duel instead of war! Five fierce battles! The only taboo is taking lives! Everything else is fair game!”
I amplified my voice with magic, scanning the arena while sounding like an MC hyping up the crowd before a match!
A square arena of 100 meters on each side, surrounded by stepped seating.
The seats were packed with both elves and dwarves.
“Here and now! Elves and dwarves! Dwarves and elves! Today we determine which side is stronger! Are you ready to witness the duel?”
As soon as I finish, a massive cheer erupts from both sides.
Hmm, this is rather enjoyable!
“Alright! Now, let’s bring in the ten duelists fighting for their respective races’ honor! Step forward!!!”
With my call, the five elves and five dwarves, who had been waiting on either side of the arena, finally stepped up.
The elves were generally lightly armed while the dwarves were heavily armored, even lugging around huge shields.
All the elves carried bows and arrows, but the dwarves had a chaotic mix of weapons. From hefty hammers and axes to one dwarf wielding a gigantic two-handed sword longer than he was, to another dwarf just bristling with little axes. There was even a dwarf who wrapped his whole weapon in cloth… Oh right, he must be one of the representatives.
Is a representative joining in as a duelist? Impressive indeed.
Meanwhile, the elf representative was just peering from the sidelines, giving off an air of “There’s no way I’d do something like that!”
So arrogant. So annoyingly arrogant.
I had thought the elves held the overwhelming advantage, but now I’m not so sure.
“Anyone who steps outside the arena loses. As long as you don’t kill your opponent, anything goes. Well, even if you wanted to, I doubt you’d be able to do it anyway.”
After carving out the arena, I had some extra time, so I crafted a spell!
A spell that can defend against one potentially lethal attack. Just one! It’s somewhat like a Headband of Vigor… But if you don’t know, you wouldn’t get it. It’s an item lost among the legends of Dwarf-Throwing.
Anyway, it’s a spell that can block one potentially fatal strike.
Now, if I combine it with a spell that knocks someone out… Ta-da! A spell that allows you to withstand a blow that would’ve been lethal, but you’d end up unconscious instead!
Perfect for a duel like this!
“I’ve placed a spell that lets you survive one potentially fatal situation, but you’ll be knocked out in the process. So fight with everything you have! But be careful, if you attack anyone who’s unconscious, the referee will step in to stop the match!”
Oh, and the referee is the hero.
I figured I might as well have him watch the duels closely as a favor.
And thus began the battle for the honor of the elves and dwarves.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Naturally, if I went into detail about every match, it would stretch on forever, so let’s keep it brief.
Match 1: An elf with a bow versus a dwarf loaded with little axes.
The elf tried to keep the dwarf at bay by shooting arrows from afar, but the dwarf plowed forward using a large shield that covered his entire body.
However, the big shield slowed him down, allowing the agile elf to sidestep and target the unprotected areas.
The dwarf, deflecting arrows with his small axes held in his right hand, pushed ahead into the center of the arena.
After slamming his big shield down with a thud, he grabbed the small axes hanging off him and began hurling them at the elf.
The axes, with some connected by chains, flew over the 50-meter gap, forcing the elf to scramble for cover. Ultimately, one of the axes struck the elf in the head, knocking him down.
Hmm. Responding to a bow with axe-throwing? That’s quite a spectacle!
With the strength to toss those axes all the way to the center of the arena and the accuracy to hit the target, this dwarf definitely isn’t a novice with those axes.
Thus, the dwarf claimed a solid first victory.
Moving on to Match 2: A two-handed sword-wielding dwarf against another lightly-armed elf.
The overall situation mirrored the first match.
The main difference? The dwarf was wielding a two-handed sword, which meant he lacked a shield.
As a result, he ended up looking like a spiky creature, moving stubbornly through a hail of arrows.
Though it was impressive that he kept pushing forward without fainting, wasn’t it a bit cocky to charge at an elf without a shield?
Nevertheless, he ultimately lost, but he managed to get one win.
So now the situation resets back to square one.
Hmm, this is actually quite entertaining.
They say the most entertaining fights are the ones where things go haywire, and that’s definitely true!
But at this rate, the hero isn’t really getting a chance to learn from the duels… Hmm…
Should I impose a limit on the number of arrows? Nah, that would have probably resulted in a dwarf win for the second match.
Since he could withstand dozens of arrows without a shield. If I penalized the arrow count, those dwarf tanks would just take all the hits and storm right in.
Hmm, I think I’ll leave it as is. If I mess with the balance, it might seem like I’m favoring one side.
Besides, since the dwarf won the first match, it’s only made the balance more confusing. Hmm.
I’ll just sit back and watch.
If possible, I hope the elf uses some dazzling elemental magic to assist the hero’s growth!