Chapter 99: The Dwarf-Elf Showdown (3)
The duel ended in an instant. The arena fell into silence in a flash.
A crossbow. And not just any crossbow, but one that launched short javelins instead of standard arrows.
This… is basically a ballista, just a portable one for a single person.
Wait a minute, did crossbows even exist in this era? Wasn’t that more of a Greek or Roman thing? Were they really that advanced back then?
No, but seriously, the power of that shot seems off! It doesn’t feel like something a person should be able to wield! A crossbow firing javelins? What is this madness?
“Phew.”
The dwarf representative chuckled in satisfaction as he looked at the fallen elf fighter who was hit by the crossbow.
“Just as I thought, this is the way to go. Big, beautiful bolts. You just can’t get this thrill from those tiny, flimsy arrows.”
“The, the dwarf wins!”
The referee, who was a little slow to grasp things, finally declared the dwarf’s victory, leading to a massive cheer from the dwarf spectators.
Well, hey, they said anything goes as long as you don’t kill anyone, so using a secret weapon like that to ambush and win is totally fair game, right? Right?
“Coward!!”
But it seemed the elf representative wasn’t quite on board with that sentiment.
“Coward! Hiding your weapon and launching a surprise ranged attack!”
“Oh please, that’s not cowardice, that’s just using your brain! And this thing? Not as amazing as you think!”
The dwarf representative casually rested the crossbow on his shoulder and continued:
“This is a new invention, so while the power is undeniable, the accuracy is terrible! If I hadn’t braced it against the shield for better aim, I’d probably land only one hit out of ten!”
Ah, so the big shield wasn’t just for defense; it had aiming correction too.
He’s not quite dull-witted after all.
“Ugh…”
“And let’s not forget, if we’re talking cowardice, then the elves are the biggest cowards! Constantly shooting arrows from a distance. Meanwhile, us dwarves, who can’t do fancy throwing axes, are just here taking hits. But oh, what’s that? Coward? Coooowaaaardly? Are you serious?!”
Well, he has a point.
It was the elves who kicked things off with a one-sided ranged attack.
Sure, the dwarves’ defenses meant that none of those arrows were lethal, but still.
“And here’s the kicker: once you shoot it, it’s almost a disposable weapon; rapid fire is a no-go.”
The dwarf representative thumped the front of the crossbow on the ground, stepped on it to stabilize it, and yanked the bowstring taut with all his might to lock it in place.
That all took about five seconds. In a duel like this, even a moment can mean life or death.
So really, the weapon was mostly useless after the first shot!
Talk about a surprise ambush! What a crossbow!
“If you can win with such a troublesome weapon, shouldn’t we glorify that instead?”
“Ugh…”
The elf representative was about to retort, but
“Enough already.”
I jumped in before he could voice another complaint.
“Let’s not embarrass ourselves further. The match is over. I said anything goes that doesn’t involve killing, so if he wants to whip out a new weapon and snag a win, that’s more than fine.”
Besides, the dwarves are likely hiding even more secret weapons we haven’t seen yet.
If they’d utilized their magic stones for enchantments a bit more, they could have really turned the tide in this duel.
Oh, they might have been using those enchantments on their armor and shields all along.
Honestly, it’s impressive they held up against a barrage of arrows like a bunch of porcupines without folding. They must have been boosting their armor defense somehow.
Of course, they might not have, considering the dwarves still took a good beating.
The truth remains shrouded in mystery. Well, if I investigated their gear further, I could find out, but that sounds like a hassle.
“Ugh…”
Hearing this, the elf representative could muster no more words, bowing his head and finally conceding,
“I… accept defeat…”
Finally! Should have done that sooner!
“Great! The winner of the duel is the dwarves! The winner of the 1st Dwarf-Elf Race Battle is officially the dwarves!!!”
With my declaration, cheers erupted from the dwarf side, and you could even hear heart-wrenching cries coming from the elf side.
Victors and losers. Joy and sorrow. Light and dark. The arena was engulfed in contrasts.
Well, that was a pretty entertaining affair.
So…
“Elves. Don’t be too downhearted.”
I said with a grin.
“You’ll have another chance.”
Ending something this fun after just one time would just be disappointing, wouldn’t it?
My words sparked murmurs among the elves.
“Now, let’s see. Considering the time perception between dwarves and elves… Hmm. How about we do this every ten years? What do you think?”
Now, the dwarves started murmuring louder in agreement.
“Yeah, that seems fitting. So, dwarves and elves, to ensure that you two races won’t go to war with each other in the future, let’s hold five duels here every ten years!”
The voices of dwarves and elves blended into one.
Fierce duels, almost as if trying to take each other’s lives, bloody battles where they unleash everything they have to bring the other down.
After witnessing such a spectacle, how could anyone not find joy in that?
Like the gladiators of ancient Rome, right?
I cast a spell over the entire arena.
Here, no one will lose their life.
Instead, they’ll just faint from a lot of pain.
And if I add an indestructible magic to this place, this duel ground would become remarkably useful, even without my constant attention.
“I have cast a spell on this arena. No lives will be lost here, so feel free to use it in the future.”
I approached the dwarf representative and said,
“The winner of this clan battle will have authority over this arena and the nearby area and will be the first to be recognized when we mention the names of the dwarves and the elves.”
The sharp-witted dwarf representative seemed to catch on to what I was saying right away.
“And also.”
I quickly teleported next to Yggdrasil.
“Yggdrasil, can I borrow a branch for a moment?”
[Ah, yes. How’s everything going?]
“It’s been quite fun, I’ll fill you in once it wraps up.”
After snipping off a suitably sized branch, I returned to the duel arena.
“You just poofed away…”
“Don’t sweat it; it was just a teleportation.”
“Teleportation, huh…”
It’s like moving to a coordinate I already know.
By the way, I have diligently memorized the coordinates of those who can’t move from their places like Yggdrasil. I can pop in to see them whenever I like.
“I just visited the World Tree for a second. Now, let’s see… Do you have that jewel you wanted to give to the elves?”
“Ah, that… I entrusted that to one of my subordinates…”
“Bring it here. I can put it to good use.”
At my request, the dwarf representative dashed off and returned with something from another dwarf.
Inside a leather pouch was a fist-sized diamond, the surface polished smooth, keeping it close to its raw state.
Hmm. With some more refining, this beautiful gem could emerge in an even more dazzling form.
It bore a resemblance to the diamond set in the hero’s sword. A round brilliant cut.
Honestly, if a diamond doesn’t look like that, it just feels a bit underwhelming!
As the raw gem floated, magical energy whirled around it, carving it down. Gem fragments drifted away, revealing the stunning gem hidden within.
By meticulously cutting the large diamond while preserving most of its structure, a shining gem slightly smaller than my fist now floated quietly in the air.
“Oh… Oh my… Ooooh…”
The dwarf representative stood transfixed, tears in his eyes.
“How… how beautiful… The true eye of Sagarmatha. An eye that holds the light…”
Oh, but we’re not done yet.
I set the magnificently carved diamond atop the branch I’d taken from Yggdrasil and encased both in magic.
Then, the branch transformed into a different shape under my command.
That shape was… a trophy. A victory trophy.
Dwarves and elves stood back to back, cradling the large diamond. Of course, due to the height difference, the dwarf had to stand on a small rock, but still…
I wrapped the sacred eye of the mountain in the branch from the World Tree, added detailed decorations made of mithril, and cast spells to prevent it from being destroyed.
Ah, and just to be safe, I’ll include a tracking spell, in case it gets stolen.
“The winner of this clan battle shall have the rights to keep this trophy. It’ll be valid for ten years until the next clan battle is held.”
“Ooh… Ooooh…”
The dwarf representative seemed to have even forgotten how to speak, just shedding tears of joy.
Great. I’ve set the stage, so now it’s time for the dwarves and elves to have some fun with it.
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