Chapter 207 - Old World, Old Blood, and Old Grudges... (2/2)
Not once during their sparing sessions had she managed to win against Lu'um, much less the other girls. She lacked the resolve to fight seriously, to spill the blood of other people for her own d.e.s.i.r.es.
And that was why Lu'um was sure that she would drop out within a week or two.
She was unfit to be a warrior, as she did not possess the grit to make a kill. This did not mean that Lu'um looked down upon her unfavorably, though. She even considered her a good friend. But that did not affect Lu'um's assessment of the poor girl.
She dropped out three days later. A superior pedigree was not enough to become Empress; the position of Empress was not for cowards, beautiful but empty vases, or weaklings.
Only the strongest, the boldest, the sharpest... the finest would become Empress.
This arena at the bottom of the Altar of Blood was where Lu'um had spilled a great deal of blood for her own d.e.s.i.r.es. Where she had mastered her emotions, sharpened her abilities, and traded away her childhood to achieve true greatness as a warrior and a leader.
And now Lu'um would have to face a woman who had very nearly conquered the Crucible of the Moon in her own generation. Her own mother.
Everyone who was present turned their attention toward a stunning figure as it emerged from the darkness on the other side of the arena. Though she did not possess the youthful beauty that Lu'um had, Shaali was overflowing with a m.a.t.u.r.e type of charm that her daughter could not emulate.
Reed frowned when he saw what they had both been wearing — simple cloth tunics that only covered what was absolutely necessary to protect their honor.
They were barefoot and only had antiquated, physical weapons, despite the fact that they were both virtuoso practitioners of Anima-based techniques.
It made no sense to him why they had both decided to seal their prodigious abilities with Anima shackles for their upcoming duel. If they wanted to really show their expertise in combat and have a serious fight, then it only made sense to fight with Anima.
After all, Anima-based combat was only limited by an individual's imagination and their Anima tolerance. A high-level fight with Anima could be infinitely complex, but simple physical combat had a set number of variations.
Naturally, Reed did not account for the fact that fighting with Anima would also endanger the Altar of Blood. There was a high probability of unintentional destruction to the holy site, hence the ban on using Anima.
It also detracted from the stakes; there was no second thought to wild, suicidal attack strategies when one could always regenerate wounds and limbs mid-battle. Fighting with Anima shackles made sure that both opponents would have to carefully weigh their options before attacking.
Sure, there were not as many possibilities and permutations in a physical fight, but the stakes were far higher than they could ever be than in a fight with god-like powers.
Death would be around the corner in this fight and if neither of them were careful, it was entirely possible that a fatal accident could occur.
Though it was somewhat of a rare occurrence, it was not that uncommon to have a couple of people die during the Crucible of Moon.
Considering that a victory was only declared when one forced their opponent into submission or if they surrendered themselves, it was not too uncommon that situations had arisen where neither party wished to give up, even if it meant dying in battle.
In fact, that was how Lu'um had won back then — she had been forced to kill her final opponent since she had chosen to neither submit nor surrender to her.
And that was exactly why Lu'um despised her mother so much. It should not have been her job to make amends for her past regrets. If her mother had wanted to earn the right to become Empress, she should have not faltered at the very end...
A single moment's hesitation cost her the life she had d.e.s.i.r.ed. And from then on, she had lived her entire life in the shadow of the woman who defeated her, like a jaded ghost of the past.
That lingering obsession would later define the relationship she had with her youngest daughter, as she thrust her greatest wish onto her when the opportunity presented itself again...
But no more. Tonight, I will free myself of this condemned wraith once and for all. I will no longer let myself have this wretch project her life onto me anymore. I am myself and no one else.
Lu'um gripped the primitive obsidian sword in her right hand until she saw her knuckles turn white.
”It's high time for you to accept the truth — I've already surpassed you in every single way. You should feel proud, mother,” said Lu'um as she pointed her blade at her mother. ”Yield now and save yourself the humiliation of actually losing to your own child.”
Shaali pointed her own blade at Lu'um and said, ”Your capacity for self-delusion is extraordinary. Have you forgotten? Not once have you bested me since you were born. And what you have accomplished thus far is the result of my careful tuition, you ungrateful little girl.”
”....Said the failure who lost on this very arena when it mattered most. Not to worry though, dear mother. Unlike you, I possess no defects. I am flawless. That is why I am the Daughter of the Moon,” said Lu'um with quite possibly the most brilliant smile in her life.
”It seems I failed you as a mother for not teaching you to respect your superiors,” said Shaali in a disturbingly calm voice, ”To think that I'll have to re-educate you at your age. No matter... I will simply break you and teach you from the start until you understand your place.”
The time for discussion had ended. They both understood that nothing would come of any further conversation.
The mother and the daughter took their respective stances and locked their eyes upon the other as they waited for the sound of the war horn that would signify the beginning of their duel.
And then a deafening roar — akin to the crack of thunder — resounded across the Altar of Blood.
The duel had begun.