⚔️Serberia

After a brief duel with a local samurai, who had thoroughly beaten Renold, he understood that the next fight would be decisive. Firmly resolving to use all his remaining strength and give it his all, he boldly stepped forward against the red-haired girl with a saber. A light gust of winter wind flattened the sweat- and blood-soaked grass covering the forest clearing, playfully tousled his tangled hair, and with a burning breath, touched the hastily bandaged wounds and cuts. It seemed as if the entire arena had plunged into absolute silence, but that was only Renold's consciousness, now entirely focused on one single, important goal. If they were on a real battlefield, he would have already missed a couple of unexpected attacks, but now he only had one opponent in front of him. Time seemed to slow its endless pace, and Renold clearly heard his own, erratic breathing as if from a distance. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his rapier. Suddenly, Air rushed forward with incredible speed, forcing the guy to quickly break free from the stupor that had gripped him. He flinched slightly, and Renold took an uncertain step towards her, but by that time, the opponent was already just a few meters away from him. Then, remembering the bitter experience of past defeats, he decided not to rely on an attack. Even before the opponent had time to lower her saber to his shoulder, he made a quick lunge towards her, but to his great surprise, the blade seemed to bounce off her body, causing no harm. Then, a hail of precise saber strikes rained down on Renold. The young man was forced to retreat, fully dedicating himself to defense, looking for a favorable opportunity for a counterattack. And to his good fortune, such an opportunity soon presented itself: the girl, engrossed in the battle, reminded him of his own first duels. It was a chance that he could not ignore. Seizing the moment, he dodged another attack and slashed at his opponent's side. Dark blood gushed onto the lawn. But, unfortunately, the wound turned out to be not decisive, and only further enraged the opponent. Now, Renold only had to defend himself, clearly feeling how his arms and legs grew heavier with each second. He could no longer prolong the fight. Hoping for luck, he repeated his previous lunge, and to his surprise, he found that he had succeeded: having received a new wound, Air could no longer fight. Heaving a sigh, Renold found the strength not to collapse to the ground from fatigue, helped his opponent to her feet, and thanked her for the duel. Ilva, who had been watching the battle with concern until that moment, did not immediately realize that someone was addressing her. Raising her head, she saw Shino, who was asking about the duel. Overcoming her disgust and dislike for the sorceress after today's incident, the girl put on the most neutral expression she could and shook her head negatively. At that moment, Renold finally managed to win, and Ilva, forgetting her resentment towards her brother, clapped her hands with joy. But when he looked at her, she turned away again, putting on an indifferent expression. Her thoughts returned to the upcoming task of cleaning the city, and her hatred for the baron's antics. And Ren seemed to be deliberately trying to do everything to leave her alone in the company of strange people. She felt very offended and sorry for herself, and wanted to leave this terrible place as soon as possible.