167: Judith’s Way (3)

The fire spirit was stronger than other spirits.

It had the potential to be more powerful than anything else if it could be properly handled.

However, that was only when it could be handled well.

Fire is difficult to control and easy to inflict injuries, not just on others but also on the wielder.

Nevertheless, Judith was able to use the fire spirit.

It was clearly visible in Karakum’s eyes that a hot and intense energy was coming from each of her steps and fist.

The problem was that the person wasn’t handling the fire spirit properly.

‘It isn’t about using the spirit. But about controlling it.’

The tremendous flames.

A hot aura spread throughout the arena, none of the audience knowing what kind of emotion or action, caused it to surface.

The energy wasn’t just pouring out onto Garam, but it was also burning Judith as well.

But she wasn’t falling.

And maybe she wouldn’t until she crumbles into ash.

Even though it was a situation that would have ended up in a disaster multiple for an ordinary person, she was enduring it.

As if she was used to it.

Karakum was flustered as he shook his head.

This was a different surprise from the time Irene showed him the aura of steel.

“Hmm.”

Gorha too, let out a low groan at it.

He was so blunt that his eyes didn’t change, but there was no need to explain about the human who was clearly wielding the flames.

Karakum turned to the stage.

The human with burning hair jumped forward again. This time, Garam’s kick didn’t hit her.

Kick!

Swosh!

However, despite her closing in, that didn’t stop Garam from attacking.

It was impossible for him to have an upper ground like he did before from their current distance, but he had other moves to use in close combat as well.

The elbow hit Judith’s temple, and then he repeated it once more.

Of course, Judith too attacked this time. An Aura of flame concentrated on her fist as it planted itself right into the abdomen of Garam.

Punch!

Punch!

Punch!

“Kuak…”

For the first time, Garam groaned.

Still, it wasn’t a bad situation. He had failed to calculate the damage a human could do, but even now, this close-range exchange of attacks was advantageous for him.

His aura, strength, and physique were all superior.

If he could endure this and defend his face, the only area the opponent can hit would be the torso.

On the other hand, he could attack anywhere, including the face of the human.

But what he hadn’t taken into consideration was the pain being inflicted on him, which he thought was annoying, but if he could use that irritation as a driving force, he would win.

With his body raging hot, Garam reached out to Judith. And the opponent avoided it as expected.

Bump!

And with his open palm, he grabbed the back of Judith’s head and then gave her three kicks in succession.

Kick!

Kick!

Kick!

A series of strong and blunt attacks sounded out as if a stone was being broken with a chisel.

The leg of Garam moved rhythmically along with the sound of hitting.

But it was a mistake.

Judith, who grasped the rhythm of her opponent, strongly kicked her opponent’s foot the moment it landed back on the ground.

Kick!

“Kuak…!”

Finally, the bruised body of Judith was released.

Her face was a complete mess. There were gashes all over her face, and it was swollen as well.

Her face, which was now red, reminded people of a devil.

Looking at the current damage accumulated on her body, it was clear that the current match made her suffer a lot more than the previous one.

But Judith didn’t stop.

All sorts of negative emotions, including anger, burned her and supported her at the same time.

A human who was turning into a fire demon went for the orc warrior.

‘This insane bitch!’

Garam couldn’t move.

He knew it in his head.

That it was impossible to win the match by just using his legs to keep the human from reaching him, but now he had also hurt one leg, but he still felt that there was no disadvantage even if the human in front of him could use fire at close range.

The fact that his opponent took damage from her own fire meant that he would eventually win.

However, even though he knew this, his body didn’t follow his thoughts. His body was refusing to confront Judith head-on.

As if frightened by the fire chasing after him, Garam’s expression turned ugly.

He shuffled the toe he wounded and retreated back.

Judith relentlessly pursued Garam as he made weak attempts to retreat and create more space between them.

Then, Judith firmly used her knee to hit her opponent in his inner thigh.

Kick!

“…!”

As Judith hit him on his thigh, it was like the sound of a dagger being pushed into flesh. The sound of a muscle tearing.

And that sight meant that Garam’s movements would slow down.

However, he was still calm. He was swinging his fist and elbows at the same time, but they weren’t as strong as before.

Judith, who had avoided the attack very easily because of his reduced speed, moved again and kicked. The same as before.

Kick!

“Kuak!”

In this fight, the loudest groan came from Garam’s mouth.

However, his voice was drowned out by the audience’s cheers, making it so that nobody heard him.

Surprisingly, the orcs gathered were now cheering for Judith and not Garam.

“Human! Human!”

“Judith! Judith!”

“Follow him! Kill him!”

“Judith! Judith!”

The orcs, which were several times prouder of their own race than humans, and also as the warriors of Durkali, who were more proud than other orcs, were supporting a human.

They knew.

Who the real warrior in the current ordeal was. Who the one fighting with the most passionate heart was.

It didn’t matter anymore if that was a human or an orc.

It didn’t matter.

At least for this moment, the red-haired woman was a greater warrior than the high-ranking warriors of their tribe.

“Huh, spit!”

But Judith didn’t care.

She couldn’t hear them. All her senses were concentrated on Garam.

And it would continue like that until he fell.

Until she knocks him down. Breaks him down and stops her senses from concentrating on just one orc.

Grinding her teeth, and spitting out the blood, she moved. A feeling of fear flashed on Garam’s face.

‘Go away!’

He shouted in his mind as he waved his right hand, trying to reach Judith.

His posture was a mess and because of that, so was his breathing. He seemed like he had no power. And the precision of his movements was reduced.

Tik!

The hand touched Judith’s ear.

After it failed, she slammed her fist towards the head of the orc.

And the orc’s head lifted up because of the force of the attack, and he let out a groan.

Garam, who was hit so hard that his entire body had toppled upwards, fell weakly to the ground.

And that was the end.

Seeing Judith finish her second ordeal, the orcs chanted her name.

“Judith!”

“Judith! Judith!”

“Judith! Judith!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Orcs stomped their feet and cheered for her.

The sound was like the echo of an earthquake.

Judith, who realized that too late, was a bit shocked and then grinned as she raised her fist high.

It was similar to when she won the first ordeal, but the reaction from the orcs was completely different.

The orcs’ voices resounded louder.

“Pahan! Pahan!”

“Pahan! Pahan!”

“Pahan! Come out! Pahan!”

The eyes of orcs, which cheered for Judith, now turned to the other side.

For the third ordeal to start, and the voices calling for the second son of Khalifa to appear on stage.

Swallowing his fear, he looked at the red-haired human.

Looking at his brother, Garam, who was passed out, he felt devastated.

And the thigh of the leg she hit wasn’t just swollen but torn. It wouldn’t be strange if there were a few cracks in the bones.

Nevertheless, Pahan couldn’t calm his trembling heart.

The scene of his brother’s defeat was pictured in his mind, and his body turned cold and stiff, unable to move.

“Pahan! Pahan!”

“Pahan! Pahan!”

“Pahan! Pahan!”

But the orcs who were watching didn’t care.

It didn’t matter who won.

All they wanted was to witness another intense fight that could be better than the one they saw and quench their thirst for violence. That was enough.

And such expectations only burdened Pahan.

Of course, that didn’t mean that he could avoid it.

The moment when Pahan gulped and was about to walk to the stage.

Grab!

Someone grabbed his shoulder.

Pahan turned his head and stiffened as he looked at the one who grabbed him.

The one holding his shoulder moved ahead, not paying attention to him. And went up the stage.

“…”

“…”

The orcs who saw him also went stiff and stopped stomping their feet.

The shouts for Pahan died down.

The one who had gone up was Master Khalifa.

The great warrior, the second strongest in Durkali, walked towards the red-haired woman.

Seeing the huge shadow fall on her, she swore.

“Fuck.”

“No. This is too much…”

“Stop.”

Irene Pareira stood up.

He was ready to call out his great sword and run in there at any moment.

But Bratt stopped him.

He spoke to Irene, who was bewildered.

“When you said that you would fight Ilya, we felt the same way. But we didn’t stop you.”

“…”

“If you can understand that, don’t stop Judith now. If you want to go, then do it after the ordeal is done.”

Bratt, who spoke it calmly, sat down.

Irene, who saw that, quietly sat in his seat.

Contrary to the blunt expression, there was a stream of blood running down the corner of Bratt’s lip.

Ilya looked at Bratt and then at Judith with serious eyes.

Lulu, who was staring at the stage, was ready to transform at any moment.

Either way, Master Khalifa didn’t stop walking.

Judith’s body trembled.

Her body felt heavy, like a boulder, or like a giant tree that grew in size and couldn’t move.

Even though this orc was shorter than Garam and Gunt, the power oozing out of him was stronger.

The fire in her body stopped for a moment.

But that was it.

A new resurgence of jealousy and inferiority, and the resulting anger and fighting spirit gave a new stimulus to Judith.

As she blazed herself up again.

And said.

“Come on.”

A shabby look.

Unlike when she first appeared on the stage, she now had a swollen face and was bleeding all over; she didn’t seem stable enough to call herself Master Khalifa’s opponent.

Karakum knew it.

So did Tarakan.

Even Gorha knew it.

The fact that the red-haired human still had the fire around her, and that it wouldn’t go out until she died.

And it was obvious.

Master Khalifa, the second strongest of the Durkali tribe, also knew that.

“Lost.”

“What?”

“We lost. You passed all three ordeals.”

“…”

With that, Master Khalifa left the place.

Pahan followed him with a bewildered expression, and the voices of orcs resounded again.

“Judith! Judith!”

“Judith! Judith!”

“Judith! Judith!”

In a place more exclusive than anywhere else, the proud orcs were cheering for someone other than their tribe’s orcs.

They had never even thought about something like this ever happening.

However…

“Not bad.”

Judith grinned and slumped to the floor.

Bratt Lloyd immediately jumped onto the stage with swift movements and supported her.

“…”

And Irene Pareira looked at Judith with serious eyes.

The fire in her eyes was making his own eyes hotter.