Due to the improvement of the training ground facility, the dueling cage where the lobby's healing power was nullified had transformed into an enclosed vast chamber.
The whole place reminded me of the grandness of the temple we investigated on the tenth floor.
The semblance was slightly disturbing.
Each training ground on the third floor had one of such dueling chamber.
Jonah led me to the one located inside the training ground assigned solely for Party 1.
After entering the dueling chamber, I found Darius, Shanny, as well as Zecht, Norn, Tarran, and Harl waiting inside. Even Trudy was there.
"Done instructing for today?"
I asked the combat instructor.
"The trainees are practicing on their own for the rest of the day. In any case, I would like to see who is going to be my replacement."
She said.
"Look closely. You might learn something useful to teach the first floor combatants."
I told her.
I turned my attention on the two heroes standing on each side of the chamber.
[Devisha (★★★) Lv.2 (Exp 3/20)]
[Class: Rogue]
[Strength: 17/17][1]
[Intelligence: 10/10]
[Stamina: 16/16]
[Agility: 18/18]
[Skills: Basic Dual-Swords Technique Lv.3, Basic Dagger Technique Lv.2, Dagger-throwing Lv.1, Switching Lv.1, Trap Detection Lv.1, Stealthy Movement Lv.1, Nimble Movement Lv.1]
Devisha was still the same as I saw her last.
As I thought, she could not improve as she was at the moment.
Granted, though, it had only been a day since I observed her status window.
I shifted my gaze to her opponent.
[Arian Zenithar (★★★) Lv.2 (Exp 5/20)]
[Class: Warrior]
[Strength: 18/18]
[Intelligence: 10/10]
[Stamina: 17/17]
[Agility: 17/17]
[Skills: Basic Spearmanship Lv.3, Basic Dagger Technique Lv.1, Switching Lv.1, Berserk Lv.1, Nimble Movement Lv.1]
Just like Devisha, the Kutub hunter knew how to use two sorts of weapons.
They both possessed the Switching skill that would allow them to easily utilize all the weapons at their disposals.
Despite lacking another movement skill and her dagger skill was a level lower than Devisha's, Arian possessed the rare Berserk skill that only Shanny had in the entire lobby.
Arian's general level might be the same as Devisha's. But with Berserk, the equality would not matter.
I was certain Devisha knew about Arian's Berserk skill. The Kutub hunter did not particularly tried to hide such ability.
So I was wondering what the Tsahanam mercenary planned to counter it.
She would be a fool to not have a plan.
Party 1 did not need a fool.
"Are you two ready?"
I asked the pair.
Arian thrusted her spear and took a crouching stance iconic to the Kutub warriors.
"If I defeat her, I get to fight alongside you, right?"
The rough-haired girl asked.
"Should you win, you will join Party 1, yes."
I replied.
Veil covering the lower half of her face, Devisha drew the pair of scimitars from her back.
The blades glistened as she twirled the dangerous weapons around. She managed to look like a dancer while performing the stunt.
"I will hold nothing back. I intend to join the frontline of this noble endeavor of saving our world."
I nodded to the veil-cladded woman.
"And give your all you shall. For we require nothing less in our party."
I produced a handkerchief from my dress and flew it to the air using simple wind spell.
"The battle begins when the handkerchief lands on the ground."
I said while retreating to the sideline with the others.
The pair of 3-star newcomers each silently watched the falling fabric from their side of the chamber.
The closer the handkerchief was to the ground, the paler their knuckles gripping their weapons.
All of us watched the air thickening between the two duelers.
Once the handkerchief landed softly to the dueling chamber's cold tiled floor, Arian let out a strong grunt.
['Arian (★★★)' has gone berserk!]
With tremendous aura blasting off from her surface, Arian leaped from her crouching stance and dashed toward Devisha.
The veil-cladded woman shifted her scimitars to one hand and used the other to produce several daggers she hid in her clothing.
The Tsahanam mercenary sent the daggers flying toward the charging Kutub warrior.
Swoosh!
Arian maintained her course.
She raised her spear and parried one dagger aimed straight to her face.
Slash!
A dagger grazed her left shoulder and her thigh.
But the hunter was not fazed. Her speed was not impeded.
Arian's Berserk skill allowed her to ignore pain to a degree.
Devisha swept her free hand through her right thigh and somehow fetched another three daggers.
Swoosh!
Arian persisted with her charge.
She simply parried the dagger going straight to her vital areas. Ignoring the rest and the wound they caused.
Another graze on her left shoulder and left forearm.
The girl would be able to avoid all the daggers easily if she simply jumped away from their trajectories.
But the Berserk skill also suppressed Arian's sense of reasoning.
As of now, it was difficult for her to even keep grasp of herself and her action.
It must had been near impossible to muster the effort of skillfully parrying the dagger with her spear.
Shanny said it was a drawback of the Berserk skill.
A cost worth the skill's benefit though.
Clang!
Arian finally reached Devisha and the girl thrusted her spear to the veil-cladded woman.
Devisha tried to block the spear, but Arian's strength-enhancing Berserk skill made it as if Devisha was parrying a heavy iron mace.
Clang!
Devisha attempted to dodge, but Arian's innate agility enhanced with the Berserk skill made escape near impossible for the Tsahanam mercenary.
Clang!
Arian never failed to launch consecutive assaults toward her opponent.
Each thrust would be followed by a swipe. Each swipe followed by a thrust.
All delivered with powerful force that could tear through stone.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!!!
Arian managed to disarm one of Devisha's scimitars.
The girl intensified her barrage.
Devisha tried to parry and deliver her own counter-attack. But the Kutub warrior was stronger and faster.
The mercenary was not given any opening whatsoever.
Clang!
Devisha's other scimitar was thrown off her hand.
The veil-cladded woman immediately reached for a pair of daggers from her waist.
Now wielding smaller weapons, Devisha managed to maneuver herself more agilely.
It allowed her to spot new openings she could not attempt with her scimitars.
Slash!
Devisha managed to land a graze on Arian's left thigh.
Slash!
Another shallow one on the girl's right forearm.
Slash!
A third one on Arian's other shoulder.
The mercenary was finally successful in landing direct assaults.
Unfortunately for Devisha's sake, none of the wounds she inflicted could fell Arian.
Under the trance of the Berserk skill, Arian's ferocious attacks kept on going.
She was not slowed by the wounds inflicted throughout her body.
The Tsahanam mercenary, however, kept getting pushed throughout the field by the Kutub hunter.
"Arian's winning!"
Shanny said out loud.
"But she hasn't managed to get a graze on Devisha though."
Trudy replied with a slight frown.
Darius shook his head.
"Devisha can't do anything meaningful with only her daggers. Not against someone like Arian. Once Devisha is tired enough to drop her guard, it's Arian with the spear who would claim the victory."
"And Kutub hunters are known for their persistence. They would never stop until their prey is down. If it's a battle of attrition, Arian is more likely to win."
Jonah added.
I smiled upon their exchanges.
"I would not be so sure about that."
The others frowned at me and quickly returned their gazes to the duelers.
Through their deep frowns they examined the battle for my reason.
It was slight. Very slightly. But Arian's movement suddenly began to slow in each step she took.
The strength of her thrust also began to lessen every time she swung her ivory spear.
When Arian's limbs suddenly stiffened and the girl froze where she stood, I knew Devisha's lips curled into a wide grin behind her veil.
['Arian (★★★)' is no longer berserk!]
The Kutub warrior lost grasp of her spear and fell to her knees.
The girl stared at her trembling limbs incredulously.
She knew the odd reaction of her body was involuntary.
"W-what's happening to me?!"
The girl muttered with shocked wide eyes.
Devisha twirled her daggers around and walked closer to Arian.
"I realized I couldn't defeat you head on. So I laced all my weapons with paralyzing poison. I knew I would win as long as I inflicted a graze on you and let the poison takes effect."
The young Kutub hunter grunted at her own pathetic sight.
"Poison! I should've known! Why didn't I think of it?! Why didn't I anticipate it?!"
Arian might be as skilled with the spear as any mature Kutub hunter.
But she was still a young girl who lacked experience in real battle.
She definitely was compared to Devisha whom had a lot of experience as a mercenary and something else in the Tsahanam Sultanate.
With her opponent kneeling on the ground, Devisha picked up her scimitars scattered around the field and settled their curved blades around Arian's neck.
"I believe it's my win?"
The veil-cladded woman declared inquiringly with that melodious voice of hers.
I nodded and walked up to the woman with an extended hand.
"Welcome to Party 1, Devisha."
[1] I've revised the numbering format on the status values to be similar to how it's portrayed in the original work. The numbering on the status windows in the previous chapters have been revised as well.