Rupegia

Chapter 194: Settling In – Part 2

White muscle meat versus black man bun hunk, the local darling versus the charming newcomer. An interesting matchup that people will remember for a while simply due to how romantic it looks. Could even go for the steamy gay erotica angle because the two do share "meaningful looks."

Or maybe it's just the way elves try to look intimidating. I dunno… they're too pretty for that.

The battle starts after a polite greeting, and then it quickly becomes obvious that both are at a similar level, which means that they finally have an opportunity to let their fighting styles shine. Their previous opponents were all too weak to really push them to show more than just basic swordsmanship.

Palo's style is elegant and confident, while Luor's is desperate and careful, but both have a sharpened "lethality" to them. One wrong move and you lose, and it's beautiful to see them clash.

This also instantly shows how Luor isn't just anybody. Palo can hold his own against the best warrior of the Misty Low Forest, so he isn't someone to be trifled with. He won't be able to win against the top duelists, but that's just because it's possible to heavily specialize in this kind of fighting, and unless Luor also did that, he's definitely a first-class warrior.

But why would a man of this caliber leave his home only to arrive in the supposed "enemy" territory of his previous ruler? It's obvious why Nero "wants" him.

The two warriors fight with longswords with only the minimum amount of protection to safeguard life: a heart guard to stop stabs, a brace at the back of the neck to prevent decapitation, and a cap for the brain. This means that they aren't allowed to wear more than a shirt and pants, but both forgo the former because of elven vanity.

The clash of swords becomes loud as the crowd quickly quiets down. The attacks are heavy but conservative, so they separate with neither scoring a hit, and then the tension rises as they slowly feint each other in hopes of finding an opening.

When will red finally paint the golden arena with its grimly vibrant color? Who will suffer it first? A lot of money has been bet on the answer to these questions.

Then the silver sheen of the blades suddenly turns red, and Luor retreats, cradling his wounded forearm, while Palo stands still as he smirks. The crowd suddenly releases the tension in a loud cheer, and I feel a small amount of pride in my knight's achievement.

But the wound isn't deep, so the vantaelf is still very much in the game. A single cut severing an important muscle can give victory to one side, but every swordsman knows that, so they train how to avoid such injuries just as much as they train how to inflict them.

In the next exchange, Luor performs an odd move, crouching down to dodge Palo's sword and then lunging like a snake. The tip of his sword grazes Palo's muscular, sweaty, shining, del-…

Stop it!

I exorcise the succubus out of my mind and focus on the battle as now it's time for the muscular golden elf to retreat, though his wound is so shallow that he doesn't even press his hand against it. Still, it's enough as payback, and now the crowd is getting excited.

But so am I, as I'm allowed to more blatantly fuck Nono now that everyone is paying so much attention to the fight. She still has to hold back her moans, but even Mikuri isn't glancing at us anymore, so I enjoy freely wriggling my Cock inside her.

The mood of the battle changes as the two become more reckless. They held back because first blood is a question of pride, but now that it's been drawn, they begin to nick each other, still wary of receiving a debilitating wound, but pushing their skills to the limit.

Similar to the duel between Palo and Montagne, they go through the entire book of swordsmanship against each other, trying to outskill the other, but they clearly are very evenly matched. This also proves that Luor is no common mercenary; he was raised as an honorable swordsman.

But then a difference starts to appear. When your skill level gets high enough, there are diminishing returns preventing you from fully utilizing your skill level as you can only do so much when constrained by physics, but the point here is that Luor's level must be significantly lower as he actually starts getting pushed back.

Suddenly, he jumps backward to get some distance from Palo, but then immediately lunges forward so fast that even I have trouble keeping up. It's clearly a [Muscle Explosion] attack, and Palo struggles to defend against it, but then Luor does it again, and again, and again… and again.

His skill must be stupidly high, which is something that's very hard to achieve, but it's also very "efficient" point-wise. You can get a lot more effective "fighting power" from ten levels in [Muscle Explosion] than in [Sword Use], but the training cost of raising that skill is insane.

"Silvano would love to see this," Hana amusedly remarks.

And I hum with a nod as I continue to wriggle my Cock inside Nono. She's now so close to orgasm that she's leaking pussy juices, so I might need Alissa's help soon to mask the inevitable [Clean].

The interesting thing about this battle, though, is that both of them are quickly burning out. Palo doesn't have a high "Endurance," while [Muscle Explosion] will definitely quickly drain anyone that isn't a crazy dragonkin like Hana, so I predict this duel will be decided in just a minute.

But what a minute it is. Palo's skill is pushed to the limit of the limit, while Luor seems like he's just a hair from scoring a decisive hit. A desperate defense against a desperate attack, but who will fall first?

The sounds of their swords clashing and their grunts of effort are drowned out by the crowd as it becomes increasingly hyped. Even though Palo is being heavily pushed back, everyone can see how Luor's pace is unsustainable.

The Dark Elf's sword flashes again, splashing another vivid red line on the sand as his blade opens another light wound on the Golden Elf's exposed chest. Palo's pale skin is covered in lines of dripping blood, but none are deep enough to disable him.

Then we notice how our knight seems to slow down first, and we immediately accept in our minds who the winner will be.

Palo's sword is bashed away a bit too far for him to pull it back in time, and the whole Coliseum gasps in sync as he's stabbed in the stomach, but then we realize that Luor has also been stabbed. It's a double hit!

"STOP! LAST MAN STANDING!" the referee shouts as the medic team rushes across the sand. In the case of a double hit, the referee can stop the fight and declare that the first one to fall loses, but the medical team can't interfere until then.

The two step back, away from each other, as their swords slide out of their opponent's belly, and they make horrible grunts of pain. Belly wounds disable someone instantly, and unless you have [Pain Resistance] (or, again, you're a crazy dragonkin like Hana), you won't remain standing for too long.

It seems that Luor got too reckless and didn't expect Palo to use [Muscle Explosion] himself at the last moment.

But even then, Palo's Endurance is low, so he falls to his knee first.

"FINISHED! VICTORY TO LUOR!" the referee declares, and the medic team now finally begins treating the two warriors.

"The closest duel I've ever seen," Yunia remarks, very impressed, even though Palo lost again.

"Very impressive, yes," Klasse cordially agrees. He's enjoying these fights a lot, it seems.

"Hmm… Elves are so nimble that I always have trouble during training," Anton grunts thoughtfully.

And Yunia snobbishly declares, "The longsword is the noblest weapon to use without armor, so it's a difficult matchup for your halberd during training."

"Yeah, that makes sense," he hums in reply, already used to just ignoring the elven smug tone and focusing on the words.

"What about spears?" Roxanne adds, just to peeve the elven Queen.

"On foot? A peasant's weapon. Any true swordsman will know how to cut it in half at the first thrust," she replies with a sneer, refusing to even look at the succubus.

"What about your sword and shield?" Klasse asks as he turns to Mikuri.

But his wife has resumed staring at Nono and I covertly fucking. "Hm?" she hums back absentmindedly as she jerks her head towards him.

Fortunately, her husband doesn't suspect a thing.

So I happily cum inside Nono, and then we relax a bit as the next matches are less exciting, and I eventually let her go. The day's still just starting, though, so I take my time creampieing each of the wives, one by one, and Mikuri is definitely enjoying the little show.

The Four are also keeping their distance, but I think it's because I'm being very lovey-dovey with my wives, and not because they've noticed that we're fucking. The Twins, Klein, and the Grosshils seem interested in them, so they're keeping them company while listening to their stories.

"You've been a good girl while I was away," I huskily whisper to my little white fox.

Thea gives me a complicated look, clearly a bit flushed about my seductive tone but also feeling awkward at my domineering words. This jade-like beauty is a fairly proper foxgirl with a lot of pride in herself, so even though she can't help but be submissive to me, something in her is telling her to stand up for herself.

"There's no reason for me to ever do anything to displease you," she politely answers with her deliciously high-pitched voice.

I'm very happy with her behavior, so I grace her with [Sexual Charm]-heavy praise, "Indeed, and that's why you're a good girl."

Then she shoots a perfectly casual glance at my molester milf, who's having a surprisingly non-lewd chat with her friend, Poosh. "Is Osaria someone you'd consider a 'bad girl'?" Thea quietly asks, unable to keep a bit of spicy sass from leaking out in her tone.

She's amusing me, so I calmly agree with a nod, "Yes, she is. That woman is uncontrollable."

And Thea's amber eyes stare at mine, daringly resisting my domineering aura. "So, 'good girls' are those you can control?" she calmly asks, but even though her tone is perfect, her gaze now shows her real feelings.

Aren't you a cheeky little one…?

And I smile as I huskily answer, "Good girls are those who don't do things that might annoy me."

"Am I still a good girl, then?" she jokingly asks, but she's still too young to hide her intentions from me. I can definitely sense a bit of rebelliousness in her demeanor, but I'll be kind to her because she doesn't seem like she'd enjoy being dominated too much.

"Yes, you are." I hum back, then kiss her, and though she freezes for a second, she immediately gets over it and eagerly receives me. Her fluffy tail also starts to wag slowly, but there's still a tenseness to it that gives away how afraid she still is of me. I guess she isn't comfortable being as bold and sassy as she really wants to be.

But I like bold and sassy girls just as much as the submissive and gentle ones.

Luor wins a couple more fights, though none are as close as the one with Palo, and while we watch, I slowly snake a tentacle inside Thea's slutty not-kimono. I love how slutty clothes are normal around here because they provide "easy access" to a woman's fun bits.

Surprisingly, though, Thea isn't wearing panties.

I raise my eyebrows at her as my tentacle-dick touches her pussy, and she gives me a very surprised look as she holds back her legs from squeezing my appendage away from her sensitive lips.

"You aren't wearing anything?" I whisper a bit teasingly.

"That's you?" she mouths anxiously.

And I smirk. "Yes, who else would it be?"

She glances away, worried someone might be listening. "I… was prepared for 'later.'"

But I just huskily praise her. "You're a very good girl, aren't you?"

And this embarrasses her so much that she goes silent as her inner desires battle her pride. It's adorable how easy it is to mess with her, but I'll be kind and stop bullying her.

Still, I rub her pink pussy lips with my tentacle, making her breathe in deeply, and also attracting Mikuri's attention.

Then Luor is called to battle the reigning champion, Antorino Savado, a glorious not-Conan with a gentler and more youthful face that's typical of elves. Since each contestant has to fight multiple battles, the champion also has to participate in the round of 32 to make it fair. In other places, the final match is held two days later (to skip the Day of Darkness that occurs tomorrow), but they're more about the spectacle, while the elves don't want to edge for too long.

Everyone's very interested in their duel, so the crowd quiets down while I also slow my cock's thrusting to avoid making Thea moan out loud. Luor has caught a lot of attention, but he certainly isn't good enough to win the tournament, so the bets are all about how long he'll last.

The elves are very unceremonious to not ruin the spirit of the Festival of Glories, so the battle quickly starts after a short greeting, and the tension immediately rises to the limit. Everyone can feel the "danger" that the champion exudes, so it feels like watching a child stand before a lion.

Antorino won't give Luor a chance to humiliate him, though, and immediately starts with the usual careful prodding. Vantaelf's style is a bit unusual, so it pays to be careful, and even with these careful strikes, the difference in skill level is noticeable.

Palo's already at the peak of skill, but Antorino is like a relentless beast, and he can push swordsmanship to another level. A warrior needs to survive every situation they might get themselves into, while a duelist can prepare their whole lives for one specific kind of fighting. The all-rounder versus the one-trick pony… and what a pony it is.

He slowly and carefully turns the dial, gradually increasing the pressure on Luor. It's actually quite fascinating, and I creampie Thea early because even I start to get enthralled by their duel. How long will Luor last? Not very long, considering he's forced to use his [Muscle Explosion] just two minutes in.

Seeing Antorino and his overwhelming manliness dominate the pretty, young Dark Elf makes the girls feel a bit heated up. I'm not going to complain, especially since their arousal feeds into mine. Might as well enjoy myself at every opportunity that I can; that's my life's motto.

But it's short-lived, as barely a minute into the [Muscle Explosion], Antorino pushes the tip of Luor's sword away, and the Dark Elf is too slow to pull the hilt towards his body to block the champion from stabbing him in the lung.

It isn't a horrific wound, but Luor immediately steps back and falls to one knee. He's out of breath, so he quickly starts choking on his own blood, and he decides to just drop his sword, which the referee considers a surrender.

Still, he showed himself off, so now we'll have Osaria offer him knighthood after an interview. And then we'll let Nero… talk to him. I don't want to pressure a new potential hire by letting our half-crazy spymaster loose on him.

But Luor is the last of the real warriors, and now there are only duelists competing for the Title, so the excitement dies down and is replaced by greed as betting becomes the main attraction.

Predictably, Antorino wins, and then there are more celebrations and another artistic performance, but now I have to give a speech to end the Festival and reward the champion.

The walls of our booth lower as a staircase magically grows towards the arena, and it ends at a raised dais, which the champion climbs onto while Yunia and I climb down to meet him there. Elves love their statutes, so I pull out of my "Items" the one we had pre-made for Antorino, but holding it makes me feel gay because it depicts him sans clothes, with a huge boner, and striking a pose. It's better than letting Yunia handle it, though.

"Congratulations on your victory, Antorino," I confidently remark as I offer him my free hand for a shake.

"Thank you, Your Highness," he replies, then unhesitatingly takes it as he shows off an iconic Chad Smile, making the crowd go wild.

But as I hand him the trophy, everyone quickly falls silent as they know it's time for the speech.

And Yunia solemnly begins, "As the year comes to an end, we honor our ancestors by sharpening our blades and raising our skills through the Festival of Glories, all so that we don't waste the blood they've spilled to defend our land from destruction."

Now it's my turn. "And what a great Festival it has been!" I cheerfully shout and open my arms wide to rally the crowd into cheering, and they immediately answer just like I wanted.

It's been a flawless Festival of Glories, so they should be very satisfied.

But elven cheering is always short, and it quickly dies down. Then I more solemnly continue, "But now, the Month of Death is about to bloom, so let's take care of ourselves to honor the dead, and there's no better way to do that than to live! So, let's live with pride! May the Festival of Death begin!"

And I leave to the cheers of the crowd as dancers come in for one last performance.

We don't need to participate in this anymore, so after a short while, I excuse myself to recharge my social batteries. It's almost night, so we've basically spent the whole day together with family and friends. I just want to gaze upon the town from my balcony high up in the castle while the sun sets and enjoy some not-earl-gray with cookies.

I did have fun, but it's been a bit too much fun for me, and not even the dragon has unlimited stamina when it isn't about sex. Some things just don't change.

Yunia joins me even before Alissa, but she isn't here to partake in melancholic gazing at the view. She hugs me from behind, nestles my head between her nicely shaped pillows, and then grabs my horns and massages them.

"I'm very happy with how today went," she sweetly breathes into my ear.

"Oh?" I hum absentmindedly, starting to get curious. I could just listen to her thoughts through [Bind], but it feels nicer to let her say it herself.

Then her tone becomes wistful as she continues, "I've always dreamed about hosting the Festival of Glories myself, and it went just like I wanted."

"We didn't do anything special today," I point out.

And she nods. "Yes, it was everything that we did before that was important."

So I gently pat her head with a tentacle, making her snort softly. She's all fuzzy inside, making her act like a horny drunk. I've already creampied her today, but she's asking for another.

But our nice moment is interrupted because the girls still back at the Coliseum get the news that the Carrier has arrived with the exiled Titans.