Ball of Nothing

With the hype from the first match still strong in the air, the village was in a buzz. Zero went down to meet Zenobia and Mitchnew, congratulating them both and gushing about how brilliant those moves were.

Cleo busied away to prepare the stage for the next match. The next round's competitors were also busy warming up. This time, they didn't bother with a terrain. Instead, Lovina double checked all the barriers. They would need very strong barriers for the next match.

The next battle was one between extreme size difference and Zero was excited to know what kind of tricks Clowis had against Camie. He couldn't picture himself going against a giantess and winning simply because of that towering height advantage.

The match made Zero anticipate. He was curious about how a shorter person like himself would be able to overcome opponents who were much bigger and taller. Zero only decided to trade the female vessel form for the male vessel form because of that one-inch height advantage. If he could find out the secrets, Zero would seriously consider swapping to the female vessel because he honestly found the female vessel to be more appealing.

For this match, Zero opted to sit in the front row benches for a better look. There were no obstacles blocking their view and the young doctor was vibrating on the spot from excitement. Clowis was by no means short but Camie easily towered anyone in the village so Zero wanted to know what he should be doing in normal situations when faced with such an unfair height disadvantage.

Lowis smiled at his nephew and wished him luck before taking on the role of the masters of ceremonies.

"Settle down everyone. The next match is about to begin and this time, the rules are slightly different. Our warriors are both close-combat specialists. Both participants will tie six sashes around their body. One at the head, one at the waist, one on each arm and one on each leg. the first to completely tear off all the sashes from their opponent wins the match."

Zero noted how Camie struggled a little with her sash as it was too small. Mitchnew came into the arena to help the giantess attach her sashes while Amaraline helped her brother out. Lowis introduced Camie with the blue sashes as a "gentle guardian who transforms into a castle destroyer when she gets serious". The giantess might only be a quarter-blooded giant but she was still a staggering three meters tall. That was twice Lovina's height and Zero couldn't help but wonder if height was something that could be donated.

Zero wasn't sure what Camie specialised in but Lowis answered his questions. "Known for being able to take down wolves with a single crush of her hands, Camie has the strength to crush skulls and break stones with her fists. She can topple walls with her kick, fling rocks faster than a catapult and cause small earthquakes when she jumps from a high place. This lady has many talents and despite the power she possesses, is very gentle at heart. Still, her speed should be nothing to sneeze at despite her size."

Zero noted for the first time what the giantess' choice of weapon was. He was expecting someone like Camie who was more feminine to go for rapiers or spears. Instead, the giantess picked up the twin battleaxes that had been wrapped up in thick cloth to prevent any lasting injuries during the spar.

Lowis then turned to his nephew who had secured all six red sashes. As the seamstress and fortune-teller stepped out of the arena, Lowis introduced his famous nephew.

"Over here, we have our beloved Chief Warrior who is armed with brass knuckles today instead of his usual metal talons. Clowis here has chosen to forgo his spear to demonstrate his versatility. Although he is a cockatrice descendant, his latent magic abilities of petrification don't work quickly enough for it to be of any real use in battles. He is also unable to fly although he is known to be very agile and lithe. Clowis' signature move is the one-tap hurricane where he sweeps everyone away with a powerful swing of his spear that he isn't using today. Who will emerge victorious?"

Zero clapped and cheered when Lowis made his way out of the arena. Lovina enhanced the barriers as the emcee yelled start.

There was immediately a huge explosion followed by a dirt cloud that obscured everyone's vision. As the dirt cloud settled, everyone could see that Clowis was already forced into a tough position. The battle of strength was draining him out but Camie had him pinned to the ground with her battleaxes.

Zero took down notes without looking at his book, afraid to miss the moment when Clowis would turn the tables around.

The head warrior didn't disappoint and surprised the giantess with a windmill kick.

Camie closed her eyes when Clowis kicked up dirt and the head warrior took the chance to make his escape from the stalemate. The heavy battleaxes hit the ground and made a small crack in it. Lovina groaned and quickly repaired the barrier before they could do any further damage to the arena. Compared to the match between archers, this match was going to be more taxing on the magicians and security team. Everyone knew about Camie's strength but not even Lovina would have expected her to be holding back this much.

The giantess smirked. Clowis didn't look too confident now. Although she was only a quarter of a giant, Camie knew that her strength was abnormal. While giants were usually stronger than most other species because of their sizes, their strength was usually directly proportional to their huge statures.

Camie was able to win giants in wrestling matches and lift them despite being only half of the normal giant's size. Size didn't really matter in this case and Camie understood what it was like to be fighting against an opponent that looked bigger than her. Clowis must be feeling that pressure now and while the strong usually fought with overpowering might, the weak usually won their battles through wits and tricks. There was no doubt about it. The village warrior head was thinking of a strategy and Camie couldn't help but look forward to what the usually stiff-headed spear user would attempt. Of the many things that Clowis was known for, using his head wasn't one of them.

Victory was in the bag for her.

Clowis growled when the giantess attacked once more, testing the strength of that mana barrier. Although Clowis dodged the battleaxes, the strong wind current blew him away. As a cockatrice descendant, how had relatively hollower bones, making him a literal lightweight. Camie knew that and used it to her advantage. The giantess never allowed Clowis to rest and continued to charge at him, strike after strike.

Zero saw how the giantess was like an unstoppable gale. What she didn't land a direct hit on, she would make up for it with a powerful gust. The teenager had stopped taking notes and chose to admire the powerhouse instead. Might was everything and Zero didn't think that Clowis would be able to squirm out of this match. He was forced into a defensive position that felt unfamiliar to him. If Clowis had his spear, he might have been able to do something.

Manny who was beside Zero laughed when Clowis fell onto the ground after the wind swept him off his feet. "That boy's such a princess. If he doesn't grow a pair he will soon be pinned down by Camie."

Zero tilted his head to the side. "Grow a pair?"

Soon smacked the ex-paladin over the head, making it cave in a little before healing it up. "Don't bother, Zero. What he means is that Clowis is going to lose. The boy is panicking too much to use his head. Camie knows what she does best and is going all out on him. It might have been better if he stuck with the spear that he's familiar with instead of testing out his new parlour trick."

Mitchnew who had just changed out of her armour settled down beside Zero and raised a brow. "Why is our warrior head getting smacked around?"

Zero sighed. "He didn't bring his spear with him and cannot do anything against Camie. She's just too strong. Even Lovina is struggling to keep the barrier up because of her attacks. I've seen her repair it a few times now."

The ex-assassin observed the one-sided battle and frowned. Then, to everyone's surprise, the dark elf yelled out loud enough for her words to echo in the forest.

"Hold steady and use your head! Is your brain for decoration? If you can't get out of this you don't deserve to be the warrior head!"

Her threat lingered and Clowis got distracted by it for a moment, giving Camie the opening she needed to land a heavy hit on him, sending him flying to the other end of the arena. He smacked the barrier painfully and felt some of his bones crack but nothing hurt more than his pride at the moment. That's right. he didn't become the village's head of security by luck. He worked hard for it and even though there were so many better warriors than him, Lowis still chose him.

The objective of the match was not to knock the opponent down. If he took all the sashes, he won. Why he opted for the brass knuckles instead of his spear was because it gave him more mobility and opportunities to snatch sashes. Unlike him, Camie's hands were occupied with the twin battleaxes. She was at a natural disadvantage for this match setting even if it gave her the advantage of a wide reach.

In terms of power, Clowis know that he would never win her. However, he prided himself in his reflexes and agility. Not to mention, Clowis was an expert at using petty tricks during a spar. After losing so many times to his uncle and Mitchnew, the head warrior had years of experience fighting dirty under his belt. Who cared if they didn't look good? Results spoke for themselves and any means to an end that worked was a good method. If he had to result in being a shameless warrior to win then a shameless warrior he would be.

Camie waited for Clowis to get up. The head warrior didn't disappoint and got up with difficulty. His legs shook and she knew that he must be hurting badly from the direct hit he took earlier. She held back at the last moment enough to send him flying instead of turning him into a broken mess. Mitchnew's words seemed to have worked because Camie got excited to see the flame return to those eyes. Finally, they were going to have a match worthy of being written into the village's history.

In the next clash, Clowis sidestepped the first battleaxe and used it as a stepping stone to jump over Camie's head. The giantess wasn't expecting the cockatrice descendant to be so bold and immediately shielded her eyes, wary of the tricks Clowis would use again. the moment she closed her eyes, Clowis made his move.

Zero thought that he would take that chance to snatch the sash from her head but was surprised when Clowis pulled it down to temporarily blind the giantess.

The audience held their breaths when the head warrior used the hold of that blindfold to topple the three-metre tall giantess who stumbled but held her ground.

It didn't really matter if the giantess fell because Clowis used it to retain his momentum in the air while he snatched the sashes from both arms and Camie's waist before landing to give the back of Camie's knees a kick.

The giantess wasn't ready for such an assault while her sight was still robbed. Without a sense of balance in darkness, she felt herself falling slowly towards the ground. Although she could hear where Clowis was, he was moving too quickly for her to catch him in the sightless world. the ripping of fabric alerted her that Clowis was actually gaining on her with the match's objective. Once again, she couldn't help but be impressed by Clowis' foresight. With the twin battleaxes still in her hands, she couldn't defend against the sneaky sash thief who had ripped the other two sashes by her ankles during her fall.

Despite the losing streak, Camie wasn't one to give up hope. She might have lost five sashes all at one go from that trick but she still had one on her head that was currently covering her eyes.

The giantess dropped both battleaxes and held onto the last remaining sash as Clowis tried to snatch it. The head warrior clicked his tongue in annoyance at being thwarted the very last moment. He was so close to winning the match but Camie was no easy opponent.

With one injured and the other down to only one sash, nobody knew who would be the victor. Clowis' swift manoeuvre was something that Zero wanted to learn. He wrote down the tricks used and the strategy that Clowis employed that could be good against bigger opponents. Although Camie wasn't slow, Clowis' speed was an advantage for his smaller body. Camie couldn't turn around fast enough to catch him and it was easier for Clowis to dodge Camie's hands with more space to move around in close proximity.

Lovina groaned. The barrier had taken a beating and the witch wondered if she still had enough energy to continue with such violent matches for the next two days. she really needed to make a trip to the vitality river directed out from the spring in the lawless zone. Thank goodness having Zero as the chief gave them such luxuries. The witch didn't know how she would survive with so many demands made from her. From the list of matches she was given, Lovina knew that Qin Yun's match with Titor would be the worst. A fight between cultivators can be as bad as a fight between archmages.

Camie abandoned her battleaxe and retied her loose sash on her head. She faced Clowis with a seriousness that was rare to find in the giantess. Clowis wasn't about to give in either. If he couldn't get that last sash in the next exchange, he would lose in a battle of attrition. His body can only last so much longer with the injuries and adrenaline was a double-edged sword.

Camie wasn't surprised by Clowis' desperate charge towards her. If she dragged the battle out, her chances of winning would be much higher but for Clowis who was already hurt, it would be terrible for him if he didn't win soon.

Camie was prepared. It didn't matter what kind of tactics Clowis used, she wouldn't let him get anywhere near her head. With the natural advantage of her height, it would be challenging for Clowis to get close to the last sash especially if she was on guard.

Clowis aimed for Camie's stomach with his brass knuckles but Camie didn't feel much from it. Her abdominal muscles were steady as steel and the giantess was proud of it. Training never betrayed a warrior and Camie hasn't slacked off even for a single day. It didn't matter if it was pouring, snowing or hot. She would diligently train in the forest in the early mornings before anyone was up, then gather firewood before helping out with the hunting team before lunch.

The head warrior wasn't too surprised that a direct attack had no effect and was quick to put distance between them again. If he got caught by Camie, the match would be over. He needed to think of a way to topple the reliable giantess or gain elevation to retrieve that last sash. Now that Camie was on guard, she wouldn't fall twice for the same trick. Clowis also didn't have confidence that he could sweep her off her feet with his strength. No offence to the lady but she is heavy.

Camie decided that it was her turn to attack when Clowis made no other attempts. The head warrior wasn't known for using his head very often but when he did, he came out with ridiculous plans that somehow worked. She couldn't allow him time to think and wanted to add more pressure to him. Clowis made more mistakes under pressure and usually, Amaraline was his voice of reason and anchor. Without his sister around to ground him, Clowis couldn't stay collected enough to find a way out so easily.

Clowis wasn't fully prepared for the giantess to leap at him with both arms outstretched. In his haste to escape, he lost both his waist and head sashes.

The crowd cheered as Clowis was backed into a corner. With the mana barrier trapping him in, there was little that he could do. Camie slowly closed in and Clowis decided to use the last trick in his book. If he couldn't win in height, he would use his lack of it to his advantage.

Zero nearly screamed in delight when Clowis slipped underneath Camie's legs to escape. The giantess had expected that but wasn't fast enough to grab the head warrior. Instead, she managed to get one sash on his leg.

Lowis grinned. The match was finally starting to get interesting with both opponents discarding their weapons.

Clowis checked the sashes he had and cursed. He was down to three while Camie still had that sash on her head, proving to be difficult and near impossible to obtain.

The giantess was feeling more confident now that Clowis had lost half of his sashes in such a short time. She lunged at him once more with the intent to grab him. Clowis knew what she was aiming for and desperately ran, dodging her hands and trying to put distance. The giantess became wary when Clowis used the side of the barrier to climb upwards vertically. Unlike the cliff surface that allowed his sharp talons to find footholds, the mana barrier was smooth and Clowis could only go five steps upwards before gravity worked against him.

Camie was below with open arms waiting as the flightless bird fell squawking.

The crowd cheered when Clowis landed perfectly in the giantess' arms who carried him in a bridal position. Zero laughed at how red Clowis' face became as the giantess stripped him of his remaining sashes with ease.

The audience went wild as Camie planted a playful kiss on the head warrior's forehead before letting him down. Lowis had a good time laughing till tears fell from his eyes. Everyone, apart from Clowis, found the situation much too funny to take seriously. Still possessed by giggles, Lowis declared Camie as the victor of the match. Amaraline went over to give her brother a hug.

"Don't worry, brother. You're still very handsome and manly to me," she said and gave him a kiss on his cheek, eliciting another round of cheers from the village who yelled out they should celebrate it with yet another feast.

The good mood wasn't dampened and after Clowis got over his initial excitement, he joined the hunter team to bring back a good game for roasted meat.