I'm sorry! I think I was supposed to update this sometime ago but I forgot. 🥲

Knowing I was stuck in this position, I had to get a little creative this time around. So, instead of aiming for his face like he would expect, I decided to throw myself on the ground—right by his deadliest weapons. Since he seized my leg, I would return the favor.

Fortunately, I happened to have watched a good amount of WWE, so some wrestling locks were privy to me. With how prized he treated his legs, finding them immobile would deal a devastating blow to his combat power...not to mention his pride.

I slid down between his feet, hooking my legs around his waist so that I resembled an upside-down koala. As expected, he tried to curb my efforts, stomping on me down below like an ant. I struggled for a while and tried to find the right opportunity. Thankfully, he was unable to resist me for so long. I managed to exert some force on him from below and pulled him to the ground with me. His body slammed on the ground following my guidance and I clambered onto him, pulling him into a figure-four leg lock.

As I pulled on his joints, he yelped out in shock. Though this wasn't the flesh-penetrating pain, it was the bone-deep kind where you get your limbs twisted in uncomfortable angles, not to mention have your sensitive spots put pressure on.

"You—aghhh!"

I did not bother talking, concentrating on maintaining the position. Reversals were always possible and with this guy's strength, it wasn't long before he found a way out of the bind. By then, I would be the one suffering. So while I had the advantage, I might as well enjoy it.

If he quit this early, I'd be disappointed.

Sure enough, he strained forward and somehow grabbed me by the neck. With the vulnerable part of myself seized, I did not have a choice but to let go of the figure-four leg lock.

He pulled me to the floor, and we rolled around fighting for dominance.

"This is a mudfight!" the announcer exclaimed. "How brutish! How domineering! Lionheart is indeed a lionheart! Just look at her clinch at number two so bravely!"

"What are you calling mudfight?" I muttered, disgruntled. "This is wrestling!"

"Somewhat accurate," Black Flame countered. "We are literally rolling on mud."

"Yeah...makes sense," I whispered absentmindedly.

I forgot...the ground was indeed muddy due to the previous fight. As we struggled about, we finally rolled into a pit. I held my breath as we tumbled down a particular steep mini-cliff. Water splashed on our clothes and masks, dirtying the costumes thoroughly. I did not feel comfortable with my clothes sticking to my skin. However, this would be a good advantage for me should Black Flame summon his element later, so I did not object to it too much.

"Oops! They fell in! That's quite a deep one in there!"

Battling on the ground wasn't fun. It was, like the announcer said, very brutish. It didn't feel as though we were in a technique-involved fight. It felt more like a brainless brawl. Despite the chaos happening between me and my opponent, nonetheless, I maintained a semblance of calm-headedness. I did not want to be recklessly throwing punches here and, as a consequence, tiring myself out without landing a single attack.

He tried striking at my face. I evaded him by veering to the side. Grabbing the hand he threw at me, I pulled him forward, my elbow waiting for his nose to make impact. He caught himself just in time and smacked away my arm.

Black Flame was the same as me. Though his moves looked careless, they were anything but. He made accurate judgments and struck at places that stopped if not hindered or delayed my movements. My rhythm, as a result, was constantly disrupted and I could not build on anything against him. In the end, I decided to retreat to my defenses and gather my bearings. I would take the passive side and then find a way to go past his attacks and survive somehow.

It was a shame he did not let me.

He did not give me any chance to retreat or defend. He was merciless in the sense that, every time I tried to pull away, he would find a way to pull me back in. He had me cornered in every turn. When I tried reversing our position, he would pin me down a second later. In the event of another successful reversal, he would control the tide of exchange and later pull me back under the unforgiving undercurrents. It was a cycle. One that I found hard to pry myself out of.

"Goddamn you," I whispered out of frustration.

"It seems that Black Flame is in control of the fight right now! Lionheart seems to be struggling! Our lion has turned into a scruffed kitten! Struggling to no avail!"

"Can you give less insulting commentaries?!" I complained.

However, just as the words left my tongue, I was pulled back by the collar.

I had tried to leave the pit but unfortunately lost a bit of my balance and slid back down. Black Flame used this opportunity to seize me.

Scruffed kitten rang true this very moment, and the audience even laughed a little.

"What the fr—"

What rotten timing!

I turned around, frustrated, grasping the arm which was holding my collar. I push-kicked Black Flame's knees, rendering him off balance. He let go of me following my attack and I moved in, mud splashing on my legs. He did not allow himself to be held back by that small moment of carelessness. He smoothly recovered and met me head on. My combination attack was defended against and even counterattacked!

It was then that I realized that this guy was the sea. I, on the other hand, was that pitiful boat. There was no other way to describe it. Facing this guy was like facing a storm in the ocean. I was caught in his rhythm. He would give me a but a bare second to resurface before hurling me back under the waves.

Not good. Not good.

What about my plan? What about my evaluations?!

I reviewed so much for this fight and there was none that I studied which actually showed up in the exam!

I felt a sense of crisis for the first time.

If I could use my element...I would be summoning it now. I knew, however, that I could not control it well. If I happened to recklessly unleash the Veils on this person, I would end up depriving the world of a good warrior. Black Flame seemed to be an upright guy, if not uptight and arrogant at first sight.

I was in somewhat of a loss. I thought perhaps forcing him to respond differently than usual would put him in a disadvantage, but this wasn't the case at all.

This wasn't right. We were mostly wrestling! He wasn't even using his 'family art' that much!

On the other hand, since we were soaked through with mud, I doubt his element's efficiency would be like before—I couldn't recall how many times that single thought had gone through my mind. It seemed I was a little desperate for positive news that I could not help but pore over this useless thing.

Even with his decreased element's efficiency later on, it was still useless if I couldn't survive until then!

I should find a way to break out of this rhythm first and find my pace. I could not allow him to continue controlling the tide of the battle.

Now I know.

We continued our mudfight until he had me down in a choking position. The pressure on my throat was immense and I quickly felt myself behind, deprived of air. I didn't grasp at his wrists and attempt to pry his hands away. Even the usual technique used to break a choke hold would be useless on this guy's flawless posture. He was very stable.

I hooked up my legs around his waist and pulled, bringing him close and locking him in position. I could feel his questioning stare under his mask. By common sense, I should be kicking him away and trying to break free. But I knew that if I followed common sense, I would be suffering. This guy ruled common sense.

So, I should do something ridiculous and completely out of expectations.

I reached out under his armpits and did the most humiliating and desperate thing I could probably muster in my life.

I tickled him.

He didn't laugh, but his grip on me loosened and he flinched.

"Hehe," I grunted from under him. "You're ticklish, eh? I didn't expect that. I thought a guy like you would be numb."

He re-tightened his fingers around my throat, forcing me to shut up. My brief supply of oxygen was cut, and I was back to being miserable.

I persisted. My fingers brushed at the most commonly known sensitive spots—and with skill.

His costume was fairly thin. Considering the light material, I was sure it wasn't much trouble to feel the stimulation from my hands.

I didn't dawdle either.

Because I was turning blue.

"I can't believe this! Is Lionheart actually tickling Black Flame?!" the announcer's voice resounded. "This is a first in the entire competition—no, since the founding of the Temple, that a disciple in trial actually dare to tickle their opponent! During a fight! Tickling an opponent during a fight!"

The audience's laugh reverberated throughout the entire arena as though they were the ones being tickled and not my opponent. I thanked god I was wearing a mask because I could feel my face, which was turning blue, promptly become flushed with embarrassment. I could not help but wonder what kind of face my mistress would give me when I come home later.

Fine, it was funny. But it was either that or I lose by passing out from the lack of air.

"Give up!" Black Flame growled at me.

Like I would listen.

Seeing as I did not plan to stop, Black Flame was even more enraged. I could see he was trying to stop his physiological reactions. "You...how vulgar!"

I wanted to reply something cool, but with his grasp on my throat, it would only sound pathetic. So, while staying silent, I continued tickling him. He persisted for a good few seconds before his choke hold on me finally collapsed.

An uncharacteristic laugh finally burst out of his throat. "Haha—" I cut him off midway by landing a punch.

The audience laughed at our exchange, amused by the development of things, before following up with applause.

"Lionheart! Lionheart! Lionheart!" they chanted.

Did I somehow gain the people's favor by doing something stupid?

I ignored our spectators and followed it up with a headbutt. They cheered when Black Flame staggered back. Though I was quite dizzy afterwards, I managed to finally pull back from him. I even found myself smiling under the mask. Though this fight was nothing short of challenging, I didn't expect that I would find it fun at all.

"What kind of martial arts do you even practice?" Black Flame spat.

"Don't worry," I told him with a grin. "There's more where that came from."

The announcer was unrelenting in his commentary. "Lionheart has quickly found popularity! I would assume she would become a crowd-favorite in becoming a disciple! What other bright ideas does our kitten have before being scruffed by her opponent once again?!"

Fuming, I shouted, "Not a scruffed kitten!" I did not expect my voice to reverberate in the whole arena, though. Unfortunately, because I was choked before, I was a little hoarse. My voice cracked mid-sentence, inciting further laughter from everyone.

I don't get it. How did my fight become a comedy show? Even the monks in their high seats were laughing—what more that particular old man Myrrh. He was already halfway to death's door by cracking up.

And I was not joking.

There were literally Veils surrounding him, waiting for him to die from laughter. They rotated around him solemnly, like shadow vultures.

He was actually dying from laughter!

"It's not even that funny," I complained under my breath.