The Eclipsed Bloom
Chapter 78: Draw but why

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Draw but why

As their battle raged on, two full hours had passed.

Zara sat on the edge of her seat, her eyes locked on the stage. Her entire body trembled with excitement, her fingers gripping the armrests tightly.

Clang!

Jane’s claws clashed once again with Lilith’s blood-forged sword, and the impact sent both women skidding backward, landing hard on one knee.

They panted heavily, sweat trailing down their brows, but neither of them looked discouraged.

Instead, both women smiled—grinning like maniacs who had found someone who could finally keep up.

Their eyes burned with wild determination.

Up in the viewing balcony, Frances leaned toward Margaret with a whisper.

"Psst."

Margaret turned, frowning slightly.

"Huh? What, Mom?"

Frances narrowed her eyes and nodded toward the battle.

"This fight won’t end even if you give them all day. Just call it a draw already and move on to what I said earlier. Pair Lilith’s wife with Omar."

Margaret blinked, taken aback.

"Mom... Jane’s gonna explode if we do that, you know?"

Frances scoffed, her tone sharp.

"Hmph. If that girl throws a tantrum, I’ll beat her."

Margaret stared at her like she’d grown another head.

"Are you serious right now? You? Beat your pampered, spoiled granddaughter?"

Frances quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"W-Well... not beat her, exactly. I’ll just scold her a little. Calm her down. Maybe bribe her with sweets or something..."

Margaret sighed deeply and rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath.

"I really thought for a second you were finally going to discipline her. What a pity. You and Valer spoil her so much, it’s no wonder she’s got such a temper."

Frances crossed her arms, huffing.

"She’s just... passionate."

Margaret rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

Margaret turned her gaze toward Valer—only to find him waving his arms like an overexcited child.

"Go, my daughter! Yes, like that! Beat her! Woohoo!"

Her lips twitched at the sight.

Honestly... how is this man a king?

She leaned over and whispered in his ear.

Valer paused mid-cheer, slowly turning to look at her.

"Wait... you’re saying we should stop the fight now? Are you sure? Jane’s gonna be mad if we interrupt her mid-battle..."

Margaret sighed, her expression tired.

"Don’t ask me. Mom told me to tell you. If you’ve got a problem with it, you go argue with her."

At that, Valer’s entire demeanor changed.

He immediately began rubbing his hands together nervously and let out a shaky laugh.

"Who said I don’t want to? I was just... confirming! Haha! Let’s do it, of course! Great idea!"

Margaret rolled her eyes as he nervously looked toward Frances, clearly unwilling to challenge the family matriarch.

Just as Lilith was about to land a punch squarely on Jane’s cheek, a deep, authoritative voice boomed from above.

"Stop the fight! As neither side has achieved victory, this match is declared... a draw."

The force of the voice froze both combatants mid-motion.

Zara, who had been leaning forward in her seat, eyes sparkling with excitement, furrowed her brows.

"Why a draw? It was just getting intense..."

Lilith blinked, her fist still hovering mid-air, and tilted her head in confusion. She looked up at the announcer’s booth and spotted Valer waving awkwardly.

"Huh? A draw? I was clearly winning..." she muttered under her breath.

Jane, on the other hand, turned her head slowly—very slowly—toward her father.

Her eyes radiated fury.

Valer, feeling the pressure of her death glare, quickly began whistling and looked in the opposite direction, pretending to be fascinated by a passing cloud.

The anchor tried to keep the energy up.

"Ahahahaha~! What a phenomenal duel between our beloved Alpha and the prestigious Vampire Princess! Truly a battle for the ages! Alas... it ends in a dr—"

He froze mid-word as Jane’s glare turned on him next.

"Draw..." he finished in a whisper, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Jane turned her head back toward her father, frustration clear on her face.

"But Father, we didn’t even use mana or any real spells yet. We were just getting started! How can you call it a draw?"

Lilith crossed her arms, nodding in agreement.

"Exactly. Well said, mutt."

Jane’s eyes twitched as she glared at her.

"What did you just say? Grrrr..."

Lilith smirked, clearly enjoying herself. She leaned forward slightly, voice teasing.

"Oh? What’s wrong, puppy? Still want to play?"

She raised an eyebrow with exaggerated amusement, her fangs peeking slightly as her smile widened.

Jane clenched her fists and took a threatening step forward.

"Keep talking and I’ll show you just how hard this ’puppy’ bites."

From above, Valer raised his hands in a panic.

"Alright, alright! That’s enough! You two will destroy the whole stage at this rate!"

He coughed and tried to look authoritative again, despite the obvious fear in his eyes.

"We... will arrange a rematch later. For now, it’s a draw."

Zara let out a soft sigh at Valer’s declaration—but her breath caught in her throat at his next words.

"The next battle will also be between a werewolf and a vampire. Omar will represent our side... and Zara, the vampire princess’s wife, will represent theirs."

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Wait—what?! Did he just say me? But I didn’t even sign up...!

She turned quickly, her gaze falling on the audience. Roars and howls erupted from the werewolf crowd, the name "Omar" echoing like thunder.

Panicked, she looked to Grace, who seemed just as stunned.

"Grace, I didn’t even participate, right? So how—?"

Grace turned to her, eyes still wide.

"I... I don’t know either. If you don’t want to fight, just say no. It’s not like you have to."

Zara lowered her head, lips pressed in a tight line as her thoughts raced. Her heart still pounded from watching Jane and Lilith’s intense clash. The way their blows echoed, the rush of their fight, the sheer thrill of combat...

She looked up after a moment, resolve beginning to stir in her chest.

"You know... I’ve never been in a real fight. Just sword duel with you or training with Nyssa or practice duels."

She looked at Grace, her lips curling into a small smile.

"But after watching that? I think... I want to try."

Grace smiled lightly at Zara’s words and gave a playful shrug.

"Alright, but when we get back... we’re having a rematch, okay? Hehe~"

Zara tilted her head at her, confused.

Wait—where did that come from all of a sudden?

Still, a sweet smile tugged at her lips as she looked down, heart fluttering a little.

Meanwhile, Lilith, who had been glaring at Valer ever since he made the announcement, finally stepped forward and frowned.

"Mister King... why is my wife being forced to fight? She never even agreed to participate."

Valer blinked at the "Mister King" part, caught off guard. Then, turning toward Frances with a helpless expression, he silently begged for help.

Frances let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What kind of king are you? At least give a proper reason."

"Oh... right..."

Just as Valer opened his mouth to improvise something, Jane’s arrogant voice cut in from beside Lilith, loud and smug.

"Whoa~! Is the bloodsucker scared her wife might lose? Tch tch, what a pity."

A vein twitched on Lilith’s temple as she narrowed the distance between her and Jane, her smile anything but friendly.

"What did you say? My wife can easily beat that Omar—or whatever his name is!"

Jane grinned and mockingly put a hand over her mouth.

"Why are you lying, bloodsucker? I don’t believe you~"

Lilith gritted her teeth, glaring at Jane.

"I don’t need you to believe. I believe, and that’s enough. Hmph."

With a dramatic flick of her hair, she turned and marched toward Zara. As she neared, her expression softened slightly.

"Zara, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Let’s just go back."

Zara scratched the back of her neck, looking a little sheepish.

"Well... actually, I kinda do want to fight."

Lilith blinked at her in surprise. Then, a slow, sly smirk curved her lips.

"Oh? In that case, go on and destroy that Omar or whatever his name is. Break his arms. Crack his ribs. Shatter his kneecaps. Crush his—"

Zara shivered as Lilith’s voice dropped lower and more vicious with each word. A never-ending list of violent beatings flowed casually from her lips like it was a grocery list.

Why does she sound so excited about this? Is she always this... intense?

Zara gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh... I think I’ll just try to win normally...?"

Lilith crossed her arms with a proud little huff.

"Well, my wife is too kind. So sure, go ahead and win normally. Just, you know... break his nose. Then maybe kick him between the legs."

Zara blinked, then looked at Lilith with mild concern.

"Lilith... by any chance, do you hate this Omar guy or something?"

Lilith looked genuinely surprised.

"Huh? No, of course not! Why would I hate him?"

Zara gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh, no reason. Just asking... casually. Nothing serious."