Rogue Villain-Chapter 205: Again

Ackster stared straight ahead with blank eyes. He couldn’t believe he had lost.

’Fuck.’

Obviously, it hadn’t been part of his plan to lose to Dala and miss the opportunity to grab the trident with his own hands. But Dala had overwhelmed him. She had seen through his moves and weaknesses, easily playing with him like a puppet.

Ackster looked up at Dala’s disappointed face. She furrowed her brow and retracted her trident.

"I thought you’d be better."

That was all she said before turning around and leaving the arena. Ackster continued staring without reacting.

It was an absolute loss. Other than being shameful, it was a devastating blow to the confidence Ackster had built up as he went undefeated in his pin-collecting journey across the islands. It was also a gut punch to his plan.

"...again."

Dala was one step away from leaving the arena when she heard Ackster’s muted whisper. She stopped walking.

"Again."

Dala turned around as Ackster spoke with a clearer voice.

"Again!"

Dala met Ackster’s burning eyes as he stood up with a slight bend to his back, but all fired up and ready to fight. His shout even got her excitement bubbling.

"That’s what I’m talking about!"

Dala didn’t give Ackster the chance to take back his decision, not that it looked like he would, and darted forward.

Technically, Ackster was still the challenger, and Dala was still the champion, but neither could care about formalities. Dala had already beaten Ackster once, so what did that stuff matter now?

Now, both of them just wanted to fight. Ackster wanted to win, and Dala wanted a fight—a true blood-boiling, heart-racing fight. Duels as the champion had been boring and too easy lately.

By the results of the first fight, Ackster didn’t have the skill to push her to the limits or even draw blood. But he had the potential.

Dala had noticed Ackster’s body instinctively reacting to her attacks. She had noticed his speed and strength. There were even clear hints of martial arts training in his moves, albeit still at a newbie level.

But, more importantly, he had the drive. He had just proven it, and Dala could feel his unrelenting spirit.

Even if she beat him again, Ackster would get back up. He would stand up again no matter how many times she knocked him over. He would rise again until he could no longer fall to the ground.

Sooner or later, Dala would get pressed. She could feel it.

So, she didn’t waste time, and she immediately attacked Ackster. She still held back to give Ackster some room to move and improve, but it wasn’t much.

Her trident pierced through the air like lightning.

Ackster didn’t want to get caught up in her momentum and be forced to retreat into a corner again, so he leaned to the side with his front facing the sky and his left side facing Dala. He threw out a fist and curved it upward toward the hilt of the trident.

It was a long shot. Ackster knew it instinctively.

But the trident was the hurdle between him and Dala. If he could get rid of it, he could get to her and make the fight more even. He would also prevent her from using its abilities. She didn’t need to use its abilities yet. But there was no telling what would happen.

As Ackster expected, his punch didn’t even make Dala’s grip weaken. All it did was knock the weapon slightly upward and give him enough breathing room to lower his arm and transition into a bridge and then a handstand before flipping over back on his feet and avoiding Dala’s follow-up.

However, Ackster was a little too slow, and Dala swept out with a leg as soon as his feet hit the ground, knocking him off balance. Before Ackster could do anything, Dala’s trident rested against his chest. The fight was over.

"Again."

Dala smiled and took back her trident as she put some distance between herself and Ackster, giving him some room to move and as an official restart to the match. Ackster still hadn’t lost the light in his eyes, even after losing even harder than the first time.

If anything, he seemed more determined, more driven to beat her and win.

This time, Ackster took the initiative and charged at Dala. He hadn’t given up on disarming Dala, so he targeted her weapon instead of her. Although he had lost even quicker by doing so, it wasn’t because of that. It was because Dala didn’t hold back.

And while he hadn’t made her grip falter, he had knocked askew the trident with an ill-placed and poorly executed punch. There was hope.

Ackster went for a similar approach as he dodged Dala’s preemptive strike before attacking the trident. But this time, he didn’t do it while miming a bench. He also didn’t punch it. That was a stupid decision.

Ackster grabbed the trident right below the root of where its teeth branched. He tried to wrest it to the side and roundhouse Dala while her hands and weapon were occupied and were unable to protect her upper body. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

But Dala raised her knee almost to her head and blocked with her shin while somehow maintaining balance.

On the other side, Ackster had his arm stretched out to one side, his leg extended straight ahead, and no arm to balance it out.

Dala smirked as she stopped propping Ackster up with her weapon.

Ackster hurriedly let go and lowered his leg again.

But he was too slow and couldn’t regain his balance to remain immovable when Dala swung the trident horizontally like she was chopping down a tree.

Ackster had a feeling that a tree would have put up more resistance than he did, as he could only accept the force of the strike and donkey roll out of the way.

After that, Dala and Ackster exchanged a quick series of strikes and dodges. But with Dala not holding back an excessive amount, it didn’t take long before the trident’s sharp prongs rested against Ackster’s neck.

"Again."