Chapter 139: Fighting Lune
Solomon loved fighting as much as he hated admitting being called a battle maniac. From his mercenary days to the academy days, he had fought many types of beings, dead and alive, beasts and humans, males and females.
He had, however, never been in a situation he was now.
Lune capitalized on his distraction. She spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck to execute a complex throw. But her golden hair cascaded directly over his face, blinding his vision.
Solomon could have easily slammed her backward into the dirt. He stubbornly planted his boots to catch her weight and completely abandoned his offensive strategy.
She twisted her waist and dragged him downward. Solomon bent his knees to cushion her fall, refusing to let her crash onto the hard floorboards.
They tumbled into the dirt pit together.
Lune shifted her weight mid-fall. She pinned his shoulders to the ground and locked her knees firmly around his waist. Straddling his hips, she brought the edge of her glowing hand directly to his throat.
Solomon blinked, staring up at the princess sitting comfortably on top of his chest. His face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. He let his arms fall flat against the dirt, surrendering the match entirely.
"I win," Lune announced, keeping her hand poised near his neck.
[User12: HE YIELDED.]
[James_Hayes: Solo Man finally met his match.]
[GoonLord: I AM PUNCHING THE AIR RIGHT NOW.]
[1Fizzy: the underground king just got dethroned.]
Lune relaxed her shoulders and lowered her glowing hand by a fraction of an inch. She assumed the match concluded the moment his arms hit the dirt. Solomon kept his mouth shut tight. Staring up at her emerald eyes, the silver-haired boy waited for her guard to drop.
She shifted her weight to stand up.
Solomon immediately bucked his hips upward with explosive force. Grabbing her wrists, he twisted his torso sideways. The sudden movement threw her off his chest and sent her tumbling into the dirt.
Lune scrambled to her knees and swung a sweeping kick toward his ribs. Solomon rolled backward to evade the strike and sprang back to his feet. Stepping inside her reach before she could recover her footing, he threw a quick jab.
She brought her elbows up to block the incoming attack.
They exchanged a rapid blur of blocks and grapples across the center of the pit. Lune attempted to sweep his front leg. Solomon planted his boot firmly into the compacted earth and trapped her advancing arm. Twisting her wrist outward, he spun her around.
Pulling her directly against his chest, Solomon locked her back against his torso. Their faces crashed together from the sudden momentum. Her cheek rubbed harshly against his jawline. A stray strand of golden hair caught in his mouth while she gasped for breath.
[GoonLord: WAIT WHAT IS HAPPENING?!]
[LazyCat: THE REVERSE SWEEP!]
[User12: bro just pulled a royal princess into a hug.]
[BloodKnight: A battle only concludes upon a verbal submission or death.]
Lune thrashed wildly against his grip and attempted to throw her head backward.
Solomon shifted his weight and pushed her face-first toward the ground. Driving his knee into the dirt beside her hip, he pinned her securely onto her stomach. Locking her twisted arm right between her shoulder blades, he restricted her movement.
"You forgot to make me say the words." Solomon applied a tiny bit of upward force to her trapped wrist. "Are you going to surrender now?"
Lune bit her lower lip and slammed her free hand against the floorboards. She practically choked on the flying dust. "I yield!"
[James_Hayes: HE ACTUALLY BEAT HER.]
[IceWaterKat: Solo Man is officially the underground king again.]
[1Fizzy: bro flirted with her and then had her submit to him.]
The underground crowd erupted into chaotic cheers. The burly announcer rushed into the dirt ring and raised Solomon’s right arm high above his head.
"And the winner is the newbie.... SOLOMON!" He shouted to the rafters to officially declare the silver-haired boy the undisputed champion of the week.
A worker scurried over and handed Solomon a bulging leather sack overflowing with silver coins.
Solomon accepted the massive payout and grinned at his floating owl. "It’s your turn now. Don’t make me say it."
The translucent blue screen instantly lit up with a barrage of majestic chimes.
[System: GoonLord has fulfilled their challenge! Gifted 2 Golden Thrones (4,000 Points).]
[System: LazyCat has fulfilled their challenge! Gifted 5 Platinum Shields (5,000 Points).]
[System: BloodKnight has fulfilled their challenge! Gifted 1 Diamond Crown (5,000 Points).]
[GoonLord: I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU PINNED HER TO THE DIRT LIKE THAT!]
[User12: bro secured the bag and the princess.]
[1Fizzy: easiest fourteen thousand points ever.]
Lune dusted off her dark combat tunic and brushed past the announcer. She turned on her heel and marched directly toward the iron gates leading out of the pit.
Solomon quickly followed her up the stone ramp toward the viewing balconies.
Marco Alfoy stood near the exit while hugging the broad flat of Eden’s Penance against his chest. He practically shoved the S-Rank relic back into Solomon’s hands the moment they approached the gate.
"I am done with this," Marco stated, massaging his cramped biceps. "You just humiliated a royal and dismantled the entire local arena. I am going back to the gambling den. Find me when you want to leave."
The second-year student spun around and sprinted out the back exit without waiting for a reply. Solomon chuckled and strapped the pristine steel weapon securely to his back.
Lune led the way up the winding stone stairs to the main level of the Golden Lotus Pavilion.
The chaotic noise of the underground fighting ring vanished behind them. Lively melodies from stringed instruments and clinking wine cups instantly replaced the roars of the crowd. Carved crystal chandeliers illuminated the sprawling dining hall.
They found an empty mahogany table near the edge of the pavilion. A passing server quickly dropped off a steaming plate of roasted lotus root, spiced honey chicken, and two porcelain cups of tea.
Solomon immediately grabbed a pair of wooden chopsticks and shoved a large piece of chicken into his mouth.
Lune sat gracefully opposite him and picked up her own tea. She stared at him over the rim of her cup while he chewed his meal.
"You still haven’t answered my question," Solomon asked, pointing his chopsticks at her. "What are you doing here in Tianfeng City?"
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