Queen Without Crown

Chapter 153 The Battle of Malla

Eldrige had already banned the girls from seeing Malla's match, but of course the girls did not want to hear it. Although Princess Juwita and Ningrum were initially horrified to hear the explanation of Malla's match from Princess Pertiwi, but eventually the two girls decided to see it.

They came out wearing servant uniforms and a head covering cloth which they lowered to the limit of the nose. With Lali's help, the girls get out undercover.

"No one should follow us, Mr. Eldrige and his servants will look after us." Princess Juwita said to Lali. The woman could only obey her master as soon as she saw Eldrige. He heard that the man was the protective elf of the Elfian Kingdom, of course it put away his worries.

Now they are in the market. Nimble Princess Pertiwi walked among the crowd without being awkward. The girl was very behind the aisles that had to be passed to get to the Malla match venue.

Not until they got to that place, boisterous cheers were already heard. Pertiwi went to the place to buy tickets and buy tickets for all of them.

The match was already underway when they entered. People crowded around the arena of the match where the two fighters were exerting strength to take down the opponent.

They were bare-chested and only wore a piece of cloth wrapped around it in such a way as to protect the area below the navel. Both fighters looked tough and their bodies were burly muscular.

They push and slam each other. The flow of their sweat makes the mud dry where they stand stuck all over the body.

Buk up!

One of the fighters hit the ground. His opponent was above him with a locking position.

"One. two. three. four. five.." A referee starts counting. "six. seven. eight... nine.. ten!"

"Horray.!" The victory cheers echoed from the victor camp.

"So, what do you think you can do this fight?" Whisper Ningrum frightened.

"I'll try." Answer Bagas.

Eldrige watched the match quietly. His brain kept the techniques used by the fighters. He also learned the rules of the fight.

After the fight was over, the champion was again challenged by other fighters. Now the champion must face a fighter who is taller and bigger than him.

The newly arrived fighter langung ranged his opponent and raised him to his stocky shoulders. After that, not waiting for long, he immediately slammed the champion hard.

Princess Juwita shuddered in horror. He accidentally strangled and his hand gripped Eldrige's arm so scared of him.

"You scared?" Ask Eldrige.

The girl looked up with a pale face, but she did not want to admit that she was afraid. His head shook slowly. But Eldrige knew that Princess Juwita was only pretending to be brave. Finally Eldrige pulled the body of Princess Juwita and hid the face of the girl in his arms.

"Don't look." Eldrige.

During the match, Princess Juwita did not see the two fighters attacking each other or when one of them howled because her chin was hit by the opponent's fist. The girl did not hear the screams or groans of the fighters caused by the pain, as Eldrige covered both ears.

All the girl felt was the warmth emitted from Eldrige's body. How the man's heart rate pumps blood to then flow back to all his blood vessels.

A gentle pat on her shoulder made the girl open her eyes. Eldrige had lowered his hand, voices re-entering his hearing.

"Is it done?" Ask the girl.

"It's done. Let's go back to the palace." Eldrige held the girl's hand while Princess Pertiwi walked beside Bagas. Ningrum inevitably now walked with Eshwar.

They boarded the train that Eshwar drove to Dewanata Palace. There was no difficulty at all since they had already awaited Lali.

"Just rest and don't wander anywhere." Eldrige said as they parted in the corridors of the palace.

"Yes, Eldrige." The girl nodded obediently.

*****

Bagas is back in training. This time not only Eldrige trained her, Princess Pertiwi also participated. The girl gave a lot of information related to Malla's match.

For Bagas, the girl's presence helped him learn about Malla's match. In addition, Puteri Pertiwi became an encouragement to be more diligent in practicing.

After a week of arrow fighting, King Badre finally held a power match. As expected, King Badre chose to hold the Malla match.

Both participants have now stood in their respective places. They were facing each other with their upper bodies open. Both are equally confident. Bagas felt confident because he had trained during the night, while Prince Awang relied on the help of his magician Jadukari Daalal Nath.

When the referee started to open the match, the two people immediately took the horses. Bagas jumps to attack Prince Awang.

Haa..

Beto!

Prince Awang nimbly dodged and launched a blow to Bagas' stomach. The young man staggered. The fluid from his stomach rose upwards and made his tongue taste bitter.

The loud applause from the audience made Prince Awang grin with pleasure. Looking at Bagas, he knew the young man was not even close to his fighting ability.

"Hmm, that shaman doesn't need to help me either I can definitely defeat this brat. Ah, I'm just humiliating him." Prince Awang smiled cunningly.

They stood back face to face. Bagas is now more determined, he does not want to lose this match. Remembering Eldrige's words about battle strategy. He cannot be carried away by emotions. That way he can find loopholes and opportunities to knock out opponents.

"Come here!" Prince Awang moved his index finger to call Bagas while smiling mockingly.

The young man attacked again, this time his hands gripped the shoulders of Prince Awang and pushed him. But the defense of Prince Awang's legs is very sturdy, however many times trying Bagas is not able to knock down the man.

"Taste this boy!" The Prince Awang.

The man raised his hand and placed it on top of Bagas' two hands then pressed down firmly. The shocked roar of the young man clearly could not be hidden. And before realizing what was happening, suddenly prince Awang moved his hand to Bagas waist while lowering his body.

Prince Awang's hand gripped Bagas' waist. With his back curved backwards he then lifted it. The young man's body was now raised upward with his feet on top. Then without waiting again, Prince Awang slammed Bagas' body backwards.

Bruk!

"Akk!" Bagas grimaced feeling his tailbone hit the ground. The pain travels all over the waist, then rises along the spine.

The audience cheered again. They were cheering for Prince Awang. The man stood up with pride. Sunlight shone on his face covered in dry mud.

Bagas looked at him from where he lay. He can't give up now. He must not allow the cruel man to question Princess Pertiwi.

The referee came to check on him, to see if he was still able to continue the match.

"I'll start counting." Said the referee.

Bagas tried to get up even though his entire body felt crumpled.

"One. two. three.. " The referee counts followed by all the spectators. "..the.four.."

Bagas forced his body to wake up by propping both his hands on the ground.

The referee stopped counting. Everyone watched Bagas who stood limping.

"Ah.ck..why not give up anyway?" Prince Awang exhaled an annoyed breath. He was getting impatient with the young man.

"Shall I kill you?" The man muttered while shaking his hand lazily.

In came the young man whose standing was wavering. He's tired of playing around.

Gripped Bagas' shoulder. He could hear the roar of breath and the young man's heartbeat speeding up. Like a hunting beast, he could feel the emotions of his prey.

*****

Princess Pertiwi watched Bagas who fell in the arena with tears. His heart seemed to be torn apart by the sharp nails of animals.

"How is this Juwita?" Wail the girl.

The two are currently under the stage where King Badre is sitting watching his favorite match. They were just the two of them because Ningrum completely refused to watch her brother do a physical fight as he witnessed in the market. He did not want to see his brother being hit or slammed by his opponent.

"We should pray for it. But Pertiwi, can't you think of a strategy to defeat Prince Awang?" Princess Juwita looked at her cousin who was peering behind the crack.

"Mr Eldrige has taught all the strategies he has learned. I can only tell you everything I've seen at Malla's game." Princess Pertiwi replied while looking briefly at Princess Juwita, then she peeked outside again.

At that time he saw Bagas standing in front of Prince Awang. Her lover's shoulder was tightly gripped.

"Hold me Bagas, please." Puteri Pertiwi said.

Bagas who is now facing Prince Awang as if hearing the voice of Eldrige who was guiding him.

"Your foundation must be solid, Bagas. In a physical fight, the winner is not always the strongest. You have to survive like a redwood tree whose roots are firmly planted into the ground."

Bagas solidified his footing. He shifted his right leg forward, while both hands were now lifted and positioned on the arm and nape of Prince Awang.

"Try harder." Prince Awang underestimated his opponent.

"Yeah!"

They push each other to push the opponent. Although Prince Awang has a stronger power, but he is not able to shift the footing of Bagas. Several times the man tried other positions, but Bagas remained.

"It's my turn." Say Bagas.

Suddenly Bagas hugged Prince Awang's arm tightly and locked it. Next to his hand then shifted and strangled the neck of Prince Awang.

The man thrashed around trying to escape the lockdown, but Bagas did not let him. Then Bagas kicked Prince Awang's knee so that the man bent his leg. Bagas did not waste the opportunity to pull his foot. When the position of Prince Awang wavering, Bagas dropped all his body weight to drop Prince Awang.

Duk!

Prince Awang fell backward with the position of the neck still entangled Bagas arm. Bagas overlapped the body of Prince Awang and pressed him on the ground.

Seeing the position of the two that never changed, the referee came to start counting.

"One. two.. three .."

Wuuushis..

Suddenly a whirlwind came from nowhere. The whirlwind approached the battle arena so that it blew away the dry mud dust. The referee who was counting fell backward.

The spectators were now unable to watch the two fighters. The wind roared as if swallowing them.

Under these circumstances only Prince Awang was aware of the reason behind the strange phenomenon. The wind came to help him.

Bagas' entire body trembled and his lock began to waver. He felt Prince Awang's body begin to push him upwards. The young man could not let Prince Awang loose and turned things around again.

*****

Eshwar reported the match to Eldrige, also about the whirlwind that now enveloped the two fighters.

"I'll be there. Please watch over Prince Awang's room again." After saying that, Eldrige stepped outside.

Along the corridor were heard servants whispering. News of the strange phenomenon in the Malla arena had apparently spread throughout the palace. Even shamans specially invited by King Badre are now gathering at the palace temple to burn incense and offer prayers. The low boisterous spells rattled the chest.

Eldrige's move had now reached the arena of the match. While standing among the crowd of spectators standing some distance away, Eldrige gripped his sword.

All the magic equipment he had had had indeed been taken by Queen Malea, but his sword was not. The sword was a fairy sword that was given directly by the great fairy spirit to Eldrige 300 years ago. The sword will bow down to no one but its master.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Eldrige pulled out his sword. Eldrige quickly threw the sword towards the wind vortex.

Blaars.

The wind split. The fairy swords swirled about to smash through the wind scrolls. After that the fairy sword shot back at its owner.

The people watching could only gawk and not realize that the flash of white light darting into the vortex of wind was a sword.

Now all eyes are watching the two fighters in the Malla arena. One fighter pierced the other body.

The referee came back to count.

"One. two. three. four.."

It seems that it is no longer possible for the position to turn around because the fighter at the top actually locks his opponent.

"..five.. six.. seven. eight... nine. se..ten!" The referee waved a red flag at the end of the match.

"Malla's fight winner this time is.." King Badre stood on his stage to announce the winner.

"Bagas." His words were immediately greeted by the cheers of the audience.

The two players stood next to the king. Prince Awang's face was very cloudy. He did not expect that even with the help of Jadukari Daalal Nath, the young man could defeat him.

"Because both participants have won one game each, then I will give one additional match. And that match was.the match determined my daughter's soulmate. The full terms will be announced before the game starts." King Badre left the stage after announcing his decision.

Prince Awang furiously returned to his room. With a fluttering motion he opened the door and stared intently at the man who claimed to be a shaman.

"Are you really as awesome as your bitch?" Shouted Prince Awang furiously. His eyes kept the coals of fire.

"I admit that I underestimated the fairy too much. But I will prove all my promises, Your Majesty." Replied Jadukari Daalal Nath who was holding his chest that was painful due to the impact of his magic that turned around.

"Don't let me lose my patience. Tomorrow, no matter if I come out victorious or not, I will take the throne of Dewanata Kingdom!" Prince Awang.