#29 Catfight

Ren was currently lying on the ground healing and resting after the fight with the beast.

"Shell, don't you think we should worry more about Ren rather than your fight for Ren's heart?" Shadow asked.

'Shell? So she must be one of them but that still doesn't mean she can be so close to Ren.' Esdeath narrowed her eyes and thought when she heard what Shadow said.

"Did you forget that Ren has the regenerative ability? He just needs to rest, plus this is the most suitable situation for our fight for Ren since he can't interfere" Shell answered with a smile.

'You stupid horny turtle, don't you know this woman's personality? You are aware of her love towards Ren yet you still tease her!' Shadow and Hawke had the same thoughts.

"You know what? I might lend you my Ren if you show that you are worthy of him." Shell said with a provocative smile while looking at Esdeath.

'So now I became a thing that can be lent.' Thought Ren who focused on healing and restoring his strength, he also reminded himself that he mustn't forget to choke Shell after he gets better.

"What do you mean!" Esdeath asked in a chilling tone, it was apparent that she was extremely angry with everything that happened up to now and Shell's arrogant look in her eyes didn't make it any better.

"You see... Ren only likes power, he doesn't know anything about the relationship so he needs someone who can teach him those things but that person must also be strong enough to make Ren interested..-" Shell was explaining but she was interrupted by a cold and impatient voice.

"Cut the crap! Simply told, you think that I am not strong enough to be worthy of Ren?!" Esdeath formed a cold, confident smile and shout out while pointing her rapier at Shell.

Shell just shrugged and said: "Think of it as you want but I guess your EQ isn't too high, but I heard that same people attract each other, It must be true."

'Did she just insult me? Yeah, I will definitely kill her' Ren thought with a cold smile and the vein that popped up on his forehead.

"Hmph. I might know less about the relationship but I know that Ren value strength more than EQ" Esdeath snorted with contempt in her voice.

"That might be true but I am still not convinced that you are strong enough." Shell said with a provocative smile and created few ice spikes and sent them towards Esdeath.

Esdeath predicted Shell's attack and dodged it with ease but was still shocked to see Shell's control over ice.

'Her looks combined with her ability to control ice... We are almost the same if we exclude her height and hairstyle.' Esdeath thought with an annoyed expression. No woman would be happy to see another woman in the same clothes not to say with almost identical looks.

Both Esdeath and Shell jumped towards each other and kicked out with their legs, when their legs met both repel each other. Esdeath returned to her previous position now with a more serious look. Shell returned too but she felt how her leg went numb for a moment.

'I guess this brute woman is really stronger than me even after transforming into a human. If I want to have a chance in the fight I must rely on my control over ice' Shell thought while she formed a self-mocking smile.

Ren on the side already recovered enough to sit up, his injuries weren't bad but he spent almost all of his energy so it was pretty good that he didn't lose consciousness, now that he was able to sit he watched Shell's and Esdeath's fight with a curious look. He himself didn't know how strong Shell was in her human form and was greatly interested in it.

Shell stretched out her arm towards the lake's location and summoned an enormous wave of water and send it towards Esdeath. She could also create it from nothing but it would drain considerable more energy plus she wasn't confident in this attack since she didn't know how strong Esdeath's control over ice was.

Esdeath just snorted when she saw an enormous wave of water flying towards her and extended her arm towards it and immediately changed it into an ice sculpture.

When Shell saw this she just smiled and thought to herself: 'As expected, water is totally useless against her. What now?'

But before she could think of plan Esdeath appeared before her out of nowhere and thrust her rapier towards Shell's shoulder

"Wha-" Shell was greatly surprised by Esdeath's speed but she was still able to barely dodge that attack and retreat few meters from Esdeath.

When she recovered from the shock she could feel a stinging pain near her shoulder, she ignored it and instead fully focused on Esdeath, she knew that she didn't dodge that attack perfectly.

'If she wanted to kill me I wouldn't have a chance against her speed.' Shell thought while gritting her teeth.

Shell could only use trickery in this fight to win.

Esdeath on the opposite side of Shell wasn't impatient and simply watched her with a slight smile, waiting for her to make her move. After a few seconds, she saw Shell forming a sly smile and she once again attacked with water wave but this time she created it out of nowhere and send it towards Esdeath. This attack prevented her from seeing Shell but she wasn't overly worried because of her superior speed.

"It won't work even if you try it million times." Esdeath mocked Shell while blocking the attack in the same way as before. Immediately after she blocked Shell's attack, another followed but this time numerous pillars of water were created around her.

Esdeath could already tell Shell's strategy but she was confident in her strength and decided to go with it. Esdeath just snorted and froze all pillars around her.

She found herself in the middle of the ice pillars and other ice sculptures, of course, she could destroy almost all of them in instant but she didn't want to ruin Shell's plan, she wanted to show Shell that she is stronger even if Shell uses trickery.

After a while, the biggest ice sculpture that was in front of Esdeath crumbled and she could see Shell run towards her in great speed but Esdeath was a bit surprised to be welcomed by such a primitive attack. When Shell was near enough she created ice saber in her right hand and slashed with it towards Esdeath's legs.

Esdeath just shook her head and deflected Shell's saber with her rapier. This caused Shell's right hand to become numb so she used her left hand to create ice shards and sent them towards Esdeath's legs from a close distance. Esdeath still didn't try to control Shell's ice but she didn't dare to try it with the attack from such close distance. Although the ice shards were extremely fast with Esdeath experience she was still able to react fast enough and jumped a few meters back before shards hit the ground.

Shell followed closely after Esdeath and now that her numb hand recovered she was able to perform another crude vertical slash. Esdeath was already getting bored by Shell's crude attacks so she decided to end it, she stepped to the side to dodge Shell's attack and then she thrust her rapier towards Shell's shoulder. This time Shell didn't have time to dodge and her shoulder was pierced by Esdeath's rapier but Shell only smiled as it was the thing she planned. Esdeath also saw that there was no blood coming out of the wound.

"Got you." Shell said with a victorious smile before she turned into water

"Clone-" Esdeath was surprised by Shell's ability but before she could even finish her sentence, Shell already appeared behind her with her saber.

'She hid behind that pillar? That's why she focused her attacks on my legs? To make me jump backward and get me near that pillar?' Esdeath immediately knew the reason for Shell's crude attacks.

"I won." Shell said aloud while stabbing Esdeath's shoulder but before saber could make a contact with Esdeath smiled and entire space and time froze around her. Ren who was observing the entire fight was in the range of Esdeath's trump card. His eyes narrowed because he could feel the power of space and time near him.

'So that's her trump card. Even though I am not frozen, my movements and all actions are slowed tremendously' Ren thought while admiring Esdeath's trump card. He had to admit that it was extremely powerful. As for why Ren wasn't frozen it was perhaps due to his earlier encounter with space power just before he came into this world.

Esdeath slowly turned around and placed her rapier near Shell's neck which made Ren squint his eyes. He already had some trust in Esdeath and he knew that she wouldn't kill Shell but he still felt restless.

Esdeath canceled her trump card since it drains a lot of her energy. When time resumed Shell who had a victorious smile on her face was shocked because her saber didn't make contact with Esdeath's body and instead she felt the cold steel right on her neck.

"So, Am I strong enough?" Esdeath asked with a mocking smile.

"Tch. Whatever" Shell who lost the fight was pretty irritated so she decided to transform back to her turtle form.

Esdeath was a bit surprised when she saw Shell transform but then she instantly understood that Shell was the same kind as that Crow and Eagle.

"Enjoyed the show? 2 beautiful women fighting because of you, how do you feel?" Shell teased Ren since she was still angry and didn't have anyone to vent out her anger.

"..." Ren was totally speechless due to Shell's mood changing and how easily she changed her target.

Shell didn't wait for Ren to answer and said to Esdeath: "Since you won I will lend you Ren, you can have his first kiss."

When Esdeath heard Shell's teasing she blushed a little and steal a look at Ren's face.

Ren who heard again about lending just rolled his eyes.