Fighting with Honor

The six bloodbraiders did not scare me at all. They were all the lowest-ranked warriors within the Veldan forces, so they didn't pose any real threat to me. Of course, at this stage in the season, any single one of these warriors was more than enough to kill any of the strongest humans. I would estimate the stats of the weakest bloodbraiders to be around those of a level five human.

The one stormhammer was a variable that could range anywhere from a level fifteen human in stats to a level forty human in stats. Of course, this was still not a problem for the current me, but it would be a serious issue if a stormhammer wasn't dealt with before it had time to grow. This female Veldan was not one that I recognized, so she probably died early on in the first season somehow. 

"Alright, bring it on, you fucks. I know you want my bounty!"

I heard one of the Veldan screech something in their native tongue, which caused the system to flood my head with a bunch of knowledge. I was prepared for this, as I had experienced it before in my past life, but the feeling was always uncomfortable.

Notification

The user has learned the Veldan language. The user is now capable of speaking, reading, and writing in Veldan.

As the Veldan drew closer, I began to understand their words.

"If we kill him, it will bring honor to our people!"

"For honor and privilege!"

"For glory and blood!"

I listened to their words and almost felt sorry for what I was about to do to them. These Veldan were not able to sense how dangerous I was, but at the very least I could grant them an honorable and quick death.

The first Veldan reached within a meter of me and swung down at an angle, aiming for my left shoulder. I sidestepped the blow and spun with my left arm extended and coated with sword energy. At the last moment, out of mercy, I decided to hit him with the hilt of my sword. The Veldan fell to the ground unconscious.

As the Veldan fell, its five comrades continued their charge at me, now with greater ferocity than before. The stormhammer looked dissatisfied with the situation and rushed to the aid of her fellow warriors. I could tell that she was initially going to feel out the battle by letting her grunts initiate the fight, but she must have understood that there was a much greater gap in our strength than she expected.

The Veldans were a proud race that did not surrender, even in the face of imminent death. They would rather watch their entire people crumble and die before giving into their weaknesses or surrendering. It was definitely something worthy of respect, but in a competition such as this, it was a very bad flaw to have.

The bloodbraiders were not going to quit, even though they knew that they would die. The stormhammer was not going to order them back, even though she knew that they were going to die if I fought seriously. The only thing that she could do in this situation to save the lives of her comrades was to step in and kill me before I killed them.

"Shit, I really don't want to kill you all."

Three of the bloodbraiders reached me before the stormhammer did. All three of them made alternating strikes, well-timed and executed for prey that would be at or slightly above their levels, but nowhere near aggressive or quick enough to deal with me. I easily parried all their blows, knocking away their hammers and axes without breaking a sweat. Once the stormhammer finally reached me, I used Telekinesis for the first time and threw the other three Veldan back at her.

The female Veldan extended her arms and caught all three of her comrades as they were flung back. I pointed my blade at her as the other three Veldans closed the gap.

"I challenge you to an honorable duel between warriors."

Once the words left my mouth, all the Veldan bloodbraiders who had almost reached me slowed to a stop, looking confused. They turned their heads towards the female Veldan, and she nodded at them.

She turned to me with a curious look on her face. "Stranger, how do you know our customs?"

I smiled. "It's because you are well-known warriors with a history that extends far. I am probably the only human who knows your culture this well."

The Veldan stormhammer nodded and pointed her hammer at me. "I accept your challenge, warrior. I declare that upon victory, I shall take your life."

I nodded and responded. "And I declare that if I am victorious, you and your kin will leave me be for the next hour as I travel."

The stormhammer nodded. "I accept your declaration."

The female Veldan seemed to relax herself. She then smiled at me and gave a look that said exactly what she was thinking. She was thanking me for sparing her men without sullying their honor. She must have known that if we fought, her men would only become needless casualties. The smile she gave me was one of the most genuine smiles I've ever seen. The Veldan people were so easy to understand that it made all their actions so much more meaningful. 

My heart skipped a beat. It took a moment, but I focused my mind back onto the fight at hand. There wasn't time to waste, and I couldn't imagine a future with a woman who's world must be destroyed so that mine can live. 

The Veldans were simple people to deal with if you knew their customs and didn't look weak. All the Veldan bloodbraiders began to step back, forming a perimeter around us. I could sense the presence of about a dozen more Veldans entering the area. As they reached my position, they immediately understood what was happening and joined the ranks of their brothers, forming a perimeter around myself and the stormhammer.

Curious, I asked, "What is your name, warrior?"

"I am Ashna, of the Stormhammer Legion." She spoke proudly and rang her shield with her hammer as if it were a gong. 

From what I understood of their people, male and female didn't matter. The only thing that mattered among the Veldan to determine ranks was their capability to fight and hunt. The males and females of their race were of a similar build and were both capable of similar feats of strength.

"I will remember you, Ashna of the Veldans." I pointed my sword at Ashna.

"I will remember you, Ronan Wilde of the humans." Ashna pointed her warhammer at me.

Everything grew silent over the next several seconds, almost as if no one dared to make a sound. I watched and waited for Ashna to make the first move. I was unfamiliar with what her level was, and my Last Stand was on cooldown. Underestimating my opponent could end in my death, even if there was a large difference between our stats.