Chapter 103 Refusing to Admit Even in Death
Candy felt her knees go weak and collapsed to the ground. When she tried to get up again, Anne's sword was already back at her throat. Because it was so close, the cold blade cut a thin line, drawing drops of blood.
"Can you admit defeat now?"
The surrounding crowd gasped. When Anne had first quickly defeated Candy, they'd erupted in heated discussion about how formidable Anne was. But when Candy refused to admit defeat and insisted on a rematch, only to be defeated the same way again, mocking and disdainful voices began to emerge from the crowd.
Thinking back to how loudly Candy had taunted at the start, yet now she was defeated so quickly.
She hadn't even touched Anne's hair.
Candy heard the jeers from the crowd and knew they were directed at her.
Her face had already turned deathly pale when she was forced to kneel - not just from humiliation, but because Candy couldn't accept the result of her defeat.
Seeing Candy's face, Anne's fingers tightened as she fought back the urge to kill and sheathed her sword. "You lost, Candy."
Hearing Anne's words, Candy trembled all over. She looked up at Anne in disbelief. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"You deliberately made me think your previous duels were all an act, deliberately made me think you were weak, then took advantage when I let my guard down to defeat me this way. What a vicious scheme!"
Candy couldn't accept such a quick defeat. She had used Hanks to spread rumors among the knight orders, saying Anne only got her position as knight captain through connections and selling her body, and that her duels with others were staged - just illusions Friedel created to make Anne look formidable.
Even before the fight started, she'd openly provoked Anne, saying Anne would lose so badly she'd cry.
Samira, standing nearby, couldn't take it anymore. She quickly walked to Anne's side and looked down at Candy, who was still kneeling on the ground, her tone full of contempt and disdain. "Fighting someone like you requires scheming?"
"You've been prejudiced against Anne from the start, constantly stirring up trouble and targeting her, wishing you could drive Anne away so you'd be the only female knight captain. Now Anne dueled you as you wished, and you lost but won't admit it. You actually have the nerve to blame others. Is this what a knight captain of the Dawn Knight Order is like?"
Holden had rushed over to help Candy up the moment the duel ended. Hearing Samira's words now, all his concern for Candy turned to anger. He glared at Samira. "Shut up! What right do you have to judge people from our Dawn Knight Order!"
Samira wasn't about to indulge Holden. She raised an eyebrow. "I'm commenting on the outcome of a duel. What, you lose and people aren't allowed to talk about it?"
Candy laughed coldly. "I did lose, but I only lost to Anne's scheming, not to you!"
"You're just a small soldier under her command. Who knows if you also traded your body for military merit? A whore like you has no right to judge me!"
"Even if I lost, my military achievements won't be erased. My name will still be carved on the monument for future generations to look up to!"
Samira was already unhappy with Candy, and hearing her publicly slander her made her even angrier. She could feel some disgusting gazes from the crowd examining her.
Candy kept insulting other women - did she think Samira was a pushover?
"You think you deserve to be carved on the monument?" Samira laughed in anger, reaching back to grab her spear. "Fine, since you say I'm not qualified to judge you, why don't we have a match and see who really has the right to judge others?"
Holden got angry. "If you want to fight Candy, fight me instead!"
Candy stopped Holden, stood with his help, and fixed her cold stare on Samira. "I'm not afraid of you people. Bring it on!"
Holden was stunned. "Candy, you..."
Candy shook her head slightly at Holden, signaling him not to say more. Holden could only frown and step outside the arena, his eyes like knives, glaring hard at Samira.
Seeing both were ready to fight and no one from Friedel's side was stopping them, Anne patted Samira's shoulder. "Go easy."
Then, without even glancing at Candy, she turned and walked to the sidelines.
Of course Candy heard Anne's words. The killing intent in her eyes was almost impossible to hide. Without waiting for Samira to make a move, she gripped her sword and charged forward with a horizontal slash.
Candy had perfected this move through countless battlefield kills. She had high expectations for the attack.
If she could slice the woman's throat and silence Samira's taunts forever, even better—it would drive Anne into a rage too.
However, Samira scoffed disdainfully, gripped her spear tight, and charged straight at her. The sharp spearpoint collided with the sword blade with a crisp clang, followed by a harsh shattering sound. Everyone looked carefully toward the sound and saw Candy's sword break in half.
Her weapon was destroyed on the first strike!
But it wasn't over yet—
While Candy was stunned, Samira had already swung her spear, the shaft whipping across Candy's face, spinning her around completely before she fell to the ground screaming.
The crowd's gasps grew even louder. After all, this strike to the face wasn't just full of provocation - it ground Candy's dignity into the dirt.
Cynthia laughed happily. "Serves her right - who told her to never say anything nice!"
Candy was almost mad with rage. Her face burned with pain, her mouth full of blood. Looking at the ground, she could see the two teeth she'd just spit out.
Holden stood frozen in place, not rushing to help her up this time, but Candy had no time to think about that.
It's over, all over.
Candy thought almost desperately. This time she'd not only lost all face in front of members from three knight orders, but she'd also have to leave the order, and all her military achievements would be erased.
Why could Anne, that woman, hide her strength and defeat her, and why could the flashy and flamboyant-looking Samira also easily defeat her!
Candy refused to accept it. She absolutely could not accept this fact!
What's more, after this battle, Anne was completely famous. From now on, when people mentioned the most formidable female knight captain in the Soth Empire, they would only think of Anne, not her, Candy!