The next few hours before Marty’s match went by reasonably quickly.  Although he had yet to recover completely, he was more than capable to defeat opponents of this level.  However, because there was a rumor that he had been injured, he did not fight the same way. Instead, he purposely made himself appear injured and weakened as it would make his eventual defeat against Abaka more believable.  To further the act, he continued to look as though he was in pain after he had won. Unfortunately, the person that he fought was not Ganzorig, which meant that he would face Abaka. Marty was worried for him as Abaka and Ganzorig were not an equal match.  

Even though Abaka had improved by leaps and bounds, he still only had a couple of days of Marty’s training.  Though he could contend with those around the same age, he had lost the element of surprise, and Ganzorig was an abnormal existence.

Marty sat down next to Sarnai after he had made his way back from the fighting area. “Worried?” He asked her with a slight smile.

“Of course I am,” She replied with a hint of worry.

“It’s strange for you to be worried about an idiot,” Marty said with a chuckle. “But then again, he’s not just any idiot; he’s your idiot.”

She didn’t respond to his comment as she looked down in embarrassment.  In silence, they watched on as Abaka and Ganzorig took to the field. When he saw Abaka, Ganzorig smiled before he grabbed his scimitar and promptly threw it to the side.  Marty couldn’t help but curl his lip as he realized his intention. Not only did he mean he wouldn’t need it, but he intended to draw this out. A blow from a weapon was more likely to end a match immediately, but fists typically did not.  Although Marty had done the same, he usually knocked them out in one hit.

As the match started, Abaka immediately fired his bow as Ganzorig charged.  As he expected it, Ganzorig dodged it effortlessly. Abaka barely managed to draw his scimitar as Ganzorig closed in.  With a slash, Abaka’s scimitar seemed as though it would connect. However, Ganzorig punched the side of the scimitar which sent it away and left Abaka wide-open.  In the opening, Ganzorig threw another punch which struck Abaka’s wrist and caused him to drop his bow. Abaka managed to regain his balance just as another blow hit him square in the face.  With nearly any other opponent, that punch would’ve been enough to knock them out. However, Abaka managed to use the little Ki he could control to lessen the blow. Abaka’s head bent back as Sarnai gasped while she covered her face. To everyone’s surprise, Abaka recovered quickly and closed in on Ganzorig, who was momentarily stunned.  However, it was short-lived as he managed to grab Abaka’s scimitar arm and kneed him in the chest and sent Abaka in the air backward before he tumbled to the ground. Before Abaka could even stand up, Ganzorig quickly rushed toward him. However, he did not stop at Abaka. Instead, he ran past and kicked Abaka across the face as he did so.

“Whoops, I wasn’t watching my step,” Ganzorig shouted with a laugh.

Anger immediately welled up from Marty as he stood up to prepare to intervene at a moment’s notice.  Abaka stood up weakly as he spat out blood and glared at Ganzorig. Ganzorig’s face changed to a wicked smile as he quickly charged and punched at Abaka.  The punch connected as Abaka didn’t have the strength to block or dodge.

[That was it.] Marty thought as he began to dash toward the fight as he felt Abaka’s consciousness begin to fade.

“Abaka!” Sarnai shouted in worry.  

As if something possessed him, Abaka’s leg moved behind him as he caught himself and took a fighting stance just before a heavy pressure filled the field. Abaka’s pure fighting spirit even caused Marty surprise as he quickened his pace.  Ganzorig, who was close to Abaka, quickly backed up as his face took an expression of confusion and fear. It slowly morphed into an angry look from self-chastisement of feeling fear because of Abaka. As he gritted his teeth, he charged at Abaka and prepared to punch before he shot to the side when he detected the killing intent from Marty’s Ki that he put in his scimitar which he threw in between them. 

Everyone’s attention was soon brought to Marty as he began to shout. “Khaqan Ganbaatar, this fight is over!”

Ganbaatar blinked in surprise a couple of times while he stared at Abaka before he got up and rushed towards him, followed soon after by Sarnai’s father.  They reached Abaka just after Marty did while he took note of Sarnai, who had followed him. Ganbaatar looked at Abaka, who still emitted fighting spirit and tentatively waved his hand in front of Abaka’s face. “He passed out standing up,” Ganbaatar said with a slight smile. “The winner is Ganzorig!” He continued just as Sarnai caught up with tears in her eyes.  

Marty reached out to move Abaka and lay him down. “All of his muscles are locked.” He said under his breath as he found he could not do so quickly.  He could try to influence his mind with Projected Consciousness, but another idea crossed his mind. He leaned over and whispered into Sarnai’s ear. After he had done so, Sarnai moved next to Abaka and gently touched his face before she tearfully spoke to him. “Abaka, you did well. I’m so proud of you.  You can take a rest now.”

Abaka slightly flinched as his eyes regained a hint of light and moved to look at Sarnai before his eyelids closed.  His body relaxed, and he began to fall over onto Sarnai, who Marty helped to hold him up.

“Get one of the furs,” Marty said to Ganbaatar, who relayed it as an order. “You can go with him, and I’ll have Cali tend to his wounds,” Marty said to Sarnai after he carefully placed Abaka on the fur as a few people began to carry him away. 

“No, I’ll stay and watch your fight.” She said as she shook her head.

“I understand.  Cali should be around shortly.” Marty continued with a puzzled expression on his face.  He had called for Cali, but she hadn’t moved from her location. Marty could deduce she was fine and doing something, but she wouldn’t budge. “Are we going to go straight into the finals?” Marty asked Ganbaatar who promptly looked at Ganzorig.

“I’m ready to go,” Ganzorig said as he pounded his chest.

“We’ll begin shortly,” Ganbaatar said with a nod before he turned back to his position.

“It’s your decision, but I’m not sure you will want to watch this,” Marty whispered to Sarnai.  The darkness in his voice startled her, but she nodded in response and began to make her way back to the seating area.  Marty looked over at Sarnai’s father, who stood nearby as he watched Abaka being carried away. “Any complaints about him now?” 

After a sigh, he subtly shook his head. “If you had told me that I would feel fear just from being in that boy’s presence, I would have called you insane, but now…”

“Any complaints?” Marty asked again.

He paused for a moment before he looked at Sarnai. “None,” He softly said before he followed behind Ganbaatar.

Ganzorig had already moved into position as Marty began to pick up his half-buried scimitar.  As he did so, he froze as a slight breeze past his ear. In actuality, it was not a natural breeze as Cali could control the wind to pass messages.  Marty froze as he listened to Cali, his eyes wide with surprise.

“What’s the matter? Can’t get the scimitar out?” Ganzorig taunted.

After a couple of seconds, Marty turned to Ganzorig and glared at him.  The glare was not due to his remark, but the message he had received. Just before he had come to this fight, Ganzorig had viciously beaten his third wife, a 15-year-old girl.  The injuries were so terrible, Cali believed if she did not begin to treat her as soon as he left, the girl would’ve died.

When Ganzorig saw Marty’s look, he sneered. “Are you ready to fight?”

In a slow and smooth motion, Marty effortlessly withdrew the scimitar from the ground and sheathed it. “Ganzorig, where is Narantsetseg?”

A look of surprise came over Ganzorig’s face. “She’s in my ger where I detained her for the day.  We had a slight… disagreement, you might say.”

“And this disagreement was enough to beat her half to death?” Marty asked angrily.

Ganzorig sneered. “I can do whatever I want with my wives because they are mine.” He continued as he eyed Shalgana.

To the people of his tribe, this statement was not surprising.  Though it wasn’t spoken because of his position, he was a known wife-beater.  Even though Narantsetseg was his third wife, he only had two. The reason for this was because his second wife had died.  It was unclear if she had died from being beaten directly or committed suicide because of it.  

Ganbaatar tried to hide his emotions, but he was unsettled.  To him, Shalgana was his treasure. The only child of his last wife who he married for love, a rare concept, though not as much for latter wives.  

Shalgana had a look of terror on her face.  After all, he had already claimed her to be his, and that he would inevitably beat her.

At his words, Marty’s glare became utterly tranquil.  Anyone who looked at him would think he no longer cared.  However, he was inwardly angry, the angriest he had ever been.  His natural disposition was to be protective of women. Anyone who mistreated a woman, to him, was trash.  Under normal circumstances, he would be angry. However, he was far more irritated than usual. The reason for this was simple; he’d gotten to know Shalgana.  Though they only had one actual interaction, he had learned quite a bit about her, especially from their spar. She was incredibly mature for her age, but also very innocent and pure.  She had her dreams and aspirations but was forced to keep them inside because of her position and culture. Marty initially didn’t plan to do anything because he saw her resolve, but he naturally couldn’t let a scumbag like Ganzorig ruin her.

However, he brushed these thoughts about Shalgana and the responsibility of winning the Kurultai aside.  Instead, there was only one deep thought. [I’m going to beat the shit out of him.]

With an emotionless expression that would rival even Cali’s, Marty turned to Ganzorig.  He took off his sabers and tossed them aside as Ganzorig had done before he fought Abaka.  In a cold, dark voice, Marty spoke: “I suppose that there is no point in talking to someone who can only get his twig of a prick up when he beats a defenseless woman.”

Ganzorig sneer froze before it morphed into a snarl, and he charged at Marty.  Naturally, such a comment was a blow to his pride, and he wouldn’t stand for it.  There was a noticeable gasp in the crowd as Ganbaatar had yet to start the match officially and a sneak attack would typically warrant disqualification.

At Ganzorig’s approach, Marty barely moved.  All he did was take a subtle stance and closed his eyes.  Ganzorig sneered at him as he threw a punch toward Marty’s face with all of his might before an impact resounded.

Once again, a gasp was heard, but for a different reason.  Those who had a side view of the two of them were extremely surprised.  Even though Ganzorig fist had made the sound of an impact, there was space between his fist and Marty’s face.  On top of this, a red aura seemed to emanate from Marty. Ganzorig’s face full of anger suddenly turned to shock when he felt that his fingers burn as Marty’s eyes opened.  Ganzorig tried to flee as he suddenly felt a tremendous killing intent strike him. He felt so much fear in that moment that Marty’s now red eyes permanently burned their image in the depths of his soul.  Before Ganzorig could retreat, Marty’s left hand swiftly grasped Ganzorig’s outstretched arm. Ganzorig screamed in pain as Marty’s fingers tore into his arm like a hot knife through butter.

Marty’s emotionless expression suddenly broke into a fake smile as his left leg swept Ganzorig.  

*crack* 

Ganzorig’s ankle broke as he was launched sideways into the air with his arm as a pivot.

“Whoops, I wasn’t watching my step,” Marty said coldly.  In the next moment, Marty planted his left foot and kicked with his other between Ganzorig’s now open legs while he simultaneously thrust his free hand which was now a Ki Blade toward Ganzorig’s shoulder.  Simultaneously, the silent slice of the Ki Blade and the resounding thump of Marty’s kick occurred. The moment the kick landed, two blades of Ki extruded from his foot and cut Ganzorig’s tendons. Now short one arm, and the use of his legs and genitals, Ganzorig flew through the air and landed near the spectators.

Foam appeared in Ganzorig’s mouth as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted.  Even with all the damage, it was not fatal. Marty’s Red Ki had cauterized the wounds so there was hardly any blood loss and Marty’s attack was intentionally nonlethal.  Though Ganzorig’s life was not lost, it was over. Ganbaatar breathed a sigh of relief. The two people he worried for were now okay. He looked at Marty with the happiness and gratefulness of a father. Shalgana also breathed a sigh of relief as Ganzorig had thoroughly terrified her. However, as she stared at Marty, her heartbeat did not slow.  [He’s... He’s going to be my husband.] She thought, surprised at her joy at the prospect.  

Nearby Shalgana, Ariunbold looked at the fainted Ganzorig as he covered his face with his hand.  If any other person caused it, he would feel extreme anger. Instead, he felt only terror and trepidation.  If he was angry at anyone, it was at his son for having shamed his clan and had not listened to his advice. “Ganzorig you fool.  I told you not to belittle him and be respectful. That’s what you get for angering a Dragon.” He mumbled.

Shalgana turned to look at Ariunbold as she had just barely heard what he had said.  [A Dragon?] She wondered. Then, her mind flashed to when her ger roof collapsed. She thought she had hallucinated, but he did indeed appear to have scales at that moment.  It was then everything clicked in her mind. Though she could not be entirely sure, it would make sense if he was one. Dragons were considered to be very benevolent and strong. This would account for the kindness he had shown and explain his strength.  However, she had never heard of a Dragon in human form before. This was the only thing that kept her from being sure.

With a smile on his face, Ganbaatar got everyone’s attention. “Everyone, Ganzorig has been disqualified for attacking before the start.  However, I have little doubt that anyone would complain that I announce the winner and the next Jinong is-”

“Ganbaatar, wait.” Marty interrupted.

Surprise covered Ganbaatar’s face, “Marco, go ahead.”

“I apologize for the interruption, but I believe that there is one more fight in order.”

“What do you mean?” Ganzorig asked, confused.

“Well, it would be quite embarrassing for the next Khaqan to be weaker than his wife, wouldn’t you say?”

A smile appeared on Ganbaatar’s face. “Do you mean to fight Shalgana?” He asked, quite aware of Shalgana’s nightly training.

“Yes, I think it makes sense.  If I win, then I become the Jinong.  But if she wins, she gets to decide who Jinong, her husband, is.”

“Preposterous,” One of the Khans said. “Having a woman fight in the Kurultai is a disrespect to it.”

Ganbaatar looked among the Khans and saw a couple of others also show displeasure, but did not voice it.  To Ganbaatar surprise, Ariunbold, who he expected the most substantial opposition from, purposely avoided eye contact as if he had submitted entirely.  Of everything that had happened, that surprised Ganbaatar the most. “Marco, I have half a mind to say no to you, as a father.” He said with a grin on his face.  It was no secret that at this point, he wanted to give Shalgana to Marty. With a sigh, he looked between Marty, who waited in anticipation, and Shalgana, who gave him a subtle nod. “Marco, I owe you two times over now and your words to hold merit.  From this moment on, the current Khaqan’s daughter shall have the right to challenge the Kurultai’s victor. If she should lose or forfeits this right, the Jinong will be the winner of the Kurultai. However, if she wins, she will pick the Jinong for herself.”

There were a few seconds of silence as everyone took in his words.  Though he was within his right, significant changes seldom happened.  Some of the other Khans wanted to protest but refrained from doing so as they figured not much had changed.  They thought it would be improbable for a woman to win.

Ganbaatar turned to Shalgana. “Daughter, do you wish to challenge.”

A smile appeared on Shalgana’s lips, “I do.”

“Then in one hour, we shall have one final match between Marco and Shalgana.  Shalgana, get changed into some more appropriate clothing. Marco, feel free to rest.”

“Thank you, Khaqan Ganbaatar,” Marty said with a slight bow.

With a smile, Ganbaatar walked up to Marty and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Marco, thank you for protecting her.  I can only hope you continue to do so.”

Marco said nothing but nodded.  He then walked over to Sarnai, who looked at him with a slight smile on his face.  

“You can be quite stubborn.” She said. “Just accept her as your wife.”

Marty gave her a helpless look. “Go help your husband.”

Sarnai immediately blushed from embarrassment. “You jerk. He’s not my husband, yet.” She said in a slight huff as she walked away.

Marty made a small chuckle. “Yet.”

...

The next hour went by quickly.  Cali had already begun treatment of Abaka, and he had regained consciousness shortly after.  Sarnai shed a tear for him before she began to chastise him. Abaka did not attempt to escape.  Instead, he paid rapt attention to the point where Sarnai occasionally stuttered from embarrassment.  Even Sarnai’s father came by and said a few words to subtly hinted his approval.

Cali very cutely used her temporary weakness to snuggle up to Marty.  Neither could be sure why, but Cali would always be able to recover faster in his immediate presence.  

“Marco, is she one of your wives?” Sarnai couldn’t help but ask after seeing them so intimate. Even though Cali appeared young, she didn’t take her appearance as an indication of her age.

“No.”/“Yes.” Marty and Cali respectively replied.  

Cali turned to Marty with a slightly sad face.

“We’ll talk about it later when you’re older,” Marty said as he patted her head.

“That feels good.” She said as she pressed into his hand, her sad expression gone.

Marty stayed in contemplative silence as his plan had failed spectacularly, mostly. Sarnai and Abaka were together, and Shalgana wouldn’t have to worry about Ganzorig, but Abaka didn’t win as planned. In desperation, he petitioned for Shalgana to fight, which could relieve him of his responsibilities as the winner. However, he couldn’t help but feel that Shalgana might lose on purpose. After their spar and conversation, he knew the type of husband Shalgana wanted, and he fit-the-bill better than any other participants. He hoped she wouldn’t do this, even if it were for the same result, as it meant the strong young lady would give in to her Fate instead of forging her future.

Then there was the responsibility Marty would have to face if she chose him. At best, he could only be a nominal husband as he had the girls back home to think about as well. That wouldn’t be fair to her, but doing anything else would be unfair to the others. 

Marty did have the option to leave, but there were several reasons why he couldn’t leave with a clear conscience. 

Firstly, it would be considered an insult against all the clans if he did so. That could potentially worsen their opinions of foreigners which could have dramatic effects in the future. Secondly, those who he had a close tie to; Ganbataar, Abaka, Sarnai, and Shalgana would all come over heavy scrutiny. This was especially true for Shalgana as his departure could be seen as him saying that Shalgana was undesirable, something disastrous for a woman’s reputation. Thirdly, this was now becoming a precedent for recreating gender norms among the tribes. Fourthly, he had stuck his nose into it, so he should see it through. Finally, if he did leave, that meant that Shalgana would marry the runner-up. This was a terrible Fate as it meant she would have to marry the now crippled eunuch Ganzorig. Perhaps, due to Ganzorigs physical condition, it wouldn’t happen, but that was only a maybe. Some might have pushed her to do to punish Ganbataar for inviting a deserter.

He bitterly sighed as he decided to see how everything played out. After all, his worry would only come true if he won, or Shalgana lost.

...

After a short while, Sarnai went to check up on Shalgana.  Compared to Marty, the hour for the fight felt incredibly long to Shalgana.  She had long since changed her clothing and hair to a much more straightforward fashion.  Her innate beauty was quite clear, yet a cloud of worry appeared on her face. Complicated feelings surged within her; excitement, worry, fear.  When she had always practiced, she usually did so alone. Her practice with Marty was already a step out of her comfort zone. Now she would fight in front of many people and set a precedent for all the tribes’ women.

[Why am I going to fight?]  She wondered. Was it to show that women could be just as capable in a fight as a man?  Was it to fight against her Fate? Was it to choose her husband herself? Was it to fight for the sake of fighting?  As these thoughts crossed her mind, Sarnai entered the ger.

“Are you ready?” Sarnai asked.

“I don’t know,” Shalgana replied hoarsely.

“Well, I don’t know what you are worried about.  You win whether you win or lose the fight. Marco is a good man who will treasure you.  He cares so much for strangers, imagine how much he must care for his wife.”

“It’s still not decided that I will be his wife.” Shalgana retorted.

“Really?” Sarnai asked as she narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

“If I win, I can choose whomever I want to be my husband.”

“I know.  And I do not doubt that you’ll make the right choice.  Just… If you do end up with Marco, be patient.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I can’t say for certain, but I think I know the reason why he’s so hesitant to marry or commit to a relationship.  I somewhat confirmed this a short time ago. You know the girl named Cali? Though she appears quite expressionless, she’s very attached to him.  When I asked if she was his wife, he refuted, but she agreed. I believe he lost someone he truly loved very recently. That loss is holding him back and preventing him from opening his heart easily.”

“… You’ve seemed to have taken close notice of him.  I wonder if perhaps you fell for him.” Shalgana teased to try to change the subject.

However, Sarnai did not flinch. “If I had my choice of any man in the world but Abaka, I would pick Marco without a second thought.” She firmly replied.

Several seconds of silence occurred. “Sarnai, why am I going to fight?”

“I can’t answer that.  Only you can find the reason.” Sarnai replied.

“Shalgana, it’s time,” Ganbaatar said from outside the ger.  The two girls went outside and found a smiling Ganbaatar. “You look lovely,” he said to Shalgana with much pride in his eyes. “I always knew about your training, and I always wanted to show off your talent, but never found a way to do so that would not incite much criticism.  I must thank Marco for forcing my hand.” He said with a chuckle.

A look of surprise came over Shalgana’s face. “I’m surprised you aren’t telling me to lose.”

Ganbaatar’s expression became slightly guilty. “Part of me wants you to lose, but a greater part wants you to win.  If you do, I know you’ll make the right choice.”

Shalgana looked at Sarnai and her father, who seem to share an understanding glance toward each other.  With her stomach in a knot and butterflies in her chest, Shalgana made her way to the fighting area.

 

Marty silently stood on his side of the fighting area.  [What a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into, Marty.] He chastised himself.  It wasn’t that he regretted what he had done. If he had to do it again, he would do the same thing. Instead, he had lost his head and acted out of anger.  It was the first time he had felt such an impulse to act where his actions were usually calculated. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to give himself a way out, but it wasn’t foolproof.  

Shalgana walked to her position and looked at Marty.  The thoughts that relentlessly crossed her mind could almost be seen on her face. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Marco.” She said with the bow.

“You needn’t be so polite,” Marty said with a wave and a smile. “I just hope you won’t disappoint me.”

Shalgana became confused, but her father spoke before she could voice to clarify. “Everyone, this is the last fight of the Kurultai between Marco and my daughter, Shalgana.  Are you two ready?… Then begin.”

The two of them drew their scimitars. Dual wielders were rare, so the fact that two were about to fight raised the expectations of the crowd. Marty’s posture was utterly calm.  Shalgana was a little sporadic, and her breath was uneven. She was the first to move. As soon as their blades met, Marty was immediately disappointed though he did not show it on his face.  Her posture, her form, her everything was worse than when they had sparred. He didn’t blame her. If anything, he understood. In front of all these people, who wouldn’t get a little stage fright?  However, he sensed something more. It was as if she lacked purpose.  

Back when they sparred, she had fought for self-improvement.  Here, she didn’t appear to have such a purpose. After a couple of blows, the two of them separated.  Marty was just as calm as before, but Shalgana breath was heavy.

“Shalgana, why are you fighting?” Marty asked her.

A blank expression came across her face as she had just recently asked herself the same question.  Her mind began to spin even more as she went to attack him again.

[Why am I doing this? Do I… Do I have a reason to fight?  I don’t, do I? If it’s him, I can be… I can be content.] At that thought, her body finally relaxed.  She had given up. Just as she was about to surrender, she tensed up as she looked into Marty’s eyes. In them, she saw immense disappointment.  They stood separated for a short time, Shalgana’s guard was loose while his was firm, but neither moved. [Why is he disappointed?] She wondered.  [Does he not want me for his wife? Or is it that he wants me to choose? But I did choose; I chose-] Shalgana’s thoughts froze as something clicked in her mind.  

The words she had spoken with him; about her being able to choose her future.  He indeed wanted her to choose, to take her future into her own hands. But to lose was to submit, not to choose.  Then, the words that Sarnai had spoken just a few minutes before also ran to her mind. How could he open his heart to someone who seemed to accept him begrudgingly?  He could only do that with someone who wanted him. At that thought, the final wall broke, and she realized that she wanted him.

At that moment, to Shalgana, the world around them disappeared, and the only person she saw was Marty.  Her body and mind calm immensely to the point where she was almost in a trance. [I want him. I want to be worthy of him. I want to prove it, and I will prove it with my sword.]

The significant pause between the bouts confused the spectators.  They looked around at each other as they wondered what had happened.  However, all eyes immediately trained on Shalgana after her aura suddenly changed.  Even Marty’s breath was taken away by the sharp aura she now exerted. At that moment, he was thankful she did not want his life.

Moreover, he could tell that this pressure did not come from her Ki, which confused him even more. As he was confused by her sudden change, Shalgana suddenly shot forward at the fastest speed she had ever moved.  It was as if her movements themselves had become as sharp as a sword. As her first blow came down, Marty could still block. However, at the last second, his eyes shot wide open as he decided to dodge and evade before he shot back a reasonable distance as quickly as he could.  Something told him that sword was dangerous. All the spectators were shocked as they had seen an unusual phenomenon. It seemed almost as if the wind itself had bent around her scimitar. The short grass on the ground, where her scimitar had come to rest, noticeably brushed out as if a small puff of air had suddenly come from nowhere.

Marty looked at Shalgana.  The entire time since her aura had changed, her eyes had not moved from his own.  He wasn’t too worried about defeating her, but what she had somehow managed to pull off was far beyond his expectations.  Once again, she shot towards him with a fury of blows. This time, instead of dodging, he opted to deflect and take as little of her power as he could.  He was amazed when he found his strength seemed to be insufficient. Though he had hardly used any Ki to enhance his strength, nor had he draconified, his muscles were still remarkably enhanced.  Though Shalgana had decent muscle, nothing particularly stood out. He could think of no logical explanation as to why her strength had suddenly become so heavy. All he knew was that the sword almost seemed to say something.  The message wasn’t verbal, but it was something that seemed to speak to his subconscious. With a fury of blows, Marty soon found himself pushed back. It was then he realized that she had eclipsed him with her sword technique.  However, instead of trepidation, he felt extreme joy. Whatever had happened to Shalgana was good for her. He had finally found someone superior to him with the sword, so how could he not give his all in this fight?

They continued to exchange a fury of blows.  Shalgana always seemed to be slightly ahead of him with the sword, but Marty could keep pace.  It was a strange feeling, as though they both began to understand more about the sword.

The way Shalgana fought, the way her blade moved, the way her body moved almost screamed at him.  It shouted: “Look at me! This is how strong I am! How much I want you!”. As they fought, Marty suddenly came to a realization.  [Sword Intent! Strengthening of the sword by one’s own will without anything but sheer willpower, or perhaps becoming one with the sword!  Though such things shouldn’t exist, they could very well exist now!] Excitement coursed through him as he fully immersed himself in the fight.  

Neither of them knew how much time it passed.  Then, Shalgana finally took the upper hand. With a final downward slash, she shattered Marty’s crossed scimitars which were meant to block.  Thankfully, she was a good girl at heart else Marty would come out of that with more than just a couple broken scimitars. Marty stumbled backward in surprise.  Though he hadn’t used much Ki, he had used a little to help ensure that she wouldn’t be wounded too severely if he did strike her. That being said, her normal scimitars broke his scimitars which had Ki in them.  Shalgana looked at Marty, and Marty looked at Shalgana. Both had a big smile on their faces. The only people they could see were each other.  

All of the spectators were silent out of shock from what they had just witnessed.  The fight that they had expected nothing much from had become something amazing. No one doubted that if Shalgana had fought like this against almost any other competitor, her victory was nearly assured.  However, this also spoke of Marty’s strength as he had held off her attacks for so long. For indeed the fight had gone on for nearly a full five minutes when the previous fights before wouldn’t last longer than 30 seconds.  Though it appeared that she had finally gotten the upper hand, Marty had gotten this far with unarmed combat which he seemed extremely competent in. As such, no one expected that the fight was over yet.

The trance Shalgana was in slightly began to wane as she looked at Marty.  As he held his broken scimitars, he began to laugh before he threw them to the side. “Incredible! Simply incredible! I’ve taken it you’ve chosen.”

“I’ve chosen you.” She replied immediately, still somewhat in a trance. “From now on, I am your woman, and you are my man.”

There was a considerable amount of surprise in the crowd at Shalgana’s words.  Typically, they would be inappropriate for women to say something so direct. However, if any woman had the qualifications, Shalgana certainly did.  After watching that fight, everyone thought it was as if they were meant for each other.

Marty was equally surprised at her bluntness as he sighed. “I’m incorrigible.  Well Shalgana, unfortunately, if I’m going to be the next Jinong I have to save face.” As he spoke, he began to emanate a blue aura as he released his Ki completely.  Up to this point, he had never released this much Ki consciously in public. The spectators were quite taken aback by this pressure. They recognized it is something similar to what Abaka released, but it was different.  It was stronger but seemed as though the pressure from it was weaker.

With a smile, he looked at Shalgana. “Run Ki_Armory(Dual_Scimitars).” As he spoke, his Ki condensed in his hand so thick that everyone could see the two semi-translucent light blue scimitars that had appeared in his hands. “Come!” He shouted.

This surreal scene before her did not pause Shalgana one bit.  If there were an obstacle in her way, she would cut it! This time, Marty did not shy away from her blows but met them head-on.  The clear sound of metal rang out as the scimitars coincided. This time, Marty had the upper hand with strength though Shalgana still seemed to remain just ahead of him in technique.  They clash several more times before Shalgana scimitars finally broke. The result was expected as Marty’s Ki Scimitars were naturally stronger and sharper than normal scimitars. It was almost a miracle that Shalgana’s scimitars had lasted so long.  As soon as her scimitars broke, Shalgana’s trance broke as well. A trace of shock had appeared on her face before it turned to disappointment. “I lost.” She softly said as she began to tear up and collapsed on her knees to the ground

Marty made a slight smile as he took in everything that just happened.  He felt everything. The moment her emotions finally calmed, what he felt from them directly and from her sword; Her earnest words; that she declared she was his, and he was hers.  Her disappointment when she lost because she wanted to prove herself; wanted to be worthy of him. Marty looked down at her gently. “You silly girl. Dry your tears and stand. You may have lost the battle, but you won the war.” 

Her teary eyes met his, and she saw gentleness in them.  [Did I… Did I make a place in his heart?] She couldn’t help but wonder.

“Everyone! The winner of the Kurultai is Marco!” Ganbaatar shouted to break the silence.  Almost instantaneously, the entirety of the spectators broken to cheer. Many of them shouted both Marco and Shalgana’s names.  Even some of the women joined in.

Ganbaatar looked at the two of them with a broad smile of pride.  The entire event had far surpassed his expectations. He had naturally hoped that Shalgana would get a good husband.  However, Marty exceeded his wildest imagination. Not only was Marty stronger than himself, but he was also obviously a caring person.  He was aware of how he treated Sarnai and Abaka and thus knew that Marty was very benevolent as well. He felt proud to be able to call him son-in-law.

“Shalgana, dry your tears.  You are hurting your image.” Marty said with a smile.  Shalgana nodded and did her best to hold back her tears as she wiped the few that had already escaped.

A group of people carried a special fur which was meant to carry the winner.  Though there had been no precedent before, no one complained when Marty brought Shalgana to be carried as well.  After a short parade and celebration, everyone began to settle down and help to prepare the dinner to come.