Nick watched as Azara seemingly turned into flames and formed a glove on his hand. Currently he was in an Inn that was close to where his target lived. He had just woken up and planned to head out after a brief breakfast. His target reportedly lived in the forest around this area, it wouldn't be as easy to find him as Nick once thought. However, it did not matter to him, whether it took a day or a week he would find this man and kill him.
Nick left his room and after a quick breakfast he made his way into the woods. Nobody has ever seen this man's house, all they know is the general area of it, so it was hard for him to know where to look or even what to look for. For all he knew he could be looking for some kind of trap door or it may just be a large wooden cabin. It was also hard to say how dangerous this man is, nobody has really ever seen him in a fight. There were a lot of unknowns for this quest.
He just couldn't let this man continue his operations. When he read the poster he thought of Mark being kidnapped and tortured until his parents paid out the ransom. The thought of what this man was doing made his blood boil. He was not sure he would be able to keep his demonic energy from flowing out once he found this man. Not that it mattered, this was a kill quest.
Normally Nick thought about staying away from kill quests, but he couldn't do that. In his mind this man deserved death, he deserved to burn in the underworld for his crimes. Spending the rest of his life in a jail cell before being sent to the underworld was a mercy he did not want to give this man. Any internal conflicts he may have had before about killing a criminal were now completely gone. It may be a product of anger or because of his demonic energy, but whatever did it did not matter to him.
Nick wandered through the forest aimlessly for a few hours. The combination of not knowing what he was looking for and how everything looked the same meant he could be walking in circles and not even know, he may have already passed by his house. He had begun to lose hope of finding this man, though something happened that filled him with hope once more. As well as indescribable rage and pain.
Nick screamed out at the top of his lungs as he stepped on a small metal plate that made metal jaws clamp down on his right leg. A fucking bear trap? He screamed internally as he gritted his teeth. He fell down to his knee and looked at his leg, it did not look good. A metal tooth-like spike had ripped into his leg down to his bone and he was losing a lot of blood.
Shit, this isn't good, I need to get my leg out of this trap and focus on healing this wound. Nick took a deep breath and tried to power through the pain as he used all of the strength he could muster to pry open the jaws of the trap. He was only able to do that after summoning his demonic energy. Demonic energy did a lot for him, enhancing speed, strength, healing, reaction time, and basically everything that could be enhanced. It also helped to dull the immeasurable pain he was currently feeling.
Once he got the trap off he focused his healing magic on the wound. He poured his mana into the wound to try to help speed up the healing on top of the work that his demonic energy was already doing to attempt to save his life. "Man, this is the best the guild has to send after me? I have to admit I am pretty disappointed."
Nick's eyes widened as he looked up, the man's face looked almost identical to the picture in the poster. His eyes flared a bright red as he got up and ran at the man only to fall to the ground seconds later as his damaged leg gave out from under him. The muscle was too damaged to work properly. "Heh, you think I would show myself had I not been sure that you couldn't move?"
Billy stepped closer to the enraged Nick while also keeping a distance. "I'll kill you." Nick's voice had a cold determination to it.
"Yes, yes. It seems many people would love to kill me. But you are all they sent? Some little... what are you? An eighth demon? Maybe less? Well, whatever you are, you won't be able to move for quite a while."
"I am more than enough to deal with scum like you. Without your dirty tricks you are nothing!" It was mostly his demon side talking, though he meant every word of what he said.
"It is true that had you not screamed out after getting caught in my trap that you may have gotten the drop on me, but I can promise that I am stronger than I look." Billy sighed, drawing a knife from a holster on his belt. He ran the edge across one of his fingers, though it did not draw blood. "Now, I could kill you here and be done with you or drag you back to my house and torture you, but where is the fun in that? You are an adventurer so you obviously don't come from money and outright killing you would be a waste."
"Do you have a fucking point here or do you just like the sound of your own voice?"
"My point is that I could have a lot more fun if I let you continue hunting me. A bit of a game of cat and mouse. However, you are going to have to work for it. I'll be right back." Billy turned around and began to walk into the forest without another word.
Crap, I need to get out of here and rethink my plan of attack in order to deal with this trap-setting psychopath. Nick tried to stand but was unable to due to the damaged muscles in his leg.
"Do you need help? I could always just carry you."
"No, stay in glove form for now. It could hurt us more than help us if he saw you trying to get me away from here. He said himself that he does not plan to kill me so we don't need to put all of our cards on the table just yet."
"Alright, well, I am here if you need me."
After a brief minute Billy returned, a lasso in his hands. He threw it at Nick and he could feel it tighten around his neck as he grabbed at it. "The hell?" Were the only words Nick managed to get out before the rope tightened to a point where he could no longer breathe nor talk.
"If you can't get out of this then you have no right to even think about hunting me." Billy threw one end of the rope over a sturdy looking branch and began to hoist Nick off the ground before tying the end of the rope to a nearby tree trunk to keep him suspended. "Happy hunting."
Nick was so distracted by the rope currently killing him that he did not even notice Billy leave him there. He was desperately trying to get his fingers between the rope and his neck in hopes that he would be able to get the rope to loosen so he could get some air. He was having no such luck.
"Damn it! Azara! Fire!"
"Roger!"
Nick's right hand burst into flames, the flame burning the rope while leaving him unharmed thanks to a familiar's fire being unable to harm its master's body. It did not take long for the burning rope to weaken and snap. Nick fell to the ground with a hard thud, he was coughing and trying to focus his magic on healing his leg once again. That was too close... I might be in over my head.
Nick slowly stood up, his leg barely able to hold him up. No, I'm not in over my head, he just got lucky. In a one on one fight he wouldn't stand a chance. Or at least he wouldn't have before my leg got injured. I can feel it slowly healing thanks to the combination of my demonic energy and healing magic, it should be usable within the hour.
Nick sighed and sat down at the base of a tree, fishing through his backpack. He began to eat and drink as he waited for his leg to heal. He could always wrap and suture it with his leftover medical supplies but he felt like that would be a waste, he would save that those for after the fight if he needed them. He hoped he wouldn't need them, he just wanted to kill this guy and get back to the guild to meet up with Alyssa. It seemed this quest would take longer than he originally thought.
After an hour and thirty minutes of healing his damaged leg it was healed enough for him to be able to walk with no trouble. He got up and put his backpack back on, walking in the direction he believes that Billy might have gone in. He kept an eye out for any more traps that may have been laid in his path. Having set up all of the traps in this forest Billy might try to use that to gain an advantage and Nick didn't want to get caught in another trap. This man was a torturer, Nick knew none of the traps would be lethal but he was not eager to experience that amount of pain again.
He wandered around the forest for hours, stopping for food and water breaks every now and then. Eventually it got dark and he had not made any noticeable progress in hunting this guy down. He was no expert tracker, he could be walking the completely wrong way for all he knew. Fuck, well I might as well just call it a night and take it easy before I wake up. Can't be too long before my alarm will wake me up.
"Azara, I'm calling it a night. You can go now."
"Alright, sleep tight."
Nick watched as his glove burst into flames and disappeared, now that Azara was gone he just had to wait until his alarm clock woke him up. As the night progressed he listened to the sounds of the forest and kept an eye out for any sign of Billy. He also kept an eye out for any natural predators, he has always been extra cautious in the woods since his first encounter with dire wolves. After what felt like an eternity, but in reality was not more than a couple of hours, his alarm clock brought him back to reality. Today was Sunday, the day that the fight club met.
I feel completely refreshed and energized but my mind is exhausted. I wish I could stay here and get some sleep but that would just put me back in that forest and fuck with my sleep schedule. Nick yawned and stood up, heading to his bathroom to take a quick shower. After his shower he got dressed and went to his home gym. The home gym was extremely useful considering he can't really work out much when going on quests.
After working out and getting breakfast he played some video games on a console he got for Christmas. He had to train so he wouldn't get completely humiliated at Mark's next party. He did that for a couple of hours before texting Gareth to pick him up at noon. The fight club gathered at one in the afternoon and went on until six at night. The idea of fighting normal humans as he is now interested him, it would be a true test of his skills.
Time passed quickly and eventually Gareth pulled up to his house and Nick got in the car. "You remember your ring?" Gareth asked, pulling away from Nick's house.
"Yeah, I keep it on all the time besides when I am sleeping. When my parents asked me about it I just told them it was a Christmas present from a friend."
"Well, it isn't a complete lie."
I seem to be telling a lot of half truths lately. Who would have thought having a secret as massive as traveling to a different world every night would mean telling a lot of lies? If I told the truth all the time I would have been put in a mental institution or been taken to some kind of government research facility. At least if I was taken to a government facility I might actually get some answers. I know I'm part demon, but that doesn't explain my nightly trips to another world.
"Do you have any formal fighting training? Most of us have a couple years of one martial art or another under our belt."
"I have some training, though it isn't exactly any kind of traditional martial art. At least I don't think it is."
"Ah, so street fighting then?"
"Kind of but not really. I would say if I had to compare my training to a martial art it would be kick boxing... Is kick boxing a martial art?"
"Yeah, kick boxing is a martial art. So, essentially you were just taught a really basic fighting style, then?"
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Well, as long as it is effective I guess it doesn't matter. That's good though, it means we don't have to take it easy on you."
"I'm sure I wouldn't want you to take it easy on me even if I didn't have experience."
"Heh, if you didn't have any experience we would probably unconsciously take it easy on you."
"I'm not sure I have that kind of unconscious restraint."
"Sure you do, it's human nature."
Therein lies the issue. "Well, I guess you never really know until it is put to the test."
"Well, I'm sure you will find that you won't need to hold back against us."
I'm not so sure about that. "I just hope I win my first fight, first impressions are everything."
"I'm sure you will win your first fight, newbies are usually paired up with newbies."
"Being new to the club isn't an accurate gauge of skill level."
"True, but that is just how it is. If you prove yourself to have skill then stronger members of the club will be dying to get in the ring with you."
"How many schools participate in this?"
"Just the four private schools in this district."
"Huh, alright."
"Each school has a different style of ring. Gold rings are for St. Abel Academy, Silver is for Alexander Rawlins Private School, Bronze for St. Bernard Christian Academy, and Black onyx for our school."
"Do the different metals mean anything?"
"Yeah. It used to be just the three other schools and they would have tournaments every couple of months to determine who the strongest school is. Gold is for first, silver for second, bronze for third, and now with the addition of our school black onyx is for last place."
"Huh, so we got last place at the last tournament then?"
"Yeah, we've had first place as well as second and third place a few times but we've been last place this whole year since our best fighter graduated."
"Well, maybe your luck will change now that I'm here."
"That is what we hope. Every school has a maximum capacity of seven members and we have had a hard time scouting for a seventh. Being down a member is the main reason we have been losing all year. All the other schools have seven fighters."
"Was I your only choice?"
"For the most part, yes. Most of the other fighters in our school are delinquents who wouldn't fit in with what we are doing."
"Hmm, well, I'll try to not disappoint."
"I'm sure you will be fine. Also, now that we are here, I should tell you that the newest member always gets the first fight at their first club gathering."
"That would have been good to know before now. I would have had time to mentally prepare myself."
"Everyone is a little bit nervous their first time, you will do fine."
Nick sighed as they pulled up to a small building in a clearing. There were what must have been ten cars and multiple bikes also outside of the building. Loud music was blasting inside of the building, he could already feel the bass in his chest before even getting out of the car. There were two people outside of the door that he had to show his ring before being allowed to enter. They weren't fighters, just some kids that were paid a couple of bucks to be lookouts.
After being allowed in he looked around at the 26 other people in the room. "This place is a bit packed..." He mumbled, but the loud music drowned him out. Gareth was currently greeting the other members of his schools team as well as introducing Nick to those he hasn't yet met. After a couple of minutes someone turned the music down and began to talk.
He had a gold ring on and judging from the way he talked he sounded like the current leader of the fight club. He was currently standing inside of the boxing ring that took up a lot of the room. "Welcome, everyone! We have a couple of exciting fights today before we get into school vs. school matchmaking." Everyone began to cheer but the cheer died out as quickly as it happened.
"The first thing on the agenda is the debut match of the club's newest member!" The man continued as he pointed at Nick. "Come on and step into the ring." Nick sighed and got into the ring, walking towards the center where the man continued to talk. "Now, we need our challenger! Who wants to fight the new kid?"
"I'll fight him." A deep voice said from behind Nick. Outside of the ring it was easy to see who was talking. He was one of the largest people in the room and had a shaved head, he didn't look like a high-schooler. A quick look revealed he had a silver ring on.
"I don't know, Declan. I don't think that is a fair match. It would be better for him to fight a freshman or a sophomore. It isn't a good idea to pair up a Sophomore with a Senior. Especially you."
"Oh, come on, I'll go easy on the kid."
The announcer sighed and turned to Nick. "It's your call. Just know that if you choose him as your first match there is no shame in losing."
Nick shrugged. "I'll fight him. I don't see why not."
The announcer gave Nick a surprised look before going back to talking. "Alright folks, looks like it's a fight! Place your bets!"
Guess where there is fighting there will always be betting. I'm pretty confident in my fighting ability but I don't know how I stack up against actual trained fighters. As he watched Declan climb into the ring he felt something hit his back, when he turned around to see what it was he saw boxing gloves on the floor of the ring. He quickly put them on and Declan did the same with the pair that was thrown to him. The announcer stepped off to the side and began to count down.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Fight!"
After he signaled the start of the fight Nick and Declan quickly got into fighting stances as the music got turned up. The music worked to pump him up and get his adrenaline pumping. He almost brought out his demonic energy out of reflex, luckily he was able to suppress it before his eyes turned red. Declan quickly advance towards Nick, throwing a fast jab for his face. Nick avoided it with ease.
Huh... His movements feel sluggish, they almost look like they are purposefully thrown slowly. Maybe it is because I'm used to sparring with a one-fourth demon? If I used my demonic energy I could probably end this fight in a couple of punches. My normal strength should work fine.
Nick threw a fast hook and easily got around Declan's guard, the crowd around them erupted in cheers. Declan staggered to the side before regaining his composure. This time he threw a hook at Nick, due to the height difference he was easily able to duck under the hook and throw a hard left jab directly into Declan's face. Declan staggered backwards, grunting in annoyance. The crowd was cheering even louder, some spectators were even laughing.
This time it was Nick who advanced on Declan. He threw a feint jab for Declan's face, making him close his arms in front of his eyes. As Declan did that Nick threw a hard uppercut into his gut which made him grunt in pain. As Declan lowered his arms reflexively Nick threw a hard right hook into his face. Declan was able to react but he was not able to block the punch, only lessen the blow.
"You're tougher than you look." Declan said between deep breaths.
You're weaker than you look. "Yeah, you too."
Declan let out a half chuckle before throwing a series of jabs towards Nick's face, the first one caught him off guard and hit him hard in the nose. He was easily able to avoid the rest of the jabs. As Declan backed up to get out of retaliation range Nick could feel a trickle of blood roll out of his nose. Guess I should return the favor. Nick quickly closed the distance between them.
He threw a feint right hook, as Declan was defending against the right hook Nick sent a full power jab towards his face. By the time Declan notice it was a feint it was already too late, Nick's fist made solid contact. Declan let out a growling sound, stumbling backwards and falling down on his ass. The crowd was cheering even louder now, Declan got up and was visibly enraged. His nose was also bleeding now.
Declan ran at Nick and threw a haymaker, Nick swerved out of the way and threw one of his own. Another solid hit, this time Declan fell to the floor unconscious. As the crowd continued to cheer Nick's entire team got in the ring and crowded around him, Gareth lifted up Nick's right arm as the announcer declared his victory by knockout. Declan was only knocked out for a few seconds and quickly recovered.
"I can't believe you knocked out their second in command! I underestimated you!" Gareth said to Nick, though it was hard to hear over the loud music.
"I underestimated myself as well, I guess. Is there any paper towel in here?"
"Yeah, in the bathroom."
Nick nodded, climbing out of the ring. A couple of people patted Nick on the back and congratulated him on his win as he made his way to the bathroom. He grabbed a piece of paper towel and began to wipe up the blood that had come out of his nose. As he did that Declan entered to do the same.
"Sorry about that, I kind of lost my head for a second back there. It would say it was a good fight but it has been a while since I've gotten my ass kicked like that." Declan said, chuckling as he cleaned up the blood under his nose.
"You got a pretty good hit in on me, I would say you held your own. You might of won had you not given me the opening I needed to end it." Nick finished wiping his nose and threw his paper towel in the trash.
"Yeah, I can be a bit impulsive at times. I hope you will give me a rematch sometime." Declan threw his paper towel away as well, holding his hand out for Nick to shake.
"Sure thing, next time I'll try to make the fight look a bit more equal." Nick replied as he shook Declan's hand.
Declan laughed in response. "Cocky son of a bitch."
For the rest of the meeting Nick decided to just watch, though a couple of people did want to fight him. He ate some of the food that was laid out and drank some water as several hours passed, twenty or so fights happening in that time. Once the last fight concluded the announcer, and assumed club leader, began to speak again. "Alright, that concludes the club activities for today. See you all next time!"
Everybody began to flood out of the building, Nick getting into Gareth's car. "I have to say, winning your first fight is impressive. The fact it was a senior and their team's second in command makes it even more impressive." Gareth said as he got in his car and started it.
"I might not have won if it wasn't for him losing his cool for a second." Even though Nick said that he knew he was in no danger of losing that fight. He only got hit once because he let down his guard momentarily.
"Yeah, It must have been a bit of a blow to his pride for him to be losing so badly to a sophomore newbie."
"He got a pretty good hit on me too."
"Yeah. Speaking of which, your nose isn't even red anymore."
"Ah, yeah, I heal fast." In reality he started using healing magic on it after his fight so his parents wouldn't notice.
"Really fast."
Nick shrugged and the rest of his ride home was filled with idle small talk, they mostly just talked about Nick's first impression of the club and some more about his first win. Once Nick was back home he played some video games before drifting off to sleep to continue his hunt. He intended to end it tonight, no matter what.