Valentina and I are on our way to the sparring ring. Walking side by side like this with the resident battle master has of course, raised a few eyebrows. If it were a scene in my old world I suppose it would look like an excited older sister with her younger, more introverted brother.
[Valentina] "so, any clue as to what I can expect from you?"
[Kai] "nope."
[Valentina] "awww~ come on~ that's not fair!"
[Kai] "not fair my ass. Against you I need every advantage I can get!"
[Valentina] "heheh, y'know flattery won't get you anywhere~"
I couldn't help but look at her with mild disdain and admitted curiosity at the strange person I was walking with.
[Valentina] "ah, here we are!"
[Kai] "hm?"
We were standing in front of a large, empty field of grass, wooden fences surrounding it, creating the boundaries. It would also appear that news of our little sparring match spread throughout the castle as the audience we had accrued was quite large.
"Lady Lucile is outside!"
"She left the castle?!"
"She came to watch the spar!"
Ah. They're not here for us but rather Lucile. So she really decided to show up.
[Valentina] "outta the way!"
At the sound of Valentina's booming voice, the sea of vampires split in two while visible shivers crept up their spines.
[Kai] "neat trick."
"Kai!"
From the crowd appeared a short, silver haired, golden eyed girl with a wide smile on her face as she ran towards us.
[Kai] "Lucile. You came."
[Lucile] "of course! I told you I would cheer you on!"
[Valentina] "oh? What's this~, does our lords daughter have a little crush on the new guy~?"
[Lucile] "e-eh?! N-n-no! I-I mean..."
Huh?
[Valentina] "haha! I'm only teasing. Enjoy the show miss Lucile!"
[Lucile] "e-eh? Uh, y-yes!"
Valentina and I began making our way to the arena.
[Lucile] "Kai!"
[Kai] "hm? Yes?"
[Lucile] "g-good luck.."
I have her a warm smile as I looked back at her.
[Kai] "thanks."
With that, I turned back to face Valentina and entered the arena.
Once Valentina and I were standing on opposing sides of the arena and the cheers and conversations continued, she pulled out a small vial of red liquid and threw it to me. I caught it with my right hand just before it smashed on my face.
[Kai] "this is...!"
[Valentina] "the same potion I got to try out at the banquet. I'll be using it too so don't worry and drink up!"
[Kai] "heh, I figured this would be a fight using only our own skills."
[Valentina] "don't blame me! It was Verren's idea!"
Ah, now I get it. He made me his left hand and now, using one of the new potions I made, his left hand will be beaten horrifically, leading the others to believe the potions are incredibly potent.
Valentina took the shot of blood and dropped the vial before looking at me place the still full vial in my coat.
[Valentina] "are you that confident?"
[Kai] "not at all! I just don't feel like growing scales!"
[Valentina] "Haha!"
As she threw her head back in laughter, the same scales from the banquet appeared on her skin once more, resulting in the familiar oohs and aahs.
[Valentina] "tell you what! If you last for the time this stuff is active then you win! I'll even listen to one thing you say!"
[Kai] "sounds good! But what if I lose?"
[Valentina] "then you do something I say."
[Kai] "heh, sounds fair."
We both knew now that the time for talking was over. She charged at me with unbelievable speed, causing me to be caught off guard for a moment but my mental fortitude allowed me to regain focus almost instantaneously.
[Kai] "
I felt myself become stronger in an instant and raised my arms to block the powerful woman's attack. When her fist connected with my arms I heard a strange noise and felt a cracking sound from my arms whilst being sent flying back and hitting the fence behind me.
[Valentina] "heh, impressive! You managed to take a hit!"
[Kai] "nothing impressive about it! You broke both my arms!"
It's true. If the pain wasn't a telling point then the fact that they hung limp at my side would most definitely resemble those of broken arms.
[Valentina] "oh? So you wanna call it quits already? I wonder what I should make you do?"
[Kai] "don't worry about it, I'm not quitting just yet!"
[Valentina] "hm?"
[Kai] "
I imagined the bones, muscle, skin and even the cells restructuring and fixing themselves and so they did just that, though slightly painful the feeling vanished shortly thereafter.
[Valentina] "oh~, interesting."
[Kai] "ready for round two?"
Valentina rushed towards me once more. So much so that my eyes could barely keep up and I highly doubt my body could ever hope to.
[Kai] "
The spells took effect just in time as her fist sailed past my face when I dodged, though her fist still managed to nick my cheek and draw blood, it was preferable to the alternative. As I was thinking that, I felt the force of Valentina's foot dig into my side, sending me once again sprawling along the ground and into the Center of the arena. I was barely able to stand before I once again used the regeneration spell.
[Valentina] "I've never heard runes like that before! Where were you taught!?"
Huh? Runes? Is...is it possible that when I use my spells that the words aren't translated? Interesting. I'm not entirely sure what she means about runes either. Could it be that all magic requires a runic language but because the effects of translate are still active that I understand them? Food for thought later I suppose, I better answer her.
[Kai] "I'm self taught."
[Valentina] "impressive. Alright, I've decided!"
[Kai] "hm?"
[Valentina] "what I'll have you do when I win."
[Kai] "yeah? And what would that be?"
[Valentina] "you'll find out when you lose~"
[Kai] "heh, sorry but I guess that means I won't find out."
[Valentina] "hm?"
[Kai] "
[Valentina] "wha-oooooh..."
Vertigo. If it worked properly, and it seems like it did, she should be pretty badly off balance and feel like the world is spinning. A not so good feeling that's made a few people from my past throw up. While Valentina was staggering around on the spot I returned the favour and charged towards her.
[Kai] "
I thrust my hand into her stomach sending a powerful ripple of air pressure into her body.
[Valentina] "Guak!"
Her body lifted off the ground and barrelled through the air in the direction of the wooden boundary.
[Vampires] "Wooaaahhh!"
The sounds of the crowds awes resounded in my ears which made me feel quite accomplished.
[Kai] "ah!"
The feeling of something snapping in my head and a short, sharp pain that followed telling me that the Vertigo spell had been broken.
[Valentina] "What... did you... just do... to me?"
[Kai] "heh... I just made you dizzy.... is all..."
"Whoa! Are they equally matched!?"
[Valentina] "I heard that haha..."
[Kai] "ha... honestly I don't... have that much left in me... either.."
[Valentina] "then I'll... end it now."
Valentina slowly began stumbling towards me, then the stumbling became walking, then jogging, running and finally a full sprint. In response to this, I placed my hand out in front me.
[Kai] "
The pain In my head increased but the translucent barrier did appear. Valentina kept charging though.
[Valentina] "
What?! A purple runic circle appeared on the back of her hand as her fist became cloaked in a heavy, dark purple light, that emanated the feeling of death that I hadn't even felt when I died. Her fist collided with my barrier creating a shock wave of violent energy that made the crowd jump back or duck down for the fear of being killed by it themselves. For the first few minutes there was a stalemate but that didn't last long as cracks began forming on the barrier, then as it began falling apart, her fist made it through and landed in my stomach.
[Kai] "Kuahg!"
Dark purple smoke rose from the area her punch landed as I was sent flying back to the edge of the arena. Lying on my stomach, I could barely move.
"I guess that's what happens when Valentina stops holding back a little."
"Yeah, it was a good fight but her real strength would have made it seem like a raging dragon facing a small animal."
"Haha, then what does that make us?"
"I don't know, an ant?"
""Haha!""
So she was holding back? Ha! What the hell's with all these crazy strong people around here? It's ridiculous.
"Kai!"
Eh, that voice sounds familiar...
[Sara] "what's going on here?!"
Sara? What the hell is she doing here?
[Arthur] "why don't you just give up now. You're not strong and you never will be. Even with power from a god you're just the same asshole from our world."
[Sara] "why don't you just die now? No one really cares anyway."
Ah... so it's that huh... this is my light at the end of the tunnel? The two people I hate the most berating me as I die?
"Kai! Wake up!"
Eh? Another voice? It's... Lucile's?"
[Lucile] "Kai! Get up! I know you can do this!"
Heh, what the hell does she know. Although... I don't know why but, hearing her say something I've never heard anyone say to me... it makes me feel like I might actually be able to stand again.
[Valentina] "alright then, come and take him to- w-what?!"
[Kai] "gkh"
[Valentina] "wha- how are you able to stand after that?"
I made it. My entire body feels numb but I stood back up.
[Kai] "
Mana flows all around us. In the air, in the rocks, the streams, the grass. I'll gather as much as I can. And send it back towards her.
I grit my teeth as it gets harder to stand and the mana begins to become visible in my palm.
""Mana!""
[Valentina] "that's-! Heh, looks like you're even more interesting than I thought!"
More, more, more!
[Kai] "
The ball of mana stopped collecting more as the grass around me died and the wood withered. It grew smaller as I enclosed it in my fist while the pain in my head increased tenfold.
[Valentina] "w-wait up... this- this is getting kinda ridiculous."
[Kai] "if you're a dragon... then I'll be a tiger. At least for this moment."
I finished condensing the mana right as Valentina charged me. Hard, red, scale-like objects smashing into my body right before her fist landed on the same spot as before, making me cough up blood and fall to the ground, fist still tightly shut but the rest of me completely limp as I fell to the floor losing consciousness.