*Boom*
Orange Monk sprang into action right after the match commenced. He didn't look anything like a man injured, and his simple smile had long been wiped away. In its place was a large grin filled with bloodlust and an intent to battle. His eyes were hazy like those of one intoxicated with wine and his movements unpredictable. Like a ferocious whirlwind, he arrived before the Blue King with speed that far surpassed the speed he displayed when he fought against Musclehead and thrust powerfully with his sword.
Unlike Orange Monk, Blue King's large sword was still in its place. Like a baby nestling in its mother's bosom, the large sword was cradled in the equally large sheath that held it on Blue King's back. He didn't pull out the blade or explode with power like Orange Monk, but his eyes were filled with a bit of surprise witnessing the ferociousness behind Orange Monk's strike.
'He held back'
Blue King noticed this immediately. Just like Mane had said, Orange Monk indeed held back against Musclehead. But not even Mane could have foreseen that the man actually was much stronger than what he displayed. However, although Blue King was surprised by Orange Monk's true abilities, it wasn't outside his scope of management. Taking a small step to the right, he evaded the path of Orange Monk's sword and bent slightly. He quickly gathered strength into his arms and delivered a quick jab towards Orange Monk's midsection that was now wide open after his missed attack.
*Kang*
Unlike the sound of flesh hitting flesh, it was the sound of metal hitting metal that caught the ear of everyone in the stadium. Orange Monk who had been struck was sent flying several feet away. The Thrasher curled himself into a ball and performed many air flips before landing gracefully with his sword at his side. His eyes were still hazy, and his expression that of a beast in heat. Panting heavily he charged at Blue King once again.
"How did he do that Maggie? I was positive that he had been hit!" Peter the Commentator exclaimed and said what everyone was thinking about.
"Well he wasn't. Right when Blue King's fist was about to land on his already injured chest, Orange Monk retracted his sword and used it to deflect the attack. So he didn't even receive any damage. That was a brilliant move by the Orange Team's powerful warrior."
Her words enlightened many in the audience, as most struggled to compare the current Orange Monk with the one who had just had a close match with Musclehead. And in doing so they realised one thing:
The serious Orange Monk was a huge threat!
For some reason the man didn't go all out against Musclehead, but he was forced to do so against one much stronger than him, and was certainly leaving an impression. They found themselves wondering why he wasn't this ferocious when he fought Musclehead. However, there were some more experienced fighters like the City Lord who was seated above everyone else, who understood why Orange Monk didn't do it. Orange Monk's expression showed that he wasn't in full control of himself. It was almost as if he had let his instincts take over and withdrawn his actual soul within himself.
It forced these warriors to think of a legend they knew, but had never confirmed. Orange Monk's behavior was very similar to that legend.
'Is it really 'that'?' Asher City Lord thought silently to himself as he stroked his cheek in contemplation.
"What is happening to Orange Monk?" the beautiful Orange Team member was a bit startled by Orange Monk's state as of now. And she turned to her all-knowing captain for answers.
"Soul-bound," Vital Orange answered simply.
"Soul-bound?" the seductive woman tilted her head cutely as she mentioned the term that was knew to her.
"Yes, Soul-bound," Vital Orange sighed and began to explain.
"It is said in the legends that if one could understood the soul, they would be able to rule over themselves. These very legends theorized that no matter how powerful we get, our souls are inherently shackled and hence we cannot display the full abilities of our levels. In effect, we only get to reveal about 70- 80% of the power available to us. Some geniuses are able to unleash 85% but we never reveal our true potential. It is believed that the last 10% is miles beyond the prior 90%, and only by unlocking this percentage would we truly be powerful. These legends state that the epitome of martial arts is to have full control of body and soul, and to rule over oneself. But everyone who has tried to understand the soul has failed, with most losing their minds. There were no exceptions. Whether it was a Soldier or a Predator with an uncommon title, each person who took this path and failed lost his/her mind. So gradually people rubbished this and said it wasn't true. That this was the clever scheme of some maniac to have his enemies kill themselves by trying to do what is impossible."
The seductive lady shuddered in fear hearing that people lost their minds pursuing this path. And hearing that even Predators with uncommon titles had failed and lost their minds as well terrified her.
"So you are saying that…"
"Yes. Orange Monk is someone who managed to achieve this state. He is the only Soul-bound warrior in the world right now." Vital Orange sighed slowly. Orange Monk tried breaking into the Predator level several times but failed. And this affected him greatly, so much so that he began to seek other alternatives. He searched for means that would allow him to confront a strong Predator without having the physical abilities of one. And he had succeeded. But the price…
'Is it really worth it? To fall unconscious and face excruciating pain for weeks?'
That was the price of using Soul-bound. It gave one great power by unlocking their chains and allowing one to go beyond one's limit. But the price was equally steep. Because the soul was the essence of any man or woman, binding it forcefully was dangerous. One could still easily lose one's mind, and one's lifespan would steadily reduce as their health reclined due to the power that was not meant to be used. Plus the body wouldn't be able to handle power that was beyond its limits, and would eventually breakdown. That was the price of depending on one's soul, and the reason why Orange Monk didn't resort to such an option easily.
'That looks dangerous. And that woman called Maggie. She must be a skilled warrior to have seen that quick block. Who is unordinary in Asher City?'
Mane also realised that Orange Monk's condition was unusual. He could even feel a faint aura of death surrounding Orange Monk as the man fought. This was what his senses as a Scholar told him. This meant that the Record Stone recorded more than images. It could actually record the aura and presence of another, making it a very resourceful tool. He was also impressed by Maggie's analysis. It seemed that Peter always turned to her for explanations because she was very experienced. He couldn't help but wonder how strong she was.
"That skill is dangerous. He could die." Hildegarde was more astute than Mane, and was able to see the danger behind the skill as well. She was also perplexed as to how such a skill found its way onto a world that had no understanding of Edict.
*Bang*
'This is getting tedious,' Blue King thought to himself as he deflected another one of Orange Monk's punches. As the match wore on, he found less and less openings to profit from. And now there were none. He also noticed Orange Monk's condition, and made the right decision.
'This must end quickly,' he decided as he unsheathed his large blade whilst constantly avoiding Orange Monk's attacks that had gotten faster and more fluid.
*Bang*
Once the sword was unsheathed, it struck the ground powerfully, announcing its presence.
"Good sword!" Mane exclaimed as his eyes burned with greed, scaring Lam who was right beside him.
The energy that Blue King was releasing changed drastically once he got hold of his blade. If before he was a docile Tiger, right now he was an angry Lion. His energy spiked as his strength increased several fold by holding the weapon he was familiar with. He wasn't a Fist Master. He was a Sword User! And by wielding his sword everyone could feel that.
*Boom*
Blue King dashed forward with amazing speed that seemed to ignore the weight of the large sword in his hand. His charge was like that of a war chariot, unbroken and unbound. In a flash he was in front of Orange Monk, and with even faster speed his sword was viciously thrust out.
The hazy eyes of Orange Monk remained unmoved even under the threat of death. Shifting his body beyond the speed of a Thrasher, he narrowly avoided the fatal blow and span gracefully in the air. His sword descended upon Blue King with equal ferocity and killing intent.
*Boom*
Orange Monk's sword struck the ground powerfully, as Blue King retreated with a slightly dumbfounded expression. It was now that he realised that if he treated Orange Monk like a Thrasher, he would die!
"Blue King is injured!" Peter shouted in a voice filled with surprise.
The formerly cheering crowd were silenced by the announcement as no one expected this. And indeed, the Blue King was injured. His left hand lay by his side limply as blood flowed freely from his shoulder.
Orange Monk's body crouched into an unusual stance. His robe was in tatters, and his skin was exposed to all. His skin was cracked all over, like a parched land without a drop of water, and blood slowly dripped down the cracks. His appearance shook the hearts of all watching, and they were scared for his health. However the man in question, Orange Monk was unbothered. Enduring the pain he licked his lips, his eyes still clouded with bloodlust, and charged at Blue King once again. But this time things were different.
"It's over," Vital Orange sighed upon seeing Blue King's serene expression. He knew it quite well. The Blue King was a man who had difficulty expressing his emotions. So whenever he was angry, it didn't show. But his aura always took a drastic change whenever he was mad. A change that Vital Orange and every other powerful warrior could feel.
Orange Monk's figure flashed as he appeared in front of Blue King who looked distracted. Taking a low stance, Orange Monk swung his sword with power that split the air itself. The sword traveled a long way, and right when it was about to strike Blue King neck, the dormant Tiger Cub moved.
Power. Precision. Accuracy.
All three were present as Blue King narrowly avoided the blow and delivered one of his own.
*Puchi*
"That's enough!" Steel Fist exclaimed as she appeared mysteriously between the two men. She gently struck Blue King away with her palm.
*Bang*
The gentle palm sent Blue King flying back a few meters until the warrior used his sword to stop himself. Although Steel Fist struck him, the power behind the palm was so well controlled that he didn't receive any injuries!
"Healers!" Steel Fist shouted, and the healers run onto the field with a wooden board. Orange Monk lay on the ground, his expression back to normal. Gazing at the sword wound on his chest, he smiled wryly and said,
"In the end I still lost."
As the healers carried him off the field, the voice of Blue King reached his eyes.
"You were a menace until the very end"
Orange Monk smiled and lost his consciousness, as Steel Fist announced that Blue King won, much to the pleasure of the crowd