The battle was set, and neither wanted to back down. This would be the first time I had seen a Venomancer fight, and I was insanely curious. Kathy and I followed behind Francis and Geoffery as they stormed toward the arena. The citizens could feel the mana fluctuations in the capital as they moved, and soon, with the crowd parting and many joining, we arrived at the arena.
The crowds filtered into the arena, and soon it was packed with Kathy joining me with front row seats to the action. Two Beholders were fighting in the arena when we arrived, and after a couple of seconds, one of them was distracted by the large crowd forming and was killed for it. The other sent a spike of ice into the others, piercing him through the side of their eye, killing him. It was the reason you should never let yourself get distracted in a fight, and the crowd cheered as the Venomancer Geoffery jumped into the area, followed by the Devil Francis.
Mana fluctuated, and their wills clashed as both felt the other needed to go. The Beholder in the arena realized why the arena was now full and stopped celebrating to run out of the arena through the door of honor. A succubus and a vampire quickly came from one of the arena gates and collected the body before running out.
The stage was set seconds after they left the arena, and Geoffery and Francis stared each other down. The crowd started to go quiet as the two stared each other down, the clash of wills heightening as neither would back down from the needless agreement. At this point, now it was past the point of return, and everyone knew the first to back down would be looked down on.
They were both still up until the moment they weren't anymore as Francis leaped forward. Geoffery jumped back, and a purple goo suddenly launched toward Francis. Instead of taking on the goo, Francis moved a little and spun his body before leaping again toward Geoffery. Geoffery shouted a green goo at him this time, but the bubbling in the goo made it seem acidic. Francis had closed to close at this point as the distance between them became less than a meter.
"Take it, Snake!" Francis roared, followed quickly by a grunt as the green goo hit his arm and his leg came out toward Geoffery. Geoffery took the foot to the face as Francis struck him. Geoffery was launched toward a wall of the arena, but it was like he didn't feel the pain as a green goo coated his body, followed by a purple goo launched at Francis as he put out his hand.
Faint smoke rose from Francis's arm as he dodged the counterattack from Geoffery. Blood slowly dripped from his arm, but it seemed that the goo dispersed in that smoke showing a wound the size of an egg with blood dripping from it. Francis didn't even seem to notice as the distance between the two of them closed.
Geoffery started to slide on the green goo several feet increasing in speed instead of slowing down, now increasing the distance. He stood while still sliding on the ground, getting off his back as his feet finally hit the dirt. Geoffery wasn't idle and sent yellow, green, and purple arrows toward Francis as he tried to close the distance.
Francis didn't stop and used a hand to backhand the arrows leaving several splash marks on his body as the substance splashed onto him. Some sizzled while others seemed to be sucked into his pours as Francis closed on Geoffery, who was back peddling now as he tossed more arrows.
They were just a meter from each other when Francis jumped toward him like a juggernaut, and Geoffery smiled and tossed an arrow right at his face. Geoffery seemed to have expected something from Francis because the smile on his face turned to a frown in seconds when Francis finished closing on him and got his hands on Geoffery.
Although Francis had his hands on him, it didn't mean that Geoffery wouldn't be idle for a single moment and unleash a storm of goos and arrows at Francis. The crowd was gasping, and I was surprised as I knew I couldn't take the damage that Francis was being dealt. But Francis was an Anti mage, and his body may as well have been a tank as he picked Geoffery up by his hips and arched his back with Geoffery coming with him bridging his body and sending Geoffery head first into the arena dirt.
Much to my surprise, as Francis recovered, he used a single hand to wipe the goo from his eyes, revealing a pale face. He wasn't done either; as he turned around, his fist was already coming toward the scally Venomancer. Geoffery was pulling his head from the dirt, and just as he did so, a fist greeted his face sending his bleeding face tumbling across the arena. Francis chased Geoffery, who tumbled across the arena, green blood dripping from his face, only to stand halfway through the tumbling by twisting his body.
Geoffery spat a loogie of blood as more arrows shot at Francis as the man closed the distance. Red arrows seemed to now join the other arrows, and I couldn't help but wonder what happened between the two to reach such hatred between both of them.
Francis smacked the arrows aside, except for the red ones choosing to dodge them instead. It was interesting as I could see the heated smile on Francis that seemed to be getting paler by the moment as they fought. Every foot toward Geoffery felt like an eternity as Francis closed the distance, and you could see the blood draining from Francis's face as he finally reached Geoffery, who was no longer moving as he sent arrow after arrow on shaky legs. Arrows splashed together, and I saw one of the yellow arrows that Francis dodged with the red arrows hit each other as he ran forward.
But the distance was closed, and Francis's grin was large as he grabbed Geoffery by the throat. "So close, Geoffery," Francis announced, "Three seconds to surrender, or I kill you!" His announcement to the arena made silence reign, and everyone waited in silence.
"Three," Francis said, his paling face worsening, and Geoffery smiled.
"Two," Francis said, his body wobbling to the side.
"One," Geoffery said as Francis collapsed, "Almost there," Geoffery continued as Francis fell to the ground and medics rushed to his aid, "Should have said two seconds." His face twisted in victory, "But you didn't notice that one of my blood arrows splashed on you." He turned to the medics, and I saw him reach into his ripped-up robes and pull out a vial. "Antidote," He said, tossing it to a succubus medic as she patched one of the numerous wounds that developed on his body.
I looked at Kathy, and she shrugged, "Neither of them could really kill the other without giving them a moment to surrender. That would spark some serious problems in the House of Representatives. Plus, Francis is a part of the Neutral group that the Venomancers need in much other legislation." Kathy told me, and I nodded as that made a lot of sense as Geoffery had a medic run to him and start bandaging him. Geoffery followed the medics through the Gate of Honor while Francis was taken out of the gate of dishonor for losing.
The crowd was cheering, though, as the fight had been short but filled with action, and no one knew who would win. I didn't think I could win against Geoffery if he hit me with one of those arrows. But Francis was built to take on all kinds of mana and could take the damage that those arrows must have caused his body. But it was a show of power how fast Geoffery took the man down with poisons and acids using mana.
I was pale thinking about that fight, and I knew Geoffery took advantage of an unwritten rule when I remembered what Geoffery said. Francis didn't see a red arrow splash onto him, which was his downfall. I frowned, looking toward the gate of dishonor, where Francis was taken out. I never walked through there personally as someone who could rift, but I lost twice. I never saw the arena's interior and wondered when Kathy pulled me up.
"The meeting is over today, and you should not meet with Geoffery or Francis. Francis will be fine after a few days, but he needs to recover. He is used to it as an Anti-mage. Come, we need to leave," Kathy said, leading me out, and I followed her.
Demon lands customs should be obeyed as an outsider, and I couldn't help picturing how I would fight Geoffery. Then I quickly realized that I would never fight it as Francis did, and I didn't know how Geoffery would fight a long-distance battle. One thing is for sure would be that I would never let him regain distance the way Francis did.
My new style would be in knife fight range using momentum and spells together with Rifts. It Medium range combat would be to make the other feel safe with the distance before I ruthlessly came into close range before I exited into a long-range battle. The more I thought about rifts and breaking the void, the more I realized how dangerous of a tool it could be on the battlefield.
I smiled more, reassured, but I also knew I had lost to Francis. I had to make the most versatile style of fighting, and I was still far from learning it as I remembered Florine's fighting style. I shuddered as I walked beside Kathy before I felt a mana fluctuation targeting her, and Kathy turned to look at something in the distance. I felt her mana move and return a message, "I need to go." Kathy said, "I hope to see you soon, but the news of the fight just reached other representatives; they are asking for details. I will see you soon. Please let us know when you are leaving as soon as possible so we can have the ceremony ready."
Kathy then turned and started to walk away as I watched her ass move. She swayed it naturally, enticing those around her to look. Sex demons looked good, I thought to myself before heading back. There was much work to be done before leaving this land.