Electricity snaked around a coin on Finnick's thumb. "Electric Flick!" the swirling electricity tightened, hastened, and angered before he flicked the coin at Paley. A bang and a loud metallic clang followed. The duel had begun. Finnick had essentially discarded his life as he had started the fight without setting any rules. Paley dodged the coin despite it moving too fast for the eye to see.
"Dillie. Choose a type for me," Paley asked.
"Why? Watch out!" Dillie warned him as Finnick prepared another coin flick. Paley used Protection Magic to lighten the blow this time, taking it straight to his shoulder. He still felt a good impact reverberate through his whole left side.
"Dillie, a type please."
"Any!"
"A specific one."
"Why!?" Dillie panicked as the next shot came, "Okay fine, Strength! Strength!"
Paley took another shot head on. Finnick took a few steps back and re-evaluated the situation. His heart pounded and his mouth was dry. 'Electric Flick can pass through marble... Twice now he took it... How strong is his Protection Magic?' His eyes met Paley's and from his enemy's expression he had to make sure that he hadn't said those words out loud.
Paley's leg emitted an intense red light which caught Jorlan's (the eldest son) attention. "Finnick, dodge this one." He commanded. Paley jumped and spun quickly forward before unleashing a kick downward at Finnick which appeared to have slowed down, giving Finnick time to stumble backward out of the way. Paley's kick smashed through the table and shattered the floor, splintering the floor boards and leaving some holes to the floor below.
Finnick couldn't move. 'If that hit me...' He wondered.
"Finnick! Stand back up my boy!" Finnick's parents cheered.
"I know we haven't set any rules, but I want to offer you mercy for my Mom's sake. You can surrender if you want." Paley's words stressed the Garufards. Dillie watched the fight with her parents, they had contrasting reactions of satisfaction and shock at Paley's strength.
"As if I'd surrender to a peasant slave." Finnick spat with an ugly expression on his face.
"Peasant slave? Seriously, what makes you people think you're so superior?" Paley asked.
Finnick cried out and aimed his palms at Paley. He threw four lightning bolts at Paley, the last of which he lost control of and it strayed nearly hitting his little sister Miranda if Jorlan didn't block it with his sword. To Paley's surprise, two of the bolts hit him. He was impressed that Finnick could even use the spell Lightning Bolt but this quickly faded when he saw Finnick whimpering from the pain of throwing an incomplete Lightning Bolt spell; the electricity had exploded in his hand. Even if Paley wasn't a Quimnia, the two were be incomparable. The Garufards could discern this; in contrast to Finnick, there was no hesitation and a seemingly infinite tolerance for pain in Paley.
Finnick recomposed himself in time to dodge Paley's jab: red essence flew by his right cheek. They continued to try at each other, Finnick using an incomplete Lightning coating to his fists and Paley using Strength magic. Their exchange was curt. Paley landed a hit first, sending Finnick flying into a wall along with a couple of his teeth.
Grinding his remaining teeth, Finnick threw up five coins in the air and whipped them forward with his lightning charged fingers. They all flew in an arc formation toward Paley's head. He ducked, falling into Finnick's trap, where, with his other hand, he snapped another coin at full power right into Paley's stomach, blasting him through the wall and into the neighbouring room. A confused family screamed as Finnick stepped onto the hole in their wall and rushed his floored enemy with multiple lightning bolts, roaring like a desperate beast.
He drew deep breaths; his mana was running low. His eyes were fixed on the cloud of dust and debris he had created with his relentless attack, waiting to see the Paley's corpse.
A hand on his shoulder. "You're paying for the damages."
Finnick cried out, exasperated, "Repel!" a current of electricity snapped under Paley's hand, building in an instant and exploding, violently flinging Paley's entire arm backward.
Jorlan had approached his father and began whispering in his ear, "How many official witnesses are there to this duel?"
"None."
"Then, I recommend we prepare a bribe for that family."
Dillie overheard Jorlan's words and watched him carefully, but he didn't make any suspicious moves.
Paley punched Finnick, who met it squarely with his forehead and used Repel again, blasting Paley's fist away.
"How much mana do you have left?" Paley asked in an irritatingly calm tone, "How much more of that spell can you cast?" He unleashed a flurry of strength boosted punches. Finnick used Repel every time, but he exhausted his mana by the fifth punch.
"I'll give you credit. Who knew that a pathetic noble like you would take my punches head on?" Paley did little to hide his disdain for Finnick's kind, "I wonder how many people you've taken advantage of. I wonder how many people have suffered because of you." He gritted his teeth. He was angry. Outwardly angry. "Your father only wants Dillie because of her blood. Why do you want her? I wonder why..." Paley picked Finnick up by the collar and glared at him. "You have no idea what I want to do to you. All of you. Just thinking about the kind of life Dillie would have if she married you."
Dillie and her parents watched in discomfort but mostly worry. The expression on Paley's face was nothing short of terrifying. Where did this uncharacteristic fury come from?
Paley released Finnick. "Garufards," He said with a tone of disgust, "You better be grateful to my Mom. Finnick, I'll give you another chance to surrender."
"Paley, watch out!" Dillie screamed. Paley barely managed to heed the warning and dodge Jorland's sword, which left behind a sharp gust of wind.
"Air bullets!" Liora, the eldest, made a gun with her fingers and shot five bullets quickly at Paley. He put up a Protection Barrier but her attack still propelled him back a few paces.
"Well, since you're cheating, then it's fair for me to get rid of my handicap." Paley's words irritated his enemies; they knew he was not bluffing. He placed his palms on the floor and summoned two Earth Golems by his side, surprising the Garufards. Both of them held Jorlan off as Paley used an Earth Chain to grab Liora, who used Blast in response, a wave of air strong enough to violently knock an elephant over, to blow Paley away through another wall and out into the large patio and garden. Dillie's parents begged the Garufards to stop.
"Paley, just use all of them!" Dillie begged.
Perrin, the second son of the family and Finnick's older brother, a quiet person, walked to Finnick and gently fed him a small snack. Finnick's body began to emit heat as it healed.
Jorlan had been struggling with the golems. Although, a fifteen-year-old made them, they were large, strong, and even worked together as though they were intelligent. One would attack, he would block with his sword, then the other would take the opening and aim for his vitals.
"Programming..." Jorlan recalled a friend from his Academy who also used Earth Magic, "Even Gold Earth Mages struggle with it. Who the hell is that boy?" Jorlan retreated a few steps. He quickly formulated a plan and rushed back in. 'One attacks to freeze my tempo, then the other attacks, which means I need to-' He stepped in, waiting for one of them to punch him. Once it did, instead of blocking or dodging, he simply poured his strength into attacking the other one. It was a good trade, he could take one of them down in exchange for a head-on blow from the other.
"I told you who I am." The golem he aimed for spoke with Paley's voice. It dodged and now both their large earthy fists were hurtling toward his head from both directions. He likely would've been left a vegetable if Liora didn't use Blast to knock them away, giving him a window to cut them down.
Jorlan was now furious. He'd been outwitted and overwhelmed by a child. He stepped up to the hole in the wall, looking down at Paley who sat nonchalantly. "Two step programming..." He gritted his teeth, "You are a criminal who dared to harm the nobility. As a future knight studying at the Hoshall Academy, I cannot allow you to live." Jorlan relished in his vision of climbing the ranks after detaining Paley as a criminal. He would likely be promoted to Gold III after Paley's strength was assessed. The lodging staff had arrived now and they were begging Jorlan to either end the fight or take it somewhere else. Jorlan ignored them and jumped down, pinning Paley down. "What happened? Lose your fight?"
"Paley, you're stronger than this! What are you doing!?" Hiruyo yelled.
"Dillie." Paley looked at her instead of the man whose foot was on his chest, pressing all of his weight down yet still failing to stifle Paley's breath. "Are you really okay with being just a painter? Why did you give up on your dream?"
Dillie hesitated, her lips suppressed the answer lingering at the back of her mind. Everything quieted down for the two when she said, "I'm scared. You're... Me and Negie we're normal. We're not like you, Paley. You've saved me so many times and I don't think I can ever return that. I'm too weak. If I'm already struggling here at the beginning of your journey... I know you can become an Emperor Mage someday. I know when the demons come you'll beat them. But If I'm there with you when you fight... I'll only get in the way."
"Tomoe Li. That's the name of your ancestor."
The noise came back. Jorland's coarse laugh. Finnick begging "Kill him already, brother!". Lady Isolde telling her husband that they didn't have to worry about anything. Tomoe Li, the strongest sword master of the past millenium, not only in Hijia but in the world. The air around Dillie intensified, responding to the beat of her heart.
Miranda, the youngest of the Garufards, used Whisper Magic, the ability to talk to creatures and make pacts with them. A small spider had climbed up to her shoulder and began to speak to her.
"What do you say, Dillie? Wanna dream again? Wanna be one of my wings?" Paley asked as Jorlan raised his sword to carry out an execution. Dillie nodded. "Then save me." He smiled. A smile that was rare; a smile so warn that she felt she could do anything.
"Mr. Li, Mrs. Li, this was very unfortunate." Liora aimed two Air Bullets at the back of Hiruyo and Shun's heads.
"Can we at least keep Dillie?" Finnick requested sheepishly.
"No witnesses," Liora replied and shot. But, faster than she could see, Dillie grabbed her parents and forced them to duck. Then, like the wind, she spun and kicked Liora in the stomach, sending her hurtling away. Jorlan swung his sword down but was staggered by an impact on his lower back so strong that his stomach jerked forward before the rest of his body.
Paley reached up with his hand and Dillie helped him to his feet.
"Metal Magic, Swordsmith," Paley waved his hand and created a sword made entirely out of metal for Dillie.
"This is really uncomfortable to hold," She complained.
"I'll learn how to make a soft handle for you next time," Paley smiled again and she couldn't help but peck him on the cheek.
"Stop holding back now," She advised and faced Jorlan.