FIGHT FOR THE LICENSE TO HUNT
"Earthquake Strike Punch"
Suddenly magic crackled around my gauntlet as magic was channeled into it. And immense force was built up in my gauntlet as I punched Boris, who, true to his words, stood there for me to hit freely.
A tremor erupted from around the spot of my punching, creating a force that was equivalent to an earthquake on Boris' chest.
"Arrrggggghhhh"
Boris immediately spouted blood from his mouth and thrown back a few dozen feet before falling to the floor as a direct result of my earthquake generating punch.
Although my magic was merely at Mercury Level 1, my Templar Power was equivalent to a mid-level Venus Tiered Knight and with the addition of the enhancements from the use of the most powerful Gauntlet from the Noten family, my punch quickly broke Boris' armor and bones.
The Noten House wasn't famed for the prowess of their templars, but they have the best gear that money could buy.
They could also produce powerful artifacts that money couldn't buy. The Earthquake gauntlet that I used against Boris was at least a few points better than the best gauntlets available in the market.
"Please stand up for your second punch", I told Boris.
Boris was surprised that a young boy could punch as hard as I did, and he was taken by complete surprise. While he laughed endlessly since I was matched as his opponent, he no longer had the mood to laugh.
"You are a tricky bastard", Boris shouted at me as he stood up to face me again.
"One done, two more free punches to go", I said to him.
However, it wasn't likely that Boris would keep to his word to offer me the remainder two free punches.
Boris was careful now and he just realized I wasn't a weak opponent. In fact, from the powerful Earthquake punch that struck him, I was one of the strongest opponents that he ever faced.
He quickly thought of strategies to fight against me and started to be defensive in his moves and posture. He was already badly wounded by the surprise first strike against him, so he couldn't be careless again.
But at the same time, I couldn't underestimate the experienced hunter. He was after all experienced in fighting deadly and powerful magical creatures. He must have means that would defeat me if I wasn't careful enough.
"Earthquake Strike Punch"
Boris charged toward me while activating the same magic gauntlet that I used against him.
"Don't you have anything else besides this gauntlet, mine is far better than yours", I told Boris about his magic gauntlet.
But Boris had no other conjuring weapon on him besides his gauntlet, so he must use it.
On the other hand, although my Earthquake gauntlet was better than his, the advantage was only slight. I couldn't face Boris with his gauntlet powered punch head on.
So, I evaded Boris' powerful punch shortly before it could hit me. While Boris was quite powerful, his speed was much weaker than me, so his punch couldn't hit me.
"Arrrrgggghhhhh"
As Boris' punch missed me, I slammed him from the back with a powerful punch of my own that threw him to the ground again.
"Good hit", Hugo said to me to encourage me.
"You won't defeat me so easily", Boris shouted at me as he slowly rose to fight with me again despite being wounded by two of my explosive earthquake shattering punches.
------
The witnesses to our duel were stunned and baffled by what was unfolding.
"Who would have guessed that the Noten family could produce a templar that would put the Strout family in such a position and what more their champion was just a kid", Governor Strong told his councilors.
"There is something wrong and sinister about this. How can a kid put Boris into a position like this?" Kedrix Strout asked out loud.
"Who is this boy you are fielding?" Governor Strong asked Amelia.
"Have you forgotten already, he's an apprentice of a Conjurer of Drachia", Amelia eplied to him.
"Conjurer's Court of Drachia?" the councilors asked among themselves in surprise and with appreciation.
"No wonder the boy can put Boris into this position so effortlessly, the Conjurers of Drachia have means far beyond us", an advisor to the governor told him.
"I'm more interested in why the Conjurer of Drachia has business in our small town", Governor Strong replied to him.
-----
Boris lunged at me again but there was something different with his attack this time, but I couldn't tell. So, I waited for him to reach close to me before avoiding him to counterattack.
Unfortunately for me, Boris already anticipated my tactics.
As he reached near me, suddenly a magical net appeared around me that caught me by surprise.
"Hunter's Embrace"
The magical net that was conjured by Boris covered my entire body and pulled me tightly together. There was no way I could escape the net unless I managed to break it.
"Arrrggggghhhh"
But before I could free myself from the net, Boris quickly hit me with a charged Earthquake punch that threw me to the floor, while entangled in his webs.
"No," Hugo screamed at me fearful for my situation while Boris' supporters breathed sighs of relief.
I was now trapped by Boris' magical net and was unable to move. The magic net was Boris' secret weapon against powerful magical creatures, and it became useful to him against me.
"I've dealt with far more powerful and difficult creatures of magic, do you think I am powerless against a kid like you?" Boris asked me and gloated thinking this match was already his.
My speed and dexterity advantage over Boris was neutralized by his magical net that trapped me. All Boris needed now was to finish me with his powerful punch.
"Damnit, I underestimated the seasoned hunter", I complained to myself.
"I'll kill you brat", Boris shouted at me as he charged up his Earthquake punch toward me again.
But as Boris was seconds before hitting me, he was suddenly raised to the air and his punch was countered because his strike hit the air which dissipated the force of his punch.