The fourth pupil unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, aiming at every one of my vital points such as my solar plexus, neck, heels, and the side of my hips. She was considerably stronger and smarter than the fifth pupil since the impacts of her blows were affecting me. It's probably because of the Stat reduction that allows her to deal more damage, but she would still be strong even without it.
Releasing a small grunt, the girl raised her right leg and shot it speedily at my neck. Reading her movements, I raised my left arm and blocked the attack. The kick stung my skin, but it wasn't bothersome. The moment the kick landed, I balled my right hand into a fist and threw a punch at the fourth pupil's stomach. Upon impact, she let out a sharp groan as my attack knocked her backward and tumbling on her ass. Not wanting to let her regain her balance, I rushed at the pupil who was still in range of my [Perception] and went in for a finishing punch.
My fist connected with the girl's jaw, her head snapping sideways. The fourth pupil laid eagle spread on the floor, unmoving as blood dripped from her nostrils. I silently rose and stood over the fallen girl, watching her.
If someone back at home saw me beating up a little girl, I would be the most wanted man in the world. To be honest, this does leave a sour taste in my mouth, but it is what it is. I'm kind of disappointed though. I haven't been able to see this power the girl was hiding. I guess there wasn't an opportunity to use it since I beat her in under five minutes. Where's the notification that I defeated the pseudo-boss? If I still have yet to see it, does that mean I didn't win the fight?
I glanced at the fallen girl just in time to see her slowly rising from the floor, wiping away the blood from her nose.
"…You are strong, challenger. No one has dealt that much damage to me other than the Demonic Dojo master…" The pupil spat a mouthful of blood. "I think it's about time I start getting serious. If I don't, I'm sure to lose, right?"
"…"
Taking my silence as a yes, the girl took in a deep breath, exhaled it all out, and assumed a new fighting stance. This time, her legs were spread far apart, her feet pointing toward me. She had one arm tucked inward and an arm facing a palm outward. Right as she finished her stance, that ominous power I'd been feeling burst outward. A pitch-black aura shrouded the girl's body like a burning flame.
This dark feeling… As if millions of spiders were scuttling on my skin…
"This is the power bestowed upon those who train in Demonic Arts." Her voice sounded distant, almost like she was possessed.
"Alright. Show me this Demonic Arts power then!" I proudly exclaimed. There's still no need for me to use my sword on the pupil unless she forces my hand. I'd rather fight them on even ground as using my sword would end things too quickly. I must efficiently train my body to grow stronger.
"Here I come," the girl announced, planting a foot forward. With every step she took, a trace of that dark aura would emit outwards, and fizzle into the air. I could feel myself sweating profusely due to the nature of this Demonic Art. If I had to describe this feeling, it would be similar to staring at the jaws of death itself. Though I might feel a little worried, I shouldn't recoil from this power.
Steeling my resolve, I went on to walk forward. A few moments later, the girl entered within the range of [Perception]. Wanting to take the initiative, I was the first to attack. I decided on a simple, yet fast kick that even she wouldn't react t-
Swoosh!
Swoosh? Why am I hitting ai- holy shit where did she go! Instead of hitting bone and skin, all I hit was empty air! I can't feel her within my range either, meaning she must be far awa-
I felt a sharp pain coming from my back. I twirled around quickly just to feel another sharp pain, this time on my cheek. Not knowing what was happening, I backed myself away from the area and settled near a wall.
I'm certain of it now. This girl is somehow bypassing [Perception] and landing blow after blow. The only thing I can think of why I'm not sensing her is because of this Demonic Art. I'm still unfamiliar with what it is exactly, so I'll just have to learn as I fight, just as I've been doing. Should I use my mana now that things have turned for the worst? No… That would be the same as admitting defeat, and I don't want to lose to someone I know who's weaker than me-
"What are you thinking so deeply about?" A cold voice whispered near my ear. Without thinking, I shoved my elbow at the voice's location. Instead of hitting nothing, I felt something solid; a person's arm.
This is when shit hit the fan. As an inexperienced fighter in terms of martial arts and whatnot, I was getting my ass handed on a silver platter by this girl who's obviously experienced in martial arts. My chest stung, my nose felt crushed, and my muscles screamed. Every one of my attacks was either blocked, evaded, or directed somewhere else. The fourth pupil would then counterattack with pinpoint accuracy and knowing when the best time was to unleash a devasting attack. Like a genius, she was taking advantage of my lack of fighting experience and was showing a dominating performance. That only frustrated me more.
I was on the verge of saying screw it and unleashing my mana as my annoyance grew, but I would hold myself back at the last second. I strongly felt that if I used mana right now, I would feel defeated, and I didn't want that. I want to avoid using mana as much as possible since I firmly believe experiencing hardships in fights is what accelerates growth.
The girl continued to pound me to a pulp until she decided to release a powerful attack from her fist, which was embedded with that dark energy. She threw the punch straight toward my chin, the impact knocking me off my feet. As I lost my footing, the girl took that chance to finally use the Demonic Arts'.
"…Demonic Arts First Skill," she whispered. I felt a rush of energy coming from within the first pupil. A second later, the girl let go of the power resting within her while shouting.
"Energy Wave!"
The power of the Demonic Arts was directed at me, and like a tsunami, engulfed me. Since I was still unbalanced, I was swallowed by the power and was sent flying in the opposite direction, crashing into the hard wall. I coughed out some blood as I slid off the wall and fell on top of the heavy ground, wheezing for air.
What a terrifying skill she used! With her fighting experience and that strong energy, I'm being pushed back! It doesn't help that my Stats are also reduced so my durability is lacking in this situation. Is this why the S.O. allowed us to forfeit during the First Stage? The S.O. firmly believed that many would fail once they reached the fifth floor. Or, if by some miracle, they reached the tenth floor, they would still lose? For them to have no expectations for us humans…
That only pisses me off more.
"Ah. This reminds me of that one time." I mumbled, staggering to pull myself up. Back in elementary school, there was this one kid who was being bullied for not having their parents attend the class concert. The bullying started after the event was over and no adults were around. The bully was a sixth grader and the older brother of one of our classmates. The one being bullied was on the verge of tears when they were verbally assaulted and no one came to help him, except me.
As the hotheaded kid who had just lost their parents, I didn't like the bully's attitude one bit, so I rushed over to the guy and kicked him right in his family jewels. The sixth grader then cried out in pain as he squirmed on the floor holding his pearls. I stood over the kid, laughing with a maniacal smirk on my face. It didn't take long for the boy to stand up. In a fury, he came charging at me like a bull and started to sling punches at me. He was bigger than I was, and I couldn't push him off me so all I could do was take the punches.
The bullied boy took the chance to call for help. Soon after, adults came running into the back of the auditorium stage and tore us away from each other. Moments later, I could see my sister rushing to me, scowling as she saw how beat up I was. Once she heard what happened, she apologized to everyone in the room, promising to correct my behavior next time. During that time, I would just stare at the bully, my eyes burning with hatred. That moment was the first time I got into big trouble and got my ass handed, just like now.
"Who knew getting punched in the face would have you remembering your past? Best of all, it made me think of a way to win," I chuckled to myself. I was now standing upright, wiping away the blood. I now know what to do. If I can't win in terms of skills, I'll have to settle with what I know I beat her at.
Taking a deep breath and focusing my thoughts, I got into a defensive stance, waiting for my opponent to attack again. The room was quiet just as before. It always is since these pupils don't like to run their mouths and ruin the element of surprise. I stood there listening and biding my time for the next attack. As I waited, that was when I heard 'it'. The sound of whistling. The sound of a fast punch heading my way. I felt a soft touch at the tip of my nose, and instantly realized what it was. That was I went to work.
"Now!" I shouted just as I felt my nose being crushed by a knuckle. Ignoring the throbbing pain, I leaped forward with wide arms and grabbed the small torso of the girl.
"W-What?" She squeaked in terror.
"If I can't beat you in skill, then I'll just have to beat you in strength, and to do that, I'll limit your movement!"
We both toppled on the ground with me on top. The girl struggled with all her might to shove me off, but even with my Stats reduced, I was still physically stronger. I pinned the fourth pupil's right arm with my own and planted a knee on her chest.
"…Sorry about this."
"W-Wait!"
I cocked my arm back with my fist balled and brought it down at the girl's scared face.
"I-I give up! You win!" She squealed, shielding her face with her free arm. At the sound of the desperation in her voice, I stopped my hand just centimeters away from her face.
[Congratulations, Isaac, for defeating the tenth opponent. Please proceed to the next floor.]
[+200 points gained for defeating a Pseudo-Boss!]
…That fucking worked?! I just took a shot in the dark, praying it would work. Well, whatever. I won the battle in the end, so I'll gladly take this win! I didn't even have to use my mana or my sword too! I know I say this a lot, but I must be a genius if I got this far without a weapon.
"Um, can you get off me now?" The girl below me asked in a rough tone.
"Oh, sorry about that." I apologized, quickly hopping off the girl. It's a good thing no one is watching. If my sister were to see me on top of a little girl, she would most definitely kill me without a second thought.
"Now then." The fourth pupil brushed the dust off her Gi and stuck an arm out, smiling. "Thank you for sparring with me. I didn't think I would have this much fun."
I took the girl's hand and shook it. "No, thank you for the spar. Thanks to you, I improved my skills in just a single fight."
The fourth pupil squinted at me. "Really? Even though you were holding back this whole time?"
"You knew huh? Well, that's kind of awkward. I was hoping you wouldn't find out."
The little girl rolled her eyes. "As a practitioner of the Demonic Arts, and a martial artist, of course, I would know when someone is holding back. I can feel a powerful amount of mana inside of you. You also fought with your eyes closed and only resorted to using your body. It's kind of obvious. Only an idiot wouldn't notice."
"…Right."
Beep!
[Please proceed to the next floor. You have ten seconds until you're automatically disqualified.]
Yea yea I'm coming you piece of shit S.O.
"Well, I'm off. I have to continue climbing the Tower of Strength." I waved goodbye to the girl and ran toward the door. Before I pried them open, the fourth pupil shouted this to me.
"Be careful of the other pupils. They are much stronger than I am, especially the first pupil. They know more skills of the Demonic Arts than I do who has only been taught the first one."
"Thanks for the advice, girlie. It was a good fight. I really mean it," I said just before I entered the next room, leaving the smiling girl behind.
I don't care if they know more skills of this Demonic Art. As long as they're strong, they'll push me to become stronger. That's all that matters in this tower. Without strength, you are nothing in this new world. I swear that I will become so strong that no one will be able to defeat me in combat. Until then, I'll deal with the challenge in front of me.