"Dino, I hope that you can be victorious and bring me the brat's head," the elder said.
"Don't worry sir. I am considered a genius in the tribe. Beating a little human will be nothing but a piece of cake. If my victory is one sided, maybe they will promote me from the eighteenth rank," a young orc said.
"Have you created an energy core? I may not be a fighter, but I know that it will be important to promote you," the elder said.
"Don't worry sir."
"My position as an aristocrat is at stakes here, so don't disappoint me!"
--------------
Before the fight, the orcs taught me a simple trick to momentarily hide my energy core. This would only work on people who were weaker than me or who were on the same level as me. Anyone stronger would easily see through this camouflage. However, in this fight, this technique might give me the element of surprise.
The three orcs and I left the house and sauntered towards the battle arena. It would be a lie to say that I was not feeling the pressure. My hand had a slight tremor and my mouth was parched. I would be going head-to-head against a martial arts genius who was older than me. Crowds of orcs were heading towards the arena as they had heard about a duel involving one of the top twenty. These youngsters were a big deal in the tribe and they were regarded as celebrities. The structure was surrounded by a horde of orcs. We had to squeeze through the mob to get inside. Everyone was eager to bear witness to a thrilling showdown.
We navigated through the labyrinth of corridors until we reached the fighter's chamber. The place was basic and only had a wooden bench.
"We will leave you to prepare. When they announce your name, just walk out of the tunnel," Grald said.
"Don't forget what we taught you," Jasper said before they left.
I sat down and lowered my head. My eyes were closed and my mind was at ease. The tension had completely vanished. My body was put through rigorous training and I had to believe in myself. The announcer broke my peace and began speaking.
"FIGHTING FROM THE NORTH SIDE, HE IS THE EIGHTEENTH RANKED YOUNGSTER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MAKE SOME NOISE FOR DINO."
The crowd burst and everyone was cheering for the orc. Their enthusiasm was enough to make the entire arena tremble.
"FIGHTING FROM THE SOUTH SIDE, THE OPPONENT IS A HUMAN. MAKE SOME NOISE FOR LUKE."
Step by step, I walked into the narrow tunnel as darkness surrounded my body. The walls were worn down and were dyed red with blood as a testament of past battles that took place in this very arena. Rays of sunshine pierced through the end of the path. I followed the light and emerged into the fighting zone. I ambled towards the center of the battleground. We were surrounded by thousands of orcs who were yelling and cheering. I was face-to-face with Dino who wore a wide grin. He was bigger than me, but as I was used to facing Grald, he did not scare me in the slightest.
[In the stands]
"WHAT! Luke has an energy core?" the chieftain asked.
His mouth was wide agape and he was trying to comprehend what he was witnessing. A ten year old should not have been able to create an energy core.
"I told you that you'd be shocked."
"That child doesn't stop surprising me," Axel said.
"But it won't be easy. Dino has also created an energy core," the chieftain said.
"SILENCE," the announcer yelled.
The arena suddenly went quiet. Not a word was spoken. It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. The chieftain broke the tension. He stood up and released his aura to capture everyone's attention.
"If Dino wins this match, Luke will face punishment for beating an aristocrat's son. But if Luke wins, the aristocrat will lose his position," the chieftain said.
"3, 2, 1, FIGHT," the announcer said.
"You have messed up this time. I have already created an energy core. Just surrender," Dino said.
"Are you trying to run away from the fight?" I asked.
Dino imbued energy into his feet and dashed towards me at rapid speed. His energy was a pale blue color. I raised my guard and bladed my stance. His fist extended towards my face as I dodged to the right. As soon as his strike missed its target, he instantly twisted his body in midair and threw a kick. I raised my leg and countered his strike. Our shins struck so hard that a shock was sent through our body. His movements showcased the countless hours he spent training.
He was talented and I could see why he was called a genius. He threw a flurry of strikes and I was barely keeping up. His attacks were sharp and efficient. I was still able to land some strikes when counterattacking. Even though I was evading, I was still getting cut. Each strike caused a slashing sound. From an outsider's perspective it looked like I was hanging on by a thread.
"FINISH HIM DINO!"
"MAKE HIM PAY!"
The remaining geniuses were lined up in the stands watching this spectacle unfold. Most of them thought that Dino was certainly going to win based on how this fight was turning out, a few of them noticed my plan. His onslaught persisted until one of his punches landed flush against my stomach. The blue fist dug into my belly.
I was sent flying backwards and barely managed to stay on my feet. The old aristocrat was on his toes and could not contain his joy. He was already thinking of the type of punishment that I would be subjected to.
I had not used an ounce of energy during the fight as I was only trying to test out how good my innate strength and skills were.
"Surrender. It is futile to drag this any further," Dino said.
"You're really gullible, aren't you. You were so arrogant that you were blinded."