“Are both combatants ready?” Rebecca asked, a serious expression on her delicate face. “This will be a duel to the death between—”
“Just get on with it already!” Isabela shouted from outside the sparring ring.
Elias rolled his eyes at the girls’ antics, exchanging a long, amused look with Marco before turning back to Rebecca. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly, lifting both fists in front of his face as if to second his sister’s request.
Rebecca just shrugged and grinned, clearly enjoying herself. Then, sobering slightly, she nodded to each of them in turn to confirm they were ready.
The sparring ring was little more than a large, elevated circle of packed dirt, and it cost a decent amount to use—but it was worth it.
The real benefit came from the two Journeyman-rank mages who ran the place, one of whom was a healer. Their presence meant clients could beat each other to their heart’s content without worrying about lasting injuries, and with a quick heal, they’d be fit to head right back into the dungeon afterward.
The second mage was responsible for creating the platforms each day, as well as maintaining the barrier around each ring to prevent fights from spilling out into the clearing. After all, it wasn’t just newbies using the rings. Even the occasional Journeymen stopped by for a spar.
Of course, that level of containment wasn’t necessary for Elias and Marco. They were still newbies. They didn’t even have Skills yet, much less ones powerful enough to cause collateral damage.
“All right, jokes aside, this is a friendly spar,” Rebecca reminded them—again. “You hear that, Elias? Friendly.”
“I know, I know,” Elias replied with exasperation.
He clenched his fists, a thin, bloodthirsty smile tugging at his lips as he locked eyes with Marco. “Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on you.”
“See? That’s what I mean. You don’t look friendly at all!” Rebecca exclaimed, throwing her hands up.
“It’s fine. Let’s just get started,” Marco said with an amused chuckle from across the ring. “I’m sure Elias is just… excited. Isn’t that right?”
Elias nodded in agreement, his grin sharpening.
This was the perfect opportunity to prove to both Marco and Rebecca just how capable he truly was as a combatant—an opportunity Elias was taking very seriously.
He wasn’t about to take things too far, though. His friend’s repeated dismissals of his fighting ability had been irritating, sure, but not enough to make him genuinely angry.
Even so, he couldn’t deny the excitement bubbling in his chest at the thought of roughing Marco up a little for doubting him—then they could get to the friendly part of the spar.
“Fine, let’s get started then,” Rebecca relented with a sigh.
“Finally! Beat him up, Eli!” Isabela cheered, drawing a few amused looks from the onlookers.
“I’m going to count down from three. You can begin when I say ‘fight,’” Rebecca said, then launched straight into the countdown.
“Three.”
Elias took a deep breath, centering himself and focusing all his attention on his opponent.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Marco stood like a tree swaying in the wind—deceptively relaxed, but with his feet firmly rooted. He didn’t seem to view Elias as a real threat, but at least he was taking the spar seriously.
“Two.”
Marco’s gaze flicked sideways, and Elias followed it to see Rebecca watching him meaningfully, both hands discreetly extended in front of her. Marco gave a small nod in response—promising to go easy on him.
Elias gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes.
Marco would regret that.
“One.”
Elias pulled his focus back to his opponent, letting everything else fade away.
His vision tunneled until only Marco remained. The world slowed, and all he could hear was the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Then, like drawing in a sharp breath, his senses snapped back into place and a single word rang out.
“Fight!”
Neither Marco nor Elias rushed in recklessly. They gave each other a single nod, then approached at a slow, measured pace. They circled near the center of the ring for several seconds, inching closer with each step—until Elias struck.
He sprang forward without warning, his lead hand snapping out in a quick jab to test Marco’s defense.
Marco dodged with ease, stepping back casually before pivoting into a counter, firing off a straight punch, which Elias avoided just as smoothly.
Both fighters continued testing each other, staying just out of reach. With every exchange, they took small steps forward, gradually closing the distance despite the back-and-forth.
Once Elias judged they were close enough, he decided it was time to break the balance and punish Marco for underestimating him.
He threw another punch, just like he had several times already, but this one was slower. A bait. He feigned putting too much strength into the strike, making it look like he was overextending.
Marco, once again showing his skill, lunged into Elias' guard without hesitation, aiming to capitalize on the perceived misstep. But instead of catching Elias off guard, he was met with a sharp backhand hook as Elias shifted his stance forward.
Marco tried to raise his guard to deflect or slow the blow—but it was too late. Elias' fist connected with a sharp crack, snapping his head back.
Dazed by the unexpected hit, Marco stumbled out of reach, unsteady on his feet but keeping his guard up, bracing for a follow-up. None came.
Elias crossed his arms and let out a deep sigh, a self-satisfied smirk tugging at his lips as he watched his friend recover.
Marco turned to him, his expression frozen in shock as he gingerly rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand. Confusion flickered across his face as he processed what had just happened, but it quickly gave way to a wide grin.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Marco exclaimed, letting out a full-bellied laugh.
“So… are you finally ready to start taking this seriously?” Elias asked, doing his best to sound confident—though he waited for the answer with bated breath. “I was really looking forward to a real spar.”
“You know what? Fine! I won’t hold back anymore. We’ll just have the healer patch you up when we’re done,” Marco said, flashing him a wink.
“Finally!” Elias replied, letting the tension drain from his shoulders.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Rebecca said hesitantly from nearby.
Elias turned on her, a snarl rising to his lips—only to freeze when he caught the worried look on her face. He shut his eyes, took a steadying breath, and forced the heat down. When he opened them again, he offered her a reassuring smile instead.
She wasn’t trying to insult him—she was concerned. And for that, she deserved honesty.
“Don’t worry, Rebecca,” Elias said, locking eyes with her and speaking calmly. “I get that you won’t believe me when I say I’m a strong fighter—not just because I say so. But all I’m asking is that you keep an open mind and let this play out, okay?”
He paused, then added with a wry smile, “I’ve spent longer than you’d think training my combat skills. Am I trying to prove a point? Yeah. Absolutely. But like Marco said—we paid for a healer, didn’t we? Just relax and enjoy the show.”
“Fine,” Rebecca said tersely, her gaze flicking to Isabela one last time before her shoulders squared.
Elias shook his head at her reaction and turned back to Marco, firming his resolve. If they were ever going to see him as an equal, and a potential party member, they had to see his strength for themselves.
He approached Marco slowly at first, building momentum with each step. Then, without hesitation, he surged forward and launched a frontal kick to close the remaining distance.
They’d tested each other’s guards enough.
It was time to fight for real.