Briggs cracked his knuckles as he led the way towards the Arcade.
What a fool. The person who was challenged has the right to choose the form of contest the Trial will take – why would he give over that advantage?
Briggs glanced behind him. His subordinates surround the fool to make sure he doesn’t run away – but Briggs doesn’t think he would try to anyway.
There was something about his eyes when I called him a Cursed Child – did I hit actually hit the mark? Briggs smiles at the thought of his guesswork bearing fruit. He has absolute confidence in the arcade game he’s going to pick. He can’t lose.
Then what was the reason for how uneasy he was feeling?
“We’re here. Let’s discuss the terms of the Trial.” Briggs turns around and put on his best intimidating face to the fool. The student stares back, not the slightest bit intimidated. “It’ll be a one-on-one at the game I’ll choose at the arcade – If I win, you hand over all the money you have and apologize on your knees. I feel like spending a lot today, after all” Briggs forces a smug grin, as sweat trickles down the side of cheek.
“Then If I win – “
“Don’t bother telling us what you want. It can be anything – you won’t have a chance of winning against me anyway.” Briggs pointed to himself.
“Well, if you say so. Betting “anything I want” is quite the prize anyways –“the fool said with slight smile. “I ought to set a few conditions before we start, if that’s fine”
“Name it.”
“All conditions in this contest must be fair for the both of us.”
“GAHAAHAHHA” Briggs bellowed. “You think I’d need to cheat to beat a runt like you?”
Briggs enters the arcade and points to the machine closest to the door – a Hammer Game, where you have to hit the rubber area the hardest with a provided plastic hammer.
“The score is from zero to a hundred – whoever gets a higher score wins. But we have to make things interesting right?!” Briggs looked at the fool with an evil look in his eyes, then raises his sleeved arm in front of the fool’s face. “We won’t be using the hammer. We’ll be using our fists.”
The air feels tense; the subordinates are watching from each side of the door, sweating, while the arcade personnel were watching from the side, unable to approach them.
“Well, if you’re done with the tough act, you can go first.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Tsk.” Briggs grits his teeth and turns around toward the machine. Who does this brat think he is? Anyway, I’d never lose in this game…
Briggs gets a coin from his pocket and slots it into the machine. The welcome screen shows, and the rubber area you’re supposed to hit with the hammer lights up.
Briggs raises his hand above his head and clenches it. The average force of a person’s punch is from 25 to 50 kilograms – this is considering how heavy their arm is and how fast they swing it.
Briggs begins to swing his arm downwards toward the hit mark – too bad for him, I have weights around my arm – added to how fast I swing it -
His fist hits the target with a resounding force, the machine wobbling for a second, before starting to measure the power – rapidly changing from a 0 to a 100. The words “Congratulations!” flashed on the screen.
- This easily exceeds what that little runt could possibly do. Briggs turn around with a victorious grin on his face to see his opponent’s despair –
The fool yawns. “Are you done with your turn? Then hand me over your wrist-weights.”
“Huh?! I don’t know what you’re talking about” a sweat trickles down Brigg’s face –
“You agreed to the condition – everything in this Trial goes fairly, right?” He stared at Briggs with those pitch black eyes. Briggs gulps, puts on a smile, and starts removing some weights. He drops a 5 kg wrist-weight on the floor. “You have me. Try all you like – it’ll be useless anyway.”
“Really?” The fool picks it up, straps it on his right hand, then faces the hammer machine.
An evil grin encompasses Briggs face. Idiot! I only removed one of the weights on my right wrist – my other 5 kg weight is still on. You can’t beat my score with half of the weight I swung with.
The fool raised his right hand above his head, readying to swing the weight strapped across his palm.
It’s useless. I’ve already won this. Briggs resolutely thinks.
“Oh, by the way – I haven’t said what I wanted when I win right?”
“Tsk. I said you can have whatever. Stop stalling and accept your loss –“
“Well, I decided just now – “
Briggs watched as the fool turned his head to the side – there was a crazy look in his eyes, and it sent chills through Brigg’s soul.
“I want you to pay for the damages to the Arcade.”
“W-what?”
The fool swings his arm downward.
----------------------------------------
Briggs came into focus. The Arcade owners were arguing with his lackeys, something about paying up - ?
“It wasn’t us who did it, it was that kid from Arcana! Let us go already!”
“We heard everything! It was a Trial, right? And you lost, so pay up, or we’ll call the police!” The middle aged store owner said.
Lost? To that cocky runt?
The smell of smoke fills Brigg’s nostrils. Brigg looks over to the Hammer machine –
It was completely busted – it was bent at a weird angle - electricity was sparking out at some of the parts, smoke rising from the target area. The screen was flashing ERROR in large red, and the sound of the police siren could be heard from afar.
“That fool – where is he?!” He grasps Nosey’s shoulder, which shook him –
“EEE! Oh Boss, you’re okay now? He just left after wrecking the machine! We couldn’t believe our eyes either – how is that even possible –“
“Idiot! Why didn’t you chase after –“Briggs looked towards the door and spots a wisp of Auburn fleetingly passing through the arcade entrance.
“Interesting. It seems I wasn’t the only one who cheated - He’ll definitely pay for this.” Briggs clenches his fist to contain his anger – blood seeps from between his fingers. “Cursed Children huh? I’ll make your life a living hell for mocking me like this.”