Kaiser expected Brick to engage in a fistfight like the other Hunters, but to his astonishment, the bastard picked up a sword instead. Brick smirked as he did, trying to look cool and tough.

"Punches are boring, wouldn't you agree? So let's spice things up a bit. Pick up your puny stick, rookie. I'll show you how to use that thing instead of just displaying it at your waist. Aren't you lucky, getting a free lesson from the future head of the Hunters. Thank me later with some earnest begging, a lick on my boots would suffice."

Kaiser's teeth clenched in irritation. How shameless could he get? Acting all great and mighty despite stacking the odds in his favor. First, he let his fellow hunters wear Kaiser down before stepping in as if he were the real threat, the one who would put the newcomer in his place that hus multiple comrades can't manage. And now, Brick was demanding a sword fight, knowing full well that Kai wasn’t skilled with swords thanks to Alfred pointing his status as a rookie when they visited the armor shop.

'So much for a fair fight.'

That said, in a twisted way, it was fair. Considering each other's advantage, skills and state. The duel were roughly balanced. Brick had experience with a blade and in full condition. While Kaiser had beastial strength, reflexes and senses.

Kai picked up his sword and unsheathed its blade. It was a standard weapon—neither too long nor too short, double-edged but nothing special. A perfect fit for starting swordsman.

Meanwhile, Brick wielded a cutlass, its short, yet thick blade designed for hacking and slicing through both flesh and bone. More of a butcher weapon against beasts, but also deadly when used to other humans.

If Kaiser had not already experienced death by blades - impaled, cut and pierced. And had no immortality, then dread would be begging him to run against sharp edges. However, having experienced gruesome deaths multiple times made him a bit numb in the face of danger. Still, lingering fear of being cut and pain trembled within him. Even now, though he had conquered his fear of death, the thought of agony still made him uneasy.

The crowd fell silent, a tense anticipation filling the room. Some looked worried that this skirmish might end in bloodshed, yet no one dared to intervene, seeing the resolve in both fighters' eyes. They can only trust it would be stopped before anyone died.

Kaiser and Brick locked gazes, the intensity of their stare is like a challenge in itself.

With a mocking grin, Brick lunged forward, his cutlass slicing through the air in a crude but forceful arc. Kai barely managed to react in time, raising his sword to block the strike. The impact rattled his arms, the shock traveling up to his shoulders, but he regained his footing quickly as Brick pressed the attack.

Another swing came at him, the cut wider and more reckless than the last. Kai deflected them with a clumsy block, producing clang of steel and sending yet another shiver running through his hand. Then, differ to his anticipation, what followed next was a thrust aimed at his shoulder.

His reflexes jolted him back, creating distance between them.

In that brief respite, he cursed.

'What the hell.'

Brick, the arrogant bastard isn't oozing with so much confidence for no reason. He understands that now.

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Brick wasn’t like the bandits or the unarmed, drunken hunters he had fought before. His movements were far more skilled, almost reminiscent of the bandit boss who knew how to wield his weapon well. Although Brick wasn’t as formidable, his attacks were fluid, each motion honed by long hours of training and experience in the wild. It's evident he used his weapon many times already, eventually becoming familiar with the Cutlass'different design and utilizing its hacking efficiency. Every strike was heavy, hard to withstand and dreadful.

Furthermore, was he imagining it, or is this bastard stronger than his build suggests?

Shaking his head, Kaiser focused on the fight.

Clang of their blades sent vibrations through his arms, making it clear he was outmatched in technique. Brick was proficient, if not mastered bringing slashing with his cutlass in the most efficient way possible. Adding to the powerful bursts, enough to slice down a not so thin tree, perhaps. Which Kaiser is defending against constantly.

In comparison, Kai’s swordplay was stiff and hesitant. He struggled to find any opening, his movements too rigid to properly utilize the reach of his longer blade. Every time Brick’s cutlass clashed against his sword, it sent tremors through his grip, making his hold on the weapon feel slippery and unsure.

'Pull yourself together, idiot! Or I won't be able to wipe that smug grin off his face.'

Despite his efforts, it was clear why Brick was so confident. His years of handling a blade, even in his drunken state, showed in the ferocity and unpredictability of his strikes. The alcohol seemed to fuel his aggression, making each swing wilder and harder to anticipate. The smug grin never leaving his face as he sends an onslaught against the rookie. Added, the bastard isn't holding back at all. His drunken condition only made his movements less hesitant, to the point he might accidentally kill Kaiser at any moment if even he made a big mistake.

Kaiser was barely keeping up, constantly deflecting strikes, but surprisingly, he didn’t lose ground.

Another powerful swing came down at him, and Kai met it with his angled sword, causing the blade to slide off to the side. It was an opening, a chance to strike back. But Brick wasn’t that slow; the moment he sensed danger, he sidestepped and followed up with a slash, which Kai once again blocked.

Brick's attacks were fluid, shifting effortlessly between offense and evasion. Yet, as the battle dragged on, Kaiser began to see through his technique. It was quite straightforward: Brick’s swordplay relied on heavy, powerful hacks, mostly from the sides or downward, as his main method of attack. Simple, yet deadly if a blow connected, followed by relentless swings intended to overwhelm his opponent. Fortunately, against Kai's quick reflexes, blocking those strikes was manageable. Each successful defense only made it easier for him to divert the next blow, allowing Kai to gradually adjust his grip and stance to defend more effectively.

But there was a problem...

Kaiser couldn’t mount a counterattack at all. The duel had devolved into a relentless pattern of evading and blocking, with Brick as the sole aggressor. Despite the fact that Brick's defenses were far from impenetrable, Kai couldn’t land a single blow. In truth, Brick was more skilled at delivering forceful attacks than at guarding against them. Kai’s defense was actually better than Brick's, yet he quickly realized he didn’t know how to deliver a decent slash to capitalize on any opening!

Sure, he’d killed a few bandits before, but they were nothing more than ragtag criminals—lazy troublemakers who resorted to violence because they lacked the discipline for honest work. They had the heart to kill, but not the skill or strength. Brick, on the other hand, was a seasoned hunter by trade, an expert tracker and fighter who knew his way around a blade.

Kai's awkward strikes might have worked against those unskilled bandits, but against a true combatant like Brick? One wrong move could spell disaster, and every attempt to attack ended with Brick effortlessly dodging his blows.

Kaiser was competent at blocking Brick’s relentless hacks, but that was all he could manage. It turned into a frustrating rhythm—one attacking, the other blocking—because defending was all he could effectively do in this situation.

Brick was growing visibly annoyed, and even the crowd's excitement was beginning to wane. But to Kaiser...

he was starting to think of this duel as a kind of entertaining training.

He focused on observing the arc of each slash, deflecting them with a calculated angle to guide Brick’s blade where he wanted. Unfortunately, he couldn’t transition smoothly into an attack because he didn’t yet know how to switch his stance quickly enough.

Wielding a sword wasn’t simple at all.

Still, his beginning to enjoy this.

'This is actually fun, it's just like playing catch.'

Until the drunk hunter frustration overflowed, he spat as his attacks intensified.

"Is that all you've got? Come on, do better than that! Oh, if you don’t, maybe I’ll just take those two girls off your hands. They deserve better than a loser like you." Brick taunted, his voice dripping with irritation and unhidden malice.

For the first time, someone dared express to the two he held dear. Did Brick seriously say that?

Kaiser isn't sure, but it completely soured his mood. His smile disappeared, turning cold and indifferent. His eyes that once held exasperation towards the Hunter darkened.

For some reason, Kaiser felt the urge to kill someone so much so that his losing care about anything.

A powerful hack was brought down, however, this time. He didn't even bother moving his sword, instead, it struck his right forearm. The Cutlass blade sinking cutting through his arm-guard, sinking in his flesh and stopped by his bode, midway.

The onlookers gasped.

Brick's froze, confused by the young man's careless action. He was supposed to block that with a sword, not arm!

Yet, despite having his hand almost severed... The rookie, was eerily quiet.

In that momentary, shocked silence, Kaiser dropped his sword and the next thing Brick knew. He was pulled by his sword, followed by a swift fist driving to his face.

'Huh?'

He heard something cracked before falling into oblivion.