Φ Gripping my hammer tight, I say, “Come at me with all you have got!”

Suddenly Setanta vanishes from my sight and then moments later I feel a blow to the left side of my stomach. So I swing my weapon towards that space, but Setanta is nowhere to be found.

Then yet again I am struck on my right side before I can even sense his presence. This also causes me to turn in that direction, but as I do I feel the wind blow past my body at high speed and every time it does I feel a blow.

Φ “With the way he is moving, Cruadhlaoich can’t even see him much less block, this is completely ridiculous!”

Laeg looks at me and Ferdiad says, “How is Setanta moving so fast, I don’t even think I can move that fast on my horse!?”

Ferdiad with a smile says, “He is using a special form of fighting taught to those who train under our master, Red branch battle arts. A style of fighting that emphasises intense speed and finishing the battle in quick blows.

You put all of your speed into a short lunge, and alternate between one foot and the neck, then you time your movements to when your opponent blinks so they struggle to follow you even more, until you find the perfect spot to pierce them.”

Φ Seeing an opening on Cruadhlaoich I smile, then say, “Red branch battle arts; Clover.” Then I strike him in both his elbow and knee joints at the same time then head towards his neck.

Φ Ferdiad says, “Red branch battle arts; Clover, a technique where you lunge until right in front of your enemy then strike all for of their key joints in rapid succession which completely disables them. Then with your next lunge, you send your spear right towards their neck.

Φ As Setanta comes for my neck I feel an impending sense of doom. NOT!

He might have damaged my bones with those last blows by he has forgotten that with muscles this strong I can easily manoeuvre my body on that alone.

Strength the muscles in my arms I swing my hammer towards Setanta, but he dodges it and ends up standing up on top of my hammer. Looking down at me he says, “You really are some kind of muscle freak.”

Then at the same moment, he thrusts his spear, so I bring my arm around my neck to block, but to my dismay, he didn’t aim for my neck but my family jewel.

Φ I jump off Cruadhlaoich and as he falls to the floor in pain a member of our crowd shouts, “THE VICTOR IS SETANTA!”

Cries and cheers erupt from all those who bet money on our fight in the crowd, and as I they do I shout, “WHO IS THE GREATEST!”

“SETANTA!”

“WHO IS THE STRONGEST!”

“SETANTA!”

Cruadhlaoich still recovering from my blow, says, “That’s dirty you brat.”

Picking my nose, I say, “Shut up, fair or dirty doesn’t matter it is who is standing in the end that wins, and I could’ve won without such a technique it is just that you are such a wall of muscle that it would have taken too long.”

With passion in my voice, I say, “Though do not let it get you down I will take your challenge any day, so come at me with your best.”

With his head hanging low, Cruadhlaoich makes a content facial expression and says, “No need for that I have been fighting since I was thirteen years old but I still was defeated by a twelve-year-old brat like you.”

Getting up, he reaches out his hand towards me, and says, “You truly are born special, and I am sure you will one day lead our empire to great victories, so I yet again vow myself to you.”

Annoyed, I ignored his hand and hit him in the balls. “What the hell what that for!!!?”

“That’s what happens when I hear some weak-ass resolve like that. I am special but that isn’t an excuse for you to start acting like some chair, I only need people with the resolve to stand on top of the world, so if you're going to be in my army aim to surpass me!!!”

On the ground, Cruadhlaoich says, “I got beat up by a twelve-year-old, if I didn’t say all of that shit I wouldn’t be able to look my wife in the face, so just let me have this!”

“I see, well if that’s how you want to be your daughter will be getting a splendid proposal. I hope you enjoy her becoming my one hundredth and eightieth wife!!”

“DON’ T TOUCH MY LITTLE GIRL YOU WOLF!!!”

Grabbing my staff, I say, “THAT’S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE!!”

Φ As Setanta and Cruadhlaoich clash again, I say, “He really is strong.”

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Ferdiad says, “Very much so. The son of the king of Glorias, the nephew of the high king of the entire empire, and the grandson of the great hero who crushed the humans, along with mind-breaking looks and the genealogy of a wolf.”

Laeg looks at Ferdiad and says, “What you mean nephew of the high king?”

“Didn’t you hear Lugh yesterday, he called the high king his brother-in-law.”

Suddenly Setanta family line hits both me and my sister, and says, “His mom was the king's sister!”

“That would make him part of the royal family.”

“Both of those things are true.”

“Wait not only that, but he is descended from the warrior who led the Tuatha Dé Dannan to rebel against the humans and established our great empire.”

“Also true.”

“Wait I heard the high king has no children, so wouldn’t that mean.”

“Setanta as the eldest male in the royal family is the next in line to become high king of our great empire!”

“WHAT!!” Both me and my sister scream.

Looking at Setanta, I say, “He really is amazing.”

“Should we even be allowed to think about it talking to him!” Laeg says.

Ferdiad says, “You both look very shaken, but I want you to remember all of the interactions you have had with him till this moment.”

As my sister and I remember all of the annoyance Setanta has caused us, we say, “He suddenly doesn’t seem impressive anymore.”

“In all honesty I sort of think of the royal family lower than ever before now.”

Laughing Ferdiad says, “I felt the same. But don’t worry the high king is more than likely going to have a child eventually, and Setanta will probably become the king of Gorias. But still despite all his strange proclivities he is still rather amazing and such a man has chosen to protect you.”

Feeling happy, I say, “I guess he has.” But then in the same moment, I see someone fly past me.

Looking at who it is I see Cruadhlaoich, and then turning back to Setanta I see a bunch of people who are trying to restrain him get beaten down. The way he is acting is like an animal who has completely lost control of himself.

Laeg says, “Setanta has gone into a blood rage.”

“In that state won’t he just start attacking everyone randomly?”

Ferdiad says, “Yep, this is always the issue when dealing with carnivore beastkin.”

“Why are you so calm!?”

“Did you not see his strength, we are all dead,” Laeg says.

Someone in the distance throws Ferdiad a staff and says, “Please do the usual.”

“Ok. You two wait here, I don’t want you guys getting caught in the crossfire.”

Φ Holding my spear, in a battle-ready position, I say, “Setanta come and get it.”

He lunges towards me at high speed, and his staff come for my neck, but skilfully I parry it with my staff and then wack him on the side of your head. “Hey, Setanta is that all you have got.”

Setanta then lunges towards me, and in response to him the same way, both of us clash and continue to move at high speed using red branch battle arts, but as this continues, I use my staff to knock a rock underneath his foot as he alternates from one to another.

As this throws Setanta's balance off I dash forward and prepare to capitalize on this moment, but as I am about to reach him he uses his staff to hit the ground and launch himself into the air which brings his body perpendicular to my back.

But prepare for this I thrust my spear behind me to try and hit him, but he says, “Red branch battle arts; Sky flower.” And then he hits the air with one leg so hard that his body moves forward.

Sky flower uses all of the strength in one's leg to make them move at incredibly fast speed to the point that they could even move in the sky, but it can only be used once per leg before the user has to stop.

As Setanta lands behind me, I turn around and prepare for him to come, and then he says, “Red branch battle arts; Star flower,” and lunges towards me.

Star flower is seven consecutive hits that can be aimed at any point in the body while still retaining one's motions. Very hard to counter, but not impossible.

As he comes towards me, I say, “Red branch battle arts; Sonic thrust.” A single thrust from a stationary position that breaks the speed of sound. With this technique, I aim and breakthrough Setanta's staff and hit him in the gut.

But at the same moment, I feel something fluffy wrap around my right arm. Looking I see Setanta’s tail, and then I hear him say, “Red branch battle arts; Sky flower,” and then he hits me directly in the stomach with it.

This blow sends us apart from each other, and I say, “You calm down yet?”

“I had to; I need full concentration if I am going to beat you!” Setanta says as he catches another staff that was thrown to him

Φ Seeing Ferdiad clash against Setanta, I say, “Is he really Fir bolg like us.”

Ibar says, “That can’t be true, there is no way he would be able to move like this if true.”

A warrior from beside us says, “It is quite true, Ferdiad there is just from a farmer family like many others, he is also the beastkin of a wolf-like Setanta so there isn’t anything special about him at all.”

Cruadhlaoich says, “Yet our young lord took a liking to him and brought him back here, and he quickly showed he was a young monster like our king. Two years older, but still far more capable beyond his age, even Setanta teaches choose him to be part of their training.”

Ibar asks, “Doesn’t that upset you guys?”

In unison, all of the warriors say, “No.”

Cruadhlaoich says, “For years we couldn’t deal with our young lord, and we feared it would hinder his potential, but now at the very least he has someone who he can work beside and grow. And it is also a relief that someone outside of the king can control Setanta.”

Looking on to the two of them, I say, “I am surprised he still has strength after all his running around this morning.”

Cruadhlaocih says, “I know what you mean him coming to our barrack in the morning is such an annoyance.”

“He came to visit you guys in the morning as well.”

“Oh you’re new so you wouldn’t know. Setanta gets up and visits all members of the castle in the morning.”

“So that’s what he was doing in my room, but why.”

“What kind of king expects his people to work while he is lazy, he wakes up first and goes to bed at the latest. Because if he demands the best from people he must uphold that standard, and more than that our lord just cares for us. It is why we never have to worry.”

The words the maids said to me about not needing to marry Setanta make sense.

Cruadhlaoich slamming both me and my brother on the back, says, “I hope you both understand the importance of your positions because the weight that falls on his shoulders falls on yours.”

Hearing these words makes me feel incredibly heavy as if the weight of the world is on my shoulders the fates of countless now ride on me, this job is way bigger than I ever thought.

But looking at Ibar I see he has a smile and says, “This is the gate to greatness sister, we need to try our best.”

Setanta screams, “That’s right!”

Looking at the battle I see both Setanta and Ferdiad are rather beaten and bruised, it seems their battle has come to an end. Setanta then says, “Now that I have finished, let’s get both of you on your chariot, and show everyone what you are made of!!”