Tuesday, the 10th of October. Combat day. Mark dreaded Tuesdays, the mixed martial arts he had to learn was something along the lines of brutal and unforgiving. But to the onlookers it was entertainment. Shouting down at the arena and placing bets on who would last the longest or knock out the adversary of the day, were members of the Disposal Unit and the Butterfly Legion. People who knew the difficulties of martial arts training, but now had the opportunity to be the ones looking down and laughing at the new generation of hunters. Some would claim it was a badge of honour to have an opportunity to be alive enough to see who might be your next squadmates get their asses kicked around.
It was also that day Mark and his fellow students had to use everything they were taught and put it into practice. Their opponent, an 8-foot-tall demon. His hooved feet, bulging muscles, and hooked horns made Mark terrified of his eventual turn. He couldn’t understand how it was a good idea for anyone to fight something like that. He couldn’t fathom what the lesson truly meant.
Defeat and death should both be accepted and expected. That not every threat you face could be easily beaten. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up. What it meant was you have to fight and weaken the creature of horror, to wound it, tire it, and do anything so your comrades could have a chance to kill it. Mark understood one thing from his classes, the ideology of the Order Horrifica. No one will remember you, no one will thank you, and no one will care that you gave your life for them. Yet despite all of that, it was you who kept the darkness at bay. Every man and woman must push to fight the monsters that threaten humanity and the world no matter the cost. The world must remain oblivious so it could be safe, even if the ignorant stepped on the bones of hundreds who indirectly saved their lives.
The crowd cheered as the student got knocked down by the demon. Some swore as they gave up their money. ‘Bullshit! It was half a second off, I won that bet!’ A man in a cowboy hat shouted and argued at the man collecting the bets, Mark recognised him from a distance. He couldn’t forget a pun-cracking man from the Disposal Unit, Tiffany Ryan. However, Ryan was unable to convince his comrade, so he surrendered his money and sat back down to watch the arena.
As the next student approached the demon, prepared a fight for their life. Mark felt a sense of dread as he knew he was next. I’m so fucked! Mark thought to himself as he watched the demon effortlessly beat the student up, breaking their nose and tossing them aside.
‘A shit!’ Mark mumbled, his heart roaring with fear as the instructor pointed at him and gestured for him to enter the arena. As he walked into the arena, Ryan noticed Mark and shouted, ‘give him hell, Marky boy!’ Mark couldn’t help but lightly chuckle, though he knew his fight wouldn’t last long.
Mark raised his arms into a boxer stance. While he was taught the Order’s version of martial arts, he was most familiar with boxing. The demon noticed that Mark was also afraid, he could smell it. ‘Okay, let’s do this.’ Mark mumbled to himself as he looked up at the towering creature. Its red muscular body radiated a power that made Mark felt small and insignificant. But he had a job to do, even if he knew he couldn’t win.
As they approached each other, the crowd cheered as they placed their bets on a former assassin and how he could fare against such a mighty beast. The demon swung at Mark, and he ducked and moved back. The demon swung again, and again. Only for Mark to dodge the demon’s attacks. It became obvious to the crowd that Mark was avoiding combat and booed at him for being a craven in their eyes.
In truth, Mark was. He couldn’t muster the strength to fight back, he was terrified of the demon. Deep down he knew the demon was holding back, the strength it possessed was what scared him the most. He was quick and agile to avoid the demon’s attacks. Yet that alone won’t please the instructor, he knew that.
As he found an opening, Mark ducked under the demon and punched him in the groyne. The demon grunted and hissed, revealing his fangs at the insulting attack. Mark couldn’t care, the only thing on his mind was survival. Mark pulled back before the demon could knee his stomach. Before the demon put his foot down, Mark lowered himself again and jabbed at the demon’s groyne one more time since he noticed that it caused the demon the most discomfort and pain.
The crowd in the meantime found it hilarious. They laughed at how Mark punched the demon in the dick. They cheered Mark on, some shouting for him to do it again since it was an unusual tactic. Though one they all admitted it worked to a degree.
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Yet no matter what Mark did, he couldn’t physically hurt the demon in any significant way. While he struck at the most vulnerable position, he didn’t stop the ever-increasing frustration and hatred of the demon. So, Mark changed his tactic, he thought he could tire the demon out. He played it safe, only attacking after dodging the demon’s attacks that left them open. Mark struck the stomach of the demon multiple times, even though he was surprised at how hard the crimson skin of the demon was. To him, it was like striking an elephant hide.
Though the demon had enough of the human’s antics, that time, he got serious. At a frightening speed, the demon didn’t hold back. He grabbed Mark’s hand and punched him to the ground with the other. His head rang, his vision in a daze when the demon picked him up from the ground by the throat to cracked Mark over the head face first to the ground. The demon didn’t need to do that, he just wanted to hurt Mark. However, he made sure to kick Mark outside of the combat circle to demonstrate his victory over the annoying human.
Mark coughed as he looked up in shock to see the reptile looking down at him. His expressionless gaze comforted Mark in a twisted way like he was happy that he found that the reptile’s blank and apathetic expression was comforting compared to a wave of chants that insulted Mark and his efforts. ‘Hey, boss.’ Mark said, his voice was soft and pained while he clenched to his ribs.
Jackson gave him a nod. ‘You did good.’
‘Good? That’s a first.’ Mark chuckled, only stopping to cough out blood that flooded his nose. ‘I didn’t expect you to see you here.’
Without a reply, the reptile helped Mark up and dusted him off. ‘You will improve, you just need more training.’
Some of the crowd faced the reptile, Mark could hear Ryan talking to his buddies about the reptile and working alongside them. It didn’t take long for some people to chant his name, ‘Jackson, Jackson, Jackson!’ The reptile ignored them, he knew they only wanted one thing, and that is to step into the arena. They wanted the reptile to prove himself to them, though to Mark, he could tell that Jackson had no intentions to.
‘Come on, how about you fight that demon over there?’ Mark gestured at the demon with his thumb.
‘No.’ The reptile bluntly replied, undetermined to take part in what he deemed as a foolish display of skills.
But Mark knew something, something that could convince the reptile. ‘If you beat him, I’ll buy you a year’s worth of chocolate.’ The reptile blankly stared at Mark, waiting for him to continue. ‘I swear on my life, you can even cut my paycheck to buy your supply yourself.’
The reptile paused, the eerie silence made Mark uneasy. However, the reptile walked into the arena. He raised his hands into his usual combat position. The crowd cheered and started making bets. ‘You get 'em, my reptilian friend!’ Ryan shouted while he waved his hat around.
As the demon and the reptile approached each other, the demon’s form towered over the small reptile. Yet it didn’t matter. With a flick of his tail, Jackson tripped the demon allowing him to slip into his guard.
Crack!
With a swift punch at the demon’s lower jaw. The large figure was knocked to the ground unconscious.
The crowd became silent as the heavy beast fell to the ground, there was no show, no grand display. Just a flick of a tail and a single punch. Jackson approached Mark; his expression was emotionless like he didn’t care that he knocked out what everyone considered the best fighter in the Order. All heard rumours of the reptile’s skills, none expected him to be so good as to knock out someone bigger and almost stronger than them with a single punch.
‘I expect them by tomorrow morning.’ Jackson said to Mark in a monotone voice before he walked off to return to his class. Leaving the former assassin shocked and frustrated that he would have to spend a lot of money on chocolate.