Inaki’s first opponent stepped in front of him.

“I am sort of in a hurry,” Inaki said. “Lord Yan, does it count if I defeat all five of my opponents at the same time.”

“Don’t need to call me Lord,” Yan said. “And yes, if you defeat all five in one duel that counts. But the question is can you defeat five of my spearmen at once.”

“I believe so,” Inaki said.

“Until last week you were getting beaten up by us single-handed,” Taraval, the buff man as tall as Inaki said.

“Yes,” Jonar said. “Have you gotten this good from training with Lord Yan for just two weeks?”

“I said you don’t have to call me lord,” Yan said.

“I hope so,” Inaki said. “If I ever hope to defeat Farrow in the time that I have left, defeating five wooden spearmen shouldn’t be difficult for me.”

“If you agree to a five on one duel, we won’t just come at you one at a time,” Yenovar said. She was a tall woman, just a little shorter than Jonar, who was head and shoulders taller than Inaki. She had short hair which came down to her neck.

“So, since you seemed to be acquainted with these Wooden spearmen, would you like to take your pick at your opponents?” Yan asked.

“No,” Inaki said. “Anyone is fine.”

“It’s only fair we fight him,” Jonar said. “Since we’ve basically shoved our spears up his behind several times already.”

“Fair,” Yan said.

Jonar, Taraval, Yanop, Yenovar and a spearman that Inaki didn’t know stepped into a ring formed by the students.

“What’s your name,” Inaki asked his fifth opponent. He was a short man, about the same height as Inaki and Yaraval. But unlike Yaraval he wasn’t muscular, he was skinny like Inaki. He had the signature short blonde hair of the Gael, but was clean shaven.

“My name is Enid,” The man said. “I look forward to an enjoyable duel.”

“I do too,” Inaki said.

Inaki looked Yan in the eye. The Sage smiled at Inaki and said, “The duel shall be fought with rubber spears and wooden swords, with points. Three points for each person. Since Inaki is outnumbered, to defeat Inaki you must get fifteen points. Surrender is also forfeiting the duel. For this duel killing is not allowed, and maiming is discouraged. If all the combatants agree with these rules shall we begin?”

“Let’s begin,” Inaki said, standing in the Bullstance. It felt so much more natural to him than it had before. He felt like he had become too fat to wear a favorite pair of robes, and finally had lost enough weight to just barely fit into them again. There was a long way to go, but at least it fit.

“Let’s begin,” Jonar said. He stepped forward, the most skilled of the bunch, he seemed to be acting as their leader.

All five of them rushed Inaki at once. Inaki dodged under a spear thrust to his neck, he jumped over a swipe under his legs and with his sword swatted away two thrusts at his chest all at the same time. He was finally feeling like himself again.

He slashed at Yanop. The boy was horribly telegraphing his strikes. In the two weeks he had gotten much better, but Inaki had raced past him. Yanop struck at Inaki’s shoulder, but Inaki dodged and hit Yanop right on the head.

Inaki didn’t have the time to celebrate getting his first point because there were four other spears still aimed at him. Inaki spun as fast as he could. He stepped aside another spear strike and jumped forward at Taraval. Taraval raised his spear and stabbed at Inaki’s chest, but Inaki swatted it away with his sword.

Inaki felt the thrill of competency. He had a grin so wide on his face he had never smiled like this before in his life. He felt like he was god.

Five spears flying at him meant that he could only get a few hits in, having to dodge spears that flew at him from everywhere.

Inaki swatted a spear strike from Yenovar, and caught Yanop’s spear in his hand. Inaki pulled, and grabbed his spear out of his hand. Inaki jumped at the chance and slashed at the defenseless boy. Two points in quick succession, and Yanop was out.

But in focusing on Yanop, Inaki had left himself wide open. Inaki realized the strike coming at him too late. Yenovar’s spear caught Inaki right on his stomach. He stepped back.

He had lost one point, but at least he was now only fighting four opponents.

Inaki began coughing, but his opponents didn’t stop. They jumped forward and began slamming him with their spears. All of them thrust their spear forward at Inaki’s stomach. Inaki caught all of their spears on the flat of his blade. He raised his sword and jumped forward, stabbing his sword forward at Yaraval who was standing in front of him. The strike would have hit, but Jonar swatted Inaki’s sword away.

Inaki stepped forward to attack Jonar, but Enid came in Inaki’s way, blocking with his spear. Jonar and Enid played defense, while Yaraval and Yenovar played offense.

They had fallen into a rhythm of blocking. Spears didn’t have stances like swords, they were much less complex, but that didn’t mean that the weapon was bad. It was good, some said better than the sword for equally skilled opponents.

But Inaki had experience fighting battles that he should’ve lost, and nearly every time—except for that one time when a head injury put him out of commision for more than a year—he won.

A spear came flying at his face from Yenovar, he used the strategy he had used before of catching the spear with his shoulder and cheek. He hoped desperately that it didn’t count as a point. Inaki feinted a slash towards her neck. They took the bait, Jonar’s spear came flying as a shield. Instead Inaki went under Jonar’s spear and stabbed the woman right in the stomach. She stepped back. Inaki took that opportunity and leaped at Jonar, closing the range. He tried to thrust his spear at Inaki’s body, but Inaki dodged, and caught the man’s spear.

Inaki had no hope of pulling Jonar’s spear out of his hand, but he had him distracted. Inaki struck Jonar on the shoulder.

Inaki’s instincts told him to jump back after getting the hit, but he forced himself to move forward. Jonar pulled his spear out of Inaki’s hands and thrust his spear at him again. Inaki dodged, he tried to get in another hit, but Enid was there to defend.

Inaki charged at Enid, running away from Yaraval and Yenovar. Idiot, you are creating distance.

But he had to create distance from some of them. He stabbed forward at Enid, who dodged to the side, and thrust his spear forward. Inaki swatted his sword away and stepped forward, ramming his spear into the man’s chest. Even though Inaki wasn’t using much force—he didn’t want to injure any of these people—Enid still looked winded. Inaki jumped forward to take the opportunity, but he blocked Inaki’s two quick strikes while still gasping for air.

Inaki jumped back as a spear flew towards his side. They forgot about being defensive and charged at Inaki. Inaki slashed at Yenovar, but Yaraval stabbed Inaki in the stomach. Inaki stepped forward and stabbed at Yenovar, but Jonar stabbed him on his back.

Inaki was now surrounded, he was getting tired. His problem even when dueling against Yan at an Iron skill level was that he lost the battle of attrition.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Inaki needed to end this fight as fast as he could. He used his favorite technique to get out of circles. He sacrificed one point letting Yaraval get one point, but he jumped onto him, rolling out of the circle and getting one strike on him. He now had one strike on everyone, and he had lost four points.

Inaki stepped back, gasping for air. They too seemed tired.

“Your skills truly have grown,” Jonar said. “When you lose today we’ll still toast in your celebration.”

“If I win, then you will buy me all of my beer and forgive me for the debt from last time,” Inaki said.

“Sure,” Jonar said. “If you manage to beat us this time, we’ll not only forgive your debt from last time and pay for you tonight, we’ll also sponsor any liquor you want till your duel with Farrow.”

“Deal,” Inaki said.

“And what will you give us in return,” They asked.

“I don’t have anything to give,” Inaki said. “What do you want?”

Putting a pause to the battle, the four remaining duelist began discussing amongst themselves. They took five minutes discussing with each other. They began screaming at each other, and it seemed as if a duel was going to break out between them. Then they finally decided something.

“If you win, till your duel, you have to come for our ale-nights in your underwear,” Jonar. “And you can’t refuse to come.”

“I agree,” Inaki said, smiling. The bunch of twenty year olds acting like they were teenagers.

The fighters ran at each other once again. Inaki dodged several spear strikes as if he were the wind itself, flowing between their spears. He felt powerful. He hadn’t felt this agile in a long time. He hadn’t felt this useful in a long time.

He leaped up and stabbed forward at Yaraval. Yaraval blocked the sword, but wasn’t able to dodge the kick to the shin. He yelled and Inaki slashed the man’s shoulder. Two points on Yaraval.

Inaki barely dodged a spear going for the back of his head. He turned around and saw it was Yenovar. The woman kept stabbing at him, and Inaki blocked with his sword. He stepped forward, closing the distance. He danced around Enid, Yaraval, and Jonar’s sword strikes trying to close the distance as much as he could.

Just as Yenovar was about to strike, Inaki grabbed her spear and used that same trick he had before. It seemed to be working almost too well for him.

He now had two points on Yenovar and Yaraval. He just needed to get them each once. Inaki was lost in his thoughts for too long. Jonar’s spear rammed Inaki in the side, throwing him to the ground.

Inaki didn’t have time to groan. He registered that he was now five points down and threw himself back onto his feet. His opponents didn’t give him time to breathe. Since now there were a lot higher stakes.

Inaki leaped ahead, dodging along the length of Jonar’s spear and slammed his sword into the man’s side, trying his best not to truly injure him. Inaki then spun. He sacrificed one point to get a point on Enid hitting him on his arm.

He was now six down, but only needed to get one hit in on each of his four remaining opponents.

“Man, I am going to enjoy the most expensive ale in that inn,” Inaki said, as he dodged their spear strikes. He was getting tired, but a little bit of flaunting didn’t hurt. Enid stabbed at Inaki’s legs but Inaki jumped, and landed on Enid’s spear. Inaki nearly lost his balance, but Enid’s spear shattered. Inaki got in the final point, as Yenovar, Yaraval and Jonar stabbed him in the back at the same time. Inaki eliminated Enid, but hit the ground. They had used Enid as bait. But unlike Inaki’s tricks, they were only one time tricks.

Inaki now had lost nine points, and needed to just get three hits.

Inaki pressed on, reducing the distance, but they began spreading out. Instead of close formations like they were using before, they now spread themselves out in the small ring.

When Inaki ran at one, they stabbed at him from a distance. But they weren’t getting points. They were far enough that Inaki was fast enough to dodge their strikes with ease.

Inaki knew he would fall of exhaustion soon. Yan’s training had improved his endurance a hundred fold but he was still human, but they seemed to be taking a toll too.

Yaraval rushed at Inaki and began taking up Inaki’s attention, while the other two tried to get in a few stabs from behind.

Inaki stepped forward and slammed Yaraval’s spear down. Yaraval raised the back of his spear to block Inaki’s strike but Inaki’s strike was a feint. Inaki stabbed under his spear and just barely tapped him on the chest.

He could’ve lied about Inaki missing, but he honorably stepped out of the ring. Leaving Inaki with only two opponents.

Inaki rushed at Jonar, the stronger of the two. Yenovar stabbed at him, but Inaki found himself too exhausted to dodge like he had been dodging so far. Inaki lost his tenth point to a stab to the head. Inaki was disoriented, and they took advantage of it, he soon lost his eleventh to a strike to the chest, and a twelfth point from a strike to his legs.

Inaki was on his knees. The two of them stabbed at him from opposite directions, but Inaki collapsed to the ground. He rolled just barely dodging them. Inaki rolled as they stabbed at the ground, then he threw himself onto his feet. He just barely side-stepped a spear-thrust from Jonar, and blocked a spear swing from Yenovar. Inaki rushed forward and using the momentum in his body swung at Yenovar. Yenovar stabbed at Inaki, but Inaki barely ducked under it, and hit Yenovar in the foot. But Jonar got two successive hits while Inaki was busy with Yenovar.

Inaki had now lost fourteen points, one point away from loss.

Inaki and Jonar stood, both extremely tired, gasping for air, and one point away from both victory and defeat.

“This has truly been fun,” Jonar said. “Way more fun than just wailing on you until you stopped getting up.”

“I agree,” Inaki said.

The two of them stood there trying to catch a breath. A tacit agreement to let the opponent rest so they could begin this last phase of their battle with all the energy they could muster.

“Are you ready,” Jonar said, taking a breath.

“Yes,” Inaki said.

“I was going to say are you ready to come to the tavern in your underwear, thanks for confirming.”

“My brother made jokes like this when we were ten years old,” Inaki said.

“Good, adults are boring,” Jonar said.

“Says the man who looks forty at twenty-five,” Jonar said.

“Hey,” Jonar said. “I’m twenty-four.”

Jonar rushed at Inaki. Inaki dodged two stabs at his chest and slashed at Jonar’s shoulders. Jonar bent backwards just barely dodging Inaki’s strike.

Jonar kicked forward at Inaki, but Inaki dodged and grabbed Jonar’s leg with one hand and pulled him forward. Instead of panicking and losing balance, Jonar thrust his spear at Inaki. Inaki was ready, just barely dodging as Jonar's spear flew over his shoulder. Inaki slashed down at Jonar as he fell to the ground, just barely touching his sword to the man’s neck when he hit the ground, ending their duel.

“That was brilliant,” Yan said, clapping. “The best duel I have seen at the Wooden level in my entire life. On both sides.”

“I’m really going to enjoy that free beer,” Inaki said, as he fell onto the grass right beside Jonar.

“That was a lot of fun,” Jonar said, taking deep breaths on the ground.

“I agree,” Inaki said.

“Come on, Inaki,” Yan said. “We have no time to waste. We have to send the record of this duel to the coalition of sages so we can get your sword as soon as possible.”

Yan helped Inaki up, “Thank you all for that incredible duel. I probably won because of luck, a little here and there and I would’ve lost.”

“I didn’t expect that man who burned Shinra’s grave after he lost a duel to be so respectful to opponents he defeated,” Yaz said.

“That man died in the Yaroka garden, from a head-wound by an eight year old,” Inaki said, smiling.

Inaki realized that he had smiled more in his three weeks in Gael, than he had in his entire life.

“Come soon, we’re meeting just after sunset,” Jonar said.

“Of course,” Inaki said. “I can’t wait for the ale of victory.”

They all laughed, and Yan and Inaki began walking towards the messenger’s office.

Since Yan was a part of the coalition of Sages, he gave his sign on the record at the messenger’s office, and then sent the letter off to be given to the nearest sage.

“Who is the nearest Sage,” Inaki asked.

“Boru,” Yan said.

“She became a Sage?” Inaki said.

“She had to, after all that dishonorable coward Taral ran away,” Yan said.

Inaki remembered his last interaction with Boru.

“I think she’s going to be excited to see that I am a swordsman again,” Inaki said.

Soon enough, after a few days the messenger returned. Since Yan and Boru had both given their assent, Inaki was finally a swordsman again.

“Now, when will I get my blade back,” Inaki said. Yan and Inaki were standing in the messenger’s office, holding his letter of assent.

“Oh,” Yan said. “Now.” Yan removed Inaki’s sword, and offered it to him. The rocks of Diamond that had once adorned the hilt were gone, but Inaki didn’t mind.

“The coalition had already decided that because of your odd circumstances, you would have to get your ranks from the beginning,” Yan said. “So now you start again, a Wooden swordsman.”

“Yes,” Inaki said. “I start again.”

Inaki stared at the glinting surface of his blade and rejoiced. He examined the sword, staring at his reflection in his steel blade. He felt the hilt, he felt the Tomoka stamp of the leaping tiger on the bottom.

He raised his sword to the sky, and proclaimed to the world, “Inaki-son-Hassai Tomoka has been reborn.”