Uhp, guess it’s showtime again.

My meditation was for the 36th time interrupted abruptly by the sensation of no longer being surrounded by the mumbling remainder of contestants, a group far smaller than it had been when I got here. To be fair, I had a lot to do with the dwindling hopefuls. Since my 3rd fight, where I defeated that stupid Peekaboo-Knight, my focus sharpened to whole new heights with each passing fight. It wasn’t until fight 19 that I was able to finally convince whatever higher power of the wonders of water stepping during my meditation, and was rewarded in kind with a skill.

Water Step (common) - your devotion to your style has awakened your body to what your mind and spirit have already known as a fundamental law, allowing you to channel your affinity into any step omnidirectionally so long as you’re in Flow, further connecting your physical body to your mind and soul. +3 agility while active.

The wording on this skill was unique to the prior two, in that it mentioned not only the three pillars of health I subscribed to, but Flow. It acknowledged Flow not a breath after mentioning a ’fundamental law’ nonetheless, implying Flow itself might’ve been this law. I felt a rush of inherent knowledge over the skill as it pinged my notifications though, and part of it which included the intuition it still only applied officially within the parameters of the skills description.

At first, I wrote off the skill, thinking nothing of it, as the boost in agility was equal to that of my Water Stance skill, and I felt a slight discrepancy in speed between the two before Water Step was an official skill. Upon testing it at the beginning of fight 20 against a fellow rogue to close the early 15-foot distance, only to find myself 3 feet away in what felt like an instant, I realized I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Now, initially, seeing this guy so close without seeing him flinch even a little, the memory of Derrick, The Mystical flashed in my mind and…I reacted in kind. I wouldn’t have activated Lightning Strike, aiming directly for this poor guy’s jugular at the tail end of my Water Step, causing his entire skull to explode from his neck up like a melon filled with bone fragments and C4. My Wakizashi’s glow changing from white to dark blue using this combo probably would’ve occurred to me before fight 26, but the impact of this gentleman’s skull blowing up in my face distracted me from my ah-hah moment.

Speaking of fight 26, the only reason I discovered the disparity in the energy’s hues with said combo was due to this Healer of all classes. It was an older fellow, probably in his early 60’s, with a full head of silver white hair in a comb over. He wore an all white tunic set, with the boots and hood hanging back to match. Before any blows were thrown, I assumed him to be another Mage. It wasn’t until he refused to engage that I even attacked in the first place.

“You may strike when you please, sir. I warn you, we will be here for quite some time, so the sooner the better young man.”

Scrunching my brows, I said with remorse, “no, old-timer, I’ll make sure it’s fast. Sorry about this.”

Prior to stabbing my blade straight through my elders heart, something came over me. A screaming sense that I shouldn’t stab this guy outright. Freezing in my tracks, I assumed my Water Stance after realizing I’d closed the distance.

Why am I hesitating?”

Not wanting to be too stagnant, and testing myself as well, I threw a calf kick at the seemingly defenseless old man, hoping a warning would make him understand the situation he was in. How he had gotten this far never occurred to me, until a familiar pain manifested in my calf. One I hadn’t felt since…last week? Applying pressure on my leg, another familiarity arose. A sense of weakness, like it simply functioned less optimally.

Wait a minute, when did HE calf kick ME?!

It was unmistakable, this pain and I had long been acquainted after this past year. He never even moved, yet I knew my leg just took a hit. A bit frustrated, I let another leg kick loose on the old man in a more cautious manner. My leg swung out and around, with my shin headed straight for his calf. The moment after it connected, he winced just a little before another wave of pain spread throughout the back of my calf. It was the same leg I kicked him with.

“Ahh what the fuck?!” For a second time, an opponent appears to find creative ways to negate my attacks. “What are you doing?!”

Calmly, he retorted, “I do nothing. I wish for peace, this fighting is not the answer we all must seek. You’re only hurting yourself, child.”

Hurting myself. Pacifistic preaching.

Shit.

“You’re a healer class, aren’t you?”

The old man smiled at the question, and responded smirking while raising one eyebrow, “A smart cookie, how exciting.” He lifted one finger upwards, gesturing for ‘one second’ before very slowly sitting on the ground.

“Yes, I chose the healer class. I have no means of harming anyone myself, nor the intent, and I made that very clear to the nice man in the suit.”

Wait, how the hell did he even qualify to be here?!

“You’re aware everyone here is the world’s top percent of capable humans, have you not questioned why you’re here?” I began to grow agitated.

“Oh I know, the nice man told me before I came here. I’m not sure young buck, all I did was tend to my wife and gardens. I miss her dearly right now.”

Oh jeez. It’s just my luck to fight the kindest guy in here right now.

“I-…I’m sorry you miss your wife. Truly, and I hope she’s safe right now. Maybe you ought to see her sooner than later?”

The idea seemed to strike the old man, as he immediately turned his eyes down with his face contorted into a pondering stare. After a few moments, he looked back up.

“I would love nothing more. I’m worried she’s alone right now. But, no one can hurt me long, son. I feel the pain for a second, but then I feel it all flying back at whoever hurt me. I can’t control it.” His dry, wrinkly eyelids began welling with tears.

Seriously, what the fuck is this guys skills.

An involuntary reverse-card for all damage, I couldn’t imagine this being fair. How could someone who couldn’t be hurt get to exist here?! No one thus far was this overpowered, not even the Blonde in the black leather armor from the Arena surrounded by fire-stuff. This had to be a mistake, a massive oversight on somebody’s part. Except, he mentioned one thing that intrigued me.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Hey, you said you feel it for just a second before the pain moves out of you, and into your opponents, right?”

He blinked quickly and refocused his eyes to me as I spoke, before responding,” uh-yeah, yeah just for a second though.”

“Do you bleed for a second?”

He looked puzzled at the question, only to fall back into deep contemplation for a few beats. With a snap of his fingers and a shaky-handed point, he blurted out, ”Yes!! Yes when I was first put in here. An angry fellow came and stabbed me in my stomach, and I saw my blood begin to pool from the wound before he spit out his own blood, and fell to the floor.”

I see. There’s a delay.

“Ok, well, one of two things are about to happen, old friend. Either you’re about to see your beloved in person real soon, or my head is gonna roll across the floor in front of you. You ready?”

He didn’t look ready based on the increase in full-body shaking, though who his fear was for I was unsure, but he nodded affirmatively anyway.

“Alright, tell the wife I said hello.”

With that, I Water Stepped at him full speed, and activated my Lightning Strike as I lunged at his neck. If I could technically kill him before his skill activated, theoretically I’d win. My mind kept emphasizing this was a massive gamble up until my second skill activated, but my body yielded no involuntary resistance to it, nor did that sense of alarm that sounded internally the first time.

I had to commit, otherwise we’d be in limbo for the rest of the tournament, probably discussing how different the world was to him even before all this. My attack flew out with inhuman speed, carrying the dark blue hue I took mental note of this time. A sharp tip made contact with the same spot I’d hit my last opponent, intending to replicate the explosive outcome. Wakizashi steel snaked through his windpipe, connected to his spine, then dispersed the colored hue all at once into the Death-Deflecting Healer, followed by a massive ‘BANG’.

I opened my eyes to see the familiar crowd of contestants, now one more short. Sighing in relief, I moseyed back to my meditation spot. Just this once, however, I meditated not on my skill development, but the old man. Hopefully, my thoughts and well wishes I focused on will manifest to him, too.

Day 0: Another Reason

“Hey, it’s Tom, right? Are we doing this or what?!”

Right, number 36.

“Now, why would you say that? Have you been paying attention over here?” Genuinely, I questioned this guy’s gullet.

Since being forced to put down the kind old healer so many fights back, I’ve yet to let up. No taking it easy. No jokes. I wasn’t playing anymore. The fun died with him, someone I didn’t even bother to ask their name. His words were shallow, albeit sweet, but his existence here reminded me of something rather vital regarding these contestants.

That being, they weren’t guaranteed to be my enemy the moment this ended, and the Tutorial for all of man commenced. They weren’t even certain to be a threat, the evidence of that compiling with every corpse I leave to be blipped away. Now, it was merely training to defend myself and whoever I’m with after this optimally, even if winning still felt good. Being weaker than what put me and him here felt worse.

“Nah, I’m comin’ here from the Metal-centric arena down a ways away. Lady there was cleanin’ house and, the line looked short here.” Once again finding myself having to replay what this dipshit just said again, curiosity at his last sentence temporarily defused my resolve.

“Lady? Was she blonde, black leather armor, super fucking fast?”

“Huh? Uhh, yeah that’s her.” His relaxed demeanor morphed slowly into apprehension as he grabbed his elbow as he spoke next. “Why, did she come from here?!”

Yep, that’s her.

“Chill out, she hasn’t been here, least not that I’ve seen.” His shoulders fell as he sighed visibly.

“What’s her name, though?”

He shrugged with his palms in the air, tilting his head and protruding his lower lip.

“I don’t know, she showed up before my fight and turned the guy I really hoped I wouldn’t have to fight into red fucking mist. I decided not to stick around to ask.”

Honestly, that was fair.

“Alright, well, thanks. I’m ready when you are.” I said, entering my Water Stance after.

“Fuuuck you don’t mess around. Yeah okay, let’s dance.” Unsheathing his daggers that appeared to have sickle shaped blades beside the vertical one, the slender average size man readied himself, both daggers facing the sky and my toes simultaneously as he stood slightly bladed, between a boxer and the stereotypical karate stance.

Leaning his body forward, the clear fellow-Rogue launched himself at me, quickly pacing toward me in small steps before coming up a whole 8-feet away before lunging his lead hand dagger at me in a stabbing motion.

Way too far dude.

The daggers couldn’t be longer than the average carving knife, much less 8-feet long, so I didn’t think much of it until I noticed he’d let go of it entirely. Cursing myself for not seeing a tactic used on me at the very beginning coming, I watered stepped straight backwards, giving me 5 feet of space in less than a second.

Admiring my work for a moment, the dagger traveled 2 more feet in front me before stopping its air travel abruptly, to be yanked back equally as quickly to the Rogue’s hand.

He must’ve seen my look of bewilderment staring at his dagger, because he lifted the one he caught and wagged it between his first finger and thumb.

“What, these? These are kyoketsu-shoges. My family passed a pair down through generations upon generation, except mine are new.”

Blades danced around him in the air as he put his skill with these ancient weapons on full display, allowing me to see the metal chains connected to a circular metal ring he had on each wrist.

Ohhhh, now I get it.

“You’re like, a yo-yo ninja? That’s pretty cool.”

I had to chuckle, mainly because how the fuck was he going to block? Sure, it’s cool, and the range is vast, but what happens if I’m in close when his blades aren’t? He didn’t appreciate my question as much as I had though, his brow furrowed as he spoke in a viprous tone.

“Won’t be laughing long, the last loser I fought couldn’t walk, talk, he couldn’t do a thing except bleed, beg, and cry. ‘Death by a thousand cuts’, only his lack of a tongue must’ve caused blood loss to do him in.”

My eyelid twitching, already a massive wave of hatred washed over me, yet he persisted, giggling now at his own recollection.

“You should’ve seen it honestly, the little twerp. Couldn’t be older than 18, damn slippery though. I’d wager the little shit was a track prodigy or something, maybe next time I see him he’ll have somewhere to run. YOU though, not so mu-“

His incessant rambling about himself was cut short as I Water Stepped to him, dropping one Wakizashi to free my fist to throw an overhand aimed directly for his jaw. The bone splintered as my first knuckle connected, sending his head jerking to my right and downward.

Ensuring he wouldn’t say anything stupid for the rest of this brutal lesson in abusing power, I dropped my second Wakizashi to follow up with a lead uppercut to his now sideways facing skull, aiming again for his jaw on the other side. His head jerked upward, and a loud crack could be heard from his neck as he was lifted off his feet, falling straight on his back. He was unconscious, but he was still here.

Strolling up to his motionless body, I grabbed his weapons off his wrists and out of his hands, and tossed them away from us. They looked cool, but I could see multiple situations in which they’d be rendered utterly useless. This one, being in the hands of a self righteous monster, being my favorite. I slapped his face around for a while until his eyes shot open, followed by a hallowed sounding yelp or two.

“What’s the matter killer? Cat obliterated your face?” Hindsight, only one other person here would know why that’s so funny, and he’s at the fire arena being a menace in his own right. Doubtful this douchebag would’ve enjoyed it regardless, but it wasn’t for him.

Grabbing him by both sides of his cheeks, he lurched in pain as I lifted his ugly mug, and whipped it around the arena in all directions.

“Come on now, tell the last guy again how you picked him apart? What was it you said, he couldn’t walk?” Tossing his head back to the ground grabbing his ankles, I flipped him over like I was dumping a wagon of dirt and debris on a construction site.

Sliding under his leg, I wrapped my own around his, resting one shin behind his knee with an acute bend facing to my side. The other leg faced down towards him, locking my ankle in place with the back of my own knee, forming a triangular space where his knee rested on my hip under him.

Torqueing back, his knee made a series of small snapping sounds that ended in a very big popping sound and a blood curdling screech. So, I spun his flopping shin now bent the opposite way, for good measure. Now, he sobbed.

“No no stop, you’re skipping steps crying like that, we’re going to have to start over.”

I stood up, leaned into his face, “Now, say ‘stop’ coherently, and I’ll kill myself right here, right now.”

He whimpered, staring at me with tear filled eyes.

I didn’t care.

“Say it.”

He closed his eyes, letting a tear roll down once more. I slapped him, no skills attached.

“SAY IT.”

Like someone fresh off of getting their wisdom teeth pulled, his purple and deformed face spattered out blood and saliva as he let out a muffled ”thtop” through his cries.

“Oh wow, so you can’t talk.” I mosied over to my weapons.” You said he couldn’t walk, he was only good for bleeding,” I stabbed into his shoulder, impaling my Wakizashi into the ground below.

“…begging, we both know that won’t do you any good. And crying.”

I squatted back down next to him, leaning into his face.

“How you feel right now? Do you feel good? You think you made good decisions here?” My hands wrapped around his throat now, slowly applying more and more pressure to his windpipe.

“Do you think I won’t hesitate to kill you in far, far more creative and time consuming ways when we’re out of here, just so the world doesn’t have to foster another soulless monster wearing the husk of a man as skin? Do you think this ends here between me and you? I can’t speak for your opponents, but I know you are nothing.”

His trachea collapsed in my hands, and I was blipped out of the arena. This time, not a single person dared look in my direction. They had nothing to worry about, they weren’t in any danger of having something like that happen to them, not even a rabid dog deserved what I did. But that monster? The kind that dissects people for fun, only to cower like a fucking dog when faced with someone strong?

Fuck them, they’re less than nothing as far as I’m concerned. I’d almost forgotten they existed after having spent so much time considering the old man, but I needed this. I needed to remember why I was so serious when I first got here, a refresher of the spectrum of human nature, namely the sado-maleficent side.

Only now they’ve proven themselves powerful, and confident enough already to wreak havoc on the weak. Another reason to stop fucking around, I suppose. Had I not opened my fat mouth, I might’ve been able to focus on my technique against a new weapon, instead of perform public torture in front of a multiverse.

Oh well, time to meditate.