The spectators roared in applause. The crowd had doubled in size. Alcohol splashed everywhere as they cheered on the fighters.

Epona helped Jezebel onto her feet, and the two used each other for support as they stepped off the arena.

The large man stepped into the arena. “Don’t underestimate the little one,” Naseer whispered to his friend.

“I don’t intend too,” he whispered back in reply, “Every morning he is first in training ground; every night he is last to leave.”

“But it’s just training. We’ve been out there risking our lives in real fight.” Naseer said patting his friend on the shoulders and helping him readjust his armour.

“Shall we finally begin?” The large man said with arms outstretched. He took another huge handful of oil and slathered it against his chest.

“He probably uses some fire based ability.” Epona noted to Lamb, noting the oil.

Lamb joined him opposite, wooden short sword in hand. “Lamb, taiji’chuan, taekwondo,” Lamb performed a graceful tai chi ‘single-whip’ flourish, followed by 3 rapid kicks, “chi’eng.” he said, saluting his opponent, right hand over left. The subtitles translated: “Lamb, taiji fist, taekwondo fist, shall we?”

His opponent boomed with laughter, drawing his massive sword. He was dark of skin, with long hair and beard. He stood over 6 feet tall (over 183 cm), lightly armoured, with a large anime sword, and a smaller side sword strapped to his left hip. “Frahat, my sword is Eorzea, the Dragon’s Neck, here’s to a good match, friend.”

Frahat spun around, swinging his sword like a whirlwind towards Lamb. Lamb tried to deflect with his short sword, it looked like a child’s toy next to Frahat’s Dragon’s Neck. The force of his swingings was too intense, Lamb’s sword was batted away like a fly. Frahat continued spinning and swung at Lamb’s side, all Lamb could do was defend and get out of the way. Frahat continued chasing him like a blade tornado, a “sword-nado” ™, Lamb continued using his sword to defend himself, his arm was getting numb, and he could barely hold his grip anymore. He backed away just in time, just as a swing was about to take off his head. ‘Screw this.’ Lamb thought. Lamb chucked the sword at his foe, Frahat flexed his chest, “huhg!” deflecting the missile.

Frahat continued swinging at Lamb, Lamb extended his arm into a ‘bridge arm’ straight punch, shooting a ki blast from the end, followed by another one. Frahat could not deflect them, the ki blasts finally halting his momentum. Lamb took advantage of the momentary stun and leaped 6 feet in the air, and jump kicked Frahat straight in the chest. “Huhg!” He bellowed, as the kick sent him flying on his butt.

Frahat coughed as he picked himself off the ground, respect to the little guy, that was some kick, his heart stopped for a second. ‘Let’s try this again.’ Frahat spun again, wildly swinging for Lamb’s body and legs. Lamb dodged and hopped back, then punched downward, shooting a well timed ki blast at Frahat’s foot tripping him. Frahat caught himself on one knee, Lamb dashed forward closing the distance, Frahat tried swinging his blade but he couldn’t react fast enough. Lamb formed a leapard’s paw and snap punched Frahat in the eyes, leaving him temporary blind. Then, immediately followed with a blade hand chop to the neck, giving him whiplash and muscle spams, finally a turning kick to the head, snapping the neck. Frahat fell on his face, dropping his sword. Lamb backed away, giving him a second to recover.

Frahat picked himself up, spitting out a tooth, and brushing sand off his face. “Do we each get a timeout, to speak to our corner?” Frahat asked.

“Chi’eng”, Lamb saluted with a bow.

Naseer rushed over to Frahat with a water skin.

Epona realized she didn’t have any water on her, Jezebel lent her her’s. Epona handed Lamb the water skin, Lamb took a sip and coughed. “That’s strong.” He coughed, it was a strong alcoholic grape drink. Epona sniffed the Arak and took a swig herself.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Hey! That stuff’s expensive!” Jezebel protested.

“Ok new plan, ditch the sword,” Naseer coached his friend, the Dragon’s Neck was great against big monsters, but Lamb was too nimble and squirrel like, and the sword’s trajectory was too easy to anticipate.

“Any advise?” Lamb asked his coach.

“Eei—- dunno…” Epona inaudibly shrugged. “Maybe kick him some more?” Epona started pretending to shoot energy blasts in the air, with accompanying sound effects. “maybe more of this… pew— pew—“

“Great advice coach.” Lamb said.

“That’s why they pay me the big krone.”

“Seconds out!” Naseer said as he existed the arena, followed by Epona, who sneaked him a thumbs up and an army salute.

“Ready?” Lamb said, assuming a wide fighting stance: fingers open, left hand outstretched towards Farhat, right hand guarding his head, body sideways, legs apart, knees bent, feet parallel.

“Begin!” Naseer announced.

Frahat threw the Dragon’s Neck at Lamb, Lamb infused his front hand with qi, hardening it, and blocked the sword with an iron palm.

Frahat drew his smaller side sword, it was a regular sized sword which he held one handed. Frahat walked towards Lamb, sword held at his side. Lamb would have to use ‘metal qi’, hardening his forearms or hands at the moment of impact in order to conserve energy. He could infuse his arms with qi to keep them continuously hardened, but then he’d run out of qi in a few minutes.

Lamb made the first move, stepping in for a punch, Frahat swung, which Lamb blocked, the force of the blow pushed Lamb to the side. They exchanged several blows, Lamb was dodging and blocking for his dear life. Frahat’s sword wasn’t very big, but he was swinging it like a jack hammer, one hit would send Lamb to the floor dazed, and that would be it.

Frahat attacked some more, sending Lamb back, not giving him an opening, so Lamb decided to make his own. Lamb kicked at Frahat’s shins, then jabbed at his eyes with a snake hand, forcing Frahat to step back, he swung to Lamb’s shoulder, Lamb’s body had started to remember Frahat’s attack patterns and anticipated the high blow, Lamb fell back to the year of basic training he received at Long Fist Academy, his former school— Lamb formed a loose ‘monkey’s paw’ and blocked the incoming swing. Lamb struck the nerve right below Frahat’s hand with his own wrist bone.

Strengthened my Earth ki, the monkey paw strike knocked the sword from Frahat’s grip. Lamb took a half-step back, then snapped 3 quick kicks: a left snap kick right below the kidney, a left twist kick to the neck, and a left pivot side kick to the windpipe. The 2 kicks to the neck were supposed to be head kicks, but Frahat was almost a head taller then Lamb, so the neck was the highest he could kick without jumping. Frahat put his hand on his neck trying to breath, inadvertently lowering his head, bad idea… Lamb spun around into a right reverse scythe kick to Frahat’s jaw, bandae dollyeo chagi. The Earth ki enhanced kick tore off the lower side of Frahat’s face, blood drenched his lightly armoured chest, mixing in with the scented oil. Lamb allowed him a courtesy, and gave him a second for his jaw to reform through healing qi. Loosing a body part took more healing qi to regrow, thus it would use up more healing health. Lamb calculated Frahat must be running low.

Lamb kicked away Frahat’s sword. Frahat put up his fists and started boxing. Lamb dodged and weaved between Frahat’s punches countering with light kicks of his own. Suddenly, Frahat surprised Lamb with a soccer kick, it hit like a truck, pushing Lamb back. Frahat followed with a few big haymakers, Lamb was in pain and coughing up blood. Frahat grabbed Lamb by the collar, Lamb spun out of it with the help of a well timed qi blast. Lamb pushed them both back with a soccer kick of his own, creating some much needed distance. Lamb knew exactly what Frahat was gonna do next, and started charging chi in both his palms - Frahat was bigger, so Lamb knew Frahat was gonna make one more play: wrestling.

Frahat hunched down and dove in for a big tackle, aiming for Lamb’s legs. Lamb brought his palms forward, fingers tight, and released a concentrated, full power, close-range chi energy wave pointblank in Frahat’s face.

The chi energy wave melted Frahat’s face, his eyes and nose disintegrated, as if someone poured molten metal on his head. Frahat screamed soundlessly.

Lamb unleashed a flurry of blade-hand strikes against Frahat’s undefended vitals, finishing with a crane’s beak to the temple, and a palm thrust to the chest. Frahat’s limbs fell limp and he fell to the ground. The last thing he saw before his vision failed him was Lamb hoisting up his own Dragon’s Neck. Frahat knew he didn’t have much health, this was it. KLUNK! Sand and gravel splatted against him.

A few seconds later, when Frahat finally regained control of his body and vision, he saw his Eorzea planted on the ground, 4 inches from his head. The blade stuck 6 inches deep in the ground.

chapter end