Bring me a Challenge!

A few hours before arriving at the gates once more with a completely different reason, Hargeon Town's streets, the first stop in Roja Bilka's travels through the kingdom of Fiore and also, ironically, the first place where he could find something to eat. All this way and the 26-yea old man had not got even one thing in his hungry mouth. For real, random restaurants should be placed over these dead areas, as that beginner wizard wasn't the only one using shortcuts along the way, and the owners could really make a nice amount if they settle in a noticeable place like that "Darn it, I'm starving..." He noted to himself in complaint.

No money, no ways to go, so it seems. Roja had run out of all his money on previously made meals along the way, buying groceries and the like from different stops and using everything at his disposal to make it into edible, often delicious dishes. This is exactly why he hated the way people treat Jewels these days, you just can't survive on your own without them.

Roja's outfit was not too different from usually: his most noticeable feature being his long hair, his eyes a little down and brown in color. Pants, red and baggy, making the hor air above and around Hargeon all the more painful, and upper body with an open poncho, shamelessly revealing his top. Everyone in town can easily tell, he was not from around these parts.

He really felt like the buildings around were staring at his figure, awaiting him to enter one in search of a job and food, and he sure was going to do that before hearing the cry of pain and the crowd's surprise tones from not too far away. "Hmm? I wonder what's this...?" He asked himself, heading to where the voices came from, going through whatever shortcut he could find in the gaps between the houses. In less than two minutes, Roja found himself a part of a crowd, watching a person laying on the floor filled with blood and impact marks at the feet of a rather scrawny-looking boy, holding a sheathed sword. Now this was really interesting.

Just as the wounded guy stood up and tried to attack with what appeared to be a glowing fist, the swordsman stepped to the side and slammed the tip of his handle at the man's side, finishing the injured off in one, swift motion. "Impressive." Roja noted to himself. The swordsman, a little disappointed, was quick to start his announcement:

"This is a disgrace!! Can no one in Hargeon really put up a good fight!? Can nobody really defend their honor for this wealth of mine?" This was the immediate poibt of no return for the beginner mage, as the scrawny one held a sack filled with Jewels, proving them to be true through opening the sack and revealing what's inside. There wad no better opportunity for Roja now: defeating such a capable swordsman would surely get him some experience as a wizard, and even beyond the point, get him some money for food! Without hesitating a moment, the long-haired fighter, approximately at the sane height as the challenger (a tad higher than him) threw away his poncho on the crowd, stepping in the ring.

"Let's get this party started."

[549/1500]

Much to the crowd's surprise, someone entered the ring, challenging the incredible swordsman with his pride at stake. While not precisely an immensely skilled wizard, what Roja has counted on when entering this fight was simply his fighting style and martial arts capabilities, only using his actual spells if there was an utter need to - and as it seems, clearly there is a need for it, judging by how badly the previous ones got beat up. The scrawny swordsman was perhaps the only person inbthis crowd not to get surprised that someone entered, and the older of the two, the shirtless brawler, found it a little weird that they will be holding a battle in this little space.

"Are you sure about this?" Suddenly asked the swordsman, grabbing his sheathed blade while still holding the handle. "My Cursed Sword Masamune has beat every single one of the combatants you see here." He noted, preparing for the answer. Roja did not even flinch at the swordmaster's comment, confident of his capabilities and his victory. "Haha... Nice of you to be worrying about your challengers," He said with that same friendly smile on his face, "but I'm pretty sure I can entertain you. After all, you're not the first swords user I spar with." He finished, entering his fighting stance. Clearly, Roja's mind was clear of all distractions, fully ready to take on the young wanderer.

"Very well... Then let's start!"

[WC: 785/1500]

The fight had started with Roja's move, rushing to attack the patient swordsman, whose speed was indeed mostly impressive. A little to impressive actually, as the long-haired found himself rushing at nothing in a moment's blink, immediately jumping upwards to avoid the sheathed slice to the side, looking more like a slam than a slash. That leap upwards was all Nocturne needed for a good opening, swinging his sheathed sword diagonally at Roja's flying body, only to encounter the martial artist's feet directly to the face before, the rude fighter leaping once again, using his opponent's face as a jumping plank. Nocturne did not let that get the best of him, charging his blade with Magical Power and sending it down on the ground with a slam. "Haa!!" He yelled out, as a wave of black energy was sent at an incredible speed, hitting Roja and covering his upper body with small bruises.

The pain itself was intense though. "Surprised you, didn't I? My Cursed Blade Masamune's energy doesn't harm the body directly - it defeats you from the inside." He said with pride, looking at the crouched fighter, holding his sides with his hands. Then, he did something unexpected, right after standing up. "I'm willing to place a bet on this fight." He suddenly said, trying to catch his opponent's interest.

[221 fight words.]

Now this was not something the swordsman saw coming. Roja stood up quite quickly from his attack, barely at wobbling level, offering a bet of the sort for this brawl despite Nocturne already waging his fortune on the line. What this martial artist had in mind was unclear to most people in the crowd, theopponent being one of them. "What exactly do you mean?" He asked while secretely using a new spell to gather his lost magic power back in the sword. The long-haired man could not get much more ignorant of the spell, ad he himself used one as the two spoke. They were practically cheating one another, in for a great surprise when the fight coninues.

"It's quite simple. I'm going to wager my chances of winning if you double the amount of Jewels offered. I am going to get this fight done in three minutes, using nothing but my legs to attack you. Would I fail, I'll grant you three times thevamount. What do you say?" Nocturne said it was utterly foolish and ridiculous. None of the wizards so far have managed to push him that long, let alone finish the fight. Now this random guy that just took the full extent of his wave comes up and offers an odd deal like that. What exactly was his motive in risking that much?

In Roja's eyes was confidence. After absorbing that impact just now he was sure he could figure our a way to swing the spar in his way. Then again, this wandering swordsman was not an amatuer, making the martial artist watch his back. "... Only your legs for double the amount."

[Overall, 1281/1500 words.]

"I accept." The swordsman replied, swinging his sheathed sword at Roja from a distance to fire another one of these dark waves. With his new spell applied, the martial artist reacted in almost no time, stepping out of the way as the wave brushed through small edges of his long hair, cutting them. As the fighter moved, Nocturne rushed forward for another strike with his sword, aiming at the opponent's head, to which Roja replied with a ducking move, in perfect position for a strike - which he used, of course. Nocturne's circular motion of the blade aimed at the now ducked fighter from close range, to no avail as the much more agile fighter's increased speed, in addition to his already amazing one, allowed him to jump above the blade as it was swung horizontally, releasing a one-two combo kicks to the swordsman's face yet again.

"(Great wizard or not, he's too young to be a match for me. These years of training can put me a cut above anybody.)" It was not Roja's style to act swiftly with his legs, but more for palm strikes - which require accuracy. That is perhaps what he had preserved during this change of style.

The combo kicks allowed the martial artist to push himself away, landing on the ground at another swordsman quick impact. Catching his sword with both hands, he aimed to strike down Roja while the latter was still landing, but the fighter jumped back, almost on the edge of the crowd's ring. As soon as he landed, he propelled himself forward and aimed a spinning kick at Nocturne's torso. "Gokkorou!" He yelled out as the swordsman just barely dodged, only for another kick, this time a drop one, came from above. "Chire!" At the shout and before the kick was delivered, the scrawny swordsman jumped back, poibting his sword at Roja again, storing more of his Masamune's power inside. The martial artist didn't waste much time to jump back into action, zig-zagging around to reduce the chances of the opponent landing that spell again.

Except, it was not the same spell. As Roja made his way around the swordsman for a kick to the head, he swung the sheathed weapon at the martial artist's feet. "Dark Orb!" He yelled out as if in pain, clashing the orb with the foot. "(Snap!)" The next thing everybody saw was a large explosion, followed by black smoke.
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(1684/1500 - Applicable.)

The crowd watched in awe as the smoke slowly cleared, revealing the swordsman standing with his sheath broken and clothes partially burned and ripped. He was in pain from that last orb spell, so it appears, and thanks to its magnitude was sure the opponent was knocked out, common sense. Though that wasn't the case, as before everybody the pained Nocturne chuckled at the other side. The smoke cleared to reveal Roja, arms crossed and left foot bare, as the shoe engulfing it broke. His baggy pants sleeve was damaged, but not ripped. His expression was as serious as if about to strike once more, but a slight grin escaped his face followed by a short laugh.

"Haha! It looks like I couldn't keep the deal after all. You're a talented fighter." He commented on the chuckling swordsman. Nocturne appeared to be satisfied with the short battle Roja gave him. "I guess that'll do. I've strained myself enough. You might have had to break the bet, so no deal for you... But you're obviously a cut above the other wizards." He exclaimed proudly, much to the long-haired's dislike. "In truth, Nocturne... I'm not. To deflect that orb I had to use three spells simultanously. All I did was show my martial arts to you." He said, before shaking hands with the swordsman and walking away calmly with the prize.
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THE END