Gregory did not realize how engrossed he had gotten in the fights until the last one ended just ahead of the eleventh bell. A magi walked to the middle of the arena and waited patiently for the crowd to quiet. He spoke with a deep commanding voice that filled the arena. “We pause now to announce the final eight in the novice tournament. Our fighters, like you, are present, and waiting to hear who they will be facing this day.”
The speaker waited as a cheer rose from the crowd. Two large banners, which had been securely tied up on either side of the arena, unrolled so everyone could clearly see the brackets.
Gregory and Yukiko exchanged happy smiles. Their names were on opposite sides of the bracket, which meant they only had a chance to face off in the final match. Next, they looked for their first opponents.
“Franco Ichon,” Yukiko frowned. “He has been the most brutal to his opponents.”
“Yeah. You should use your ring and end him as quickly as you can,” Gregory replied. “It’ll tip your hand to Nick or Hayworth, but Franco wants to cripple those he fights.”
“Yes, that is likely for the best,” Yukiko nodded. “You have Jenn Bean as your opponent; she’s one of the best fighters in the class. She might only be five foot and weigh nearly nothing, but that hasn’t stopped her at all.”
“She’ll be hard to beat,” Gregory agreed. “Her physical enhancement magic easily makes up for her lack of physical presence.”
“She’s only had a single loss and that was to Jason.”
“We’ll manage,” Gregory said. “We’ll be meeting in the final, after all.”
“I believe you’ll both be fine,” Yoo-jin smiled. “Gregory, you have your bout first. We’ll be watching.”
“I should get down there so I’m not late,” Gregory said, getting to his feet. “I’ll leave my things here.”
“I’ll keep it safe for you,” Yukiko replied with a small smile.
~*~*~
Gregory was surprised to encounter Jenn in the waiting area under the arena. “Ah, sorry. I’ll go to the other one.”
“Unless you plan to attack me down here, it’s fine,” Jenn said as she stretched. “Everything I’ve seen from you indicates you aren’t inclined to do that.”
“I won’t,” Gregory admitted as he moved into the room. “Glad to see the healer was able to patch up the damage from the fire.”
Jenn winced, “That was unpleasant. My magic does nothing to help with that. Slightly accelerated healing isn’t any good when your skin and muscle have been melted. If that hadn’t been my third fight that day, I don’t know if I’d even be here, honestly.”
“You’re one of the top fighters in the class with your enhancement magic. It’s going to be a damned hard fight. Without a trump card like that fire, how many can beat you?”
Jenn frowned and thought about his question, “Not sure if you are being honest or scheming something. As I’ve already told Nick Shun, I will not make a deal to lose a fight. I wish to win all of it.”
“Wouldn’t ask you to,” Gregory said as he sat down, closing his eyes and starting to slow his breathing. “He needs to lose, regardless. If you beat me, make sure you’re ready for his or Jason’s fire.”
“I thought you were friends with him?” Jenn asked curiously.
“Maybe when we first started talking, but then I saw beneath his mask.”
“I see,” Jenn murmured. “Which clan are you thinking of joining?” When Gregory did not reply, she turned around to find him in the lotus position, breathing slowly. “Spirit path? A pity,” she sighed, going back to stretching, training her body path as much as she could.
~*~*~
When the call for them came, Gregory’s eyes opened and he got to his feet. Jenn was already moving to the exit, well ahead of him. Taking a deep breath, he waited a few more seconds before he followed her.
When he stepped onto the sands, the crowd became even more animated. Magus Paul was not officiating. Instead, a grandmaster that Gregory had never seen before stood in his place. As he approached the magi, Gregory faced Jenn, seeing her resolve to win.
“Novices, making it this far is a great thing. The clans you join will gain honor from your presence. Even a loss here is still better than the majority of your peers managed. The rules are the same. Give us a good fight. Turn to face the box and bow.”
They did as instructed, bowing to the boxes, the grandmaster, and then finally, each other. The moment they finished bowing, the grandmaster called for them to fight.
Jenn did not hesitate, already infusing her body with aether. She dashed forward, her leg snapping into a front kick. Gregory had seen enough of her fights to know that dodging at the start was the best way to survive the early part of the fight. Coming out of his roll, he was able to find her again before she closed the distance a second time.
Keep moving, make her use her aether, drain her of it, then, if I’m still able to move, I might be able to win, Gregory repeated his plan to himself as he dodged her next kick.
The crowd cheered, but the cheers died away as the fight continued. Gregory was not fighting back, but evading as much as he could. Each blow that did land made him grit his teeth, as it was as strong as or stronger than Gunnar could have managed.
Physical enhancement is impressive, Gregory thought as the small slip of a woman came at him again. Got to keep moving, he muttered in his own head as he waited for his ring to help heal the nasty bruises he felt forming.
A minute turned into two with Jenn chasing Gregory around the arena. “Why won’t you fight?” she finally spat at him, coming to a stop.
“I am,” Gregory panted as he faced her, his body an aching mess. “Can’t face you head on while you have your aether.” Spitting a bit of blood, he shook his head, “It’s hard enough staying on my damned feet.”
Realization dawned for Jenn, “I apologize. It was a good idea, but I’m not even close to being tired yet.”
Gregory sighed. He felt his ring stop working as its energy was depleted, but he felt better than he had. “I’m not surprised,” Gregory admitted. “It was my first gambit.”
Jenn frowned, “Which means you have other plans.”
The crowd had stopped cheering entirely, and a few even booed as the novices continued to stand there. Both of them glanced at the stands with exasperated looks.
“It matters not. I will win this tournament,” Jenn said flatly.
Almost fully healed, Gregory shifted his stance and beckoned her. “Only if you defeat me.”
Jenn scowled, “Fine with me.”
She rushed forward and Gregory waited for her. Just as she planted her foot for the kick, Gregory lunged forward, slamming into her and taking them both to the ground. Jenn grunted at the impact— it felt like a wall had slammed into her. Shaking her head, she was surprised to find Gregory no longer above her. She saw him a few feet away, again set in a defensive stance.
“What was that?” Jenn grunted as she got to her feet.
“Good question,” Gregory replied evenly.
The grandmaster watched impassively, glad that Gregory had finally taken an aggressive action, and the crowd settled back down for a moment.
“That won’t stop me,” Jenn said as she faced him.
Gregory beckoned her again, not replying to her words. With a growl, she shot forward, her speed enhanced to the maximum, a blur to most of the crowd. A scream of pain rose up from the arena and Jenn staggered back. One of her legs buckled under her as she tried to put weight on it.
“What?” Jenn hissed in pain, her leg nearly broken from her own attack. “What did you do?”
“Sorry,” Gregory replied as he rushed forward, on the attack finally.
Jenn spun to keep up with him, but her injured leg nearly buckled on her, slowing her turn. Gregory kicked out, his foot slamming into her injured shin. Gregory kept his face blank as he attacked her injured leg repeatedly, always moving to her bad side, attacking her leg over and over again.
With the tables turned and the pain from her leg climbing, Jenn knew she had to act. When Gregory came in to attack her again, she lunged at him, intent on taking him to the ground. She miscalculated though, and Gregory had been waiting for her. When she lunged, he threw himself to the side. Jenn’s fingers grazed his leg, but she missed grabbing him. Rolling back to his feet, Gregory rushed back at Jenn as she got to her knees. Slamming into her back, Gregory got his arms around her neck.
Jenn grunted, but she forced herself upright on her knees, then snapped her body forward. Gregory was surprised at how much leverage she was able to get as he went flying over her head. Jenn was not done. Her shin might be all but shattered, but her knees and hands were fine. Scrambling forward, she managed to grab Gregory’s legs as he tried to get away.
“Now you’re mine,” she snarled, dragging him to her.
The crowd started cheering again as they sensed the end of the fight nearing. Gregory kicked at her as she pulled him ever closer, but she swatted his leg away. Jenn glared as she raised a hand, intent on making him pay. Seeing her target, Gregory grimaced, turning to the side enough that she hammered his hip instead of his groin. He smiled when her fist connected; the blow had been weaker than any other she had landed during the fight.
He sat up and grabbed her arms. She tried to yank them away, but failed. Eyes widening, she realized that her aether was all but gone.
“No,” she spat, pushing herself forward and using her one free hand to hit him in the chin. Her hand was covered in blue flames as she used the last of her aether to strike him with her full enhanced strength.
His eyes rolled back in his head, but Gregory was able to stay conscious. He covered his face, waiting for Jenn to continue the attack while he blinked to clear his vision. When nothing happened, he moved one hand far enough to see Jenn sprawled atop him, unconscious.
“Winner, Pettit,” the grandmaster announced when Gregory rolled Jenn off of him. “Healer, we need some help. She exhausted herself.”
Gregory got to his feet slowly and bowed to the box. He straightened up and wobbled as darkness rushed up to swallow him.
