"Hey Carla! Good job finishing first!"
"Yeah, thanks. You too!"
Darting his eyes around cautiously, Edith drew close to Carla.
"Do you think you can...umm..exchange your spot with me? You know already I wanna fight Horus."
"I can do that, but what's in it for me?"
"Ah…"
Edith was stunned for a moment, then he chuckled, winked at the girl, and said with a mischievous grin, "I can, ahem, put in a good word for you with Horus. You like him, right?"
Carla's face flushed crimson as she struggled to control her expression.
She replied calmly, "He's a good friend. Nothing like that. Though, since we're both going to the city, a good word would help. I'll talk to the elders and Rinnie."
Edith's smile widened. "Thanks!"
He then hurried to Horus to inform him of the changes. Meanwhile, the village elders had been preparing to announce the matches when Carla approached them about the switch. They smiled knowingly, made a few corrections on their parchment, and immediately called for attention.
"Everyone!! The moment you've all been waiting for is finally here!"
"Without any further delay, the matches will be as follows:
Horus versus Edith
Carla versus Rinnie
Astus versus Fortis"
"The rules are as follows:
1. The match ends when either participant
gives up.
2. Players can interfere in other matches.
3. The use of weapons, once accessible, is allowed!
4. At set intervals, new fighters will enter!"
"Kids, get into positions!"
Hearing the announcement, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, their voices deafening and their presence overwhelming.
Edith caught Horus's calm, smiling gaze as his friend sized him up. He knew Horus remained unaffected by the clamor, and despite the easy attitude his smile conveyed, Edith understood his friend was dead serious about their fight.
Carla and Rinnie had similarly been assessing each other, while Astus taunted the honest-looking Fortis.
"Don't go crying to your mom after I beat you today, okay? I'll beat you so badly you won't be able to tell your snot from your tears."
Fortis sighed and replied, "I hope your fists are as loud as your mouth. Otherwise, you'll be in for a thorough ass-whooping."
"You!" Astus roared.
The few among the crowd that had been paying attention to the two's exchange burst into a laughter, causing Astus to dart his eyes from side to side.
The venue was nothing special—just the flat summit of Old Pal. Since it served as the village's main attraction, fights had always been held here. The surroundings bloomed lush and green, vibrant with multicolored fragrant flowers.
A gentle breeze stirred the air, reminding Edith of the morning he'd spent here. Dark patches of mud and soil dotted the landscape here and there. The sky stretched clear and blue as the sun radiated warmth and strength.
Edith could hear his father and Ren cheering him on. As he turned to look at them, he spotted his mother observing him silently, a gentle smile gracing her face as she gave him a slight nod. This simple gesture somehow filled Edith with unwavering confidence.
Turning back, he watched the others take their positions. With a deep breath, he assumed his stance and adopted a well-practiced form. Even though he knew a stance was useless for someone at his Stage, he couldn't help but make himself appear even slightly more elegant by adopting one.
Looking into the enchanting face of the silver-haired boy before him, he said, "Prepare yourself."
With a loud bang signaling the match's start, the six children launched themselves at each other.
***
Astus rushed at the firmly planted Fortis. Taking long strides, he closed the distance in mere breaths. He watched Fortis quickly assume a defensive stance—left foot forward, right back, legs spread wide. Astus immediately dropped his body to Fortis's chest level while simultaneously pulling back his right arm, preparing to drive a punch into his opponent's ribs.
Seeing this, Fortis immediately charged into Astus's stance. He wedged his left leg between Astus's legs, bent his body, and with his other leg, hooked Astus's front foot toward himself. Then he shoved Astus's chest, sending them both tumbling down on the ground.
Astus's punch failed to connect, merely brushing against Fortis's arms during their fall.
The angry boy cursed violently. Fury at losing his balance and anxiety about being pinned to the ground consumed him. He rolled to the side, sprang to his feet, and kicked Fortis—who was attempting to rise—in the ribs, then immediately rushed to pin him down.
Having hit the ground, Fortis took a moment to regain his bearings and rolled, trying to prop himself up. Seeing Astus charging toward him, he used one leg to push himself up while firmly planting the other to regain his footing. As soon as Astus lunged, Fortis shot his hand forward, delivering a resounding slap across his face.
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed across the entire hilltop. The sound of the slap reverberating in everyone's ears.
Momentum carried Astus forward as his vision blurred from the slap, and he crashed into Fortis, sending them both rolling across the ground.
***
Meanwhile, Rinnie had pounced on Carla, grabbing her around the waist. She'd been rapidly forcing Carla backward when something sharp struck her back.
Carla had driven her elbow into Rinnie's spine. With a pained grunt, Rinnie arched her back, loosening her grip on Carla.
Breaking free, Carla slapped Rinnie across the face, then immediately grabbed her hair and yanked her forward.
Rinnie lost her balance and dove toward the ground, throwing up her arms to protect her face. Still though, he forhead scraped against the ground, a deep cut appearing on it causing her to bleed.
Carla rushed to continue her assault but, being just a Stage 1, stumbled and fell, only hurriedly using her arms to break the fall.
Rinnie took a moment to clear her head while Carla repositioned herself to prevent any counterattack.
Creating distance between them, Rinnie felt blood streaming down her scalp onto her face, staining her features and tunic crimson. Wiping the blood with her forearms, her figure heaving and chest rising and falling rapidly, she glared at the person responsible for her condition and clenched her teeth.