The group gathered up. This wasn’t really to reward anyone for their prowess, but mostly to rank the groups. This would also provide a benchmark for what they were working with.

Micky was actually pretty excited. He had seen duels of course, but this was on a whole new level, and he would be participating! Micky looked around, and he could see others that were like him. They were just as excited and just as full of nervous energy. Then there were the obvious city folk, these had a much more bland reaction. Lastly there were the people looking for a good show. These could be divided into two groups, those that were onlookers, and those that were ready for a good fight.

Prin herself was limbering up. From this you could tell she had been in a few duels in her time, or considering what Micky knew of Prin, more than a few. She looked like she was ready for some exercise.

Micky tightened his grip on his staff. He was ready for a fight. The nobby thing had his gem on top of it. He had found a few other stones that’d work but it was still the best he found. He had no doubt he would be casting with a pink diamond in a week! A month tops!

Micky wiped up his drool, then he looked at his ‘Princess’ he had rescued. The burley half-orc that could fold him in half. Then he looked at his Squishy mount and animal companion. Squishy perked up when she realised that he was paying attention to her. He rubbed his hand over her slime and told her it was ok to go back to sleep, they probably wouldn’t be the first ones up.

Each instructor called up people to come up in a group. This was just a placement tourney so there was no point in being to judicial about it. They just placed fighters against other fighters of similar classes. Melee against melee, ranged against ranged, mixed against mixed, and magic against magic. So Micky was probably going to come up against another support class.

He was pumped and ready. He had gotten his breathing ready and was limbering up himself. Stretch side to side, a few of those back slapping things, touch your toes then lean back, toes and back, jumping jacks, here we go!

Prin was called up first. Micky was tempted to give her a few stacks of [Enraged] and [Accelerated] but he didn’t think he could get away with it. The giant gave him a knowing look that said it all. Prin waved him off anyway. Micky soon followed even though he had to wait for his actual duel.

He was up in front of the giant, and to be honest a little nervous. This was an actual magic user! Nothing like what his small village had. Although there were a few young and talented users in his village there weren’t any adults. This was because they would all go to a city to train. Not that they wouldn’t go back to the village, but the only place a magic user aside from a battlemage or the like, could ply their trade was in at least a town.

So Micky was getting ready to battle. Prin already came over by the time it was his turn. She was tired but ready for the next match. Apparently the fighter wasn’t much in comparison. But that didn’t mean Prin could easily and handily take out a swarm of other fighters like some hero.

Prin wished Micky luck as it was his turn, he was excited. He walked up to the circle along with a healer that was called. She was a beautiful babe with a smoking hot body. Basicaly she was a fantasy come to life. She was a healer that could nurse your body mind and soul!

Micky tightened his grip on his staff, he would need every advantage he could get if he was to beat her. He was excited and ready to put his speed to take her down. Squishy’s excitement also traversing through the link. It couldn’t wait to smash it’s ball like body into that pretty little face. Squishy was sure it would be so enjoyable, it couldn’t stand it!

The instructor gave the ready signal, bored as could be. There was actually a large group gathering to watch, this was the most ‘exciting’ match so far. Micky was getting a little nervous, there was a lot of attention on him. He decided he couldn’t lose, so he was going to stick his pride on the line.

Seeing the match the instructor said “start” in monotone. Micky prepared by casting [Accelerate] on himself and Squishy. Squishy charged at the [Healer] sending her off course. She now had to dodge and cast at the same time.

Micky then started adding stacks of [Enraged] onto Squishy and himself alternatingly. The healer of course, cast a holy shield on herself. She was still dodging Squishy but she was able to conentrate enough to cast. Micky then tried to cast his [Enrage]/[Charm] combo to force an assault onto Squishy before he could wield his staff on her. He wanted her to chase the ball instead of blocking his staff.

Of course it didn’t work too well. While it did go through he knew it wouldn’t last long. And the few seconds it would last weren’t worth it. So Micky instead charged straight in with his staff like a novice. He was unwieldy with his staff compared to his veteran opponent. And in a suprise twist she attacked him with a staff of her own.

In response Micky cast [Lesser Decelerate] on her so that she wouldn’t be able to dodge his unwieldy advances. Now she parried his staff with her own while also focusing more on that bouncing ball, just what Micky wanted.

He pushed harder and faster, he wanted to finish this quick while he had the advantage. But his opponent wasn’t so keen on the idea. She would take this slow like usual, she knew she just needed to bide her time and she could finish her opponent clean and pristine or even messing up her hair!

Speaking of Micky grabbed at her hair, and now she was angry! Nobody touched her hair. For not being under [Enraged] herself she was pretty angry now. She attacked Micky with her own staff with a vengeance. She thrust and thrust and reached deeper into his guard. He could only let go of her hair and take a step back lest he receives her staff completely!

Squishy would not stay silent through all this! It attacked and attacked, bouncing around her opponent. But she just couldn’t get her ball like body into that face no matter how much she tried. Her opponent looked at Squishy in disgust. Squishy might have even taken offense! Had she not been trying to glue herself to that pretty face and see how she liked it!

But alas! His opponent would not be taken by a mere slime! Who know what kind of practice she had before taking this class on. Then Micky finally got a strike on! Or not, it was blocked by the holy shield, her opponent smiled a cruel smile, and launched a holy strike into his face! After the white completely covered him, black was all he could see.

Micky heard her words in his fuzzy consciousness as he blacked out “I’m sorry! It’s not my fault! Who knew he was so weak? Just one hit and he was knocked out! I’m just a healer, what was he doing trying to make it a melee fight!” All Micky could think was did you have to phrase it like that?!

Micky woke up in a warm lap. It was too shoft to be Prin’s… don’t ask how he knew that. He slowly returned form the warmth and into consciousness. “Hay cutey you finally awake again? You remind me a lot of my son when he was younger and still cute.” Said the guild master. Micky practicaly jumped up.

“Ahh, guild master, thanks for that!” He said, only slightly nervous, like a bird ready to take off as it watched the cat approach.

The guild master just chuckled. “Oh don’t be like that! You’ll tempt me and I’m a married man!” He said before clacking his teeth. This statement somehow did not comfort Micky. No, it somehow made it worse as it sent his mind in new directions.

“Ah, you made a right good showing there Micky.” Said Prin from the side. Micky turned to his saving grace, she never looked more beautiful in his eyes! Like an elder sister, or an angel descended to protect him! “Your fight had the whole class laughing for an age. I’m just glad I got to see it myself.” Ahh, he was no longer fooled the illusion fell away and showed her for the demon that she truly was. A wolf on one side, and a demon on the other! Why couldn’t choices be easy?

“Ahh, leave the lad and get back to where you need to be! You little girl, still have fights coming up, and you guild master, why aren’t you helping? Your the one that wanted all of this, yet you push it on us guildies like we’re your minions! Your villinous enough alright!” Said the gientess come over to break up the little group. She brought over the healer girl in order to apologize for knocking him out in that friendly spar.

“Ahh, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to knock you out, but you were just so week. It was an accident I swear. I will try to pull back my power more when I’m fighting you next time!” She said, this girl sure was accidentally venomous!

“It’s ok, and thanks for healing me.” Said Micky, after all what guy doesn’t want to be healed by a cute girl?

“Ahh, no, that was the guild master. The girl just left you up on the stage there to be carried off. She had to save her mana for her next ‘fight’ after all. The guild master ain’t really a healer, but he can at least use low tier healing in conjunction with potions for the likes we’re going to need.” Micky was speechless. She didn’t even heal him, she just left it up to whoever or however.