A wager I stopped for a moment and thought it out...

If I don't take it, he threatens me with what I assume is murder?

. . .

"No I'm not doing a wager I don't even know who you are, hell who am I?"

I responded full-heartedly, something about Turpis...

No this is all really odd, did I do something bad opening that box up?

"I could easily just move on my own and commit a couple of HORENDUS ACTS on the way, you wouldn't want that to happen would you?"

Turpis responded in a manner that was as if it was his form of making a joke.

But he's right I couldn't live with myself knowing that I could have prevented something as bad as that, but at the same time, I don't want to have to partake in a wager for my own body...

"You do not know I the all-mighty Turpis?"

"I thought I left my legacy set in stone decades ago..."

Turpis put my hand on my chin he rotated my head to the right probably thinking of an answer.

I thought I could move freely but he can still move at ease?

"Yes, I said that already I don' know anything about anything all I know is I'm here right now..."

"Oh, is that so?..."

"You were the one who took me out of the dungeon I was sealed in"

Turpis now has a low tone as I slowly feel a smile creep on my face...

"You can't re- Now that's interesting... THAT IS QUITE SOMETHING!"

I feel the smile it's not mine, I feel my muscles go up, and for a smile, it's an odd sensation...

Wait a minute...

"You said I took you out of the dungeon you were sealed... DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!?"

My heart is beating slowly, I could hear it in my ears.

Asking that the sudden outburst of possible relief and excitement mixed with anxiety and desperation Cou-

"Talking to me as if your legacy and prowess rivals mine pathetic, where's your Pride..."

"Asking me for a favor when you haven't done a thing for me..."

He's right, I have-

Turpis suddenly stopped his sentence and continued another

"I'll introduce myself one more time since I just tossed my name around, listen closely you fool"

"I am Turpis... THE KING OF HEXES AND COUNTERS!"

My face forcibly did a smile because of Turpis.

That title is so weird why would you have two...

"I keep telling you I can listen to your thoughts, honestly now..."

In a disappointed tone, he looked down and sighed.

Oh-

I forgot he said that a couple of minutes ago...

"You aren't frightened of my announcement, that is interesting..."

"All the lowly peasants used to kneel in fear and call me suitable names for someone as great as me"

"But you..."

"You are different..."

Speaking in a more curious tone than a power-hungry noble he expressed his thoughts

"Is that so..."

Honestly, I don't buy it, why would the so-called "King of Hexes" do with someone like me who has nothing.

"Because I need your body...."

"I NEED your body for... A MASSACRE AHAHAHAH"

What the...

I feel a menacing aura...

I feel like if I was struck by countless and countless failures and I'm on the verge of breaking, that's as best as I can describe it no it is more like...

"Revenge?"

My no...

Turpis widened my eyes as if he was shocked that I read into what he was saying that much.

"Oh good, you catch on quickly...

"Not as Peasant like as I thought, I don't need to say much more but..."

"I'll give you the change again and if you decline I'll take your body by force, so do you accept this SUPREME BEGINS wager?"

Should I accept his egoistic offer...

I reconsidered one more time, should I accept this...

. . .

"On one condition, If you tell me about my past..."

This might be what I need, to accept his wager and gain more information about myself

"That's it?"

"Not wanting to eject me from your body, absolute power, vast knowledge a being suck as me could easily grant that but you... "

"ARE SELFISHLY FOOLISH!"

Turpis with now a sly smile said

"That would be if you win..."

"If I win I will take this Vessel of a body that is suited for a SUPREME BEING SUCH AS ME!"

. . .

I accepted the wager and Turpis let me pick the subject since I was a "Low being" and he would crush me instantly in anything...

What am I good at...

Right now I'm deciding on the challenge and...

I'm feeling drowsy...

This feeling, I have felt something like-

. . .

Out of nowhere the surroundings and area changed.

The surrounding changed entirely instead of a hill overseeing a dense forest I'm not in a plain grass field?

I look left, right, and when I turned behind what I saw was really strange...

It's me but not?

I'm about 25-ish feet away from what it seems...

Instead of Black Hair, I have white...

There are markings on my face, and my attire is different.

A red Yukata with a green hoodie, cloak?

And to top it off "I" am sitting on a Golden throne...

Wait could it be...

Turpis?

"My patience is limited, I gave you the freedom to choose anything but you took too long"

"Why did I decide to give you such a lowly person time to choose something... "

"We are henceforth having a little friendly bout with our fists"

A fight he chooses a fight I don't even know how to fight...

"I don't-"

Turpis cut me off

"AHAHAHAHAH... Too late, I already sealed the pact in your body so if you refuse"

"I will simply j-u-s-t TAKE IT!"

I got no choice do I, No talking out of this I guess...

Why did I ever accept this, to begin with...

Actually more importantly where even am-

"Use your MIND where would we both battle each other?"

"We are bound to the same body, so by that, we share the same conciseness since our souls are in the same host!"

Turpis seems irritated and put his hand over his face as if disappointed

Wait I forgot he can read my thoughts for the second time...

That is not cool...

Resting his face in his left hand looking at me he pointed his right hand out.

"5 seconds, I would feel bad if I simply just overpowered you you have 5 seconds to do whatever you need"

His hand now extended Turpis is counting down with his fingers

A great amount of anxiety and fear overcame me...

What do I do?!

Why would he choose this, I'm just sitting here I should defend, right?

What do I do, What do I do, What do I do, What do I do, WHAT DO I DO?

"TIME IS!"

In a blink of an eye Turpis covered 25 feet, no he disappeared?

Damn it where is he-

What the...

His face is now a couple of inches away...

Now he's staring into me!

As fast as I could I brought my hands above my head as I see his right hand out, to try and defend and cover my face.

"UP!"

Extending his arm all the way then

THUD!

"AHHHGHHH"

Rolling around after the impact of the punch I'm staring at the floor gasping from the shock, I can hear my heart in my ears thump thump thump.

Huh, blood?

No no no I don't want this, why...

M-my arms, and face they HURT!

WHAT DO I DO?!

I can't win, there is no way with one punch he hurt me this much...

That punch that wasn't a punch he...

HE's...

A MONSTER!

I'll just give up yeah I can tell him he won and, and...

. . .

The scenery changed Grassy plains with flowers, an older woman is next to me.

. . .

"John try your best even if you fail"

With a smile on her face, she made me feel calm

"but that's scary..."

"Challenges shape a person and in turn they make you grow so don't back out!"

She punched the air playfully as if confronting those challenges

"After all you have your fathers-"

. . .

Panting and trying to stand up I slip...

It hurts my left arm, my head...

I try to stand up again struggling.

I hear footsteps closer and closer...

tap tap tap tap

"Oh my even with such a weak punch by me you succumbed to this state"

I grip the floor's dirt like material and stand up, I turn my head and I see Tur-

"PAY ATTENTION"

WHAM

Turpis in an instant grabbed my head and slammed it on the floor

It hurt-

. . .

"When I grow up I'll save everyone!"

"Ahaha you'll do great things, John! Oh look who's here its Katarina"

. . .

Again and again and again he slams my head I can't think

. . .

"Look at the stars so pretty, like you Katarina! hehehe"

. . .

Teeth I can feel them in my Tongue my nose feels like there are 1000 needles

. . .

"Yeah I can safely go alone in the village I'm 14 now Mom!"

. . .

Blood, more Blood, even more blood

. . .

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!"

"AGHHHH"

WHAM!

. . .

I'm seeing...

. . .

"I have to get stronger so I don't rely on others to protect my loved ones"

. . .

Memories of a person who I once was...

. . .

"So Sebastian where is this dungeon?"

"You sure you want to do it? There is no guarantee there is mone-"

"I NEED THIS, MY MOTHER, SHE..."

"All right here's a map you better come back with something"

. . .

Selfishness, Rage, Greed

. . .

"YES! GOLD I can...

"I can..."

. . .

Gluttony, Overconfidence, Pride

. . .

"Wait this can't be...

"The superbia's BOX?"

. . .

Acting as irrational as possible

. . .

"Wait John what the hell the Superbias box??"

"I found it in that dungeon Sebastian"

. . .

Selfish desires

. . .

"I don't recommend anything other than bringing that to The Sword Saint..."

"Father..."

. . .

Regret

. . .

"Sorry but I have to find The Sword Saint...

" I have to bring him this, I promise I'll be back"

"You... I..I-"

"I know I know... but sorry but I can't stay longer or I'll be walking at night, count on me being back next month you know I love you, Katarina"

"Let's get engaged after I come back, I won't be long"

Tears...

I have been emotionally and Physically broken...

I can't go on why what did I even do to deserve this.

I don't know what I did, who I am, where I am at, the history of things, Just my name, and an overdue promise...

"Tearing up like a Peasant Pathetic, making your suffering is nowhere near as great AS MINE SO DON'T YOU DARE SOB IN FRONT OF ME"

"Wa-wah- did egh dou"

I asked looking up at Turpis

"Not a thing"

Turpis responded looking amused at me with a devilish smile

Turpis's leg went back and

"CRACK"

Voices of people that cherished me came rushing in

. . .

"Ok I'll train you"

"Time to do this!"

"Wait up!"

"I love you"

"I'll assist you"

"JOHN!"

. . .

The faces of a past that I know nothing of gave me a jump start, from the sheer determination for an answer I came back to conciseness

"I- Wohun...t gib up..."

I responded once again trying to lift myself slowly

"Oh, you not dead yet?"

Turpis's smile grew larger and larger until...

"I have an Idea A SUPREME IDEA!"

"How about I change my victory condition"

Turpis cut his finger with his mouth and began drawing something my vision is blurry I can't see it well...

The inside of my body is starting to heat up...

what is he-

"You should be grateful Peasant"

"I'll win this bout with this one move"

"IN UMBRA!"

A dark matter formed seemingly off of Turpis's hands, what is-

Countless beams of black matter homed in at me

I...

I lost...

. . .

"BOOM!"

"OH?!"

"This is interesting John!"

I can still hear Turpis...

Wait-

I opened my eyes and I am now standing up, I look behind me and see a big crater emitting smoke.

I didn't feel myself moving...

I am fine?

"That movement was SPLENDID!"

"You incorporated my prejudice, well that is to be expected since I am in your body and all"

Huh what is Turpis on about

"Let's see how long you can last!"

Wait is he going to?!

Turpis Vanishes again, I KNOW THIS

I put my guard up as he did this move prior, but this time I can see his outline of where he is going

BEHIND?

I shift my weight onto my left foot and rotate, ready to block his hit.

"Good job, but can you keep it up?!"

Left, right, left, right

Turpis keeps sidestepping

HE comes forward fiercely, leaving a mark on the floor

HERE HE COMES

He lunges out a fierce and fast punch shifting all his weight into his right arm to make the impact all that greater.

I can see it...

I step back and swing my body around the punch

"THUD!"

The shock wave of the punch left a sound behind like if it broke the sound barrier

I look at Turpis's face and he is smiling maniacally

"You better start attacking, I'm going to GO ALL OUT!"

Without a second for me to say anything he swung his extended arm back in hopes of hitting me

But oddly enough I subconsciously dodged it by stepping back

Turpis rotated his body and now is facing me, he then quickly rushed forward

"TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE PEASANT!"

"AHHHHHHHHH"

The countless barrage of punches came my way

Left, right, right, left, right, left, left

I moved down, rotated my body left, right, and then some

His punches are getting slower

AN OPENING!

"TAKE THIS"

I hit him with an uppercut, this just fueled him to go even more

more and more and more

I dodged his blows left and right dancing subconsciously around his hits

I was in a mode that was unfamiliar to me

Faster and faster I adapted and kept up with Turpis

Barrage after barrage, I find an opening hit him step back and lunge forward

"MORE MORE MORE!"

All right Turpis I'll take you on this dance of fists!

More barrages, more dodging, more movement

We are both clashing over and over and over

Faster and faster I adapted to his speed being able to tell bit by bit

I used my feet to kick Turpis he went up to grab it but I backed off again subconsciously

Putting his fist back Turpis was going for a strong punch

I step back, bend low to avoid his punch, stand up rotate my body, and

"TAKE THIS"

Turpis rotated his head and saw my punch

He backed out after the punch, instead of being in punching range now he's 20 some feet again

he was that far when...

WHEN HE USED IN UMBRA!

"IN IGNIS!"

A ball of fire appeared before me, splitting into more tiny balls of fire

Turpis opened his hands a bit further than his face and the balls were rotating around them

PHEW PHEW PHEW PHEW

Throwing them with all his might the balls went forward

Gotta RUN!

I ran, I ran, I ran

I ran left with what my legs had to give

I looked over my shoulder and...

WHAT THE HELL, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FIREBALLS

"Come on John don't tell me you can't keep UP!"

"SHUT IT!"

IF he has unlimited balls of fire I could...

GET CLOSER!

Instead of running left, I went and back stepped

NOW!

I rushed towards Turpis

The fireballs on his hands disappeared and now he's looking at me maniacally again.

He rushed over to me with unrivaled speed

In a blink of an eye he covered about 10 feet, but I could see that!

Ducking down I slid to Turpis's right, while he threw a left punch

I tried to sweep his feet with a low kick but he jumped

I stood up and effortlessly dropped back

"THUD!"

Turpis's on the air came crashing down to where I was previously making a loud noise in the process.

He rotated his head and looked at me disappearing but I can see his outline he's going to try and hit me head-on...

I ducked down again tackling him to the floor as he tried to throw another left punch at high velocity

Thump!

He came crashing down and I was on top of him

I reeled my right fist back and struck him once in the face

I tried it with my left but he caught my fist

"I win"

"What it's not OVER YET TURPIS!"

"DE UMBRA!"

Everything went white