Chapter Six: Dual Part Three

Mars got the first strike in a lightning fast lunge, but I managed to deflect it away from me and I rushed towards him. Mars shifted his stance to the defensive as soon as I got within striking range, but I dropped down to floor on my hands and sent a double legged kick at the back of his knees, and for a second I thought I might have dropped him, only for my legs to hit a painful wall of metal Mars called his sword.

Mars didn’t let the opportunity go and slapped my legs away with the flat of his blade, and lifted it up to slice me. I didn’t let him though, as soon as I had the momentum of the sword sending my legs away I flipped up with my arms back onto the floor dodging Mar’s sword by a couple of fractions of an inch.

I jumped back to get some distance between us, but not for long since Mars came charging at me like a runaway bull, a heavily armoured bull that could level a city block.

He sliced down with his great sword madly, I brought up my blade with both hands angling it to slide off my blade, just barely deflecting the sword with my arms screaming in protest at deflecting Mars heavy blow. My arms may have been screaming with effort, but my mind is not, having easily found an opening in Mar’s attack.

When Mar’s great sword hit the arena, a boom went through it, but I ignored that and went at Mars. I jumped forward and aiming a knee at his lightly protected armpit, Mar’s barely had any time to react to my assault but managed to any way by shifting his shoulder down so my knee colliding with his shoulder in a vicious screech of metal breaking.

I tumbled back over Mars and landed on my hands, but then jumped up with them just barely missing Mars sideways strike. He then brought up his sword so that I would land on it when I came down. I grinned.

I shifted my weight and flipped end over end, and manage to avoid the deadly blade and sent a double legged kick at the tip of the blade as I fell, I heard a sharp crack and fell away from from his sword and made sure to flip again, and hit the wall feet first and jumped lightly off. I looked over to Mars seeing that he had not charged at me, but still lifting up his sword and inspecting it and I saw the tip was just gone, and then I charged at him while he’s not paying attention.

I crossed the distance in less than a second, and I heard a loud crack behind me, I didn’t pay attention and continued sprinting at Mars, he was the only thing worth paying attention to right now. I came at him in a fury, and struck viciously at his open back cleaving through the black armour and slightly cutting through the leather underneath, drawing a thin line of blood and showing some of Mar’s heavily muscled and deeply tanned back.

Mar’s let out an unearthly roar and swiftly unleashed a deadly sideways strike at me, but I ducked under it. Good. Play time's over.

Once I dropped to ground I unleashed a powerful kick at the side of his leg, and I heard bone pop and metal crumble. Mars dropped to ground on one leg with a heavy crash. But Mars didn’t let this go unpunished and dropped his heavy elbow on my lightly protected stomach sending a wave of agony through me.

I laid stunned for a moment letting the pain move through me, and moved through it once I saw a black metal gauntlet aimed at my throat and rolled away, where it collided with the floor with a heavy, and painful sounding boom...Glad I didn’t get hit with that.

I pulled myself up a moment later, and saw Mars doing the same albeit with trouble and leaning on his great sword before settling on his one good leg, and looking like a champ again.

I sneered at him and shouted “Ready to quit old man!? Can’t fight with only one good leg!”

He opened his helmet and roared back angrily, but grinning madly “I only need one good leg to beat your sorry ass! Now come over so I can show you!”

The clerk buzzed in on the arena “What did I say abou-”

“Shut the fuck up!” “Fuck off!” Mars and I, both roared at him, and he quickly turned off.

Mars then looked back at me with humor in his eyes and said “What did I tell you about disrespecting the clerks?!’

“Only that you’re not following your own rules, so come back over here and I show you what I think about it!..Bitch!”

“Oh, come get some motherfucker!”

“Your mom wishes!”

And like that it was on again,.

I charged at Mars ready to end our duel, Mars stood ready to receive me with his sword ready and helmet closed. He look’s like he ready to finish the fight as well, so I decide to pull out my secret weapon, as I ran over at Mars I reach down into a small pouch on my waist and pulled out my secret weapon and chucked it at his helmet.

I didn’t stop as I threw my secret weapon in fact I rushed picking up more speed, with more sharp cracks following me and just hoping to get to Mars before I was too late and loss my chance.

As I got within melee distance of Mars my secret weapon flew, and Mars reacted his greatsword smashing the rock into fine powder in the air and his sword hit the ground spending shockwaves and I jumped on to his blade and ran up the length of it and before he could send me flying like our first dual, I jumped, flipped and landed behind him.

Before he could react my leg smashed into his one good one with the sickening pop of bone and screaming of metal, I almost sent him to the floor, but I caught him put him on his knees, jerked his helmet off and put my sword to his throat.

Mars looked at my blade slightly ducking his head, and dropped his great sword and put up his hands in surrender.

The male clerk’s voice went over the arena with surprise “.....I-it looks like Atlas has won.”

Pure and raw emotions filled, me but I feel too tired to deal with them. I pulled my sword away from Mar’s neck and sat down with him. I looked over at him, “Good fight, Trainer Mars.” I felt his hand clap my back, and a belly deep laugh from next to me.

“Anyone who can best me in a fight, just calls me Mars. Oh and congrats on graduating from my three month course a month and half early.” He said proudly.

I smiled and teared up a little, It had been a fun month train with Mars but I guess that’s over with. But I get to start questing now!

I turned to look at Mars and smirked “Wait you can count?” I felt a friendly punch to shoulder, and turned to see him grinning full force.

I then look at the arena, it has craters and cuts scatter throughout it...It looked even worse than me and Julian’s fight. But It just made me smile even more.

I got up once I saw a group of clerks coming towards us, and I helped Mars up. One of his legs already seemed to be in limping condition already. On the way of to the clerks he said “Hey, just because you won’t be my student anymore doesn’t mean you can’t come get some pointers. You really do need them, If I had taken advantage of them It would be me helping you limp over there..”

“I still beat your sorry ass up and down this arena.”

“Oh, and let me down my other leg is healed.”

Once I didn’t rush over to the clerk after putting down Mars. I walked with my limping former trainer over to them. Once we got over there the Male clerk, whose name I still need to learn said “Congratulations Mr. Mule on your early graduation, now if you would only follow me out of the arena we will set up you in the quest system.”

I nodded, finally I can take quests now to go out ther-, wait why can’t I move? I looked around with my eyes, but saw nothing restraining me and felt no magic. I then noticed blood coming from my nose, and then I felt it from my eyes and ears. I didn’t feel any pain...Oh wait there it is, and wait why can’t I see anything now? Or hear, or use any of my senses? You know what I feel kinda tired, I’m going to sleep this numbness is actually pretty soothing.