Ken no tatakai de no ai

MARGAUX

"The best technique, Margie," I could hear my father's voice inside my head, recalling the first time he had introduced me to my fighting instructor.

"Is to watch your opponent closely, read, and anticipate his or her every move. That way, you would know when to attack and when to guard yourself more."

The gathered crowd inside the basement of what I had gathered was owned by a small mafia group seemed to have become more hyped upon the boss of their little crew down here who had accepted my invitation for a duel, joined me inside the ring. In his plain shirt and jeans, he had sent a smirk my way, letting me know that he was ready to take me on despite being underdressed for the occasion.

It wasn't hard to guess who he was. He had that air of confidence radiating from him even from afar. He had a diamond face, his jaw was perfectly lined and his jet black hair was ponytailed behind him, while the shorter ones were protruding out from the band holding the rest of his hair together, with a few falling across his face.

I'm not going to lie, he was extremely good looking. For a Mafia Boss, he seemed to be suitable for his title.

"So, it's you," he said. It was my turn to smirk, realizing that our surroundings had fallen into a profound silence. It was most likely caused by the head of this little mafia crew and I assessing each other.

"So, it's me," I said mimicking him.

"I heard that you had wanted to make a deal," he stated, seemingly amused. I cocked my head to one side, remembering what I had said a few moments earlier.

I was panting by then, almost out of breath. Ever since I entered the ring, I have been fighting every fighter they had thrown my way. The bets have gone higher for every opponent I had brought down.

For the second to the last one before the recent big beefy guy, I made a bet that if I win, I want to have a match with their boss. I wanted to make a deal.

"Ah, yes, in fact, I believe that you won't be able to turn it down. It will be a win-win for both of us."

"Spill it then and I'll decide whether to take it or nah," I smirked.

"Fight me, and if I win, you will have to say yes to what I ask of you" I watched him chuckle, finding what I had just said to be completely amusing. I let him have his fun, waiting patiently for him to get over it.

"I don't want to fight with a woman. Besides, you have said that it's a win-win. So, what's in it for me?"

Smiling, I reached out towards him, flicking away a fallen strand of his hair away from his face.

"You must win it first and I'll tell you what it is. Rest assured, it's more than worth it," he scoffed, looking at me incredulously.

"How can I accept when I don't even know what I'm actually agreeing to aside from your side of the deal? Besides, who are you anyway? How did you find us?"

I mentally sighed. This guy was making me question the same query which Mary has asked me earlier. It wasn't exactly the same but the thought was similar enough: Did I do the right thing?

My answer to that query had been flushed in the drain for quite some time. My sense of right and wrong had gone askew and this guy was testing my patience right now.

What started as a simple greeting has now become an interrogation.

"In my opinion, you are undoubtedly stalling the inevitable, Mister," I stated, narrowing my eyes in his direction.

"You really want a fight?"

"Why, are you scared?"

"Me, scared? Even if you point a gun in my head, you can hardly scare me," with the mere mention of the word gun and head, I was done being nice. Taking him by surprise, I landed a punch on his face.

I watched him spat out the blood from the hit which had seemingly wounded his mouth. With his eyes now blazing with unmistakable rage, he turned his attention towards me.

"Is that all you got?"

--

KEVIN

The metallic taste of blood had triggered so many unwanted memories in my past that I was unable to keep my cool. Shifting the focus of the beginning of a raging fury within me, I found myself locked in a circling dance with this mysterious woman who seemed to be avoiding having to respond to my query regarding her identity.

To say the least, my curiosity was piqued even further.

"You have heavy hands, I'll give you that," I said, narrowing my eyes towards her. Having the chance to stare at her at a closer range, I could see the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead, her hair was braided at the back. The few strands that touch the side of her face were wet with perspiration telling me that she must have probably been fighting nonstop.

From my stand, I could hear her breaths, she was still panting a little. I can't help but smirk.

"That was just a foretaste, Mister. Come on, fight me or are you too scared to be defeated by a woman?" I eyed her, not wanting to let her get to me. I knew what she was doing, however, I do not fight on a whim. I try to assess my opponent's strength and agility before truly engaging in a fight.

As a test, I threw a right jab wanting to see how quick she was to catch it, following it with a left hook. She was quick to block both attacks while I almost lost my balance upon her counterattack, hitting me in my left side, about to hurt my ribs with a powerful kick.

I positioned myself, finding a resolve.

"You want a fight?" I said, watching her more closely now. She smirked in response, the two of us still dancing in circles around each other.

"I'll give you one," I added, pausing briefly to make sure she won't miss out on anything that I would say next.

"Just letting you know, this time, I won't be holding anything back."