Mistake

We arrived at the gates before they opened and went directly to the arena, where I waited for my match.

I tie a cloth around my face before entering; I hardly stick out.

Olim and Terra men alike were carted through here with chains and a sack over their heads; they were the ones that didn't pay their fair share of tax on the twentieth day.

Bund had warned me about this family's deep ties to the community, so I expected some harassment.

I wasn't disappointed; the Livet house sent one fighter after the next to harass and provoke anyone there for a prize fight that day wanting to deal with me outside of the ring.

What they didn't expect was Isla, who quickly challenged and dispatched anyone who came close, giving them no mercy or a way out.

Soon, no one wanted to touch us, leaving us in our own little patch of the Colosseum.

At the end of the day, when they talked about an Olim who fought well in the ring, they couldn't distinguish me from Isla, adding another layer of anonymity.

I stepped into the ring's rocky field at noon, expecting my opponent; I was disappointed as no one came forward.

Isla noticed people leaving hurriedly, probably to inform them about the opponent.

As long as it wasn't Bund, they would send the mage.

I wait for about an hour and even let another two hash out a squabble before he shows up.

The man is young—almost twenty—and highly arrogant, like everyone else in his family.

Behind him a group of Olim servants and to his right a raucous Terra girl who was smitten with me the moment she saw me waiting by the entrance.

Usually, we enter from different sides, but this man was arrogant as hell.

"Jud, isn't he adorable? I want him! You have to get him for me!" she squealed in a high pitch, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

'Well, this is a first,' I think, my expression not betraying my thoughts.

Standing up from my cross-legged position, I swagger into the center of the ring, not interested in the filth that is ready to spew out of my opponents' mouths.

"Hey there, little guy. How about you work for our family? We'll double your pay if you're willing to serve my friend. You'll have two mana stones a month!"

My expression was vacant. 'Was I ever like that'? I ask myself.

In my first life, I was so focused on saving lives from different antigens that I never even considered the actual people I saved with much regard.

It wasn't as blatant as he was, but still, there was a similarity.

"It's a good deal, little guy, and hey, if you work hard enough, maybe you can get enough stones to make something of yourself one day, maybe even mine for yourself".

"I wish I were ignorant," I said out loud,

"Just enough so that I didn't know how ignorant I am".

Drawing my sword, I look at Jud and recognize him for what he is; a mana stone payout.

He narrows his eyes and spouts out a threat I didn't hear as I was so focused on him.

I tunneled in, ready to move, not underestimating my opponent.

He draws his one-handed sword and lets it dangle from the side. The height difference between us is a head and a half, making his tall frame that much more imposing to the crowd.

I see all the exposed vitals.

Darting from my position, I jab at his throat, my sword taking the shortest route.

He is stunned but parries quickly and even counters with his own thrust.

His face went from someone confident in the battle to one of a man piecing together a plot.

The fight looked choreographed because we pumped energy through our bodies and minds.

Unlike me, he doesn't have waves of white hazy energy leaking out, but for some reason, he was still able to keep up with me and, at times, move faster.

Three blows were exchanged, the metal clanging after each blow until I pushed away his sword arm with a kick.

My balance was off, so instead of taking a large swing with my sword, I stomped and jabbed with my left fist, knocking him in the nose.

All the years of tempering my body paid off as he was put on his ass, nearly losing grip of his weapon.

Before his knees touched the ground, he lunged forward, but I stabbed with my sword, aiming for his chest.

He deflected by raising his weapon barely fast enough and leaning to the side.

This put me the closest I have been to him. I craned my neck and bit at his face, but he jerked back the distance, growing as that jerk became hurried steps.

"You are excellent!" shouted Jud, who had a crazed look on his face.

I couldn't sense a lick of mana from him, but he seemed to have noticed mine.

Instead of engaging me like before, he started taking giant leaps backward, clearing almost ten yards with each jump.

He stomped on the ground twice, and rubble flew up, catching a stone. He hurled it at me.

I was running in but leaned to one side in the last minute still taking a rock to the left shoulder making me halt.

It stung something horrible; it felt like it could have taken my whole arm off.

I would have gotten tripped up here if I hadn't trained with Isla and toughened my body.

I didn't dodge, and I would only meet another rock.

I swing my sword, deflecting one after the other, closing the distance on him.

I was steadily shortening the space between us, which was more challenging than it looked.

Not only that, but Jud was flinging rocks faster.

A throwing knife was hidden behind a rock I smack it away and eat a stone to the chest, the flying blade leaves my arm vibrating.

Running out of rubble, he tries to jump back, but my dagger closes in on him as fast as the rocks he was being thrown moments ago.

Barely sidestepping, he has his shoulder pierced.

Gritting his teeth, he ignored the pain and drew the dagger out in one swift motion. He tossed it back at me as I closed in on him.

I had already stomped on the ground while he was busy prying out the blade, raising rubble like he did a moment ago.

When the dagger hit the rising stones, it veered off course, slowing it down enough for me to catch it and throw it back.

Jud's wound had already stopped bleeding, but I had closed enough distance for him to see the dagger coming but could not do anything about it.

He moved his head to the side just in time to be met with a rock I had thrown after the dagger.

Having the same tactic used against you was almost as painful as the rock smashing against his left eye.

Closing the distance quickly, I swing at his blind spot, going for the neck.

He raised his arm, and his arm guard deflected my sword.

I am sure I broke or at least fractured it.

'I need a sharper sword,' I think to myself.

"You're actually trying to ki—" I didn't let him finish his sentence; I feigned going for his neck again.

He instinctively covered it leaving his chest exposed I punch him in the diaphragm with my left drawing out all the air from him.

He was kneeling and trying to take in air. With my sword raised above his head, I prepared the killing blow.

An aged voice screamed out, "Stop," which did not affect me as I brought the sword down and decapitated the young man.

Oddly enough I could see his eyes glaring at me with an unwillingness after the head had dropped and rolled, this made me want to keep the body in the name of science.

"No!" a choir of reluctance and grief reaches my ears, drawing me out of my thoughts.

Two figures ran out of the crowd and down the wall, but the attendant and a group of guards stopped them.

I walk out and head back to the hunter's guild.

I go straight to the back room without being invited and wait with Isla.

A few hours later, Bund comes in with a cart of pouches.

"Thank you for keeping your end of the bargain."

"Have they all been wiped out"? I asked him

"No, the elder of the family was notified the moment Jud lost the match that the servants were gone, and they decided to pull out of the village they let through the western exit not too long ago."

The people are using the Olim as hostages outside of the village, and the villagers here are their protection inside.

But leaving was the worst thing they could have done.