Chapter 18: Party and Duel - Part 2

"Martial Arts, huh? I feel that I am also going to participate since everyone knew that we focused on martial arts."

"Then, we will now announce the 14 chosen participants for this event," The announcer said as the projector from the opposite side of the place where the announcer stands projected to the wall.

I looked into the names and there is only one participant in every family and the other two are representatives of the government.

Lucy is the representative of Scott, Ain is the representative for Fronda, Viole for Wellston, Yuno for King and I represent my family. The five of us who are participating in the event stood up and went into the arena behind the stage, 'I didn't know that there is an arena behind those walls. Technology is surely developing very fast, huh?'

We went ahead of the stage and saw another stage, no, it's looking more likely an artificial jungle in a gym. We went to the preparation room of ourselves and we found our butlers there already.

"Young master, please be careful," Brutus said and I only replied with a smile. I stretched for a moment and changed the clothes. I will be a mess if I used a suit in a battle. After changing, immediately left the room. On my way to Ain's room, I encountered Lucy again.

"It seems like you are also going to participate, Theo," Lucy said as someone from behind me put something in my pocket.

"I thought that Lily or Gaius will participate but it seems like I didn't think that this is coming so learn the movement technique and the first three techniques on that piece of paper," Falcon's soft voice whispers from behind that made Lucy a little bit uncomfortable on his presence.

Falcon left and I sighed. I looked behind but he isn't there anymore. Luckily, only Lucy whom eyes are on me is the only person who is looking at me. Plus, we already moved into the arena and we are starting to prepare for battle, if my siblings saw that, they might get suspicious of me.

"Who is that? Are you guys making an illegal transaction or some sort?" She asked and I replied with a shake in my head, "He is my master, don't tell anyone. Okay?"

"Why?" She asked as she looked at me with curiosity in her eyes.

"You don't have to know what you must not know" I replied but she is not giving up.

"Who is he?" "Who is he?"

She asked and she asked many times about his identity and then when I am not answering for more than 20~30 same questions, she gave up.

'She is too stubborn!'

"I don't want anyone to know my relationship with him, after all. He is a very dangerous man, I think" I said as I stared at her disappointed face.

"You think?" She immediately asked and I simply replied, "I feel like my master is a really dangerous person or figure behind the scenes, you know? Since he let you see him, he must've trusted you"

"Trust?" She immediately thinks of something but it seems like she is resisting herself from remembering.

We arrived in front of the room of Ain and when I opened it, Yuno, Ain, and Viole are inside.

"Oh, Theo! Did you saw the match-up?" Ain asked and I replied with a shake of my head.

"Well, all of our first battles is not easy," Ain explained and I immediately asked, "Why?"

He gave me a piece of paper and our names are there with our opponents in order:

1ST BATTLE: DUEL

AIN FRONDA VS. WILLY HUSTON

BRYAN VASQUEZ VS. CERA BERNARDO

YUNO KING VS. ZERO DAILLE

LUCY SCOTT VS. HATTER WATSON

ELIZABETH BASTION VS. FRED DWAINE

VIOLE WELLSTON VS. JOHN THOMPSON

THEO XEROS VS. ANSELMO ANDERSON

"My opponent, Willy is very good at speed but lacking strength. I have a 50/50 chance of winning against him" Ain said with a serious tone as I continued looking at my opponent.

"Anselmo? Atalina's older brother?" I asked and they immediately nod.

Ain said with a sigh, "But Theo, your opponent, is very powerful you know? He is faster than any person, I know. He is faster than Willy. I hope you can win it so that we won't get in a fight with him..." Yuno said and continued, "As for me, I have no chance of winning against a martial arts genius, because I am not a martial arts freak after all. I am focused on law..."

"Well, you have no choice but to participate. Hehe," I said as if I am teasing a brat.

"Yeah, well how about Hatter and John? Lucy and Viole's opponent?" I asked and Yuno took his phone and read a message loudly.

"Hatter Watson is a detective trainee and a genius at Asia's ancient martial arts but he is mediocre at aura manipulation," Yuno said and stared at Viole, he continued, "Well, Bryan is not that genius at martial arts but he has a very tough body. Speed won't work at him at all because he also has special eyes that can see fast objects"

'It's similar and different to my [Eyes of Light]. He can see fast objects while I predict the trajectory of the object. It is also useful in battle but even though I don't want to use this ability, it seems like I have to. Is Anselmo that powerful that nobody wants to fight with him?'

'Come to think of it, it seems like Ain has 'that' thing...'

Ding!

The sound of the alarm signifies the start of the event.

We immediately left the room with our weapons. We entered the open field of the artificial jungle and on the bleachers, many people are watching us.

'Big sister, brother, and Rafaela are watching too... I will get embarrassed if I lost...'

"Well, then, all of our participants are here. Then let's start immediately on the very first battle of the duel round! Ain Fronda vs Willy Huston!" The announcer announced as he signaled Ain and Willy to step forward.

He raised his hand and when the two people were positioned, he announced: "FIGHT!"

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Ain PoV:

I stared at him and guarded myself since he is fast, I think I won't see him coming at all!

"FIGHT," the announcer said and I immediately guarded myself because it is better than sorry.

He ran immediately and he is agile. 'I can see him but my body is slow...'

He unsheaths his sword while he is running towards me. His sword is a long one, you can't even tell that it is a long sword. It is more likely a broadsword.

He swung the sword at me and I blocked it easily because his attack is downwards. As my hands holding my sword, blocking the broad sword above me, Willy kicked me in the chest while he is still in mid-air.

'He didn't fight me with strength but agile and trick!! He is really a fighter that focused on movement and speed!'

I dashed towards him after getting kicked by him and slashed upwards hitting him. I managed to hit him but it is not fatal nor deep. He used me as a jumping apparatus earlier and since he is still in the air, I can take every opportunity of that and attack him.

'He will avoid close combat using a sword with me'

He immediately used some kind of technique and stance himself.

"[Huston Ancestor Style: Heavy Blade]"

He dashed towards me after muttering those words and strikes me heavily on my right side. It is fast but luckily, I managed to block it in a second. His stance told me that he will slash on my side, after all.

"You are really a difficult opponent, Willy," I said as he stared and grin at me, "Well, you too. I didn't think that you can block the attack with my speed and force. I thought you would get thrown, you know?"

I smiled and said, "You relied on speed and used the advantage of your speed and force to create your own strength, huh? Clever"

I may be smiling but I don't really know how to deal with him. I can't fight him with speed because I am slower. His weakness is probably his fragile enemy.

I used a single strike and his wound on his chin looks pretty serious now. Blood is slowly gushing out from his chin.

'His skin is weak. I can defeat him if he has a weak spot during attacks. For now, I should watch all of his move'

He dashed towards me and used another technique that made me feel uncomfortable.

"[15th Heavenly Pierce!]" He muttered and prepared his sword in a piercing position as he dashes towards me.

'It looks like he is going to piercing fifteen times'

"[Fronda Style: Dwarven Steel]"

I blocked the pieces using the pierce-blocking technique alongside the evasion technique of my family called [Fluttering Leaves].

When the fifteenth pierce is about to hit, it seems like he used his small strength, force, and speed of the first fourteen pierce and strike it into one. It threw me away from Willy.

When it is about to hit me, I managed to block it in a short period of time. 'That is dangerous!' I said to myself as I am balancing myself.