Chapter 25 What Is A Boy To A God?

"Fight me?" Red Hercules nodded. "Yes, I'm here to challenge you to a match of combat." Everyone was confused, but also feared for Gabe. The Bartender just kept wiping glasses like usual, looking as if he wasn't listening when he really was. "Let's take this outside." Red Hercules said, Gabe, nodded. Casity and Red Hercules left the bar, Mark wasn't concerned because he didn't believe Red Hercules wanted Gabe's bounty, also he knew that Red Hercules most likely didn't know about the massive bounty because of Gabe's new clothes. Gabe and Casity had been outside of Red River by the fence, standing in front of Red Hercules. "What's this about?" Gabe asked. Red Hercules explained. "After I met you in the Bar, my intention was to go after my next target. Billy the Kid." This slightly angered Casity, which Gabe noticed and felt sorry for. "I've heard Billy was a cunning opponent and very noteworthy for his honor and strength. So I decided to challenge him with the intention of having a fair battle with him." Gabe and Casity kept listening. "Then, while I was looking for Billy the Kid, I heard news that he was defeated by somebody already and currently imprisoned in Gavin D.C. I then decided to go there to get answers for myself, figuring out who could possibly have the battle power to challenge one of the most powerful crime bosses in the West." Gabe started to put the puzzle pieces together, realizing what he was essentially saying. "Then, once I made it to Gavin D.C, Billy had told me while he was imprisoned that he had been defeated by the same child I met at the bar in Red River, which both confused and interested me." Gabe was surprised, Red Hercules, one of the strongest men in the world came all this way just to challenge him because he defeated Billy. Casity had felt relieved that Billy wasn't killed some time after they left, it's not much to go off of since that would have most likely been a month ago, but it was still information that reassured her nonetheless. "So, I've searched far and long for you with the sole purpose of figuring out how powerful you truly are." Gabe looked nervous. "You're not going to like bring me with you if I lose or anything and see if you could get a bounty, right?" Red Hercules gave a disappointed face. "Boy, I am an honorable man. Not to mention you have no bounty that concerns me at the moment, at least until you prove yourself." They both were silent for a second. "So, do you accept this battle challenge?" Gabe knew instantly that if he were to fight Red Hercules, he would have no chance of winning. Casity also knew Gabe didn't stand a chance, so she had thought he would naturally decline. Gabe then surprisingly smiled. "I accept Red Hercules."

This shocked Casity, she immediately slapped him in the face. "Aw, what was that for?!" She dragged him away from Red Hercules for a second for what was implied to be a private chat. "ARE YOU INSANE!?" She whispered to Gabe. "I want to do this Casity, it's my choice." Gabe tried to walk back toward Red Hercules, but Casity grabbed his shirt and pulled him back to her. "Ok, normally I wouldn't get mad if it was an average bounty hunter and would let you fight and be reckless, but this is RED HERCULES! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT! AKA THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD!" She was scolding him a lot, which was understandable for Gabe. He thought about it again, but decided his choice was the right choice. "I know, it's stupid, and reckless. But I still want to do it, if I want to be the strongest, then I need to see what it's like to fight somebody at the strongest level." Casity still didn't look like she accepted that answer. "Plus, if I'm gonna find this person one day, then I need to fight my way through people to find them, strong people. Not to mention if we go through with my plan, then I'll probably go head to head with the government's army." Casity started thinking, Gabe waited for an answer, along with Red Hercules who was still in the background waiting for an answer. "5 Minutes." She said. "You have 5 minutes, I don't care if you are winning or losing, in 5 minutes I will step in and pull you out of the fight by force if I have to." Gabe nodded, knowing there was no other way to convince her to let him fight.

Gabe then walked up to Red Hercules, he took off her shirt, leaving him shirtless. As soon as Casity saw this, she blushed. Gabe punched his palm, implying he was ready for a fight, Red Hercules then smiled and did the same. "Alright then Child, before we fight, what is your name?" Gabe was confused by that question. "Sometimes when you face an opponent, they may want to know the name of the worthy opponent they have faced, so they could remember it for all of time." Gabe couldn't think of a name to use, other than his own. "I am Gabriel Vochinch!" Red Hercules looked disappointed. "Do not use your own name, use a name that is unique to you and shows the person you are!" Gabe was confused by that statement, but he kept that in mind. The two got into fighting poses, Casity watched from a distance, both had intense looks on their faces. Gabe had his guard up at all times, waiting for an attack. As Gabe waited, Red Hercules all of a sudden appeared in front of Gabe in no time at all, shocking him. 'HE MOVES FASTER THAN ANYONE I HAVE EVER SEEN!" Red Hercules then delivered a heavy punch that Gabe somehow managed to dodge, but as soon as he dodged, Gabe saw that the impact from the punch was so strong that it created a shockwave at the same strength as hurricane winds. When Gabe saw this, he thought to himself. 'IF I GOT HIT WITH THAT! THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN OBLITERATED!' Gabe jumped back and put his guard back up, Red Hercules stood in front of Gabe for a second, only to once again disappear. 'He's way too fast for my eyes to even see him, where the hell did he go?' Gabe looked around to try and find him, but then he realized there was one spot he didn't check. Gabe looked behind him nervously, only to see Red Hercules preparing another punch. Gabe turned around, this time he couldn't dodge since the fist was too close, but he couldn't touch the fist since if he did then he would die. Casity was freaking out, it had been 2 minutes already and she promised not to interfere until 5 minutes had passed. Gabe then closed his eyes and put his hands to his side, shocking Casity and Red Hercules for making such a reckless move. 'What is he doing? Is he trying to make me feel bad so I won't hit him? What a cowardly move!' Red Hercules then decided not to show pity and hit him as his fist got closer, only for Gabe to lift his left hand and brush the side of his fist off to the left, along with Red Hercules. This move shocked both Casity and Red Hercules. 'How did he?' They both wondered. Red Hercules then turned around after being launched forward, Gabe also turned around and opened his eyes, only to reveal the Dark Blue eyes. They had shocked both Red Hercules and Casity. 'HE HAS THE RAGNA!?' They both thought as they looked at his eyes that stare into your soul. 'I've known him for a month! How could he possibly have hid this from me!?' It all started to make sense to her, how could an 11 year old boy beat one of the most powerful crime bosses in the West? The same applied to Red Hercules, only he was even more surprised. 'They are the same as…" All Red Hercules saw in that instance was Sam, who he knew had the same eyes. Gabe just stood there with no guard up, leaving him completely open. 'No matter, this just makes me all the more excited to see what he could do.' Red Hercules smiled. He then charged at Gabe again at the same speed, only for Gabe to appear in front of him in mid air with similar speed. 'HE COULD MATCH MY SPEED!?' Red Hercules then went for a punch, only for Gabe to block it with his right hand like he did with Billy the Kid, except this time it was different. Once Gabe had blocked, a cracking noise could be heard. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Gabe's Ragna faded away, surprising Red Hercules. It turns out that the impact from that punch was enough to break Gabe's arm, shocking both Casity and Red Hercules again. Red Hercules took this opportunity and punched Gabe while he was vulnerable in the air, which he did. This punch knocked Gabe to the ground in front of Casity. "GABE!" Gabe proceeded to cough up blood from the impact, Casity then got on her knees to comfort Gabe. "Are you alright?" Red Hercules believed the fight was now over, but it wasn't. "I thought I told you not to interfere unless it's been five minutes…" This shocked Casity and Red Hercules once again. Gabe proceeded to slowly and noticeably weakly get up, making Casity surprised. "Gabe, just end the fight, you've got nothing to prove! Please!" Gabe didn't listen. "I still have 30 seconds, right?" Casity looked confused as Gabe raised his non broken arm and his broken arm, he then proceeded to clap with static coming from the clap. "ARG!" He felt the pain from clapping after breaking his arm, but he didn't care. Red Hercules was confused as to what he was doing, he then saw something that caught his eye. Gabe's right fist had been covered in electricity. "Can it..can it be?" Gabe's determination and tenacity to not give up, even in the worst situations was very admirable to say the least. "Do you wish to continue Gabe?" He nodded with a smile on his face. "I'll never give up until those 5 minutes is up…" Red Hercules once again smiled. "Glad to hear it." He then began to run toward Gabe at a speed where he could see him, Gabe did the same and the two got ready for a punch. Both the Zeus Gauntlet fist and Red Hercules own fist were in front of each other, ready to clash. Both of them then clashed, making sparks fly everywhere around them, blocking Casity's view on what was happening. Once the sparks cleared, she saw the victor, Gabe's right arm looked to be even more damaged then his left. He once again fell on his back in front of Casity, his 5 minutes have passed and he was now beaten badly. "I am the victor." Red Hercules said as he looked at Gabe on the ground, beaten and weak. Casity once again got on her knees to tend to Gabe, she froze Gabe's arms in ice so that they would stay stable, plus the water from the ice would help the wound. Mark and Leroy walked out of Red River holding a poster. "Hey guys, I've got a boun-" Mark saw the condition that Gabe was in, he immediately ran over to him to see if he was alright. "It's alright Red Terror, he'll live." Leroy also went over to Gabe to see if he was alright. "He kept going didn't he?" Mark asked, Casity nodded. Gabe then opened his eyes, making everyone happy. "What..happened…" Gabe saw his arms were in ice and freaked out. "I lost....didn't I?" They didn't answer, Red Hercules on the other hand walked right up to where Gabe layed. "It is true, I was victorious." This made Gabe not surprised, but at the same time disappointed. "But regardless of who won, you still proved to be a worthy foe in my eyes." This confused Gabe. "What do you mean?...I lost...you could have ended the fight easily..." Red Hercules looked disappointed. "Personally, I believe that the best opponents are not the best because their strength is comparable to my own, but they are the best because of their sheer determination." This made Gabe feel a little bit better, he then proceeded to sit up and finally stand up in front of Red Hercules. "Gabe Vochinch, I have something to ask of you." Gabe was confused. "Because of the determination and bravery you exhibited, would you like to come with me to the place I trained, to train under me and become the best bounty hunter of all time?"