The Deal He Made

"So, are you sure about this, bro?" Bruno asked. The dark-skinned boy almost sounded nervous.

"Don't you have any confidence in me?" Davi raised an arm and kept his hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked down the halls that led to the open field all the exam-takers had been in earlier. He wasn't alone, either, flanked by several other men, most of whom were village folk or commoners who were cheering him on. Up ahead, past the hallway, he could hear more cheering as most of the elite stood behind Rowan and were rooting for him.

The upcoming match had been the talk of the boys' dorm, and since it was a noble against a random, no-named commoner, it had seemingly split into two different fan bases. 

Bruno shrugged. "It's not that I don't think you won't win; you're strong, there is no doubt about that, but nobles are born with more mana or unique traits. They also have tons of money, allowing them to buy their way into having a full grimoire. It's hard to take them down. Not to mention, this isn't a simulation; it's a real fight, and you can't just kill him. Can you even hold back when you fight?"

"I took that one guy down when we first met and didn't kill him." Davi pointed out.

"That 'one guy' has a name." Ash huffed out, flanking behind Bruno.

Davi turned his head when he heard the voice and cracked his knuckles. "Are you here to try and get a rematch with me after I finish with Rowan?"

"No! Stop assuming I want to fight you!"

Davi ignored the weird boy who always sought a fight with him and instead focused on his upcoming match. The dorm room he was in, he shared with Bruno, along with two other boys, one named Max and the other named Cain. Max was a grown-ass man and a little weird, and Cain was super edgy, so Davi just ignored both. Cain also seemed to have some beef with Bruno, so sadly, Davi found himself constantly being followed around by Bruno, who was seemingly ready to use him as a human shield if Cain tried anything.

Also in the dorm, there had been a change of clothes, which Davi eagerly switched into. He wasn't sure if he got to keep any of the clothes, so he made sure to steal as much as he could and stuff it all in his vault. His current outfit was entirely black, just like his armor. Black boots, black pants, a black shirt, and even a long black jacket, which he could whip around, creating extra shadows.

He was as ready as he could be. The only thing he needed now was the sword he'd be using. 

"About time," Rowan called out as Davi and the other men exited the hallway. "Are you ready to get your ass kicked?"

"No." Davi shook his head. "I'm ready to win, though."

The sandy arena was filled with dozens of nobles who all stood on one side. All the bleachers and thrones were empty, and up in the sky, the moon was starting to reach the top of the sky. Pretty Face had permitted them to do the duel since they were both consenting but made sure also to tell them that no Knights would be watching it or considering it, so it wouldn't be used to tip the scales of any captain's favor.

Of course, Davi already figured out a way around that…

Naturally, killing also wasn't allowed, and any injury that prevented them from competing in the two tests tomorrow was on them. 

Some people cheered for Davi as he approached Rowan, but most were cheering for the noble. Most of the girls decided not to come watch the fight or had forgotten about it, and several boys, like Cain or Max, didn't want to stay up for it and went to bed early. As a result, the arena was vast and spacious, unlike earlier.

There was also one other thing that Davi hadn't accounted for. Rain. A heavy drizzle was coming down from the sky, making the sand hard and clumpy. He was about to fight a water mage in the rain. 

Davi sighed, cursed his luck, and then stopped when he was only ten feet away from Rowan. The noble boy had a smirk on his face and one hand on his short sword. His armor sparkled due to the droplets of water that hit it in just the right way.

"Go ahead," Rowan stated. "Pull out the fishing rod. Let's see if this fight ends the same way it did last time."

Davi shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Oh, I won't be using a fishing rod this time." Davi held his hand out, and his shadow began to expand slightly. "Row Shadow Vault." 

The shadow bubbled, and the black rose up as something began to lift out of it. It was the handle of a sword. It kept coming, revealing a sheathed blade. Davi grabbed the handle and opened his mouth, about to say something, but the sword wasn't the only thing that came lifting out of the shadow. Suddenly, a fist flew forward and rammed itself into Davi's stomach, hitting the man hard enough to make him grunt and nearly double over.

Everyone stared in shock as the hand grabbed at the edge and a woman pulled herself out of the vault, letting out several deep gasps of air. Her skin had turned slightly blue, and frost clung to her body, and she kept shivering. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and she shot a death glare at Davi.

"You bastard! You didn't tell me how fucking cold it would be!" She yelled out, throwing her arms into the air as she stood up. Her frozen state was made all the worse due to the rain that was pouring down. "You almost killed me! Also, what the fuck were those bird things!"

Everyone was extremely confused by what was going on, especially Rowan. "What the hell is happening?" The noble demanded.

Davi grunted and tried to pick himself back up, but the frozen blonde woman roughly kicked him in the side. "It's a long story." He finally managed to say.

***

Earlier that day…

"You smell like shit," Davi said casually, and he plugged his nose. "This is toilet water I'm standing in, isn't it..."

After going to look for a sword, the last thing he expected was to run into some woman who had managed to flood the entire hallway. The blonde woman's glare just grew sharper, and a low growl came out of her.

"Yeah, well, I feel like shit, too." There was a loud rumble, and the woman clutched at her stomach harder, and her knees buckled. "Damn, Guild bathrooms. I told them to enchant them to be indestructible, but they ignored me. This is the ninth one that blew up on me, and I don't think I'm going to make it to the next one." The woman's face turned a little scarlet as she tried her best to hold her guts in. "Damn, damn, damn." She attempted to stand once more and began to hobble off.

Davi cocked his head to the side and looked her up and down. "You know, I think I can help you, but it'll cost you."

"Not now, kid; I'm not interested in a pyramid scheme. I'm about to do something we'll both regret being present for if I don't hurry." The woman huffed.

"Just so you know, I'm pretty sure the other toilets on this floor are also blown up," Davi responded. "I saw a lot of destroyed ones that still had the door shut. Talk about bad luck, huh?"

The woman stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes watering a bit. Slowly, she turned to look back at him. "What exactly was your deal? You selling adult diapers or something?"

"I'll tell you, but first, you've got to do something for me." Davi folded his arms.

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly. "If the next words that come out of your mouth are something sexual, I swear I'll cut your willy off."

Unfortunately for the captain of the Phoenix Flight Guild, she has just met Davi Hawker. A reasonable person would have helped a lady in need, no questions asked, but Davi was not a good person.

Slowly, he raised his hand and pointed at the sword that hung from her belt. "I want your sword."

The woman blinked, taken aback by the question. Then she laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, no, not happening." Her laughter stopped, and she groaned again, grabbing at her stomach. "This sword is worth a hell of a lot of Bells. I'm not letting some brat own it. I'd rather that the L and just sh-"

"Alright, let me borrow it!!" Davi said quickly, trying to stop something horrible from happening. The woman paused and winced again, her eyes narrowing even more. It was impossible to tell if it was because of suspicion or effort. "I just need it for one fight," Davi stated. "Just one fight and you can have it back."

The woman gritted her teeth and thought about it for a moment. "Fine! But you don't get it until right before the fight, and I'm watching it, so you don't get to run off! Got it!"

"Sure."

"S-So how can you help me? Do you really have diapers?"

"Row Shadow Vault." Davi stomped his foot down, and his vault began to expand and spread open. The woman felt a chill as the shadow started to envelop her slowly. She could have stepped out easily, but she decided not to. Even if it was a trap, she had a way of getting out after all. "Out of sight, out of mind, just find somewhere to do the deed," Davi said casually. "I'll open it back up when it's time, so just sit tight, okay?"

Letting a woman use his vault as a toilet wasn't really classy, but his vault was literally infinite in size, and he could shove anything that was in it to any part. It was basically no different than someone taking a dump outside in the woods. Now if only it weren't shameful…

It was worth the shame, though. This woman was obviously a captain. At least, his scar ached the same way it did when he first saw the Captains. Combine that with the fiery bird on her sleeve and the horrible luck, and he had a good idea of who he ran into.

A captain was going to watch the fight he had with Rowan, one way or another.

***

Present day…

The blonde woman let out a huff and finally stopped kicking Davi. She looked away and took a moment to gaze at all the baffled faces. "So, which one is the guy you're fighting?" She ordered.

Davi finally stood back up and dusted himself off. Casually, he pointed at Rowan. "Him."

"Oh?" The woman cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, he looks like a pompous noble."

"Excuse me!" Rowan gasped, his eyes going wide. "And who the hell do you think you are!"

"Go ahead." The woman unclicked the sword that hung on her belt, and a twisted smirk formed on her face. "Kick his ass."

Davi caught the sword and wrapped his fingers around it tightly. Unlike Rowan's sword, this one felt right in his hands. It was a katana, one that didn't look particularly special. There was nothing fancy about it, and the handle was wrapped in the same cloth most of the swords were in. These sorts of weapons were most popular in Mordheim, but a few had made it to Estiria. The metal they were made out of was special in the Mordheim kingdom, allowing them to absorb and benefit from mana a lot more than other swords, so even with an enchantment, they could slice through solid iron if the wielder knew what they were doing. 

This one was clearly not a new blade, though, a fact that became obvious when Davi drew it. The blade was worn down, slightly chipped, and cracked, and was also covered in hundreds of scratches that stained the steel. It was a sword that had seen great use, but more importantly, it was also just a blade. There was no enchantment on it.

Davi tossed the sheath back to the woman, and the crowd backed away, making room for him and Rowan. Davi twirled the sword, getting used to the weight, and then finally, he pointed it at his enemy.

"Well," Davi cocked his head to the side. "What are you waiting for? Let's do this."

Rowan stared at the worn blade, and he snorted, drawing his own sword. "Do you really think a blade like that can beat me?"

"I kicked your ass with a fishing pole last time. What do you think's going to happen now that I have a real sword?"

Rowan's eyes flashed with rage, and he sliced his sword down as hard as he could. "Row Water Cutter!" The rain allowed the nobleman to cut down on how much mana would usually be used. His energy grabbed the natural water source and made it his own, swirling it all together and pulling it all down into a thin line that was over ten feet long. The blade whipped through the air and shot toward Davi, who remained confident even as the rest of the crowd hit the deck.

A brilliant wave of blue surrounded Davi, most of it swirling around the sword, which he swung up with one hand. His sword sliced through the blade of water like it was nothing, and he began to walk toward Rowan slowly. Rowan used another spell and sliced down with his sword, trying to send a whip of water Davi's way, but the raven-haired man side-stepped it.

The people watched the fight, many yelling out cheers. A majority were for Rowan, who kept throwing spell after spell out. Each one would be different. One moment he'd create blades of water, the next he'd build a giant fist of liquid, and then a moment later tendrils, but no matter what he threw, it didn't work. Davi just kept cutting through it or dodging it with ease. 

Rowan was starting to get worried because it really didn't feel like he was fighting the same person he had been able to go toe-to-toe with earlier that day.

"We didn't actually discuss the terms of the duel, did we?" Davi asked, and he casually tore through another water cutter. Rowan went to take a step back, but Davi suddenly stepped forward much faster and slammed his sword down toward Rowan, who barely blocked it. "How about we go till first blood? Does that work for you?"

Rowan was about to say something, but his arms struggled to hold his sword up. Davi's blade was above him, and he kept pressing down. "H-How the hell are you this strong!"

"Do you have any idea how much mana I had to force into that fishing rod so it wouldn't explode on your weapon?" Davi asked coldly. "That was mana I could have been using to reinforce my arms, my muscles, or even an actual weapon, but instead, all that mana was wasted so that I would be able to clash with you. You really didn't consider what would happen when I got my hands on an actual weapon, did you? Instead, you just got cocky and thought that you saw everything I could do in the simulation. I wonder, do any of these people who are cheering you on know that you already lost to me? That with some fishing wire I sliced your head clean off your body?"

"Shut up!" Rowan's mana flared up, and he finally shoved Davi off him. He jumped back, getting several feet away, and used another spell. "Row Water Skin!" The liquid formed around him, creating his skintight armor. Once it was on, he took a calming breath and forced a grin. "Ha! Good luck hurting me now. I'm not going to let you hit me with the same attack you used last time! Row Water Blade! Row Water Spear! Row, Water Tiger!" Rowan rapidly used three spells, water twisting and bending itself to his will, firing toward Davi, who began to dodge the rapid strikes that kept coming his way. "Ha! Look at him run! That's all he can do!" Rowan laughed again, but he stopped when he saw the crowd.

Most of them had been giving him their support, but now their looks changed, and he couldn't help but hear the muttering that was happening around him.

"Did he really lose to a commoner?"

"How has he not hit that nobody yet?"

"That guy's name is Davi, right? Has he even used a spell? Don't tell me a member of the Zyne family can't even deal with someone who isn't using spells."

"What were we expecting, though? His father is a failure of a Knight, after all."

"Their whole family is rotten to the core."

"Maybe it'll be a good thing if that nobody beats him."

"Yeah…"

"Yeah."

"Yeah!"

"Davi!"

"Go, Davi!"

"You can beat him!"

Rowan watched as most of the crowd began to change and root for Davi, who was running and dodging past his attacks. Some did it because they wanted the underdog to win, others did it to spite nobility, and the majority still did it because, just like his father, Rowan was a failure.

Rowan felt his arms shake, and sweat started to pour down his face. He slurred a word and messed his spell up, not casting anything, which gave Davi the chance to launch toward him once again, but Rowan quickly forced himself to get back into the jam. "Row Water Spear! Row Water Cutter! Row Water Wave! Why can't I hit you? Row Water Cutter! Row Water Cutter! Row Water Cutter—"

"All those spells, and you're just going to keep spamming the same one over and over again?" Davi stopped dodging and got back to cutting through the spells.

"Shut up! Row Water Cutter! Row Water Cutter! Row Water Cutter!" Rowan yelled. "Just one attack and you lose! I just need to hit you once!" He laughed. "Thanks to this rain, I can do this all night! You'll tire, but I won't! Row Water Cutter! Row Water Cutter! Row—"

"You know, you're not the only one who can use the environment to their advantage." Davi tapped his foot down. "No more putting on a show." He lifted his sword, raising it into the air, and got back into the stance that could slice through the skies themselves. He was far away, though, having no way of hitting Rowan, who used this as his chance to throw another attack out at Davi. The water blade soared through the air, about to hit him, but Davi's spell was faster. "Row Shadow Vault."

Rowan felt an intense chill, and suddenly he began to sink into the ground. The entire area was flooded in darkness due to the clouds above that poured down rain. He tried to force mana into his feet, but then Davi used another spell.

"Row Shadow Robes."

The shadows appeared around Rowan's legs, a sexy-witch girl outfit, stretching out and tying itself around his ankles, causing the noble to lose his footing and fall forward face-first into the vault. He wasn't in there for very long, though, as a moment later he was lifted up directly above Davi, who had twisted the inside of his vault's space to force Rowan to pop out next to him. If he couldn't get to Rowan, he'd just bring Rowan to him.

The blue mana around Davi forced itself into his blade, running along the edge, and he brought it down on the knocked-over Rowan, who tried to raise his own sword up.

Sparks flew, and there was a horrible snapping sound as Rowan's sword was sliced right through. Davi's sword kept going, stopping just short of actually hitting Rowan, but the blade easily tore through his mana shield, splitting it in half just like last time.

Everything moved in slow motion for Rowan as he watched the sword come down toward him. For a moment, he didn't see Davi, but instead he saw his father. An elderly man with a very disappointed look on his face. Then he was suddenly snapped out of it as white-hot pain exploded through his face, and Davi's sword left a thin cut across his cheek. The rain kept pouring down, and red droplets dripped to the ground as Rowan bled.

"I win." Davi turned around, not looking at Rowan. He stopped for a moment and seemed to hesitate. "Good job. You did better than I thought you did. You knew it was going to rain tonight, so you set the fight out here on purpose? You're pretty smart. If I didn't have my shadow vault or my sky-cutting style, I don't think I could have beaten you. You're strong, Rowan."

"Davi!" Davi turned, as did most of the crowd, just in time to see Olivia, along with Ken, running forward. "Why didn't you tell me the fight had started! I would have come and watched!" Olivia huffed out.

Ken raised an eyebrow as she noticed the downed Rowan. Rowan remained on the ground, and his hand was shaking as he felt the side of his face. "You beat him? I guess the Estirian nobility isn't as good as Rossum's." The woman smirked.

Davi casually placed the sword on his side. "Yeah, the fight's over—"

Pain tore through him as Rowan's broken sword rammed into his side. Rowan let out a loud scream as he tackled Davi to the ground, and the two fell back. He twisted his blade and let out a screech. "I won't lose!" He screamed. "I'll show you! I'll show you all!"