The two fighters, now unarmed, made their way back to the center of the room without breaking eye contact for even a moment. They circled each other for a second before Reid charged in.
His wild swings, almost exclusively haymakers, failed to reach their mark as Barboda's clean footwork and tight guard kept him well out of harm.
Reid threw a heavy left at the man's head, but he slips it, countering with a right hook to the ribs. As the boy's hands move instinctually to cover his body, Barboda reloads his right hand, launching another right hook straight to the boy's chin. The hit lands cleanly as the boy stumbles backwards. His visions blurs, as his legs threaten to give out any moment.
Barboda was obviously experienced in hand-to-hand combat as he continued to push forward and pummel the boy, landing shot after shot. Even with just one working arm, the gap in skill and strength was too wide. Reid was little more than a punching bag for the man to vent all of his pent up frustrations from the rest of the fight.
A powerful right knee land's straight on Reid's solar plexus sending the boy flying away. Green light and golden wisps envelop the boy, healing him just enough to bring him to his feet. With how the fight was progressing, the boy knew he was doomed.
Barboda would simply outfight him, and with their limited mana, Amadeus wouldn't have enough chances to slip in enough spells to take him out. He was now desperate, trying to think of anything that could give him even a small chance to defeat the man in front of him.
Only one thing came to mind. It was a risky move, one he wasn't sure he could pull off. It was something he'd never been able to do before, but he had no other options.
'If there's ever a time for it to work, it's now.' The boy thought to himself.
As Barboda approached, Reid closed his eyes. He ignored his exhausted muscles, his blood soaked flesh, and the pain that seemed to radiate from every cell in his body. He ignored everything.
'Focus. Focus. Focus.'
He could feel Barboda inch closer and closer. With each step, he could feel his intimidating aura clearer, then it clicked. This aura he felt washing over him was Barboda's spirit, and now that he could feel it, he understood the true difference in their strength. He was but a sapling standing before a towering oak.
But that wasn't going to stop the boy. He understood better than anyone, the consequences of giving up in a life or death situation.
Barboda was now directly in front of him. His single working hand guarding his face. He went to throw a cross when spirit energy began to surge through the boy. In a move of sheer defiance, Reid put everything, from his body, heart, and spirit, into one final blow.
With a spirit enhanced body, Reid out-sped Barboda's cross and landed a powerful punch straight onto the man's chest plate. The impact resounded like a thundercrack as fist met steel. The large man was lifted off his feet by the blow, but it wasn't enough.
"Not bad for your first spirit art. How about I show you how it's actually done?"
Reid's hands were at his side as he tried and failed to catch his breath. That last punch had used every last bit of his energy. He was too tired to even guard himself as Barboda stepped forward and launched an unusually slow strike straight to his face.
The punch was soft, but the impact was not the main focus of the blow. A shockwave of spirit energy permeated through Reid's head, knocking him out instantly. The boy started falling immediately.
Barboda's body relaxed as the boy began to fall backwards. Suddenly the boy's hair color changed, and his now glowing white eyes shot open defiantly.
The man had no time to process the change as the boy grabbed his still extended arm and twisted around, performing a near perfect shoulder throw as the man was slammed into the hard stone floor.
"Gahh!"
The boy, who had been forcibly switched with Amadeus, wasted no time as he jumped down and locked the man's single working arm into an arm bar. Amadeus pushed hard with his hips, hoping to break his last remaining arm, but it was for naught. The hulking man was simply too strong. His sheer strength was a wall that their young body couldn't overcome.
"You damn brute!" Amadeus shouts as he forms a red runic circle line by line. The process was slow, completely different to the instant firing runes he had made in the mental plane. As it finally finishes, it ignites a flame right on the man's bicep. He groans as his skin is seared.
"Who are you calling a brute!" Barboda replies as he fills his arm with spirit energy, using the enhanced strength to throw Amadeus off of himself. Barboda then rolls over and uses his one good hand to prop himself up.
However, before he can get back to his feet he feels the boy jump onto his back. One small arm wraps around his throat while he uses the other to pull his grip tight. The man reaches up and desperately tries to pull the arm away from his neck.
"Just go down already!" Amadeus shouts as he makes one last runic magic circle. With the last dregs of his mana, he ignites a green circle, causing liquid to pour into the exposed hole in Barbodas armor.
"AARghhHH!" Barboda shouts as the liquid burns his body causing him to release his grip on the boy. Almost immediately, he could feel his consciousness start fading as the grip around his neck tightens.
In a panic he begins to sprint backwards.
The massive man slams hard into the wall, using the boy as a cushion. He feels the grip around his neck loosen slightly, but he was far from free. Amadeus retightens his grip while Barboda prepares to charge once more. It was now a battle of wills.
*Slam*
*Slam*
*Slam*
One final slam echoed through the room before both men slowly slid down the wall. A long and eerie moment of silence fell upon the coliseum. They both sat there motionless, completely exhausted, until one finally stood up to claim their place as the victor.
After he regained his footing, Barboda slowly walked forward and grabbed the bladed half of Reid's broken spear. He walked back to the boy splayed out against the wall and held the blade to his neck. Amadeus could no longer move his body as he stared back at the man.
"Do you yield?" The man asked plainly.
"Never." Amadeus answered softly, his damaged state not allowing him to speak with any volume, but his eyes still burned with an unbreakable resolve.
Barboda let out a long sigh. "Just as I expected. Either way, I declare this match over."
"Match?" Amadeus asked in confusion.
As if in response to his question, the door on the other side of the room swung open as a large group casually walked into the room.
The first to enter the room was a thin man of average height. His golden hair and handsome face, combined with his elegant outfit and mannerism, gave the impression he was high nobility. His entire presence indicated that he was someone important, someone who should not be ignored.
Next was a short older woman. She wore a simple cloak that covered her body, and had a majestic pointed hat atop her head. The deep blue hat covered her graying hair and hid part of her long elven ears.
She walked slowly, using a large wooden staff that was far too large for her height. Her eyes shot open as she took a keen interest in Amadeus.
"Oh my, could it truly be?" She says to herself, almost in disbelief. She stops for a moment before continuing with the small procession.
The third person, a tall avian beastkin woman, seemed incredibly nervous. She walked with her hands joined in front of her while looking down at the floor. Her majestic white wings, clawed feet, and long neck gave Amadeus the impression of a dove.
She wore simple white robes that had a green stripe with golden accents running up the front in beautiful geometric patterns. Amadeus recognized the patterns, as many of them were identical to the runic symbols for the patch spell.
The last two people were already quite familiar to Amadeus, as Aron and Lilly walked in the rear. The former flashed him a smile while giving him a thumbs up, while the latter looked at the damage done to the room with abject horror.
"I'm surprised Barboda, that fight was far more intense than I expected." The regal man was the first to speak. The calm and level tone of his voice was incredibly pleasing to the ears.
"Yes guildmaster. His strength varied massively from moment to moment, making it difficult to hold back properly. Most notably I was forced to use C rank levels of spirit energy multiple times during the fight." Not one to mince words, the vice guildmaster gave a short report to his boss.
The guildmaster puts his hand to his chin in thought for but a moment. "I would like to begin with introductions. Stella, could you be a dear and heal the poor boy."
"Y-yes guildmaster!" After hearing his request the beastkin woman began to awkwardly run forward. The uncoordinated display ruined her otherwise majestic appearance.
As she arrived in front of Amadeus and Barboda, she quickly put her hands together and began to chant. A beautiful, sonorous voice filled the chamber.
"AMANADELI VINDIALIS AMASTELA VINDATORI, MASTELIOS!"
As her spell completed a bright green light shot up from below the two wounded warriors. Their bodies were bathed in the light, while golden ribbons began appearing around them. The ribbons wrapped themselves around their injured bodies. A moment later they disappeared, along with their injuries.
"Incredible." Amadeus says as he marvels at his freshly healed body. With the boy now healed, Amadeus put Reid back in control. The group all had varying levels of interest as the boy's hair color and eyes transformed back to normal.
"Huh, wha-" The boy began to wake up in a daze as he saw the large group in front of him. The sensation had become frustratingly familiar to him. He went from left to right taking in each of the new faces.
"What happened? What did I miss?"
The regal man is the first to speak up yet again.
"I'll explain that in due time, but for now, allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Varen Baleblood, guildmaster for the Alcacia branch of the hunters guild. To my right is the Headmistress of the Royal Mage's College, Miss Maycellia Veralis." Varen gestures to the elder elven woman with the large pointed hat.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, young rune mage." Maycellia answered as she looked the boy up and down, seemingly appraising him. "And please, just call me May."
"In front of you is Stella, the head healer of the Mage's College." Varen continued on, not giving Reid any time to respond.
"Nice to meet you." Her voice was difficult to hear as she talked while looking down at the ground.
"Last are Aron and Lilly, with whom you are already acquainted."
"Yo." Aron gave a quick reply as Lilly simply nodded her head.
"Um, nice to meet you all. My name is Reid and I'm-" But the boy was cut off.
"No." The guildmaster said firmly.
"I'm sorry?"
"When giving introductions, you give your full name. Your real full name." The intense look in his eyes gave no room for discussion.
"From Barbados statement at the start, I assume they already know who you really are. Lying will surely make this situation worse." Amadeus warns the boy.
"Yeah, I can see that." He agrees while looking around the intimidating room.
"Okay. My name is Reid, Reid… Valestone." The boy spits the name out with audible disgust.
"Good. And the other?"
Realizing what he was asking, Amadeus quickly took over.
"Amadeus Caesar. It's a pleasure." He gave a small bow before switching back with the boy.
"Excellent. Now that introductions' are out of the way allow me to explain what we are doing here today." Varen puts his hands behind his back as he begins his explanation.
"Given your unusual behavior, combined with the completed assassination contract under your name from the mercenary's guild, I'm sure you can understand why we had suspicions about you. We had decided to wait and observe your movements when we suddenly got a report about the recent kidnapping incident.
I brought Aron in to ask him about your involvement. Thanks to his testimony, the pieces finally started to fall into place. That's when I decided it would be best to test you. Both to get a better understanding of your capabilities, and to understand your personalities better."
Varen hesitates for a moment before starting again.
"Before I continue this discussion, there was one thing that I couldn't quite figure out. What was the reason for the assassination contract? The official report states that you were taken in at a young age as a servant of the house and were eventually given the Valestone name.
Then you reportedly tried and failed to kill your master, hence the justification for the contract. However that story seemed wrong to me. Too many things just didn't add up. I know Lord Valestone, and him giving his name to a mixed blood child? Preposterous! That man is as prejudiced as they come!"
Reid takes a moment to reply. "You are correct guildmaster. The real reason for the assassination contract is more complicated than that. I am not a Valestone by adoption, I'm one by blood. I am an illegitimate child of Lord Valestone and one of his beastkin servants. He made me swear to keep my real identity a secret, and forced work for him while pretending to be a servant.
He promised I would become a knight in his guard if I had powerful talents, or a servant if I had none. In time, however, I came to learn the truth. If I did not come to possess any noteworthy talent then he would have me discreetly dealt with, so when I found out my only talent was enhanced senses I decided to run away.
That's when he made the contract. That way he could tie up loose ends and have his secret die with me. He figured it would be better to kill his own son than risk people finding out he himself was a halfblood."
Looks of horror filled the room after hearing Reid's origin. Varen nodded sagely, tucking away that 'halfblood' comment as political ammo for later.
"I see. That sounds a lot more like the Valestone I know. I'm truly sorry you had to go through something like that. And thank you, that clears up the last concern I had." The guildmaster looks toward his vice guildmaster.
"Barboda, give us the full report once you get cleaned up. As for you Reid, lets get you changed. We can continue this conversation in the written examination room when you're done."
With a quick wave of his hand, the guildmaster brought Lilly forward. In her hands she held a bag containing a brand new set of 'green' hunters armor. This new set was the exact same set as the thrashed one Reid was currently wearing.
"Here you go!" Lilly says with a smile as she hands him the outfit.
"Thank you, but uh… do I need to pay for this?" The boy asked nervously.
"Nope! This ones on the house. Think of it as the guildmaster's way of apologizing for this test."
Reid breathes a sigh of relief. "That's great, but where am I supposed to change?"
"You can use the observation room in the back. Oh, and don't worry about the glass. It's one way so you can see out but we can't see in."
"Okay, I'll try to be quick." Reid starts to walk toward the door before suddenly freezing in place. "That means they saw the whole fight doesn't it"
"I would assume so. Except during the smokescreen, they probably couldn't see us then."
"Oh good." Reid answers sarcastically.
With the conversation over, everyone began to exit the room, save two.
Lily walks over to Barboda, whose eyes were closed and arms crossed.
"Here you go." She says while handing him a folded up suit.
He slowly opens his eyes as he grabs the crisp uniform in front of him. "Thank you."
"Tired?" She asks.
"Yes… They may not be strong at the moment, but they have a lot of promise. Also fighting them… was just awful." Remembering all of the pain the new hunter had subjected him to, he closed his eyes yet again.
"I'm never proctoring for him again, leave it up to the other hunters next time."
Lilly could do nothing but smile awkwardly as she remembered all of the unique and painful attacks her boss just had to endure.