Innate physical prowess coupled with a naturally combative nature was the beastkin I knew. They trained themselves to fight, to quench their endless thirst for victory, all to follow what their instincts told them.
I’d heard that fights...well, civil unrest surrounding the throne still persisted in their country, so I imagined their nature was still on display even in modern times. I’d like to believe that, at least. It was a country I wanted to visit one day.
The two fighters stood in the middle of the ring. The cheering came to an abrupt stop. I was sure many of our spectators today had come just to see this match. Both of them had very real popularity, so I was looking forward to it.
It’s time to begin. Dazzle us all with your brilliance.
“Let the match...begin!”
The referee gave the signal. Zeon strode forward, looking as if he were on a casual walk, no hesitation in his movements, no stance readied.
And he kept that up until he was right in front of Lynokis, fully prepared to strike.
“This will be a match of speed,” I informed the audience. “Watch closely. Try not to blink.”
Like a flowing wave, Zeon’s body swayed slightly left...
And then his fist shot right out.
He aimed for Lynokis’s face, but she dodged and sent out a counter punch—but it was too slow!
Zeon had already dodged her fist, and his kick hit Lynokis square on the back of the head.
Or not—she was able to dodge that one. She had moved forward slightly when she’d thrown out her punch, and that moved Zeon’s target. It looked like it might’ve landed ever so slightly, but it wasn’t a direct hit. If it had been, this match would’ve been over.
Lynokis rolled away from Zeon and got back into her stance.
“Whoooooaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” The crowd went wild. That interaction was over in a moment, but it almost certainly caught their attention. That was a level of exchange we hadn’t seen in the tournament so far.
This may be quite an interesting watch, after all. Though in my case, I could defeat both of them at once even while lost in the daydream of beating Bendelio to a pulp.
Sonicspeed Zeon. The speed he was exhibiting now was above and beyond what he’d been showing previously—this must be him at his most serious.
But he was delicate. His body was light and he didn’t have much in the way of muscle, so his physical strength wasn’t anything to write home about. He was strong enough that he could definitely take a regular person out in one hit, but against someone like Gandolph, his attack probably wouldn’t even tickle. With his limbs being buffed only by his speed, it was only natural that his bone had broken back then.
And that was fine. He was an adventurer by trade, so he would usually be using a weapon. Of course his body wouldn’t be built to win a bare-handed fight.
All of that said, he was certainly strong. He was still a baby bird trying to fly, but he was a little faster than Lynokis even when she used chi.
However, judging from all aspects, Lynokis was the stronger fighter. If Zeon didn’t confront her head-on without any crafty tricks, Lynokis would win.
The real question was if she could finish this match having sustained as few injuries as possible.
“You’re not as bad as I thought.” Zeon, having closed the distance between them again, was staring down Leeno with ferocious eyes.
“What makes you say that?”
Truthfully, Lynokis was terrified. Her instincts were cowering from the intense bloodthirst she could sense from the man in front of her. She’d felt the unrestrained ferocity of monsters aimed at her before, but never so clearly from a human. His kick had been incredible. She’d dodged a direct hit, but just barely.
This beastkin’s intense pressure, starving eyes, and killing intent... Was it possible for human malice to terrify the soul to such a level?
“As we can all see, I’m a beastkin. My fights are equivalent to a hunt. I hide in the shadows, leap from my prey’s blind spot, and take it down. I see no meaning or reason behind fighting so publicly. At least, I didn’t.”
Lynokis understood what he was saying. Ambushes carried out with the element of surprise were the cornerstone of hunting and an ironclad rule. There was no good reason to fight a monster head-on. The hunter would launch a surprise attack, set up traps, and make use of the terrain. They wouldn’t shy away from fighting in numbers.
Hunting was a form of survival of the fittest. “Fair play” and “cowardice” held no meaning in a fight for one’s life. Hunters who wasted their time spouting such philosophies wouldn’t last very long.
“Now, though, I’ve changed. I no longer view fights like this as pointless. The cheers, the eyes watching us, none of it bothers me anymore, so long as I have resolved myself. It even motivates me now.”
Lynokis also understood this. She’d also found that fighting in this tournament had gotten easier for her when she’d solidified her resolve.
“Take this seriously or I’ll rip you to shreds,” he snarled.
There was no beating around the bush.
Lynokis closed her eyes...and then opened them again.
She asked herself.
Was this beastkin frightening?
No.
How could he be considered frightening? She’d shared her meals and slept alongside a far more terrifying person than this man. Compared to Nia, this man was nothing more than a pup.
Her mind calmed.
She could still fight. She could never call herself Nia’s number one disciple if she couldn’t even win this.
“Don’t die, okay? I’ll be disqualified if you do,” Lynokis taunted.
Chi Fist: Rumbling Thunder was a move that Nia had told her not to use against regular people. But Zeon wasn’t a regular person. Nia shouldn’t care if she used it against this wolf.
I saw when Lynokis’s eyes sharpened. She’d finally found her resolve too. She was ready to see this battle through with all of her strength. If she’d reached that headspace, the end would be near. Both fighters had ultimate winning moves. It wouldn’t take long.
“Both fighters are about to make their move. You’ll miss it if you so much as glance away.”
The cheering slowly faded, the arena becoming so quiet it was as if it were empty. It was so quiet you could hear someone swallowing. Everyone was holding their breath as they watched the two squaring off in the ring. You could feel the tension rising in the air.
And then...they moved.
Zeon went in for a punch followed by swift footwork and a feint. Lynokis responded to each move with clear intention. She blocked a kick, dodged the following roundhouse kick, and then closed the distance.
She was in range to punch him—but Zeon had also moved forward at the same time.
The two pressed together and then...
“Agh?!”
Lynokis let out a small scream.
Now that’s more like it. This was what I was expecting from a beastkin.
Zeon had bit her. He’d aimed for her throat, but Lynokis had realized and managed to dodge at the last minute, so he’d caught her shoulder instead. It was a good attack too. He’d managed to bite right into her even through her clothes.
But it wasn’t good enough. Zeon’s jaw was not powerful enough to do anything more than that. He could sink his teeth into her, but he didn’t have the power to tear apart meat and bones. If he could, he might have been able to overturn the likely outcome of this match.