Overwhelming Firepower

The people of the Stone Hawk tribe gathered around. A deep horn call echoed through the valley, low and resonant, vibrating against the stone pillars and rolling across the settlement.

The sound cut through work and conversation alike. Tools were set aside, fires were left to burn on their own. Everyone started moving towards a specific area.

The sound of the horn call was that for the Einvígi. As they walked, everyone started to wonder who was challenging their chief.

A few who saw Sir Thalos coming thought it was him, as Sir Thalos has fought the chief many times.

The people continued to talk as they walked, excited to watch the Einvígi.

At the heart of the valley, a wide expanse of bare stone lay exposed, its surface scarred and polished smooth by countless battles. It formed a ring of sorts.

Stone Hawk warriors formed a wide ring around the battleground, spacing themselves evenly, leaving no gaps. Tattoos in dark blue stood out clearly now, patterns rippling as muscles tensed beneath skin hardened by the cold.

Children looked at the center of the wide ring, excited to watch the upcoming battle, imagining when it would be their time to show their worth.

Elders took their places at higher ground, standing atop stone ledges and wooden platforms.

Sir Thalos and Thrall positioned themselves on higher ground so that they could watch the fight more closely.

Two men stepped into the center of the ring, their upper bodies bare. The Einvígi did not allow the use of weapons, aura, mana, or spirit tattoos.

The only thing you could use was your bare body. The only thing you could trust were your instincts and the techniques you have honed.

Varek and Lucen were the two on stage. Varek’s body was truly huge. Standing bare-chested beneath the open sky, he looked less like a man and more like a living slab of muscle and scar tissue.

His frame was wide enough to blot out the view behind him, shoulders like stone slabs stacked atop one another. Old scars crossed his torso, some shallow, some deep, each one telling a story that needed no words.

Dark blue tattoos crawled across his skin, thick lines and sharp angles forming the image of a Stone Hawk mid-dive, its wings spread wide across his back. The ink looked almost alive, shifting subtly as his muscles flexed.

He had other tattoos on his body, but the stone hawk was the largest among them. The number and size of the tattoos meant that he showed honor and bravery in battle many times.

Lucen, on the other hand, was small by comparison, but that didn’t mean his body looked any weaker.

His body was lean, compact, built not for intimidation but for efficiency. There was no wasted movement as he rolled his shoulders once, loosening his joints.

Even though his body had no visible scars that told his story of battle, his very presence told the warriors present what kind of person he was.

Right now, Lucen knew that winning or losing this Einvígi would not make Varek and the people of the Stone Hawk Tribe follow him to battle.

He needed to show the people of the Stone Hawk Tribe that he was someone worthy to fight alongside.

What he needed to do was fight in a way that would excite them. The only way to do that is to fight Varek head-on.

Still, Lucen understood his limitations. Varek was someone considered to be at the same level as Sir Thalos without using their aura or spirit tattoos. Meaning Lucen, with his own unarmed fighting style, wouldn’t win.

He needed to use Acting Adept, but he was still thinking about which character he knew would be good to use in this situation.

Lucen closed his eyes and thought of the character he wanted to copy using Acting Adept. He thought of a man who survived by understanding violence. He was thinking of the guy who was brought back by a seance technique, and immediately started fighting.

Lucen let the image settle as Acting Adept took over him. His breathing slowed. The noise of the valley faded.

The murmurs of the crowd, the wind between the stone pillars, all of that faded in his ears.

When Lucen opened his eyes, something had changed. He no longer stood like someone about to fight. He stood like someone already inside a fight.

His posture lowered slightly, weight settling into the balls of his feet. His shoulders relaxed, arms hanging loose, fingers half-curled—not tense, not clenched.

Varek immediately noticed the change not only in Lucen’s stance, but his very demeanor had changed. Seeing that Lucen seemed ready to fight, there was no need to wait any longer.

The Einvígi had no need for someone to say the fight was starting; the fight started the moment the two fighters decided it.

Varek was the first to make a move. There was no warning, no wind-up, no roar. One moment, he stood still; the next, the stone beneath his feet cracked.

His body surged forward, the distance between them erased in a single step. The air groaned as his fist came in low and heavy.

Lucen did not retreat. The instant Varek entered his range, Lucen’s body reacted because of his battle instinct skill.

His head tilted just enough for the punch to skim past his ribs, skin brushing knuckles hard enough to sting. At the same time, Lucen stepped into Varek’s space instead of away from it.

Lucen’s shoulder slammed into Varek’s chest in perfect timing. The impact disrupted Varek’s balance for a fraction of a second.

That gave Lucen enough time to do something. His heel twisted against the stone, hips turning sharply as his elbow snapped upward toward Varek’s jaw.

Varek’s head jerked a little, and it was at that moment that he did a counter, which was a turning kick aimed at Lucen’s ribs.

The kick came in fast, and his battle instincts warned him too late. Lucen could not dodge, so the only thing he was able to do was try to block.

Lucen blocked with his shin, but the power of the strike was able to push him back into the air.

Varek followed him by jumping and then tried to grab him. The way he opened his arms with his huge body looked like he wanted to devour Lucen.

Midair, Lucen’s body twisted instinctively. His spine curved, shoulders tucking in as he rotated just enough to avoid being caught squarely.

Varek’s arms slammed shut where Lucen had been an instant earlier, the impact sending a thunderous boom through the air. They landed almost at the same time.

Varek hit the stone like a falling boulder, cracks spiderwebbing outward from his feet. Lucen hit the ground differently as he rolled.

Shoulder, back, heel, his body absorbed the impact in a smooth, practiced motion, boots scraping hard against stone as he slid back into a low crouch.

The two then stopped attacking each other. The crowd that was quiet suddenly erupted in cheers, laughter, and many sounds of approval. They might not know who Lucen was, but they liked the way he fought.

Sir Thalos nodded his head in approval. It would seem that his young lord hasn’t slacked off in training, as his body was actually able to withstand Varek’s strike.

Varek turned slowly, eyes wide with excitement. A grin split his face, teeth bared like a beast.

”As expected of the son of the unbreakable one! That was a fun exchange!”

As he was speaking, the atmosphere around Varek seemed to have changed, as there was now a heavier pressure being emitted by him.

”Now that the warm-up is done, let’s see how far you can go.”

Hearing Varek’s words, Lucen straightened from his crouch, rolling his neck once as if loosening stiffness rather than shaking off pain.

Lucen then showed an equally vicious-looking smile as he responded. ”Good. I’d have been disappointed if that was all you had.”

With those words uttered by Lucen, the two of them chuckled almost at the same time as they once again moved.

The two of them moving made the ground crack and caused a shockwave, almost making a few of the nearby warriors take a step back.

Their speed, even without them using any aura, mana, or spirit tattoos, was hard to follow. The two reappeared in the center of the ring, both unleashing a punch.

Lucen’s punch hit Varek on the cheek, while Varek’s punch was blocked by Lucen’s arm. The sound made by both their punches echoed throughout the crowd.

Varek took a few steps back, while Lucen slid a few feet away. The two then quickly recovered and once again started attacking one another. This was just the beginning of the Einvígi.