Exhibition Match

[Corvus]

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Exhibition
Rank: C
Objective: The rich snobby folks of Shirotsume are throwing a fair with their exorbitant quantities of funding, and are looking for a few people to show a thrilling match between two people, as well as to fight any who come forth to challenge them. Some Guilds, their masters in particular, have been invited as well.
Post Limit: 3
Reward: 300 Jewels
Exp: 40

Ren's staff tapped along the ground as he walked through the town. He didn't meet too many people, but those that did gave him unpleasing looks. It looks like people around these parts don't take kindly to strangers. That's really sad. People should all get along. That's what Ren thought. That's what everyone at the Monastery thought. And why shouldn't they? People shared so much more than they seemed to see. The same earth, the same air, the same sky. And yet they all seemed so blind to that. Ren pitied them.

As he came across what seemed to be a street festival, he asked one of the crowd what was happening. "Why, it's the annual festival," the man said as he turned to look at Ren. The smile on his face flipped on it's head when he saw who was speaking to him. "We're having mages hold exhibition matches right now, kid. In fact, why don't you try. That is, if you think your magic is up to it." Why did people here see out-of-towners in such a light.

But Ren decided to take part anyway.

[Corvus]

Ren quickly filled out the entrance form and the safety waver as well. A simple thing, but they required it all the same. It seemed that if you could beat your opponent, you even got paid. A nice way to earn some food money. "Hold it there sonny," a man behind Ren said as he went to enter the ring, "can't use weapons. You can use magic. Even your body, but not weapons." "Oh, ok," Ren said with a smile, leaving his staff behind. He would have left his Phantasmal Blades as well, but he was told not to show anyone if he could avoid it.

With his staff left behind, Ren entered the ring. His first opponent was a thin man with an even thinner mustache. The announcer introduced them both before starting the match. "Try and block my" the man said, drawing his hand back, "Kamaitachi!!" The man swung his hand, sending blades of wind flying at Ren. The boy didn't know what was happening, but he did know that Kamaitachi is a weasel-like creature that had a sickle for a tail. It was said to be as swift as the wind, and could cut your ankles if you weren't careful.

That was enough to tell Ren of the nature of the technique. It had to be a wind attribute blade spell. And given that he was standing so far away, it must be a ranged one. Most likely it followed the path that his hand just traced in the air. Which means...Ren bent backwards, the unseen blade passing visibly above his head. He saw it cut through a leaf falling through the air.

[Corvus]

It was close, but at least it proved his theory. Ren continued his motion, turning his backward bend into a back handspring. He landed just at the edge of the ring. A collective gasp of suspense spread throughout the crowd. It seemed they were getting a decent show out of this. Well, at least he'd earn his money. Ren felt his body heat up. A smile spread across his face, he was really getting into this fight.

The man smirked. "Not bad," he said, "Let's see if you can handle THIS!" He swung his hand, casting another blade of wind at the pale boy. Ren's smirk spread wider as he charged forward. Ren skipped to the inside, dodging the blade while charging forward. The man sent more and more blades at him, getting more furious as Ren approached.

But it didn't matter, Ren was able to predict the opponent's attacks. And he was into this fight. He close about a third of the space before he had to stop and start to defend himself. He couldn't move recklessly at this distance. Instead he slowly made his way forward by evading the blades, though he couldn't see them.

It was child's play for him. After all the sparring against the senior monks, such simple, linear attacks like this was nothing. He shifted into Bua Gua Zhang's defensive stance, then began to shift from one defensive stance to another, moving like a slithering serpent around and past the blades, dancing a familiar dance around the enemy's attacks. When he closed in close enough, he awoke the Gift of Lightning for a blink and charged forward, shifting his momentum. In an instant, his energy changed from soft to hard and with one blow, he sent the enemy flying.

His momentum took him flying almost ten meters back, clear out of the ring. The man bounced off the ground and rolled several times over. Eventually he came to a stop, barely conscious, and with the wind knocked out of him hard. The man barely was able to breath, and he began to retch, but managed to hold whatever he had down.

"Good job kiddo." Ren caught the small back of jewels thrown at him and his staff along with it. "Come back again if you ever want to earn a few jewels." Ren smirked and began to walk towards the edge of the fairgrounds.

[The Martyr]

Approved.

[Corvus]

Ren spent the rest of the day checking out the rest of the streetfair. As twilight came, he found himself an inn and left the town the next day.

[exit]