Elfier City, festival night.
The center of one of the city squares had been converted into an arena. A circle of packed earth was now surrounded by newly erected, tiered wooden stands.
The stands were packed. Elfier’s citizens, families, and merchants crowded together, seeking festival entertainment. The night air was warm, mixing with the smell of arena dust and sweat.
Light from large torches and hanging magical lanterns illuminated the arena, making the spectators’ faces look gleeful in the golden light. Music from distant performers blended faintly with the rhythm of clapping and shouting.
In the center of the arena, a fight was underway.
Rasie, with her red hair tied back, stood in a balanced stance. Across from her, a city adventurer eyed her with a dismissive look.
"It’s not too late to give up, pretty lady," the man said. "I hate holding back against women. So, how about you surrender? Heh, it’d be a shame if that pretty face of yours got bruised and ugly!"
The man kept talking, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the cheering crowd. Rasie was puzzled. She could only see his mouth moving.
"Huh? he saying something?" Rasie said softly.
She then shouted at the man in front of her, smiling broadly.
"OI! I DON’T KNOW THE FUCK YOU TALKING ABOUT,STOP BEING BITCH AND JUST COME AT ME!"
The man’s jaw tightened. He looked annoyed by Rasie’s response. "Bitch?!."
The man charged, swinging his right fist wildly.
"Bring it asshole!!" Rasie yelled.
She ducked slightly. The swing passed just over her head. As the man lost his balance from his own punch, Rasie pivoted. She shot out a fast left jab that hit the man’s nose, followed by a hard right hook to his ribs.
THUD.
The man coughed, stumbling back. He clutched his ribs, his breath hitched. "Wh... what kind of move was that."
In the stands, Fyar nodded slightly. He was chewing on a piece of skewered meat, his eyes seriously watching Rasie fight.
"She can really do it," Fyar murmured. "She might be a genius."
"Those movements are similar to yours, aren’t they, Fyar," said Illya, who sat beside him. "Look at that footwork! That’s your move from when you trained with her, Fyar!"
Illya wore an elegant jade-green dress. Beside her, Fyar wore a black shirt and his custom brown blazer. They both looked a little too well-dressed for this casual crowd.
"You’re right. She learns fast. Even though I only taught her two or three times," Fyar said in a flat tone.
I want to spar with her again later. Our levels might be the same now, Fyar mused internally.
"You should have joined," Illya said, nudging Fyar’s arm. "The prize is fifty gold coins. Your toughest opponent might only be Rasie."
Fyar chuckled. "Not necessarily. There could be other adventurers whose martial arts are better than mine."
He then looked at Illya and smiled gently at her.
"And I think spending the festival with my future wife is more interesting than fighting for a fifty gold coin prize."
Illya’s face and ears immediately turned red. "W... wife?!"
"I... that... that, I... that."
Illya then rested her face against Fyar’s chest, hiding her embarrassment in his blazer.
"What’s wrong, Illya? Are you shy?" Fyar said. He then put his arm around Illya’s shoulder and stroked her green hair. His gaze returned to the arena. "Let Rasie show off tonight."
Illya lifted her face from Fyar’s chest. "Y... you like to tease, don’t you, Fyar," she said, stuttering slightly.
Fyar chuckled. "I’m just being honest. I really want to marry you. Is there something wrong with that illya?"
Illya fell silent. She looked at Fyar for a long time. After a moment, she smiled and kissed Fyar’s cheek.
"Hmm..I guess not."
After saying that, Illya rested her head on Fyar’s shoulder again.
The crowd’s cheers grew louder, echoing across the stone buildings. The torches flickered, and the faint scent of sweet cider wafted through the air.
"Illya. This is a bit off-topic. Can I ask you something about your class?" Fyar asked.
"Hmm? What do you want to ask fyar?" Illya replied softly.
"The Hunter class learns its abilities automatically when they level up, right? Is it the same for a Witch?"
I’ve always been curious about this. But I never found the right time to ask, Fyar thought.
Illya drew small circles with her finger on Fyar’s chest as she answered.
"No. A Witch is just based on incantations. We know the incantation, and it can be spoken aloud or just in our minds, Fyar."
Incantations? Hmm, so their limit is based on knowledge.
Fyar nodded, understanding. He then asked again, "Can you cast all incantations if you know them? Like high-level magic or spells."
"No. The spells are limited by level. If I cast a high-level spell when my level is low, there’s a chance I’ll die." Illya answered, poking Fyar’s cheek with her index finger.
She said that so casually. I get it know... So if a Witch has a low level, they can’t use high-level spell.. they limit are level... Damm man.This class really is the most frightening, Fyar thought.
"Thank you for the answer, teacher."
"You’re welcome, my sweet student~"
Suddenly, Fyar felt something. The feeling of being watched.
Someone? Who?
The smile on Fyar’s face faded. He instinctively looked toward the stands across the arena, into the shadows between the support pillars.
Or is it just my imagination?
"FYAR! LOOK! Rasie!"
The feeling broke when Illya shook his arm.
In the arena, the crowd’s cheering grew louder. The big man was attacking Rasie blindly. His punches were random and full of anger.
Rasie easily blocked and avoided every one of the man’s random attacks.
"Oi oi the fuck you doing man?" Rasie shouts "Can you really fight Huhh?"
She launched a straight kick with her left leg. The blow landed squarely on the man’s stomach.
"Hahahaha, what are you doing, stupid.is not hurt at all!!" he jeered, trying to hide the pain.
"Who are you calling stupid, weird-brows!" Rasie shot back.
"W... weird-brows?!" The man lunged forward and launched a right punch at Rasie’s head.
Rasie blocked the man’s arm, parrying it to the side. She took one step forward and kicked his stomach again, in the exact same spot.
The man staggered back. He tried to regain his balance after the kick. Rasie didn’t give him the chance. The girl immediately advanced and kicked his stomach again until he fell.
The man immediately got up from the ground. He was panting. He confidently made a "come on" gesture with his hand.
Seeing that, Rasie’s smile widened. She moved forward, planning to end the match.
As Rasie’s body got close, the man attacked wildly again.
"Man You’re an idiot," Rasie hissed.
She again parried the man’s punches easily using the boxing defense Fyar had taught her. She deflected one punch, blocked another, her feet constantly moving. The man swung a final right punch, wild and too wide.
"Got you!"
Rasie saw the opening. She ducked under the swing, rotated her hips, and delivered a perfect uppercut. Her fist smashed into the man’s jaw.
KRAK.
The sound of bone was clear. The blow connected cleanly. The man’s eyes rolled back. His body collapsed to the ground and didn’t move.
A moment of silence.
Then, the arena exploded.
"Stop!" shouted the referee. He checked Rasie’s hands to ensure no magic was used, then raised her arm high.
"Did you see that?!"
"What kind of fighting style is That??"
"She’s cool!"
"What’s that girl’s name? Rasie?!"
"She’s pretty!"
"I... I think I’m in love with that girl!"
Applause and whistles echoed in the arena, celebrating Rasie’s victory.
"Hahahaha! Wooo!"
Rasie jumped in excitement, her fist raised in the air.
"Rasie!"
"Rasie!"
"Rasie!"
Several people chanted her name in unison.
Rasie just walked over to the edge of the stands and gave high-fives to their hands, one by one.
"Haha, thanks, thanks!"
she then glanced at the man who had collapsed.
In the stands, Fyar and Illya applauded.
She already has fans? That fast?
Heh somehow, I’m a little proud of her.
Fyar paused.
Wait. Does this indirectly make me her teacher? A faint smile appeared on Fyar’s face.
"What’s wrong, Fyar?" asked Illya, leaning on Fyar’s shoulder.
Fyar chuckled. "I just feel like I have a student now."
Illya laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Is that so"
Rasie, in the arena, looked towards them and gave a thumbs-up.
Fyar and Illya replied in unison with the same pose.
After that, Fyar watched Rasie leave the arena. The crowd was still buzzing with excitement, and fireworks began to bloom above the city, scattering colors across the night sky.
"Where should we go after this?" Fyar asked, his arm still resting gently around Illya.
"Hmm," Illya placed her finger on her lips, thinking. "I want to find some food and join the simple games."