Reincarnated to the Past 22: Arnsya 2 (Patreon)

Reincarnated to the Past
Chapter 22: Arnsya 2

-VB-

The day of the duel came, and I found myself … not at all apprehensive. 

With only one physical power, I might have been in a bad spot, but with two physical powers to back me up? I didn’t think at all that I was in trouble. Perhaps I can lose, but that was on the condition that I made a egregious mistake, and I didn’t plan on doing that. 

Like it happened before with a spar back home, the locals and the guests formed a ring at the center of their training ground, or what passed off for one. 

I watched serenely from one side of the stone-marked ring as the Mahk’s chief and his guards drummed up themselves to rather impressive shows with ritualistic chest banging and shouting. I continued to stare at him disinterestedly. I ignored the minor tremors the chieftain made with each stomp, but it did make Ghigari a little worried behind me, if the tense shoulders spoke of anything.

I supposed that a giant man, nearly three meters tall, pounding on the ground with his meaty legs and feet did make for an intimidating sight. 

But what really made me unafraid?

A simple idea, really. If he received his newfound giant status from the ROB simultaneously as I had received my [Superior Swordsmanship], then he would be unwieldy with his size. It would be impressive from afar, but up close, he would be fighting like an amateur.

And then, after ten minutes of what I could only describe as tribal ritualism unique to the Mahk’s, their chieftain came into the ring. 

“Before we start, we should settle what I intend to get from you,” I began, which momentarily stopped him. He looked up and frowned. “Your words from yesterday was too vague, so I want to make what we have claim to very clear.”

“You seriously believe that you can win against me?” he asked as he curled his biceps, showing everyone just how tightly wound up they were and the near audible stretching of his skin.

“Unless I make a mistake, yes.”

That seemed to piss him off. 

“Fine. What do you suggest for the reward that you will never get?!” he demanded angrily. 

“On top of whatever restitution that all of the Kettins would pay for their lack of help, your tribe will give me a tenth of your cattle herd and five families.”

“Ha!” the chieftain laughed at my “gall.” “Very well, then! And if you lose, then on top of the Lower River Kettin not getting anything, you will serve me!” 

I raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”

“Then let us start. I am Homkal of the Mahk’s Kettin!”

“I am Alan of the Lower River Kettin.”

He drew his … axe. Hmm.

I drew my sword up from where it had been hanging on my right hand.

Then he was upon me. He charged, letting out a rather fearsome roar, and reached me in seconds. He made to strike me down from above -

- and I held up my sword hilt up and blade pointing down right above myself, angled away from me. His strike struck my sword’s blade, and slid right off. 

Surprised, he made himself open to my retaliatory strike.

I jumped, spinning in the air, and lashed out with a horizontal kick to his temple. The blow connected with a loud THWACK, and the giant of a man was sent stumbling away from me.

Landing back down on the ground, I waited as it was custom - I’ve been told by Ghigari last night - that while a duel to the death did exist with no quarters given, an honor duel like this one had to be seen as “fair,” for whatever that meant for everyone involved. 

Allowing Homkal to recover without striking him down would definitely be seen as fair.

Unfortunately for me, he recovered quickly, looking up at me with bloodshot eyes.

“Y-You… will pay for that!” he roared and charged me again.

He jumped and stomped down in front of me, causing the ground to tremble with his weight. My balance, however, was greater than what he expected, because instead of taking a hit from above, I stepped aside and lashed out with the hilt of the sword, pummeling his face once and then twice.

He backed away, screaming and clutching his nose.

This time, I gave him no reprieve.

I smacked at his hand with the flat of the blade, sliced two cuts into his legs and arms, and then gave him a push kick to his chest. 

The kick connected with a crack, and Homkal tumbled away. He came to a stop right at the edge of the ring, and sat there, stunned and bleeding.

I stood still at the center of the ring, waiting for him to give up or stand back up.

He stared at me incredulously before … was his skin turning red?

“I knew you were too weak,” I growled as he stood up and also grew in size. The giant of a man that was once only three meters tall was now four meters tall, and just as bulky as a human of that size should be proportionally. 

“You’ve done it now,” Homkal growled before he lashed out with a horizontal strike.

I ducked underneath it, and sliced at his hand.

Screaming, he let go of the axe.

And then he kicked me.

It connected with my stomach hard, and I skidded across the ring.

His unplanned retaliatory strike made Homkal smile, and he came at me with his fists. With each step he took, the ground shook.

And at the last moment as Homkal struck to bash my head in with his fist, he held up my sword.

Sic sic 

Homkal stumbled, and then fell to the ground, groaning in pain and receding in size.

Two exact deep cuts showed up at the back of his legs, not his ankles. 

I turned to him and grunted. “Yield,” I demanded. Homkal, slowly flipped himself over, and laid on the ground, gasping for breath. Whatever his power was, it must use a lot of endurance because he shouldn’t be gasping like that otherwise.

“I… yield…”

I grunted again. “I expect you to apologize to Ghigari by tomorrow.”

It was only then that the crowd went wild.