New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Alex froze for a second, wondering if she was being serious, before bursting into laughter.

"I take it you have very little mana-sensing capabilities. Ahahahaha! Oh boy!"

The woman looked at him; her gaze hardening.

"You think that changes anything?" she asked, her tone flat.

Alex became serious again, feeling a shiver from the intensity of her glare.

"I think that physical aptitude can determine the outcome of a fight, yes. When the gap between the opponents is big enough, no amount of talent can compensate for it."

She looked at him and grinned.

"Care to take a bet on that?"

Her confidence was almost a telltale sign, as far as Alex was concerned, of how much she believed in her talent. But would it be enough to make him flinch?

Never.

"Sure. What do you want to bet on?" Alex bit.

"How about we start with this meal? While they prepare our order, we have a short spar in my dojo. First to three hits win, and the loser pays for lunch."

Alex almost scoffed. He had already the intention of paying for her lunch.

But if she wanted to bet on it over a sword fight, why would he ever say no?

"Sure. Your funeral. I'm rich and a skilled swordsman. I guess getting my lunch paid would be a rare thing," he taunted.

The woman grinned.

"Anthony!" she called out to the server.

The teenage kid came rushing in, his smile as wide as his face.

"Yes, sensei?" he asked, stopping beside the table.

"Prepare the Taco-Fest. We'll be right back."

Anthony looked at her, his eyes going wide.

"Elise! That's our most expensive platter… I thought you were… you know… having a hard time…"

The swordswoman glared at him, unhappy he was airing out her financial situation.

"Won't matter. Richy rich over here will be paying. That is, after I whoop his ass in a spar. That's why we'll be coming right back. Keep our table, please."

The young teen looked at the young man, and he frowned.

"Please don't let yourself get swindled, sir. Elise does this more often than we'd like to admit," he pleaded to Alex.

"Hey! Mind your own business! Your father loves it when I do this. It brings in money!" Elise argued.

But Alex laughed the matter off.

"Don't worry, kid. One, I don't intend to lose. And two, I doubt you'll make my wallet cry. Prepare the meal."

Elise grinned at him.

"I like you! Not shy for a challenge. But you'll still be losing, Hah!" she mocked, jumping up to her feet.

Alex slowly rose to his, followed her back into the dojo next door, and removed his shoes. Alex smiled and stepped on the bamboo flooring, reminiscent of an authentic Japanese Kendo dojo.

'She really went for authenticity. There is no doubt she learned from true masters,' he thought.

The woman walked to a rack in the wide open room, grabbed two bamboo shinais, and threw one at Alex, who caught it with a flourish before facing her.

"Do you have rules? Or is it actual combat simulation?" he asked.

She snickered at him.

"That would be unfair to you. No. There will be only one rule. We'll start at opposite ends of the room, and when a hit connects, we go back to our ends before going back at each other. The first to strike three times wins."

Alex nodded. These were acceptable terms.

He walked away from her, reaching the other end of the dojo, and turned to face her, his sword lowered to his side.

"Should I fight at full force? Or keep at your level?" Alex mocked her.

But she didn't respond. Her eyes were already locked on him like a hawk on his prey, her mouth a thin line.

He could feel the mana inside her suddenly spike a moment before she dashed at full speed toward him. The gap was closed in an instant, and her speed was much higher than Alex had anticipated.

*Whack!*

Alex looked at her, his eyes turning serious, as a cut on his cheek closed.

The Shinai had smacked so fast on his skin that it had cut into it, like a real sword.

No, not exactly.

He could tell the woman had pulled back her strength at the last moment, realizing he wasn't going to parry. After all, the bamboo sword was still emitting faint traces of mana.

If it had struck him without her holding back, he would have a deep laceration.

Wiping away the blood that trickled on his cheek, Alex locked eyes with her as she backed up to her starting spot.

"That's one." She said, her gaze still intense.

Alex didn't reply, lowering his stance.

"It looks like you understand your position," Elise said, a grin flashing on her lips.

But her grin was cut short as she reached her spot, and Alex suddenly appeared before her, swinging in a wide arc with his Shinai.

She blocked the strike, but her eyes widened when the two weapons touched. Instead of leaning into her block, she tilted her body backwards as the shinai in her hands snapped like a twig.

Alex anticipated her movement, pulling at her leg with his, making her lose balance, and he slashed down with his sword, stopping it an inch before her face.

"I take it that counts?" he mocked, as she panted, her face pale.

She nodded, back flipping to her feet, as he started walking back to his position, while she grabbed another Shinai.

'What was that insane strength and speed?' she wondered.

But that wasn't the part that had shocked her the most. In that instant that the young man had swung at her on the ground, something else had grazed.

Something sharp. Something dangerous.

Pure killing intent.

Her hands were still shaking at the pressure she felt in that one instant, like looking at the face of death.

She shook her head, clearing her mind, and went back into her focused mode.

'Seems like I can't play with him. He's the real deal…'

As soon as Alex reached his spot, his back still turned toward her; she didn't wait for him to turn around. She bolted forward, intent on ending this before he could find his pace.

Alex expected as much, and his sword rose to block hers behind his back. He kicked toward her legs again, but this time, she was prepared.

Jumping briefly off the ground, she spun around and kicked at his head as well.

Alex grabbed her foot before it reached his head and spun her like a rag doll before throwing her back toward her spot. He dashed after her and struck her midair.

Before she could even land, he was back at his starting position, waiting for her to land.

The moment her feet touched the ground, they both dashed forward, meeting in the center of the room, as the swords snapped against each other.

The force at which they swung would have shattered the weapons if a thick layer of mana had not coated each one.

On Alex's side, the layer was thick and wild, like a raging torrent, while on Elise's weapon, the layer was thinner, but much calmer and sturdier.

Alex could tell from this alone that she had practiced this. She had an actual sword intent.

Their weapons clashed a few times before a feint performed by the woman took him by surprise, and a rising slash cut the underside of his chin, as he wasn't quick enough to tilt his head out of the way.

They both jumped back, reaching their starting position, and dashed back at each other, not taking a moment to relax, and their weapons met again, in a flurry that would scare any normal person away.

Through the walls, in the kitchen next door, the cooks could hear the slapping of the wooden weapons, as they met with enough power to make the walls shake.

Alex traded blows, parrying and dodging on every strike, as they slashed at each other relentlessly for almost a complete minute. Until Elise reached a state of pure calm, and the next slash sent fear into Alex's heart.

He knew, the second the sword slashed toward him, that if he tried blocking it, it wouldn't work. He couldn't even hear the bamboo sword cutting through the air.

It was soundless.

His instincts kicked in, and he instantly went into overdrive. His skin took a reddish hue, and he diverted most of his mana into the Shinai, trying to shatter it instead of blocking it.

When the swords collided, there was no resistance. Alex's eyes went wide as the sword in Elise's hands flew away, passing through the back wall, flying off into the back alley, and her movement continued without it.

The layer of mana that had been coating it was gone, and now flowed along the woman's hand, as it took on a bladed shape, and she slashed at his face.

*Zuut*

*Drip drip*