Alley Fight 1

James and Owen's peaceful lunch was interrupted by a shout from outside the workshop: "Hey, you bastard, come out and face us! Otherwise, we'll kick down the door and drag you out!" This unexpected situation caught them off guard, as they were enjoying a rabbit stew.

Owen, visibly surprised, shot James an accusatory look and reminded him that he had specifically been warned not to seek trouble in Strom's absence. Upon hearing this response, James nearly choked and started coughing violently.

"It wasn't me who brought trouble. I've seen you fighting in the market," James responded, exposing his companion without hesitation.

"Well, it's not exactly trouble. Maybe they just got the wrong place," commented Owen as he rubbed the back of his neck in resignation. "Anyway, let's go out and see what they want."

Owen grabbed his gear and stepped out of the workshop, prepared for the fight, displaying an enthusiasm that seemed a bit excessive to James. Despite that, James also grabbed his gear and followed Owen.

Once outside, Owen confronted the group of nine thugs that awaited them, all armed with weapons. Though ragged in appearance, they were in shape, making it clear that they were not novices in the art of combat. However, their fighting styles seemed to deviate from the usual conventions.

The thugs hesitated for a moment upon seeing Owen, aware that he was a true war machine unlike themselves, who usually relied on intimidating their victims with their sheer numbers.

"And who are you?" Owen shouted defiantly as he stepped out of the workshop door.

Facing him, the leader of the group responded determinedly, "We've come for the kid. Step aside if you don't want to get hurt," trying to convince himself that he was capable of carrying out his threat.

"I told you. This is your fault," Owen said with a satisfied smile.

"I haven't done anything," James responded, angry about the situation.

"It doesn't matter. If they want a fight, we'll give it to them. I'll take care of those eight. You handle that one," Owen instructed, pointing at the weakest thug in the group.

"You're quite confident, big guy. We'll see where that confidence comes from when we crack open your skull," the leader said, trying to sound threatening.

Owen chuckled and advanced towards them, activating an ability. Immediately, the eight thugs selected by Owen started attacking him as if they couldn't see James, unleashing their rage and strength upon him.

Meanwhile, the remaining thug realized that something was amiss in the situation. Originally, it was supposed to be an easy task, considering his victim was a simple apprentice blacksmith. However, he wasn't immediately discouraged, as he knew he could still earn a reward if he managed to take the boy, so he hastened to confront him.

Feeling adrenaline coursing through his veins, James unsheathed his makeshift sword, a simple metal bar, and prepared to face the remaining thug. His grip was clumsy and uncertain, revealing his lack of experience in real combat.

The thug, laughing with contempt, skillfully brandished his sword and confidently advanced towards James. The metallic sound of their blades clashing filled the air, marking the beginning of the duel.

James, making mistakes typical of a beginner, clumsily blocked the thug's attacks with disjointed and abrupt movements. Despite his efforts, he constantly found himself in a defensive position, retreating before the thug's skill.

Taking advantage of James's inexperience, the thug launched a series of rapid and precise strikes. James struggled to defend himself, receiving some superficial cuts in his attempt to protect himself. Each clash of swords reminded him of his opponent's strength and skill, emphasizing his lack of training.

However, as the fight progressed, James began to understand the thug's movements. Each failed block and evaded strike taught him to read the subtle cues in his opponent's movements. Although he still made mistakes, his reflexes became faster and his movements more accurate.

Guided by a momentary inspiration, James executed a risky but effective move. He feigned an opening in his defense, luring the thug into a frontal attack. At the last moment, he swiftly turned his body and deflected the thug's sword to the side.

Seizing the opportunity, James launched a swift counterattack, directing a diagonal slash towards the thug's side. Though his strike lacked the force and precision of an experienced swordsman, it managed to leave a shallow wound on the thug's arm.

Surprised by James's audacity and the blood starting to trickle from his arm, the thug momentarily retreated. However, far from being intimidated, he prepared to continue the fight.

The battle continued with ferocity, and each of James's movements was a combination of bravery and clumsiness. Despite his efforts, he was still outmatched in skill by the thug, but he refused to give up.

Finally, in a last act of determination, James managed to throw the thug off balance with a risky maneuver. The thug fell to the ground, disarmed and breathing heavily.

James was exhausted, both mentally and physically. The tension of the situation had caused him to lose control of his breathing, contributing to his exhaustion. Suddenly, someone started clapping, and when James looked around, he saw Owen surrounded by a pile of bodies. At some point, another group had joined the fray, but Owen had managed to defeat them all faster than James had taken down a single thug.

"Kid, you're truly a beast. I've never seen a rookie fight with such passion," Owen said, whistling as he admired James's courage.

As James caught his breath, he asked between gasps, "What do we do with them?"

"Nothing, the city guards are coming," Owen replied, pointing to a corner from which the guards would appear seconds later.

The officer leading the guards shouted, "What's going on here?"

"We were just having some fun, officer," Owen innocently said.

The officer surveyed the scene and the pile of unconscious thugs. He was slightly impressed that they were all alive, albeit heavily beaten. "Damn useless bunch, can't even be incriminated," he thought.

It took him a moment to decide what to do. Owen seemed unscathed, and although his target was tired, he could still complicate things. Finally, he decided to use his authority.

"I see that you've decided to assault an innocent group within the city. You'll have to come with me to assist in our investigation, otherwise..." The officer couldn't finish his sentence as he was interrupted by Owen, who gave him a murderous look.

"Otherwise, what, little pawn?" Owen said, his gaze quickly shifting between three points forming a triangle with him at the center.

The tension escalated rapidly, and a suffocating aura filled the air. James was on high alert, ready to unleash all his mana and go into Supreme mode. He knew that doing so would have detrimental short-term and possibly long-term consequences, but the situation was critical, and he couldn't afford to hold back.

Just as the situation was about to explode, something changed. A melodious voice interrupted the standoff.

"I suggest you reconsider, Captain. Remember your orders. These respectable citizens have helped you in your mission to capture wrongdoers," the voice said.

"Princess Liz, what are you doing here? Where is your escort?" the captain panicked, shouting orders for reinforcements and his escort. Finally, he ordered his men to protect her.

"Oh, this has gotten really ugly. Kid, go in there and unleash everything without holding back if there's even a slight movement," Owen said to James, visibly nervous.

James obeyed the orders instantly. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew it was critical. He didn't wait for any signal; he began visualizing the Supreme rune in his mind and circulating his mana.

"Miss Liz, please be very careful. We can't move from here until your escort arrives. Please stay in place," the captain said, on the verge of a panic attack.

His mission had originally been to arrest a simple blacksmith, and now he found himself protecting an elven princess against enemies that defied his understanding and skill.

Owen shouted, "TREN-KAI," and his muscles grew significantly. He immediately launched himself into battle against two unknown figures. Unfortunately, two more unknown figures were waiting behind to confront them.

The captain assessed the situation and, instead of falling into further panic, calmed himself and said, "My lieutenant and I can handle one. Your mission is to buy us enough time," he told the rest of his guards.

The guards were extremely nervous. Though they had received training, this situation exceeded anything they had been prepared for.

When the last enemy seemed to start moving, James unleashed his full power and entered Supreme mode. His mind calmed, and the flow of mana began to accelerate exponentially. The limits of his muscle strength seemed to fade away, exerting tremendous pressure on his body.

To everyone present, James had activated an ability similar to Owen's and had gone berserk. They were judged in the same way. Typically, such an aggressive increase in strength came with a proportional loss of cognitive abilities. However, in James's case, that didn't apply.

James lunged forward and began delivering wide and powerful sword strikes. His opponent, a slender hooded figure, had no trouble gracefully evading them. James continued to attack with fury, but each swing of his sword was easily dodged by the enigmatic hooded figure. Despite his efforts, James realized he was making the same mistakes as in previous fights: his movements were predictable and lacked strategy.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the hooded figure counterattacked with a series of fast and precise movements. James was forced to desperately dodge and block, but with each passing moment, he found himself increasingly overwhelmed in skill and ability. Meanwhile, Owen fought with fierce determination against the two remaining opponents. His impressive strength and size allowed him to confront them on equal footing, but the enemies' technical superiority kept him constantly on guard.

The captain and his lieutenant were engaged in combat against another enemy, deploying all their abilities and experience. Despite being outnumbered, they displayed courage and held their ground, protecting Princess Liz.

The tension in the air was palpable as James fought desperately to find a breach in the hooded figure's defense. Every attempt was blocked or evaded with surprising ease, increasing James's frustration and exhaustion.

However, in a moment of agility and cunning, James managed to catch the hooded figure off guard with an unexpected move. With a quick wrist turn, he deflected the enemy's sword and executed a powerful sideways strike that hit its mark with force.

The hooded figure staggered back, destabilized by the impact. James seized that brief moment to launch a fierce attack, unleashing a series of fast and precise strikes. Although his technique was still imperfect, he managed to inflict several wounds on the enigmatic opponent.

It seemed like James's group had a slight advantage, but the problems were only just beginning.