Black Haired Masochist

"How the fuck did you do that?" Sticks asked Azure entered his line of vision.

"Do what?" Azure smiled. His gaze turned to Tamra who also looked at him with mild surprise on his face.

"So that's how you defeated the demon". Tamra said. Then she added. "Why didn't you say so, we'd have attracted other elemental demons".

Azure, Sticks and Tamra continued a chatting until it was Sticks turn to fight. He was up against someone named Jason. Tamra said she hadn't heard about him.

Sticks went into the ring to meet a boy that looked like he was in his late twenties. He had curly, unkept hair which fell in front of his face. There was a thick collection of hair in his lower face forming a beard. He wore some sort of semi wooden armor and held a dagger in his hands.

Sticks almost burst out laughing when he saw his opponent's appearance. It took all his self control to limit the torrent of laughter that was about to ensue to a small smirk on his face.

"You may begin!" The referee announced.

Sticks sized up his opponent. He unsheathed his sword and charged at his opponent.

Azure and Tamra who were watching the match were taken aback by his speed. When Azure moved, his figure somewhat resemble a blur. It was a rapid movement, but one could still catch the human figure.

When Sticks moved however, it was like a black blur. One couldn't see any human like figure at all. All they saw was a black blur.

"I thought you said he was weak". Tamra whispered to Azure who smiled wryly.

"I guess I'm not the only one who got stronger". Azure replied. A look of disbelief flashed in his eyes as he stared at Sticks.

Jason was also surprised when he saw how fast Sticks moved. His surprise didn't last up to half a second as he dodged Sticks attack with a speed that matched Sticks' movement

"Finally someone who can keep up". Sticks said, shooting Jason a meaningful glance. Jason smiled.

"Likewise". Jason said as he rushed at Sticks.

A few moments later, the fight really didn't seem like a fight anymore. It was as if they were watching two people play a game of tag on stage. The only difference was that they were both moving at speeds incomprehensible to the human eyes.

A black blur and a brown blur chasing each other with weapons in their hands.

A few minutes later, Sticks and Jason stood across from each other, the two parties were out of breath.

Sticks felt mildly frustrated. How was it possible that there was a member as fast as him? He was fairly certain that the contest would've been an easy grab with his matchless speed. That was his strategy.

The same thoughts were in Jason's mind as he regarded Sticks. He felt angry that a newbie small fry had spoilt his plan. What was even more vexing was that he didn't belong to a combat-based squad, he belonged to the Gabriel squad. He exhausted himself this much fighting a mere messenger.

"You're not bad". Jason said. He kept his dagger inside his armor. "Unfortunately, you just had to pick a fight against me".

Jason frowned. He was feeling slightly disgusted. He wondered where all those members got all their pride from. The fact that they were considered ten stars meant that they had thrown their pride away and decided to submit themselves to demeaning errands. Sticks didn't feel like it was something to be proud of.

Jason thought otherwise apparently. He seemed to think that since he was a ten-star member, he was among the strongest, nay, he was the strongest.

"The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down and hasteth to his place where he arose!"

Jason stretched out his palm. Immediately after, a glowing orb of light appeared in his hand. The orb of light began to expand until it reached an radius of about fifteen centimeters.

Jason made a pushing motion and sent the golden orb of light towards Sticks at a speed that seemed almost incomprehensible to the human eyes.

The audience only saw a golden streak of light moving towards Sticks. Behind the golden orb of light rushing towards Sticks, there were three daggers also rushing towards Sticks.

Azure had a tense expression on his face. He was worried for Sticks. Was this kind of an attack even allowed? If any one of the attacks touched Sticks then he would be dead!

Sticks smiled when he saw the barrage of attacks rushing at him. He held the hilt of his sword tightly and did the unthinkable… he rushed towards the incoming attacks!

His movements were so fast that no one saw that he had even moved in the first place. All they heard was a bone-chilling cackle as the golden orb exploded.

The entire fighting stage was shrouded in a golden light. The barrier that encompassed the fighting stage shuddered. For a few seconds, the fighting stage was so bright that no one could see what was happening inside.

Then the intensity of the light started to reduce and one could see a black-haired figure pressing his sword on Jason's neck.

The black-haired figure had multiple cuts on his body. His back had a huge bloody hole in it, but the black-haired figure seemed to notice nothing.

"That was fun". Sticks smiled as he talked. "Can we do it again? It's been long since I felt so much pain, I smiled". There was a dangerous glint in Sticks' red eyes. At that moment he really looked like a demon.

Jason opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then closed it. What kind of a freak did he end up fighting?

"Sticks wins!" The referee announced, snapping Jason and the audience out of their thoughts.

Azure and Tamra watched the fight with their mouths agape. Azure in particular was shocked by the amount of strength that Sticks showed.

'It seems this entire thing is going to be a bit interesting'. Azure mused as his lips curled upwards.