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Maverick's POV
Master Blake's strike with the machete had been lethal and direct. If Master Frederick had not gotten that knife there in time, he would have lost his head and his life.
Master Frederick jumped back from Master Blake, holding his neck now and breathing heavily. He brought his palm to his view to see that there was a pool of blood in his hand, and he knew more was flowing from his neck.
"I think we should stop this. We don't want an elder to die in a simple sparring match now, do we?" Master Rob said, standing up.
"Don't you dare," Master Frederick said immediately. Then he brought out a medium-sized knife. He also brought out a letter, which was ancient and a complete mystery to me. After operating it for a few seconds, fire came out, and he used it to heat up the knife.
When it was hot enough, he placed the knife on the injury on his neck, and a frying sound was emitted. The smoke from the burning blood, as well as burning flesh, filled everyone's nose, and Master Frederick's scream filled everyone's ears.
Watching this sight, I knew that this sparring match was about to get worse. It was no longer a sparring match; it had become far more deadly.
The look in Master Frederick's eyes changed, and they became red. His aura began to rise rapidly, and his feet began to float in the air. In the same fashion that Master Blake had appeared earlier, Master Frederick now looked the same. His aura was terrifying, and it instilled fear in one's heart with each step he took.
Master Frederick began to swing around his chain blade, and it was moving so fast that I knew if I stepped into the presence of the chain blades, I would not be able to dodge them.
I summoned Master Henry to come near me and began to ask him a few questions.
"Did you know that aura could get this powerful?" I asked him, trying to be as quiet as possible.
"Of course, Your Majesty. This is the highest stage of aura, known as the physical manifestation of intimidation. Only masters who have mastered the art of controlling their aura and have attained peace of mind, as well as confidence in themselves, can unlock it. It is not an ability that can be awoken in a youngster because such power requires one to face his own grief and sorrow in order to channel it toward unleashing such power," Master Henry elaborated.
"And what about you?" I asked, looking at him. "Have you unlocked this ability?"
"Well, I guess that's a little something I will have to keep secret from you," Master Henry said, keeping his mouth shut.
"The fact that we are sparring partners, and yet you don't know how to tell me whether or not you have unlocked something like this, is just crazy," I said, feeling a bit frustrated. Master Henry gave no response, and as if on cue, I turned my attention back to the fight.
Master Frederick's attacks with the chain blade were relentless. He was striking at so many places that I could not even begin to think I would stand a chance if I were in Master Blake's position. To my surprise, Master Blake was actually dodging each strike with ease and approaching Master Frederick slowly.
As I watched the battle before me, I knew the difference between myself and these elders. It took years and years of experience for one to gain true power.
Master Blake shot out with his machete, aiming for Master Frederick's neck once more.
Without even looking in the direction of the machete, Master Frederick's chain blade wrapped itself around Master Blake's machete, and with a tug of Master Frederick's right hand, Master Blake's hand, with which he was holding the machete, was dragged into the air.
Master Frederick's knee headed directly for Master Blake's stomach, and it connected with a loud thud. Master Blake was blown backward and smashed into a nearby building. But it seemed as though the building was hurt more than Master Blake.
Master Blake got up and grabbed his machete once more, neglecting the mess that was made behind him.
"Hey, you two are paying for that," Master Rob said angrily.
No one who was watching the current fight, nor the people fighting, paid him any attention. The battle had become so fierce and intense that no one wanted to miss a second of it. These men were old, but they certainly seemed to be in their prime. It would be years before they were ready to die of old age, and the only way they could die anytime soon was if they were killed on the battlefield.
Chain blades and machetes clashed. Loud sounds of metal crashing against one another filled the entire training division. Master Frederick occasionally snuck in tiny knives, which he used to take Master Blake by surprise and managed to injure Master Blake a few more times.
Master Blake was bleeding more now, though far less than Master Frederick. Master Frederick had already burned the spot where he was wounded, and it had stopped bleeding long ago. He was in searing pain, but he could not afford to give in until the fight had been won.
There was hardly any dialogue between the two now. Both of them were strictly focused on winning the fight. The clashing became more intense, and their speed increased as well. There was a bit of air pressure when they clashed against each other, and Master Frederick began to increase the speed with which he used his chain blade to strike against Master Blake.
To be honest, I don't really know whether or not I made the right choice. I mean, when I picked Blake to place a bet on, I honestly felt he would win the fight. But now that I see how far Frederick has come since then, it's just outstanding," Master Gerald said, shaking his head.
"I had always known that Frederick would one day surpass Blake. What I did not know was the bar that Blake had set for himself. The bar is really high, and Frederick will need a few more years of practice before he's ready to defeat Blake with certainty. Watching this fight now, I don't really know who would win," Master Rob said, admitting his own uncertainty.
All the others who had placed bets on the fight were watching it, not knowing who would win. At this point, it was anyone's game. The inferior opponent could end up winning the fight simply because the superior one made a mistake.
The intensity was fierce, and I sat glued to my seat, absorbing every part of the fight.
Master Blake struck out against Master Frederick's waist, but Master Frederick was quick enough to get out of the way. Moving his body systematically, a hammer fell into his hand from his iron vest. He forcefully used the hammer to smash viciously against Master Blake's face. Master Blake's face had a few broken bones now, and blood dripped from his mouth.
The fight was incredibly intense. It was supposed to be a simple sparring match, but now it had become so intense that both of them would have to rest a while before they were ready to go on any missions.
"I guess the fight is coming to a climax, huh, Frederick?" Master Blake said.
"Yes, Blake. I have to admit, I don't really know which of us will win. At the beginning, I was so certain I was ready to take you down, but now I know that you are more advanced than I thought," Master Frederick said.
"I can say the same thing about you, Frederick. You have improved greatly since before. I admit now that after today, I will no longer be stronger than you because you will keep on growing," Master Blake said.
He then took his stance and held his machete before him, his aura rising to its peak. It was so intense that the sand grains around him were rising too. Master Frederick took a similar stance, and his aura intensified as well. They launched at each other and clashed viciously.
Master Frederick's chain blade wrapped itself around Master Blake's machete, but Master Blake used all his strength to shatter the chain blade. Master Frederick was now a chain blade down and at a disadvantage.
Master Blake approached viciously and struck out at Master Frederick. Master Frederick dodged to the side but soon received a kick from Master Blake. He dodged another vicious attack from Master Blake and threw out his remaining chain blade in desperation. Master Blake shattered it effortlessly and watched as Master Frederick fell to the floor.
A feeling of joy and amusement filled him. He could not believe that he had actually won after such an intense fight. But then he felt something tugging at his shoulder.
Before he could even comprehend what was going on, he was pulled forcefully and pinned helplessly against the wall of a nearby building. He hung there, wondering what was happening. He looked to his right and realized that one of Master Frederick's little knives had made its way to his shoulder and pinned him against the wall.
He was about to remove it, but then he felt a dagger against his throat. He saw Master Frederick standing right there, looking at him with triumph in his eyes.