"Is this serious?" Simon looked around for a few moments as the crowd gave them space.
"Damn…" He was starting to regret opening his mouth.
"Do you know how to fight or use magic?" Ion asked, his lion circling around him.
"I've learned magic…" Simon replied, glancing at his familiar who watched silently.
'Mono… should we surrender?' he asked her mentally, and she answered with a laugh.
'Already scared? The fight hasn't even started yet, and he only has an early adolescent.' Simon heard that and couldn't help but grit his teeth.
'Is it really that ridiculous to fear him?' Simon clenched his fists, frustrated with himself.
'Yes,' Mono answered curtly. 'That spirit can't teach his master much, since he barely knows anything to begin with.'
She then stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder while staring at the beast.
'It's just an intimidating beast, a stray mutt. While you have a true mage as your familiar.'
She smiled then, eyes fixed on the beast.
'However, if you're so afraid, I can fight in your place.' Her smile grew wider and wider.
Simon swallowed hard, feeling her killing intent seep through their connection.
'That won't be necessary.' Simon then took a deep breath and stepped forward as Mono vanished.
"Ready?" Ion asked, assuming a battle stance.
TAP
"Yes." Simon cracked his fingers, black flames appearing around him.
"Great!"
Ion grinned as red tattoos spread across his body, his hair growing slightly as his frame seemed to burst with power.
Immediately, he dashed toward his opponent, the ground trembling under his feet.
Simon's flames also surged forward, trying to intercept the target.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
The flames struck the ground and exploded in front of Ion, forcing him to swerve to the side and away from Simon.
TAP
Simon snapped his fingers again, this time summoning bluish flames that shot forward and chased Ion.
"Damn it!" Ion twisted and leapt through the air, trying to dodge the relentless fire.
But the flames kept hunting him down, unceasing.
TAP
Simon unleashed black flames that streaked straight toward Ion, whose eyes widened in shock.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
The flames collided with his body in rapid succession, raising a cloud of smoke and snuffing out the blue fire.
TAP
White flames were summoned next, hovering above Simon's head as he narrowed his eyes.
Immediately, a roar erupted from within the smoke, Simon's heart pounding against his chest as the ground beneath him trembled.
BOOM
The ground exploded as Ion charged forward, his body swelling larger, more muscular, fangs sprouting from his mouth, and his eyes blazing crimson.
Simon's flames rushed to meet him, detonating, but this time Ion ignored them and pressed on.
Ion reached Simon, his fierce fist descending swiftly toward him.
TAP
The ground erupted with flames, yanking Simon out of the line of fire.
BOOM
Ion pursued again, the earth shattering under his steps.
TAP BOOM TAP BOOM.
Simon fled as fast as he could, but Ion kept on his tail. Thick sweat ran down his forehead as he desperately searched for an alternative.
'You'll lose if you don't use me.' Mono suddenly spoke inside his mind. 'Fuse with me.' Simon clenched his teeth for a moment.
At last, he summoned Mono once more, this time she enveloped him like a shadow.
Goat-like horns sprouted from his hair as his body grew slightly larger and his eyes turned black.
BOOM BANG BANG
Simon caught Ion's fist, the ground beneath them cracking, then delivered two quick punches to his chest, pushing him back a few steps.
Ion gritted his teeth, his chest caving in from the blows and leaving the imprint of Simon's fists there.
But then his eyes glowed an ever-deepening red as he roared.
His body swelled even further, his fangs grew longer, blood trickling from his nose.
Recovering from the blows, he grabbed Simon's arms, catching him off guard, and immediately drove his head forward.
BANG CRACK
Simon felt his skull split under the impact, along with his horns. Blood streamed from his nose as his eyes rolled back.
Ion roared again, his own head aching just as much, but like a steel hammer he prepared to strike again.
The audience watched in shock, the two mages were pushing themselves to their absolute limits.
Then Simon clenched his teeth as Ion came down on him like a hammer.
TAP BOOM
Flames erupted between them, blasting both of them away to opposite sides.
Simon rolled for several meters, struggling to steady his breathing.
Ion twisted his body to regain his battle stance, but failed, tumbling across the ground for several meters as well.
'What was that?' Simon asked Mono in alarm. 'He almost killed me!'
She laughed in amusement.
'Yes, he almost killed you.' She smiled in the mental plane. 'Is that a surprise? You're the master of a demon, people don't exactly like you.'
She sighed.
'Although… he didn't have killing intent. He just wants to defeat you, but he doesn't know how to control his own strength.'
'W-what?!' Simon was exasperated, staring at Ion, who was already getting back up.
Red blood streamed from his nose, fist marks spread across his bare chest. And yet, he only smiled, entertained.
"Very good!" Ion laughed. "Truly, you're an excellent opponent!"
The crowd watched in shock, while Ivan munched popcorn, thoroughly entertained.
Ion once again took his battle stance, while
Simon got up hurriedly to defend himself.
"I'll go all out now!" Ion's body expanded once more, the red tattoos blazing even more intensely, along with his eyes.
BOOM
The ground exploded with even greater force than before, the earth around them cracking as people nearby were knocked down by the tremors.
Ion instantly appeared in front of Simon, his heart freezing in that moment.
"Ah… I'm going to die…" Simon accepted death as the fist descended slowly upon him.
BANG BOOM
"Enough!" Azriel shouted, grabbing the fist with his bare hands. "I declare this fight over!"
The ground beneath him groaned as Ion slowly processed what was happening, his fist pressing with full force against Azriel's palm.
Ion looked at the shaking, shattering ground beneath him and slowly came to his senses.
"Ah, yes, sorry, I went too far." Ion slowly returned to his normal form, embarrassed, his clothes now in tatters.
"HEY! Now it was just getting good!" Ivan shouted furiously from the crowd.
"Sounds like your problem!" Azriel shouted back. "You damned old geezer, you should've stopped the fight yourself. Next time you want to see a fight, call me and get in the ring yourself!"
Ivan shrank back at the scolding and grumbled for a while.
"Anyone else want to sign up to fight?" Ivan shouted.