Sudden Contest

"Can't we go somewhere more private?" Ryu asked while picking up a fry from the plate on the wooden table. The surrounding inn was quite crowded and the crowd surprisingly had a huge number of children,

"Inn is filled. We are staying at Silvia's house" replied Fiona as she fidgets with her beer mug,

"Then we should've gone there," Ryu said as he ate another fry, Jue was seated politely and waiting for the main conversation to start he was quiet ever since they come out of the smithy, he still had the guilt of lying to his once master in his head,

Silvia answered instead of Fiona,

"I have 4 younger brothers and they are not the quiet type" a mellow smile appeared on her face,

"When will we talk about dungeon raiding?! This small talk is boring me!" Flan protested with a bored look as she put her chin on her hand with her arm resting on the table,

"Then tell us whatever you know about it," Ryu replied as he thought,

'We could've gone for it alone either way.'

"First, we should decide on who'll lead the expedition," Silvia said, and Fiona, who was sitting opposite Ryu, spoke in a cocky voice as she shrugged her shoulders,

"Is that even an issue, of course, I will…" but before she could complete Ryu interrupted,

"I'll lead,"

Everyone's faces turned towards Ryu, and Fiona, with an irritated face, said,

"I am the most senior adventurer here though!!"

"How many dungeons have you conquered!?" Ryu replied smugly, and Fiona gritted her teeth because she knew Ryu had conquered far more in less time than she thought.

'Either way, none can defeat high-ranked dungeons this fast!! Those must have been easier ones, yes that must be it!!' and with a prideful smile she announced,

"Let's decide it with a battle between us!!"

'This should teach him a lesson' she didn't know her pride was going to be hurt when Jue finally spoke up.

"Master!! You shouldn't challenge big brother suddenly" she looked towards Jue who spoke that line in almost a worried voice and thought he was worried for Ryu.

"Don't worry Jue, I would not hurt him seriously or anything!!" she stood up and put her kukri over her shoulder and other on her waist,

'I was right, this brat is all talk!!' she thought as she looked over Rafa, thinking she might be the real reason behind conquering dungeons,

"I do not think you should do this duel either… Ryu, you shouldn't fight Miss Fiona," spoke Aiena concern evident in her voice but it just fed Fiona's confidence as she thought,

'Ryu really must be weak for them to be this concerned… well, a mage that age shouldn't be much powerful'

"But Aiena it is she who challenged me," Ryu said as he stood up shrugging. His mana seemed as weak as a novice mage with her [Mana Sight III].

'This will teach him a lesson, and he will finally stop commenting on my chest…' she grinned in her mind as she spoke,

"I won't accept someone weaker than me as a leader, so do you accept my challenge or not?" Fiona tried looking as cold as possible although she wasn't very good at it, she managed to rub the wrong spot inside Ryu's being.

'What does she think? I will trample her petty pride, looking down on me!!' thought Ryu as he grinned. Both Jue and Aiena looked towards each other as they knew this was not a good sign they thought.

'She is in trouble!!'

'Master's pride would be hurt…'

and Rafa, who had not seen Ryu like this, hugged Ryu from behind as she spoke.

"Something wrong Ryu? Are you sick?"

"I am fine Rafa big sister, and…" pointing towards Fiona he spoke with a voice that seemed nonchalant and proud,

"I accept your challenge but if I win, you'll listen to my one condition"

'As if I am going to lose, why is he so confident?' said Fiona. Although she was a bit doubtful, she can't go back on her own challenge and replied,

"Then same from my side you brat"

They were so lost in their argument that they didn't notice that people were already surrounding them and the Inn manager was collecting bets from them.

"If you two want to duel, how about using the playfield? It is mostly empty since the monster started attacking" said the Inn manager finally snapping Ryu and Fiona out of their world of competition and the stakes of their challenge weren't just mere leading party now,

'If I lose, I will lose respect in town!!' thought Fiona,

'Damn, if I win, I will risk having our existence known!!'

But it was already too late the Inn manager was counting money happily as he led both parties along with the crowd who bet upon the leaders to the playfield, as he sees the money distribution in the Inn manager's hands, he realized he had been betted upon by smaller amount of people,

'Do I really look weak?' he wondered as they finally approached the playfield.

Everyone was standing far enough to watch the two who stand in the middle but not close enough to get hurt, and Flan who was excited about this contest came in the middle as she announced,

"This is fun!! The one whose back touch the ground will lose!!"

"Fight!!"

"Defeat him Miss adventurer!!"

"Beat this newbie!!"

"I bet on you!!"

Seeing their cheers for Fiona Ryu once again thought,

'Does this world have something against younger people? Or is it just me it has a grudge against' he shrugged the thought as Flan began backing off. This was his first official fight as Fusion Souls leader and he wasn't going to let himself lose and be made fun of.

Jue, who was standing near Ryu, spoke in a low voice,

"Please take it easy, big brother… Master don't know how strong big brother is!!"

"Ryu, don't hurt her bad!! If you do that, I will only serve vegetables at dinner!!"

'Whose side are you both on!?' thought Ryu, but feelings of Jue who saw Ryu slay Naga, and Aiena who witnessed him kill bandits, were justified after seeing his dark grin earlier. Ryu turned her face towards Rafa who spoke.

"She is weak, Ryu beat her!!" and Ryu elated patted her instantly, everyone from both parties left to stand near the crowd in case of misfire and also for not interrupting,

'Rafa big sister is the best!! I will pat her more afterward!' thought Ryu as he and Fiona now faced each other.

"This is the last time to give up" spoke Fiona with a serious expression, but Ryu just smiled and spoke.

"Care for yourself!!"

Fiona rushed towards Ryu with her Kukri; Ryu, who stood straight, didn't move.

"The coldest of poles the spirit of frost wolf imprison my enemy within your binds!! Frost Hold!!" Fiona, whose leg just got frosted to place, threw her kukri right toward Ryu, as she thought,

'He isn't bad!! But…' Fiona slammed her kukri on frost feet, breaking the ice apart. Ryu, who barely dodged the Kukri, began chanting another spell,

"O Undine spirit of water in your name I summon!! Water cannon!!" shouted Ryu in a fierce voice.

"Is this best you got!?" Fiona said with a blaze in her eyes as jumped straight towards the water cannon pulling out another Kukri from behind and cutting right through one of the water cannons, she was nearing the distance to Ryu as she spoke,

"Mages might be good in distance combat, but now you are in my…." But before she could complete it, she was compelled by an unknown fear to stop. As she looked at Ryu, who was holding two daggers, she wondered why she felt that way.

"Who said I was just a mage?" Ryu said. As a cold smile came to his face Fiona moved her hands quickly to hit Ryu with the dull side of Kukri to make him fall but Ryu jumped in a curved manner fast,

"Behind you," he says as he hit her back with the handle of a dagger or neck. She was about to fall to the ground,

"You brat…" the words weren't powerful but carried the same intent as before even though her expectations were betrayed, she couldn't lose,

'If I lose here… our name, this is Silvia's home!!' suddenly an ice block appears on the ground stopping Fiona from falling all the way,

"Come on already we don't get the whole day" Ryu who landed spoke coyly, Fiona who was saved barely by the sudden appearance of Ice block stood up looking right into Ryu's crimson eyes that were glowing brighter than before.

"What is up with Ice block!?" she as she couldn't comprehend current Ryu's intentions. He seemed different from the earlier brat. She rushed towards Ryu again, this time prepared for any counter.

"It was just a misfire," Ryu spoke and sighed as he dodged the kukri jumping backward to increase distance, he threw 3 of his daggers towards Fiona which landed on the ground as Fiona dodged them and rushed towards Ryu,

"Your flexibility is good…" spoke Ryu as she moved towards Fiona using [Fire ball] and [Cold hand],

"This will not take me down!!" Fiona said as she cut through the fireball, but it was done. Ryu hold her neck with [Cold hand] injected with a huge amount of mana,

"What's this skill!?" Fiona said as she felt the nerves on her neck freezing.

Ryu's crimson eyes shone brightly, and there was something demonic about the voice when he spoke.

"You lose,"

"I… can't…" Fiona shriveled in cold, but Ryu had already made another glyph on the ground to decrease temperature. Jue, who was in the audience, was looking at Ryu intently,

'Please don't do this big brother…' he thought, and suddenly Ryu looked towards him and smiled,

"No, you lose!!" said Ryu, this time in a low whisper that only Fiona could hear, and left her neck pushing her back. Suddenly something happen which left crowed in shock,

"Ehhhhh!?"

"Give my money back!?"

"Was this fixed?"

"We should've known when that child was taking the lead!!"

-To be continued