925 Challenge Accepted

The big boss cleared his throat and spoke in a surprisingly smooth voice, different from his shouting voice.

"This warrior thinks that he has what it takes to beat the metal warrior Champion I lost to in combat. If he wins, he's the strongest of us. If he loses, he dies, and his spores will fertilize the soil to try again. 

Now, get to fighting. I want to see someone chopped up today, one way or the other."

Nico raised her sword in a salute to her opponent, who raised his two-handed blade over his head and roared a challenge that echoed through the trees.

In an instant, they were on each other. Blade met blade, and the bulky Myceloid proved to be incredibly agile, well beyond the standard for humans. Even Huntress Khan was impressed by the early battle prowess of the second in command as his blade bounced off Nico's, and he used the momentum to spin around behind her with a hard chop toward her midsection.