Chapter 137 – Fight? Fight! Eh?!
10 Weeks passed. Aiko was able to Inscribe 10 parts for the Massage Chair before Mei came to her.
"Your opponent has returned, so you can have your first match whenever." Naturally, Mei went around and asked about the Rankings, but since she didn't like those, she found powerful Foxes that would spar with Aiko.
'It's not a good thing for her if everyone wants to challenge her...'
Everyone under the 1,000 Ranking position was obliged to accept all challenges, this would eat up Aiko's time for Alchemy and other things, which Mei didn't like at all.
'While I do agree she needs experience like the Grandmaster said, I also do believe that she doesn't need to bother with the Rankings for the time being...' Mei shook her head, the Grandmaster's intention was pure and good, however the execution left much to be desired...
"Already?" Aiko completely forgot about the time, when she was Inscribing those parts.
"What do you mean already? He is late." Mei clicked her tongue and Aiko slowly nodded. Mei was not in the mood to be teased, so Aiko had to be careful.
"Are we going now?" Aiko asked.
"En." Mei smiled.
"Then I will finish a few more grooves." Aiko nodded, returning to her work.
Mei sighed, this whole Divine Sense thing messed up her plans, if it went by the previous plans Aiko and she would've been happily making Pills, but alas, it didn't work out as expected.
...
They arrived at a small arena or rather what was supposed to be the poor excuse of a small arena, as the entire stage only consisted of a platform that was decorated with a few rocks on the rim that double up as seats.
"Jade Fox." A large and Muscular Fox nodded towards them, but then he paused.
"It's you." He was surprised that it was her. He was very sad when he didn't see her around.
"It's you." Aiko nodded, she was familiar with this Fox as he was the Fox that guarded the entrance to the Fox Village.
"Do you know each other?" Mei asked softly, but there were daggers on the tips of her tongue.
"He is the guard that guards the main entrance." Aiko nodded.
"En." He also nodded, ignoring those daggers flying at him.
"I see." Mei narrowed her eyes dangerously. She would have to investigate this Fox in the future, just in case.
"So I will be sparring with this little Fox?" The Muscular Fox asked the Jade Fox.
"Yes, you can probe her at first, but it shouldn't be a problem to use 30% of your strength." Mei nodded lightly.
The Muscular Fox stared dumbfounded at the Jade Fox and then at the little Fox. He couldn't comprehend what he had just heard...
What had to be said, was that he was already Spirit Beast Rank! His Beast Core capacity without including Bloodlines was 100,000 points. Meanwhile, Aiko had 20,000 points without Bloodlines. The rift was even greater once you included the debuff from [Pseudo-Human Body(Prototype)].
For him, he didn't understand why he could use 30% of his strength.
"Be gentle on her, since this would be her second fight that I'm overseeing." Mei smiled like a devil.
"Don't worry, I will be gentle." The Muscular Fox smiled gently. He liked this little Fox, so he couldn't afford to injure her.
Mei snorted coldly, but she needed to probe Aiko's strength properly so that she could decide which person would fit Aiko best... as a sparring partner, that is.
...
They both went on the stage.
"How is your arm?" The Muscular Fox asked.
Aiko was wearing a Ruqun, so it was difficult to see her arms.
"It's alright." Aiko rolled a bit of her sleeve, showing her very green-like skin.
"That's not alright!" The sight startled the Muscular Fox.
"Eh." Aiko shrugged. It was fine, but what wasn't was the fact that she didn't know how to properly fight in Human form, except for throwing rocks.
"Ready?" Mei asked both of them.
"Ready!" Aiko giggled.
"Wait, hold on. Shouldn't her arm be treated?" The Muscular Fox panicked, he didn't want to fight a patient, especially as a sparring partner.
"Go!" Mei gestured and Aiko dashed towards the Muscular Fox.
The Muscular Fox panicked, he didn't use his Bloodline strengthening, just in case this little Fox would injure herself on his tough skin.
He didn't dodge as he didn't believe this little Fox was that powerful, but surprisingly she was quick on her feet.
"Not bad." He nodded, when it came to the speed, she was indeed fast.
Aiko punched at him straight.
She met his bare skin.
"..." The Muscular Fox looked down, since she was so fast he expected her strength to be similar, but... 'It tickles...' Naturally, he couldn't say that out loud as he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but!
She was quick with her fists, but she didn't have any technique and it only tickled him.
He stared down for what was coming next, only to see the little Fox quivering with tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Ugh, that was painful." He faked his injury, which even further enraged the little Fox.
She ran away from him.
'I did it again...' He sighed. He had the toughest skin in his generation, so it was natural that it would end up like this. 'But, I didn't want to hurt her.' He sighed, shaking his head.
*Ding*
There was a crisp sound of two hard objects colliding.
...
'Why isn't he even flinching?!' Aiko cried out in her mind. She was upset that she couldn't do anything to him.
'Hmpf! Just you wait, bastard!' Aiko ran away from him, leaving him dumbfounded in place.
'That's right! Stay right there! Mama is going shopping! Shopping for pain!' Aiko grinned weakly, she was unaware that several Foxes were looking at her curiously as they thought she would truly run away.
Aiko jumped off the stage and picked up a few rocks.
'Let's see if you can still say the same when I throw a rock at your face!' Aiko smiled similarly to Mei, like a devil.
She had done the throwing motion many times and it was much more elegant than her close combat skills.
The audience stared curiously. Some chuckled, others sneered while the rest laughed. They didn't believe that this little Fox would be able to do anything with those rocks.
*Swish*
The rock blasted through the air like a bullet. The audience was left speechless as the rock shattered on the Muscular Fox's face.
*Ding*
There was a crisp sound of rock breaking.
The Muscular Fox stared oddly at the little Fox, but then he realized...
His head actually hurt!
"Argh!" He touched the spot where the rocks met his skin. It was red and slightly inflamed.
Aiko chuckled and a shiver went down his spine.
*Ding**Ding**Ding**Ding*
Aiko's superb throwing Skills were put on display, making the peanut gallery cower in fear. They wouldn't be able to endure even a single stray shot, so they had to hide!
"Stop!" Mei was so dumbfounded by Aiko's antics that she reacted a bit too late.
Aiko titled her head. "Why? I'm still-"
She grasped her arm. She once again threw with her dominant arm, but that arm was poisoned. Likewise, she didn't realize that her Titles infused the rock with Energy, but that Energy had to come from something and gather somewhere.
Naturally, her arm worked as the gathering point, but this gathering point was already old and fragile.
The poison was nourished by that Energy, causing Aiko pain.
She staggered, but Mei caught her in time.
Meanwhile, the Muscular Fox was rolled up on the ground, hugging his head. He had an impressive 5 bumps on his head and a few on his body. He expected another rock to continue flying at him, but that didn't happen, so he glanced at what was happening.
The little Fox was not in good condition. Her breathing was shallow and she clutched her green arm.
Mei fed Aiko a Pill, which calmed her poison down. Mei sighed, she was in such a sorry state...
"Auch... Is she alright?" The Muscular Fox asked.
"She will be fine. We will finish the other spars today so she can rest plenty." Mei sighed.
"I don't think she should fight more..." The Muscular Fox said, but seeing the Jade Fox's glare, he trailed his words.
Mei moved to the sitting space and nursed Aiko a bit, soon after Aiko returned to her rosy appearance.
The peanut gallery knew who this little Fox was now, since plenty of them gossiped and seeing the Jade Fox's closeness they knew that it could only be the Vicious Cub.
'Truly Vicious...' They gulped, remembering those ridiculously fast rocks.
...
Aiko recovered and was feeling better, but still sad that she couldn't throw like she previously did...
"There are 2 more fights, those are against your Peers, so hold back, alright?" Mei comforted Aiko, the rest of the fights will be... questionable.
Aiko nodded slowly. She was feeling better, but she wouldn't be able to withstand another Muscular Fox.
"Don't worry, your peers are much weaker than the older generation." Mei slowly caressed Aiko's head.
Aiko nodded slowly, she was doubting that statement, seeing the Muscular Fox with only some blue-purple injuries, but no blood.
"Seriously." Mei sighed but still chuckled. "Hold back or you will kill them."
Aiko pouted. "Fine."
The peanut gallery wanted to refute those claims, but they couldn't invade their little world, so they had to bear with it for the time being. They would be avenged soon!
...
Aiko returned to the platform. In front of her was a youthful Fox, who looked kind, but he had quite the sharp eyebrows.
"Junior Sister." He cupped his fists.
"Ah..." Aiko panicked, but cupped her fists. "Senior Brother?" She greet-asked him.
He chuckled, lightly nodding. "Let's have a good spar." He was hurt by what the Jade Fox said, so he would use his full strength from the beginning to reclaim his pride.
"Begin!" Mei announced.
Aiko immediately dashed forward.
The youthful Fox in front of her was smiling, but his smile didn't last long.
It was an entirely different experience when fighting someone compared to just watching them fight.
He was shocked by Aiko's speed and panicked.
"Wai-" Before he could finish, Aiko nailed his right cheek with a lead hook.
His cheek deformed as unimaginable pressure pressed on it.
He slowly felt lighter and lighter, like he was on some kind of soft cloud.
His vision moved, from staring at a cute little Fox to tasty-looking clouds.
He didn't understand what happened, but he couldn't think for long before he passed out...
Aiko had numerous question marks above her head. She didn't understand what had just happened and... why was he so weak…?
The peanut gallery likewise was left shocked to death.
Mei massaged her temple. She thought that the difference between Aiko and her peers wouldn't be that great, but she had greatly underestimated her. Even so, the older generation were still too powerful for her. This in turn becomes a weakness as it makes her upset and prone to acting irrationally, turning a would be sparring match into a rock-throwing contest.
'This will be a long journey.' Mei sighed, but she didn't mind. She was happy that Aiko was unrivalled in the same Rank, as that meant she was safe from her peers.
'I can manage the old fogeys for the time being.' She nodded with a plan in her mind.
She would still have to teach Aiko more about fighting, but that's where the Grandmaster and Blood Fox came in.
'She doesn't need to fight perfectly, but her form is too stiff.' Mei noted down what she would describe to the Grandmaster...
