Chapter 5 — The Bout

Morgan grabbed his chin.

He stared at the smoking training dummy.

He could see how useful a skill like Detonate could be.

A wall could become a door.

A door could become a claymore.

A rock could become a grenade.

Morgan bent down and reached for another rock.

“Let’s not do that again here, please.”

Morgan looked over at Barnes with a grin.

Barnes shook his head.

“We can’t use skills like that in the training yard. But if you want to test your skills, you can spar with me.”

Morgan raised an eyebrow.

He looked around the courtyard.

It was large enough for a proper fight, and judging by the look of the surrounding stonework, the head servant would probably have a stroke if Morgan blew another hole in it.

Morgan noticed several of the Japanese students watching them now.

“You want to spar?”

“I do.”

Barnes rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.

“I got a glimpse of your skills the other day when we made contact in the summoning chamber.”

Morgan's expression tightened slightly.

Barnes continued.

“What I’m more curious about is that instinct you have.”

“Instinct?”

Barnes studied him.

“That of a man who has killed.”

Morgan's smile disappeared.

“A man who has not only experienced danger…”

Barnes paused.

“But embraced it. Lived it.”

Morgan looked toward Dre.

Dre was already watching Barnes with a curious expression.

Morgan looked back at the knight.

“All right.”

He nodded toward Barnes.

“Are we using swords or fists?”

“We’ll use swords, of course. I’d hate to break my hand hitting someone so solid.”

Morgan chuckled.

Now the students were gathering around the courtyard.

Some looked excited to watch.

Others were whispering amongst themselves.

Barnes looked toward the students.

“You there, boy. Hand that sword to Sir Morgan.”

Tanji stepped forward.

He pulled the sword from his side and held it out.

“Here, sir.”

He handed it to Morgan.

“I just got this sword. Don’t break it.”

Morgan took the weapon.

The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, something changed.

The sword felt familiar.

Not just familiar.

It felt as if he had held it his entire life.

Morgan looked down at the blade.

Barnes noticed.

“That’s your skill taking effect.”

Morgan looked up.

“What skill?”

“Weapons Master.”

Barnes smiled faintly.

“It allows you to use weapons as if you've trained with them your entire life.”

Morgan's expression darkened.

He didn't like the way Barnes seemed to know so much about him.

Morgan shifted his stance.

“Funny.”

He tightened his grip around the sword.

“I don't remember giving you my name.”

Barnes drew his sword.

“You didn't.”

That settled it.

Morgan lunged forward.

Clang!

Barnes blocked the strike.

He immediately countered.

Morgan moved to the side in a flash.

The blade passed where his body had been a moment before.

Morgan blinked.

“How did I dodge that so easily?”

Barnes smiled.

“Ah. The Evade skill.”

Barnes shifted his stance.

“It has been a while since I've fought someone who can move like you.”

Barnes swung.

Morgan brought his sword up.

Clang!

The two separated.

Then collided again.

Steel rang through the courtyard.

Block.

Counter.

Dodge.

Strike.

They moved faster and faster.

To most of the students, the fight had become a blur of steel.

Dre watched carefully from the edge of the courtyard.

At first, he was impressed.

Then he noticed something.

Morgan wasn't thinking about his movements.

He was just moving.

Every time Barnes attacked, Morgan seemed to react before the strike fully developed.

It wasn't perfect.

But there was something familiar about it.

Instinct.

Dre had seen it before.

People who had spent enough time in dangerous situations eventually stopped thinking about every movement. They learned to react before their brains had time to catch up.

Barnes was right.

Morgan didn't just know how to fight.

He knew how to survive.

Dre's attention shifted toward the students.

Most of them were struggling to follow the fight. Their heads moved back and forth as Morgan and Barnes flashed across the courtyard.

Then Dre noticed Tanji.

The kid wasn't struggling.

His eyes followed them.

Dre narrowed his eyes.

What the hell?

Tanji wasn't watching the swords.

He was watching the fighters.

Like he already knew what to look for.

Dre's gaze shifted past him.

That's when he noticed the man standing at the far edge of the courtyard.

A hooded robe concealed most of his features.

He wasn't moving.

He was just watching.

Dre stared at him for a moment.

Who the fuck is that?

Dre turned his attention back to the fight.

Morgan and Barnes were still moving.

Morgan blocked another strike.

He stepped forward and brought his sword around.

Barnes caught it.

For a brief moment, the two stood locked against each other.

Barnes grinned.

“Damn. You're good, Morgan.”

Morgan pushed against the blade.

“So I've been told.”

Barnes suddenly broke away.

“But it's over now.”

Morgan frowned.

“What makes you say that?”

Morgan raised his sword.

Then stopped.

He stared at it.

Half of the blade was missing.

Morgan looked at Barnes.

Then back at the sword.

“Fuck.”

Barnes lowered his weapon.

“That was a good spar. We’ll need to do it again sometime.”

Morgan looked at the broken sword in confusion.

He hadn't even seen Barnes cut it.

He turned toward Tanji.

“Young Tanji, I'm sorry for breaking your sword.”

Morgan held up the broken weapon.

“I'll make sure you get a new one.”

Barnes sheathed his sword.

“I'll send for a new sword from my own collection. One that will serve you better than that one ever could.”

Tanji looked down at the broken sword.

“Uh…”

Barnes turned toward Morgan and Dre.

“Do you men like to drink?”

Morgan and Dre both perked up.

“Well, yeah!”

Barnes nodded toward the castle gates.

“Go get cleaned up and meet me by the front gate in an hour.”

He smiled.

“I'll show you to the pub.”