Two students lift the unconscious first challenger and carry him toward the infirmary, his robe shifting with each hurried step. The lollipop remains tucked safely inside its pocket.
The senior instructor stays in the courtyard, facing James as the surrounding students settle into uneasy silence. His scarred brow tightens while he watches for the next exchange.
the senior instructor
Second rank. Step forward.
A young adult woman emerges from the watching ranks. Compact and athletic, she wears a dark training uniform with her black hair braided close to her scalp; a pale scar marks her chin.
She enters the open space without haste and stops several paces from James. Her hands remain loose at her sides, but her balanced footing reveals practiced control.
the senior instructor
You have seen his opening movement. Do not mistake unfamiliarity for weakness.
The second-ranked combatant studies James in silence, her eyes moving from his stance to his shoulders and feet. Around them, the students hold their breath, waiting for either fighter to move.
✓ Quest Accepted
Defeat the second-ranked combatant
“James Lee scoffed at the fact that they called a woman to fight him, his smirk only faltering for just a moment. "What? A woman? You can't be serious."”
FAILURE (Terrible Intimidation, rolled +2)
James Lee
What? A woman? You can't be serious.
James’s scoff carries across the courtyard, his smirk faltering for only a moment. The second-ranked combatant does not bristle; she watches the hesitation instead.
the second-ranked combatant
If my place troubles you, defeat me quickly and complain afterward.
She steps in without warning, not attacking, but compressing the distance until James’s loose stance has less room to perform. Her braided hair barely shifts.
the senior instructor
You questioned her selection. She has answered by selecting her range.
The woman pivots and settles just beyond striking distance. James catches the pattern at last: her left foot repeatedly returns half a pace late, a narrow opening beneath the disciplined exterior.
the second-ranked combatant
Now, challenger. Show the Academy whether your eyes are as sharp as your mouth.
“"Guess I gotta get serious... huh? Also, when this is over, instructor, please return my lollipop from the last person. Can't be asked to go buy another one." Simply standing there, James Lee gathered himself, getting into the same posture he had before. He readied himself before bursting forward, closing the distance further before slamming his knee into the womans solar plexus.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Hand-to-Hand Combat, rolled +0)
James Lee
Guess I gotta get serious... huh? Instructor, when this is over, please return my lollipop from the last person. I can't be asked to buy another one.
James settles into the same loose, uneven posture as before. The theatrical carelessness drains from it, leaving only balance, timing, and a quiet readiness beneath his stillness.
He bursts forward before the second-ranked combatant can reset her late-returning foot. His shoulder line remains deceptively calm as he closes the final distance.
James drives his knee into her solar plexus with precise force. Her breath leaves in a sharp gasp, and her disciplined stance folds around the impact before she drops to one knee.
the second-ranked combatant
So that is what you call serious...
The courtyard erupts in startled whispers. The second-ranked combatant braces one hand against the earth, conscious but unable to rise immediately, while James stands balanced before her.
the senior instructor
Your lollipop will be returned. As for your seriousness, the Academy has now seen enough to take it seriously.
“"You couldn't keep up with me, even if you tried." "Anyway... if you're finished, declare your defeat. I got stuff to do after this."”
FAILURE (Terrible Intimidation, rolled -3)
James Lee
You couldn't keep up with me, even if you tried. Anyway... if you're finished, declare your defeat. I got stuff to do after this.
The words carry across the courtyard, but the second-ranked combatant studies his relaxed posture instead of the fallen angle of her body. Her fingers tighten against the earth.
the second-ranked combatant
You mistake a breath taken for a victory granted.
She hooks James's lead ankle from below and twists while driving up from one knee. His balance breaks sharply, forcing him to step back as the students gasp.
The maneuver does not topple him, but it drags him into her range and leaves his planted foot trapped against her shin. Her free hand rises toward his exposed center.
the senior instructor
Do not answer her words. Answer the position.
the second-ranked combatant
If you want my defeat declared, challenger, make me unable to speak it.
“Smirking as this happened, this didn't make his ego falter. His smile never leaving his face. As he fell back, he positioned himself, going into the form of a backflip before snapping one of his legs up, slamming it directly into the woman's chin, ultimately knocking her unconscious as well.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Hand-to-Hand Combat, rolled +0)
James lets the trapped ankle pull him backward, but his smile never fades. He folds into the motion, turning the apparent loss of balance into a clean backflip.
His hands skim the packed earth as his body inverts. One leg snaps upward with precise timing, driving the sole beneath the second-ranked combatant’s chin.
The strike lifts her head and breaks her rising attack. She drops onto her back, consciousness leaving her before she can recover her guard.
James lands lightly beyond her reach and straightens without hurry. His long limbs settle back into their loose posture, his expression still carrying the same unbroken smirk.
the senior instructor
A reversal from a compromised position. He used her counter as the axis of his attack.
The students recoil into a shocked silence. Two attendants hurry from the edge of the courtyard and kneel beside the unconscious woman, checking her breathing.
the senior instructor
Second rank is defeated. Carry her to the infirmary. Third rank, prepare yourself.
Defeat the third-ranked combatant
Quest Complete
Defeat the second-ranked combatant
Skill Upgrade: Intimidation Terrible→Poor