[14] Darkness! (1)
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=== Orc City, on the next day

 

"Take care of yourself!"

Si said goodbye to me when I was carried outside in a box. Again I went to the vast arena. I was placed into the start box and had to wait in the dark for the battle to begin. It took an unusually long time before the match actually starts.

"Come on, let the battle begin!"

Velora’s voice echoed, and the box opened. The first light that came in blinded me, and when my eyes got used to the light again, I could see my opponent. It was a pony that was as big as a mini pony of about 1m high. It was extraordinarily hairy, and the mane and forelock were flame-colored, which reminded me of this one collectible monster1the Pokemon Ponyta. The hair even flickered like real flames.

*neigh* *neigh*

The flaming pony looked loaded, for it scowled when it saw me.

I haven't done anything to the pony. Why does it look so angry?

I saw this race for the first time, so I knew nothing about them, but from its appearance, I concluded that it was a creature with the attribute of fire.

The fire pony rushed towards me. It shook its head, and in the middle of the mane, a ball of fire emerged that flew towards me. I did the same and threw back a ball of fire. They collided between us and exploded in midair. The resulting smoke blocked my view.

Unlike me, the pony took the chance to surprise me, and it ran through the smoke towards me. It hit me in the side with one of the hooves and threw me into the air. In the air, the pony bumped its head against me, throwing me against the wall of the arena.

Ah!

My side hurt, and it was difficult for me to get up, but I had to overcome myself because I could see how the pony was coming towards me. It tried to stomp down on me, but before it could hit me, I rolled forward and escaped the attack.

I fired a fireball at the pony.

...Ha!?

My fireball hit the mane. Something strange happened in front of my eyes. My fireball didn't explode. Instead, the mane literally absorbed the fireball. My attack did no harm, and to top it all off, the pony was immune to my flames, which left me in a bind.

*neigh*

The pony neighed mockingly in response to my attack. I was inferior to the pony not only physically but also in magical power. It was faster, more agile, and stronger than me, and it can control fire like me. And above all, it has the ability to negate fire attacks.

Will my short new life end here?

The first negative thought crossed my mind. I was hopelessly inferior to the pony.

The pony only really started to get going because it began with sprint attacks and attacked with spells from a distance from time to time. Until now, I was able to hit its fireballs with my own to its counterattacks, but the physical attacks became more frequent and rapid. These exhausted me, and I felt myself losing speed.

I wasn't paying attention for a brief moment, and instantly one of the hooves hit my side and threw me against the wall. Condescending laughter came from the stands. The orcs were amused at my desperate situation. And the pony went along with it all, as it kept neighing mockingly.

"You lousy assholes!?"

I screamed out my frustration, but none of them could understand me. I got up and scowled at the pony. It neighed like it was laughing at me, but I ignored it and turned away. Immediately I could hear a loud neighing behind me. I ignored it, and as a result, an even louder neigh was to hear.

Only when I had built a certain distance did I turn to the pony. It lived from the attention, and the pony liked that. I suspect that it was raised by orcs and therefore knows nothing other than this life. I despised its personality and pitied it at the same time.

"Come!"

I had come up with something and showed the pony that I was waiting for it. It did not want to evade this disgrace and stormed towards me. I paused for the last moment and jumped out off the line of the pony. I shot a fireball on the pony's hind legs, hoping that only the mane could absorb the fire.

But contrary to my expectations, the pony ignored the fireball because the fireball was immediate, despite the distance, attracted and absorbed by the mane as if it were magnetic.

Damn it!?

I felt a sense of hopelessness. Nothing worked, no plan had the desired effect, and my strength was dwindling. I wanted to escape, I wanted to hide, but I couldn't. The pony was already attacking me. I closed my eyes to await the unknown.

I'm sorry, Si.

I apologized to my sister that I would never see her again as I was losing the fight.

"Are you giving up?"

The noises of the arena stopped, and my voice rang out in the endless darkness. My own voice seemed so strange in my head.

To give up? I lost!? I have no chance of defeating this damn pony even if I wanted to!?

"So, do you just give up?"

Was I so exhausted that I was talking to myself in third-person?

If everything is trying and still giving up failure, then I give up!?

"Weak!?"

You are me, so are you just like me!?

I actually quarreled with myself.

"If you believe that."

What is that supposed to mean now?

"I'll show you what's wrong with you."

The sounds from the arena returned, and my eyes widened uncontrollably. In front of me, ready for the attack, was the pony that wanted to stomp down on me.

"Darkness!"

I had to realize what just happened. A black spear shot out of my shadow and pierced the pony's skull, from the lower jaw to the top of the head.

What's going on here!?

"Fool."

My body moved on its own. Four more spears shot out of the shadows around the pony, pierced it in various places. The first spear had already killed the pony, and the others were just unnecessarily brutal.

Stop! That's enough!

"It's never enough!"

Five more spears pierced the lifeless body.

I noticed two orcs came into the arena to take me away. But when I saw it, my other me noticed it as well.

"Perfect."

It sounded pleased with the approaching orcs.

Leave it!?

I tried to fight the feeling of discomfort and suppress the other me.

"PAH!"

It mocked me, as did the pony before.

I hate the orcs, but this is not the time or place to risk your life unnecessarily.

*Tch* "Coward!"

The other I just snorted, and I felt how I regained control. I voluntarily hopped back towards the box.

Phew! I should go back to Si.

The arena was silent. The orcs neither laughed nor clapped. I stopped just outside the box and took one last look at the lifeless pony. I saw the same ball as with all the other opponents rise and float towards me, but I ignored it.

Will I end up like that?

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