Time passed by and after a few hours, the line was finally processed. The last of the testing took place, and Maxwell finally came over to the hand to hand area. It was a raised dais with a large red circle on it. The rules were simple. Touch outside the circle, you lose. Get knocked out, you lose. Avoid inflicting fatal blows, although since healing potions were standing by, what fell into the range of ‘fatal’ was a lot less than you’d think. Otherwise, once the match starts, no help from outside.

 

Word had gotten around that there was going to be a freshman trying out for the position of front line skirmisher. Noble spellcasters winding up as ranged support is rare enough, but for a first year conjuror to be a front line skirmisher was unheard of. The last one to pull off that stunt was the current king. so people wanted to see who had the stones to even try.

 

Eventually Maxwell walked up to the circle, selected one of the practice swords and gave it a few swings. The blade hummed with mana as he activated it's subdual field. It turned damage it inflicted into a like amount of pain. In your head, it felt just like the real thing, but it wouldn't be fatal if you actually stabbed someone in the heart with it. The victim might wish they were dead, but they wouldn't actually die.

 

Ryan and Aldelmo looked at each other, a bit confused. Maxwell grinned at them and motioned for Aldelmo to come down, "Well. I'm waiting." The two slowly stood up and started walking down. The crowd burst out laughing when they saw two kids going up against MAXWELL of all opponents.

 

Maxwell swung his sword with a little flourish and bowed, "Oh. I'm sorry. When I said I wanted to see this for myself. I meant I would be seeing it from INSIDE the ring." He gave a rakish smile, "That's not a problem, is it?"

 

Ryan shook his head, "Not a problem. However, you don't mind if my boy here tops off his mana pool?" Maxwell shrugged, "As long as he doesn't use ranged magic, whatever you want." Ryan nodded then looked at Aldelmo, "Strip."

 

Aldelmo took off his shirt to reveal straight and angular lines all over his body. He took off his shoes and was down to his underwear, so the arcane pattern that rolled across his body was visible to everyone.

 

Ryan handed Aldelmo a mana potion, "No armor." Aldelmo drank and his tattoos glowed faintly.

 

Ryan handed over a second mana potion, making the crowd start to mumble, "No weapons." Aldelmo drank and his tattoos surged. He held up one finger as he nodded towards Ryan.

 

Ryan handed over a third mana potion which caused most of the crowd to start to become concerned. One member of the audience even called, "Hey! Kid! You can't drink that much mana that fast! It could kill you!"

 

Aldelmo chugged the final mana potion. He tossed the empty vial over his shoulder and then flexed letting out a loud grunt. Over most of his body a thin layer of water appeared that coated him like a second skin, "And no RANGED magic." Ryan looked at Maxwell, "The water will never stop being in contact with his body." Then Ryan smirked and mimicked Maxwell's words, "That's not a problem, is it?"

 

Maxwell said nothing, but more telling, he stopped smiling. He just eyed Aldelmo who was now covered in brightly glowing blue sigils. Nobody had ever seen anything like this before, and as such, the laughter had stopped. This was no longer considered a joke and had become something to witness.

 

Ryan stood next to Aldelmo and proceeded to yell in his ear, "WHAT... is PAIN?"

 

Aldelmo stared straight ahead at Maxwell, "Pain Is Weakness Leaving The Body!"

 

Ryan continued, "WHAT... is FEAR?"

 

Aldelmo never wavered, "What my enemies experience!"

 

Ryan kept right on screaming, "WHAT... is the greatest JOY in LIFE?

 

Aldelmo locked his eyes with Maxwell, "To Crush My Enemies! To See Them Driven Before Me! And To Hear The Lamentations Of Their Women!"

 

Maxwell's face betrayed a tab bit of apprehension, "What... the... fuuuuu-"

 

Ryan yelled one more time, "BREAK HIM."

 

Aldelmo made a fist and punched it into his opposite hand held flat and bowed to Maxwell. The impact caused ripples to roll across the water that coated his body, like a rock dropping into a pond. Aldelmo didn't enter, so much as LAUNCH himself into the ring.

 

---

 

Maxwell had fought some strange things in his many years as an adventurer; Chimeras with three heads and a snake for a tail, ogres with two heads that bickered, giant slimes that sang to you with the voice of long dead friends, but Aldelmo was already throwing him for a bit of a loop. Aldelmo's arms and legs moved as if he was running, but his body's direction was independent to the movement of his feet. It was almost as if he was an illusion that wasn't properly synched up with the world around it. In the first few moments, Maxwell's instincts and years of battle hardened experience betrayed him as he basically zigged when he should have zagged.

 

Maxwell swung his sword in a long wide sweep, figuring on hitting Aldelmo anywhere would slow him down long enough for Maxwell's superior speed and aura to overwhelm him. However, he didn't expect for Aldelmo to limbo under the blade. Somehow, using the water covering his body, Aldelmo completely bent backwards in defiance of all known laws of physics and Maxwell's swing passed over him. As it did, Aldelmo gathered the water on his body into his left fist and hammered into Maxwell's hand as it passed over him. It was like getting hit with a sledgehammer. The force sent Maxwell's blade sailing up and out of the ring. A few members of the audience had to dive for cover.

 

Aldelmo slid past Maxwell, twisted around and brought his right fist around. He was prepared to repeat his last trick, this time to Maxwell's head. However, you only get to pull a trick like that on Maxwell once. He deftly ducked the blow and rolled into it, giving Aldelmo a sharp elbow to the ribs. He felt his elbow connect as Aldelmo grunted. Maxwell then twisted around and tried to land a blow right to Aldelmo's head, but he was a fraction of a second too slow. The water on Aldelmo’s body had flowed up to shield his face. Maxwell’s second blow connected, but it felt more like punching a slime than a human.

 

Maxwell then kept up the pressure, hammering blows into Aldelmo again and again in rapid fire succession. His fists would have crippled a normal opponent by now, but as each blow landed, he never again felt that solid hit like the first. Each blow sent ripples across the surface of his watery armor, spreading out the force and doing next to no damage. But while he wasn't injuring Aldelmo, knocking out your opponent isn’t the only way to win.

 

Each attack was forcing Aldelmo back. Inch by inch, blow by blow, Aldelmo was losing ground. Expertly maneuvering Aldelmo around the ring, he finally got Aldelmo right where he wanted him. With a burst of speed, he body slammed Aldelmo, who, for all his talent and training, was still a fifteen year old kid. Maxwell was easily twice his mass. The blow sent Aldelmo flying backwards. Maxwell let out a long breath. Using up that much mana in such a short amount of time was tiring. He would later admit it had been a while since he had to work that hard.

 

He’d also admit later that this was the point where he should have won.

 

Maxwell noticed that he had not yet been declared the winner. He looked up to see that, somehow, Aldelmo had managed to glue his feet to the mat just inside the circle. The vast majority of his body was now leaning impossibly far out of the circle. He was using his ability to control water to suspend himself and prevent himself from contacting the ground. The referee was on his hands and knees, looking at the gap as he held his hand up, prepared to declare the winner, but unable to just the same.

 

Aldelmo pulled back his fists, concentrated his water around them, and THREW the water back into the ring. The water pulled the rest of Aldelmo along, barreling at Maxwell with frightening speed. The crowd was on their feet as Aldelmo launched 'punches' that shot out a good two feet away from his fists, only to snap back as he withdrew each blow. Now it was Maxwell's turn to be forced back. Not because he was getting hit, but because he needed to avoid the blows. Back and back he fell until he finally figured out Aldelmo's pattern.

 

Aldelmo's fighting style might be strange, but give Maxwell time and he will figure out a counter to just about anything. Ducking into an uppercut, he spun around to hook Aldelmo's left arm and came up behind him, holding Aldelmo's arm in a submission hold. He twisted Aldelmo's arm, and inwardly was impressed when the kid didn't cry out. Maxwell stood there, holding his opponent in place while breathing heavy. He swallowed before speaking, "It's over, kid. But... you know what? You certainly-"

 

There was a loud crack.

 

Maxwell felt the bone in Aldelmo's upper arm snap.

 

"Sweet Mira!" Maxwell exclaimed as he let go. He didn't mean to break Aldelmo's arm. In actuality, he didn't. He assumed that Aldelmo was really tough because he wasn’t showing any pain, and came to the conclusion that he had pushed Aldelmo too far.

 

In reality, Aldelmo broke his own arm to get out of the hold.

 

Maxwell's moment of mercy would cost him dearly as Aldelmo brought all the water on his body into his right fist and pounded Maxwell in the face. The blow sent Maxwell staggering and seeing stars. Just as his vision started to clear, he got to see Aldelmo leaping into the air, his right foot covered in a globe of water. Aldelmo's foot shot out and a blow not unlike getting hit with a truck landed right under Maxwell's jaw.

 

Those watching would say that not only was it the first time they ever saw anyone beat Maxwell, but the blow was so powerful, he was kicked right out of his boots. Having left contact with the ground, he flew backwards and skidded to a stop, half in and half out of the circle. Aldelmo came running over, right fist raised and encased in a globe of watery pain, his left arm dangling and useless, and his face a terrifying sight of pure joy.

 

Maxwell wouldn't admit it for several years, but he was actually, genuinely terrified in that moment and was never so happy to hear the referee shout, "END MATCH!" Aldelmo, unable to stop his momentum continued the downward blow. Maxwell closed his eyes and felt the impact...

 

Right next to his head.

 

Aldelmo had shifted the blow at the last second to land next to Maxwell's head. The impact had caused most of the water around his fist to splatter and soak them both.

 

Ryan quietly stood up and started walking over. The healer nearby started to rush in for the purpose of treating Aldelmo's arm, but Aldelmo just shook his head causing the healer to pause. Ryan stood in front of Aldelmo and folded his arms, "Well?"

 

Aldelmo brought what was left of the water clinging to his body across his chest, and wrapped it around his broken arm. He used the water's pressure to stretch out the arm, then push the bone back into place. The only thing that betrayed that Aldelmo was in pain was a sneer. Finally, the bone set, Aldelmo concentrated. Throughout the fight his tattoos had been steadily losing their luminosity. Aldelmo focused the remainder of that energy into his left arm, speeding up the regeneration process. In less than a minute, the glow faded and the water surrounding his arm fell away. Aldelmo flexed his left arm while he clenched and unclenched his fist.

 

Maxwell let out a low whistle, having watched the whole time from the ground as he lay on his back. Aldelmo offered his formerly broken arm’s hand to Maxwell to help him up. Maxwell paused, looked at the hand, then grabbed it and let Aldelmo pull him to his feet. The crowd started to clap. Lightly at first, then a thunderous applause and sporadic whistles. Maxwell offered his right hand to Aldelmo, "God... Damn. That was a hell of a fight." Aldelmo took the hand and shook, finally showing some emotion and grinning, "uh... thanks." Ryan glared at him. Aldelmo noticed the glare then went back to being stoic.

 

Maxwell noticed the exchange and laughed as he slapped Aldelmo on the back, "Kid, I like the attitude, but the fight is over. You can relax. You're in. Against my better judgement, you are in. A promise is a promise." He then jammed a finger right under Aldelmo's nose, "Remember this. Always. Follow. My Orders." He lowered his hand, "I don't care how tough you are, you do as you are told. Got it?"

 

Aldelmo broke character and grinned, "Got it!" Ryan finally started smirking as well, but it didn’t last long as he started looking a little concerned, "Hey, Del. I know you wanted to prove this to yourself, but you don't HAVE to actually go through with this." Maxwell looked at Ryan, then back at Aldelmo, "He is right. You earned your spot, but if you ever feel over your head, you pull back. No shame in living, only in dying a needless death."

 

Aldelmo shook his head and looked at his hands, then staggered a bit and grabbed hold of Maxwell, "Whoa..." Both Ryan and Maxwell helped Aldelmo to the sidelines. People reached out to congratulate him. Mostly people who had bet on him. A good deal of money was exchanging hands in the background as Aldelmo spoke, "Nobody has done this in decades. I just... I needed to prove it to myself. I needed to see this through." He looked at his trembling hands, "I'm not just some potion pushing wuss."

 

Maxwell burst out laughing, "Holy crapo, Kid! No! You are not some potion pushing wuss, I'll give you that!" He cleared his throat, "If this had been a real fight, it might have gone differently, so don't get cocky, but... still. Been a long time since someone could put me down. Kinda glad. Shows that I still have more to learn, honestly." He gave Aldelmo a half hug with one arm, "So... uh... you mind telling me where you got those tattoos?"

 

Aldelmo pointed at Ryan.