Battle OF Grammar: Word Fu!

Chapter 4 - First Time In Combat

“Woo! Yeah, baby! Yah! Yah!” An exciting participant was making his voice heard on stage. His elation was brought about after dominating his 4^th opponent.

“We have a winner! Applicant-577 has won his 4^th admission match. Thus he has earned the right to study at our academy. Here is your stamp of approval.” The referee stamped a special symbol on Applicant-577’s Papyrus. Please head over to the judges’ counter to collect your entrance package.”

“Yes, I’m going there right away! Woo-hoo! I’m so fricking awesome! Raixom Academy here I come!”

Now that the winner had left the stage the referee called for the remaining combatants to fight until their numbers dwindle. “For the next match, Applicant-620, Dam Son and Applicant-599, Xuan Li, please come up!”

Hearing his name being called by the referee’s boisterous voice, Dam Son felt a shiver of nervousness trickle down his robust countenance. “It’s finally my turn to start.” Dam Son picked up his sapphire suitcase then motioned up the stage. His opponent, Xuan Li was a slender Word Fu Master that was donned in oriental floating garments.

After both participants settled on stage the referee stepped between them. “The rules of this match are the same as before. You win by either making your opponent submit or by stage knockout. After winning 4 matches without suffering any losses, you will be liable to enrol in Raixom Academy.” He glanced at both contestants saying: “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

“Then… begin!” The referee lowered his hand then vanished off stage.

“Okay, here we go. Just like I practised. First, observe the opponent. This guy is a Word Fu practitioner. He must be extremely skilled in grammar martial arts.” While Dam Son was sizing up his opponent, he was also being analysed.

Xuan Li transitioned his nifty figure into an attacking stance as he stared at Dam Son. “This Dark-Human could he be a Word Fu specialist or an Augmenter? What’s with that suitcase, is it an Augmented Weapon? His martial arts stance seems really basic. Is he just pretending to lure me in? I should test his skills first. Guiding Water Stance.”

[Basic Word Fu Script: Flowering Wave] (Activated) -10(MAPL)

Xuan Li applied a basic script to his legs which continually produced a flowering wave of water that made his movements seem extra smooth. He was like a drifting leaf travelling across the wave of the ocean by swift wind intent.

“Those movements are insanely cool! That water leaking from his feet must have amplified his fluidity. So there are Word Fu Scripts like those as well?” Dam Son was so entranced by Xuan Li’s nifty motion that he didn’t even realize that he was about to be attacked.

The stray puddle of water intentionally left on stage by Xuan Li’s movements, produced a small watery flower at Dam Son’s blind spot. As the watery flower crashed into Dam Son’s posterior, it served as a distraction for Xuan Li to commence his true frontal attack.

“Guiding Water Stance, 1^st Form, Rising Tide!” Xuan Li applied a basic boost script to his feet as he delivered a shocking roundhouse kick to Dam Son’s face.

The sudden impact caused Dam Son to twirl like a twisting screwdriver. He got blasted to the other end of the stage. Fortunately for him, he stopped just before he fall off the edge.

“Whew, that was close. I wasn’t expecting that sort of underhanded trick.” Dam Son wiped the smudge from his face while his back was still turned to his opponent. If it weren’t for Papyrus’s intervention, he would have been blasted off stage.

“Focus, newborn! Your opponent is still rushing towards you!”

“Then I better get serious.” Dam Son Dashed out of the range of Xuan Li’s follow up kick. While slipping to safety a miniature script manifested in his eyes.

[Basic Word Fu Script: Copy] (Activated >> Duration 1 minute) -10(MAPL)

[Martial Arts Powered Letters Remaining >> 15]

“Wow! I’m perceiving his movements differently now.” Dam Son was surprised by the interesting way how the Copy Script was letting him see his opponent. “This amplified vision won’t last long. I need to copy more of his martial arts techniques.”

Xuan Li kept his Guiding Water Stance going by applying another Flowering Wave Script to his feet. After his first hit went in on Dam Son he realized something. “This Dark-Human hasn’t utilized his suitcase once, meaning he’s not a true Word Augmenter. Then again judging by his sloppy defence just now he doesn’t seem like a Word Fu nor a Word Mage. What is he truly? Is he still pretending or does he just lacks all category of mastery?”

To verify his analysis, Word Fu prodigy, Xuan Li slid over to Dam Son’s proximity with multiple executions of precise techniques.

‘Bam! Bam!’

Dam Son was getting treated like a punching bag all over the wide stage. While executing his frightening attacks, Xuan Li realized that Dam Son was still standing firm.

“What the heck is this Dark-Human made out of? How is he still standing after accepting the basic 5 forms of my Guiding Water Stance?”

Dam Son’s endurance was incredulous to the viewers. He made Xuan Li exhaust almost all of his stamina by kicking him. One minute later, the Copy Script vanished from Dam Son’s eyes. “Now I will strike while he is still tired.”

[Basic Word Fu Script: Smash] >> (Activated) -5(MAPL)

“Accept this punch of mine!” Dam Son tossed out a simple fist towards Xuan Li. However, due to the influence of the Smash Script, Dam Son’s fist became slightly muscular with a blue streak of lightning oscillating it. The power generated, smashed Xuan Li all the way to the other end of the stage.

“What was that powerful blow?” Observing the limbs that he used to block Dam Son’s attack at the last second, Xuan Li discovered that both arms suffered heavy injuries. “These bruises aren’t nothing to scoff at. That Dark-Human blows are really heavy. This is such an unfair matchup.”

Xuan Li started resenting the innate rules consisting of the multiple humans species distribution. He was a regular human fighting against a Dark-Human who is said to possess natural toughness since birth.

Among the three major races that dominated Vocabular (Human, Demi-Human, Dark-Human) Humans were born with the weakest physical attribute but the greatest potential to become stronger. Demi-humans were born with slightly more toughness than a human and also a higher affinity for understanding magical letters. As for Dark-Humans, their physical attribute was through the roof. As a result, they were born with a lesser affinity for understanding Magical letters.  

Dam Son stared at the steam oozing off his fist then directed his eyes at Xuan Li. “Wow! That was my first time utilizing a script in combat. This feels so exhilarating. Papyrus look at my arm, are you seeing this?”

“Yes, yes, you’ve done well, newborn. But the match isn’t over yet.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Tsk! That damn Dark-Human!” Xuan Li got upset when he saw the big smile on Dam Son’s face and how he was already celebrating as if he had won the battle already. “You only hit me once and dare boast in front of me? Don’t be so damn conceited, Dark-Human! There won’t be another lucky shot.”

Finished cursing at Dam Son, Xuan Li dashed forwards while making use of another Flowering Wave Script. “Guiding Water Stance, 2^nd Form, Twisting Python Splash!” A large manifestation of beastly waters shot forth from Xuan Li’s tornado kick.

“Danger! Got to flee!” Dam Son slid to safety by mimicking the fluid movements that Xuan Li utilized prior.

“Huh, that’s my technique!” Though Dam Son’s evasion lacked the same elegance as Xuan Li, he recognized right away that Dam Son had copied his skill. This made him more furious. “You damn thief! Watch how I tidy you up today! Billowing Wave Kick!”

“Woah!” Dam Son Flipped to the side like an adroit monkey then dashed towards Xuan Li by sliding extremely low whilst spinning. This was also one of the techniques that he had copied.

“Now it is my Sliding Turtle Slicer? Tsk!” Xuan Li slammed the ground with vicious intensity. The rebounded impact caused Dam Son to get blasted into mid-air. “Now that I got you in mid-air, I can just blast you off stage! Rising Tide!”

Xuan Li executed a mighty upper kick followed by a dubious wave. “Try and get out of this one you damn thief.” ‘I didn’t show off any of my aerial techniques so he is done for if copying others' skills is all that he has going for him.’

“I can still make use of ‘Smash’ 2 more times before my Martial Arts Powered Letters bank is depleted. This isn’t over yet!” Dam Son flipped in mid-air until his right leg was vertically raised.

[Basic Word Fu Script: Smash] (Activated) -5(MAPL)

The moment the script finish assimilating with his leg, Dam Son swooped downwards with a formidable kick that cut through the rising waves that Xuan Li beautifully executed prior.

“No way! How did he… huh?” Dam Son’s assault wasn’t over yet. Xuan Li almost swallowed his tongue when he saw how close Dam Son’s foot was from smashing into his face.

A huge portion of the stage got smashed to bits! This was the first time since the start of the admission matches that it suffered such destruction.

“We have a winner!” The referee appeared on the unbroken part of the stage and highlighted the winner. “Victory goes to Applicant-620, Dam Son! Congratulations on claiming your first victory. We will take a short recess until the reconstruction of the stage is complete.”

 “Huff! Huff! I lost?” Breathing heavily, Xuan Li sat on the dusty ground outside the boundary of the stage, thinking about how he had lost miserably. Just before Dam Son’s kick landed on his head, Xuan Li sensed that his life was in danger and acted instinctively to save himself. He involuntarily hopped backwards to evade the deadly kick. In doing so, he unintentionally leapt out of the boundary. “Dammit! I lost!” He punched the ground fiercely; got up from the floor then stormed away.

“Huh.” Dam Son noticed Xuan Li giving him a poisonous glare before vanishing into the crowd. “I learned a lot from that Word Fu Master. The match was fun too… awe!” Dam Son felt a sudden pain in his right leg along with his other body parts. “Ahf! It hurts.”

“That is what you get for not being careful, newborn.”

“What do you mean, Papyrus?”

“You’re suffering from the backlash of consecutively activating a Word Fu Script without proper training coupled with the prior beating that you so willing took from that martial arts boy. Did you think that it wouldn’t hurt later? This is why they aren’t a lot of proficient Word Fu Masters. Using a script to enhance the body can take its toll later on.”

“And why did you not inform me of this earlier?” Dam Son pleaded with Papyrus upsettingly.

“Of course, you didn’t ask, also, I didn’t tell you because there was no way to avoid the outcome of script backlash. Not with your limited time of practice. I needed you to win so that we can enter Raixom Academy. It wasn’t proper that I scare you with the details beforehand. Now that you are aware of the consequence of script assimilation do better in your upcoming matches.”

“What if I mess up in the match and end up losing? Will I not receive another chance?”

“Well, it depends on the skillset that you’ve showcased thus far. If the judges approve of a specific person then that individual can try from the beginning before the admission matches are over. But don’t even think about losing. Look around you, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Exactly. No one is cheering for you even though you just won this battle. That is how much lame candy you are sucking on. The judges will never give you a second chance if you lose so do as I told you and not lose.”

“Alright. I’ll try my best.” Dam Son retrieved his sapphire suitcase before hopping off the reconstructing stage.