Bab 44: Talent
"Ashoka Maurya."
The emperor, Bindusara called Ashoka's name.
"Yes, your highness"
Ashoka bowed in response.
Whatever the relation in between them, he couldn't go against the emperor openly and had to give him the respect.
"The others cannot accept the result. Do you agree for the duel with Ahmed?"
"I don't."
Ashoka firmly shook his head.
"Eek!"
"Eh?"
"Eeeh…"
"Is… Is he crazy!"
Since nobody expected him to immediately refuse, everyone's jaws dropped.
"The test is over, and the results are out. Without gaining anything in return, there is no reason for me to compete."
Ashoka said without an ounce of hesitation.
"Hmm?"
"After you blabbered about the family of warriors, honor, and matters like that, I didn't expect that you wouldn't even accept the results."
"Kuh!"
Ahmed's flush darkened as he heard Ashoka's sarcasm.
Ashoka's first impression of him was fairly good.
Ahmed approached Ashoka himself and wanted to be friends with Ashoka, but now after seeing all this Ashoka realized it was all nothing more than an act.
"Then do it like this."
Everyone looked at the Emperor, whose voice sounded like a lump of iron was pressing down on it.
"Duel with the title of first place on the line. If you win, I'll grant anyone of your wish."
Ashoka's eyes sparkled hearing the emperor's words.
He already had his eyes on the secret technique of the previous emperor and just when he was thinking about how to get it, the emperor himself had paved a way for him.
'That's an unexpected piece of good luck.'
He'd already won the bet with Draco by ending up with the first place, and now the emperor would give him a bronze tablet.
His reward had just doubled.
It looked like the Emperor wished for Ahmed to win, to tag first place.
Unfortunately, Ashoka had no plans to satisfy him.
"Understood."
"Aa-Ashoka!"
"It's alright."
As soon as he nodded, Chandra ran up to him. He smiled at his worrying mother.
"Thank you for trusting me! Your Highness, I won't disappoint you!"
Ahmed bowed to the emperor, overwhelmed by his emotions.
"That's enough, now begin the duel."
"Yes!"
Springing to his feet, Ahmed walked up to Ashoka.
"To be facing me in a duel, your luck ends here."
He continued while grinning.
"I didn't like you from the very first time I saw you. I will show you the difference between me and a bastard like yourself."
"Wow. The boy who couldn't accept the results talks so much.'
Ashoka snickered and turned his wrist.
"You bastard…"
"Save the fight for the duel."
Alberad stood between them, shaking his head.
"The duel will be one round. You are disqualified if you use a weapon or aura. Fight with nothing but your body.'
"Understood!"
"Yes."
"Well, then…"
Alberad raised the hand that was blocking Ashoka and Ahmed's vision of each other and stepped back.
"Begin!"
"Haap!"
Before the word 'begin' could reach his ears, Ahmed dashed. He thrust his fist sharply at Ashoka's solar plexus.
Tap!
Ashoka turned the back of his hand to fend off his fist. The fist's fierce rotation numbed his wrist.
"That's not enough to stop my fist!"
Ahmed laughed coldly and thrust his fist a second time, this time at his stomach.
Pow!
He fended off the blow with his hand, but the impact sent pain up his forearm.
"This is the Void Tiger Fist that my father taught me personally. There was no rule against using a fist technique, so this isn't against the rules."
"Revolving tiger palm…"
Revolving tiger palm was Khan family's fist technique, consisting in rotating a fist to break through the enemy's defense.
'What shall I do…?'
It was powerful, but sloppy.
Ashoka could easily beat him down.
'It would be a waste to simply win.'
Since the stage was set, he wanted to use the opportunity to prove his ability to everyone.
"Where are you looking?!"
Ahmed swung his fist. Leaning back, he avoided fist and stepped backward.
"This is the difference in talent!"
He kept swinging his fist while using a stepping technique. Both his fist and steps were sloppy, but he was somewhat threatening thanks to his excellent physical abilities.
'Talent, huh?'
Ashoka stepped sideways with glittering eyes.
He considered the way to best deliver a blow to the idiot, who thought only of talent.
Martial arts study.
As expected of members of a duke family, they consider talent in martial arts studies the most valuable.
'And I have something great.'
Ashoka used his mana technique at full force.
The moment mana began to rotate furiously, Ahmed's movement became slower, and the flow of his fist technique could be seen.
"Did you give up?"
Ahmed thrust his fist straight. A brutal wind brushed past his ear.
"Of course not."
Ashoka's hand moved in a half-moon shape.
Ahmed's fist bounced back upon touching that rotation.
It was the same rotation as his Revolving tiger palm, but the direction was reversed.
"Eek!"
Ahmed's expression wavered as he bounced back. But he grit his teeth and dashed at him again.
Tap!
Fending off his fist, Ashoka pushed him with his shoulder. With a slam, Ahmed stepped back.
Pow!
Ashoka kicked the ground and dashed into the panicking Ahmed's chest.
"You bastard!"
Despite being in panic, he tried hitting his chin with his left fist. However, Ashoka had already finished analyzing his palm technique.
Pow!
Rotating in the other direction, he pushed Ahmed's fist back and struck at his stomach.
"Kugh!"
Ahmed knelt, foaming at the mouth.
"How… how are you using the revolving Tiger palm…?"
He drooled, mouth wide open at the unexpectedness of the situation.
"Wh-what happened just now?"
"How did he use the revolving Tiger palm…?"
"There's no way Chandra or Alberad would've taught him that!"
"What just happened…?"
Everyone watching the duel widened their eyes in astonishment.
"You just showed me."
Ashoka dusted off his hands, looking down on Ahmed coldly.
"I just copied your fist technique."
His voice was ice cold as he smirked at Ahmed.
"That's what you call talent."
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