Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Boss battle!
"Let's get ready to rumble!!!" The small referee shouted, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.
Grayson gave his weapon a couple of swings, getting a feel for the blade.
"Alright system, show me his stats again."
Grayson's display popped up showing the stats after a moment.
Name: Jujo
Level 5.
Class: Human Plus.
Health: 150/150
Stamina: 150/150
Reiatsu: 50/50
Skills-
Strength: 60/100 (0/10)
Speed: 15/100 (0/10)
Intelligence: 15/100 (0/10)
Enhanced skills -
Zanjutsu: 1/10 (0/10)
Skill points available: 0
Grayson studied Jujo's stats quickly and then quickly took a peek at his own.
Name: Grayson.
Level 5. (0/1500).
Class: Human Plus.
Health: 120/120
Stamina: 100/120
Reiatsu: 120/120
Skills-
Strength: 30/100 (0/10)
Speed: 20/100 (0/10)
Intelligence: 30/100 (0/10)
Enhanced skills -
Zanjutsu: 1/10 (0/10)
Hakuda: 2/10 (0/10)
Kidō: 0/10 (0/10)
Skill points available: 0.
"I really want to try and avoid a battle of strength with this guy..." Grayson said looking at Jujo's strength stat which was double his own.
"But, I'm faster, smarter and I have more reiatsu. Surely that has to count for something." He thought as he took a fighting stance.
"Alright fighters! When you are ready... Begin!!!" The referee yelled at the top of his lungs.
Jujo roared as he charged forwards, swinging the large club that had metal nails stuck all around it.
Grayson gripped the wooden handle of his blade with both hands, using all of his strength to block the attack.
The force of Jujo's strike knocked Grayson back, causing him to skid across the ground.
"Man this guy is strong..." He thought as he took another ready stance.
"Not bad... Not many people can survive my first strike!" Jujo shouted as he jumped into the air, bringing his club down with the whole weight of his body.
Grayson wasn't an idiot and this time he sidestepped, using some new footwork he had learned from levelling up his Zanjutsu.
Jujo's club had hit the ground, leaving a small dent in it, leaving him wide open.
"Now!" Grayson shouted as he raised his blade for a counter strike.
Jujo suddenly let go of his weapon, moving out of the way from Grayson's stab attack.
"He dodged!"
Jujo smiled as he regained his footing and threw a low kick at Grayson's lead leg.
Grayson suddenly lifted his own leg up and checked the kick with his shin, blocking the attack thanks to his Hakuda level.
"Did my body just move on its own?" He thought as Jujo moved a little further back to create some space.
"So you do know how to fight," Jujo said as he pulled a long knife from his sash.
"Answer." The system said.
"Your body is infused with the knowledge of Hakuda, the higher your level the more you will excel in hand to hand combat." The system said.
"Makes sense." Grayson thought as he looked at the large club sticking out of the ground and then back to Jujo.
"He sacrificed his weapon in order to avoid a dangerous strike. Not bad." He thought as looked at the knife in Jujo's hand.
He could instantly tell that his sword was longer than Jujo's knife, giving him the advantage.
Using his newfound information, Grayson changed his stance to one more suited to fencing, giving him a longer reach.
Jujo wasn't sure what the hell Grayson was up to, but he didn't like it.
"Your fancy moves won't save you this time!" He shouted, slowly shuffling closer and closer to Grayson, biding his time before he attacked.
Thanks to his Hakuda skill mixed with his Zanjutsu skill. Grayson could see how Jujo's footwork and muscle movements would play into his reactions.
"Left swipe." Grayson thought as he watched Jujo's muscles move, giving slight hints at his movements.
Grayson blocked a left swipe attack from Jujo's knife.
The metal on metal crashed and sparks flew through the air in conjunction with the crowd's applauds.
"Right swipe." He said. Blocking a right swipe this time.
"Left swipe again." He said, once more blocking Jujo's flurry of attacks, one after the other with his new skills.
"Thrust..." Grayson suddenly thought as Jujo pulled his knife back as he prepared to spring forwards with a stabbing attack.
Grayson suddenly moved to his left, using his footwork to sidestep out of the way of Jujo's attack.
"Seeing his opening, which was Jujo's neck, primed and ready for a quick slash to open his jugular.
"Attack, I'm supposed to attack!... But if I do, he'll die..." Grayson thought as the realisation that he was about to kill someone set in, causing him to hesitate.
"To slow!" Jujo shouted as he quickly spun around, smashing his elbow into Grayson's face.
The force of the blow knocked Grayson to the ground and caused his nose to start pouring with blood.
"Fuck! My nose!" He thought as he rolled back in pain, clutching his broken nose with his free hand.
"I think he broke it!" Grayson said to himself as he looked at the blood on his hand.
"That is correct. Your nose is broken." The system said.
Jujo looked down at Grayson, smiling at him as he pointed his knife towards him.
"You coward! If you're not prepared to kill, how can you ever hope to win." He said laughing.
Grayson slowly stood back to his feet, wiping some of the blood from his face as his nose continued to bleed.
He could see a notification in the top right of his vision.
Health: 90/120.
Stamina: 80/120.
Reiatsu: 120/120.
"So my health and stamina have dropped. I can't afford to do that again." He said, as his vision finally stopped spinning.
"Question." The system suddenly said.
"Would you like to use reiatsu to boost your abilities?" It then said.
"Wait... It can do that?" He asked confused.
"Yes. Reiatsu is used to perform Kidō. However, it can also be used to boost your physical abilities as well as help to heal your wounds." The system said, explaining in more detail.
"Now you tell me..." He thought as he took another ready position.
"Ok, system. Use my reiatsu to stop my nose bleeding and boost my power.
"Understood." The system said, doing as Grayson asked.
Grayson could feel the power wash over him as his spiritual power suddenly burst into life. His nose suddenly stopped bleeding and his eyes glowed red as his power increased.
Jujo could feel the chill in the air as Graysons Reiatsu flared around him. Releasing his spiritual pressure upon him.
"Ok, let's try this again." He said as he dashed forwards ready to attack.
Jujo raised his knife and slashed down as hard as he could in an attempt to split Grayson's skull open. However, Grayson had seen the attack coming and deflected it with his own blade.
Using his sudden increase in speed and power, Grayson had knocked Jujo off-balanced, causing him to lose his footing and fall backwards.
Grayson could once again see the opening he was presented with and this time he didn't hesitate.
"Eat this!" He shouted as he flipped the handle of his blade around in his hands.
Grayson smashed the back of his sword into Jujo's stomach. The back of the blade was flat, meaning that it was a blunt strike and wouldn't kill him.
Jujo gasped as all the air was forced out of his lungs before he was sent crashing into the ground.
Grayson stood over him and pointed the tip of his blade at Jujo's throat.
"Give up." He said, with furious determination in his eyes.
Jujo could tell he was prepared to deliver a killing blow this time and raised his hand into the air slowly.
"I-I surrender." He said sheepishly as he stared at the tip of the blade.
The crowd suddenly burst into cheers as they all screamed Grayson's name, chanting it over and over again.
"I can't believe my eyes!" The referee shouted as he hopped into the ring.
"Your winner is Grayson!" The little man shouted at the top of his lungs.
Grayson raised his sword into the air as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Quest complete, defeat the boss. You have been awarded with 2000 exp and one skill point!" The system said.
"Congratulations! You have levelled up!" It then said again.
Grayson opened his stats menu to take a quick look while the crowd was still busy cheering for him.
"Let's see."
Name: Grayson.
Level 6. (500/1800).
Class: Human Plus.
Health: 90/125
Stamina: 70/125
Reiatsu: 90/125
Skills-
Strength: 35/100 (0/10)
Speed: 25/100 (0/10)
Intelligence: 35/100 (0/10)
Enhanced skills -
Zanjutsu: 1/10 (0/10)
Hakuda: 2/10 (0/10)
Kidō: 0/10 (0/10)
Skill points available: 2.
"Hey system," Grayson said.
"Yes?" it replied.
"How do I regain my health, stamina and reiatsu?" He asked as he continued to wave to the crowd.
"To regain your health, stamina and reiatsu. You must eat, drink and rest. Additionally, your reiatsu will regenerate over time based on your speed skill. You can also use your reiatsu to regain health." The system said.
"Alright... That kind of makes sense I guess." Grayson said, snapping his attention back to what was going on around him.
Koga, Hogi, Stump and Bonsai watched with the rest of the crowd, not believing their eyes.
"He did... He really did it!" Koga shouted.
Hogi smiled as he flicked his hair away from his face.
"Very impressive indeed."
"See, what did I tell you, I knew from the moment I saw him, that lad had potential." Bonsai said as he placed his hands on his hips, gloating.
Grayson stepped down from the ring as the crowd calmed down, anyone who had placed a bet went off to collect their winnings and Grayson did the same.
"I'm impressed..." The boss said as he struck a match, lighting another cigar.
"As agreed. The Asauchi is yours." He said as he placed the sword onto the table, still wrapped in it's cloth.
Grayson took the sword, gripping the sheath in his left hand as he clutched the handle with his right.
"Quest complete. Gain an Asauchi. You have received 500 exp." The system said as he took the sword.
Grayson couldn't help but draw the sword, examining the sharp blade as he did.
"Very nice..." He thought as he checked it out.
"New quested started. Cursed blade." The system suddenly said.
"Yeah. That right there is the only thing we have to kill hollow's around here." The boss said as he stood up. Taking Grayson's attention away from what the system had just said.
Grayson resheathed the blade and held it in his left hand to his side.
Suddenly his stomach started to rumble alerting everyone to the noise.
Grayson looked down and then rubbed the back of his head.
"Sorry, I've not eaten anything in a while." He said.
The boss smiled as he closed his eyes.
"That would explain a lot." He said nodding his head.
"Alright, get the man something to eat. After that, we will talk business." He said giving his men a nod.
They instantly rushed off and the boss looked back to Grayson.
"Come with me." He said turning around and walking towards the door that was covered with a sheet.
Grayson nodded and followed him through, entering into a large private room, with comfy seats and private booths.
"Take a seat and rest." The boss said as he offered him a nice looking booth to himself.
"If you need anything, ask the staff. I'll make sure you're looked after." He said nodding his head to him.
Grayson nodded his head back and watched the boss walk off with his guards and his women in toe.
Grayson decided now was a good time to open his stats menu and play with a few things while he was alone.
"Open menu." He said in his head.
Name: Grayson.
Level 6. (1000/1800).
Class: Human Plus.
Health: 90/125
Stamina: 60/125
Reiatsu: 120/125
Skills-
Strength: 35/100 (0/10)
Speed: 25/100 (0/10)
Intelligence: 35/100 (0/10)
Enhanced skills -
Zanjutsu: 1/10 (0/10)
Hakuda: 2/10 (0/10)
Kidō: 0/10 (0/10)
Skill points available: 2.
"Well looks like my reiatsu has gone back up a little. But my stamina has dropped even more." He thought.
"Answer. In order for your reiatsu to recover your stamina will be drained."
"Right... And how do I use it to increase my health?" He then asked.
"Would you like to use your reiatsu to regain some health?" The system asked.
"Yes," Grayson responded as he kept a close eye on his stats.
Suddenly his reiatsu dropped by 70 points and his health slowly started to increase until it reaches 100%.
"So tired now... Why did it cost so must reiatsu to regain such a small amount of health points?" He asked feeling groggy all of a sudden.
"Answer. It costs twice the amount of reiatsu to recover the amount of health you wish to gain. For example, if you would like to recover ten health points. You would need to use twenty reiastu." The system said.
"Great... I wish you had told me that before I used 70 points!" He shouted.
"You never asked." The system replied.
Grayson let his head drop and bang onto the table.
"Excuse me, I believe this is for you." A soft female voice said.
Grayson turned his head on the table to get a look at who was speaking to him.
It was a young girl of about 16 years old. She wore a nice blue kimono with sandals, She had soft features and brow hair that was tied up in a bun.
The girl placed a large tray of food on the table in front of him. It consisted of chicken, bread and two bowls of fresh white rice.
Grayson soon perked up and he thanked the girl, quickly tucking into the food, eating faster than he had ever done in his life.
The girl looked very surprised but slowly bowed before she walked off before returning shortly after with a jug of water and a cup.
Grayson ate every bite leaving nothing but the bones of the chicken, he even downed the entire jug of water and once he was finished, he sat back in his seat as he held his bloated stomach.
Grayson felt alive again and could feel his energy fully restoring itself. He also confirmed it as he took a quick peek at his stats to see his health, stamina and reiatsu had all gone back up to full.
"Alright, I feel great!" He said as he flexed his bicep.
"Quest complete, restore abilities for the first time. You have gained 100 exp." The system said.
"Feeling better I see." The boss said, interrupting Grayson's thoughts as he re-entered the room.
Grayson turned to look at him in surprise and then stood to his feet.
"Yeah, I'm back to 100% thanks to that food!" He said giving the boss a nod.
"Glad to hear it." He said as he took a seat at the other end of the table.
Grayson followed suit and also sat down, feeling that things were about to get serious.
"So, now that you are recovered, how about we get down to business." He said, lighting a match again.
Grayson nodded.
"That's right. You said you wanted me to kill a hollow?"
The boss lit his cigar and took a puff before looking Grayson in the eyes.
"You see, soul reapers are few and far between around here. We mostly get left to fend for ourselves. Making us easy picking for any hollows brave enough to come here." He said.
"Lately I've had a certain hollow keep coming to the same spot. Now, normally this wouldn't bother me. However, it's interfering in my business." The boss said, taking another puff on his cigar.
"So you want it dead?" Grayson asked.
"That's right." The boss said as he crossed his legs.
"Why me? How come nobody else has killed it already?" Grayson asked.
The boss frowned as he put his cigar out on the table.
"That's simple. Everyone who tried ended up dead." He said.
Grayson nodded.
"Right..." He said understanding the situation now.
"Only a soul reapers weapon or someone with spiritual powers can kill a hollow. Anyone who is strong enough to match Jujo can have a shot at the bastard. But you're the first to beat him." The boss then said as he leaned forwards.
"As I said, money is not an issue. And if you win you can keep the sword. If it doesn't get you killed first." He said chuckling.
Grayson raised an eyebrow at that last comment.
"What do you mean if the sword doesn't get me killed?" He asked, leaning forwards on the table.
The boss smiled.
"Well, a few of us believe that that sword is cursed."
Grayson looked down at the sword which was next to him.
"Cursed?..." He said, remembering the quest that had popped up when he first took the sword.
"Ever since I took it from the dead soul reaper who owned it, anyone who has tried to wield it has ended up dead." He said as he crossed his arms.
"And your only telling me this now because..."
"Well if I told you before, you would have said no." He said laughing.
Grayson frowned a little as he looked at the sword and then back to the boss.
"So I take it that's why Jujo doesn't use it?" He said.
"My, you are a smart one." The boss said.
"I take it I can't say no..." Grayson said.
"You could... But it's too late for that now. You who have held the cursed Asauchi." The boss said.
"You see."
"The soul reaper who that Asauchi belonged to wounded the hollow, leaving it scarred. After the hollow was able to kill the soul reaper it swore it would kill any other that wielded that blade." The boss said, ending his little flashback.
Grayson nodded.
"Man this sounds like some crazy ass shit." He thought.
"So what you're saying, is that the Hollow is coming for me now whether i like it or not," Grayson said sighing.
"That's right." The boss said giving a toothy grin.
"Whether you like it or not, your working for me until you kill the hollow, or the hollow kills you."
Grayson took in his words and after a moment slapped his hands on his thighs as he stood up.
"Well, I guess I have no choice." He said.
"As long as I get paid, I'll kill this hollow for you." He said as he took the sword in his hand.
"Just show me where I need to go."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone