Magician: “...Wellll. This is getting lame.”

Silence took over as people below stared into the sky, confused. Some citizens didn’t even bother to watch anymore because nearly every fight was a one-and-done occurrence. 

Magician: “Do you at least have a name?”

…

Magician: “Alright, I’m done with this.”

The Magician charged towards the stranger. The stranger stood there bracing himself but showed no signs of worry. 

As the Magician closed in, he analyzed the stranger. He had a similar build to the Magician, longer brown hair that fell to his shoulders, and a short beard covering his jawline. He wielded a massive greatsword with both hands and raised it defensively.

The Magician swung his sword with one hand. 

To the Magician’s surprise, the stranger easily parried it and prepared to defend against another attack.

Magician: (Getting excited) “Okayyy. Now we’re getting somewhere. I see you weren’t just trying to look cool; you have at least some skills. However, you can’t top my flair.”

The Magician began to unleash a barrage of slashes. He attacked with one hand and held the other close to his chest. 

Even with the pressure of what felt like one hundred swings in a second, the stranger blocked every attack easily. 

They moved around in the sky while people began to watch from below. Seeing this rare occurrence of a fight lasting more than a mere minute, citizens were shocked.

Woman In The Crowd: “Wait… Is that guy actually keeping up!?”

Nerd With Glasses: “No, it’s ooobvious that our hero is just playing around. He’ll get bored soon and end this.” (Sniffling) 

Man In The Crowd: (Taking his phone out of his pocket) “I don’t give a damn if he’s trying or not; this is going to go viral.”

The Magician wore down the stranger’s defense. Neither one of them appeared to struggle; it was simply a battle of waiting to see who could find an opening first. 

The stranger parried several strikes and counterattacked, but it was still child’s play for the number one hero to defend against him.

Sparks flew from their blades as they clashed. The long greatsword was battered along its edges. The Magician noted that this foe had experience. 

The Magician, having no intention of escalating this battle, played with his food and carelessly threw countless swings at the opponent. 

Vwip. The Magician, in the middle of swinging downwards, lost his opponent. 

In the Magician’s mind, time slowed as he searched for the stranger. His eyes darted around, unable to find him. The Magician’s intuition kicked in, and he realized the stranger was behind him, about to attack.

The Magician snapped his body around to block the slash. 

A loud clash echoed throughout the city. People on farther streets turned their heads. Birds flew off of streetlamps.

They were at a standstill, eyes locked, with their swords pressed against each other. 

The Magician pushed off the air to create some distance.

The crowd below was in shock after they lost sight of the stranger for a moment.

Magician: (Slightly shocked, but still keeping composure) “Nice move. So, why are you holding back, huh?”

Silence came over the two. The Magician didn’t expect an answer since the stranger hadn’t said a word.

Stranger: “What’s your reason?”

The crowd fell silent, along with the two combatants. The Magician exhaled through his nose, followed by a smirk.

It was extremely rare for the Magician to be challenged. This stranger, who appeared out of nowhere and said nothing until now, could be his greatest challenge. 

With the strength the stranger possessed, the Magician braced himself for a real fight, ready to unleash more than ever before.