Unchallenged

Saturday Match

Nikolay POV

"We found a competitor you could fight against." Flavius informed me while I was training at the Boxing Club.

"Who accepted to fight against me?" I asked him without making eye contact.

"They call him The Butcher, I don't know his real name. This is a small town, but we don't know everyone here. We can schedule the match for this weekend."

"What's the stake?" I asked again while hitting the punching bag.

"I've heard he's just looking for fame but we could discuss with his team. This means you're more famous than him.

"I stopped and looked at him with my muscles contracted and fists clenched. His smile faded. "I'm in."

Two week passed since I moved in the one story house and I kept my promise. I was only sleeping there and didn't want to meet Ida, nor the kids, that is why I was going late home and leaving early in the morning. The last thing I wanted was to interfere with Ida. I knew she was struggling with the kids and all the house chores but she never complained. I found dinner on the kitchen table every night and I knew it was for me. I had no idea how to thank her. I just tried to keep the living-room clean, which was not a hard task as long as I was only sleeping there. Vladi was looking for me on the sports field and in the gym every day. Oli also joined my classes.

"What's your favourite dish?" Vladi asked me with that sweet voice he always had. I couldn't remember when it was the last time someone asked me that.

"Why do you need to know?"

"We'll cook for you today so you could eat when you get back home in the evening." He answered honestly. 

I thought a little bit and paused. Vladi raised his brows. "It's vareniki filled with smashed potatos and a lot of sour cream on top." My mother used to cook them for me when I was a boy. I never forget their taste.

"I like them, too." Vladi smiled at me.

I found some dumplings that night at home. They looked and tasted more like Italian ravioli. I ate them all and appreciated their gesture. Saturday came and that meant my first match. An hour before, the few seats started to fill fast up and the ring was being mopped. I sat on the only bench back in the locker room and prayed for guidance and strength, eyes closed, mind emptied.

"Nervous about your first fight?" Flavius asked me confident from a dark corner.

"It's not my first fight. I always carry in my mind all the different fighters I took on in prison. I defeated them all."

"Then it's time to defeat this unknownname, too. The match will be fairplay, Nikolay." Flavius added. "We don't know your oponent very well. I've just heard that he is a kickboxer and hits quick. You should just protect yourself and follow my instructions."

I made my way to the boxing ring and eventhough there were just a few people, I could feel everyone's glare burning my skin. I tried to breath steadly keeping it cool as I walked to the octagon. I watched the man called The Butcher as he went onto the ring. He stretched himself warming up for the fight. After the introduction was made we touched gloves and circled each other for a long moment. I noticed The Butcher was taller than me but thiner, his gaze and behaviour looked very wise and calculated. He jumped into the fight throwing in an elbow which I imediately dodged and put him in a guilotine choke. The Butcher struggled and started throwing knees at me until he managed to get out of my hold. We were going hand to hand till he punched my torso with a quick kick but he missed a hook which allowed me to find the opening to his head. 

The few spectators were surprised. Flavius stoped me. I watched as my oponent recovered tired and ran up raged for a punch but I steped aside fast and kicked him in the torso and face. Then I went for a spinning double kick that knocked him down. He was out. I won by KO in only one round. The spectators were speechless. I think many of them had seen a fight like this before only in movies.

"I'm a fan!" An enthusiastic voice stopped me while I was getting down from the ring. I imediately recognized Costin, the math teacher from school. All eyes were on us, most of them looked astonished that someone dared to talk to me directly.

"I didn't know you were into fighting." I told him looking straight into his keen eyes. I think he was my age. I never payed him much attention in school. 

"I can acknowledge a good fighter." He wanted to say more but I walked past him. "Congratulations!" He shouted behind me.

"Seeing how you beat that guy in only two minutes made me believe you had been training for many years." Flavius told me later in the locker room when we were alone and all the other ones left.

"I"ve been training for more than 15 years."

"But I haven't seen your partner here tonight." He added as I was zipping my equipment bag. 

I pinned him with my eyes. "She doesn't know about my whereabouts."

"You two don't talk too much, do you?"

"Who I talk to it's not your business." I answered him and put the bag on my shoulder.

"Why did you choose to be a fighter? You are very skilled and professional, you can use various martial arts techniques and you don't like people standing your way. Why did you choose this world, Nikolay?" Flavius asked as I was about to leave.

"It chose me." I stopped, standing with my back at him as I went on giving him an answer. "God has given me only one gift, and it's my task to use it as the absolute villain of this world."

Sorry it took me more than a week to post a new chapter. What do you think so far? 

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