The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 12: Ready, match, start (Part 4)

"My name is Magenta. I look forward to having a good match with you!" she declared.

"A.Friend, likewise," I nodded.

"Mr Friend, I have a request," Magenta looked at me seriously. "I saw how you fought. You have real world training. I request a match of only our martial prowess!"

I paused, surprised at her request, "I don't mind, but why?"

"I crave a real fight, a fight to test my body again!" as she spoke those words I recalled who she was and my heart lurched. Magenta or Maggie as she was known by players. She came second place in the regional tournament and placed well in the others for the next year before suddenly disappearing. The story came out months after. Maggie was a paraplegic. She lost the ability to move her body a few months before the game released. It was the one place she could feel her ability to move again. The reason my heart felt heavy..., though invited, she passed away before the world tournament. Ironically, she became more famous after her death than before. But while alive I remembered she wasn't someone who sought after fame, she was a player who just wanted to enjoy the game to its fullest.

The knowledge of the future weighed down on me more than I thought it would. I had no real relation to her and probably never would. It was one thing to know that fate of friend during the Fall, but knowing how she would die before it felt stranger. There were others..., others I had considered to change their lives, but Maggie, even if I did meet her, there would be nothing I could do.

There was something I could do now however, "I accept!"

"Really!?" she was surprised. "No magic, no guns, no skills?"

"Just my dagger and your staff," I nodded.

Her eyes became even brighter, "Let's do this!"

The countdown began. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... BATTLE. We both closed the distance between us immediately. This was a battle without skills. There would be some who called it boring without the flare the game's system added, but it was the least I could do. Maggie's staff thrust forward. I used my dagger to ward it away as I closed the distance. Her reaction was fast, stepping back and sweeping the staff across towards me. I pushed forward and took her arm, stopping her swing and attempted to throw her to the ground. Maggie's dexterity however was greater than mine as her body bent and escaped my grasp. Her knee flew up and collided into my stomach, dealing a decent amount damage before she began a flurry of strikes with her staff. I blocked the blows with my dagger and arms, minimising the impacts but still taking chip damage from the strikes. Unlike in real life, she could keep the blows coming as long as her in game stamina was high enough. I had to break free.

As the staff came down, I let it land hard on my side weathering the blow, but took the opportunity to strike with my dagger. The movement surprised her as it cut clean across her chest. Then came my foot, reaching high towards her head. Maggie barley managed to block with her staff as she pulled back. My foot pressed down and using the leverage I jumped into the air, slamming my other leg down as well. The blow broke her guard and my fist fell cleanly against the side of her head.

Maggie tumbled away. I took the moment to breathe and let her stabilise as I smiled.

"Having fun?" I asked.

"More than you know," she grinned back and charged.

"I'm going to try harder now," I took my stance and as Maggie's staff came down, I parried the strike to the side. My fist flashed forward hitting her chest, before she could recover, a second hit, and then a third. My leg landed against her side, causing her to cough. Her grin however didn't fade. Instead, she span back. Her staff danced around her body with well-practiced steps and the two of us were forced into a deadly dance. I could feel my health drop to dangerous levels as we traded blow for blow and blocked what we could. If either of used the correct skill now, victory would be guaranteed, but neither of us budged.