Chương 2: Let's compete in the tournament!

Mochi's eyes fluttered open, his vision hazy. He found himself lying in a simple yet comfortable bed. The room was quaint, the walls lined with bookshelves and strange trinkets that seemed out of place. A soft light streamed through a small window, casting warm shadows across the room. Confused, Mochi sat up, clutching his head as memories of the fight flooded back. Where am I? What happened? His body no longer ached, and as he tested his movements, he realized he felt completely healed.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, the cool floor grounding him. Carefully, he stood and made his way toward the door. As he stepped into the hallway, a strange sight froze him in his tracks. A small, bright red dog no taller than his knee was trotting down the hallway, a bubbling test tube held delicately in its mouth. Its large eyes blinked as it noticed him, and suddenly, the dog froze, dropping the test tube with a shriek.

"Ack! What are you doing up already?" the dog exclaimed, its voice high pitched and trembling with panic. Mochi stumbled backward, his heart racing.

"You can talk?!" The dog's tail wagged nervously as it tilted its head.

"Well, obviously! And don't just stand there gawking you're supposed to still be resting!" The dog's panicked demeanor quickly shifted to suspicion as it approached him, sniffing at his leg. Mochi stared in disbelief.

"This is the most weirdest day of my life."

"The name's Tony," the dog said curtly, pulling a small device from a pouch strapped to its back. He began scanning Mochi's arm, a soft hum emanating from the device.

"Looks like you're healed up just fine. Good. That means I don't have to deal with you anymore." Before Mochi could respond, the door to the hallway swung open. An older man, his short silver hair, stepped inside. His eyes locked onto Mochi, and for a moment, the room felt still.

"Ah, you're awake!" the man said with a wide grin, his voice booming with cheer. His eyes sparkled with familiarity, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Good. I've been looking forward to meeting you." Mochi blinked in confusion.

"Do I... know you?" The old man chuckled heartily.

"Not yet, but you will." He gestured toward the door behind him.

"Come on, lad. Let's see what you've got."

"What?" Mochi said, his voice rising in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'see what I've got'? Are you challenging me to a fight?" The old man simply grinned.

"Exactly. Now hurry up, time is limited." Before Mochi could protest, the man turned and walked out, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. Mochi stood there, dumbfounded. Tony sighed, shaking his head.

"That's Thomas, our guild leader. And, uh... good luck. He's ridiculously strong."

"Guild leader?" Mochi asked, trying to piece everything together.

"What guild? And why is he challenging me?" Tony shrugged.

"He probably wants to test your strength. That's just how he is. Don't think too hard about it. Just try not to get flattened, okay?" Mochi groaned, his head spinning with unanswered questions.

"And you're not going to explain anything else?" Tony gave a small bark of laughter.

"Nope. You'll figure it out. Now get moving. He doesn't like to wait." Reluctantly, Mochi followed Tony outside. The sunlight blinded him momentarily, but as his eyes adjusted, he saw Thomas waiting in an open training ground, his stance relaxed but his presence commanding. Beside him stood a young man with striking blue hair, his outfit casual yet stylish, as if he were about to head out on an errand. The blue haired boy gave Mochi a quick glance, his expression unreadable.

"He's awake already?" he said, his tone nonchalant.

"Guess that means I don't have to stick around. I'll be back later." Without another word, the man turned and began walking toward the forest path, a shopping bag in hand. Mochi watched him go, puzzled.

"Who's that?"

"That's Ace," Tony explained, his tail wagging slightly.

"He's another member of the guild. He's the one who saved you back there. You might want to thank him when he gets back, but be careful, he has a bit of a temper" Mochi's gaze lingered on Ace as he disappeared down the path. So, that's the guy who saved me... I owe him one. His thoughts were interrupted by Thomas, who clapped his hands together loudly.

"Enough chatter! Are you ready or not?" Mochi said "If you're as strong as the dog said you are then I don't think I have the courage... to face you" Thomas calmly said"Courage isn't believing you'll win." The candlelight flickered across his face.

"It's moving forward even when losing is a possibility" Mochi turned back to see Thomas grinning, his stance now more focused, his fists clenched in anticipation. The old man's energy was palpable, radiating an intimidating aura that made Mochi's stomach tighten. Mochi sighed, stepping into the clearing.

"Guess I don't have a choice, huh?" Tony barked a laugh.

"Nope. Good luck, kid. You'll need it." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Mochi took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. He locked eyes with Thomas, the air between them growing heavy with tension. This wasn't going to be easy. Thomas stood tall, gripping his Bisento tightly. Its golden blade glinted in the sunlight, and the intricate designs etched into its surface seemed to shimmer with a faint magical glow.

He ran a hand along the weapon's shaft and smirked.

"This Bisento," Thomas said, his voice steady, "was gifted to me by someone I know very well. It's not just a weapon it's a part of me. Let's see if you're ready to face its power." Mochi, confused by the comment, tried to keep his focus on the fight. His eyes tracked Thomas, but his thoughts were racing. Who gave him that weapon? Why is he testing me like this? Thomas raised his Bisento, its blade humming softly with energy.

"Enough talk. Let's begin!" Without warning, Thomas charged forward at incredible speed. Mochi's eyes barely registered the motion before Thomas was upon him. His Bisento came crashing down, and Mochi raised his arms just in time to block the blow. The force of the impact sent Mochi skidding back, his feet digging trenches in the ground before he toppled over. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, the weight of the attack still lingering in his bones.

This guy's on a whole different level, he thought, shaking off the pain. I've got to focus if I want to stand a chance. Determined, Mochi sprinted back into the battlefield, his legs moving at full speed. As he closed the distance, he cocked his arm back, preparing a powerful punch. With all his strength, he launched it toward Thomas, aiming for a decisive hit. Thomas, unfazed, raised his Bisento, blocking the punch with ease. Before Mochi could recover, Thomas vanished, reappearing behind him in an instant.

A powerful kick connected with Mochi's back, slamming him headfirst into the ground. Mochi gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain. I can't let him win that easily. He started to run in circles around Thomas, his feet moving faster and faster, hoping to catch him off guard. At a random moment, Mochi leapt toward Thomas, aiming for another strike. But Thomas only needed to take a single step back. Mochi's attack missed completely. Thomas sighed, his voice carrying a tinge of boredom.

"This is getting tiresome." Suddenly, he went on the offensive. With a powerful swing of his Bisento, he struck Mochi with an upward slash, sending him flying high into the air. Thomas leaped after him, his body flipping twice in midair before he brought the Bisento down in a devastating overhead slam. Mochi hit the ground with such force that the impact created a miniature explosion, dirt and debris scattering in every direction. As the dust settled, Thomas landed gracefully, brushing off the dirt from his jacket.

Mochi, lying battered on the ground, struggled to push himself up. From the side lines, Tony watched in horror.

"Oh no," he muttered, his voice trembling.

"This isn't looking good." Thomas crossed his arms, staring down at Mochi with a disappointed expression.

"Is that it?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.

"I expected more from you. If this is all you've got, I'm afraid I'll have to end this now. You're too weak." Thomas raised his Bisento, positioning it for a finishing blow. The weapon began to glow with golden energy as he shouted, "Golden Crescent!" With a powerful swing, he unleashed a crescent shaped wave of energy that hurtled toward Mochi at breakneck speed. Mochi's eyes widened as he lay on the ground, his body frozen. Is this it? he thought. No… I can't lose here. I can't give up.

I still have a promise to keep, I promised him with my life… His mind flashed with the memory of his goal. Gritting his teeth, he instinctively cocked his arm back. His arm began to glow, the energy taking the form of burning Japanese Mochi that crackled with heat and power. Without thinking, he hurled it forward with all his might. The attack shot through the air, colliding with Thomas's Golden Crescent.

For a moment, the two forces clashed, but Mochi's attack broke through, striking Thomas directly and creating a small explosion on impact. As the smoke cleared, Thomas stood firm, completely unscathed. He brushed off his jacket again, a small grin forming on his face. Mochi, his energy completely drained, collapsed to the ground and passed out. Thomas lowered his weapon, letting out a quiet chuckle.

"Not bad," he muttered. Turning to Tony, he said, "Get the healing potion." Tony scrambled into the house, returning moments later with a small vial in his paws. He handed it to Thomas, who carefully poured the potion into Mochi's mouth. A minute later, Mochi's eyes flickered open.

"W-What happened?" Mochi asked groggily. Tony raised a paw saying "My potion just healed your wounds from the fight" Before Thomas could then speak, Ace appeared, returning from the forest path with bags in hand. Thomas's face lit up as he rushed toward him.

"Did you get it? Did you bring my chocolate?" Ace sighed, handing over the bags.

"Yeah, yeah. It's in there." Thomas eagerly rummaged through the bags, pulling out a bar of chocolate with childlike excitement. Meanwhile, Mochi approached Ace, bowing slightly.

"So you're Ace huh? Thank you for saving me earlier." Ace barely glanced at him.

"Don't bother. The only reason I even did that in the first place was because the old man asked me to." he said flatly before walking into the house. Thomas, watching the exchange, chuckled.

"Don't take it personally. He's always like that." He clapped a hand on Mochi's shoulder.

"Come on. Let's eat. You'll need your strength." A few hours later, they sat around a table, a steaming pizza in the center. Mochi eagerly bit into a slice, savoring the warm, cheesy goodness. As they ate, Thomas leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful.

"So kid..." Thomas said"It's Mochi" Mochi said chewing his pizza.

"Well Mochi... I had been meaning to ask you something.."

"When we were fighting you were talking about a dream? What exactly is your dream I'm curious" Mochi grinned saying "Well I'm glad you asked.. you see I promised someone very important to me that one day I'll be the leader of the strongest guild in the world!" Ace calmly said chewing on a pizza slice "Well that seems stupid... if you're getting your ass kicked by some low ranked cop, I don't see you being the best in the world ever happening.." Mochi gritted his teeth saying "Hey!

It's going to happen one day believe me!" Thomas blinked in surprise "Well it is an ambitious dream, I'll give you that... so if that's your goal, then I have something you'd like to hear""In two weeks, there's a tournament," Thomas announced.

"I'm signing you and Ace up for it." Mochi nearly choked on his pizza.

"Wait, what? A tournament?" Thomas grinned.

"It's a good way to see what you're made of. Ace has done it before, but it'll be your first time." Ace shrugged, showing no reaction.

"You'll both be training," Thomas continued.

"I'll train Ace myself, but Mochi…" He paused, locking eyes with him.

"You're going on a journey. You'll find your own strength out there, call it a little experiment which training is more effective, training under a master or on your own." Mochi blinked in surprise.

"A journey?" Thomas nodded.

"Starting tomorrow. Rest up, kid. You've got a long road ahead of you." Mochi pumped his fist "Alright then, bring it on.. I can't wait to show everyone what the great Mochi is made of!" The morning sun painted the sky with shades of gold as Mochi stood outside the guild's base, his bag slung over his shoulder. With a determined grin, he waved goodbye to Thomas, Tony, and the others. Thomas offered a hearty farewell, Tony waved enthusiastically, and Ace… well, Ace didn't even glance his way.

"Well see you guys in 2 weeks then" Mochi shouted Thomas smirked saying "yes.. see you then young one" He turned, bolting down the path with excitement bubbling in his chest. This journey was the first step toward proving his strength and fulfilling his ultimate wish. The hours passed quickly as Mochi travelled across vast forests and hills. Stopping at a roadside shop, he stocked up on donuts and supplies to keep himself energized.

After a short break to devour a donut or two, he was back on his way, ready to face whatever challenges awaited.