The free crowd gathered, each curious to see what was going on.
A white fluffy rabbit was cowering, his round eyes looking at Maxwell then at the grey rat, then at Kael as if pleading for help.
Kael's expression turned stern, his hands placed behind his back before he spoke with anticipation and expectation.
"White, this is your training. As the familiar of Ashborne, you have to face this challenge and prove yourself."
Can't you see how big that rat is! Shou was panicking, his paws pulling onto his ears in stress.
Even as a human, he would have screamed in terror if he saw a rat this big! Now in his view this rat was as big as himself! This was equivalent to those direwolves!
"Prove your worth, bunny!" Maxwell shouted and released the rat from his clutches.
KYAAA!
Shou screamed as the grey rat rushed straight at him, like a tiger he pounced with his 4 legs right towards Shou! Dirt and dust scattered as the rat sped towards him.
The world came to a slow motion, Shou's eyes contracted, and before the claws could reach his fluffy cheeks, he instinctively rolled to the side, barely dodging the claw strike!
A small, barely visible straight wound cut appeared on his cheek. Shou felt a stinging sensation, he raised his paw and touched them. The smell of iron and the wetness in his pads made it clear, this rat scratched him.
Shou's shaky body stopped for a moment, his eyes turned to the grey rat. His flight response for a moment, turned into that of a fight.
"Don't force me, rat-san…!" Shou's voice turned hoarse, his paws clenching. Blood trickled down his cheek, staining a small patch of fur on his face reddish.
"Rabbit-dono. I have a family waiting for me…!" The grey rat brandished his claw, licking the drop of blood on them. His eyes fierce, his determination unwavering.
"You… you force me…!" Shou was unwilling in his heart, but he had no choice.
"Die…!" The rat lunged forward once more like a grey lightning.
Shou stood on his two feet, propping his paws as he received the incoming attack. He dodged his lunge once more with a roll.
But this time he was not passive. The rat had missed his attack and was turning his body, and taking this chance Shou launched himself with both his feet, launching a powerful straight kick towards the rat.
"Rabbit Kick!"
The rat's eyes contracted seeing the big feet rushing straight to his head! He raised his arms in time to block the kick!
Boom!
Dust and wind blew from the tremendous force.
The rat felt his entire arm was hit by a tremendous force, his muscle ache, pain pierced into his bones. He was pushed back tens of centimeters away leaving tracks on the ground beneath his feet.
Shou jumped backward and landed on the ground, his focus never left on the rat.
"What powerful feet…" The rat's arms were trembling from the aftermath.
"I underestimated you, rabbit-dono!" The rat's eyes turned more fiercer. He let out a turbid breath of air, his tail straightened back as he was going all out.
***
In the human point of view, the two creatures were squeaking and squealing at each other.
"Squek! Squeak!"
"Mrr! Hnnnrrr!"
Putting aside their unintelligible speech, Maxwell was slightly surprised.
In his observation, that rat was a little mutated, it seemed. He could sense the fluctuation of mana in the rabbit's kick just now. It was small, insignificant in a good mage's eyes, but it was not an ordinary rabbit kick and carried the force of a regular human punch. And yet the rat withstand it with his hands.
The students gasped in excitement.
Kael clenched his fists, his heart muttering words of support for his pet. Don't lose, White!
***
"Rat-san, we don't have to fight!"
"There's no other choice!" The grey rat rushed towards the rabbit again. His arms felt like they were being bitten by thousand ants from the aftermath before, but he still kept fighting.
Claws after claws were delivered. Shou dodged left and right, counter attacking with paws strike after paws.
White fur scattered in the air, blood dripped from small cuts all over Shou's body as the battle raged on.
"Rabbit…!" The rat launched a claw strike right towards the rabbit's eye. Shou ducked down in time, and then launched himself with a powerful charge from his feet.
The image of Rock Boar charging and the rabbit overlapped, mana surged in his entire body instinctively!
Rabbit Charge!
"Gah…!" The rat was hit right in his abdomen, the content of his stomach churning from the force. He was launched backward, blood spurted from his mouth as he fell.
"Nnhh… ouch… my head…" Shou whimpered in pain, his paws covering his head. He shouldn't have used his head, lesson learned.
"Rabbit… I cannot lose here…" The rat struggled to get back on his 4 feet. His eyes carried his strong will to win, to survive.
"Rat-san… let's stop here. I don't want to hurt you more than this." Shou spoke solemnly. He didn't want to fight, not when it was unnecessary. Seeing blood dripping from the rat's mouth made his heart hurt, and guilty.
"And if I stop, my life would end here." The rat's eyes turned down for a moment. "I cannot afford that. My wife and child are waiting for me."
"No… it doesn't have to end this way. You can leave. I… I will cover your retreat!"
"You are naive… I am a black rat. A vermin, a plague. That's all I am to those humans. They would not let me go. What can you do…"
"Rat-san… I…"
The rat sneered in mockery, but also sadness. "You are born of noble birth. Fur as white as snow, living like a king among us animals, protected instead of despised by those humans. What do you know, rabbit!? WHAT DO YOU KNOW!?"
The rat's eyes turned redder, his teeth gritting to a point blood dripped from his lips.
"You know nothing!"
The rat screamed as he mobilised his entire strength into his feets. With a powerful leap, he twisted his body midair. All the force and inertia channeled onto his tail!
Grey Whip!
Shou was taken off guard by the leap and twist in the air. He barely raised his paws to block it. But it wasn't enough.
"Ah!" Searing pain stamped onto his forepaws, the powerful whipping attack left a bloody straight mark on his arms. He was pushed back tens of centimeters away, gritting his teeth in pain. His paws felt damped, water soaking onto his fur as he ended up in a puddle of water.
Before Shou could regain his bearings, the rat already pounced on him, his tail curled and tied Shou's hands as he pushed him against the ground.
Splash! Water and mud splashed on both of them.
"You will never understand my pain." The rat muttered lowly, raising his claw to deliver the final strike.
"... I understand… rat-san." Shou look at the rat in the eyes. His lips pressed tight before he continued.
"I lost my home and my family to the humans… I watch them take everything away."
"You…" The rat's grip on Shou started to loose, his eyes looking at the rabbit, as if searching for truth.
"I understand… what it means to fight for them." Shou's eyes softened slightly, and in those amethyst eyes, understanding.
"... Then forgive me, rabbit-dono. I was wrong." The rat's voice turned shaky, but his claw remained firm.
"But, I have to survive," the rat said as he plunged his final attack towards the rabbit's neck.
Just then, Shou's paw tapped on the water beneath him. The surface vibrated, then broke into a powerful blast and splashed onto the rat's eyes!
"Gah…!" The rat was caught offguard, his eyes blurred from the mud.
"I cannot lose here. For myself, and for Kael, I have to win too!" Shou roared, his paws tapping onto the water beneath him once more, with magic, he sent a powerful wave of water towards the rat.
The rat was pushed by the water wave. Blood mixed with the wetness as he laid down from weakness.
Shou took steps towards the rat, his gaze solemn, but also filled with respect.
"You are powerful, rabbit… cough… I don't have any regrets… I already did my best." The rat closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
"No… it's not over yet… There's still a chance, right? Just run now… your family is waiting for you. Don't give up now." Shou said with a tone of sadness.
The rat opened his eyes hearing those words. Then smiled weakly. "Rabbit… you're too kind."
"The hole is right there. If you run fast… And if I can cover for you, Rat-san…" Shou tried to think of a plan.
"... It's Greyat." The rat muttered.
"What?"
"My name. Greyat." The rat looked at Shou. He told him his name, because he knew the chances were slim anyways. At least, he would be remembered.
Shou clenched his paw. "Shou… my name is Shou."
"Shou. I will remember." The rat let out a small smile as he stood up on his 4 legs.
"Go." Shou muttered slowly. The rat nodded, and quickly, he turned away and rushed with all his remaining strength towards the hole where he came from.
Shou followed from behind his eyes, vigilant at the others, ready to stop them from stopping Greyat.
"Bunny, you shouldn't show mercy to your opponent!" Maxwell's shout reverberated in the air. He rushed like the wind towards the rat.
"No!" Shou tried to mobilise his mana to rush faster, to stop the bald man from reaching Greyat. But he couldn't challenge the speed of the high tier mage.
Maxwell appeared all of a sudden in front of the rat. The rat looked up, seeing a giant foot dropping down from the sky.
He turned his head towards the rabbit. Time as if slowed down for both of them.
"Rabbit, this is my fate… don't blame yourself. I am glad I meet you." The rat let out a weak smile, a smile of acceptance.
"No!"
Splat!
Shou's eyes were wide, his fur trembling. Blood pooled down beneath Maxwell's boot.
Maxwell shook his leg a few times, then looked at the trembling rabbit with a stern expression.
"Bunny, learn this important lesson! This world feeds on the weak! If you show mercy, next time they would take advantage of you, and it would be your life that's on the line!"
Maxwell walked towards the rabbit, and patted his head. "You did well." Maxwell praised before leaving him alone.
Shou looked at the remains of the rat. His eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
"I just… made a friend."
He looked down.
"And now he's… a pancake."
No one laughed. Not even him.
***