Mateo
~~~~

I was in in deep f*cking sh*t and I knew it. I'd set myself up and Meph had given me just the right amount of push to make sure that I was going to end up flat on my face. What the hell was he playing at anyway? Obviously he and Malik had issues but that was their fight, not mine. I sighed. Not that I had a choice now...I'd made my bed and I'd have to lie in it. Somehow I would have to find a way to beat Malik, something to take out the son of Satan himself. Only God knew how in Hell I was going to pull that one off.

"Whatever," I replied with a shrug. "Meet me on the rooftop."

I slipped back into the shadows, making a detour to my room first. I needed to change for the battle, put on something that would give me a little more room to move. This wasn't going to be like anything before; not like those spars with Veanic or the lessons with Meph, this was real. This was my chance to prove to my mother once and for all that I was better than she was - that I was more than some pathetic screw-up!

"You shouldn't worry about the fight. You will be able to handle yourself."

I turned to Meph, glaring. "What the f*ck have you dropped me into here? We both know I can't beat him."

"Relax. You haven't realised your full potential yet, you need a real experience to find out what you truly are," a smirk crossed his lips. "Besides, isn't this what you want? To step out of your mother's shadow?"

"This was meant to be on my terms!"

He shrugged. "It is an opportunity nonetheless, do with it what you will." He left.

I finished my preparations and headed up to the rooftop where they were all waiting. Even Veanic had turned up from wherever he had been hiding. It was some mix, that was for sure.

"Is this what you want Mateo?" Malik called to me.

I nodded. "If I can beat you, I can beat anyone."

"Foolish..." I heard him grumble.

I summoned my blade into my hand, it seemed lighter than I remembered it, and longer too. Perhaps Meph had been right, perhaps I was stronger than I knew. Malik called forth his own blade and we stood facing one another, swords before us. This was not going to be easy. He had a strong grasp of both fighting skills and dark magic, I would need everything I had learnt just to keep up with the pace.

Will it be enough? Perhaps if you'd spent more time studying and less time in bed with Mel you'd be ready for this. I shook the thoughts from my mind. This was no time for me to be doubting myself.

A crash from below signalled the start of our battle and we charged at one another, blades crashing with such force that dark energy flew from them, throwing us both back onto our feet. He recovered quickly, forcing me to block and duck beneath his blade. An intense physical battle raged between us. I followed Veanic's guidance; testing Malik's strength by the way he attacked and his defence by the way he defended. Now and then I tried to change the flow of battle, looking to see where he left his openings and how long it took for him to respond to my actions. His talents were blatent but that didn't make him unbeatable.

His sword came at me and I ducked, driving my shoulder up into his chest and forcing him onto the defensive as I charged at him with a flurry of cuts and slashes. His first block was a stumbling effort but he regained his footing quickly and started to drive me back. Our blades connected and our battle of skill became one of strength and stamina and we each tried to force the other to his knees. I felt my resolve weakening and twisted my blade out of the fray. My arm was slashed as punishment for my retreat but I was fortunate to counter with a stray elbow that cracked the bone of his nose.

We drew back, pausing for breath a moment. A stream of blood trickled across Malik's lip and I resisted the urge to ease the throbbing pain in my arm. The cut was not deep enough to cause any serious harm but the pain was an annoyance.

"You're right, you are stronger, though you overestimate your limits."

"Your age has softened your mind old man," I replied with a smirk. "I have no limits."

Malik shook his head. "The arrogance of youth is astounding." He wiped the blood from his face. "Now can we get into the real battle? I tire of this childish excuse for conflict."

I shifted my blade between my hands. "My thoughts exactly." Summoning the dark energies within us until our bodies burned with the sight of it, Malik and I returned once again to our battle stances. A moment of silence fell over us; then, we began again.