Sullivan knew what was happening. He removed the tattered remains of his coat and canvas vest and tossed the rags on the floor.
Madi smiled. "Let's go then, little brother." He picked up the steel katana, swinging it back and forth so quickly that the air whistled, then he tossed it gently through the air. Sullivan caught it by the hilt. Madi grinned as he took up the wooden sword, testing its balance. "I'm literally thirteen times the man you are. Figure I'd keep it fair."
The Chairman nodded, appreciating this act of chivalry. Jane looked like she was about to puke. The Geo-Tel was steaming along behind five Iron Guards and two ninjas. The Chairman saw where Sullivan's eyes had wandered, and he shook his head softly. "I would not allow you to stop me… but I will not meddle in your family business. Carry on."
Madi was limbering up. His body was thick with muscle. Sullivan had seen him tear through hard men like they were nothing, and that was before he had been magically augmented and trained. Sullivan held up the unfamiliar sword. "I don't exactly know how to use one of these things…"
"You'll figure it out pretty quick," Madi said. "You always was the smart one."
"Not always," he muttered. Sullivan was the youngest. Jimmy had been the smart one growing up, until he'd been struck with a bad fever that had nearly killed him and had left his mind feeble. After their daddy had died, he'd stepped up, trying to take care of his mother and his dimwit brother, while the oldest, Matthew, had done nothing but cause trouble. He'd been a bully, a thief, a jerk, and was only happy when everyone else had been scared of him. Sullivan watched the light reflect down the razor edge of the sword. "Hell, we should've done this a long time ago."
"That's the spirit," Madi said.
Sullivan raised the sword. "I'm gonna cut you in half."
Madi grinned savagely. "Reckon you could try that and see how it works out for ya."
"Begin," the Chairman ordered.
They met in the middle. The Iron Guards formed a circle around them. Sullivan swung as fast as he could, the blade driven by his vast strength. Madi moved out of the way easily. He cracked Sullivan hard on the shoulder with the wooden sword. "Try harder," he said.
"Go to hell," Sullivan snarled, hurling his Power, trying to make Madi fall toward him. Their magic clashed, neutralizing each others' forces. The swords met, and then they were face to ruined face, and Sullivan was staring into that dead white eye. Madi grabbed him by the arm and used some movement to duck and hurl Sullivan over his hip. He hit the ground hard, but was already coming up when the wooden sword nailed him in the ribs. He gasped.
They went back and forth. Every time he tried his Power, Madi came back with an equal amount. The Iron Guard was stronger, faster, and had more skill. The wooden sword swept in low and hit him in the leg, and even with his long-magically hardened bones, he felt the fracture. Distracted, he wasn't as fast, and Madi's Power dropped him backwards where he hit the floor and skidded away. On his knees, he swung the sword, but Madi easily leapt over it, and drove the wooden weapon through his shoulder.
Sullivan screamed, and Madi used one foot to shove him off the end of the wooden sword. Blood sprayed freely. He tried to rise, but Madi kicked him in the face. He rolled onto his back, and drove the sword upward, feeling it pierce flesh.
Madi paused, looking at the sword driven into his ribs. He stepped back as it slid cleanly out. "Nice shot, Jake." Then he shattered the wooden sword over Jake's skull.
Sullivan was crawling away, blood pouring out of his shoulder and head. The scar on his chest was channeling Healing magic, but not near fast enough to keep up with this. Madi tossed the broken hilt away and it clattered across the floor. "You idiot! You fucking idiot. I told you. I told you. I'm the strongest there is. I beat you with a bokken! You ain't done yet. Get up! Get UP!"
He rose, shaking. Madi punched him across the room. He collided with two Iron Guards, taking them all down in a heap.
Madi wasn't satisfied. He needed more. He looked to the Chairman, who was sitting there, showing no emotion. "This ain't good enough." Madi ran toward Jane, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her across the room. She cried out in pain. "Fix him! Now, damn it. I ain't done yet!"
Sullivan crawled off the Iron Guards. Madi shoved Jane down next to him. He could feel the warmth of her hands on his head. The hole in his shoulder closed. Somehow he knew that his skull was visible through the top of his head, but the skin pulled together and the blood quit flowing. He got back to his feet and picked up the sword.
Jane scrambled away. "Thanks," Sullivan said, tasting nothing but coppery blood.
Madi was pacing back and forth, unarmed, but deadly anyway. He saw his brother standing. "Again!"
They clashed. Sullivan feinted with the sword, and as Madi moved away from it, his boot collided with the Iron Guard's knee. It was like kicking a railroad tie. Madi punched him in the chest, breaking his sternum, then uppercut him so hard that he thought his face was going to come off. Sullivan landed on his back, but reversed gravity, and dropped himself into the air. He lashed out with the sword and caught Madi through the chest with the tip. Sullivan landed on his feet, and pushed the blade in deeper. Madi roared and grabbed onto the steel even as it sliced through his hands.
They were face to face again, with a foot of sword sticking out Madi's back. "You still don't get it. I'm the strongest there is!" Sullivan's nose broke as Madi's forehead slammed into it. Down was now up, and Sullivan fell ten feet into the air before the Power tapered off. He used his magic to cushion his fall, but by the time he hit the floor on hands and knees, Madi had already dragged the bloody sword from his torso. His brother raised it in both hands and bellowed. "Strongest THERE IS!" The sword cleaved through Sullivan's back, through one lung, out his chest, and dug deep into the floor. It was a brutal killing blow. Blood erupted like a geyser.
Sullivan fell facedown in a pool of his own blood.
Failure. He could see the Geo-Tel sparking, the Chairman watching curiously. All he could hear was a buzzing noise. As his vision darkened, he saw Madi's legs pass in those swishy samurai pants, and then he saw Jane being dragged across the floor by her hair again. Madi was screaming something, and then he felt the burn as his wounds were stretched tight and flesh was welded together again.
"Please, leave him alone," Jane was crying. "You've won. Quit torturing him."
Madi shoved her out of the way and grabbed Sullivan by the throat. "Last chance, Jake. Third strike and you're out." He shoved Sullivan back down and returned to the center of the room.
Sullivan climbed to his feet. It felt like there was a ball of molten lava in his chest. He didn't bother to pick up the sword. Madi was the strongest. But even the strongest can lose. He gathered all of the Power he had left. "No matter how tough you think you are, with all your Imperium bullshit, and all your fake magic, and all these punks looking up to you, you're still that same low-as-dirt bully you've always been, and I'll never be scared of you."
Madi watched him with his good eye. He was furious, the living half of his face red. Spittle flew from his lips as he screamed, "AGAIN!"
Sullivan threw every piece of magic he could. Gravity shifted ten times in as many seconds. Iron Guards fell up, down, and across the room. The Chairman, nonplussed, put out one hand to steady the Geo-Tel. Madi threw up his hands, countering magic with magic, every kanji on his chest glowing bright, burning so hot to keep up that the wood around his feet blackened and smoked. Every loose item in the room fell to the ceiling. Windows shattered. The light bulbs all exploded and dropped sparks until the room was lit only by glowing kanji and the pale blue light of the Geo-Tel.