(NARRATION) Academy staff took the last bits of the broken machine and quickly exited the dojo.
Only one remained and asked Rock what happened.
He quickly explained the situation, which made the worker look at him with a puzzled expression.
Nonetheless, he wrote it down and excused himself, not without giving the perpetrator a strange look.
Liam, meanwhile, held back his smile and looked at his Runes: Sequence: [Sequence 9, Monster] Digestion (4.57%/100%).
‘Nice.’ Liam noted, keeping the smile that threatened to creep onto his face at bay.
It seemed to him that having a room full of people look at something that was quite “Monstrous” turned quite the profit.
While thinking this, Rock looked to the ground.
Some parts of the machine remained since they were bolted to the floor, and just thinking about how long it would take for it to be repaired made him nauseous.
‘Well, at least this generation seems rather promising… either promising or terrifying.’ He looked to Liam and felt almost a little afraid of the little monster.
At that moment, Liam was still looking at his Runes and raised a brow.
Sequence: [Sequence 9, Monster] Digestion (4.88%/100%).
Bewildered by the change that occurred right before his eyes, he was shaken out of his thoughts by Rock’s stern but quiet voice.
“Since the machine is no longer in working order, we won’t be able to test your strength.” He looked to Sammy, who looked a bit disappointed.
The sad Sleeper raised his head to look toward the instructor as he heard his proposal.
“So I’ll give you the choice, pick any of the groups you want to join for the practical mock battle.” Nodding to this, Sammy quickly made his way over to the group in which the top students were, namely the group with all his friends along with Nephis and Caster.
Rock gave the group a look that hid his building interest and scratched his chin.
A light smile played on his lips as he cleared his throat.
“Well, since you have even numbers, would the six of you like to have a mock battle?” The six of them reacted in their own ways, apart from Nephis, who looked to Sammy in particular.
Out of them all, he had really caught her attention.
Sure, out of them all he was the only one who didn’t have his strength shown, but she had a feeling that he was quite something.
The flames in her soul seemed to almost inch towards him, as if addressing him as someone that was rather important.
Before she could say something, Caster walked forward and looked at Rock.
“Sir, are we permitted to choose who we wish to have the mock battle with?” Rock nodded, and Caster lowered his eyes.
Then he turned to Martin, who raised a brow.
Ever the honorable zealot, Caster put forward a stoic face and looked him in the eye.
“I choose you.” Snorting at this, Martin made sure to smile.
“I’m not a Pokemon, but sure, I accept.” The small circle in the dojo was cleared, and in it only Caster and Martin stood, facing one another with evaluating looks.
Outside the ring, everyone was seated and looked expectantly, while the three of his friends were the closest to the circle, sitting side by side.
“Whoop his ass!” Sammy cheered, while the other two remained silent so as not to draw too much attention to themselves.
Nephis was also close to the circle.
However, she looked much more isolated, as everyone gave her a generous amount of free space.
Rock stood outside the circle and looked at the two talented Sleepers.
Usually, he would’ve had a simple sparring match between two willing Sleepers.
However, he was far too interested in these six Sleepers to just let them spar normally.
So he decided to indulge a little and have them participate in these special battles.
Clearing his throat, the slightly childish instructor spoke with a controlled tone.
“The rules are simple.
Make your opponent’s back touch the floor or throw them out of the ring.
Use whatever abilities and techniques you find appropriate.” Glancing at the two, he waited till they both nodded.
As they got into position, Amy whispered into Sammy’s ear, who was sandwiched between her and Liam.
“Psst, I’m sure our friend there could use a bit of support, from our good ol’ bard…” She let the question sit in his head, and Sammy grumbled, a little embarrassed to burst into song.
‘Is it worth it?
I mean, he will kinda owe me…’ Rock raised a hand into the air, and as it descended, he commanded quickly, “Begin!” As soon as the words left his mouth, Caster disappeared from view, and only a blur was seen as he appeared to Martin’s left and went to deliver a blow to his side.
Martin, however, didn’t miss a beat as he moved his right hand, catching his quick fist with great effort.
Caster looked on in surprise, and Martin merely smiled in triumph as he used his greatly enhanced physique to tighten his grip, nearly crushing Caster’s hand.
Cursing, the young Legacy had attacked with his left hand, so he shifted his body to the right slightly.
Seeing that Martin wasn’t gonna let go, he used his Aspect ability, and his right leg moved through the air.
His shin was aimed at the side of his head.
Martin clicked his tongue and raised his left arm to block the attack.
The attack landed and sent a small tremor through his arm, making him frown.
However, in the next instant he moved his hand before Caster could let it fall, and he managed to catch his shin with his armpit.
“Speed ain’t everything!” he blurted out and violently twisted his body to the left, making the young Legacy twist through the air.
In this process, he let him loose, causing him to nosedive towards the edge of the ring.
Unsurprisingly, the young Legacy managed to recover, and as he planted his feet on the ground, he spun in place, using inertia to assert himself in the spot still inside the ring, saving himself from losing in the first six seconds.
A tense look spread across his face as he looked at the Sleeper.
Caster had foolishly thought that his opponent only had a knack for strength.
However, that was a severe mistake.
He didn’t just have strength, but it was clear that he also had speed and rather frightening nimbleness, as one would expect from both a Hunter and an Assassin.
Martin, however, wasn’t too overconfident, surprisingly.
The strike from Caster was actually pretty good, as he felt his arm tremble slightly.
‘As expected, in speed I can’t match him.
However, his speed and technique are all he has.
Plus, I’m sure he won’t spam it.
I made sure to not show any refined technique in that little skirmish.
So let’s hope he underestimates me and decides to fight hand to hand without the speed.’ Caster circled with measured steps now, abandoning the reckless confidence that had marked the opening exchange.
Across from him, Martin rolled one shoulder and decided on a strategy.
“Come on,” he grinned.
“I thought prodigies were supposed to be scarier.” Caster didn’t seem bothered, and after he took a few steps to circle him and got closer, he vanished once more.
Martin was surprised and a gust of air swept through the ring as he reappeared behind Martin, his fist driving toward the back of his ribs.
Instead of turning, Martin stomped.
The wooden platform shuddered beneath the impact, and Caster’s footing slipped for the briefest instant.
Martin’s elbow shot backward in the same motion as his foot hit the floor.
*BANG* Caster crossed both forearms in time, but the blow launched him two meters away before he skidded to a halt.
A murmur spread through the spectators.
“No way he’s pushing him back!” someone yelled out, like a gambler that had spent his life savings on a boxer that was losing.
“No, no, it’s just a fluke, yeah, Caster’s just teasing him!” Another coped.
Outside the ring, Sammy rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the exchange.
He felt the pain they were feeling spread through his body, and he winced at the throbbing pain.
And after a few moments of deliberation, he decided to help a bit.
“…Fine.” Amy smiled in response and nodded confidently.
“I knew you’d cave.” Sammy sighed dramatically before clearing his throat, and soon his voice started quietly.
“Stand your ground, Though storms may roar…” Several students turned to stare, which made Sammy almost stop.
“…Is he…
singing?” Liam covered his face in shame, and Amy started to regret her suggestion.
Sammy himself wanted to stop, however, this was a good time to digest his potion, so he begrudgingly continued.
Martin blinked as the ache in his bruised forearm dulled, and his slightly ragged breathing steadied swiftly.
He heard the melody from Sammy and realized what was happening.
He cracked his neck and his knuckles.
“…Well.” A grin spread across his face as he steadied his footing.
“I suddenly feel fantastic!” Caster frowned as he saw all the damage he did to weaken him almost disappear.
He then noticed Sammy’s singing and looked to Martin almost accusingly.
“Hey, don’t look at me.” He pointed toward the sidelines.
“My emotional support musician did that all by himself.” Sammy, now fully committed and having decided to ignore his potential social death, continued to sing.
“Rise again, Refuse to fall, A steadfast heart Outlasts them all…” Martin felt brand new and swiftly lunged forward.
Caster vanished again, but Martin was more than happy to see that as he stopped almost immediately and planted one foot firmly onto the ground.
Then he focused on his frighteningly strong senses.
In the next instant, he dropped to the ground and swiped his loose foot toward where he heard the floor creak.
Caster’s instincts screamed at him as he saw Martin’s odd movement.
His technique was…
completely foreign to what he was used to.
He was used to something refined and practiced.
But this fighting style was…
basically completely improvised!
So he listened to his instincts and abandoned the attack the moment Martin’s leg swept through the place where he would’ve stepped.
Twisting unnaturally in midair, he planted a single hand on the ground and pushed himself away.
The sole of Martin’s foot barely grazed his ankle.
Even so, Caster felt a frightening force travel through his leg, making it go slightly numb.
‘Damn…
if that connected properly…’ Martin rose from his crouch with a cocky grin.
“What’s wrong?
I thought you were supposed to be fast.” Caster narrowed his eyes.
Without him saying a word, the young Legacy blurred once more.
This time, he refused to attack from behind.
Instead, he circled Martin like a wolf, appearing at his left, then right, then behind.
Each movement was no more than a feint meant to provoke a mistake.
Martin simply stood there, and his posture looked almost lazy.
However, Caster was much more on edge now, so he didn’t fall for it.
And good thing he didn’t, since beneath that relaxed exterior, every muscle in his body was coiled as his powerful senses helped him notice all the shifts in the area around him.
It also helped that Sammy’s singing was there.
As every aspect of his body felt better and his already sharp senses became as sharp as a razor, these enhancements made every tiny sound paint a picture inside his mind.
So he ignored Caster’s tactic of confusing him.
After two seconds, his eyes opened wider.
‘There!’ Caster finally committed to a strike, and his fist exploded toward Martin’s jaw.
Martin leaned back just enough for the strike to brush past his nose.
At the same time, he drove a straight punch toward Caster’s chest.
Caster twisted, and the fist missed him by mere centimeters.
However, Martin smiled at this and spat toward the Legacy venomously.
“I wasn’t aiming for you.” His foot stomped the wooden floor, and the sheer force behind the impact shook the ring once more, much harder this time.
Caster’s balance faltered for the briefest instant, and that was all Martin needed as he followed this by slamming his shoulder into the young Legacy like a charging beast.
*BAM!* Caster crossed his arms, and even so, he was blasted backward once again, leaving two long skid marks across the wooden platform before stopping himself a step away from the edge.
Outside the ring, cheers erupted.
“Holy Spell…” “He’s forcing Caster back again!” “No way!” Rock’s brows slowly rose as he assessed the fight.
‘Excellent instincts…’ The Sleeper wasn’t predicting Caster per se.
Instead, he was listening and patiently awaiting the right moment to strike.
And that was true, as his hearing had reached a level where every movement the Legacy made betrayed his position.
Meanwhile, Sammy’s voice gradually grew louder.
The embarrassment that had restrained him before slowly disappeared.
Instead, there was only the melody.
“Stand once more, Though shadows creep.
Guard your flame, Its oath to keep…” A warm radiance seemed to accompany the song, and Martin felt more alive than he ever had.
The fervor of combat was so intoxicating that he felt his blood boil in expectation.
The blood of war flowing through his veins made him feel a deep thirst for more.
The fatigue from continuously exchanging blows with Caster seemed to melt away, and his muscles became less and less sore.
“Hahaha!” He laughed loudly and licked his lips, his gaze locking onto Caster.
No, it locked onto his prey.
At that moment, a bit of his potion digested.
“Keep going!” Sammy’s face reddened, and he stopped his singing to reprimand the seemingly sensless maniac.
“I’m literally helping you!
Stop making it weird!” “Sing louder!” Feeling as if he were talking to a brainless junkie, he sighed.
“I regret everything…” Amy covered her mouth, failing to suppress a chuckle, and even Liam’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Caster, meanwhile, had grown increasingly serious.
‘Tch.’ He had already used his Aspect quite a bit, and he felt that his Flaw had, for the first time, actually affected him heavily.
Caster inhaled slowly, then vanished.
Unlike before, he didn’t immediately attack.
Instead, he circled Martin at terrifying speed, each step producing a different echo across the platform.
To everyone watching, it looked as if several Casters were surrounding him at once.
Martin narrowed his eyes.
‘Trying to confuse my hearing?’ A grin tugged at his lips as he found the gesture rather adorable.
He heard multiple footsteps, however, one felt particularly loud.
His head turned, and he grinned viciously.
‘Found you again!’ Caster erupted from Martin’s blind spot, his fist carrying all the momentum he had built.
*BOOM!* Martin twisted at the last possible moment, and instead of blocking, he leaned into the strike.
The fist crashed into his shoulder, and pain exploded through his arm, but his own fist was already moving with all its terrible might and swiftness.
*BANG!* The punch slammed into Caster’s stomach, and the Legacy’s eyes widened in response.
The impact folded him slightly before he instantly recovered, planting a foot against Martin’s thigh and springing backward to regain distance.
“Hah…” Martin rolled his aching shoulder, with that same grin still persisting.
“Damn…
that actually hurt.” Caster didn’t answer, and his breathing had grown noticeably much heavier.
Sammy had resumed singing despite the pain he was feeling, and his melodious voice, although now lacking confidence, steadily filled the dojo.
“Raise your blade, Face the night.
Though hope grows dim, Protect the light…” Martin exhaled happily and balled his fists.
“I could get used to this.” Sammy ignored the little remark and pushed his pride aside to continue his next verse.
Outside the ring, even Instructor Rock couldn’t help rubbing his forehead.
‘…Is…
is singing actually part of his Aspect?’ Caster hid his frustration and just continued to rack his brain on what to do exactly.
‘I can’t drag this out anymore.’ His muscles no longer responded with their previous perfection and his breathing had become uneven.
His expression hardened, and he massaged his aching stomach.
‘One strike.’ His body lowered, and Martin recognized the stance instantly, ‘Aha, so he’s gambling on one last strike.
Alright, I respect it bud.’ The two exploded forward simultaneously.
Caster disappeared while Martin charged straight ahead.
Gasps erupted throughout the dojo in response to what was happening.
“What is he doing?!” “He’s running the wrong way!” Nephis’ emotionless eyes narrowed slightly, and soon Caster appeared beside Martin like a phantom, his fastest movement yet.
His fist flashed toward Martin’s jaw, and at that exact instant, Martin suddenly pivoted.
His body rotated with frightening force.
Instead of punching the Legacy, he launched his open palm forward, and his hand clamped around Caster’s wrist.
“What?!” Caster’s calm expression finally cracked, and Martin laughed in triumph.
“GOT YOU!” His legs dug into the wooden floor, and the muscles across his back bulged.
With a roar, he spun, and Caster’s feet left the ground for the umpteenth time today.
Martin completed the rotation and released him.
Caster shot through the air like a stone fired from a siege engine, and he desperately twisted his body, trying to recover.
But Martin had timed it perfectly, and as he planned, there was no way he could regain his footing, as only empty space beyond the ring awaited him.
Caster crashed outside the boundary and rolled across the floor before coming to a stop on one knee.
Silence spread throughout the entire dojo, and a single shadow in the corner of the dojo looked at what was happening with dark interest.
Rock looked from Martin to the humbled Legacy, then finally spoke.
“…Winner.” “Sleeper Martin.” ____________________ Author’s Note: Gotta say…
hardest part of this chap was writign the song Sammy was singing.
Holy did i cringe so hard, but oh well.
Next chap is on Wednesday and after that another on Friday.
I might be able to manage another chapter on the weekend.
Anyway i hope you all ejoyed the fight, it was fun to write since it was just straight hands and no BS powers, other than Caster’s speed.
Have a good day and see you all next time, also be sure to leave some comments to motivate me :).