--- [Alex’s perspective]

That was a good fight, but I can’t help but feel bad for Lett…

She was fated to lose that match from the beginning…

“I’m curious, how exactly does your specialty work? Your shadow grew, and suddenly you didn’t take any damage. What are the exact mechanics behind it?” – Luna

“When my shadow grows, that’s because I’m creating what I like to call a ‘shadow clone’. It’s basically a clone of myself that lives in my shadow. The only indication that it’s there is that my shadow gets bigger. It can’t move on its own, fight, or anything like that, but it does have one very interesting property… Whenever I take any damage, that damage will instead be transferred over to my clone.” – Illian

“I see. That’s a very powerful ability. Are there any other conditions to it?” – Luna

“It has the same durability as me, so when my opponent has dished out enough damage to have killed me, the clone will disappear instead. Naturally, after it goes away, I’ll be vulnerable again. I can also only use it once per day. So, when it dies, I’m effectively without a specialty.” – Illian

“Right, so you were going to win from the moment the matchups were decided. Lett is a nice girl; even though she knows you’d be fine since you were using your ability, she could never hurt a friend to the point where they would actually die. Essentially, you were unstoppable, and you took advantage of that fact.” – Luna

“Exactly.” – Illian

“…” – Lett

“That’s just how it goes. Matchups are very important to take into consideration when going into battle. Especially when it comes to abilities. The way specialties interact is often the deciding factor in a battle. Had you been fighting Alex or Shin instead, you probably wouldn’t have won. Alex could have absorbed your shadow, then forced you into a fist fight where you’re clearly outmatched. Shin’s swords and rationality would have let him easily take out your clone, leaving you without your specialty, while he still has his.” – Luna

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“Right.” – Illian

“I think I know the best way for you two to improve. Illian, your training should be focused on SDM. Although a real opponent wouldn’t hesitate to kill you, the ability to take attacks without being hurt is extremely powerful. You could rush at your opponent without any worry, then knock them out before they’re able to stop you. This will most of the time be your greatest win condition.

The problem is that you can only make one clone per day. If your opponent is especially powerful, manage to take you off guard, or you have to fight multiple times in the same day, that plan no longer works. If by the time the D-rank exam begins you’re able to use it two or three times per day, you’re already going to be a much more terrifying opponent.” – Luna

“I see. Thanks for the insight. I definitely agree. So many times in the past when my clone has been killed, I have felt nothing but powerlessness. I don’t ever want to experience that again…” – Illian

Illian…

“Now onto you Lett!” – Luna

“Yes!” – Lett

“From what I’ve gathered, your biggest problem seems to be your BDM. You’re simply just not strong enough to put your opponent down in a reasonable number of attacks. Your durability is severely lacking too. You might get dozens off hits on your opponent before they get to hit you back, but that single attack might deal just as much damage as all of your attacks did combined. That’s a huge problem, and definitely what your training should be focused on addressing.” – Luna

“Alright! BDM was what I already thought I was lacking on, but it’s nice to get a second opinion on it regardless.” – Lett

“At least you can be proud of your SDM; you’re very skilled at it. Moreso than any of your friends in fact.” – Luna

“Hehe…” – Lett

Her smug smile clearly annoys Shin…

“So to recap then! Alex and Lett, you two will be training to improve your BDM. Meanwhile Shin and Illian, you two are going to train to improve your SDM. To make things easy, we can split up into two teams. One team for BDM training, and another for SDM training.” – Luna

“Aight.” – Shin

--- [Luna’s perspective] a few days later

The training is going well.

Although they haven’t had any noticeable improvements yet, that’s to be expected.

They’ve only been training for a few days after all.

But considering how much time and effort they’re putting into their training; they’re bound to see results sooner or later.

“Again…” – Lett

I hit her in the stomach, and she keels over in pain.

“Ghhh!” – Lett

“Again…” – Lett

I yet again hit her in the stomach, and she falls to her knees.

Lett was actually the one who suggested we do this kind of training; not me.

It feels cruel to hit her over and over again when she’s clearly in a lot of pain, but truthfully, it is an effective training method…

Her durability will surely increase if she’s able to keep this up.

“Again…” – Lett