Stark turns to an absolute maniac, pouncing at Zech without any politeness or care. His spearlin is a good and valuable Molded weapon with flexibility and good handling. It isn't one bit worse than the finest metallic weapons of the past.
He swings it at Zech as if he wants to end his life, but he knows better than that. Zech won't even get a scratch from this sort of thing. Walkers are touch and Zech is among the finest young ones with robust defenses that could shake common sense. He hits him in the vector-protected hands again, but he deflects the spearlin away to hit the wall, cracking it. Then Stark slides the spearlin with a doublehanded grip to the left, trying to force it against him but all it does is force Zech from the wall.
Zech seems unbothered, holding his both forearms around his upper body. Stark strikes him as he did with Ropp for days to the point of exhaustion. He is familiar with the tough opponent, and Zech is within his range of Rank, unlike Ropp with his defining muscles that are as strong as any Rank 7 Molds.
A series of deflections, successful strikes, and dominance on Stark's side, pushes Zech to be unable to find an opening. He tries, but Stark is making it much harder with his constant barrage. He is at his mercy, with his hands taking everything well, while Stark is gradually turning angry. His spearlin isn't the finest attack he can crate, but it is a mold he finds comforting to his hands. Its tip hits Zech's hand, but he catches it in the moment, stopping Stark's momentum.
“Do you think you can take me on?” Zech asks with some doubts, or whether he even believes he can push himself toward this lunatic or not.
Stark grunts, unwilling to do much but try. He pushes his body forward, causing the spearlin to pin Zech to the wall again, but he stomps forward from it instead, causing Stark to lose his momentum again.
Both youths don't want to lose, but each has an advantage in a similar way then the other. Not being able to use Rank 2 Skills is quite a large penalty for Zech and for every student of the academy.
Though, Stark finds his hands of glittering vectors quite strong. It clutches the tip of his spearlin, and since Zech's hands are enough to defend against this sort of attack, he needs to find another direction.
It's a bit too much for his ego, but Stark can work with some variables. He lowers his posture and swipes his spearlin in a quick ark and turns to strike Zech's legs. It forces him to the ground in helplessness. Zech is surprised at how quickly Stark changes from power to flexibility. In a moment he also finds a spearlin's tip pointing to his head. It is his loss, which he accepts without issues. It makes sense with the little pride he has.
Stark is still ready to go on but Zech only extends his hand in defeat and sights. Further, Stark watches a shimmer of space itself, and a Butler appears behind defeated Zech.
Coming in a blink that is hard to point out, Stark isn't that surprised to see one since it happened in the 1st fight too. Also, he knows the general views about the Butlers of the Academy. They too are Walkers, but not the normal kind that is unique to fight against the Dark.
Those of the caliber to be called Butlers are rather rare ones, with their names making little sense, in actual fact. Butler is a name resolving around the Academy the most, with few iterations of that name that differs in other parts of the world. They depict Walkers that have a very high aptitude for supporting work of all kinds. The source of this work is certain Skills and abilities that are deemed worthy and important. Who decides that? Mostly, their system, talent, emblem, and second comes the world. They are sought out by the organization and the Academy takes quite good care of them.
Teleportation is the most prominent thing that Butlers have, but it isn't something everyone has. It is a very valuable thing at this age when most means of transportation are limiting factors. It also explains the sudden interventions of this man, holding a book in hand and wearing an unbothered face.
“It is over, brats.” the man tells. “It's about the end of this little time of yours to make yourself work. Young Takker and Vuttili can follow the next course of floors to their desires and care. This one is about the end of it, right?” the man turns the last question to Zech who nods in approval before getting up.
“Is that so?” Stark retracts his spearlin, noticing how Zech retracts his Vectors away. “I don't think there are any rules that state something about the fights, or something about some stoppage, are there?” Stark tells while rubbing his chin with his left hand.
“Time is ticking, and I reckon the young Takker feels to be right?” The man steps forward to him, unbothered by his spearlin an inch away. “The fight is indeed over, while the young should follow our directions. Move on. This isn't some competition against Rank 2 walkers. Otherwise, none would walk past the 5th floor. You included.” he adds in a surprisingly firm, and vivid voice.
Making no argument, or feeling there is no point in that, Stark figures there are times when one can stop being an asshole. Choosing to follow Louise to another floor is a good idea, and they both disappear around the corner without further arguments.
This leaves Zech glad that this ordeal about Stark is over, and one of the biggest headaches is past him.
“Points?” the man asks Zech who rubs his hands and chest.
“Is there some point in that, sir?”
“Not really, we have our own eyes. Get ready, there will be 2 or 3 courses for you to go to next. Quite a few portions are up to you, so try to have some backbone next.” the man turns and tells to Zech, who wishes he could curse him to oblivion.
Though, he isn't that hurt by his words. He founds his hands strained and chest a bit pained. It will heal away in a couple of minutes to half an hour, so with his limited vigor... Well... He will do the bare minimum that he can do. No amount of rules will change that.
On the lower floors, William finds himself in a problem. He long guesses the primary issue of this skyscraper. He can't figure out the paths ahead as he should. The place is unfamiliar to him as one would guess from his first visit. Trying to remember that diagram of dozens of floors isn't something that can change this problem too.
“This is annoying... So many turns, twists, and halls. Who would find this place livable? It makes no sense.” he complains out loud after not figuring out the next rounds of his paths. He still remembers the diagram, but when he thinks of it, it's quite hard to follow the actual floors without being lost twice or thrice.
Most walls, floors, and exteriors look very similar to each other, making it unnatural to his untrained eye. He has never been to such places. There are no distinct signs of the right pathways to reach other corners of the floors, let alone the stairs to another floor.
Stairs... Where are the bloody stairs to the 10th floor?
Right. He doesn't know where he is apart from the fact that he walks around the 9th floor. According to his watch, 2 hours and 30 minutes already passed since the start of this Trial. It is far from being over, so he thinks of the possibilities of what he can do.
“Wait a second...” He stops walking and realizes something that will get him up the floor without the use of stairs or regular paths. “The internals of the lower apartments are different than the upper ones. It's the end of the basic apartments. There are some differences, I recall. Internal halls and the floors remain the same, but what about the outside? Where was it?” William tries his hardest to recall the right words, or what he tries to remember. As he does so, he returns to his walk, as if trying to recall it by glancing around the floor. Then it suddenly hit him.
“The sides! There are terraces made of glass or something like that. At least in that diagram of the building, they aren't there, but they are in the apartments. They serve nothing needed, but it creates something for me.” he remembers and begins his brief journey to a certain side apartment since his solution is simple. All he needs is to follow the hallways that are arranged towards the end of the corners, finding the apartments with the windows. Their view isn't his goal, but a few terraces are. From them, he can reach the parts where the 9th floor views the terraces of the 10th floor.
Though, William doesn't realize one fact that is yet to hit him. Those are the elevators in many sections of the floors, while there are even emergency exits of tight stairs that go all the way through the skyscraper. They had no mention in the diagram, serving as a good way to figure out how attentive the younger generation would be. William even walks right beside them, but he doesn't think of them, nor did he make any connection to such a possibility.
However, he considered the entrances to the elevators. He saw similar ones in the Instition of the Emblems, but he bet the Trial wouldn't make elevators accessible. They are, but not in the way one would expect.
So, he figures out his solution to a problem with another problem. Finding an apartment with access to a balcony turns out to be easy. He sees no entrance to the 10th floor in this way, but he can create one by jumping from the terrace to the one above. The balconies are rather away from everything, but there is one thing he finds quite nice.
The interiors aren't the least bit of William's concern, nor is the apartment from behind him. The sight from this large glass terrace is, and the wind pushes to his face.
The 10th floor is already far enough from the ground to give him a nice view. William sees not the whole picture of the academy, but it sure brings more than being on the ground. There are stretching sights of the streets and buildings along with quite more views. It looks unique, with quite a lot of plains of grass around the perimeter of the islands. The landscape is impressive, but it is more strange than that. William, upon his arrival, only met a small part of the whole academy. Watching it from this position allows him to see how everything seems to be surrounded by swirling fog dozens of miles wide.
“How impressive. It looks like many tropical islands pulled together, but... there are plains inland with few things... like a puzzle. Those skyscrapers still appear as if they don't belong here. They are here in the middle of nowhere, yet the city spreads around them. There are no farms... why? How do they live here? Just.... parks? Some forests ahead too? How strange of a place.” William wonders as he leans on the glass.
He watches this sight for quite a few minutes, wondering and seeking the sights of the Academy that seems to be interesting enough, albeit strange. He even thinks he can get used to this. He counted at least 14 skyscrapers, and from this point, he sees every island, albeit in a bit foggy way since he is still not that elevated. Sighting, he figures it is time to move up, but even without him knowing about it, a figure is watching those sights behind him.
“Are you gonna watch forever, boy?” A girl's voice tells beside William who - by a sudden surprise of a voice - screams and backs away from the terrace to the left, almost falling down.
“Where in the dark you appeared from?” he mumbles in fright, turning to face a girl around his age who seems infuriated by his inactivity.
“You care for the view more than continuing the trial? I have never seen such a loose bastard like yourself... Wasting time and opportunity... You are a true shame, aren't you?” she says, pointing her thump to her chest. “I am the 2nd Intruder to your little challenge, so prepare yourself or cry trying.”
The girl seems to speak in quite a firm way. It is like her face. She seems stern looking, almost like a military personal that William saw many times before. She has the combat uniform on, with green lines all over her, unlike the 1st student he met. It seems to be her style, or something, while her hair is put into a bun.
Such hairstyle goes along with her serious face and sharp eyebrows make her appear serious even if she doesn't mean it. Though, she does mean in now. A moment such as this is a Trial for her too. She is a rare case of an Academy student, who takes this situation a bit more seriously than she should. Perhaps even much more than that, but that's her own problem.
“Yea? Right... I am sorry... Jezus.” William calms his beating heart, and can't help but curse this girl in his head.
Right... Shit... This isn't something that I expected. They can sough me out too? I didn't know that, but am I supposed to fight her? I never fought a girl like this before. Should it be like... the 1st fight? I don't want to hurt her too much... but... William laments his fate and glances at the girl for longer than he anticipates.
“So?!” The girl asks firmly. Noticing his obvious gaze and unknown though, she assumes a firm stance and is ready for a fight. “You gonna move from this balcony or you gonna regret being here. It isn't fit for a fight, but it sure is large enough for me. So?”
“I guess there is no choice in this unnecessary thing?” William asks.
“Unceseceray?” she raises her brows, frowning afterward. She also clutches her fists, stepping forward a few steps. “Are you dumb? Of course, this is a necessity, or... Are you hesitant because I am a girl?” she asks after noticing the hesitation in William's question.
“Who knows, but there doesn't seem to be a sense in this anyway, so that doesn't matter. Arise.” William seems to come to his conclusion, and with the explosion of the Vectors later, he faces the girl with his Vector Claw. He doesn't change the location, figuring that this terrace will be enough. It is far and wide enough for both of them to exchange some moves for sure. All he needs to be careful of is his strength and emblem.
He already expects this girl to be quite a burden, so he chose not to be some weakly-minded idiot. The world isn't fine, so why care about gender? It may not be to his liking to punch a girl, but he can work with that. To his luck, one of the academy students intercepts his try to reach the 10th floor without fighting, so Overseer decides to push a student to William instead.
“Crimson?” she says, noticing how William's right arm folds many crimson Vectors around it. Without a word or care, she also starts her Emblem. It is unlike William's, or even Stark's. It forms a series of blue flames around herself, with no crazy power or clear picture of where it comes from.
“Oh? An Elementalist?” William seems surprised and realizes who he is against. It is a Walker with Elemental control. They are called Elementalist, as he figures upon his long research in the Federation. “That's the first time I am meeting someone like you, so good to meet you. Isn't it hot? Sharp? Where does it come from?” William shovers her in his own questions, surprising her with how open and quick he is to talk.
It only caters to her emotions for a second, before she changes to her usual stoic self. Flames surround her arms, calmly swirling like waves in the sea.
“Well, I won't answer that, and in this case, you should be glad that I am not allowed to use Rank 2 Skill. Quite a lot, if I'll say so myself. Be careful so you won't burn yourself with your nonexistent motivation about this Trial!” she tells in a clear superior complex that she understands quite well.
Her Emblem type is Elemental with a full affinity towards the special type of flames called Pulsar. This type of flame is fiercer than many other flames and the heat from it isn't as strong but sharp.
William is yet to see how he is supposed to attack, or defend, against the flames, so he chose the simple solution to feel his own chances. He starts it by activating the Inner Enchantment, enveloping his body with tangible lines filled with small crimson lines. He summons it within 2 seconds with connections to his Mindless Eyes. He appears not that different from before.
“What's that? You can manage the two Skills already?” The girl tells in surprise, noticing the Inner Enchantment along with a nasty-looking claw. Knowing the general abilities of the 1st timers, they shouldn't be the greatest since they spent very little time with their fully activated Emblems. She was like this not that long long ago too, so she seems surprised to see this level of control. Though, she also realized the possibility that this is the most William can manage and he only does so to appear serious.
“Wanna me do the third?” William asks her with a smirk and wonders how to go past this girl.
“You wish!” she shouts in agitation and clearly doesn't believe his words. Unlike him, her general point of interest in the Elemental type is vastly different than the kinds that William has to undergo. She motions her hand forwards and her fire changes around her hands, shooting small lines, of what appear to be knives with barebone molds of one.
Gouging the overall scope of the enemy is the first step of her action and how Academy teaches the student.
William sees the dozen or so swords that hone to his body, so a quick swipe with his claw is all he needs to extinguish them completely. “It's a normal fire?” William assumes in surprise at how easily he extinguished them, but soon enough, many more follows.
Like a barrage of fire, it envelops his line of vision, while the girl still stands where she is, uncaring about William's lack of motivation or means of escape. This is a battle of tolerance, and it appears her confidence is better than William's. In this kind of circumstance where the foe seems weak-minded and uncaring of the attacks, she caters to her own benefits.
William pushes his claw forwards to protect his head and torso. It works a little, so he also crouches down, making his body smaller. The flaming knives are hitting him endlessly, but he feels they aren't that powerful in themselves, nor he feels inclined to swipe his claw at them like with an endless shower. Like with everything, this is what the most basic elemental control looks like. It doesn't feel overpowering, or strong.
Though, William indeed feels the pressure of the heat rising around his body. His claw takes the hits without feeling any kind of burden and Inner Enchantment is protecting his body. Many flames hit his skin, turning to little explosives of flames but it feels like a bee sting, at worst.
This situation goes on for 5 minutes. William still feels the same amount of burden, but it isn't that bad for him to feel helpless. By now, he figures that this girl wants to tire him out, and is confident that her stamina or Element is better than his own defenses. It's not a bad idea at all, and he finds this rather surprising, considering how serious and upset she looked before.
William knows he can't stay in this form forever, and even his Inner Enchantment has limits of time or damage. It helps him to deflect occasional knives that pass by his claw. It's definitely a different kind of pressure when he isn't attacked directly by frontal strikes. He remembers Roman's teaching and the 1st fight against that loud-mouthed fool. He could tell from his feelings that he have 15 minutes before his Vectors would reach their limits. That could mean hundreds and thousands of hits, that he can take.
On the other end of this rather simple fight, the girl's gaze is upon William with no smirk. She frowns for a few minutes, feeling this isn't bad or good, but she lacks good means to be confident. The rule of using Rank 1 Skill hurts her a lot, but it doesn't make her helpless if her foe makes a ridiculous mistake. A battle of attrition, defense, and tolerance? She can win by default because her Emblem's Pulsar Affinity is at Rank 2 and without it, she wouldn't be able to use her Emblem at all.
It's been more than 5 minutes and he still feels he can take my hits? Pulsar isn't so weak... I swear, does he think his stamina is better than mine? I can go on for 20 minutes like this.
5 more minutes passes by, and William is still unclear about his current possibilities. He figures his foe feels she could go one longer than him, but he is unsure about himself and his actions. Defense isn't his priority and he knows it, but how much he can force upon her? He knows she takes things lightly at him because of rules, causing this duel to not be that hard on him. He should have a plethora of possibilities to finish this fight, but his experiences are lacking for obvious reasons.
Not even the 10 days with Roman can change that, and the flow of the fight is different than having clear-headedness without the constant pressure from the enemy.
This grinds my nerves! What does he think he thinks he will accomplish from that? My Puslra isn't even affecting his clothes? How? They don't even flinch when coming in contact with his Vectors, it seems. His emblem doesn't seems normal. Who is he to waste that? The girl thinks to herself, and a deep frown is visible on her face.
It goes on for a few moments until she is fed up with such an easy victory and decides to change things up. She chooses a better kind of attack that shouldn't move past Rank 1. With her hand, she conjures different kinds of flaming motions. A swirling ball of flames emerges in her palm, which she grasps with her left hand. Then, she stretches the ball, changing its structure, until a rough shape of a spear appears.