Hearing that so much time already passed, Celleste isn't sure if it is right or not. She has no vision of the clock because it is hiding behind Jullieta, nor she has her own watch or some inner clock.
Her mind is full of other things, and thinking about some time in the middle of the fight isn't something she prefers. Unbeknownst to her, she has no idea that Jullieta is terrible at reading analog clocks, and she also exaggerates a lot.
Who cares about a few minutes of differences, she would probably argue with her instructors or friends.
With the one-sided introduction, Jullieta stands before her opponent with full vigor while engulfed with fire that doesn't seem to bother her at all. They don't affect the surroundings either, which is good. No one wants an all-out fire-based Walker in a residential skyscraper.
Her arms in particular are the most abnormal part of her body, with vision and appearance like a beast. They appear sharp and dangerous, but everything about the flame seems like a hazard anyway. The flaming Vectors are part of her body, forming crystal gauntlets that breathe fire from inside out, but outside to inside too. Everything seems unnatural when it comes to her arms, while Cycling works in simple terms.
Flames rise from her chest, spreading from there to the rest of her body while coming back to the Emblem in an unknown amount of time. It is hard to tell when or how long it takes, as the flames seem to look always the same. Only Jullieta would have some idea about her own limits. That is how it usually goes for every Walker, no matter the type.
Jullieta isn't upset about the current state of her efforts. This little Trial is just brief fun anyway and also a partial reward opportunity to force newcomers up in unique ways. It may be unnatural at all fronts of the Trial, but it isn't as if the competition among the Walkers isn't nonexistent in the Academy. She knows it like her Emblem and her time in this archipelago.
Celleste has no context over her own life, but she doesn't need to. She views her opponent in the unknown vision of how to deal with such straigh forward and encompassing danger such as a flame.
Should she knock her out?
Waste time?
Fight with her until the time is over?
She thinks all those would work, so she couldn't decide as she wields her great sword in her grasp. She hates the incoming heat too. It gives her a headache and no idea how to approach her. It also reminds her of some words that her instructor mentioned. Something about weaknesses, a common sense of advantages and disadvantages. She slowly realizes that this seems to be an opponent that is fitting and experienced against her power as a Walker. That, or the basis is much simpler and she just doesn't realize it yet.
What sort of human could even handle such flames, or have some... sort of cloth and armor made of them? She definitely thinks Jullieta is weirdo to have it like that since she couldn't mold anything with her Vectors throughout the last 10 days. Her sword is the only thing, but it is already with her since the beginning, so that doesn't count.
Celleste is a bit lost and unaware of what could she do because she hasn't seen a whole lot of Walkers in her life. Especially those of the rich elementalist talent as Jullieta.
Celleste finds this situation strange because she feels how hot the surrounding are getting. It rises and makes this whole fighting harder without even moving. Even though Jullieta is lowering her heat by almost 80%, it feels hotter than in the desert. It is getting dangerous in terms of dehydration, and exhaustion.
Though, Jullieta doesn't mind this. It isn't the form of heat that should give rise to a flame, as it is a dry motion of the heat. A static flame of her core pushes in radiating warmth. It isn't dangerous, but it sure makes people uncomfortable. She knows it after hearing all about it from others.
Before Celleste is a Rank 2 Walker in all of her glory. There are no restrictions put in place and she doesn't limit her Ranks, but the heat alone.
She thinks for herself what it could even all do. The time, that is. Imagining the degree of changes she could make in half a year, Celleste has no small amount of owners and motivation to see it for herself. The pressure from her and others feels different. Her previous opponents had restrictions, while this one feels on another level, or is it the heat? Element or something else?
It is the difference between unnatural molds and powers that Rank 2 Walkers don't care for because it isn't worth the effort. Most of them work on primary Skills and what matters, rather than some useless experiments which so far, worked against them.
Now without this restriction, it isn't just the limit of Ranks that matters. This allows the students to use their entire potency, experience, and matter of their Emblem to the peak.
Jullieta is among the best in this batch of students in terms of her core progression. Her Flame is extremely fitting for her by all means, and her talent and efficiency in her skills are all excellent.
Stepping forward after figuring out that no talking will start, Jullieta forms flaming waves around her arms. She spread her arms and shot small flames forward as if they are droplets when one is wet.
This is a basic Skill named Flame Shots with nothing but the simple premise that is similar to the bullets but without the gunpowder, metal, or any combustion. But they are dangerous and fly fast, reaching Celeste in seconds. She would see this from a mile away, so she dodges a few, and slashes the rest, leaving nothing behind but flaming specks of shots. To her surprise, this has been nothing but a second-rate strike and a distraction. The next moment she sees another flame, it is a fist engulfing her great swords.
Jullieta is curious, yet her flame isn't as fast to clutch such a clumsy and strange-looking wavy sword. There are even 2 components to that, so her curiosity is somewhere around the sword, rather than on the Celleste herself.
Though, Celleste has some other ideas. She sways to her left, dodging with her sword before swiping it around her in a tight and quick pirouette. Sword follows her behind, striking in a horizontal slash at Jullieta who defends with her forearm, She stands firm while Celesta had to retreat her sword when Jullieta attacks forward with the other fist.
This time, the great sword hasn't moved through the obstacles.
Two girls once again go into a one-of-a-kind brawl in this part of this Trial, dancing and hitting each other with swings, of arms, claws, or kicks. Each has some style of combat and each is fast and ferocious in their attempts, but there is something shocking in all of this.
Jullieta thought she would overwhelm her immediately and would have to play around the game of giving up. That, or she would be a bit more violent and force her to lose so she would give up? That would be doubtful indeed. She isn't that sort of person, and Celleste seems too stubborn to give up.
Both of them are right in their heads when it comes to this, which is good. Though, it hurts because if a student manages to force first-timer to give up, all of their rewards would double. All of it, with future ones included. That is hard to pass on, and Jullieta curses Tiberon to the seventh sea!
Both girls move like machines, and Jullieta feels the creeping edge of danger when another few minutes pass up, and they both keep going on. Her claws aren't weak. Her flame is dangerous! She knows it all, yet when she pounces at Celleste at the start of the 7th minute, she unleashes more heat and also unique physicality to her Dragon Claws. Each finger turns more crisp and clean, twisting them into flexible weapons with both sharpness and flaming properties.
It goes against the science, but it doesn't concern anybody.
Celleste takes that pounding with the same old stubbornness to never give up. She spreads her arm before her and grabs her greatsword tight, defending herself with everything she has. Slashes or a simple shield with the edge of the sword are all there for her to try.
Some claw passes by the defenses, hitting her to the shoulders, face, arms legs, or pretty much anywhere. Jullieta has fast movement speed, and her striking turns out to be dangerous, yet unable to end her defense. That surprises her, but it isn't worth giving up.
Before the start of this, neither of them was afraid to be a bit forceful, yet to have intentions to hurt the other is another question.
Jullieta underestimated her, and now she eats it up.
It goes longer, and fiercer until the timer halts, and the ringing sound echoes in the hallway. Celleste leans on her sword with exhaustion and with many cuts around her body. Her breathing is unsteady, and cycling vectors seem to be on the brink of limits, causing her to slip to the ground.
Before her stands unbothered Jullieta with some tough breaths as well.
Attacking already took everything she has, and it took some effort to maintain her power. However, the time limitations are secondary. Jullieta can last half an hour in the full power of her emblem. That is another vast difference between them and the first-timers. It is simple physical exhaustion so it will pass on soon.
She has folded arms around her chest, figuring that the end of this match has come, but in not a way she likes.
“Damned clock... Is it broken?” She curses but tosses it behind her mind. “Anyway, the time is over so you succeeded in being so damned stubborn, but it is fair, which doesn't please me, nor upsets me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Celleste.”
“I don't remember introducing myself to you...” Celleste mumbles as she tries to get back up, but she barely has breath left and strength around her limbs.
“And I don't need your permission to know your name,” Jullita tells, smiling and offering her a hand, which Celleste refuses. She can get back up without problems, and there is no need for some pity or sweet talking.
Still, she feels exhausted and beyond her normal norm. This fight has been incredibly taxing and more interesting than her time yesterday and the day before. That is strange, considering this is Rank 2 Walker she is fighting with, yet it is within the precise power that isn't far from Rank 1.
That is the reason there aren't some higher rank Walkers who would shackle themselves with the use of low-rank skills. It isn't worth it and it would be nonsense instead. This is Emblem Academy, and there are also a few more unspoken rules and informations that are yet to be apparent. Students know it, but first-timers have no need for that.
Only the successors will, and it is yet to be a time for any conceding.
“Is that so? Then, is the Trial over?” Celleste asks and without words, the greatswords in her right-hand crack and flow under her long-sleeved shirt, which hides her Emblem well enough. The cycling long became unstable for her, while her sword was disintegrating in instabilities for the past 2 minutes. The moment she heard the ring, and use of her sword as her support ended. The mental shock got to her head as well and cycling limits did the rest.
Her Vectors will restore and her body will regenerate on its own. Celleste is fine with that, but she isn't fine with how tired she feels. So many fights from one to another have been taxing, even though it isn't even real fights. They are excuses... and a brief outlook on the notion of exhausting these 10-day-old Walkers.
Jullieta sees how she gets up with some trouble, and she is quite surprised by that fact. Celleste seemed on the brink of fading away a while ago, yet not even a minute later, she sees how she gets up and acts as if everything is fine. That impresses her for sure, so she also halts her own Emblem and lets the flame return to her chest.
“You are really something, but no.” Jullieta shakes her head at her wonder. “I have no idea if the Trial is over or not. I thought the butler would appear at the end of this... mess they created, but I guess it's not over or they have some issues? Anyway, I wonder who my next opponent will be! Do you know some of them? I haven't seen every first-timer, but you did! Is there someone interesting? Pretty? I fought some nasty fellow with the Mutation Type and lost quite miserably. Though I had only Rank 1 Skills back then, so I don't care about that either way.” Jullieta talks in a surprising turn of her ongoing personality, which is quite a contrast to Celleste, who isn't that?
Her talking about whatever is on her mind is like a clatter of words that goes over her head before even being heard.
Jullieta seems friendly and ongoing, smiling and even gesturing with her hands and articulating like a fine lady. Though she wears... what she wears, she is from a good family as well, which speaks of genetics, or how the world always worked.
Celleste only sights at her smiling self, rubbing her neck and face in some annoying exhaustion. She has no mood for this sort of girl. Not now.
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In the first floor and room of the Overseer's operations.
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Agatha keeps nodding in silence, observing some papers and screens. Tiberon is beside her in her wide chair, speechless and entertained by few options and undergoing currents. On the biggest screen is the end of their anticipated match between Celleste and Julliate. An idea Agahta wanted to see for the past 2 hours, so seeing it definitely sparks some interest in her eyes. It went outside of their expectations, but also within them.
“Satisfied with the results?” Tiberon asks while scratching his chin.
“Sure. You appear satisfied too. Your sneer speaks volumes for yourself.”
“Whatever. I suppose Celleste is really the tip of this group. I expected it to be the little Takker, but I guess he has some problems with himself or his System. Or it is again that thing? Too high expectations put on him?” He tells meaningfully.
“I don't know about him, but I know what it means to force 10 minutes with Jullieta without losing her cool. That is impressive because of the change of rules. Remember?”
“Yes. I know that, but still...” Tiberon moans and turns his face to glance at Agatha. “Celleste is more to your liking. I get it, but what can you do or know? What are her readings from Margaret?”
“None.”
“None? Did she confine them or what?”
“Celleste haven't told a thing in the readings. Margaret just snatched her up from what I know. She agreed, and now we see her succeed. There is nothing from her System, type, or how her unique system and Emblem works. Nothing is known. It's also hard to pinpoint it from the outside perspective, as you probably know why.” Agatha tells while pointing to the stationary screen before her depicting some clashes between the two girls.
They had many cameras placed around the perimeters of the floors. Hundreds of them, so nothing could be out of the picture. They even took a lot of pictures for reference and also recorded the fights.
“I could see that. It's either mutation or double type which is... questionable but unlikely. They may be Mutant Vectors. The Duality is what annoys me however so her Emblem may be unique enough to be called its own. There have been some cases such as that, you know?”
“These are one-in-the-generation occurrences. We already have 3 of those.”
“You are right, but what if another will appear? I doubt it wouldn't make any sense. I am fairly certain the Scientific Department already speaks about far, wide, and rapid turns of events. Time is getting unkept with the evolution of the Dark, so why can't Walkers get some part of this strangeness? Do you think the last 10 Trials went in some remote strangeness?? Things are getting different the more time passes. Everyone knows it and I don't think I've seen something that could blow my mind 10 years ago.”
“That's because you have a screw loose in your head. Idiot!” Agathe slaps Tiberon on the top of his head. “But I've got it. And you lied. There are countless strangers even from that time. Let alone 10, 50, or 60 years ago were strange.”
He looks at her in questionable gaze, as if he has been wronged.
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Meanwhile, on the 30th floor, and still in the same old left upper section.
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William is looking forth for the next enemy and can't wait for this Trial to be over. he already walked for dozen minutes, and to his oblivious mind, his little turns in his balcony haven't been taken into consideration. This leaves him in a location that isn't up to any rule, and this will cause many headaches on the 1st floor.
William also reaches Stark's progress ad they are on the same floor. In fact, William skipped nearly half the first-timers between floors 24 and 29. He is 2nd if he will reach the end of the floor or meet an enemy but for now, Stark and Lousie are on the exact opposite side of the floor.
Around 10 minutes after Jullieta finished her fight with Celleste, the butler still hasn't arrived. So she walks there on the 30th floor alone since Celleste went ahead a while ago, unbothered by her questions and following words. This upsets Jullieta a little, while the massage goes off from her ear microphone behind her ear.
Agatha is telling her to go against one of the groups coming in the left lower corner. Stark and Louise will be her enemies next, but Agatha hasn't told her that.
So Julieta sighs and goes around the familiar sights of the skyscraper without any issues.
Soon enough, to her surprise and shock, the one who appears before her is no group nor one of the two well-known youths. It is no Louise or Stark, and she doesn't even know his name.
A nobody? Is it someone uninteresting yet he is one of the 13 people who got here even before Stark and Louise? That seems unlikely, but it is true. This is the 30th Floor so she understands what it means. The boy before her fought his way forth, arriving at this place while appearing calm, collected, and without any injuries on his body.
“Crap... Another girl... What a bad luck.” William scowls when he sees Jullieta appear around a corner. He shakes his head in disappointment and regret.
Thinking of the options to flee instead, he recognizes there is none. It is to go past her or act as if he doesn't belong here. Maybe he could turn on the spot and walk back? That is a possibility, but an unlikely one.
To his cluelessness, he still has no idea about the change of rules.
Sighting, Jullieta is crushing her forehead while looking at the sudden guest.
“What the hell is going on with you? How did you get here before them?” she asks while uncertain about him.
Hearing her question, William still doesn't know his mistake, or to be precise, his scheme. He still has his rope hiding in his bag around his shoulder, so he plans to look for the balcony on this floor. To his knowledge, it is in the right upper corner so he isn't far away.
“Well... I am sorry for being here then. Can I just move past you so you can't be bothered? How about it?” he tries to get out of the way, but a clever use of words isn't working.
This makes Jullieta think of a certain someone, but she dismisses it instead and stands before him.
“I am not one to joke, but I joke a lot. Nevermind... I am not one to ask too many questions. That is the truth. You will be my... err...” She places her palm around her face, looking at her fingers and figuring out the number of them. She remembers! “6th opponent! I won't let you go past me so prepare yourself!” She tells as if the matter of truths and rules isn't too important.
“Oh... At least I tried.” William tosses a back aside and expects the start of this charade of a fight.
Before that, Julliate isn't that forgetful, so she places the clock forward and explains the situation. William is not one to complain too much about knowing things. That is unless it involves unreasonable demands or other issues.
In this case, the time limit is a bit too much for him It's effectively making him go face to face against proper Rank 2. William regrets his tries at his ascending too fast and isn't happy.
“That's crazy.” He says. “I know there isn't much difference in general fighting tactics in beginner Rank-ups, but we are talking about the experience! You guys from the academy have many times experience with your Emblems. And don't let me start with the System. It is with you long enough and you all must be already accomplished fighters against the first 4 Ranks of the Dark. Unlike... the first-timers. Me...”
He laments his desired feelings and complains to Jullieta who seems to have some understanding of his anger. He complains a lot actually, and a lot like her.
“Understand?” Jullieta asserts as she places the cloak on the ground. Readying herself, she is ready to go against this unknown boy she heard no specific messages for.
“5 minutes, right?” William asks, and she nods it off before realizing it is 10 minutes.
“Can I flee for 5 minutes? Walk in circles? Get back to the deeper part of the 29th floor so she wouldn't catch me?” William thinks for a second, but seeing his wandering mind, Jullieta presses the button of the clock. Then she activates her Emblem.
Raging flame and brightness spreads through a bit tighter hallway than the one before. There shouldn't have been a fight here, yet she has no problems with that, and William has no choice.
A searing flame surprises him, while another case of Elementalist is before him. It is different than the one before, but not much. It is flame again yet this one seems wilder and stronger, and the flame really pushes to his face. He could tell the difference straigh away. This girl is trouble, and he doesn't like trouble.
He watches in silence as he backs a couple of steps. Then the flames recede and clutter together, forming Dragon Claws and rather cool armor plates of crystal-like appearance.
“W-what a cool-looking armor!” he involuntarily shouts, which jolts Jullieta's brief calmness and seriousness.
Surprised, she clears her throat, while blushing a little. Though, this pause is enough for William to walk closer, oblivious to her heat or raging flames around her. He observe her armor a bit closer, uncaring but curious about the flaming gems between her chest and neck. Though, the armor is more interesting, and it seems familiar.
Jullieta reluctantly clenches her fist, while another word causes her to stop starting a fight.
“Isn't this like the concept art from somewhere? I swear I've seen some kind of armor like this in the Federation. It looks fiery hot, and those gauntlets and claws are like from ancient China. I saw them in the library.... but I can't recall the name or what it is.” William scowls as if he finds an empty plate of former meaty bliss, explaining and making a few rounds around her.
“T-this boy knows?!” Jullieta asks herself in a wild manner inside her mind, and can't help but feel a bit awkward for some reason.
It's right, and even though this armor is up to her own talent and tries, taking inspiration from somewhere is easier than creating something brand new. She took some inspiration from some comics and books she read when she grew up. Since fantasy and imagination are limitations to the molding, she isn't the last or first to do that. Many do this sort of thing, be it from the past, or taking some inspiration from the current or past Walkers. That's how it's done.
Though, she never expected someone to face her with that fact. And he even knows something about the origin of her form. It's from some comic series she loved when she was younger, which influenced the final form of her Elementalist Emblem.
“B-be serious!” Jullieta grunts and suddenly shouts. Following that with a quick release of her flame, she also punches William in his face.
The unexpected hit works wonders, punishing and pushing William to a near wall because he didn't expect it.
“Activate your damn Emblem if you aren't a coward for god's sake,” Jullieta complains out loud, stopping to the ground and feeling a bit better. There isn't even one bit of shame in her actions or words.
William gets to his feet and laments he doesn't have more time to stall. Although he genuinely feels quite impressed by her appearance and Skill, he doesn't know the precise differences between the beginning concepts of Walker Types. He has his Claw from the get-go, while Elementalist has it unique and different than others.
They have to create their fundamental model, mold, and elemental vision of their will and mind. If possible, he would love to try molding something out of his Vectors in the same way she did.
Rubbing his face, William isn't that dizzy from that strong attack and figures this girl is one to hold back.
“Alright. Alright. I'll get this over with in a moment.” he mutters and gets up. “Though it is seriously nice, so I will show you something great as well.”
Quenching his fists, he motions his Vector Claw right away, and then, immediately follows thigns with Annihilation Claw. The last enemy has been Zech for him, and this one feels not one bit easier, especially because of Rank 2 limitations. So far, he is sure that every new student he meets, he or she is stronger than the last. It's most likely the case here as well, and he doesn't want to lose.
Jullieta sees his change of resolve, shocked and hesitant over the mild yet dense Vectors of deep crimson appearance. They swirl in bizarre ways before they all stabilize in the form of a Gear 2. It is the middle one, with the versatility of strength and passable speed and cycles. Though, the 1st and 3rd each have their tougher points.
Especially in terms of how long he can keep them up. But it may as well be some farce, or a try to talk out of the fight. She doesn't like it one way or another, but she long seeps in stronger flame them before.
“I won't hold back, boy,” she smirks when she realized that the boy doesn't seem to be weak or normal. So she asserts a certain amount of dominance in one sweep of her claw.
A wave of raging flames envelops William's vision next, overcoming his vision so he couldn't see anything but the flames.
“Bigger one, stronger one.” He imagines and presses his clawed hand forwards. It expands in less than 2 seconds, enough for an enlarged claw to grow, so he won't be hit by this Flame Wave.
“Damn! It's hot, but not hot... She is pissed at me or what? Are all the Walker girls like that?” he thinks to himself but knows it shouldn't be the case. At least Mi-Yung is very understanding, and nice.
Although, the things he knows about Mi-Yung are a bit... small in comparison to her ongoing and not the least bit calm and stoic beliefs.
With this defense, he safely guards his body within the flames. Her large claw of Gear 1 spread over his body, protecting him more than well against the flames, but not against the heat. He feels as if he is in the oven, or close to the raging flame in the campfire.
But there is another issue. He can't see a thing when he is hiding behind his Vectors. Nowhere is something visible but flames or his vectors, which is the case for his unease, since he can't see what that girl is up to.
And right he is and how right he feels it next. More so than he would like, but not in a way that crushes his soul.
A flying raging hot kick penetrates some small openings between his claws. It is his poor kind of defense, and the kick arrives fast and unnoticeable behind his back. Jullieta uses tactics and her experience, as this has been an effective way to fight against any kind of foe. A holed-up and stationery target is best to hit from behind. Unless the foe's senses, power, or experience are well beyond hers.
Neither of those things is something that William has, so she can fight as she sees fit, but not to the extent where she will endanger this boy too much.
A hot kick propels him from the flames, and struggles. He feels his ribs don't like this type of kick from behind his back, so William struggles to catch his breath. The flames that envelop this small region disappear, when Jullieta swipes her claw again, letting the flame go back to her arm. She is standing right in his prior location, uncaring and lofty.
“You took my kick better than I thought. I would expect nothing less of the Inner Enchantment. You familiar with it, or it's still Rank 0?”
William grunts when he gets to his feet, uncovering the light around his body that he barely activated before he was flung like a toy.
He doesn't respond to her words. Instead, he waits until his breathing returns and the pain goes away.
Surprisingly, his 1st Gear is still within his control. He changes the form and shape back to the 2nd one to catch his breath.
It will be his turn to be offensive.