“Assist with what?”

“Well, our time here at this facility. I would like an ally.”

“An ally? As far as I know the enemies are meant to be the Drakker and we are all allies against them.”

This time it was her turn to give him a flat look. He knew what she meant looking back at the night before, but honestly, he did not want to get involved any further and again. He was sure that this girl was far from innocent. In fact, he believed she caused that incident deliberately.

“There would be factions within the institute, there already are from the years before. But I don’t want to join something made by another. It would be hard to rise in something already established. I want to make something of my own and a name for myself. And I need powerful allies for that.”

“And you want me?”

“Yes, I saw what you can do while brief and you were quickly able to deduce that I was faking my helplessness and I am sure you figured out that I was the cause of the situation in the first place.”

He was surprised that she herself had seen that far.

“And I am assuming you did so to find people like me.”

“Indeed, see you are smart…a bit too much actually. I hoped I would gain myself a gullible knight in shining armor. But seeing you, maybe a smarter helper rather than a dumb follower would be better.” She stated almost to herself.

“You say that as if I have agreed.” He noted to her folding his arms as he leaned back. She was right of course. He knew that people their age and with their powers would lead to even bigger egos than the average human and that meant the desire to be the on in control of their surroundings. This was part of what he did not want to be involved in.

The problem was, keeping independence would also be hard on your own. The various groups would see you as a hindrance even an affront to them just because you did not want to align yourself with them. However…if it was a completely new group, one that did not expect too much from him and also did not treat him as a lackey they could order around. And one that was powerful in its own right, he could see himself in such a group. Regardless of how against his nature it was to stand out too much.

“What is in it for me.” He continued.

“Well just like you would assist me, I would assist you and as long as you don’t betray me I would be sure to not do the same to you.” She stated with conviction.

He looked at her for a moment.

“You appear to trust me despite barely knowing me.”

“Oh, I know much more than you think.” Her response as enigmatic as her behaviour.

He snorted.

“I still don’t know how you knew my name, that much is true. Well, I have at least one condition.”

“And that would be?”

“I don’t want random people in this merry little band of ours. I prefer fewer people with considerable power.” Difficult, but achievable.

“That was the plan from the start, I suppose you accept?” She asked.

“Guess I do, just know that I am not one to be overly proactive.”

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“That is fine.” She noted as she turned away.

He thought he heard her say something.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, just thought I saw someone.”

He stared for a moment.

“If you say so.”

***

The next few days were mostly uneventful, he would have liked to explore Mesa city but the Framers were forbidden from leaving the Institute at the moment. So, he spent his time at the Institute’s gym or played games in the meanwhile. In the cafeteria he tended to eat with Tey and on occasion caught sight of the red head with her twin posse. In fact there were more people following her now. He suspected that just like Tey she was forming her own group. According to Tey she was from a reputable family, the Norells.

Everleigh Norell related to a powerful Framer, one of the oldest, the fact that they have a Framer descendant despite the low chance of Framers coming to being in the first place was seen as a huge deal.

As he walked towards the gym, followed by Tey, whose presence he was used to by now, he noticed that there was some commotion nearby. The path was crowded and there was yelling. Curious, they pushed their way through the crowd to where it was thickest. He had to part the crowd in front of him for Tey to see due to her somewhat short height compared to his much taller one.

In front of them was a young dark-skinned man dressed in the Institute’s uniform, it had a badge on it that said one indicating that he was like them in the first year. He wore a black mask over his mouth and nose. His eyes were gold in color and his black hair was tied together in a large cornrow bun. He had a long straight sword strapped to his hip, the sword had no guard and was in an ornate dark blue sheathe decorated with images of dark panthers.

Opposite to him was another larger man, just over seven feet tall he had a messy mane of brown hair that was practically all over the place and his muscles barely fit in his clothes and he has his sleeves rolled up showing his hairy forearms. Slit-like blue eyes shone from his bearded face as he grinned at the man in front of him, his arms folded in front of him defiantly.

“I would like you to retract your statement.” The swordsman said calmly from beneath his mask.

“What, is your mask another part of your cowardice? I would say it again, your swordplay is obsolete when involving the power of Framers.”

Parth could see the anger on the swordsman’s face as he closed his golden eyes to calm himself.

“I guess some people can’t be reasoned with.” He muttered as he turned around to leave.

“Huh? Running away?” The big man was clearly looking for trouble.

The swordsman continued to walk away, forcing the man to unfold his arms and charge him with incredible speed.

The swordsman did not move until they were within a meter from each other. Spinning around sword in sheathe, he swung it horizontally. Forcing the large man to block with his arms. The clash causing a considerable sound that could not be from any normal scabbard on human skin.

The large man was thrown a couple meters backwards from the force of the blow. He slid on the floor a dangerous grin on his face as he bared his arms apart going for large grabbing swings. The swordsman’s eyes took on a sharp glint as he went on the defensive.

With quick and graceful footwork, he dodged around the swings and countered with sword swings of his own. The large man was durable however and simply took the attacks head on with very few attempts to block apart from against hits that could get to more vital parts of his body.

Gripping his sword to his left side and going into a low stance. The man charged the larger opponent, forcing him to swing preemptively at his seemingly predictable path. He completely arrested his movement in a nigh impossible cessation of inertia. Causing the swing to miss, unlike himself his opponent had no ability to stop his attack. In a burst of speed, he forced the tip of his scabbard into the large man gut. But his oversized muscles stopped the blow.

The swordsman was not done, however. It seemed he had been holding back, at least in terms of speed. Right after the blow landed, he shifted his feet and kicked off the ground in seeming to shift from sight. At the same time, he struck his sword on his opponent’s side. As he ended up behind him. Then he turned and did it again, and again, and yet again. He continued without pause until he had landed fifteen strikes within a few seconds.

The large man had been unable to counter in anyway as he was constantly struck with much higher force due to the speed increasing the power of the attacks.

Eventually, he bellowed and threw his arms apart breaking off the sixteenth attack in the combo and forcing the swordsman to back off.

“Not bad, not bad at all!” The large man laughed with mirth as his blue eyes shone even more, actually glowing this time and a purple haze started to surround him.

“I see, you are a sturdy one.” The swordsman stated after taking some distance. He got into a draw stance as the large man approached.

The world seemed to take on a hazy tone as the colors took on a more saturated effect. The everything seemed to double or triple in number as if through a lens that light was shining through causing a mirage-like effect.

Hyper Logical Essence.