A golden box drew Jay's attention away from Julian's body.
Victory. 4/4.
The screen vanished and another took its place.
Round 2.
Fight your future.
Not one, but two rings emerged side by side beyond Julian’s. Jay walked in between and assessed each fighter.
Both wore the same face, but differently.
Both were versions of Jay.
Again?
The first version wore billowing white robes and held a staff with a crystal at the top. A bouncing mote of lightning darted within it, casting a gentle white glow. This Jay had long white hair, flowing down to his shoulders, and a sweeping beard to match.
The next version of Jay wore martial artists robes, the top half discarded on the floor at his feet. He hopped on the spot, swinging his arms around wildly. Jay saw elements of boxing in the movement, but only fleetingly. Three scratch like scars, worn with pride, snaked across this Jay’s chest.
Acknowledging his opponents, Jay reckoned he understood this part of the trial.
They’re both versions of me if I don’t harmonize properly. If I don’t properly merge electricity and fighting. Wizard Jay only focused on electricity and Kung fu Jay only focused on fighting.
Jay wondered how his two clones would fight, how he would be forced to fight to beat them.
Only one way to find out.
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Jay circled around the first ring, feasting his eyes on the wizard version of himself within. Feeble arms, loosely shrouded by his rippling robes, clutched a knobbly wooden staff. Two tired eyes gazed forward, bereft of a fighters’ ferocity.
This can’t be me.
But it was.
Steely grey eyes watched out beneath the white hair and wrinkled skin. For a fleeting second, Jay recognised the man within the wizard. But the sight washed away, and Jay stood face to face with a stranger once more.
What happened?
Jay kept his mind alert and entered the wizard’s domain. Wizard Jay jumped in shock the moment Jay stepped into the ring. Fear gripped his wizened face before he clutched his staff and started chanting.
What happened?
Jay almost didn’t have the heart to run and fight the old man. It wouldn’t be a fight; it’d be a massacre.
A blinding white beam descended from above. Thunder pierced Jay's ears as lightning sunk into the wizard’s staff. The crystal glowed with heavenly radiance, chirping with barely contained energy, as Wizard Jay held his staff above his head.
The fear covering his face had long since vanished, replaced by the cowl of indifference. The Wizard sighed as he slammed his staff down.
A snake-like dragon, forged from pure white electricity, wormed its way out of the staff. It soared into the air above its wielder, coiling up and glaring at Jay through incorporeal eyes. It must have been at least ten metres long, but it wrapped itself into a tight ball over its master, sprung and ready for protection.
The wizard’s jaded face hadn’t strayed from indifference, but he’d locked eyes with his alternate self.
There was no aggression within them, no roar of fighting spirit. Just weary drooping shadows. He raised a knobbly finger at Jay, uttering a near silent command under his breath.
Jay didn’t need to hear what he said. The unfurling dragon soaring his way, unleashing roars of electrical madness told him everything he needed.
Part of him wanted to stand there and face the dragon head on. Testing his might against the beast. Jay quietened the voice of arrogance but another equally stupid, yet more intriguing thought popped up.
Can I…
The dragon was almost upon him, fast even by Jay's lofty new standards. Jay shifted back. A sick grin erupted on his face the moment he felt cold wash over his ankle as cool cavernous air cloaked his foot.
Jay activated Eye of the storm as he retreated. He felt the humidity of the underwater cavern brush on his skin millimetre by millimetre as he casually stepped backwards out of the ring. The dragon crept ever closer to Jay's overclocked eyes, but by the time it reached them there was an invisible barrier blocking its way.
Jay came face to face with the electrical beast mere moments before it vanished into the ether, fading into nothingness after Jay left the ring. Its master morphed from the active indifference of a weary old man to the passive indifference of a caged illusion. Now that Jay wasn’t sharing the ring with his wizard reflection, there was nothing pushing it to fight.
Jay circled around the ring until he faced the wizards back. Was there anything to learn from this fight, or did he just want to finish it as soon as possible? The first pieces of a strategy began to fall into place inside Jay's mind.
He didn’t want to take the lightning dragon head-on, but what if he didn’t give his opponent time to create it? Wizard Jay had obviously discarded Eye of the storm, and it looked like he’d lost his fighter’s instincts too, meaning the opening exchange of the fight was firmly within Jay's grasp.
The opening exchange was all he needed.
Jay retreated deeper into the cave, putting about twenty metres between himself and the ring. He knew he needed to watch out for the lightning dragon and he knew that he only had the first few seconds before Wizard Jay reacted.
But he also knew that the fight was over as soon as he got within range.
And most importantly, he knew that this clone only “awoke” after he entered the ring.
So why not build momentum, and sprint into the ring before it could even react?
Jay massaged blood into his thighs. He didn’t need to, his stormforged body could prepare itself for battle without outside interference, but working arms were still a novelty to Jay. It’d only been two days without them, but Jay would never take any of his limbs for granted again.
Mentally and physically prepared, Jay started running. Electricity rushed into Jay’s thighs, pumping in pure energy as he neared the ring.
Wizard Jay turned his head just as Jay's chest passed into the arena. Jay watched his face bleed from neutrality to shock. More electricity flowed into Jay's legs as he got closer, pushing them further beyond their limits and propelling Jay forward.
Jay had to give his wizard self at least some credit. He’d reacted far better to a challenger running at him than to one merely stepping into the ring. The initial fear made way for activity as soon as Jay had passed the halfway point. The cold, calculating wash of patience clouded Wizard Jay’s eyes, and he looked far more like his past self.
Lightning sparked within the crystal-topped staff, although not called from the heavens this time. Twelve bolts flew out of the crystal, spinning out in all directions before twisting to aim themselves at Jay.
But by the time the sparks of electricity collided with Jay, he was almost within range. The lightning bolts dug through to Jay's core. Worming their way inside and stabbing his internal organs with daggers of pain. The agony would’ve brought most fighters to the ground, debilitating pain halting their advance. But Jay was tougher than that.
He’d gone through twenty-four hours of this shit. What was a few more seconds?
It wasn’t just the pain though. Jay's body had begun to fuse with the essence of electricity, but the foreign invaders had other plans. Each glimmer of lightning that made its way inside Jay intercepted his mind’s signals, destroying his coordination.
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But that was exactly why he gave himself a run up.
It didn’t matter if Jay couldn’t make a single step for the last two metres. Momentum would launch him into his opponent anyway.
Jay's muscular frame clattered into his clone’s slender one. Both Jay's rolled onto the gravel in a maelstrom of whirling limbs. Predictably, Jay reacted before his clone. Clawing at his face with an outstretched arm. He didn’t even need the essence of electricity to end this fight, his knuckles were strong enough.
Jay had to keep telling himself it was an illusion as he laid into his very own face. It was hard to reconcile that logical thought with the very real feeling of a nose crunching beneath his fist, or the even realer feeling of blood spattering into his eyes.
He pushed through it. The blue rectangle that blocked the mangled wizard’s face was a welcome sight.
Victory 1/2.
Jay wiped the blood onto the wizard’s gravel-stained white robes, before wondering if it was even blood. If it came from his clone, then wouldn’t it also be an illusion? Jay tested his theory by walking out of the ring. Sure enough, the blood caking his hands and face disappeared. As did the corpse.
The new wizard looked as bored and indifferent as ever, completely unaware of his previous version’s death.
Jay moved over to the second ring. Maybe there was more he could’ve learned from his wizard clone. A technique perhaps, or guidance into how not to harmonize.
But maybe just winning was enough. He’d fought dirty and secured the win. Perhaps Wizard Jay was stronger than him and would win in a fair fight. But there was no such thing as a fair fight in the real world.
Perhaps that was a lesson in and of itself.
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The incessant hops and handwaves of Kung Fu Jay looked almost laughable compared to the indifference of his wizard cousin.
This can’t be me either, I look like a fucking clown.
A clown with zealous fervour behind his eyes.
To Jay, the motions looked unnecessary and contrived. From the clone’s fiery intensity, Jay knew that his opponent saw meaning behind them.
Sprinting in probably wouldn’t be as effective here, and Jay couldn’t think of another strategy without seeing his mirror’s fight style. He activated Eye of the storm and entered the ring, hands up and ready to fight.
He didn’t even make a full step before his opponent pounced. Jay ramped Eye of the storm to the edge of its limits and scrambled for an inch of space.
Jay had learned how to kick barely an hour ago, as a fighter he was still very reliant on his hands. Even if he’d just won four fights without them.
His mirror didn’t have that problem.
Kung Fu Jay seamlessly blended punches into kicks into elbows into knees. Each limb probed a different area of Jay's defences, forcing him on the back foot with a rhythm that flowed and shifted with each strike. Ever changing, but always in time. Beyond even that, he was fast. Far faster than Jay. Eye of the storm and his superior reflexes were the only things that kept him alive.
Jay’s stormforged body made him faster, stronger, tougher, but above all more coordinated. Kung Fu Jay must have strengthened his body in a different way, one that focused on speed rather than all round ability. He launched rapid attacks at Jay with no wasted motions, testing every angle of Jay’s guard for weaknesses.
Jay raised an arm to block an incoming hook. The hook turned into a grab, pulling open Jay’s guard. The grab became an elbow, driving forward into the momentary weakness.
The elbow smashed into Jay's temple, rocking his brain. But he’d been rocked before, and the attack was nowhere near as powerful as he’d expected.
Jay channelled electricity into his arms and created some distance with an almighty shove.
He’d earned himself half a metre, half a second too. With Eye of the storm, that was more than enough.
A relentless pressure fighter, but one without power. His attacks probe my guard for openings, but when they get through, they don’t do that much. Maybe I can win with a-
His opponents surprising speed pulled Jay out of the war room. Jay sidestepped a flying knee before his opponent pivoted and Jay was forced to lean back to avoid a shin to the face.
What if I stop trying to dodge?
Jay planted his feet, unmoving. Kung Fu Jay launched a wide arcing wheel kick directly at his head. Jay raised his forearms and dug into the ground. The kick landed, and most of the power passed straight through his guard. It fucking hurt, but Jay held strong. He shoved his opponent’s leg into the air, completely crushing Kung Fu Jay’s rhythm.
For a single instant, he was unable to react. Flow completely ruined by Jay's stalwart block.
Jay capitalised.
He unleashed a sloppy jab, channelling his old motto: No power, only speed. It was his first punch of the fight. Jay could cause damage later, now he just needed to connect.
His fist unfurled, eschewing any hope of landing a punch for the small chance to connect. His fingers barely grazed Kung Fu Jay’s guard.
The strike didn’t deal damage, it didn’t even push Kung Fu Jay back. But it made him think. It proved he could be caught.
Jay watched his opponent’s muscles ripple and twitch.
Did I…
The fire in Kung Fu Jay’s eyes reignited, and he rushed to attack once more.
Jay didn’t just sit back this time. He fought in the centre of the ring, launching slower, deadlier, attacks in between his opponent’s quick-fire combos. Behind punches, and the occasional low kick, Jay built a mental model of his opponent.
I was right. He can’t use electricity, and only focuses on pure fighting techniques. I need to attack him with electricity.
Jay fired a rapid jab, a sudden burst of speed amidst his more powerful punches. He clawed his opponent’s wrist to the side, pulling him off balance. Jay followed with a leg kick, his right thigh lighting up as it began to stretch and contort.
It swung forward, but only sliced through open air as Kung Fu Jay twisted and hopped back off one foot.
It’s not just fighting essence though. Even his interpretation of that is flawed. He focused too much on speed.
As a boxer, Jay had prioritised speed. It was something Coach had drilled into him, his path to the top of the world. Heavyweight boxers were monsters, but they were monsters Jay could beat with speed.
In the Second Chance Coliseum, he couldn’t be so one-dimensional.
The fighters here were far worse than monsters.
Did he still blindly follow coach’s instructions, rather than adapt to the new world? He focused too much on speed, and now he can barely damage me.
Not just a flawed understanding of self, focusing on solely fighting instead of both essences, but a flawed understanding of fighting itself. Disregarding power in favour of only speed.
This version of Jay was a fighter, but he didn’t understand fighting.
Jay remained still. He knew his opponent would come to him. He had to. Waves of electricity pulsated beneath Jay’s skin. He clenched his fists, forcing control over the vibrating storm within.
This time, he’d channel electricity through his fists.
A flying leg came hurtling towards Jay's face. It looked like Kung Fu Jay had also figured out his weakness and was trying to compensate by launching large sweeping attacks. It wouldn’t matter. Larger meant slower. Slower meant getting rid of the only advantage he had.
Jay grabbed his mirrors ankle, the electricity beneath his skin itched to charge into his opponent, but it stayed within, unable to escape its cage. He waited. Enraging the storm within but supressing it beneath his will.
Jay didn’t have perfect control over the electricity yet. He knew it would eventually free itself, he knew he needed to release it before that happened.
With a floundering target in one fist, and nothing in the other, Jay knew how to do just that.
He yanked his mirror closer, plunging the martial artist into chaos. Simultaneously, he reared back his right, unleashing it with the sloppiest of punches. The kind that would get him laughed at in a boxing gym.
But he wasn’t in a boxing gym anymore. The punch was sloppy, but it was effective. Jay's entire arm vibrated as it neared his opponent. The jagged white lines running along his muscles pulsated, weaving down his arm and twisting into infinite reflections of electricity. The muscles in his arm bubbled and bulged, almost losing their shape to the pure power within.
They held strong. The low rumble of electricity reverberated throughout the arena the moment Jay's fist smacked into his opponent’s stomach.
The dull thud of corpse on ground silenced the echo.
Victory 2/2.
Jay now realised why the storm sage called aiming for a single essence "a grievous waste”. Both Jays he’d fought were fundamentally flawed and easy to beat. It wasn’t just their narrow-mindedness in harmonization, but the flaws in their mentality that stemmed from it.
Wizard Jay could deal a lot of damage, but in his pursuit of electricity he’d lost what it meant to be a fighter. Kung Fu Jay solely focused on fighting, but his lack of experimentation further narrowed his path. The absence of electricity kept his view on fighting one-dimensional. He learned new styles of combat instead of understanding the underlying principles of it. He tried to align everything with speed when that simply wasn’t possible.
Jay hadn’t focused much on the essence of fighting since coming to the coliseum. It was hard to think about throwing punches and kicks when thunder and lightning was the alternative.
But Jay had just seen two shining examples of flawed harmonization, he couldn’t simply ignore it. Jay resolved to study other fighting styles after the trial. Not just to learn, but to better understand fighting as a whole.
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SNAP!
The storm sage’s pen broke into two, splattering ink over his face and pooling the rest into an abyssal blot over his opening stanza.
He clenched his fist, further splintering the pen. It was only a pen, only some paper. Practically worthless.
Much like the verse it just ruined.
A blue flash in the corner of his eye let him know the coliseum wanted his attention.
He ignored it.
Why can’t it ever be simple? He thought, disintegrating the pen within his palm as he stared out at the endless ocean.
A black storm loomed over the horizon.
Uncaring, unforgiving, unrelenting. Mindless.
That’s why.
He swept the former pen off his desk and let the wind take care of it, he scrunched the ink-stained paper into a ball and left that for the wind too.
Taking a deep breath in, the sage calmed himself and pulled out a new sheet of paper from the stack beside him. He leaned down to his left, opening a drawer full of over a hundred unused pens.
The incessant blue flashing continued. He tried to ignore it as he carefully pulled out another pen and set his mind to writing. He’d been here for almost two hours and had nothing to show for it. At this rate Jay wouldn’t even have a verse to celebrate his trial, let alone a poem. Disregarding the coliseum’s message, he forced himself to put pen to paper.
The pen caressed the sheet before him, swirling sweet nothings onto its longing partner.
Hardly sweet and a whole lot of nothing.
SNAP!
The blue flashing remained. A stark reminder that his realm wasn’t the one of meter and rhyme.
Not yet.
“Fine I’ll take a look at what you have to say!” The sage blurted out. Sweeping another couplet of pen and paper into the wafting winds of the void.
He flicked his cosmic eyes to the side and enlarged the system screen.
A smile emerged on his face.
The first in almost two hours.
Already?