Elysia continued the impromptu staring contest. She cut Lee off before he could gather himself to respond. “Spar me.” She hopped down from the ceiling. Aura coalesced around her feet to soften her fall. “I’d like to see it for myself.”

Lee narrowed his eyes at her words. He didn't know her ranking as they were in different divisions. But she gave him a slightly more dangerous feeling than Ray, and he trusted his instincts.

He rid himself of those thoughts. He was stronger now, he couldn't keep cowering from a fight. He gave Elysia a competitive smile. “Fine. Don't blame me if you lose.” He promptly turned and started heading to large double doors marked “I” leading to the sparring area for first-years. He opened them to a room with similarly high ceilings, made of glass this time to let the sunlight through.

He almost giggled to himself as he walked toward the sparring area. ‘Serves her right, I bet that looked so cool.’

He stepped into one of the cordoned-off concrete platforms closest to the doors. It had a layer of sand from the training grounds covering it. Elysida followed him into it.

Lee started stretching to warm up his muscles. He had never seen her fight, but he had a feeling this would be one of the toughest matches he had ever had. Elysia looked him over impassively, he resolved to try his best to change that face.

He straightened from his stretch and flared his aura. That familiar blue tint overtook his eyes, and the wind that materialized around him began to kick up the sand on the platform floor. He got into his stance and leveled his eyes at Elysia.

“Come.”

Lee couldn't help but notice that Elysia hadn't bothered to enhance her body with aura. He didn't have time to worry about that though, as Elysia vanished from his line of sight. Only his enhanced nervous system allowed him to perceive her movement. Quickly blocking her outstretched fist with the side of his arm he leaped back to gain space.

‘Did she just use FORCE without channeling?!’ Aura channeling was something more common in the first and second years. Saying spells out loud was a crutch that allowed for easier control with the audible cue. The practice it must've taken to do without it so early is crazy, to say the least.

Lee has been having way too many surprises this week. First Ray with his immense control and variability with his casting, and now this academic super genius that didn't need to channel at all. He needed a long nap.

For this fight though, he knew he would have to try something new. Quickly moving toward Elysia he stopped about a meter in front of her, dropping into a sweeping leg kick. She dashed backward, the tip of his boots barely clipping her shin guards. But he wasn't aiming for her legs. Sand soared up blocking her vision.

She might be able to perceive him through the sand, he wouldn't put it past her. But it would buy him some time. Slamming his foot into the ground, he detonated some of his aura on the surface of his skin on it at the point of impact. He would've winced at the damage it caused if he wasn't so focused on the fight.

The force sent him flying to Elysia’s side. Putting him in a prime position for a devastating kick to her head. She was good, but the speed he could produce after his boost to aura enhancement wasn't something she could handle with the distraction of the sand.

His foot reached the back of her head and she immediately rag-dolled and went flying, kicking up sand as she skidded on the platform floor. Lee grimaced. ‘Did I overdo it?’ “Hey, why don't we call it here? I wouldn't want to hurt yo-”

He was cut off as Elysia’s voice came through the cloud of sand. “DOUBLE.” “BLADE.” Two Elysia’s came out of the cloud of sand, each holding a corporeal blue-tinged sword of aura. Quickly Lee lunged back. He knew that an aura double only took a single hit to dissipate. The aura it took to sustain them and give them survivability was simply too much for any Novice to manage.

The blade Elysia’s double had though, was very much real. He still had a change, her aura must be burning at a crazy rate to sustain these spells. And she would have to keep using her wordless force to match him in speed. He just had to outmaneuver her until she was spent, he could win this.

There was a pause as they looked at each other from across the platform. Suddenly she shouted. “DOUBLE.” “BLADE.”

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Lee looked around in a panic, his senses should have picked up if she had materialized another double, but he felt nothing. He was forced to focus on what he could see as She and the original double rushed him.

Elysia flashed through the air overtop of him in an overhead chop. While her double sped toward him straight on stabbing at his midsection. He sprawled to the ground, narrowly making both hits miss him. He rolled to his side and quickly found his feet. Elysia didn't miss a beat, her double rotated to his side as she started pelting him with strike after strike.

Her speed with the blade wasn't enough to threaten him, but he was having a hard time giving her his full attention while her double stood off to the side, assumedly waiting for a chance to strike. A nick from her blade to his neck forced him to turn his full gaze to her as he dodged. That was all the double needed.

The rapid shifting of sand was all the cue he got from the double launching herself at him. Lee didn't have time to hesitate, deciding to disregard the shallow cut on his arm from the next strike that the real Elysia gave him, he detonated his aura on the surface of his feet while jumping to launch himself over the double at his back.

Landing on his arms he spun his torso to deliver a devastating kick to the doubles temple. It immediately dissipated, disappearing with a small poof noise. Elysia visibly slumped. Starting and stopping the spell were the most costly aura-wise.

Still, she stood holding her sword leveled at him. Lee had never been this close to depleting his Aura, the fact he could only use enhancement had made his expenditure incredibly low. For her to match him was a feat in itself, just how large were her reserves? He would have to end this soon.

Digging deep he channeled even more aura through his body, the blue tinge surrounding him grew, and his hair started to float in intangible wind. He was nearing his limit. Before the boon took effect he would have lost long ago. He sped towards her, zigzagging as he approached. His exposed feet were peaking through his boots now, and raw skin was showing but still, he detonated his aura on his soles, increasing his speed even further.

He flashed to her right, and quickly she retaliated, thrusting at his temple, using FORCE to increase the speed of her arm. She struck an after-image as he slipped the strike and promptly kicked her legs, bringing her to her knees. He flashed once more behind her. So much aura was flooding through him that everything felt like slow motion. Softly laying the side of his hand on her neck in a chopping position, he called the match. “Looks like it’s my win.”

Exhausted, he dismissed his aura, letting the meager amount he had left return to his core. He would have promptly fallen to the floor if it wasn't for the sensation of a blade pricking into skin that he felt on his neck. “Nope. Looks like it's mine.” was all Elysia said.

Slowly he turned around to find another Elysia holding a blade to his neck with a blank stare on her face. Alarm swept across his features. ‘But that's impossible, she never-’ But then it hit him. She had never had to channel BLADE or DOUBLE. She had only done so to trick him.

Lee sighed and shook his head. “Fine, you got me.” The double poofed out of existence. He let his arm relax from her neck and came around to her front. Holding his arm out he gave her a small smile. Although she had beat him, without using enhancement might he add, He could respect her strength. “Good fight.”

She looked at his outstretched arm for a beat before grabbing it and pulling herself up. “Yeah, good fight.”

A monotone voice rang out in Lee’s mind

{Match Lost}

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Lee quickly dismissed it, he would have to look at it somewhere private. He looked at the platform floor, he winced as he saw the craters they had left in it. Thankfully it was self-repairing. Speaking of, he really ought to learn some more about formations soon.

He saw Elysia gathering herself to leave before she did, something was nagging at him that he wanted to ask. “But wait, your lack of casting doesn't explain how I didn't see the double. You couldn't have hidden it in the sand cloud, it didn't last nearly long enough for that. How did you do it?”

She turned to him and gave him a look. “Oh, it's simple. I started the process for the spells, halting my aura before it could complete it. Letting me materialize it much more suddenly.”

Lee found himself shaking his head again. It seemed to get stronger just meant your opponents would get stronger too. He was seeing first years that did not fit the first-year model at all every other day now.

Lee was about to ask her if she would like to spar with him more often when a voice he recognized yelled out.

“THAT WAS AWESOME! You were like boom! And she was like bam!” Ray made his presence known.

Ray had seemingly been watching their spar from near the double doors this whole time. He whistled as he assessed the already healing damage they had done to the platform. “Wow, she took it easy on you though huh Lee? she could have ended that by herself with the skill of that blade.”

Lee gave Elysia a questioning look. There's no way he tried his hardest while she coasted, right?

“Your friend speaks the truth. I have had some training with the sword, but I wanted to get an accurate read of your abilities. I still don't know how you got so strong so fast but trust me, I will learn.”

The energy changed in the room after her last statement. She had kept her monotone voice but something about it was a lot more intense.

Ray spoke up, “Hey man we can always train tomorrow? Didn’t want to interrupt you and your girlfriend.” His usual grin had fallen and he was attempting a very serious look.

Lee’s face changed, he facepalmed at his friend's bluntness. “No, no it's nothing like that, Ray. Just a friendly spar. Didn't see you out front so I decided to accept her request.”

Lee looked from Ray to Elysia, they were gauging each other. “Well, I may as well introduce you both. Ray, this is Elysia, a super genius and apparently a reincarnated grandmaster. And Elysia this is Ray. Ray is well… Ray.”

Ray stuck his hand out, his grin back in full effect. “Nice to meet you, you're strong.” Elysia looked at his hand for a bit before taking it “Likewise.” was all she said.

Lee shook his head at the display, why did he attract such strange people? He looked up at the glass ceiling. The sun had set and it was getting late. Classes had really eaten into their time.

He looked at Ray and Elysia. “I'm sure you both remember what our Professor’s said about that tournament. I don't know about you guys but I'm determined to win.” He gave Elysia a pointed look at that. “And look, I’ll be level with you both, I know you guys are stronger than me. But what do you say we come here every day after classes to train and spar?”

At their silence, he quickly added “If you're not busy of course.”

“I'll come,” Ray said. “I was already planning on making it a daily thing. And after seeing that display with Elysia I can confidently say it won't be a waste of time either. I'm in.” He gave Lee a fist bump.

They looked over expectantly at Elysia. After a pause, she spoke. “I suppose I can come. If only to learn your secrets.” She locked eyes with Lee.

Lee ignored her last statement. “Sweet. Same time tomorrow?” He got nods from both.