“Against the fourth quarter students…?”
“That’s…”
“Surely they can’t be that strong, they’re only a year older…”
Whispers ripple across the second quarter trainees, but the fourth quarter trainees remain completely silent. Even I am apprehensive at the idea. I’ve wanted to test myself against them for a while now, but I had no idea it would come so soon. Trying to size up the competition, I scan the fourth quarter students who are standing separated from us. Surprisingly, Ron, the fourth quarter’s co-leader alongside Tiana, raises his hand.
“Hahaha! I know this is a yearly tradition for the Maestro, but I think Tiana and I should sit this one out! They’re no match for us!”
A few frowns form on the faces of the second quarter students, but none of them, I included, is able to retort. Despite our clear frustration, we all keep our words from exiting our mouths. There is no other choice after all, because Ron and Tiana are both full-fledged second stage [enlightened]. As [enlightened] ourselves, we are all well aware that the gap between the first and the second stage, even its earliest point, is insurmountable, for most people at least. Their control over pureflow, the power of their [melodies] and their combat prowess is in a league of their own.
Looking around and catching glimpses of the anxious faces of my peers, I understand that no one is keen on the idea of having to face either of them.
Plus, beyond the fact that they are second stages, the scariest part about them is that they both managed to reach that point before even leaving DaiKar. This effectively makes them geniuses among geniuses that any organization would fight to obtain. Whether it be in the military, one of the great families, or even as hired muscle for wealthy companies, their future will be filled with success.
Without looking up, the long-haired Tiana agrees with Ron. “I-I think Ron is correct, w-we wouldn’t want to hurt them…”
In response, Maestro Lauren smiles. “Oh but I know my babies, or should I call you infants now? Either way, today, you’ll only fight as if you were still in the first stage! Your bodies as second stages can handle much more pureflow than theirs can, but you’ll intentionally restrict it to that of a first stage, and you’ll only be allowed to use your [melody] as it was before you entered the second stage!”
“Hahaha! I see, how fun! Well, actually I don’t see anything at all because of this visor, hahaha!”
Tiana passes her finger through her soft long hair. “Hmmm… I-I suppose I’m okay with that…”
The Maestro’s grin glimmers and she scans the rest of us. “Does anyone else have any objections?”
When no one dares say anything else, she finally announces how the training will take place.
“ I’ll admit this is unlike what we usually do, but I want to use this as a learning experience for all of you! First stages will be allowed to pick any of the second stages to challenge, and the latter will not be allowed to refuse! Then, you will both come to the middle of the training field, and fight, using real instruments while all of your peers witness your match!”
She pauses, and with a large smile, says: “Any volunteers?”
Silence fills the air. I am more than eager to fight one of the fourth quarter trainees and test myself against them, but I’d like to first get a sense of their strength to better prepare myself. There’s no harm in knowing your opponent before fighting them after all, and I believe that’s what everyone else is also thinking. Exasperated by the lack of response, Maestro Lauren sighs. “Yeah, didn’t thi-”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“I want ta do it.”
Clear shock radiates from Maestro Lauren. “Oh? Zora Pike is it…? Who would you like to go against?”
Zora raises her arm and points towards the one she wishes to fight. A look of determination covers her face and she says, with an even voice: “I want ta fight him, the one with the weird glasses.”
Ron points to himself incredulously, and an incredibly wide grin invades his face. “Hahaha! How bold! I like you little woman! Come! Show me what you can do, well, not that I’d see anything, hahaha!”
I am rather surprised with this development. I never took Zora for the crazed fighter type. I’d have expected Sylvia to do something like this, but not Zora. Worried, I look at her and whisper something through my teeth.
“Are you insane? Why fight him out of all of the options?!”
She smirks and dismisses my worries. “Why not? Yer not the only one who’s tryin’ ta get stronger, ya know?
Dumbfounded, I watch her walk onto the fighting stage where Ron is already waiting for her. On her way there, Zora is handed a sharpsong by Maestro Lauren, which immediately adjusts itself to her stature. Ron, on the other hand, wields no instrument, I am unsure if it is because he doesn’t believe he needs one against Zora, or simply because he prefers to fight bare-handed. Regardless, he clenches his fists and raises his arm in accordance with the hand-to-hand combat style taught at Lauderdale.
“You better not regret your words now little one!”
Zora gets into her own battle stance. “Ya better not find any excuses when ya lose!”
“Hahaha!! How amusing this is!”
Maestro Lauren gives the signal, and surprisingly, Ron is the one to jump towards Zora. In an instant, he is already within range and launches a terrifyingly mighty blow towards her stomach. Zora, however, with her incredible reflexes, wards off his fist by deflecting it with her sharpsong. I expect Ron to retreat and re-evaluate his approach but he does not let her off so easily. He punches her once more, and she deflects it yet again, but this time I can see her small hands trembling from the impact. Relentless, he assaults her with a never ending onslaught of blows, which, at first, Zora can barely keep up with. The more time passes, however, the easier she can follow his movements, as if she has somehow become faster, or as if he has somehow become slower.
Noticing this, Ron leaps back and inspects his body, “How peculiar! I feel slightly slower! Seems like attacking you directly is a bad idea!”
Zora does not give him time to change his tactic and takes advantage of the distance he has put in between them. Her body disappears, almost leaving an after image behind. In the next instant, she has gone from one extremity of the field, to the other, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. When the dust settles, Ron is still standing in the center, holding a singular dagger-like instrument, most likely a miniature version of the sharpsong.
Anyone else would have suffered an injury from that attack, but unfortunately, Ron is not just anyone. The attack Zora performed was incredibly fast, making me barely able to follow it with my eyes. I’m not even confident I would have been able to react in time If I were in his shoes. However, what I did see, as Zora was rushing towards him, was Ron, pulling out his instrument from… somewhere and parrying her attack with ease.
Ron swipes the dust off his body and speaks to Zora. “You’re fast I’ll give you that, but your attacks are too predictable! Why don’t you add a bit more style in there?! Hahahah!”
She grips the hilt of her sharpsong tightly with a wavering grin. “Yeah, I didn’t think that would do the trick either…”
In the next few moments, she expands all of her kinetic energy to rush him multiple times at her top speed, but Ron fends off every single one of her attacks.
“You’re robbing me of my speed as you attack, but like I said, too predictable!! No matter how slow you make me, it’ll never hit if I know where you’ll be coming from! In other words, all of your attacks are boring, there’s no flair to them!!”
What follows his taunt is a series of impacts that make the air around us tremble. Their confrontation is so fierce that even the ground vibrates with each clash. At the speed they are going, I am having difficulty following the action with my eyes, and all I can hear is the clinking of metal against metal. Zora is dashing from one side of the arena to the other, becoming faster and faster, while Ron remains stationary, meticulously parrying and evading every blow.
‘Could I fight like this against Zora…? No, definitely not…’
Eventually, however, everything stops. Zora’s body no longer shoots through the field. She isn’t a perpetual motion machine even if she steals Ron’s speed to use as her own. Inevitably, she runs out of steam. She, who still firmly holds the handle of her sharpsong, is panting heavily, while Ron stands in the center, still unfazed.
“Hahahah! Are you already out of juice? You still have a long way ahead of you! I’ll be watching your progress little one, not that I’d see anything hahaha! Uh, because of my eyes that is, not because you wouldn’t improve… Let’s put an end to this now shall we?”
Zora, still panting, replies with a resolve I’ve never seen from her before. “I’m… huff huff. I’m not done yet!”
Watching the resolute purple-haired woman, his expression changes to something resembling shock, and then excitement. He lets out a loud laugh and answers. “What determination, what strength of will! You remind me of myself from a year ago! It’d be almost rude not to properly answer, right?!”
Ron raises his left knee in the air, crosses his arms above his head, and leans his head backward, causing his visor to fall and revealing his eyes. The pose he strikes appears quite eccentric, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
“I’ll use some of my abilities against you little one, be glad!”
His head returns to its original position and I can finally catch a glimpse of his eyes. Shockingly, they are completely black, as if made from pure darkness. There are no irises, pupils or sclera, only darkness. Before I can get a clear look at them, he shouts : “Total eclipse!”