“First Tempo.”

Sora tapped the side of his headphone.

“?!”

Miko’s eyes widened. Sora was suddenly in front of him. Before he could react, Sora thrust out his palm.

*Bam!*

Miko was sent flying by an invisible force.

“Cough?!”

All the air in his lungs was forced out of his body. He flew off the ring and crAshed into a statue below.

“What the hell just happened?!”

Momo was in shock. She only saw Sora pop up in front of Miko, and the next thing she knew Miko had crashed into a statue.

“Hey, are you still alive?”

Sora stood on the edge of the ring and looked below.

“Yeah, I’m fine!”

Miko took up the statue he crashed into and threw it at Sora and jumped.

“?!”

Sora appeared in front of him while he was mid-jump.

“Trying to use the statue as diversion huh?”

He thrust his palm. It stopped in front of Miko’s face.

“Resound.”

*Boom!*

Miko was again hit with a powerful invisible force. He was forced out of the air and into the ground.

“Guh?!”

He groaned as he looked up. Sora was above him thrusting his palm down.

*Bam!*

Miko was hit in the stomach. The earth burst open underneath him.

“This is only the First Tempo and you’re already like this.”

Sora frowned as his hand pressed against Miko’s stomach.

“Who’s the one playing around now?!”

“Shut up.”

He glanced into Miko’s eyes. Something was swirling inside them. Sora could only identify it as one thing, Savagery.

“?!”

Black light engulfed Miko’s body. Sora immediately distanced himself. This allowed Miko to stand up.

“Is this Vita?”

His eyes locked on Miko’s every move.

“Normally I wouldn’t need to use Vita to kill people of my age group, so I didn’t intend to use it in our fight.”

Miko smiled.

“But it seems you’re something different.”

He kicked off the ground. He rushed towards Sora carrying a hurricane-like gust behind him. He threw a punch. Sora met it with a fist of his own.

*Bam!*

An explosive sound rang out as shockwaves spread around them.

“Heh.”

Miko smirked and threw a barrage of punches. Sora replied by doing the same. The punches clashed with each other. Thunderclaps reverberated. Neither of them was backing down. Sora disappeared and reappeared behind Miko. He aimed a palm strike at his back. Miko stooped and avoided it.

“Wha?!”

Miko spun around and sprung up grabbing Sora’s face.

“Don’t think that I always won’t be able to react to your speed!”

Miko slammed his head on the ground and caused the ground to shake.

“I’m called a monster for a reason, you know.”

Miko showed a savage smile.

“Resonate: Area Effect!”

*Bam!*

Miko was hit by an overwhelming force and blown away. He slammed into the walls of the maze. He was unable to move as a deafening noise resounded. It was as if he was being forced back by invisible waves. His bones rattled and his body ached.

“Dammit, that hurt like a bitch.”

Sora stood up and held his head. He looked at Miko with a frown.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I’ve never seen anyone adapt to a Tempo that fast. You really are a monster.”

“Ah, I finally figured out what that kid is using!”

Momo exclaimed.

“It’s Sound Magic. A form of magic that uses sound wave manipulation as its base. It’s normally used by people for simple tasks like amplifying your voice or a sound and is considered a support-type magic. But I heard that if used properly, it’s very lethal and destructive.”

She looked at Sora.

“It’s the first I’ve seen it used in battle.”

Her eyes started to sparkle.

“Miko, beat that kid and make him your friend! I wanna study the magic he’s using!”

Her childlike appearance made it look like she was asking for a new toy.

“Huh?”

Sora was shocked by her statement.

“Beat him and make him your friend?”

He repeated.

“…Fine.”

Miko groaned.

“Don’t agree to it!”

Sora sighed with a bothered expression.

“Just how do they think people make friends?”

He mumbled.

*Crack!*

That’s when the wall Miko was being pressed against started to crack.

*Bam!*

The black aura around Miko swoll up. Miko forced himself off the wall.

“He broke through the sound waves with brute strength?”

Sora was shocked, however, that was a big mistake on his part. Miko accelerated and appeared in front of him swinging his leg.

“Shit!”

He quickly lifted his arms to block it.

*Bam!*

He was blown to the side by the kick and smashed through a couple of statues. He looked up. Miko was above him thrusting down a statue at him. He quickly moved out of the way. The statue shattered when it hit the ground.

Sora rolled to his feet and rushed at Miko with two palms thrusting forward.

“Resonate!”

*Bam!*

An explosive sound rang out and Miko was forced back a few steps, but that’s it.

“Wha?!”

Sora was once again shocked by Miko’s strength to resist his attacks.

“So you’re using sound waves to attack? That explains a lot.”

Miko walked towards him.

“However, despite how I look my body is pretty sturdy and packed with incredible strength.”

He took a step forward and the ground started to crack.

“I can still get stronger, you know?”

“What a coincidence.”

Sora smiled and tapped his headphone again.

“Me too.”

A high pitched sound reached Miko’s ear.

“Second Tempo!”

*Bam!*

An explosive sound rang out. A strong gust of wind blew away the debris in the area.

“Let’s do this.”

Sora lower his center of gravity and stretched his hands out to his sides. Miko also took a fighting stance.

“Come!”

The two disappeared and reappeared in front of each other. They threw a punch and slugged each other in the face. They stepped back and pounced at each other again.

Miko ducked under Sora’s fist and hit him with an uppercut. He went in for another hit. Sora evaded it and hit him under the chin with a kick. Miko stepped back and Sora slammed his palms on his stomach.

*Bam!*

Miko was blown into the side of the training field. Sora quickly chased after him. Miko jumped and gave Sora a boot to the face and forced him to the ground. Miko followed up with a punch to the face.

“Sound Barrier!”

*Bam!*

Miko’s fist hit air and wasn’t able to advance any further. It was like he hit a wall.

Sora quickly placed his wrists together with his palms open.

“Sonar Cannon!”

*Bam!*

Miko was hit by a powerful force. He was lifted into the air with his entire body rattling.

“Blegh?!”

Blood shot out of his mouth. The damage had reached his organs.

“Shit! I overdid it!”

Sora visibly started to panic.

Miko clenched his teeth in pain and pointed his palm at Sora, while mid-air. A sinister purple and black aura covered his body. This was his Dragon Rage.

“Is he…”

Momo’s jaw dropped. A black and azure orb started forming at the center of Miko’s palm. It grew larger by the second.

“Roar!”

A roar resounded as the image of a dragon appeared at the center.

“Dragon Shot!”

The orb shot forward and quickly molded into the shape of an azure and black dragon.

“What the hell is that?!”

Sora shouted in horror. The dragon Miko fired quickly descended from the sky releasing a terrifying roar that shook the entire valley.

“Oh, shit!”

He quickly tapped his headphones again.

“Third Tempo!”

The power in his body swoll up to a new level. He took the same pose he took earlier.

“Sonic Cannon!”

*Bam!*

A powerful invisible force shot toward the dragon. The force was so powerful that it shook the valley and caused its sides to have cracks in them.

The force clashed with the dragon.

*BOOM!*

A deafening explosion rang out. The valley shook as if it was hit by an earthquake. The statues crumbled. The rings in the air started to collapse. The ground started to crack open. Eventually, the entire valley was crumbling apart. After a while, everything calmed down and dust covered the valley. Once it settled, Sora was seen on his back covered with wounds and breathing heavily. As for Miko, he lay on a heap of rubble in a similar condition.

“I can’t believe Miko can actually compete with Sora to this extent.”

Ace was baffled.

“I’m suddenly feeling the urge to pit my Boost Player against him.”

“He wasn’t this strong when we met. He’s grown stronger.”

Hina sounded pleased.

“…….”

Momo was shocked.

“Since when can he use Dragon Shot? And it’s so powerful too.”

She looked at Sora.

“But I’m really surprised Sora survived that.”

She watched as Sora struggled to his feet. He slowly tapped his headphones again.

“F-Fourth Tempo.”

*Bam!*

Power increased in his body again.

“Guh?!”

But this time it looked like he was in pain as he almost tumbled over.

“Does each Tempo increase the strain on his body?”

Miko mumbled. He slowly stood up, but his body was more steady than Sora’s. He cracked his fingers and reactivated Dragon’s Rage. But it was more powerful than before.

“I must say Sora, this is the most fun I’ve had in a while. I’m really starting to doubt if you’re human. I mean, you’re able to go toe to toe with me after all.”

Miko showed a wild grin.

“I never knew you were so arrogant.”

Sora was breathing heavily.

“It’s not arrogance. It’s pride.”

Miko walked towards him. He, however only took a few steps before he was stopped.

“Isn’t it best you stop here?”

Tia appeared out of nowhere and stood between them.

“You might end up killing a potential comrade and rival.”

She showed a bright smile.

“…I guess you’re right.”

Miko smiled back at her and deactivated Dragon Rage.

“I got a bit too caught up in the mood. Thanks, Tia.”

This time he approached Sora with a friendly smile.

“How about you say we call it quits here? After all, it’s just a spar.”

“I honestly forgot it was.”

Sora also relaxed and the strain on his body disappeared along with the power that was building up inside him.

“I was really about to kill you back there.”

He started laughing.

“I’m the one who should be saying that.”

Miko laughed as well. The two soon stood face to face. After staring for a while, Miko stretched his hand out.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sora.”

Sora took the hand and shook it.

“The Pleasure is all mine, Miko.”

The two stared at each other with a fierce gaze that didn’t match the smiles on their faces.

Seeing that, Tia-

“Miko is normally aloof so he comes off as uninterested in others, but that’s not the case. The ones he’s uninterested in are ordinary humans, because just like how they can’t understand and accept him, he can’t understand or accept them. Miko is drawn to those that fall under the special category. Monsters, outcasts, abominations, those are the things he loves the most.”

She turned and looked at Hina who was listening to what she was saying.

“That means you’re his type, White-Haired Devil.”

Hina visibly flinched. Her face was ashen. Tia’s smile grew wider.

“You two should try to get along, as two cursed children.”