Sparring

Training with Nyssa always keeps me on my toes. Her flexibility and speed are unmatched, and she has this innate talent for movement that makes her a formidable opponent. I barely manage to block her feint, catching the blade aimed at my waist with my own. A gust of wind magic propels me back, creating distance between us. Taking the opportunity, I rush forward, my blade singing through the air as I aim for a decisive strike.

And yet, Nyssa dodges with an uncanny fluidity, her body bending and twisting as if she were made of water. I hear her exclaim, "Wow~ I thought I was going to lose."

Sheathing my sword with a soft sigh, I can't help but commend her. "Well done, Nyssa. Your ability to twist and turn your body like that is amazing." She's growing stronger every day. How long can I keep up with her at this rate?

Nyssa grins, sheathing her weapon as well. "Heh~ I'm still not as good as you. So, are you still down to help me out with some church tasks?"

"Of course, this weekend, right? Count me in." As I confirm the plans, Mira walks up to us. Her expression is stormy, a human thundercloud ready to break at any moment.

"Hey, let me practice with you, Sera," she grouses.

Nyssa rolls her eyes and throws a glance at Mira. "Mira, are you still mad about that duel you had with V?"

That name. Even uttered in passing, it stirs the air, thickening it with tension. Mira clicks her tongue, her eyes narrowing. "That bastard was playing around, didn't take it seriously. I swear I'm gonna—"

Oh boy, she's fuming. I cut her off, offering an alternative. "If you're still mad about that, why not request a duel? V's gotten quite skilled, you know. It would be a good match." I wonder how much has Kael grown since we entered the Academy, back then he was stronger than me.

Mira snorts, her lips pulling back in a sneer. "If it were that simple. I'm sure he'd decline, and I can't force him into a fight."

Nyssa shakes her head, chiming in, "Then just forget it~ There's no need to hold a grudge against him."

Ah, this tension isn't helping anyone. An idea occurs to me. "Why don't I ask him for you? I'm sure he won't mind. Didn't you say he trains with Isadora, Nyssa?" Since he trains with Isadora the monster, his strength should be similar to her's right?

Nyssa nods. "Yeah, he does. I think... late afternoons."

"Let's go, then. I'll ask him to fight you, Mira," I offer, the words rolling off my tongue before I can think twice. Mira, you owe me one for this. Kael won't get mad right? right? I still owe him some... lots of money... He's nice so I think he'd be more than willing to spar.

The look Mira gives me is a mix of disbelief and gratitude, but she says nothing, merely clicking her tongue again.

We navigate our way through the Academy grounds, finally arriving at the area under Class A. Walking past the cafeteria, the smell of freshly baked bread and stew wafting in the air makes me momentarily nostalgic. But it's Rai and Arin's sudden appearance that jolts me back to reality.

"Yo, what brings you here?" Rai greets us, a playful tone in his voice.

Before anyone can say anything, he sighs, "Luna's not with you, huh?"

Nyssa shakes her head, her fingers lightly dancing on the hilt of her sheathed sword. "We're here looking for V. Mira wants to spar with him."

"V?" Arin raises an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to me.

"That's right," I confirm. "Mira's a bit grumpy about the fight she had with him. She doesn't like that he forfeited."

Rai yawns, stretching his arms lazily. "Hmmm, I thought he lost quite reasonably. I mean, he's definitely not on your level, Mira."

Mira clicks her tongue, visibly agitated. "Bullshit. That man did not take it seriously. He frustrated me with that stupid talisman of his, then just let me punch him out of the platform."

At this, Rai looks genuinely surprised. He turns to Arin, "Hey, what do you think?"

Arin sighs, rubbing his temples. "Rai, did you know V is training with Isadora?"

The surprise on Rai's face deepens, morphing into awe. "Huuuh!? He's training with that monster!?"

I raise an eyebrow. "You didn't know? Are you guys, not friends?"

Rai scratches his neck awkwardly. "It's difficult to talk to V. He's always around those crazy women—Biana, Isadora, and that new girl, Lysandra. We greet each other but never really hang out. They practically have him chained up. If one of them is not bothering him, it's the other, and if that one's not bothering him it's the next one. That poor guy is in an endless cycle."

Nyssa's hand twitches for a second, but she regains her composure. "Chained up? Hmmm~ And how long has this been going on?"

Arin sighs again. "Honestly, I think V brought this upon himself. Befriending Isadora makes sense since she's strong, but Biana? That was his first mistake. As for Lysandra, I think they were friends before all this. He's just horrible at picking friends."

I feel a knot of concern tighten in my stomach. Has Kael been suffering this entire time?

"By the way, how long has he been training with Isadora?" I ask, curiously.

Arin rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Umm, I'm not sure. I only noticed about a week ago. Every now and then, I check on him just in case he needs some healing."

"Dude, why didn't you tell me this before?" Rai raises an eyebrow, looking genuinely surprised.

"Come on, let's be real. Right now you're way too obsessed with Luna to care about anything else," Arin retorts, his tone dry.

Rai grins unabashedly. "I'm not obsessed. Watch, dude, we're going to end up dating."

At this, Mira bursts into a fit of giggles, quickly stifling it with a hand over her mouth. "Oh fuck... I'm sorry. That was just hilarious."

"Oi, what the hell was that for?" Rai looks at Mira, irritated. "Do you think it's not going to happen?"

Mira grins wickedly. "Oh please, Luna is always making fun of you for being so weird. She has absolutely no desire to be with someone like you."

"Yo, am I really weird?" Rai turns to Arin, his eyes searching for reassurance.

"You're not weird," Arin begins, choosing his words carefully, "you just suck at hitting on girls. Seriously, dude, I told you that they don't like people who brag about themselves."

Oh, the sheer irony and teen angst we're wallowing in, I think to myself. "Alright, come on, let's go see V."

As we walk into the gym, the sight that greets us is beyond what any of us expected. Kael is sparring with Isadora. To be more precise, Kael is attempting to strike Isadora, who is effortlessly blocking every one of his blows.

Is this the same Kael I knew? I wonder. He's moving so much faster than when he was dueling with Mira. They're not using any aura; it's pure swordsmanship.

"Look, you see that?" Mira jabs a finger toward the duo in the middle of the training ground. "They look like they're warming up, and that bastard is faster than when he was dueling with me."

He's definitely stronger, I acknowledge silently, my gaze fixed on Kael's movements. I don't think I could last that long without Isadora completely overpowering me. Unless she's going easy on him. But she doesn't seem like the type to do that.

"Alright, alright, let's go ask him," I finally say, tearing my eyes away from the mesmerizing spar and stepping onto the training ground.

Both V and Isadora stop their intense sparring session as we approach, sheathing their swords almost in unison. With a synchronized grace that leaves us momentarily speechless, they walk over to a nearby bench and sit.

V reaches into his bag, pulling out two coconuts of all things, and hands one over to Isadora. They crack them open and start drinking, as if this is the most natural post-spar ritual in the world. Coconuts? Really? I raise an eyebrow, puzzled, but keep my mouth shut.

Breaking the weirdness, V stands up and walks over. He waves at Rai and Arin first, then turns to us. "Yo, how you doing? Sera, Nyssa, and… Mira for some reason?"

Rai chimes in, gesturing vaguely at Isadora, who's now engrossed in her coconut. "Hey V, are you good? You're not being tortured by her, are you?"

V rubs his temples, a gesture I've come to recognize as his universal sign of exasperation. "Sometimes you need a bit of torture to improve your skills," he says. Ah, spoken like someone who's seen the worst and still came back for more.

Before Mira can spit out whatever scathing retort she's been holding back, Nyssa places a hand over her mouth. "Hey V~ Sorry to interrupt your... precious training time with Isadora, but Mira here was wondering if you could spar with her."

V sighs, that same hand going up to massage his temples. It's like he was anticipating this, a script already written in his head. Before he can get a word in, I interject. "Please, she's been very grumpy since the duel. Help out a friend?" You do still consider me a friend, right, Kael? Although we don't have time to hang out we're still buddies, right?

He eyes his coconut, takes a sip, as if drawing upon it for wisdom. I'm not sure if it's the coconut or my plea that tips the scales, but his eyes meet mine.

Just as the tension reaches a crescendo, Mira breaks free from Nyssa's grip. "You fucker, you better fight me or I'll make sure to make you suffer whenever I get a chance."

Kael—no, V—pauses, the air around him changing subtly. He sets his coconut down on a nearby bench and stretches his arms. "Well, threats or not, I was going to accept anyway. But let's make it interesting."

Kael—no, V—stands on the dueling platform. "The martial arts I use is a great counter to magical arts. So it was an unfair match to begin with," he declares, his voice tinged with a hard-to-place accent that makes the statement even more enigmatic.

Mira hops onto the platform, her eyes ablaze with competitive spirit. "I don't give a crap. I'll still find a way to beat you. Let's get started."

V sighs, lifting a hand to pause her eagerness. "I'm not done talking. Since I have the advantage, we're going to change the rules. We're both going to use mana, but only for defense."

He then reaches into his bag and unfurls a blindfold, looping it around his eyes with practiced ease.

Nyssa grins from the sidelines, eyes gleaming in intrigue. "Oh, this is going to be interesting~."

Rai scratches his head, bewildered. "What the hell is V up to?"

Mira clicks her tongue, her eyes narrowing. "No, that's some bullshit! You think I want to have the advantage!? I want a fair fight!"

"Relax," V interjects calmly, adjusting the blindfold. "I'm not trying to be disrespectful. This is a great opportunity for me to train. The martial arts I use requires me to train this way. Don't worry, I'll still give you a good fight."

I sense a silent plea in his words. Mira, let me train as I need to. And Mira, now slightly pacified, just stares, contemplating his sincerity.

V clears his throat. "To make this more fun, why don't we place a bet?"

The tension is so thick you could slice through it. Mira ponders for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine, but if I win, you're buying me dinner for a week."

V chuckles. "That's it? If you win, not only will I buy you dinner for a week, but I'll also be your tutor. If I win, you'll be my sparring partner for two weeks."

I find myself taken aback. Kael, what are you up to? Isn't that a bit rude, even if it has to do with training?

Mira smirks, "Deal."

V ties the blindfold around his eyes, visibly focusing for a moment as he centers himself. And then the duel begins.