54 Battle of Wits or Fists?

Javier's eyes narrowed. It usually wasn't his style to initiate the battle, but ianca had seemed promising. If he could beat her and prove that commoners weren't useless trash, especially himself, then he would be highly regarded in the academy.

Javier took a sharp breath before sprinting at Bianca. She was prepared and composed this time, there wouldn't be much to distract her from fully and utterly destroying the bug before her.

Bianca met Javier's fists with her palms, parrying and diverting their trajectory. After a few more blows traded Javier shifted his feet to a wide stance, both feet firmly planted on the ground. With a sudden swing of his arm Bianca ducked but at the same time Javier managed to slip one leg around hers. Curling it he pulled the back of Bianca's legs and threw another punch to her face, leaving her no time to think. Bianca sacrificed her left arm to block the blow and as she fell she grabbed the collar of Javier's shirt, pulling him down with her.

Both of them fell to the floor but Bianca was faster at getting up. Not wasting a second she went in with a heavy kick with her heel but Javier rolled away. As he rolled, Javier used one arm to push himself off the ground, righting himself.

"Looks like you're not all talk."

Bianca scoffed at him and resumed her stance. Her annoyed voice replied to him.

"And you, might I add, aren't even qualified to say that yet."

Javier shrugged playfully.

"It takes one to know one."

In the next moment Bianca dashed towards Javier, fists extended. At the last second he twisted his upper body to avoid her blow and aimed his left fist into Bianca's gut. Hidden behind her Bianca already had her other palm readied to catch Javier's fist. His fist hit her palm and she gripped it tightly. Swinging back her momentum, Bianca brought her extended arm back while bending it so that her elbow would hit the back of Javier's head.

Javier flicked his head to the side to avoid the blow. Right after, Bianca had used her other fist to uppercut him. Her arms flexing muscles made through intense training. Her fist landed on Javier squarely and sent him back a few steps.

Although he stumbled for a few seconds Javier noticed Bianca's high kick to his head and narrowly dodged it. Bianca clicked her tongue but continued her barrage. Javier parried them smoothly but was forced onto the defensive.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Bianca's speed exploded. Although it seemed like it wouldn't last long, the speed and weight of her punches increased exponentially. Sensing the difference Javier quickly made some distance between them but Bianca stayed right behind him. She threw a hard right fist at his back.

Javier weaved his body to the left and twisted himself onto her back. Grabbing a handful of her hair, Javier pulled violently, jerking Bianca's head back quickly. Bianca bit the inside of her mouth to stop her surprise.

"Bastard…" Growling, Bianca tried to face Javier but he pulled her hair in the opposite direction.

Javier laughed wildly.

"Well, how's that? Can't really do much now can you?"

Pulling her backwards, Javier quickly switched his other hand into a fist and landed a blow on Bianca's face. Bianca tried to block but Javier's random pulling and low kicks made it hard to maintain balance. After a few more blows Bianca saw a chance and rammed into Javier, knocking him over. With his grip loosened Bianca ripped her hair free from his hand.

She tried to flip her hair out of her face but by then Javier already disappeared.

"Too slow."

A hard kick hit the back of Bianca's head decided the victor. Dazed for a second, everything went black, next thing Bianca saw was Javier's gleeful face. Sprawled face first onto the floor, Bianca felt someone's foot press against her pack.

"Uh oh! What do we have here? I guess a Baron's daughter isn't cut out for being a soldier." Javier grabbed another handful of Bianca's hair and pulled her head upwards.

Grunting, Bianca only had hate in her eyes. She spat spiteful words at Javier.

"Scum will always be scum. In my eyes you will never be a soldier."

Maybe it was something she said or a late trigger but after her words something in Javier snapped. His domineering and wild tone disappeared. His smile no longer mocking.

"In… your… eyes…? Your, eyes… Eyes…"

Bianca felt something evil across her skin. The hair on her body rising. The pressure from Javier's foot increased to the point that she felt like he would break her ribs. Straining her body, Bianca flipped her face to the left to look at Javier's face.

His eyes wide, a sense of crazed madness overshadowing them. His face looked paler, sunken deeper almost. Hair hanged over his eyes slightly.

"…eyes...eyes…eyes...eyes…"

Mumbling to himself Bianca couldn't even react when Javier landed a punch to the left side of her face. Releasing Bianca's hair, Javier pushed her onto her side and began to violently kick at her stomach. Each time her body jerked with his kicks. Each time she let out a gurgled gasp. Her face scrunched up in pain.

After about six kicks they suddenly stopped. Fearing the unknown, Bianca opened her eye and saw Javier sitting on the floor a couple meters away, leaning on one hand, the other covering his cheek. Next to her, panting heavily, Owen was standing there, his white knuckled fist stopped in motion.

"O… wen?" Although Bianca was hurt and glad that Javier stopped she didn't want to bring anyone else into her problem. Holding back her voice from the sharp pains every time she moved, Bianca got herself onto one arm and tried to smile softly. "Don't mind me. I w-was just res..ting…" She breathed deeply after that. Her elbow was digging into a fresh bruise.

Although she tried to hide it in her voice her face betrayed her. Owen could see how tightly knitted her eyebrows were and every time she did try to speak there would be a pause out of pain.

Owen stood in front of Bianca and stared coldly at the still Javier.

"I'm just returning the favor from a few minutes ago."

Bianca breathed in deeply but the pain and pent up laughter became too much.

*pfft* "Ha ha! Aren't favors s-supposed, ow, to be used… later?"

To Owen, Bianca's laugh was like honey. It was sweet and sounded really cute. Although he was embarrassed he was glad that he was turned away, otherwise Bianca would've be able to see how red his face was, especially his ears.

"It's never too early to help someone in need."

Bianca laughed a bit more before she saw Javier leap at Owen from behind. As Owen's reaction was a bit too late Javier's foot connected with Owen's neck, the impact causing Owen to fall over. Javier coldly stared down at Owen and Bianca.

"Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting… your eyes, why do you look at me like that?"

Having lost his sense of self everyone in the room could tell that Javier was different. The slight sway of his body, his hair covering his face and the insane look in his eyes. If one were to look at Javier without knowing him they would definitely assume that he was not ten-years-old.

Just as Javier was about to attack Owen again a voice rang out in the room.

"Attention!"

All of the kids turned to look at a screen that had appeared in the middle of the room. In it was a stiff officer, probably no older than their mid-twenties. His brown hair smoothed and covered by his cap. Glancing over the kids in the room something in the way he stared at them gave them the feeling that he was a bit disappointed. Clearing his throat the officer grabbed their attention.

"The rooms have been filled and the conditions have been met! We will now begin the selection process! Each student is to touch the small pad below and will receive their marks accordingly! That is all!"

With that short message the screen disappeared and from the floor a small pedestal rose up. It had a small thumb size indent on it and a layer of scanning screens on top. One by one the kids gathered around the scanner and waited for someone to make a move. The first to go after a minuet was Javier. His confidence overshadowed the others and as soon as he placed his thumb on the scanner a small needle pierced his skin and took a little bit of his blood.

Surprised, Javier quickly retracted his hand but, not before the scanner had already gotten the required amount. In a robotic voice that sounded feminine the machine answered.

"Javier, age of ten, Celestial mark, Leo."

From the prick on his thumb small black trails traveled upwards to appear on the area a bit below his shoulder which formed the side face of a lion, the Leo's sign implemented into the lion's mane.

Having calmed down a little Javier smirked and walked past Bianca and Owen.

"Don't think that this is over mutt."

Just as Javier passed Owen he whispered with so much killing intent it would make people question whether he really was a ten-year-old at all.

They brushed shoulders and the selection process continued.