5: A Knee to the Face

Two hours after the sparring, Kai went looking for Sam. After a while, he found him. Turns out Sam was just in his room. Lazing around, looking up things on online to buy for his room.

 Kai knocks on Sam's door. Sam opened the door and peeked out. "Hey, Kai. What's up?" Sam then opened the door fully.

"You know how to use any kind of weapon?" Kai asks.

"A weapon? Um…" Sam thought about what weapon he could use sufficiently. He had a fair amount of training with one. "Probably a knife or something."

"Why a knife?" Kai asks to clarify.

"That's what Dan taught me to use," he shrugs his shoulders.

"I see… Then come with me."

"To go where?"

"Get you a weapon."

 Sam got a little excited and quickly left his room. He closed the door behind him and followed Kai down the elevator. They walked together to the indoor training facility, the facility that turned into a warehouse. It was sealed off. The doors were chained. On the ends of the chain was a padlock. 

"Why are the doors chained?" Sam wondered aloud.

"Because no one uses it."

"Why?"

"There's only one person that uses this place. He has the key to the lock, because it's practically his arsenal," Kai replied vaguely.

"Who's he?" Sam confused.

"His name's Derrick. You'll meet him later."

"He's away on a mission, right?"

"Yeah, he is."

 Kai walked up to the lock on the chain and yanked it. The chain broke off. He took off the chains and opened the door.

 He beckoned Sam to enter first. Sam quickly walked past him and entered the facility. The ceiling was high up, it had wooden floors, and on both the long walls were racks of weapons.

Sam gaped his mouth to an O. "Woah, that's a lot of weapons," he expresses his awe.

"Yeah. There's a lot to choose from."

"Why do you have that many? I can count a hundred just on one wall," Sam eyeballed the number of weapons he sees.

"There's another teacher, she likes collecting magic weapons, but she never uses one. Though, without a doubt, she's better at them than anyone else."

"Which one will I get?" Sam asks with great anticipation. 

"The Twin Blades," Kai walked over to a hook hanger and grabbed two identical mundane cleaver swords. Each fifteen inches long. They were dark gold-colored. Kai handed the blades to Sam. The blades were shiny but reflected the light dimly. 

 Sam grabbed the two blades and started sizing them up. In his hands, they were incredibly light. 

"What's special about them?" Sam asks with excitement in his eyes.

"One man in history, the child of the man who forged the weapon, leveled an entire village with a single clash of the blades."

"One clash? Like clash the blades into each other?"

"Yeah, exactly."

 Sam started swinging around the blades, they were incredibly flashy. He liked the feeling of it, it felt natural. Fits like a glove. Sam raised the blade on his left and centered it in front of him. He pulled his right hand back and wanted to clash the blades together. Sam full sent the blade, but right before they clashed, Kai caught his right wrist.

"Why would you try that here?" Kai confused.

"Uhh… Sumimasen."

"Iiya. Come on."

Sumimasen = My bad

Iiya = It's fine (based on this context)

"Wait, do I only get these?" Sam complained.

"What, you want more?" Kai chuckles.

"Can I have more?"

"Can you carry more than two at a time? You don't even have sheathes for those yet." Sam could think of ways he could carry more than two at a time. It'd be impractical, so he just went with two blades at a time. 

 "Soudesuka…" Still contemplating. He really did want to use more than just blades.

Soudesuka = Gotcha

 At the corner of Sam's eyes, he saw a brown rope. It was tied like a whip. He walks towards and looks back at Kai.

Without asking, Kai explains, "that is yagami no roopu."

"Yagami…" Sam thinks of the translations for the word. "Rope of Distortion?" He says aloud.

"Un," Kai nods.

"What does it distort?" He asks.

"Space itself," he shrugged. 

"Woah…" Sam's mind ran free on what that would look like. He passed his other blade to his left hand and reaches for the rope. The rope started to glow neon green.

Kai placed his hands on Sam's shoulders, "I'm not letting you have that."

"Why not?" Sam turned, disappointed.

"Do you know how to use a whip at all?"

"I could learn." 

"That literally tears space apart. One wrong move and you might be dead." 

"That works for all lethal weapons."

"Later," he shook his head. "I'll have Derrick teach you."

 He keeps mentioning him.

"How strong is this Derrick?"

Kai looks up to the ceiling, his mind trailing off. "If it's just straight-up hands… A High-Rank. Easily," he stated confidently.

 That was something Sam wanted to hear. Some power level that's somewhat realistic for him to achieve. At least, he now knows it's achievable.

 The two then went outside of the facility. They started walking toward the south end of the grass field. They faced to the middle of the field.

"How many weapons does the third year have?" Sam curiously inquired.

"Let me think… Moonblade, Solar Blade, North Pole, Iron Tonfas, The Great Gauntlet… I think that's it, I don't remember anything else," Kai recalled.

"How does he carry those?" Sam wondered. He thinks of a giant bag that holds them. It would be an eye sore. Then he thinks about Laura who openly carries a katana.

"He has a spatial vault with him. But it's one of a kind, so you can't have it. I don't think he'd give it to you either."

"Alright, sheathes it is," Sam sighed, taking whatever he could get.

 Sam walked forward and prepared himself to clash the blades. He centered the blade on his left then pulled his right hand back. He drives his blade forward and clashes the blade. Clang. Temporarily, at the moment of impact, the blades glowed. The blades discharged a repelling force that was strong and loud. The wind gushed above the grass and blew back through their clothes.

"That was okay," Kai shrugged. 

"Okay? That was fucking cool! Did you just see what I did?" Sam was overly excited with what he could do.

"Yes, but that's not really impressive," Kai have seen better.

"Urk… Nande?" Sam's excitement was shunned. 

Nande? = Why?

"Just twenty meters in range? That's teetering average," he scoffs. "Stronger force, however."

"I can improve it, right?" Sam feels a bit of self-doubt.

"Of course," Kai said. He pauses and sees Sam have a conversation in his own head. "Nee, jibun o shinpaishinaide kudasai."

"Hai…" He sighs in disappointment.

 Kai then thought to pry into Sam's background a bit. "Naze tatakau no ka?" It was a personal question, but he thought it might be a way to go.

Nee, jibun o shinpaishinaide kudasai = Hey, don't worry about it.

Hai = Okay

Naze tatakau no ka = What's your reason to fight?

 "It's all I can do," he said with a heavy despair in his heart.

 Y'know… I really think I would've heard that from Dan. But, not you, Kai was surprised to hear him say it. And the way he said it.

"How's home?"

"Fine, I guess," he thought. "I have a little brother and sister. But I'm still kind of on my own."

"Nan-sai?" He thought to probe more.

Nan-sai? = How old?

 "They're both six. Few months apart."

"Gotcha," Kai understands a little bit about how Sam feels like he's on his own. 

"Ryoushin?"

"Kyoudai-tachi to isogashii," he sighs. As he uttered those words, Sam felt kind of lonely at the moment. He feels miserable in a way. "Kai no kyoudai imasuka?" He tries to distract himself with a question.

"Aa," he nods. "Otouto. Nijuu-saidesu."

Ryoushin? = Parents?

Kyoudai-tachi to isogashii = They only care about my siblings

Kai no kyoudai imasuka? = Kai, you have any siblings?

Otouto, nijuu-saidesu = A younger brother, he's twenty

"You guys close?"

"We try to be. Responsibility sets us apart."

"Too bad…"

 The two then heard a muffled explosion. Then screaming from a far, progressively getting louder. It sounded like it came from above. The two looked at the sky and suddenly, two people came crashing down from above. Plummeting to the ground was Dan and Heath.

Around five minutes earlier

 In the lounge, Dan was alone in there with Heath. Everyone else went on mission or are in their dorms. They sat on the couch on opposite ends. Both leaning onto the arm rests. Heath was smirking to himself while texting on his phone, completely minding his own business. Dan was playing his phone too, but he was bored.

 After a few seconds, they put their phones down at the same time.

Heath looks over to his left, "Dan, right?" Heath strike up a conversation.

Dan looks right back at him, "Heath, yeah?"

"You're not taking a job yet?" Heath asks.

"Later on, maybe. Probably later today," Dan replied. "You?" He asked back.

"Nah, no jobs. Jay said he wanted to go today, I said I was busy."

"Are you busy?" Dan was doubtful.

"Nope, just didn't feel like it."

"So, what are you doing now?" Dan was getting suspicious.

"I'm thinking," Heath claimed.

"Of what?"

"A strategy."

"For what?"

Heath turned to look at Dan with cold eyes, filled with determination. "Beating you."

 Dan started giggling. Then he started laughing. "So, that's what you mean…" He mutters to himself. "You want to fight?" 

"Some people think too much into things. I mean, I have goals as a sorcerer, too. But I wouldn't mind taking it easy until I can achieve that goal. Which begs the question…"

"What question?" Dan wonders.

"Anta no ueiburenguto. It's kind of all over the place," Heath observed.

Anta no ueiburengto = Your wavelength

Dan didn't really understand what Heath meant, "so?" 

"Your mana is tailored to your soul."

 Not many people could come to the conclusion that mana was tailored to the soul. They must've been informed by another person who had done the research or they had source at hand. It was once written in old scriptures and a certain grimoire, Aoi Hon or the Blue Book. Though, by sands of time, they were lost.

  How the hell does he know that? Jon questioned. It was a faint thought, however. Dan couldn't hear it clearly, only mumbling.

"Your soul is a confused one, I'm fairly confident in that. You don't have any goals, right?" Heath assumed.

Dan thought about it for a bit, "nah," he shook his head.

"Not anything at all?" Heath asks again.

"Nah." 

"So… terse."

"I just… Don't really get it," Dan leans back into the couch and hangs his head over the couch. "Why do we need a goal?" He questions. "Like, I get that it's good to have something you want to achieve, but I don't think I need one. Not anytime soon, anyway."

"Then you'll never be stronger than you are. Mana control, perception, output, all of it; are meaningless without a purpose."

 For the first time, Dan actually felt like he should listen to someone. It was an incredibly personal question, yet he only saw it as regular conversation with a long-known good friend. Yet he only knew him for a few minutes. "Nani ittenda?" Dan's interest started piquing.

Nani ittenda = What are you saying?

"It's a state of being that resonates with… Something else. Breaking concepts. Space, time, reality, all of it, can be altered accordingly."

"That sounds complicated. Can't a simple punch level a city anyway?" Dan wasn't really interested.

"I suppose, yes," Heath nods, agreeing. 

Then a long pause after Heath's response. Dan got a little impatient. "So… Are we gonna fight?"

"Square up, then."

 Dan put his phone on the couch, Heath put his phone down too. They stood up and turned to each other. 

 Dan fixed his headband, unbuttoned his jacket, then cracked his neck right and left. Heath tipped his right leg and then turned his palms around, facing behind him. His palms and the bottom of his shoe started glowing red. Then they turned orange, then yellow. There's a mirage behind him. 

 Flames burst from his palms and foot. He shot forward, he grabbed Dan by his waist then lifted both his legs up and unleashed Feet Thrusters. He smashed Dan into a nearby wall. He dented the wall. Dan grunts at impact, then quickly lifted both his elbows and slammed them down to Heath's back.

 Dan drove his right knee to Heath's stomach. He then grabbed Heath's hood and lifted him up. Dan drove his right fist into Heath's abdomen. Then pushed him away. Dan skipped up and backward to the wall behind him, then pushed off the wall and rotated his leg forward and kicked Heath's face. 

 "Wow, you're relentless," Heath grinned as he wiped his lips dry. He should've known from earlier today. Heath feels blood converging within his mouth.

 Dan casts Dark Boots and Dark Gauntlets, he plunges forward with his right fist cocked back. He punches Heath. In an instant, Dan punched Heath's sized-up Heart Ace. Dan's punch was so hard that the card moved from its original position. He pushed the card along with Heath to the other side of the building. Heath slowed down his crash by unleashing Hand Thrusters from his palms. He hit the wall and stopped without getting himself hurt. 

 We'll bring the entire building down if we stay here. He's that strong. So, the best thing to do…

 Heath dashes forward from an explosion he ignited behind him. Shaking the entire the building. He grabbed Dan's jacket. Heath faced the north wall then ignited another explosion behind him. This time, more condensed and focused. He pushed Dan out of the building. Blowing a hole in the wall. 

 Heath took Dan to the sky. Dan was struggling to hold on with his hands. Dan used his stomach and legs to lift legs up and locked around Heath's lower torso. Dan let go of Heath then spread his arms out. He then brought his hands back together and clapped in both of Heath's ears.

 Heath was deafened and started losing his balance. He accidentally aimed his thrusters upward so they started plummeting downward. Right next to Sam and Kai.

 The look of confusion on both their faces couldn't describe how confused the two truly were.

 "What the absolute fuck?" Sam blurted in absolute disbelief. 

 Dan and Heath got up and just started fighting again. Heath casts Blazing Amplification. His limbs started to rage on fire. He dashed forward into Dan, landing a devastating yama zuki from Karate. A punch with both hands, one to the head, one to the abdomen. It was powerful and with enough force, it could kill someone in one hit. Dan slides backwards from the force of the punch.

 "That's more like it," Dan grinned with bloody teeth.

 Dan runs forward and kicks up to Heath's chin. Heath stops it with both his palms. Dan pulled his foot down and rotated his entire body, lowered his torso sideways, and raised his other foot up to Heath's face. Heath triangulates his left arm and blocks the kick. Dan pulled his leg back and puts it back down. Then he turns around and lands a back kick to Heath's chest. Heath tried to take it and catch Dan's foot. But Dan just jumped up while rotating his entire body while throwing his other leg up and kicking Heath in the left side of his face. 

 Heath fell and rolled over the ground, Dan also fell to the ground. The two of them quickly recovered. Dan stood up and ran at Heath as fast as he could. Once he got close enough he hopped on his left leg and raised his right leg high up. It would've hit Heath's chest and could've taken him out of the fight. Heath blocks with Heart Ace. He drew out Diamond Ace increased its size to a short-sword. After Heath's card blocked Dan's knee attack, he yelled "IGNITE!" From the card, ignited huge fumes of flames that blew Dan back a few steps. He almost lost his balance and fell down.

 Heath had placed the Heart Ace on his back and have it constantly active. Heath came at Dan with his Diamond Ace drawn, he swings up, his card brushes past him. 

 Need help? Jon offered. 

Hell no! Dan yelled at Jon.

 Heath pulls down his card, Dan pivots his right leg back and dodges the card. Dan dispels both Dark Boots and Dark Gauntlets and casted Dark Cloak. After veiling himself with highly condense mana, he was more durable than iron. That was the default state of his Dark Cloak. As he grows more accustom to casting spells and fighting with spells, by clenching his entire body to harden, his Dark Cloak was now more durable than tungsten.

 Dan pushes forward with his back leg which sent himself flying to Heath. Dan grabbed Heath's face with his right hand, then puts his leg behind him then trips him over. He used all his strength to crush Heath to the ground. The ground cratered. The ground trembled. 

"Should we stop them?" Sam asked.

"No, I want to see what happens next," Kai replied.

His growth is exponential, Kai observed.

 Heath still had his card gripped. He slashed both of Dan's knees even though he was tougher than tungsten. Only Heath's Diamond Ace was sharp enough to cut through exactly tungsten. Dan fell to his knees. He was caught completely off guard.

 Heath used Feet Thruster to get away from Dan. He flipped upwards and was standing back up. Heath flew into Dan. His speed reached subsonic in just one second. He lifted his knee and landed it to Dan's face. Blood spewed out of his nose and Dan fell over. He was completely knocked out. Heath looms over him this time. 

"Heheh… Wow, you're really fucking tough, aren't ya? But, nonetheless, I won," Heath claimed victory. Cleaning the dirt off his clothes.

"Won what, exactly?" Sam asked gripping his Twin Blades tightly, ready to start slashing away.

"Oh, I challenged him to a fight. He lost," Heath nonchalantly replied.

That's two battles you lost now. I hope your ass can cope with it, Sam said silently. Because he would never say it in front of Dan's face.

"Yeah, but you blew a hole in the dorm," Kai pointed out.

"Oh…" Heath just realized he destroyed a big chunk of the building, exposing the lounge floor.

"Now, who's gonna pay for that?" Kai asked while approaching Heath.

"Uhh…" Heath starts to panic a little.

 Their wavelengths just now, matched, Kai took notice from their fight. It was brief, but he was able to match his. Wasn't perfect, but it looked like they could be partners too. But I don't think I made the wrong call. I need Laura to be like him just a little bit, Kai concluded.

Kai sighed. Then he chuckled, "I'll pay for it. Pay it no mind."

"Are you serious…?" Heath didn't know if he was being tricked.

"I am. Now, take Dan to the infirmary. Heal him up. Sam, go with him."

"Okay," Sam sighed reluctantly.

 Kai then ran to the indoor facility and grabbed a belt and sheathes for Sam's Twin Blades. For Heath and Sam, they only felt a strong gust of wind and saw a quick flash of light. Not a second had gone by either.

 That was way too fast, Sam worried.

 "Here, for your blades," Kai handed the sheathes.

 Sam grabbed them and wore them. He wasn't wearing a belt before so he was glad. "Thanks," Sam said while smiling nervously.

 Sam helped Heath haul the unconscious Dan to the infirmary. Dan was a lot heavier than he looked. Sam had just noticed that about him. 

"Nee, Heath," Sam calls.

"Ha?"

"How did you get him to fight?" Sam asked.

"Not much, really. I just asked him," Heath replied. He was also quite surprised at how easy it was to provoke Dan into a fight. Usually for people, outside of sparring, it would take a lot more. At least a reward or something.

Sam sighed loudly, "of course he just agrees to it."

"Hey, you're childhood friends with him, right?"

"I knew him from elementary school."

"Was he always like this?"

"Nothing ever changes with him. And I can't say that it's a special case where he's not the one to blame."

"What do you mean?" Heath questioned.

"A little personal, but Dan only ever had his mom before I met him in elementary school. Even then, he didn't try to be friends with me, I had to force him to have me by his side."

"Honestly, that sounds clingy as hell," Heath laughs. "Why did he not want you around?"

"It does, doesn't it?" Sam replied, then continues, "he doesn't want anyone around. He claims to be a free spirit that just wants to enjoy a good fight. I mean, I get that but he needs a different hobby."

"Hahah... Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm Sam, by the way," he introduced himself.

"Heath."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you want to fight him?" Sam wonders.

 Heath smiled lightly. Sam felt something was off about Heath in that instance. Sam felt something tragic and sorrowful. The feeling then disappeared immediately. He didn't know what it was about, he rather not pry.

"I like fighting too, to be completely honest," he laughed. "He just looked like he'd be a great fighter," Heath thought of one reason.

"Was he?" Sam asked, a little suspicious of Heath.

"Yeah, a lot more than I expected." 

"He did kick your ass back there."

"He's far too green, though," Heath said. "If he was more experienced, he'd beat me."

"Well, it's only been three weeks since he awakened his sorcery."

"Really? Three weeks?" Heath was shocked to hear.

"I know, right? Usually it's when their young."

"He's got big potential."

"I know. I know…"

Heath noticed that Sam was feeling down. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Sam didn't feel like talking about it.

"Better out than in," Heath was ready to hear him out.

"There are ranks in sorcery, right?" Sam said.

"Yeah, four ranks."

"Low-rank, Mid-rank, High-rank, and Supreme Rank."

"Right."

"I can give up on Supreme Rank. I have two things I need to achieve while in this school, become a High-rank and something else."

"High-rank? That'd be tough."

"I know. Which is why, I'm worried."

"Oh… I get it now."

 Throughout history, Core-users have only ever seen as a normal human just slightly stronger. At most, super-humans. Most die out too quick, whether in training or on missions. Competing with other sorcerers, they stood no chance. Not only that, they heavily relied on channels like magic items or magic weapons too much. Hence why they're never recognized.

"Just so you know, I don't think you're that weak," Heath claims whilst recalling their fight earlier.

"That weak?" Sam was a bit offended.

"You could always learn to be stronger."

 They arrived at the infirmary and laid Dan on the hospital bed. Heath started to wonder, how am I going to get us healed if none of us are light sorcerers? Is there like a doctor?

 Then suddenly entering the room, Laura. She scoots her way in the room, trying to stay away as far as possible without making it look awkward. Heath wanted to ask for help but she was making incredibly awkward for him to ask. He couldn't find an opening.

 Laura walked passed all of them and went to a giant black crate. She unlatched it and opened it. Inside it was piles of clear crystals the size of an average Cavendish banana. She grabbed two crystals. Then she slowly walked over to Dan's bed, with her head facing down. She wasn't looking at where she's going.

 She held one crystal in her right hand, she held it above Dan. She surged mana gently into the crystal and it shined a light that covered a third of Dan's body. She slowly shined him from feet to head. 

 The crystals are known as Healing Crystals. Only when wielded by a light sorcerer, the light that shine through it can heal other people.

 "Can you heal me too?" Heath requested.

 Her face turns beet red, then she nodded. Her wavelength is incredibly loud. Almost as if screaming in terror, Heath was a bit startled.

 After Laura was done, the crystal turned black. Meaning it's an "empty shell" and no longer can be used. Laura then proceeds to heal Heath. 

"Thanks," he said.

"S-sure," she replied under her breath.

"Hey, Laura," Sam called.

 She slowly turns to him, and tries to make eye contact with him but shied away immediately.

"Hm?" She said, in almost panic.

"I have a feeling you're strong and a nice person, please keep Dan on a leash when he needs to be, 'kay?" Sam asked a favor, it was vague to her but he knew that she would understand it eventually. "Even if he's being a dick, just hit him in the head or something. He usually doesn't mean it, even when he says he does."

 Laura didn't say anything back that was an affirmative answer. Just, "mm…"

"I mean, he's not weak either," Heath said.

"I know that, it's just… Sometimes, or most of the times his passion, some would call it, for fighting outgrows himself."

"What does that mean?" She asks with a soft-spoken voice.

"He'll get in his own head, and if he's lucky, which he usually is, he'll get away with it."

"Okay," Laura nodded.

"How bad can he get?" Heath asked curiously.

"A few weeks ago, he beat up four students," Sam replied.

"Why…?" Laura asks.

 Sam didn't whether he should answer outright or not. He didn't want Dan to look bad in front of his partner.

"I wish there was a good reason," he laughed.

"Let me guess, because he could?" Heath presumes.

"Yep," Sam sighed.

"I'll try to keep him in line," Laura said.

"Thanks," Sam smiled. "That'd be a big help."

 She seems too timid for Dan, Sam and Heath thought. 

 Wait… Lightning struck the inside of their brains. Heath and Sam had the exact same thought, is that why Kai matched her with him?