Sparring gloves

…

After a short standoff, a second female mocked "I see that you of the house fallen storm has really fallen so low as to mingle with such foolish plebeian who has no awareness of his station."

As she spoke one of the guys accelerated abruptly at Chris, leaving after images and posing to throw a punch at Chris only for his fist to stop a hairs breath away from Chris's face with him not flinching or fighting back.

"Let's go, nothing to see here. I was thinking they were going to be sponsors for the night, but I guess I was wrong… they don't have the nerves for sponsorship it seems" Chris said already walking away with Naliaki in tow. "There really is no hope for sponsorship this night." Chris muttered to himself in dismay.

After they had left the cringe inducing female and her group, Naliaki couldn't hold it anymore. "How did you know he wasn't going to hit you?" Chris still walking forward in sluggish steps as though waiting for more trouble, inclined his head to an angle in mock superiority. "Because I have brains" he said feeling smug "plus the headmaster had talked about rules and reading the rule book, so I drew a logical conclusion that blatant unprovoked aggression would be punished in some form or the other."

"I see, so that senior only goading you into attacking him so you could break the rules, huh?" 

"Yeah, a clumsy attempt at using his brain, but an effective approach nonetheless. It would probably would have worked had he chosen to go against the more volatile of the both of us."

Naliaki could only scrunch up his face in annoyance and nothing more, owing to the fact that he was very aware that the statement was a hundred percent correct with no margin for error.

"They don't look like the sort that would leave the matter to rest after just one attempt, and now you've thrown yourself under their radar."

"How so? They said all unrelated plebeians should bear their grace and leave. So I waited patiently for the plebeians to leave, no one did so I guess there were no plebeians present… plus how am I unrelated, I am a paid body guard and that makes me related."

…

"Bang… bang! Naliaki! Are you still alive? Are you going to sleep to death? Do you miss your family that much?" it was late morning according to the time on the rune clock and Chris had been patiently waiting for Naliaki to wake up so they could go to the cafeteria, but he had apparently slept in so Chris had to take matters into his own hands. He was hungry and he was hell bent on eating something as good as the manticore rabbit rich friend had treated him to previously.

"Go away."

'Go away? Are you crazy? I already missed the school provided breakfast now the only hope is the paid meal and you're saying go away? Go away your head!' 

"Hmm… it seems your name should be changed to Kazari." Chris taunted. "Well, even if you'd not bear Najiak, I could still be friends with a Naliaki… but I draw a clear line with all Kazari." 

"That's a lame way of provoking someone you know, even a five year old noble could do better." Naliaki said opening the door fully dressed in a black training robes.

"But I wasn't trying to provoke you or any mundane rubbish like that, I was merely stating a fact I am aware you resonate with."

The academy base was brightly lit to depict day light, everywhere you looked to there were people about but they were mostly new cadets. It was as though only a few of them were at the base at this time, because there were no classes today as it was a lecture free day.

The surroundings were a plain and you could barely see any modern styled buildings, mostly ancient architecture from a few civilizations. The whole world had gone to shits more than seven hundred years ago so there were no separation of ethnicity… only species differentiation. 

Using the gps in their tactical wrist watch to locate the training facility, they walked into a large eastern styled ancient building. "a training room or a combat room?" a dry female voice inquired from behind the reception counter.

"A combat room please." Chris responded. "Left wing of the building on the eleventh floor. Use any of the unoccupied rooms or you could share." She directed them.

'Hmmph… I should have asked for more soul stones from those f*ckers, I had to wait here for almost the whole morning for this twerp from the house fallen storm to arrive.' Grumbling inwardly the girl who had been seating at the counter got up and left, and in her wake the counter faded away like a dream. Chris would have been very shocked had he seen this sight, because he had rested on the counter and felt it to be real.

Walking into an empty combat room out of four on the eleventh floor, out of which three were occupied. It was wide, at least 1/4th the size of a stadium.

The door shut close behind them.

"We can let loose here, the place was made to withstand the full might of an early stage spirit Mystery." Naliaki said while stamping his feet with power to prove a point.

Walking to one end of the combat room Naliaki stood while waiting for Chris who was taking in the magnificence of the 'room' they were in, from the outside of the building nothing gave away its size. It clearly showed that the whole building had been accomplished with space runes, a high level rune master must have had a hand in its construction.

"boom*"

While he was looking around absorbed into the aesthetics and the principle of the building, Naliaki who had been far away at the other end of the building dashed towards him and got close in what looked like 3 steps, lightning sparks sporadically frizzling around his body and on his fist which he threw at Chris in a side punch.

"bang!"

His back on the ground and his eyes gazing in confusion at the distant ceiling. Naliaki played back the scene of what had just transpired in his head again and again, in an effort to understand why his was the one that was on the ground.

In the spilt second before Naliaki's fist and Chris's left shoulder connected, Chris had made a beautiful spin after catching his fist with his right hand, swinging him around and whipping him on the ground. He couldn't stop marveling at how effortless it felt.

"Are you ok?" Chris asked blocking Naliaki's line of sight to the ceiling. "Why did you come at me like that, out of nowhere… I'm sorry?" Chris spoke trying to comfort Naliaki.

"I was just trying to get your attention." Naliaki said flipping to his feet. "I won't underestimate you so, don't underestimate me." Naliaki said while taking a defensive posture. "Come at me."

"How much pain can you take?" Chris asked as his pale skin took on a slight glow and he approached Naliaki in a burst of light obscuring his sight and catching him off guard with a punch to his face. 

Once again Naliaki was on the ground admiring the ceiling, wondering why he was on the ground again. He had clearly felt the attack coming from his back, but he had been punched on the face, had he not used an aspect of his second ability he would have been in for a world of pain.