Encounter

I stare at the new group, my hand still gripping the knife I caught. You've got to be kidding me. Out of all the people, why them?

Quinn, leaning against the wall, looks like she's at a casual meet-up rather than an ambush, hands in her pockets and that confident smile on her face. She has spiky purple hair with light strands that defy gravity and her dark robe conceals hidden pockets, the place she probably keeps her enchanted daggers. "You don't seem too happy. Did my gift displease you?"

"Oh, you mean the gift of almost getting a knife to my throat? No, not really," I shoot back. Hmmm, it's rather dark here, I'm probably on par with Quinn. 

Isabella, who was enjoying my cooking a moment ago, stands up. Her utensils are neatly placed on her plate, and her face is colder than a glacier. She's clearly pissed. No surprise there; the Thunder Academy denied her request to their library years ago. The Arcane Thunder Academy is one of the oldest schools, although it lost the influence it used to have its library contains some decent books. Isabella wanted to read them but was declined as only students can read them. There was nothing she could do as the Thunder Academy is not located within The Great Empire. 

Knox, lean and agile, takes a step forward. His sleeveless top reveals arms tattooed with intricate symbols. "Ah, a bit of money never hurt anyone... well not us at least," he grins.

I knew that guy was going to hire someone for sure, I just didn't expect it to be them. I'm kinda disappointed. 

Then comes Lyra, her armored leather bodice studded with sapphires gleaming under the dim light. She smiles, her bright blue eyes shimmering with what one would assume is kindness and respect. "Oh look, the bottom-feeders are eating crap. Do y'all actually think you stand a chance? Just because you're from the Equinox doesn't mean shit. You're nothing but a bunch of spineless insects, waiting to be squashed. Pathetic. You should consider yourselves lucky if you get to die tonight, because living as the disgraceful wastes of space that you are... well, that's a fate worse than death-"

Even Knox looks surprised. "Hey, Lyra, chill. We talked about this, you can't go around talking like that."

I fling the knife I caught earlier. It whizzes past Luna and slams into an invisible force, dissipating an incoming Earth attack. "Surprise attacks won't work as long as I'm here," I say, turning back to my group. "Sylvie," I point at the petite figure dressed in flowing emerald robes, "she has a pretty good concealment technique." Well, it's not really a technique but her magic overall is hard to read. 

"Oh~ hmhmhm~," Sylvie murmurs. Her quiet voice doesn't hide her competitive spirit.

"Yeah, well, what now?" Rai interrupts. "You gonna keep standing there asking for a dinner sample, or are we going to get this over with?"

Quinn chuckles. "So, do you give samples?" She casts a longing glance at Lysandra, who's barely stopped herself from inhaling the rest of her meal. Fuck, you gonna choke- Where the hell is my plate!? Wait, there's nothing left! Fuck! 

"Rai, don't act rash," Arin whispers. "Let Isabella and V decide when we fight."

I rub my temples, exasperated. "Let me guess, you were looking for us. Didn't think the Thunder Academy could be bought."

Beside Quinn is Calder, a hulking redhead with a tattoo of a flame on his forearm, his massive greatsword strapped to his back. He shrugs. "Times change."

Lastly, Zephyr, a tall woman with windswept silver hair, stands slightly apart from the group. Her feathered earrings look like they could belong to some rare bird. She speaks, quoting some ancient text or something like that, "In the grand tapestry of existence, each encounter is but a single thread—significant and yet trivial."

My eyebrows shoot up, incredulity splashed across my face. "What the fuck does that even mean?" How am I supposed to respond to that? 

Before I can digest Zephyr's pseudo-philosophical rambling, Isabella cuts in. "Ha, how pathetic. Zephyr, you've fallen so low."

Zephyr narrows her eyes, silver hair catching the dim light. "I'm not blinded by power and greed like you are."

A metallic rasp interrupts our verbal jousting as Quinn unsheathes her black blade. Emerald light emanates from the weapon's enchantments, casting ghastly shadows on the walls. Enchantments—simple, potent, and always a pain to deal with.

Knox stands, flexing his tattooed arms. "Let's not waste any more time and get this over with."

Rubbing my chin thoughtfully, I decide to make an offer. "Since it seems we have no choice, let's make an agreement." I lock eyes with Zephyr, then point at Lyra and Arin. "Neither of us will attack the healers. And the healers won't do anything to interfere in the battle. If they want to fight, let's let the healers fight each other. How about it?"

Knox's laughter rings through the tense air. "Hahahaha... This guy... I like this guy. Sure, I couldn't agree more."

Lysandra, still chewing, leans in and whispers, "Hey V, who am I fighting?"

I flash a grin and whisper back, "You'll deal with her," nodding at Quinn. "She's got a couple of tricks up her sleeve. She won't hurt you much, but you still gotta act, you know."

Lysandra rolls her eyes. "Fine."

The tension snaps as Quinn lunges at me, blade drawn and a wild look in her eyes. "I really want to fight the cook~"

"Ah, I'm sorry, that's not happening," I say, raising a hand. Have fun with my lizard, faster than a blink, Lysandra is by Quinn's side, sending her sprawling toward the wall with a powerful punch.

Knox chuckles at Quinn, who's now picking herself off the ground. "Hahaha, that's what you get for choosing first."

I quickly assign the remaining matchups. "Isabella, I'm sure you know who to fight." She nods, staring daggers at Zephyr. "Rai, have some fun with that giant sword guy." Calder, the hulking redhead, readjusts his grip on his massive greatsword. "Don't look down on him, alright?"

Finally, I turn to Luna, who's fuming. "You can go ahead and fight Sylvie. I'm sure you're pissed at her." That surprise attack got Luna mad. Since she's an archer her senses should be the sharpest but an attack nearly got her. She'll be fine though, another group will arrive soon. 

"Thank you," Luna mutters, gripping her bow so tightly her knuckles go white.

Knox stands, a sly grin forming on his face. "Hmhmhm, that means I can fight the cook~ Hey, are you going to throw food at me?"

I pop my neck, loosening my muscles for the coming skirmish. "Sure, if you're into that."

Knox may be lanky, but he's a martial artist whose skill surpasses even Gareth's. Physically, Gareth might be stronger, but in a straight-up fight, Knox would take him down. It leaves me little choice—I have to deal with him myself. Isabella wouldn't fight Knox no matter what I said; she's got too much bad blood with Zephyr. And Lysandra? If Knox managed to rile her up, she wouldn't hold back. That could cause more problems than it would solve.

Chaos erupts, everyone scattering into their designated battles. Isabella starts weaving signs, electric energy crackling between her fingers. Across the room, Zephyr mimics her, her hands tracing ethereal patterns in the air. Even in this dim light, I can see the masterful control Zephyr has over her elements—Wind, Fire, Ice, and Water. But that's her limit; she can't venture beyond those four elements.

Isabella releases her spell; bolts of electricity shoot toward Zephyr. Almost leisurely, Zephyr manipulates the air to divert the electrical attack, letting it ground harmlessly. She retaliates with shards of ice, but they meet a wall of electricity and disintegrate before reaching Isabella. Their eyes lock, and I can sense the animosity thickening the air between them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Rai darting around Calder. He's like a mongoose circling a cobra, agile and nimble, just avoiding the swipes of Calder's massive greatsword. Calder, visibly frustrated, roars and brings his sword down hard, missing Rai by mere inches as he rolls away, laughter bubbling from his lips. Calder's red hair seems to glow like actual flames in his mounting rage.

As for Luna and Sylvie, they've disappeared. One's an archer with honed senses, the other is damn good at concealment—neither will be found unless they wish to be. I would definitely feel something if they were near so they must have moved elsewhere. 

Then there's Knox, stretching his legs like he's about to run a marathon. "Yo, this is nothing personal," he says, flashing me a grin that clashes with his dark golden, spiky hair. He looks like a gangster, a charismatic one at that. "You guys seem... well, most of you seem pretty chill. You gotta understand, they offered me quite a bit of money."

I sigh, shaking my head. "Tsk. You failed as a group leader, you know. Do you really think you could actually beat us?" I've got Lysandra, Isabella, and Luna. I chose them for a reason.

In an instant, Knox closes the distance between us, coming at me with a kick aimed at my chest. I block it with my left arm, bracing for impact. The hit sends me skidding back, but it's not as bad as I'd feared. At least he's not going all out. 

Knox frowns, disappointed. "You can't be that weak, right?"

I stand up, rubbing my arm. His strength is a bit lower than expected, I thought he would hit me a bit harder. I think to myself. Too bad for him; I'm overgeared. But his martial arts style—it's like a mixture of kickboxing and some type of martial arts. 

I take a deep breath, channeling my inner energy and surrounding myself with aura. Hmmm, should I ask Ilka? No, I have to stop relying on her support. I think I might be able to get a few hits in. 

Knox grins, the sharp edges of his teeth glowing in the low light. "That's more like it." His voice reverberates with the deep thrum of his own aura, a pulsating mist of amber that seeps into his limbs and tattoos. The room crackles with tension, like an electrical current running between us.

And then he's on me.

Knox lunges forward, his left fist whirling in a wide arc aimed at my face. I sidestep, dodging, but his leg follows through—a powerful kick that could crush stone. With a swift motion, I use my own leg to redirect the kick past me, feeling the wind from his motion whip my clothes.

I seize the opportunity, twisting my torso to deliver a center blow aimed straight at his chest. But Knox is already moving, his aura bursting forth as he redirects my punch, guiding it safely past his body.

Before I can react, he counterattacks. His fist rises from below, an uppercut flying toward my jaw with the speed of a bullet. My aura flares, and I barely tilt my head to the side, feeling the energy from his punch whiz by my ear. I can feel its heat; the air is scorched in its wake. Ah, I'm starting to feel aura as well huh? Am I close to a breakthrough? Isn't it too early? 

Time seems to slow down. In that fraction of a moment, I study Knox. His eyes narrow, almost like a feral beast hunting its prey. He's going for a knee strike next, I realize, a gut feeling confirmed by the subtle twitch of his leg muscles.

My aura glows brighter, pushing me to act. I step back just as Knox's knee thrusts forward, grazing the fabric of my clothes but not making contact. I snap a roundhouse kick at his head, but he ducks under it, already weaving into his next move. I follow through with a low kick, but Knox hops, evading and launching a spinning kick aimed at my temple. My aura guides my arm up in time to block, but the force sends a jarring pain through my muscles.

We pause for a moment, catching our breath. Sweat trickles down our faces, but neither of us are willing to wipe it away, unwilling to divert our focus even for a second.

He smirks. "Are all cooks this fast?"

"Yeah... we have to, There's always some bastard stealing our food," I reply, maintaining my defensive stance.

My muscles are starting to ache, but thanks to Eira the damage I take is on the low side. Knox's aura is starting to circulate differently. Is he going to get serious now? Or does he actually think his teammates can beat mine? 

"Ready for round two?" I quip. This is actually very fun, Now I get why Mira was smiling. 

His grin is predatory. "Hahaha, your martial arts is interesting."

We clash again, blow after blow. A dazzling flurry of kicks and punches, each one deflected or dodged, but the room fills with the sound of our grunts and the crackling of our auras.

Then, finally, it happens. Knox attempts a backflip kick, aiming to disorient me. But his movements are a fraction of a second too slow, his aura just a shade dimmer than before. I capitalize on it. With a burst of speed, I intercept his airborne kick with a direct punch to his abdomen. My aura infuses the hit, lending it additional force and speed. It lands, a solid, resounding impact.