POV: Aria Akari
As Rai sprinted towards me, I decided to confuse him by flashing around him at high speeds with the intention of landing a surprise attack on him, but as I appeared beside him and tried to land a spinning heel kick into his head, Rai parried my leg away as if he anticipated my every move, bringing rise to an unsettling sensation within me as he then forced me into an uncomfortable exchange of hand-to-hand combat.
I knew his hand-to-hand combat was better than my own, which is why I opted to use my Aspect in order to turn the spar to my favor, but even with the advantage of my Aspect, I feel as if I won't be able to touch him even if he gave me more than three hours.
During the exchange, Rai seemed untouchable as his agile, yet masterful movement proved to be superior to my own, despite my body being enhanced by my own Aspect as Rai weaved and parried my every attack while landing several attacks in between.
Was Sarah right all along?
Amidst our exchange, I was beginning to become desperate as I sacrificed my body and allowed Rai to land a heavy palm strike into my chest in order to land a single attack on him, but what I assumed would be unpredictable was already foreseen by Rai, who weaved my strike and slipped under my arm with such finesse that for a moment, I almost succumbed to despair as Rai grabbed my extended arm while placing his other hand on my waist and flipped me upside down, disorienting my senses briefly as he then kicked my abdomen with a sharp back kick, sending me tumbling backwards through a thicket of trees until I arrived in a small, fluorescent bed of flowers that rested within a portion of the forest.
Is Rai really that much stronger than me?
Embraced by the soft cushion of flowers, I gazed into the dazzling night sky above as among the blanket of stars that seamlessly stretched to infinity, I began to question my own worth as I singled out a random star.
Growing up, I was deemed as a genius among geniuses.
During my childhood, I truly believed that statement as my Aspect manifested earlier than most, not to mention, that Aspect was none other than Light Manipulation, one of the two Divine Elemental Aspects that only one in a billion are born with, but as I grew up, reality struck me as I realized that in this world, there are geniuses that I can't even begin to fathom as their existence made me question if I'm a genius in the first place.
I could name many geniuses that surpassed my own imagination such as Arthur Kojiro, Selene Korisuki, Remi Jurokyu and even Zayn Shometsu, but despite these geniuses that seemed to be blessed by the heavens themselves, I believed that one day, I could catch up to them, regardless if I was a genius or not as when it came to any exam, whether it be written or practical, I scored among the top.
I'm only a first year student and yet, I'm ranked 20th within one of the four prestigious hero academies of Jiyu.
With hard work and dedication, I truly believed that I could surpass all of them, but as I spar with Rai, I'm beginning to question my own existence once more as despite the overwhelming advantage I have over him, I'm unable to imagine myself landing a single attack on him, let alone imagine myself even achieving my dream.
If I was considered to be a genius among geniuses, then what would Rai be considered as?
If Rai is the sun that shines brilliantly, am I just a dying star that's destined to fade away into obscurity?
"Life really isn't fair, is it?" I mumbled as I felt tears begin to well within my eyes.
Maybe I should just give up-
"What do you think you're doing, Aria?" Rai asked sternly in a tone laced with disappointment as his voice saved me from drowning in despair, prompting me to match his gaze until he suddenly grabbed the collar of my windbreaker and pulled me closer to his face as I was startled, yet slightly flustered from his unexpected action as my face was no further than several inches away from his own.
"Rai, what are you-"
"You don't seriously believe that you're going to become the greatest hero with that kind of mindset, right?" Rai asked, but his tone deepened as I noticed an anger growing within his eyes, which glared into my own as he tightened his grasp on the collar of my windbreaker.
"There are people who would sacrifice everything just to have a speck of your potential and yet, regardless of their birth status or innate talent, they push themselves relentlessly everyday in order to achieve their dreams, so if you intend to chase your own dream with a half-assed mentality such as your own…"
"Then I suggest you give it up as someone who can't even believe in themselves doesn't have the right to dream." Rai advised coldly as he dropped me back into the bed of flowers and began walking towards the exit while I pondered on his harsh words, which struck me deeply as I felt a mix of emotions, but among my emotions, one reigned superior over the others as his condescending attitude irked me, causing me to clenched my fist in exasperation as the despair that I nearly succumbed to---had vanished.
I don't have the right to dream?
Who do you think you are?
You may be right about me doubting myself, but who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?
You may be stronger than me, but despite the difference in our power, you have no right to tell me whether I can achieve my dream or not!
As I stood from the ground, I felt my Aura begin to grow along with my Aspectual Power, which piqued Rai's interest as he stopped in place and turned around to match my gaze, but despite the spar being completely one-sided in Rai's favor for nearly an hour and a half, I felt strangely confident as a thought that I would never have imagined before suddenly appeared within in my mind.
Forget landing a strike.
"Prepare yourself, Rai."
I'll prove you wrong.
"I'll show you how serious I am about my dream." I uttered as I positioned myself into a fighting stance, prompting Rai to face me fully as he remained unfazed until a faint smile began to grow across his face.
I'll make sure you regret underestimating me and on top of it all…
"Are you sure you'll be able to do it?" Rai asked as he activated his Aspect and released his Aspectual Force, which was terrifying to experience as the pressure it exuded was suffocating and yet, despite my uneasiness, I remained strong, removing all doubts within my mind as the newfound power surging within me made me feel as if I could even perform a miracle.
"I'm absolutely certainof it."
I'll even defeat you.