They really weren't supposed to be fighting. Like, at all.
It all kicked off as a joke. Corvyn threw a construct core at Tarin and said, "I bet you still can't dodge these." And Tarin—smirking that annoyingly charming way only he can—just shrugged, cracked his knuckles, and went, "Wanna find out?"
Now, the practice field by the lake had turned into a sort of impromptu arena. No crowd, no teachers around. Just six teens full of magic energy and nowhere to put it.
Kael was chilling in the shade, sipping iced spirit-fruit from a conjured cup and giving off that vibe of someone who'd been through this story once—and didn't want to do it again.
"Let the games begin," he mumbled to himself.
Corvyn stepped into the middle of the field first, stretching his arms. His long coat fluttered in the wind—decorated with subtle sigils and fancy mana threads. It was clear he was from the high-tier Netwalker class.
Tarin walked in second, looking relaxed with a grin, wind blowing behind him.
"Rules?" Corvyn asked, flicking his wrist. A holographic grid popped up, showing all these cool nodes.
"First to a clean hit or lockout?" Tarin replied.
"Both?"
They both nodded.
Kael couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Nerds."
The air shifted around them as they activated their Cores.
Corvyn's vibe was all digital—tight and precise, like a well-oiled machine. His Netwalker-Synth hybrid Path lit up, and six construct orbs floated around him like little guards.
Tarin's energy felt softer, with green-blue flickers tracing his limbs. Wind Synth. He didn't summon anything. Just that smile of his.
"Ready?"
"Engage."
The orbs went first.
Corvyn's constructs zipped forward in a perfect arc—two low, two high, and two going straight for Tarin's feet. Each one buzzed with energy, shaped like needle drills.
Tarin stayed calm. He waited until the last second, then activated:
Module: Resonant Guard
A pulse of wind burst out from his chest. It wasn't enough to destroy the constructs, but it messed with their aim. The lower ones fizzled out, and the upper ones swung wide.
Corvyn adjusted right away, conjuring a new node and sending a pulse-code through it. One of the downed orbs exploded into shatter-fragments that reformed in midair—this time as net traps.
Kael whistled under his breath. "Didn't think Corvyn could think on his feet like that."
Tarin sidestepped the net, kicked off the ground with a burst of wind, and rushed in low.
Corvyn readied a shield spell—but Tarin didn't hit it head-on. He ducked under the activation zone and palm-struck the rune bracer powering it.
Sparks flew. Feedback loop.
The shield fizzled out.
Then Tarin stepped close and tapped Corvyn on the chest with just two fingers.
"Hit."
The light flashed. The match was over.
Corvyn blinked. "Wait. That's it?"
"You wanted a clean hit," Tarin said, backing off.
Corvyn groaned and muttered something not suitable for print.
Kael took a sip of his drink. "Fight smarter, not harder, edgelord."
"Alright, alright," Maelea said, bouncing up and down on her toes, "it's my turn now."
She cracked her knuckles, practically giddy like someone who'd just won dessert rights at a fancy dinner. Her smile was bright, but she stood ready for action—feet apart, left hand flexing as if she could already imagine landing a punch on Tarin's face.
Tarin laughed. "Just don't break any of my ribs, okay?"
"No promises!" she replied with a big grin.
Kael shifted in his chair. "Finally, some excitement with a bit of enthusiasm."
Maelea's Core flared to life, wrapping her right arm in a spiral of shining red energy that formed into a semi-transparent gauntlet. The symbols on it glowed a soft red, reacting to the tension in her arm.
Module: Bloodroot Forge Gauntlet
Focuses kinetic Core energy into stronger striking zones. Regenerates with each hit. Converts extra energy into a healing force.
Tarin circled slowly, his wind aura coming alive again—soft and cautious. He knew better than to just rush in.
Maelea may not have been the fastest, but she didn't need to be.
When the bell signaled, she lunged.
A heavy punch came down like a meteor, smacking the practice field with enough force to leave a crater. Tarin hopped aside, using a gust of wind to help, but the shockwave from her hit still knocked him off balance.
She kept coming.
Swing, step, hook, twist—Maelea was a brawler through and through, trained in close combat but with her own twist due to her Core. Each punch she threw charged her gauntlet's magical power, and each near-miss gave her more energy back.
"Why on earth does she fight like a runaway cart?" Kael grumbled. "Someone needs to get that girl a brick wall to hit instead."
Tarin finally found an opening when she overcommitted on a feint.
He ducked under her wide swing and used Resonant Guard, sending her stumbling back with a blast of wind. It didn't push her far—only about ten feet—but it gave him a moment to breathe.
He really needed that.
The small crowd was watching in silence, even Corvyn, who was still picking soot off his jacket, looked impressed.
Maelea flashed a grin and took a mock bow. "You're quicker than I thought!"
Tarin nodded back. "And you're like a full-on storm."
They reset to their original spots.
This time, Tarin didn't wait for her to charge. He leaped forward, sending a burst of air to close the gap—just enough to fake an attack.
Maelea took the bait, ready for a direct hit, swinging up with a rising jab.
Tarin slipped out of her view—stepped to the left, behind her, and tapped the back of her gauntlet.
Click.
The energy in the gauntlet fizzled out.
She gasped.
And Tarin, with a kind of apologetic precision, lightly tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hit."
The silence stretched for a moment this time.
Then Maelea groaned. "Ughhh, that's so not fair!"
Tarin extended a hand to help her up, and she took it with a grin.
"I still made the ground crack, though."
"You did," he agreed. "Very stylish."
Kael smirked.
"If she ever figures out how to feint instead of just charging in, she'll be a total nightmare."
"Alright, Tarin," Vellea said as she stepped into the ring, pulling her gloves tight. "Let's see if you can hit what isn't really there."
Kael squinted from under his hood. "Oh great. The dramatic one is here."
Vellea did a little spin—not just for show, but to activate her powers. Tiny bits of mirror appeared around her, catching the morning light and twisting it like melted glass.
Six images sprang out in a spiral, creating a loose circle around her. Each one looked a bit off—like they were slightly out of sync with timing, shadows all wrong, and eyes a little too still. They were good enough to trick anyone untrained.
But not Kael. Or, from the look on his face, Tarin.
Tarin stepped up, looking relaxed again. He had that same calm smile, one hand casually resting on his hip. The wind danced a bit around his boots.
"You don't seem like the type to create illusions just for fun," he said.
"I'm not," Vellea replied, her voice coming from all six versions of her at once. "But it's way more entertaining when people think I am."
Kael leaned back against a moss-covered pillar. "Ten bits says she starts with a triple feint and gets annoyed when it doesn't work."
"Engage," Corvyn called from the sidelines, taking it upon himself to referee.
The six Velleas charged at him.
They moved with staggered precision—two came straight at him, one high on the left, two from the sides, and the last one slipped around behind like a whisper.
Tarin didn't react right away.
Instead, he closed his eyes for just a moment.
Then he stepped to his right.
The sixth clone—the real one—slowed in surprise.
He heard her.
Tarin's sense of wind wasn't just about sights; it was about feelings too. He could sense the movement, shifts in the Core, and the way real limbs messed with mana differently than illusions did.
He reached into the air and compressed it with a burst Module gesture, creating a wall of concussive wind behind him.
Three clones shattered mid-lunge, scattering like glass.
Vellea staggered back, flicking her hand to reset the illusion.
Tarin moved in.
"Not so easy, huh?" she shouted, conjuring a reflective sigil below her and vanishing into a mirrored bounce.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Did she really unlock a special mobility Module just for show?"
Vellea reappeared ten meters behind Tarin, only to see him already facing her, hand up.
He had positioned himself to use the only reflective surface in sight—his own gauntlet.
She froze.
Tarin grinned.
And unleashed a compressed spiral gust—not at her, but at her feet, kicking up a cloud of gravel and pine needles.
By the time she blinked through it, he was right next to her, hand raised.
He tapped her shoulder lightly.
"Hit."
Silence.
Then:
"Ugh!" Vellea threw her hands in the air. "You're impossible!"
Tarin laughed and offered his hand. "You're all about the flair. I just pay attention."
She narrowed her eyes. "You know, you could at least pretend to struggle a bit."
He smiled warmly. "But then how would I impress Kael?"
Kael nearly choked on his drink.
Vellea turned, looking horrified. "He's watching?!"
Kael waved lazily from the bench.
"Oh, I'm not just watching. I'm memorizing everyone's mistakes."
She groaned and stomped off in a huff.