(Planet Juxta, The Training Arena, Leo’s POV)
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*Swoosh*
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out across the training arena, each echo carrying the weight of experience and intent, as Leo sparred against Charles for the very first time since stepping into the Transcendent realm.
He had walked into the spar brimming with confidence, feeling convinced that his new tier would finally allow him to press his mentor....
That at last he would be able to force Charles onto the defensive and carve out even a sliver of victory.
However, reality proved to be entirely different from his delusion, as his initial confidence quickly soured into frustration.
For no matter how many times he closed the distance, no matter how many angles he tried, he found no gaps, no flaws, not a single weakness to exploit in how Charles fought.
Charles’s stance remained unshakable, his defense like a fortress that adapted fluidly to every assault, while his counters were delivered with a calm sharpness that made Leo feel as though he were still the apprentice struggling to find footing against the master.
"The fuck? Why can’t I still break you? I’m so much faster and stronger than before." he muttered, sweat glinting along his brow, his breathing tight with disbelief, as Charles chuckled lightly at his words.
"There’s more to battle than just tier strength and aura reading, boy.
I have centuries worth of experience over you.
You think you’re so tough fighting opponents a single tier above you?
Well, my sparring partner for decades was Soron.
Go figure—"
Charles replied, as Leo’s eyes widened at the unexpected revelation.
While on one hand he knew Charles was second only to Soron in strength within the Cult and so there were no other worthy partners left for him to spar with once he became Monarch, yet he hadn’t expected the Great God himself to actually be Charles’s mentor.
’So that’s why he’s so good....’ Leo suddenly realized, as for a moment he became lost in thought and distracted from the main battle.
"Eyes on the blade boy!"
Charles reprimanded, as with a sudden flourish, his blade struck out in a precise sequence, his movements carrying the grace of countless years honed in combat.
*CLANG*
*SWISH*
*CLANG!*
In three swift motions, Leo’s daggers were disarmed and sent flying from his grip, and in the next instant, the cold edge of Charles’s sword hovered at his throat.
"You lose, boy... Try again a century later once you have more battle experience under your belt."
Charles said flatly, as Leo swallowed his pride and gave a short nod, his gray eyes igniting with the thrill of being tested so fiercely.
"One of these days... I will find a way to beat you, Commander.
Trust me. I’ll be as good as you before I become Monarch, and I will beat you with a tier difference intact."
Leo declared, his tone steady and unyielding, as his words carried the weight of conviction.
Outwardly, Charles chuckled and waved him off as if the boy were talking nonsense, but inwardly the pride of a mentor stirred within him.
That hunger, that defiance in the face of impossible odds—that was exactly the fire he wanted to see, as despite him rejecting the concept right now, secretly, he really wanted to see it come to fruition.
—-------------
The second bout began in silence.
Steel flashed beneath the glow of the overhead lamps, sparks flying in brief bursts of light as both men fell into rhythm, their footwork crisp, their strikes measured.
Leo’s daggers blurred through the air, his body moving with speed and precision sharpened by [Parallel Processing], his mind running faster than the fight itself, breaking down every muscle twitch of his opponent, every shift of weight, every flicker of intent.
And then it came.... Charles’s blade rose in a fluid arc, the crimson intent line carving across Leo’s vision like a warning drawn on a canvas.
To which, Leo reacted instantly, his dagger shooting up into place to block.
*....*
He expected steel to hit steel, however, a microsecond passed, then another, and the anticipated impact never came.
’Something’s wrong....’
He thought, but before he could figure out what, he was already in a losing position, as despite reading the trajectory of Charles’s attack correctly, what he had made a mistake on, was the speed.
His reaction was too quick, the angle too early, and before he could adjust, Charles’s blade slowed, as if dragging time itself, only to slip beneath with a sudden correction that landed clean against Leo’s ribs.
*CRACK!*
The impact was sharp, forcing the air from his lungs as he staggered back a step, eyes wide in stunned disbelief.
He had seen the intent line. He had trusted it. And still, he had lost.
"The hell? What did you do there?" he asked, his voice edged with both awe and frustration, as his hand instinctively pressed the sore spot at his ribs.
"HAHAHAHA.... THAT WAS A GOOD ONE, WASN’T IT?"
Charles chuckled, lowering his weapon with the ease of a man who had been on the receiving end of this same lesson many times.
"It’s called intent feinting, kid.
An advanced technique.
Your aura mastery lets you read lines, but those lines are only as true as the conviction behind them. A veteran doesn’t just swing, he shows you what he wants you to see, then shifts at the last instant."
He tapped the edge of his sword against his shoulder, the sound ringing steady, his smile carrying both pride and challenge.
"You’re still too green to think you know all my tricks.
You can spar against me a thousand times, but you still won’t land a scratch."
Charles said, as he had sudden flashbacks of how he had reacted the first time he realized that aura mastery wasn’t enough against high tired opponents, and that intent could be faked.
Back then, he had acted like a heartbroken kid in front of Soron who had just realized that Santa wasn’t real, as it took him a while after that to come out of the mental trauma.
Thankfully, Leo was made of sterner stuff and instead of feeling depressed at the fact that intent could be faked, he only felt more excited.
"Again.... Next time, I’ll time it better."
He said, as his response only made Charles chuckle louder.
"Alright boy, let’s go for another round!"
He said, as he battled him again gladly.