Capítulo 18: A Rivalry Born
As the match began, Damaris launched a flurry of strikes, his punches and kicks precise yet inexperienced. Kit's initial response was defensive, parrying Damaris's blows with a mixture of hesitation and instinct.
"Damaris's technique is solid, but his lack of experience is evident. Agis noted.
Damaris's attacks intensified, and Kit's defenses started to falter. Theron and Damon, watching from the sidelines, cheered Kit on, their voices rallying him to find his strength.
"Punch him in the face and knock him out already!" Damon shouted.
"Do to him what you did to us!" Theron shouted.
Distracted for a second by the shouts, Kit left himself open for a second and received a might blow in the stomach from Damaris making Kit fall down on his knees while holding his stomach. Before he could even recover, Damaris rushes towards Kit and unleashes a vicious kick in the face. Kit, using all his strength, dodged the kick a little bit too late, grazing his cheek.
Seeing the opening, Kit uses his right leg to sweep Damaris but fails to hit when Damaris jumps it to dodge. Realizing his vulnerable position, Kit rolled back quickly and entered a defensive stance. He also used this time to recover his damage from the stomach blow.
"Kit, although not as talented as Damaris is showing promise. I can raise those two to become monsters in the future." Agis said as a grin on his face appeared.
Back in the fight, the two fighters met each other's eyes waiting for the opponent to attack. They are moving bit by bit sideways, analyzing the opponent's next move.
In that brief moment of contemplation, Damaris struck, aiming to take advantage of Kit's hesitation. With a lightning-fast punch, he lunged towards Kit. However, Kit, instinctually shifted his stance and dodged Damaris's punch with a fraction of an inch to spare.
Agis had a serious look on his face when he sees Kit beautifully dodge that punch. His curiosity was piqued, and different thoughts came into his mind.
The intensity of the fight reached its zenith as Kit regained his footing, refusing to let his earlier setbacks define the match's outcome. Damaris adjusted his approach, utilizing his technique to the fullest.
A surge of crimson lightning begins to envelop Kit's right hand, crackling with electric energy. Meanwhile, Damaris' right hand becomes adorned with pale blue-white crystals, radiating an icy chill into the air around them.
Seeing this, Agis had a surprised looked on his face. His eyes were wide open, staring intently at what the two had done. His body shivered a bit and cold sweat starts to appear on his forehead. He subconsciously stepped back.
Damon and Theron, who were watching the fight intently, don't know what to react. They just silently and seriously watched the fight unable to speak or utter a single word.
Just as the two were poised to release their empowered punches, an overpowering presence swept through the room, causing them to feel an oppressive force pressing down on them. In an instant, their heads were forced towards the floor, and their struggle ceased. Agis, his expression grave, intervened to halt the fight, preventing the potentially dangerous clash from reaching its culmination.
"If those crazy punches connected, I would've lost two talented students." Agis thought to himself.
The match ended in a tie as the two were both knocked out cold by Agis.
Damon and Theron remained in a state of mild disbelief, struggling to fully grasp the sequence of events that had just transpired before them. Their gazes were fixated on Agis holding down the two. The remnants of excitement and awe evident in their eyes.
After a few moments of processing everything, they exchanged a swift but meaningful glance, silently acknowledging the extraordinary display they had just witnessed. In that unspoken agreement, they both confirmed what they had seen was indeed something remarkable and beyond the ordinary.
"What were those that appeared on their hands?" Damon asked Agis in a curios tone.
"Advanced enhancements, a feat usually achievable only after mastering the basics." Agis answered back.
"But have they really mastered the basics yet?" Theron asked in a confused tone.
"No, they've only learned about enhancements today but perhaps we may have witnessed the birth of two legends." Agis said with a wide smile on his face.
***
The next day dawned with the relentless sun scorching the training grounds. The quartet of Kit, Damaris, Theron, and Damon observed their fellow brothers engaging in grueling exercises, each focused on the path of honing their physical prowess to seamlessly harness their latent mana.
Guided by Agis, the four were directed to their designated training areas, each receiving a distinct purpose.
Damon and Theron were tasked to practice their enhancing skills through blunt force. Their fists slammed into various materials, damaging both the materials and fists. The rhythmic thuds of their blows echoed through the training area, although the training was excruciatingly painful, they powered through it wanting to become strong like Kit and Damaris.
Meanwhile, Damaris devoted his efforts to refining both the offensive and defensive aspects of his enhancing abilities. He melded his mana with his body and weapons, his strikes resonating with power and precision. With a stout shield in hand, he practiced the art of deflecting incoming attacks, embodying the balance of offense and defense.
As for Kit, his training was akin to an intense crucible of determination. His task was to master the enhancing basics at an accelerated pace. Every limb of his body became a weapon as he tirelessly struck against the unforgiving material known as Understeel.
The Understeel is said to be used to forge extremely durable weapons and shields that would last for decades of battle.
The sound of impact reverberated in the air as Kit relentlessly hammered away. Each punch was mighty but so as his screams of pain. He would not stop until his hands were broken. Agis, who was supervising his training would perfectly heal his hands so he may continue his training.
Once the drill was done, Agis instructed Kit to focus on Spartan weaponry. To improve his technique and skills in the field of battle. To fully familiarized him, Agis took up a shield and told Kit that he needs to push him back.
He grasped the spear with, channeling his mana to enhance his strikes. Although his enhancements were not perfect, it was enough for someone who was only beginning.
The metal tip of the spear met the Agis' shield with a resounding force, but it was not enough to push him back, rather Kit who was on the offensive was getting pushed back by Agis. The two repeated the drills with another weapon such as the shortsword and their roles were reversed when Kit was using the shield.
***
Five days had elapsed since their arrival. Elizabeth was engaged in a quiet examination of the stones within the house. Alexander had specifically ordered that they conduct their study here to avoid any information leak.
A shrill ring pierced the air as Alexander's cellphone signaled an incoming call. Kisig, a Black Star Hunter from the guild, was on the line, his voice urgent. He informed Alexander that something significant had unfolded and urged him to turn on the television for the latest news.
With a bad feeling, Alexander turned on the television. The screen revealing the breaking news: Akihiko Sato, a famous Black Star Hunter, had gone missing. Alongside with three other yellow star hunters from the Top guild in Japan, Sakura Stream.
The gravity of the situation etched itself onto the grim faces of Alexander and Elizabeth who had been watching with rapt attention. The disappearance of a Black Star Hunter was a rarity, as they were among the most skilled and formidable in the profession. The fact that Akihiko Sato was missing means that the power of balance has finally tipped.
Tension hung in the air as the duo exchanged uneasy glances, unspoken worries passing between them. Could this unsettling incident be linked to the enigmatic gate that had materialized seemingly out of nowhere?
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Maddie and Victoria who were preparing food found solace in one another's company. Oblivious to the unfolding news, they engaged in a heart-to-heart discussion about Kit's unexplained absence. Victoria opened up to Maddie telling her, her experiences.
"I had the love of my life taken away from me before became a hunter. Her face was unlike any other and her smile just melts you, makes you weak in the knees."
"She must have been an amazing person."
"Yes, she is. I still haven't forgiven myself for what happened to her."
"But why?" Maddie asked with a sorrowful look on her face.
"She was delicate, fragile even and yet when a gate opened, she stood in front of me, protecting me from the Damned." Victoria's voice quivered as tears slowly fall out of her eyes.
Maddie felt the pain Victoria was feeling, she couldn't speak a word. Tears glistened in her eyes as she could only listen to Victoria's story.
"Irony, isn't it?" Victoria's voice carried a mixture of bitterness and sadness. "A Yellow Star Hunter, the pinnacle of strength and protection, ultimately found her shield in someone seemingly weaker. And there I was, cradling her in my arms, as I watch the warmth in her eyes slowly turn cold lifeless."
Maddie gently placed her hand on Victoria's trembling back, her own eyes moistened by the weight of Victoria's pain. In that moment, Maddie grasped the profound truth that even the mightiest people bear burdens that can bend them. Words seemed inadequate, so she offered solace in a heartfelt embrace.
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