The Spar

"Sparring?" Kaelith questioned. "Why would we be doing that?"

Getting up from the stool, I walk towards the two of them. "This job can get dangerous so being able to fight is practically a requirement. Due to that, I'll be gauging your strength against me, a person who would normally be a non-combatant due to my abilities as a Data Engineer, in a two-on-one spar."

Farthington began rapid-firing questions, "Two on one? Wouldn't that be a bit too arrogant of you? You don't even possess offensive abilities if you're a Data Engineer. I remember reading a bit about Data Engineers in the study about the different Pathways and their subbranches a while back, Aren't Data Engineers incredibly rare? Why would you be working here with your potential?"

Gesturing for him to stop asking questions I responded, "Whoa, slow your roll. I've been trained by an experienced veteran and have sparred with him quite a bit. You don't need to hold back when it comes to sparing with me."

'And I'm just going to avoid the second question.'

"Anyways let's start heading over to the training rooms," I say, trying to avert their attention from Farthington's question about my pathway.

I started walking out of the employee lounge and the two of them followed behind, although Farthington seemed to be a bit reluctant to follow.

The three of us walked over to the Training facilities of the base, which were quite expansive. From an area for sword practice to a shooting range and even a mock battle environment.

Out of the different areas, I brought them to the mock battle environment which was the perfect place to spar. The space was vast, filled with various training setups: small pieces of cover, makeshift plywood buildings, and obstacles scattered about. The rubbery ground cushioned our steps, and the bright ceiling lights bathed the area in harsh, artificial daylight.

Before entering the mock battle environment I handed Kaelith and Farthington each their own wooden training swords and took one for myself. "You can use these swords and any of your pathway abilities to your advantage just don't do anything to inflict major damage. If you want you two can talk about strategy…"

"There won't be any need for that," Farthington said confidently, "We're two-on-one. We already have the advantage in numbers."

Sighing I say, "Suit yourself. If you're ready then position yourself at the far north side of the mock battle environment I'll start at the south side. Good luck~"

–

Standing at the north side of the mock battle environment, Kaelith's knuckles whitened around the grip of his wooden sword. The anticipation hung thick in the air, tension tightening his muscles. Beside him, Farthington shifted his weight, eyes glinting with a competitive fire.

BZZZZT!

The buzzer's harsh sound tore through the silence, marking the beginning of their spar.

Farthington exploded from the starting line, a blur of movement. He sprinted forward, weaving through the scattered plywood structures, his eyes locked on the opposite end of the arena.

Kaelith, catching Farthington's burst of speed, took a breath and followed, his pace more measured but no less determined. His heart pounded as he pushed forward, navigating around the same obstacles with careful agility.

Farthington surged ahead, crossing the halfway mark and entering a more open expanse of the mock environment. The fewer obstacles here allowed for a clear line of sight, and Kaelith's gaze darted around, quickly locating Tokei. 

She was advancing swiftly from her end, a predatory focus in her unnaturally glowing purple eyes.

Farthington wasted no time. He charged toward Tokei, his sword drawn back, prepared to strike. The air around his blade shimmered with a frosty aura, cold mist trailing behind it as it arced through the air.

Just as Farthington's sword was about to meet its mark, Tokei pivoted with uncanny precision. Her wooden sword flashed, parrying his strike and sending him stumbling backward, his footing compromised.

Before she could capitalize on his falter, a crackling needle of condensed electricity zipped through the air. Tokei's eyes flicked to the side; her blade intercepted the projectile, deflecting it with a sharp Thump that sent it skittering harmlessly away before dissipating into thin wisps of energy.

Kaelith, having closed the distance, lunged at Tokei, his wooden sword aimed at her midsection. His expression was one of fierce concentration, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

At that moment, Farthington, regaining his stance, channeled his mana into his weapon. The frosty sheen dissipated, replaced by a soft green glow. His next strike, propelled by gathered air, sliced through the space between him and Tokei at a blistering speed.

Tokei seemed to instinctively sidestep, focusing her attention on Kaelith, who was now in striking range. Her movements became a blur as she unleashed a flurry of strikes, her blade clashing against his with rapid precision. Kaelith struggled to keep up, his defenses crumbling under the relentless assault.

Shifting her weight fluidly, Tokei delivered an explosive kick to Kaelith's torso. The impact reverberated through his body, and he was sent hurtling backward, crashing through the flimsy walls of a nearby plywood structure. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the arena.

Without missing a beat, Tokei redirected her focus to Farthington. Their swords clashed once more, the wooden blades vibrating with the intensity of their strikes.

BOOM!

Kaelith crashed through the training room's wooden obstacles, skidding to a halt on one knee. His breaths came in heavy, ragged gasps, but a fiery determination blazed in his eyes as he gazed at Tokei. Despite her claims of not being a fighter, she demonstrated a strength that vastly exceeded his expectations.

Clenching his fist, Kaelith forced himself to stand. Through the large gap in the wall he had broken through, he could see Tokei and Farthington locked in combat, their swords a whirlwind of movement.

THWING!

Farthington's sword emitted a frosty aura once more, the cold mist curling around its wooden surface. He parried Tokei's strikes, struggling against her advanced techniques. Each movement she made flowed seamlessly into the next, a choreography of overwhelming force and precision. Her eyes blazed with an unnatural light, and her demeanor had shifted to one of fierce focus and aggression.

With each clash, Tokei pressed Farthington back, his movements growing sluggish with fatigue. Retreating swiftly, he gathered mana into his blade, which now glowed with a soft green hue. The air condensed around it, ready to unleash a powerful, accelerated strike.

Tokei, anticipating his move, repositioned herself. Her blade rose in a precise arc, countering his attack and exploiting an opening in his stance. In a fluid motion, she unleashed a devastating roundhouse kick. Farthington's body crumpled under the force, and he was launched into the training room's wall, the impact echoing through the space.

Using the momentum from her kick, Tokei executed a midair roll, her body twisting midair before she landed, feet firmly planted on the ground.

As the dust settled, Farthington and Kaelith were both down, their attempts to rise thwarted by their own exhaustion and the force of Tokei's attacks. The ethereal glow faded from Tokei's eyes as she emerged from the combat trance, her breath ragged and uneven.

'Hmm,' I thought inwardly, surveying the aftermath. 'It seems they weren't as strong as I hoped. If they can't handle a technician like me, who doesn't even specialize in combat… Also, combat trance 2.0 really demands quite a lot to be effective.'

With a calm demeanor, I exited the combat trance, contemplating their performance and what it meant for their future training.

While I stood there in contemplation a black and white terminal opened up in front of me.

'Huh, what's this? Did Neuro open something up on my glasses?'

"Neuro, what are you displaying on my glasses?"

Neuro's cold voice resounded in my head, "I have not displayed anything on your glasses."

'What?'

Taking off my glasses, I saw that the terminal remained floating in the air before me and text began to flash across it.

[Mana production rate of target entity has reached the minimum amount]

[Bandwith increased from 1 -> 2 Terrabytes]

[Packet loss decreased from 70% -> 69%]

Huh?!