Ha Xhi

Adam stood by the sidelines, watching the friendly bout unfold with a solemn expression. Azrael was bigger and way more muscular than Victor, but the latter was quick on his feet and knew how to evade.

Azrael, with his fists held before his face, closed the distance in one stride and flexed his muscles. His shirt bulged and his arm went flying forward. The blow struck Victor, throwing the boy backwards.

However, Victor quickly found his footing and leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding a knee strike aimed at his head. He rolled once more, till he got to a safe, calculated distance. Then, using the momentum he had gathered, he pounced forward, his left knee high in the air.

Victor's knee went straight for Arthur's face, but the latter had placed his palms forward, killing what would have been a devastating strike. Then, in a bid to counter, he fixed his hands around Victor's leg and tried to drag him around.

Arthur was met with strong resistance.

Victor had placed his other leg on the ground for good footing, then, before his opponent knew what was what, he leapt up once more and slammed his heel against Arthur's face.

Oof.. A silent gasp sounded from somewhere in the training zone.

Arthur Azrael staggered backwards, hand clutched to the side of his cheek. He spat out blood and nodded imperceptibly, "Not bad."

Marshal Mathew Bates, who was observing with a keen eye, nodded.

Spectacularly agile… He was making mental notes of each of their strengths and weaknesses.

This time, Victor didn't rush forward immediately. Now that he had landed a very clean hit and displayed fantastic agility, the other wouldn't underestimate him any further.

Arthur, on the other hand, Inhaled deeply, then took a stance. Both his legs stuck the floor brilliantly, and he had his right hand stretched forward, the left behind his back. He made a gesture saying, "Come on." to Victor.

Victor chuckled and cracked his knuckles, "Alright then."

In the next instant, Viktor bridged the gap faster than the eye could blink. The Power Orbs naturally enhanced strength and speed, but this teenager was obviously faster than normal.

He ducked, crouching low and sweeping his feet in a circular fashion, aiming to knock Arthur off balance.

Arthur, however, had his eyes closed as he raised his right leg, cleanly avoiding the attack. Then, he slammed his right foot back to the ground. The floor visibly cracked and Victor pulled back just in time.

However, at that moment, he felt his abdomen ache terribly. In confusion, he glanced down and raised his shirt. There was a bruise on his left abdomen.

What the? He frowned. Victor looked forward. Arthur remained in that stance, eyes closed.

Ha Xhi… Both Marshal Mathew Bates and Arden recognized the technique Arthur had just used. He had struck his fist and retracted it so fast that Victor hadn't noticed. A technique used to slowly chip at the enemy's strength. A defensive form that allowed one to throw quick counterattacks, after an opponent's failure to land a solid hit.

Usually, the blow wouldn't have been so fast as to go unnoticed. But considering the fact that everyone here was an enhanced being, their attacks would be ten times faster than the average human. Besides that, Victor didn't notice the blow due to having no prior knowledge of the Ha Xhi arts.

Adam, unlike the others, clearly saw when Arthur landed the blow. In fact, he was watching the battle from a bizarre perspective. It felt as though he could see through the eyes of both combatants.

The next series of actions revolved around Victor trying to attack, only to get hit. This continued for a while, and he seemed unable to bypass the defensive form. What annoyed him even further was the fact that Arthur had his eyes closed throughout!

He's getting uneasy, he'll lose… The youngster with a fiery gaze, but seemingly invisible presence, thought to himself.

At that moment, Arthur's eyes snapped open and he dashed forward faster than the eyes could perceive. He reached his hand forward and grabbed Victor by the neck.

Then, his leg went behind Victor's and he exerted force, turning the latter and slamming his back to the ground.

A slight tremor shook the training zone and Victor's eyes rolled backwards. "Ack–"

The Marshal clapped and walked forward. "Not bad, not bad at all. Taking note of your opponent's slight faltering and using it to your advantage. Brilliant." He commended.

"The first round ends with Arthur's win."

Then, after Victor and Arthur left the middle of the vast arena-like space, Mathew Bates said, "Arden Jhumpa, Aaron Blackwell, step forward."

A match between the fierce-looking lad and the girl with a cheerful attitude.

…

Nina lay on a wide field made of artificial grass. She was clad in a black tank top and khaki trousers. Every other person on the field wore the same and were in the same position.

They had just finished running forty laps around the large field, and were given just seven minutes to rest. Nina's face was covered in sweat and her heart palpitated. Her lungs felt stuffy, making it difficult to breathe.

She had known this wouldn't be easy, and despite her special attributes, she was completely drained of energy. Her hair was scattered across the grass and her eyes appeared distant.

A young lad rose and walked over to her side, resting his behind on the soft grass. He was of average build, had bright blue eyes and wore glasses that settled on his nose bridge, giving him a somewhat scholarly look. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and said rather awkwardly, "H-hey. You good?"

Nina sat up and glanced at him. Her lips felt quite heavy to part, but she responded out of basic courtesy, "Yes."

The boy nodded and cleared his throat. There was a moment of awkward silence as he parted his lips and closed them back. He seemed to be struggling with what to say.

"Uh, is there something you need?" Nina asked.

"Haha," The boy scratched the back of his hair, his face betraying nervousness. "I was just wondering what someone like you is doing here.."

Nina's eyes remained empty as she asked, "Someone like me?"

The teen with bright blue eyes turned to look at her. His lips hung open slightly and he was unable to find his words.

"You– I just…" He stammered.

In the next instant, he rose quietly and walked away.

"Hm?" Nana was confused, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She tried to balance her breathing before the next drill began.