The weather was quite nice.
| Wait. |
The traffic was quite thick.
| Wait. |
I looked up at the people around me, they were quite tall.
| Wait. |
I fidgeted a bit, this school uniform was really irritating, so I wore shorts under the skirt, really long socks that were a little too snug, and a big puffy coat with a tall collar to hide my face behind.
| Wait. |
My mask shifted a little, letting my breath fog up my large round glasses. Oh woe is me, to have lesser sight even in this life.
| Walk. |
I walked forwards, pushing out on my rear legs.
I stretched my legs to their fullest as I walked, lengthening my stride by every means. I even extended my ankles fully.
| Walk.|
This place is eerie. I looked around at my fellow students, they were talking, laughing, joking, but I couldn't hear them. The cars that were so plentiful in the streets made no noises, I couldn't hear the crushing weight of them pressing down on the asphalt. There were no emissions I could see from any exhaust pipes. I rubbed my ears and still, I couldn't hear the engines working. The cars rushing by didn't even make a noise, their chassis pushing aside the wind as they sped were as silent as my home.
|Walk.|
The silence was deafening. I looked up to ask the sky once more.
"Why am I here?"
The sky did not respond. As if mocking me there wasn't even a cloud or bird in the air. As if the answer was so obvious to the heavens that I should know it already. Much like life, who are we to determine what life, as a whole concept, means?
|walk.|
My short legs had me lagging behind the group of students, I could even hear that automated voice from the intersection a while ago. Though its voice was fading into the distance.
|wal|
I looked down again, the buildings weren't anything to look at. Even in this world the cities had no sense of artistry, every building being a variation of concrete, glass, or brick blocks.
I hated it here.
______________________________________________________________________________
|TBrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr|
It was strange to me, that even in a place like this schools were still the same. The students piled into classes, the bells were the same, and long hours. The only thing different was-
"Alright students who can tell me how mana and light interact?"
Yeah, it's sci-fi-fantasy. Eeeeurrgh.
I didn't need to make myself small to avoid the question, I'm already really small. And there were plenty of eager students who'd blurt out the answer.
"Pick me!" "Pick me!"
Pick me kids, the whole lot of them. I once again lamented my position in this world. Why couldn't I have been a civvie? What war are we fighting, that would make almost all mana sensitives be forced to attend overglorified boot camps? What happened to my ability to just dabble in magics on the side while I hold a nice little bakery for my life? I let my voice out, small, weak, soft.
"There's no freedom of choice here."
I slumped over my desk, it stood near the back end of the class. An assignment that I was satisfied with.
As my dull gaze rested at the front of the lecture hall the time seemed to speed up, leaving today's first lecture finished.
"I'll see you all on Wednesday, don't forget to turn in Friday's homework before you leave."
I absentmindedly ruffled through my backpack, the assigned homework gravitating toward my hand.
"Heh"
I had set a temporary modified mana formula on the edge, with an equally modified mana emission I could imitate magnetism on paper. My paper was neat, written like it was printed by a machine, its contents covering the first two chapters of our textbook. {What is Mana?} and {Why is Mana?}
I walked to the table at the front of the hall, my movements as steady as ever.
"Emma."
I flinched.
The teacher turned towards me, me of all students and spoke.
"Come see me after class."
Maaaa~ It's only the second week of courses at this damn academy.
______________________________________________________________________________
As I waited for the students to file out I pondered again, who made this school system? It's like someone mashed together high school and college, took out the freedom, and added some of China's 996 practices. Not that this world had a China, or America, or anything.
"Emma, about leaving this school."
Oh now here's what I was waiting for. For once I allowed myself to be excited, to be happy for a moment.
"Y-y-yyes?"
My anticipation was clawing at me.
"There's a few other academies that'll take you but then you'll have to move to them all on your own wallet. Are you okay with that?
I froze.
"I, I can't just drop out?"
She sighed, the teacher almost looked as tired of this life as I was.
"You know the rules Emma."
I nodded, it stipulates that people over a certain mana sensitivity threshold are supposed to attend these "academies". That attendance was mandatory, relocation was mandatory, and that it would
be mostly funded with government money.
"I am following the law though, I have attended for a week here at East Academy, I've relocated here to East Academy, and I've done all of the paperwork with regards to the money. There was no clause about dropping out."
The teacher sighed again, for a moment despair seemed to reach for her face.
"The academy rulebook, Emma, you can't leave this school without either graduating, or transferring to another academy."
I blanked, I blinked, and I balked at what I was hearing.
"But-"
"The law, Emma, also states that the Academies are not only places of education, but also separate territories that have the power to 'rule' over its occupants."
I was stumped, the deafening silence from before began to set in.
"I'm sorry Emma, there's nothing I can do."
I only stared.
"Now go □□ □□□□ □ext □□□□s. You ca□'□ □□□□□ or □□ □#$□%□& will □□ □□□."
______________________________________________________________________________
The second class of today is Mana control. My first impressions of it was that it'd be very similar to those old life coach lessons.
Relaxed yoga, self health kind of things.
It wasn't.
"What do you guys think it'll be this time?"
For some reason the other students were excited about Mana control.
"We had a typhoon, a volcano, and a tornado last week."
I muttered.
"They're natural disasters, what joy is in that?"
|TBrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr|
I sat near the front of the classroom, my assigned seat being closest to the professor's podium in the corner of the room.
Thankfully the first half of class is relatively normal.
"Students, be aware of your mana, I don't wish to be forced to intervene and waste precious class time."
In this grand lecture hall many students held their mana before them, using and not using gestures comfortable to them.
Compressing mana, decompressing the mana, compressing, decompressing, rotating, splitting, shaping, and then repeating it all over again.
I was thankful that these actions made noises.
Kghüsh, Bwof, Kghüsh, Bwof, drm, sst, fwöp.
Over and over again.
Much like playing music on repeat, it wasn't for the enjoyment of the sound, but that it wasn't silent.
Kghüsh, Bwof, Kghüsh, Bwof, drm, sst, fwöp.
I could almost forget all of my little complaints in this exercise.
It was weird at first, seeing no movement, no indication of any action that would make a noise. To just start hearing all of these sounds from nowhere.
After all, no first year has mana dense enough to begin expressing a visual presence.
"Speed it up, class."
Kghüsh,Bwof,Kghüsh,Bwof,drm,sst,fwöp.
It echoed, and synchronized throughout the whole class.
I could hardly feel myself think.
I looked to my left, that is a window. I looked to my right, that is another student. I looked closer, I tried to see his face, his name tag, his hair.
If asked what made him different from other students, I wouldn't be able to say anything.
Most definitely his hair is different, but I couldn't see it, I couldn't see what made it different. As for his face, I could only say that it was that of a human male, not yet twenty years of age.
Appearance isn't a solid indicator of age these days though.
I focused my gaze to the front, scrutinizing the teacher for the nth time. I haven't paid much attention to his introduction in week one. He certainly looked old, his hair was white with bits of gray mixed in. His skin was wrinkled, like formal wear after I leave it unfolded for weeks. I can't say why but he looks like he hasn't smiled in a long time.
Oh, he's looking here.
I keep staring, I take in the clothing he decided to don today. It looked heavy, warm, with many layers. No accessories though. Not even glasses were placed upon his face.
His eyes darted away, his ears flexed a little.
Mmm, the ears are really good with supplementing mana sensory, something about depth and space that our eyes can't grasp in regards to low mana density.
The professor's posture got better, a feat I didn't think was possible.
Trring! Trring!
Ah, I wonder what spell he will cast for this class.
"Today we will have a heatwave."
That was all the warning the professor gave before he cast his spell.
For the briefest of moments I saw the glow of dense mana outlining a formula of moderate complexity. It disappeared just as I saw it and just as I felt the heat.
*pop *pop *pop
"Agh shit." "Damnit." "oh crap"
I would've snickered at the other students who lost their concentration. After three classes of this anyone would've already learned to brace themselves and their mana for sudden changes.
However I seemed to have taken on the burden of the professor's eyes.
He glanced around the room before speaking.
"If you are wearing temperature regulating apparel you should deactivate its features now."
"""haaa."""
Sighs came in from around the room, my own also joining the collective.
*click *click *pop
My jacket was now no longer controlling the temperature, as were many other clothes around the room.
I think I heard a faint "shit." as one person released their mana.
Eurgh, the second half of class is gonna take forever.
______________________________________________________________________________
I pondered about whether or not I should drink water in the midst of class. The teacher, nor professor as I prefer to call him, had encouraged staying hydrated.
In these artificially heated conditions though, I sweat a lot less when I have less water in me.
It's much more preferable to avoid situations that induce copious sweating.
Sweat smells, and it makes my clothes stick to my skin more.
"Twenty minutes."
The professor kept monitoring the class. I want to be able to describe his eyes but, I can only say they were probably a little thinner than average. His eyes looked the same as everyone else' to me.
"Ha'k." "Gghrk." "Urwf."
Noises of effort fluttered about the classroom. I couldn't tell whether or not it was from the heat, or from the continuous mana usage in this class.
I think some people paced themselves, I looked around and a fraction of the class were sitting tall, focused on the space in front of them and only lightly sweating.
The others were slouching, keeled over even. I think they were trying their hardest to keep their mana going through the exercises.
As for my mana, I had been running on fumes for the past hour and a half. Since before the professor activated his spell.
"eeeh huuaaa"
It feels pretty tiring, but I've been used to this for a long time. Even in the before , I've been unconsciously using this method.
Pain, fatigue, even bad taste and smell, I've been converting those straight into weakness.
Literal weakness, where others would feel a burning I feel only faint heat and the muscle's inability to do more.
I said inability.
"but it's more like unwillingness."
Just like my fellow students I too was slumped over the desk. The mana I projected from between my brows weakly going through the exercises.
The point in space my mana took was approximately a foot from my face. It was strangely easy to keep it there relative to my eyes.
I used to categorize heat as toasty or clammy with no in between. This class gave me another word to describe it with, spicy.
I blinked. Unlike how I felt heat naturally, The professor's spell made me feel heat from the inside of my body to the outside.
I don't think I like this heat. It reminds me of alcohol.
I absentmindedly looked for a clock in this room. The professor said there was one in the room on the first day of the class but I forgot where it was.
I looked at the front, nothing but a blackboard, with diagrams of our mana exercise and text describing it.
Was it over the windows on the left? No, just plain walls and a mediocre view. A small courtyard with only six trees, and a concrete jungle in the distance.
To the right then, at the furthest corners stood the doors, and in between? Just a plain wall.
Then that leaves-
|TBrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr|
Oh, that leaves lunch.
______________________________________________________________________________
Like usual I went to the open staircase in the corner of this building.
The flow of students meant that I wouldn't face troubles getting to my desired staircase.
But it did mean I'd face delays going up.
"huuuweehe"
The students in this stairwell were more than usual.
I grabbed the outermost railing and began my climb.
All around me was a sea of students flowing down the staircase, a waterfall of students. A studentfall?
It was interesting seeing all the different hair colors in this populace. Natural blondes, blacks, browns, brown bordering black, pure silver, a deep sea blue, greens, and I think I even saw red.
The actual color red, not that light orangish hair we attribute to gingers.
I blended in quite well with this group. I had a head of dark brown hair that looks black but glows a beautiful bronze under the light.
step. step. step.
There's a lot of students in this institute, a really big amount to be in one building.
I wonder if this really is the most efficient way to educate the youth.
I passed the rabble that was all the students in this building and was left with an empty staircase. It is confusing to me, seeing that not even one other person approaches the roof as I do.
It's nice and quiet up here.
I open the door atop the stairs and greet the now familiar view.
A relatively flat concrete roof with some of what I think I should be calling ventilation units spread around.
I don't know, I won't bother to check what they do, they hardly make noise either.
I walk to the edge of the roof where a simple fence stands. Atop the fence is electrified wire, to prevent students from jumping off I suppose.
I seat myself comfortably and observe the tide of students heading to the dining area in the distance.
From my bag I bring out two large thermos', the only meal I've been eating for a long time.
I open the first thermos and absentmindedly stir the contents with mana.
With a little more concentration I add heat to my mana, thus fully reheating my meal.
From the second thermos I take the top layer of food and drop it into the first thermos.
*slurp
My chicken noodle soup is edible.
With my chopsticks I stir the noodles a little.
The little swirls brought a mix of vegetables to the top, all softened and soaked in soup.
The Chinese yams at the bottom are completely soaked in flavor and incredibly hot.
*slurp
From the second layer of the other thermos I pick up a green onion pancake.
It's not as flat as I wanted it to be, but it tastes the same.
*munch *munch
I looked down upon the students again, some hithered and dithered, waiting to join up with their friends.
Others had scurried off to the restaurants in the dining area, determined to secure their choice meals.
A select few, such as I, had our own meals, and found cozy places throughout campus to eat in peace.
*schop
Back to my food again, I made the noodles myself so they weren't perfect, but that also meant that I wouldn't get tired of the texture and feel the need to spit it out.
I drank the soup, I made sure to leave pieces of chicken in every serving, and made doubly sure that I detached the meat from the bone.
I don't need food residue on my cheeks.
"pwaha"
I chugged the soup.
I also finished the other green onion pancakes.
There was nothing left for me to do on the roof.
So I stood, I packed, and I went back to the stairs.
Looking down the stairs gave me vertigo, I would curse my parents for the height I was given but, it just feels wrong.
At the first door I went inside the building and sought a restroom.
It was relatively close to the elevators, and thankfully extraordinarily clean.
I now chugged a bottle of water.
Stationing myself at one of the sinks I brought out from my bag toothfloss, toothpaste, and a toothbrush.
My teeth were white in this life, and I sure as hell hope they stay so.
______________________________________________________________________________
With my hands dry and my needs met I walked over to the elevators.
There's no traffic at the elevators now so why would I want to use the stairs?
The class after lunch was the least boring part of school life here.
Weapons training.
The downside though, it was an everyday class. Unlike the other classes where we had sundays off, we had to go in during sundays for this class.
At least we got to choose our preferred weapons during course selection.
I passed by a group of students under a tree.
"Hey bro you should drop sword and go for spear, you still have until friday to switch courses.
"I don't know man, I feel like me getting sword is like, divine intervention or something."
"Dude sword training is the default course for every student that didn't choose. Learn the spear man, it's perfect for you."
I glanced over at these guys. What I saw was two boys at about 173 centimetres passionately trying to convince the other that their viewpoint was correct.
I looked at my phone, there were about twenty minutes left until I absolutely had to be in class, so that leaves 10 minutes for travel and locker room, and 10 free minutes.
I stopped walking, the boys' chatter still growing in the air.
I thought deeply, should I? No, can I? The image stood greatly in my mind, nunchaku, most definitely the weapon these two should take. I could make these guys tremble before me, grovel, kneel, and even beg for mercy.
I looked straight at the pair. My intentions inked with malice, their minds none the wiser.
I looked at my phone again, 18 minutes left.
'I should go to the locker rooms, maybe my altitude mask form will have been processed so it'll take some extra time for me to change.'
I walked away. My figure forlorn, as if I was struck down by the heavens for my speech.
______________________________________________________________________________
There was a receptionist area at the entrance of a very large gym. I still marvel at this giant brick of concrete, that it can house a third of all students on campus and still have enough training space for each of them. And it was one of four on this campus.
I went up to the counter, trying my best to prepare my vocal cords for a conversation.
"Ah-ah-Hello."
This stuttering and stammering has plagued me for years.
"Oh hi sweetie, how may I help you today."
I'm happy the receptionist is always nice.
"I uh, had a request for um, an altillu-no altichu-altitude mask."
Somehow my tongue twisted.
"Oh of course dearie, just a sec, I'll have it out in a moment."
I was doing my best to have a straight face, it was already burning. I didn't need to make even more mistakes.
As I waited for the nice receptionist to return I spotted many other students in my peripheral vision ambling about the gym. Most were waiting until the last minute before class so they could spend more time with their friends.
My head lowered, some were looking at me.
I could feel my ears burning along with the weight of embarrassment on my back.
"Here you are sweetie, your altitude mask. Oh and the fees have already been taken from your student account so don't worry about paying now. Have a good class!"
I snatched the mask and thanked the nice lady before I ran into the gym.
There was a general gym area with weights and whatnot but what the classes used were separate rooms with attached locker rooms.
I quickly ran to the assigned locker rooms scared I'd make even more humiliating mistakes on the way.
"phew"
Checking the phone told me I had 11 minutes left until class.
I quickly switched the altitude mask with my regular mask and walked to my locker.
Opening it, I tossed my bag in and hung my jacket.
Then I switched my skirt for the gym shorts and my top for the gym t-shirt.
I also switched my boots for the gym shoes which had no ankle support.
Uniformed gym shoes! I lamented.
I adjusted the altitude mask until I was just getting uncomfortable with the air I could breathe. Just so that I could gradually increase the difficulty in later training.
Finally I tied my shoulder-length hair into a bun.
I didn't need it to twist around and hit my eyes when I turned my head.
I picked up my staff from the locker and entered the classroom.
7 minutes left.
______________________________________________________________________________
There were a few others already in the room, I don't remember if there were any in the locker room.
It's a large room, more than enough space for 50 people practicing simultaneously, I dare say that it looks bigger on the inside than the outside.
More people began piling in, No new faces today.
'Hmmm, it looks weird if I do nothing, and there's not really another thing to do.'
I stretched.
Knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders, elbows, every joint in my body.
My go to was the splits, I could do them better in this body!
I shouldn't let my glum thoughts forest my worldview.
I think I should at least try to commit a face to memory today.
In a front split, I looked around the room. It's a forty student class, with four Teacher assistants, and of course one teacher.
I call the teacher Instructor, like last class' Professor, and mana theory's Teacher.
It's not my fault they don't wear nametags. It may be my fault that I don't check the online resources, but they always put the homework and important days on the board at the end of class.
So I really don't need to use the internet.
That shit's evil.
I lay down, my arms spread out.
I read some disturbing shit on the internet before, and worse, I related. The fuck you mean by that?
I've never touched drugs in my life the fuck you mean I related to that book?
I kicked the problem in the last life, not fully, but in this life, I think I can be rid of it. with magic to keep it out.
|TBrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr|
Like a rocket I shot up from the ground, grabbing my staff and bringing my legs together. A slightly formal pose for the quite serious instructor.
*tak *tak *taK
He was, plainly dressed? I could say it was formal, I could say it was practical, but really I wouldn't know at all. It's not that I can't tell what he wore, a shirt, a whistle, pants, shoes, a jacket, nor was it that I didn't know body ergonomics and how clothes affect movement or the culture of this world.
The truth was, I wasn't really looking at him. My eyes are certainly focused, I'm definitely looking forward, but I really can't tell anything else that's happening.
The instructor called for laps, I think, since everyone else started running around the room.
I too ran. In this very large room.
It's quite large.
…
…
…
Were we slowing down?
…
…
…
No, just a few students. Hmmm, maybe I should pace myself.
Running.
Running.
Running.
Were we really running?
In my vision there were still students, they were ahead of me, were they running?
They were. So I was still running.
…
…
…
Oh, they stopped. So suddenly too.
thwack.
Thomp.
What was that?
I looked around me, thirty-eight students, four TAs, one instructor. Instructor, hmmm.
Weapons training course.
I looked in front of me again. A few students were looking at me, and…
"Could you please get off my leg?"
Oh, oh, oh no.
I stepped back quickly.
And so he stood, ah definitely taller than me.
One hundred and ninety centimeters. looming, intimidating. Was he angry? Was he upset?
His tone, his body language, his face. I didn't know, I couldn't read them, not in this life.
While I was still frozen, still processing, he spoke.
"Flying tackle to the back of the knee, you gotta pay attention to the whistle."
"S-sorry." I spoke.
Looking at him again, 'Did I not speak out loud?'
"No problem."
|Tweeeeeeet!|
"Stretches!"
Oh, right, we're in class, still. I looked at the clock. For a while.
We split into groups of ten, one group per TA. I looked around again, 190 cm guy, which 190 cm guy were you?
I don't even remember what his hairstyle was.
|Twit!|
Oh the TAs got mini whistles. Right, they've had mini whistles.
"Touch your toes."
"Squats."
"Lunge stretches."
"Back bridge."
…
There were more.
…
These stretches aren't particularly, effective, for this body.
"Front splits."
"Switch sides."
"Side splits."
"Butterflies."
The TA went around pushing down our knees.
I looked at my knees, they were already touching the ground. I looked at my feet, they physically couldn't be closer.
"Now bring your chest to the ground and keep your legs still."
This, gave some stretch.
Were we done yet?
|Twit!|
"Stretching done! Now go take a drink of water and come back, three minutes."
Where did I leave my staff?
"Here."
Huh?
"Hey you gonna grab it? My arm will get tired."
I left it in my hands? No, this student. I looked up.
Who? No, there's no one. What?
"Sheesh they really let anyone into the academies huh?"
That voice, I turned left.
"Yeah it's me, I don't know what's up with you but you gotta at least pay attention in this class."
I pay attentio-
"No you don't, not in mana theory, and not in mana sensitivity, which is frankly baffling."
Huh? Is she-
"And no I can't read your mind. Your shock is all over your face, at least, the part that's visible." The student said.
They took a swig of water.
They had a water bottle?
"My name's Jessie, just call me Jess."
She tossed my gourd at me.
My gourd?
"Forgot my bottle, and I didn't want to walk all the way over to the water fountains."
She shrugged.
She was a little taller than me, my 150 cm vs her 160 cm.
"So, what's your name?"
I was, my name hmm.
For a few seconds I stared.
She stared too.
Was it a long or a short time?
"-ma, I'm Emma."
I worry that I didn't actually speak.
I worry that my voice died in my throat and that I only stared.
She smiled.
"You're so cute Emma, from now on you're my friend, and that means we'll be spending lots of time together."
Is this an extrovert adopting an introvert?
"Now step one, let's get you through this class and then go get dinner."
Huh? Is this what friends do? Dinner the first time they meet?
"It's what we do!"
I'm not that readable am I?
She looked at me, then she made a face.
I can't read that. I deadpanned.
She giggled.
"We're gonna get you out of your cave and into the beautiful world around you."
We?
"You and me, we're gonna explore all the secrets this place has to offer."
Oh.
|Twit!|
"Twenty minutes everyone, I want you all to go through your forms at least seven times in the next twenty minutes. We'll have sparring in twenty minutes so make sure you're all warmed up and ready to go."
The TAs spoke.
I found myself a spot for the task at hand.
Jess took space near me, in front of me.
It was strange. What we were doing was essentially just performative art.
I took a stand.
Like the martial arts forms.
|Twit!|
"Begin!"
Fwap!
Nearly every form began with standing up straight, then quickly bringing the weapons, or hands, close to the body.
The collective sound of wind moving as we snapped into position was strangely audible.
'Must be mana'
I stare ahead of me, at the back of Jess' head. Her hair was a little on the dark side.
fwoom.
The air parted as we swung our staffs.
The whole class was remarkably in sync. Save for some who hesitated, and a few others whose grip on their staffs were weak.
Jess's hair shone brightly. Like a jewel being introduced to light from within a dark room.
Swoosh.
These strikes were basic. They remind me of the traditional forms in wushu.
sweep, swing, twist, stab, deflect, swing.
A lot of the staff attacks fall under the category of swinging.
Fwooosh!
Big swing, it leads up to another swing.
fwoosh.
fwooom.
That led to a sweeping swing.
Then a stab.
…
I guess that didn't make much noise.
There was much more, we had a few slams.
THWAK.
The gym floor is durable enough to tank a lot of things. Students being one of them. Usually
THAK. THAK. THAK.
There was a segment with a high density of floor slams.
THAK. THAK. THAK.
Jess seems to be quite enthusiastic about this part.
Two and a half minutes was the approximate duration of our form.
If you asked me from the before, I would say it's surely short, but it isn't short for the performer. Now, yeah it's kinda short. Mana is a real game changer, I could tell that the mere presence of mana boosts my stamina and stamina regeneration.
Once we finished the form we went back to our starting positions. Even if the room is huge it's better to stay closer to the center of the room.
|Twit!|
"Again."
And so we went.
"Ha!t!"
Occasionally sounds of effort came.
"KHAA!"
That one was quite passionate, I glanced over, 170 centimeters. Red hair. I think his face was expressing effort.
|Twit!|
And we repeated.
|Twit!|
Seven times.
By the end a few people were tired, and a few others were bored.
Jess was as enthusiastic as ever.
"Hey where do you go for lunch? What is your lunch? Why'd you choose the staff?"
A barrage of questions.
She was also very close.
*sniff
Too close.
I'm quite thankful that my senses, though enhanced, are as dull as they are.
I look at Jess, her brown hair, it's different from the brown in mine. Her eyes were yellow, golden even. Her nose was, I don't know nose aesthetics, it's normal I think. Were the eyes large? small? No they were normal, maybe a little larger but still normal. The mouth was thin, but also big? Ah it's because she keeps opening it to talk.
"Emma?"
Oh yeah, questions.
"Roof, soup."
I need to think about why I chose the staff.
"No not that silly, who is your sparring partner?" She says.
Huh?
"Did you not check?"
I didn't think we were assigned partners. When did they tell us? How were we told?
"Emma? Do you not have internet at your place?"
Oh, online.
"Haaa, don't worry, I'll teach you how to use the internet."
I think Jess is lost in her own world.
There was a new person next to Jess, she had green hair, it reminds me of emeralds when it shines, dark green without direct light.
The girl spoke. "Hi Emma!"
I blink, I nod, and I stare.
"I'm Erianne, you can just call me Eri. I hope we get along well."
She was tall, 190 cm, no, 200cm even, and the way she held her hands. Finger splayed out, hands rotating by the forearms instead of the wrist.
Oh.
Her hand was on my head.
rub rub.
I don't like this.
rub rub.
Move, stop her.
rub rub.
"Hey uh Eri? I don't think you should do that."
…
"Oh! I'm so sorry Emma, it's just."
She sputtered.
Flustered.
"It's, uh, you were so cute, I couldn't resist."
I didn't care for the words.
"Emma, are you ok?"
That's Jessie.
"Emma?"
Jessie again.
I think Erianne looked terrified of something.
"Hey are you Emma by any chance?"
Redhair.
I blink, unfrozen again. I feel uncomfortable.
"Yes."
One hundred and seventy centimeters. His hair was like blazing fire. His eyes were large, slanted, squinting even, but certainly large. His nose was sharp, his mouth and subsequently jaw were grand, powerful looking.
He looked, spirited given his sharp features.
*gasp!
Jessie looked distraught.
"Great! I'm Gregory, Greg if you want. I hope today's sparring will be good."
"Yeah."
Jessie's eyes widened.
Why is she acting like this?
|Twit!|
"Now that everyone's got their partner line up and take these barrier bracelets, sparring starts as soon as you and your partner find an available square."
He said more, something about full contact sparring and the bracelets only activating when needed. I wasn't paying attention to his words. I was looking at the room.
Each square was about 64 square meters, and the floor was tiled that way.
The room is definitely bigger on the inside.
I looked and, yeah, the walls can just expand like that?
'They didn't do that last week. Who, why, what government would spend so much on infrastructure? Where are the cut corners? There's like 8 academies!'
'This is one fucking room! One room! Space magic is space magic, it fucks with time too at a high enough level this room is goddamn expensive, how many goddamn rooms are here?'
"Put this on"
"Oh."
And now we find a square.
We walk in silence, my 170 cm opponent matching me in silence.
Past the other students who had begun their spars we found a square.
'I can't even tell where we are relative to the original center of the room.
'Gregory stood across from me, waiting for something.
Oh yeah.
I stand too, formally, in a way.
We take stances.
His was strong, grounded.
Mine was light.
"I'll start." He says.
And he does. Reminiscent of a straightforward sword slash he holds his staff close to his body, one hand forward the other holding the butt end at his waist. And he dashes forward, moving his hands so that the end facing me goes down quickly, snappily even.
I turn clockwise and step diagonally forward. My hand bringing the staff to the side of his and deflecting his downward strike away.
I take a similar hold of my staff and flick the end towards his head, following a crescent path.
He steps forward, his lead foot aiming to pass mine and his staff coming in to the side.
He leans back too, to narrowly dodge my strike.
I drop, with my left leg I turn and sweep his forward foot out, duck under his swing and bring my staff all the way around.
THWAK.
He blocks my staff, he knew it would go high rather than low. With his lead foot he lifted it over and back bringing his head slightly out of range.
We had circled the center of the square a little bit.
"What are you looking at when you fight?"
He seems a little bit confused.
"Peripheral vision."
His eyes open up a bit, he smiles just a little more.
"Haha wow, I didn't think someone would actually do that."
"How so?"
"Well,"
He does a left horizontal swing with a dash forward from the same sided foot.
"With the natural addition of mana and its more focused nature."
I go low, I twist my body and with my right foot forward I extend my core and twist from the hips.
THWAK
He twisted his body to his right more, his staff slammed into mine just before I could hit his inner thigh.
"The benefits of peripheral vision are kind of evened out."
We step back from each other.
"The clarity and speed of our regular view usually at least match if not surpass peripherals, and if something is so fast that only the peripherals can catch it then it's already too fast to react to."
We circle again. Staff held in our right hand, their tops facing down as we walk. Our right feet in the lead.
I twirl my staff, he raises his for a strike. With a twist of his hips his stance widens as he dashes forward, stabbing towards me with his staff. I widen my stance, my head just barely passing to the right of his staff. As I do so I point my staff to my left, the butt end will face towards him. with my left hand raising with the staff I stab him center mass.
He moves, I hit the rib instead.
THOK
Ah, barrier bracelets. His activated, mine didn't need to.
He tries to dash backward, he needs to make space for his range advantage. I step forward into another back leg sweep.
He brings his staff back to himself, its end flicking towards me.
I'm forced to block with my staff, giving him enough time to raise his leg, dodging the legsweep.
I duck lower to let his staff bounce over my head, my staff resting on my shoulder after the block.
He throws a wild diagonal chop after releasing one hand from his staff.
I twist my body again, my staff quickly following my movement as I dodge his palm.
I slam the staff towards his body, he steps back dodging the blow.
CRACK!
The floor and my staff remain unharmed. My grip too was unhurt, I knew how to hold a weapon properly.
Gregory tries to stab again. This time his right hand at the base of his staff, his left leg being the lead.
The rebound of the staff on the floor is enough for me to bring my left hand up to the staff and then the staff up towards his.
THWAK.
I've deflected his strike again, so I try to dash forward.
He swings his staff back, hitting mine to the side as he dashes backwards again.
I dash forward again, I can't let him get even the slightest range advantage. Using the force he applied to my staff I let it spin once into a rebounding strike against Gregory's head.
His staff comes around fully from the swing and he's able to use both his hands to hold it above his head, to block my blow.
With a twist of my wrist the staff moves quickly, changing its original straight downwards strike into a crescent shaped strike aimed at his chin.
shvwoop.
He barely manages to avoid it, the staff just grazing his jaw.
"pFft" I express my frustration.
Gregory makes a face. I can't read that.
"You've practiced with the staff before?"
I nearly scoff.
"We've been doing it for the past week."
He makes another face, I swear I don't know why I can't read it.
"No I mean, like you've learned the spear before the academy."
Technically "I" haven't, though at the same time 'I' have. So I say.
"Does it matter?"
He pauses a little bit, twirls his staff.
"No, not really."
He's still distracted. The way his staff moves is languid.
He tries to speak but, he closes his mouth again.
"Arrggh." He ruffles his own hair.
'Difficulty speaking? tough luck buddy.'
"So uh, can you help me fight like you do?"
I tilt my head. He ought to be more specific. I speak.
"How so?"
"Your moves, they just come out so suddenly, like you've practiced for years to make them into reflexes or something."
I scoff. I'm not that fast. If he's curious about that though, I think I know his problem.
"Stop identifying the attacks, just move."
"But then how do I know what to do?"
'Golly this guy is gonna be a future soldier?'
"Your body knows, nearly everything is built for survival, it's not instinct, it's just doing the easiest thing in a fight."
He scratches his head again.
"I don't get it."
I bring my stick to his head, quick and precise. He flinches and raises his hands, his staff held between them.
thok. A light tap.
"You flinched." I say
"Yeah! You just suddenly attacked me out of nowhere!" He sounds heated.
But alas, I'm still teaching this guy. Though, 'If his head is red like so, is he still a ginger?'
"You, flinched, your body knew to do something and you did it."
He who was heating up seemed to cool down just then.
"Oh, but flinching is-"I cut him off
"Flinching is your body acting before you do, it knows to, and it knows how to act. Now I'll show you it again, when I hit your stick, move your hands forward."
"What?"
I slam his stick on one of the ends.
THAK
The other end flies towards me but,
"Your hands gotta move."
"You didn't give me enough warning!"
THAK THAK.
I hit his stick again and blocked the strike that came about from the rebound and his hands moving this time.
'Reminds me of kendo, do they have that here?'
"Feel that? Now try to imagine it again but this time make it comfortable and easy to do."
If I could read his face I could tell whether or not he understood it.
I say again. "The body knows what to do."
I add, "It's just body and stick ergonomics, you can literally feel it when you move."
I hope he's getting this, we still have the rest of class to spar and I really wanna spar.
After some time has passed and one visit from the TA the boy before me speaks.
"Ok I think I get it now. Let's get back to sparring."
I nod, 'hopefully this bum actually does get it.'
He got it, for the most part.
THAK THAK THAK.
His style changed completely too, gone were the stabs he charged up for. He added in more swinging, more flicking, more staff attacks in general.
Of course I was still better. I kicked his shins a few times with stomps and other similar kicks throughout the spar. His barrier was activated quite a lot.
He needs to work on more dynamic footwork. He was doing better before he hyperfixated on staff strikes.
THAK THAK THAK
I'm quite close to him, clinching distance even, no, a little further. I toss an oblique kick at his inner thigh. He folds quite easily. I plant my staff on the ground and block another strike.
THAK.
He's telegraphing his moves still. No matter, my right foot still at his leg clamps onto his right knee.
'I've been wanting to do this kinda thing forever.'
He moves his staff to strike me from the other side but with a jump he hits only my staff again, still strongly planted upright on the floor.
Holding onto the staff and leveraging his knee I twist my body and throw a 540 kick at his head.
'These barriers are awesome.'
FFFfffUMP.
The air moving around my kick and the barrier negating the blow made a satisfying noise as I landed on the ground again, staff in hand.
|TBrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr|
Oh, class ends.
|Tweeeet!|
"Sparring over! You'll find the notes your TAs took on the course pages, remember to check who your sparring partner will be for next week! We'll have free sparring on Sunday! Class dismissed!"
Come to think of it, the instructor is pretty lax huh? The TAs practically do his job for him.
"Haaaa, I'm tired thanks for the help Emma, I'll see you tomorrow."
Gregory heads immediately to the locker rooms. He seems to be in a hurry? Not my problem.
I take a stroll towards the locker room, grabbing my gourd on the way.
Hehe, gourd. With the presence of mana cleaning this thing is super easy, so why not have a functional aesthetically pleasing fluid container? I can make my own financial decisions thank you very much.
I quickly change into my normal clothes, unbothered by the sweat. My reason? Mana, there's low level cleaning spells and I've memorized them religiously. They're a good supplement on top of every single hygienic choice.
As I leave the building I think about my dinner, I can add another chicken to the soup, making a recurrence based chicken soup. How much chicken flavor is in one soup?
I hear two sets of footsteps approaching. Why would they be approaching?
"..."
"Emma! Emma, are you ok?!"