Zeth and Zach face off, standing a few feet away from each other, and they start encircling. Their feet move lightly, muscles tensed, and the rush runs through their veins.
Zeth struck first, lunging forward to deliver a heavy jab, but Zach managed to dodge just in time for it to whizz past. Zach confidently dodged the following succession of punches. No matter what combination Zeth throws, Zach nonchalantly avoids them.
[Your fighting skills are weak against him! You need to get new skills!]
Zeth acknowledges that his borrowed skills aren't good enough, but he tries his best, adding some kicks to the combination.
Soon, Zach counters with a quick roundhouse kick to the face.
Zeth blocks it at the last minute with one forearm, but the attack still deals considerable damage.
Without hesitation and with Zeth still recovering, Zach swiftly surged forward, driving his knees into Zeth's gut, forcing him to stumble back. Then a few quick more, left knee and right, left again, as if he didn't even need to land, floating remarkably.
Zeth grunts. He sees an opportunity, twisting his feet to fix his stance and sending an elbow to Zach's face. But the latter only grabs his arms and throws him on the ground once more.
Zach smirks, having deemed him disabled.
But behind him, Zion recovered.
Suddenly, Zion mindlessly throws a combination of hooks that Zach anticipated, dodging effortlessly.
Zion, in a fit of rage, tries to do a headbutt against the squad leader. But Zach caught his head with his two hands, then repeatedly connected his knee into Zion's face with force.
Zion bled through his nose, his face looking shattered.
Zach pushed him before sending a kick that staggered the hothead. But the squad leader is not done. He jumps a few feet from the ground and lands his headbutt on Zion's already bleeding face.
"That's how you do it."
Zach combs his mullet, his confidence still up. Then he felt a disturbance behind him, and he turned around and saw Zoey about to land a punch.
"Whoa! Didn't even feel you there, must be your zero aura!"
Zach mocks the poor girl, smirking as he blocks the incoming pummel. Zoey's face, meanwhile, is bloody and bruised, a bump built up on her cheek.
Zach side steps, making Zoey miss an uppercut. Then he sends his fist into her gut, and she wheezes, stumbling and grinding her teeth. Pivoting his feet again, Zach grabs her by the hair and slams her to the ground like a rag doll.
But before he could hoist her up for another slam, in mid-motion, Zoey slithers her arms around Zach, locking onto him. With her determination, she arches her back in a limbo-like stance, overpowering the squad leader. With muscles shaking, she steadies and slowly rises.
"Impressive!"
But Zach still has his other arm, and with it, he swings, and it lands into her ribs with a sickening thud. She gasps in pain, loosening her hold on him. Her posture crumbles as she falls to the ground with impact.
Just a few feet away, Zeth's mind was racing for a strategy. His breathing is ragged, sweat mixing with the dirt, and blood dripping on his forehead. He watched Zach thrashing Zoey with a flurry of punches.
Zach noticed Zeth resting, and he stood up straight, brushing off his hands.
"What's the matter, tired already?"
"This is not even training!"
Zeth slowly stands, hiding the green plume of smoke that is regenerating his broken ribs.
[You're cheating! Might as well show your true self, no?]
Shut up, I got this. He's testing us!
"Hmm? What are you thinking there, buddy?"
Zach walks toward Zeth, and he leans in mockingly. His necklace appeared, hanging on his neck, swinging. Then Zach absentmindedly tucks it back inside his clothing.
Zeth's eyes glimmered, his head popping up to the realization, his lips forming a sly smirk when the idea struck.
That's our leverage!
[The necklace?]
"Hey, Snitch! Give me a distraction! Try to restrain him!"
Zeth shouted at Zion, who was struggling and slowly creeping up behind Zach.
"What the hell?! You're giving orders now!?"
His exposure annoyed him, so he bared his fangs. Zach playfully glances at him, as if he knew he was there all along.
"Just do it, you moron, use your Zystem!"
Zeth assumes his position and prepares to activate his Accelerate powers subtly..
"You want me to show my power? Fine, but not because you asked!"
Zion pressed his palms together, then put his pinky fingers down.
"Advanced Skill. First Swell: Flyweight Mode!"
A loud explosion of pink powder suddenly covers Zion, his silhouette barely visible.
"Oh! You also give your abilities a name? Me too!"
Zach teases, and he puts his thumb up in approval.
"Shut the hell up!"
Zion reveals his transformed body, dissolving his jumpsuit. Now resembling a muscular corpse that is freshly decomposing, his hair all spiked up, eyes now flashing faded red, and fists swelling as thick as boxing gloves.
"Come and get it!"
Zion quickly lumbers towards Zach with his fists up, ready to show off his skills.
"I think this is a good time for a lesson! Team, who can tell me how many levels there are in Zystem usage?"
Zach looks around, raising and wiggling his index finger, waiting for one of them to answer.
"Three!"
Zoey answers, spitting some blood, and wipes off her mouth as she pulls herself up.
" Excellent, Zoey!"
Zach said before dodging Zion's punches effortlessly.
Zion's movements are a bit faster and appear much stronger, but his swelled-up fists miss their vastly superior target. He could only click his tongue in irritation.
"There are three levels in using your Zystem! First is the standard level, which includes basic stuff that your Zystem has; every user has their own unique set. But who can tell me the one common thing all underlings have?"
Zach continues to toy with Zion's punches, gleefully contorting his body to dodge.
"Regeneration!"
Zoey stumbles as she answers, and she spits some more blood.
"Good! Wow, boys, come on. Answer some questions!"
"Shut up!"
Zion pauses, taking a breather to recoup his stamina, his swelled-up fist slowly decompressing.
"Now, next is the advanced level. What you see here is one of Zion's advanced skill sets! You see, to even get to the third level, you have to master the second level! I think you're running out of fuel there, buddy!"
"Shut up!"
Zion fell on his knees. His swells are gone; he breathes heavily, weakly punching the ground in his annoyance. He struggles to breathe and is about to go unconscious.
"There, there, buddy! Don't you worry, you will master your first and second-level skills in no time!"
"I said shut up!"
"Now, who can tell me the third level?"
Zach turns to Zeth, who was helping Zoey get up.
"Ultimate!"
Zoey answers again. She can now stand on her own.
"Good. Only the best of the best can use their ultimate forms with ease!"
"Are you one of them?"
Zeth asked as he and Zoey approached Zach, circling him.
"Maybe. I'm ranked Spezial Zero, you know? They don't just give away ranks!"
Zach stands guard, patiently anticipating the three of them to attack at once.
"You did. To us."
Zeth clenches his fist.
"Heh. You're right. Silly me."
Tension rises, muscles tighten. Their veins coiled up with adrenaline. There was a moment of stillness, an eerie silence. Blood and sweat dripping. The wind sends shivers down them.
Then, Zeth breaks the silence, shouting.
"Zion now!"
"Eh?"
Zach turns around to see a ferocious-looking Zion with a swollen left hand twice as big as earlier, about to grab him in the face.
Zach immediately backs away, but before he can escape, Zoey grapples him from behind. His arms were locked in her tight hold, unable to wrestle out.
Zion clamps Zach in the face, his palm smothering the squad leader's nose and mouth. He puts pressure and force, disabling Zach's movements.
Ill-conceived tricks won't easily defeat the Spezial Zero rank squad leader. Zach lunges backward, overpowering the two. First, it was Zoey who bent downwards. She immediately released her grip but tried to grab him once more, but before she could, Zach thrust his foot behind and planted it on Zoey's face; the impact sent her down forcefully.
Then, with his free arms, he pounded Zion's chest with a rapid barrage of punches, shattering his ribs. At first, Zion tried to resist, taking it all in without budging. But in the end, his brave display was no match for Zach's overwhelming strength.
Now released from all that, Zach exhales, and he grows bored. Ready to end the training session. He turns around to see Zeth, facing him with a cocky smirk.
"That's all for today, Zeth. Great effort though!"
Zach combs his hair with his hand, smiling contentedly, feeling like he performed his duty as an educator.
Then he felt it. Zach's eyes widened in disbelief. He checked his neck where the necklace was supposed to be, trying to get a feel of the pendant. He looked around the area, but his eyes caught a shimmer of it in Zeth's hands.
"Looking for this?"
Zeth puts his hand up, holding the item by its laces, showing a sinister grin.
Zeth used his slithering stitches from his palms to snatch the item from Zach while he was being held. He also shared the plan with Zoey when he helped her get up.
[So, what's the point of this?]
Zeth smiles as he continues to stare down Zach, who still looks surprised.
"Well, well."
Zach said impressed and delighted by what unfolded.
[Seriously, what's the point of this?]