Kaeline and Kaito stood several meters across from each other near the center of the training room.
Neither moved.
Aqua and Finn stood near the long metal table by the entrance, the artifacts rattling faintly under the lingering pressure in the room emitting from the two.
Finn gulped as his eyes shifted between the both of them.
Aqua's fins twitched repeatedly as she did the same.
The large training room was eerily quiet and the air was heavy as if the gravity multiplied many times over.
Kaito's purple essence flared around his body with white streaks twisting through it like fire.
Kaeline's black essence moved around her body like smoke crawling over her skin.
Neither of them spoke a word.
Kaito slowly lifted his fists.
His front foot slid across the smooth metallic floor. His knees bent slightly.
Kaeline's eyes sharpened.
Then she moved into her stance.
Finn's eyes widened a little.
It was nearly identical.
Not completely though.
Her back was straighter and her shoulders relaxed like she had been shaped by thousands of stellar cycles of training.
The two stared each other down.
Then Kaito moved first.
BOOM!
The floor creaked beneath his foot as he dashed straight toward her.
Purple and white essence trailed behind him.
Kaeline didn't flinch.
He closed the distance in an instant and threw a straight punch toward her face.
She shifted her head half an inch.
His fist zipped past her cheek.
She stepped in and fired a punch toward his ribs.
Kaito's elbow dropped to block it.
THUD!
Her fist slammed into his guard, the impact shaking his arm up to the shoulder.
He gritted his teeth and twisted his hips throwing a low kick shot toward her thigh.
Kaeline checked it with her shin.
CLACK!
The sound of bone on bone colliding cracked through the room.
Kaito immediately followed with a left hook, but Kaeline ducked beneath it.
Her foot slid forward then shot her palm up toward his chin.
Kaito leaned back just in time for her hand to graze the air under his jaw.
His eyes widened in surprise. She was fast. Very fast.
He slammed his foot down, stepped in again, and threw a right straight with enough force to make the air pop.
But it didn't matter. She caught his wrist easily.
Kaito's stomach dropped.
She pulled him in and his body lurched forward.
Her knee rose toward his gut with a terrifying amount of force.
BOOM!
Kaito blocked it with both arms, but the impact still launched him backward across the floor.
He exhaled sharply and pushed forward again.
This time, he didn't rush straight in.
He shifted left then right.
His footwork changed.
He feinted a front kick, then stepped in with a jab toward her eyes.
She parried it effortlessly, but his right fist came behind it.
She parried that too.
His knee shot upward.
She stepped away, just outside his range.
His elbow cut across.
She leaned under.
Every time he attacked, she was already moving.
Every punch he threw looked like one she knew was coming.
Every kick.
Every shift of his hips.
Every breath before he committed.
It was like fighting a mirror. No… It was worse than that.
A mirror only copied what came at it.
Kaeline seemingly corrected him with every move.
Kaito threw a roundhouse kick toward her head.
Kaeline stepped into the kick instead of away from it.
Her forearm slammed into his shin before the kick reached full power.
THUD!
His leg jolted.
Before he could pull back, her fist buried into his stomach.
"Guhhhh!!!!"
The air left his lungs.
She turned and her heel slammed into his side.
BOOM!
Kaito shot across the room and crashed shoulder first into the floor. He rolled twice before planting one hand down and flipping back onto his feet.
He coughed and a thin line of spit hit the floor.
His purple and white essence flared again.
Kaeline stood in the same spot, one fist extended, her black essence drifting slowly around her body.
Her face was calm, but her golden eyes were alive as could be.
Kaito wiped his mouth with the back of his hand then he smiled.
He dashed again.
She dashed at the same time.
The two met in the middle.
Fists blurred.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Kaito's punch slammed into her forearm.
Kaeline's punch slammed into his shoulder.
He kicked.
She checked.
She swept.
He jumped.
He spun in the air and fired a kick toward her head.
She leaned back just enough for his foot to barely miss her nose and grabbed his ankle before he could land.
Kaito's eyes widened.
She turned her hips and threw him.
His body slammed into the floor hard enough to make the entire room shake.
BOOM!
Finn grimaced in pain as if he felt it himself.
Aqua's fins shot straight out stiff.
Kaito coughed, but rolled away just as Kaeline's heel crashed into the floor where his head had been.
CRACK!
A small web of cracks spread across the polished metal.
He pushed himself up with one hand and fired a punch from the ground ,but she blocked it.
He twisted his body and swept his leg toward hers.
She jumped over it.
He used that same motion to spin up to his feet.
He stepped in close… but too close.
Kaeline's eyes narrowed as he unleashed a brutal combination of blows.
Every strike chained into the next without pause.
Kaeline blocked most of them and dodged the rest.
But for the first time, one slipped through.
Kaito's fist grazed her cheek.
A faint line appeared beneath her eye.
Finn's eyes widened.
"He hit her…"
Aqua's mouth parted slightly.
Kaeline's head turned from the hit.
For a moment, she stayed still.
Kaito's eyes sharpened and didn't waste any time.
He stepped in to follow up, but just as he did, Kaeline vanished from his sight.
Not with teleportation or an ability.
Simply with footwork.
Kaito felt her before he saw her.
Behind him.
His body turned on instinct, but it was too late.
Her palm slammed into the center of his chest.
BOOM!
Kaito's feet left the ground.
He flew backward and crashed into the floor, sliding across the room until his back hit the lower wall.
The impact shook dust loose from the ceiling.
Kaito sat there for a second, eyes wide, air stuck in his throat.
Then he coughed hard.
His essence flickered away momentarily.
Kaeline lowered her hands as she watched him slowly push himself up, sweat rolling down the side of his face. His chest rose and fell heavily.
She tilted her head slightly.
"What is wrong?"
Kaito looked up at her.
Her expression remained calm.
"You were talking pretty big not long ago."
He blinked, staring at her for a short moment still trying to gather himself.
Then he laughed nervously.
"Yeah…" He muttered, wiping sweat from his chin.
"I guess I was."
He rolled his shoulders and forced himself back to his feet.
His body ached and lungs burned with every breath, but his smile didn't fade.
"Your karata is insane sensei. It really is the same as my Karate. Down to the tee."
His fingers curled into fists.
"And…"
Kaeline watched him closely.
His feet shifted.
"You're far more advanced than me right now."
He took a deep breath and exhaled.
"But Karate is only one martial art we humans practice."
Just as he finished that sentence, his stance changed.
His front shoulder turned inward.
His chin tucked slightly.
One hand lowered near his body while the other hovered near his face. He began to bounce on the toes of his feet.
His rhythm changed completely.
Small arcs of white lightning crackled around his arms and legs.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"Let's turn it up a notch. What do you say sensei?"
Kaeline stared at him for a moment.
Then her hand slid behind her back and she pulled out a black kunai.
She held it in front of her as her black essence curled around it.
Finn's expression dropped.
"Wait… is sensei really getting serious?"
Kaeline's golden yellow eyes glowed with excitement as the smile on her face widened.
"Gladly."