The air carried a sharp, metallic tang, biting at the lungs, while the planet's heavier gravity pressed gently against Zane's shoulders, grounding him as he stood among the trainees. The crowd buzzed with nervous energy, their whispers a low hum, their eyes locked on the open space where the duels unfolded. Onilia stood in the center, her blue skin catching the crimson glow, her sapphire eyes calm but piercing, her posture relaxed yet ready for battle. Zane stood near Nenis, his expression blank, his sharp eyes fixed on the fight. Nenis, her cloth covering two of her four eyes, shifted slightly, her tension palpable despite her cool exterior. The other Apexes—Nolem, Oxin, and Kael—watched from the sidelines in silence.
Instructor Marius stood tall, his voice clear and steady, carrying a friendly but firm tone. "You may begin," he commanded, his hand raised to signal the start.
Neither Onilia nor Mechanius moved, their eyes locked in a silent standoff, sizing each other up. The crowd grew restless, their whispers turning to grumbles, but the two combatants stood still, the tension thick enough to choke on.
Zane's mind raced, his thoughts sharp despite his neutral expression. 'Ranks aren't everything,' he thought, recalling what he'd learned from Onilia. Strength wasn't just about titles. An Alpha-ranked Awakener could take on ten average Betas and walk away unscathed. A Primordial could overpower fifty average Alphas with ease. An Ascendant might crush a hundred Primordials without breaking a sweat. But Apex? They were in a league of their own—no matter how many foes came at them, an average Apex would always come out on top. And Onilia was no average Apex ranker. 'This is my chance to see her true skills,' Zane thought, his eyes narrowing slightly, catching every detail of her stance.
Mechanius Steel wasn't average either. Known across planets as an Ascendant with the potential to rival Apexes, he was an uncrowned king, his Galaxium limbs—forged from one of the top hundred most durable metals known to Awakeners—making him a force to be reckoned with. He'd been the fifth trainee to scale the mountain for lodging, a feat that marked his speed and strength. His reputation preceded him, and Zane could feel the weight of it in the air.
Mechanius bowed slightly, his mechanical joints humming softly, his voice earnest but respectful. "It's an honor to face you, Miss Onilia. Back on my home planet, your name is legendary—the girl who climbed the Tower at breakneck speed and reached Apex rank in no time. You dominated the Interplanetary Awakeners Tournament (IAT). I've looked up to you, tried to follow in your footsteps, but Ascendant is as far as I got."
Onilia tilted her head, her expression as unreadable as ever, a faint spark of curiosity in her sapphire eyes 'Guess not everyone knows The Destroyer is my next opponent.' She thought. "Is that why you agreed to fight me, even knowing you can't win?" she asked, her voice calm but direct, like she was sizing up a friend rather than a foe.
Mechanius nodded, his glowing eyes steady. "Yes. Even if I can't win, I want to learn from you. I know I'm outmatched, but I'll fight with the intention to win. I plead that you do same and fight me with everything you've got and point out my weaknesses after."
A trainee from the back, his patience worn thin, shouted, "What the hell is this, a friendly chat? Get on with it! Start throwing hands, we're not here to watch you two talk!" The crowd chuckled, some nodding in agreement, their restlessness growing.
Onilia's lips curved into a faint smile, her eyes never leaving Mechanius. "Alright, I'll humor you," she said, her voice light but with a hint of steel. Mechanius's expression shifted, his glowing eyes narrowing, his focus so intense it felt like he could see straight through her. The air around him seemed to hum, his Galaxium limbs gleaming as he prepared to strike.
In a blink, he moved, his speed a blur that made the crowd gasp. His mechanical legs propelled him forward, the cracked earth trembling under his steps, his fist aimed at Onilia's chest with the force of a meteor. Most high-ranked trainees blinked, losing track of him, his speed so great it seemed he'd vanished into thin air.
Kael, standing with Oxin and Nolem, leaned over, his voice low but impressed. "That speed could outpace most trainees here," he said, his eyes tracking Mechanius's blur. "He'd win against almost anyone by running circles around them. Too bad he's up against Onilia."
Oxin nodded, his arms crossed, a faint smirk on his face. "She's not just an Apex. She's a legend. He's got no chance."
Zane watched, his mind racing. 'Mechanius is fast, but Onilia's faster.' He thought, even though he couldn't see Mechanius's movement.
Mechanius launched forward, his Galaxium arm propelled by a surge of raw power, his fist screaming toward Onilia's chest, aiming just below her ribcage with the force of a collapsing star. The air shattered with a sonic boom, the shockwave ripping across the plain, kicking up clouds of rust-colored dust. The ground quaked beneath their feet, the vibration rattling their bones. Onilia's left hand snapped up, catching his fist mid-strike, her grip like a vice forged in a supernova. The impact sent a deafening blast of wind tearing through the crowd, forcing some trainees to brace themselves, their gasps swallowed by the roar.
'She, caught it?' Mechanius thought, his glowing eyes widening, his mechanical arm trembling in her grasp, the Galaxium creaking under the strain.
"What the hell…" a trainee stammered, his voice barely audible, his jaw hanging as he clutched his side like he'd felt the blow himself.
Another trainee, his face pale, shook his head, his voice a mix of awe and fear. "That punch would've turned me to dust if I was at the receiving end. And she stopped it with her left hand? That's not even her damn dominant one!" His words sparked murmurs, the crowd shifting uneasily, their respect for Onilia tinged with dread.
Zane's lips twitched, a faint smirk hidden behind his blank stare. 'I knew she was a witch, but this? She's a fucking monster,' he thought, his sharp eyes catching the way Onilia stood, unshaken, her grip unrelenting. 'This is what an Apex looks like?'
Nenis leaned closer, her voice low and sharp, her uncovered eyes glinting. "People think picking an Ascendant was stupid, but for Onilia? Anyone below Apex is just target practice. She's the strongest here—second only to me." Her words were a challenge, daring Zane to disagree, but he just gave a lazy shrug, his focus locked on the fight, his mind already prepping for his own duel.
Onilia's voice cut through the tension, cold as ice but edged with a taunt. "Mechanius, you begged me to go all out, but if this is your best shot, I'll end this before I can teach you anything." Her left hand still held his fist, her grip unyielding, the air around her crackling with quiet menace.
Mechanius's face hardened, his glowing eyes flashing with resolve. "My mistake—I held back," he growled, his voice raw but steady.
'I wasn't planning on holding back, I just didn't expect a mechanical fist powered by a burst of speed to be stopped that easily.' He thought
Vents snapped open along his right arm, violet flames roaring out like a star's corona, the heat warping the air. His wrist spun, a high-pitched whine splitting the plain, the Galaxium gleaming as it built momentum for a catastrophic strike. He planted his left leg, the cracked earth splintering beneath him, and unleashed a second punch, the force a tidal wave of destruction. "Piercing Galaxium Punch!" he roared, the shockwave ten times stronger, a visible ripple tearing through the air, flattening the crowd's clothes against their bodies.
The plain shook, dust exploding in a choking cloud, but Onilia didn't flinch. Her right hand shot up, seizing his spinning wrist, stopping it dead with a force that cracked the air like thunder. The crowd froze, their breaths caught, as Mechanius's Galaxium wrist bent at a grotesque angle, the metal screeching in protest. Zane stifled a laugh, his sharp eyes glinting with realization. 'She crushed that spin with raw strength. That's not just skill—that's a goddamn statement. No wonder I died every time I took a punch from her.'
Oxin, standing with Nolem and Kael, raised an eyebrow, his voice low but sharp. "She stopped that spin with brute force. Think you could pull that off?"
Nolem scoffed, his arms crossed, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. "What's so tough about blocking a flimsy punch?" he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction, his gaze fixed on Onilia's unshaken form.
Mechanius stared at his mangled wrist, his glowing eyes wide with shock.
'Planet Nanaly, known for the brute strength of its inhabitants. She lives up to her reputation,' Instructor Marius thought, his mind reeling. He watched from the opposite side of the trainees, glancing at Zane, his thoughts darkening. 'That kid's a troublemaker no matter how I look at him. Every time I look at him, I get a bad feeling. If Onilia didn't stick with him, her future would be so bright.'
"I wasn't holding back that time," Mechanius said, his voice steady despite his bent wrist trembling, though he couldn't feel pain because his limbs were mechanical. "You're as monstrous as the stories say."
Onilia stepped back, releasing his wrist, her sapphire eyes glinting with a faint smirk. "Lesson one, Mechanius," she said, her voice low and cutting. "Against a stronger opponent, you've got two choices: probe with quick, small moves to find their weak spot, or hit with everything you've got from the start. You did neither. Your punches are strong, but they leave you wide open. If I'd dodged, I could've torn you apart from any angle."
Mechanius nodded, his expression grim but attentive, soaking in her words. "I get it," he said, his voice quiet but firm.
Onilia's smirk sharpened. "I'm coming at you now. Block my next hit, and I'll give you all fifty points."
Mechanius's eyes flared, his Galaxium limbs humming as he braced himself. "Deal," he said, his voice steady despite the odds.
A trainee in the crowd snorted, shaking his head. "Dumbass. Trying to block Onilia's attack is like signing your own fucking death warrant." His friend nodded, smirking, but their eyes were wide, caught between awe and fear as they watched.