"You may begin," Marius commanded, raising his hand 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.
'Ranks aren't everything,' Zane 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, 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 wherever he went.
Mechanius bowed slightly, his joints humming softly, taking on an earnest but respectful voice. "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."
He had always wanted to speak to Onilia, to get close to her, as someone he both respected and admired. But she only ever seemed to have time for Zane which discouraged any attempt he had tried to make. When they first arrived on the planet, he couldn't believe his eyes, seeing the legend in the flesh. Just as he decided to approach her, she walked over to the loser everyone was making fun of. She helped him and stayed with him throughout the two months they were given. But there was still a chance. He could always visit her at her lodging, a last resott.
As he was about to take that step, he heard that Onilia was living with someone, a boy, and the loser no less. He always wondered why she went so far for someone she barely knew anything about.
But it doesn't matter anymore, now was a chance given to him by the heavens, and he wasn't going to blow it.
Onilia tilted her head, her expression as unreadable as ever, a faint spark of curiosity in her eyes. 'Guess not everyone knows The Destroyer is my next opponent.' She thought.
"Is that why you agreed to fight me, even knowing you wouldn'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 reunion? 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 genuine 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. Some strange symbols and circles began rotating in his eyes as if assessing his opponent and finding the shortest part to victory.
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 ground 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. "He's got no chance."
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 with pale face 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 monster,' he thought, his sharp eyes catching the way Onilia stood, unshaken, her grip unrelenting. 'So this is what an Apex looks like?'
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." She said as she let go of his fist
Mechanius's face hardened, his glowing eyes flashing with resolve. "My mistake—I held back," he growled, his voice raw but steady.
'It wasn't my intention to hold 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, each rotation increasing the speed of his spinning wrist, building momentum for a catastrophic strike. He planted his left leg forward, and unleashed a second punch, the force a tidal wave of destruction. "Piercing Galaxium Punch!" he roared as his limbs connected, the shockwave ten times stronger, a visible ripple tearing through the air, flattening the crowd's clothes against their bodies.
Onilia didn't flinch. This time, she stretched her right hand, seizing his spinning wrist, stopping it dead. The crowd froze 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. "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.
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 as he watched from the opposite side of the trainees. Glancing at Zane, his thoughts darkened. 'If she didn't hang out with him, her future would be so bright.'
"I wasn't holding back that time, you know?" Mechanius said in a steady voice despite his bent wrist trembling, though he couldn't feel pain because his limbs were mechanical. "You're as monstrous as the stories say."
'There goes my chance of making a great impression.'
Onilia stepped back, her sapphire eyes glinting with a faint smirk. "First thing to note, 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 understand," he responded.
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. 'Looks like I've been given another chance.'
A trainee in the crowd snorted, shaking his head. "Dumbass. Trying to block Onilia's attack is like signing your own death warrant." His friend nodded, smirking.