Nenis stood frozen, breathing heavily. She trembled, balancing on the razor's edge between control and insanity. Zane's taunt—his casual flick to her forehead, his smug lecture—had pushed her to the brink, and what's worse, he wasn't done.
Nenis took deep, shuddering breaths, her fists clenched, her mind screaming to keep her composure. A renowned ranker from one of the galaxy's most dominant races, she wasn't about to let a Nay's childish provocations get to her—or so she told herself.
Zane's smirk widened, his eyes locked on her, his voice dripping with mockery. "What are you waiting for, Nenis? I told you—too many thoughts clog the mind, did I not? Come on, hit me already."
The crowd erupted in murmurs, a trainee spoke, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is he serious? Taunting an Apex like that? He's begging to get crushed."
Another trainee snorted. "He's got a death wish. Nobody talks to Nenis like that and walks away in one piece," she said, her eyes glinting with anticipation.
Zane didn't flinch, his voice growing sharper, each word a calculated jab. "What's wrong? Getting cold feet, are we? I'll make it easy for you—I'll use only my left hand. Honestly, looking at you now, I don't see anything special. I'm starting to wonder why Onilia even bothers calling you her rival. If you're this—"
He didn't finish. Nenis's fist slammed into his face with a sickening crunch, cutting his words short. The force drove his head into the ground, blood splattering everywhere like spilled paint. His skull caved in, a mashed ruin, his limbs twitching briefly before going still. The crowd gasped, some turning away, their alien features contorted in disgust, while others stared, their eyes gleaming with grim satisfaction.
Onilia's face twisted, her eyes wide with confusion, her fists clenching as she fought the urge to step in. 'What did you think would happen, Zane?' She thought.
Nenis, panting heavily, wasn't done. Her rage burned hotter, unsatisfied by the single blow. She knelt over Zane's broken form, her fists hammering his already ruined head, each strike sending more blood spraying, staining her body and the earth. The sound was wet, brutal and relentless. Some trainees averted their gazes, unable to stomach the carnage, while others watched with twisted grins, their whispers buzzing like static.
"Look at that—he's really done for," a trainee said in a low voice. "Told you he'd get wrecked."
Another, his crystalline skin catching the red light, leaned forward. "She's not stopping. Bet she keeps going till there's nothing left of him," he said, his tone half-awed, half-horrified.
A few glanced at Onilia, their eyes expectant, waiting for her to intervene, but she stood frozen with a blank expression, her body tense as if wrestling with herself.
After what felt like an eternity, Nenis stood, her chest heaving, blood dripping from her fists, her uncovered eyes still burning with unquenched fury. She took three steps back, staring at Zane's broken form, her breath ragged, her satisfaction hollow.
Minutes passed with silence, the dominant force, then, Zoic's strange healing aura kicked in. Zane's shattered skull began to knit together, bone and flesh reforming with an eerie slowness. He stirred, groaning, and pushed himself to his feet, his movements sluggish but deliberate.
"Damn," he muttered, wincing as he clutched his head, the pain of death still clawing at him. "I'll never get used to that shit tearing through me every time I come back to life."
Zane walked toward Nenis, his gaze locking onto hers. He leaned in close, his voice low, just for her. "You need to fix that temper before I give you any more lessons," he said, his tone calm but cutting, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Nenis's eyes widened, her fury reigniting. She lunged, her fist raised, but Onilia stepped between them.
"That's enough, Nenis, you're clearly the victor. There's no need to proceed."
"Move, Onilia," Nenis hissed, her voice a low growl, her body coiled like a predator ready to pounce. "I'm not in the mood."
"Enough!" Instructor Marius's voice boomed across the plain, slicing through the tension. "The match is over. Nenis, you may now award the points."
Zane straightened, his smirk unshaken. "I won't take points from an ungrateful student who can't even control her temper," he said, his voice loud enough for the crowd to hear. He turned to walk away, his steps steady despite the pain.
Marius's eyes narrowed, his tone dropping to a low, dangerous rumble that made several trainees swallow hard. "That's not your call, Zane."
Nenis's lips curled into a snarl. "He gets nothing," she said to Marius. "Don't bother asking."
Zane's smirk widened. "See?" he said, throwing a glance over his shoulder as he walked off. "Seek me out when you've learned some control, my first student!" he shouted, his voice carrying across the plain as he and Onilia disappeared into the distance, the sky swallowing their figures.
Marius's jaw tightened, his thoughts dark. 'I didn't even dismiss them yet, and he just walks off? That damn kid makes everything harder than it needs to be. Maybe I should just kill him, yeah, that's right, death is always the answer.'