Seven hours later, Camille woke Vincent up.
"Come on, let's go," she said. "Hurry up!"
The White Bolt took his time to sit up. He stretched and once again looked at the flowerpots.
"Did you water them?" he asked.
Camille paused. "Yes," she eventually said.
"When?"
"Aaa… just a few minutes ago, I guess."
The bounty hunter took a deep breath then said, "I didn't notice at all." With a chuckle, he added, "It's quite a comfy place you've got here. Best sleep I've had in a while."
Thereafter, the two set off to the grand cafeteria complex adjacent to the southern entrance of the Royal Academy of Martial Prowess. This was a multi-story structure built to accommodate hundreds of employees, masters, and students of the Palace and the academy. It had ten different kitchens spread across the floors with stoves seldom turning off during daytime.
Elsewhere, Hugo had been summoned to the Seear's Hall. The bounty hunter's role was once again in question. No one was comfortable with the idea of having lunch with him.
"You people haven't seen that man in action," Hugo said, with a shake of the head.
"And we hope it remains that way," Renekom responded. "Why does he matter so much to you?"
"Because I've seen him in action."
Hedish asked, "Hugo, is it true that you sent him to your sister's place to rest?"
"Yes, sir," he replied, nodding. "I sent him off with Camille, my sister. Told her to keep an eye on him…"
A young Parliamentarian Mystic leaned forward with a smirk. "Maybe," he said, "you're hoping he'll marry her next. Keep the prodigy in the family."
Silence followed with a heavy shift in the air. Hedish closed his eyes in quiet embarrassment, Renekom pressed two fingers to his temple, exhaling, while Hugo simply stared at the Mystic, his gaze flat and sharp as steel.
"Mind yourself," he said. "You're speaking like a jackal among wolves."
"Relax, Hugo," Renekom quickly said, looking up. "People are just trying to understand your behaviour."
Perhaps the inappropriate comments of the Mystic did not sting as much as the Seear's dismissal of their seriousness. And Hugo's gaze slowly shifted to the bearded leader. But he decided not to speak in anger and merely sat in silence for a few moments then looked away.
"Never liked the man," he eventually said, "but Master Warren was right about one thing…"
There were lines on his forehead which he quickly removed as he stood up and quoted his deceased master: "The Eye will fall when senseless bastards begin acquiring knowledge they are not worthy of."
A few weak and indignant voices stirred in protest, but they were silenced with a single command. "Be outside the cafeteria at one," Hugo said. "You'll understand."
Then he stormed out of the Seear's Hall.
Nearly one o'clock – the cafeteria was as busy as it would ever be. For Camille, the plan was simple – get Vincent there and wait for Hugo. However, when she arrived, she realised the place was even more busy than usual.
'I guess the news got out,' she thought. Everyone was waiting to see the White Bolt. Some were even waiting for the chance to throw a knife or two at him.
Grabbing him by the arm, she quickly made her way into one of the halls on the ground floor. Hugo saw them and walked over briskly. He grabbed Vincent by his shirt and dragged him back out.
"What's with the relay race?" the bounty hunter asked.
"How much charge do you think you can muster?" Hugo asked in response.
"You put the ropes on, you tell me…"
"Well, then let's spar a little before we eat… a little morning exercise."
The two walked out. The invested crowd followed. They kept going and stopped at the wide stone street in between the academy and the cafeteria complex. Hugo left Vincent standing in the centre and walked a few steps away.
"Get ready," he said. "I won't use any more Ki than you can. First back to hit the ground loses."
The place was thronged with spectators. They packed the street on either side, climbed atop the walls, sat atop the trees, and stuck their faces out the windows to watch the famous Zaatsu go up against the infamous bounty hunter.
The crowd standing towards the academy parted and opened a small pathway. Renekom, Hedish, and some other high-ranked Martial Artists made their way to the edge of the street as well.
"Shall we begin?" Hugo asked.
Vincent took a few moments then took a deep breath. "Your call…"
With a smile the Zaatsu said, "You should feel honoured, Vincent. Where else would you find such a distinguished crowd?"
He scoffed. "Every crowd thinks they're all that. Look around you. They are jumping over each other like a crowd at a rooster fight."
Hugo began charging his Ki, slowly building his strength, and assumed a battle stance. Vincent remained still as a statue in the middle of the street. However, when the Zaatsu rushed at him, he moved fast to avoid the strike with relative ease. Now, his Ki was charged as well but going at a level lower than that of the Zaatsu.
'Conserving Ki?' Hugo thought. 'But why?'
"Do you see that?" asked a Sokidu, tapping another one's shoulder. "Do you see the Ki charge on that guy?"
One across the street looked at all his friends and exclaimed, "He's got the Laminar flow!"
A Mystic near the Seear muttered, "He shouldn't be that precise. He's a rogue…"
Hugo began walking in a circular pattern around the bounty hunter who once again stood still. It was a dismissive posture. Hugo Baylis was not someone you would want to take your eyes off of. But the crowd was starting to understand what the Zaatsu had been saying all along.
He attacked again. Vincent avoided it again. But this time, he countered. And the battle began. The crowd filled with the best Ki Manipulators, Magicists, and Mystics of the world was in awe. The combatants were sticking to close range, hand-to-hand combat and were not willing to waste Ki and use long range attacks or elaborate spells. This was Hugo's specialty. But he was being matched blow for blow. In fact, Vincent was moving just a touch faster.
They saw the laminar flow, they saw the highly disciplined martial arts, and they saw the instantaneous charge – this man was no ordinary rogue. He was well trained and disciplined. The entire crowd, cheering for Master Baylis, was more than impressed by the precision and flow of his opponent.
People at the Palace had a deep-seated hate towards the White Bolt. They considered him a vicious man, a monstrosity, and a murderer who had killed many an Eye compatriot. He was also called the devil's man who was time and again in the news for collecting scriptures of the forbidden Dark Arts.
Yet this man before them was different.
"Elegant…"
"Fluent…"
"Highly cognisant…"
"Disciplined…"
These were just some of the words being used by the Martial Artists and the Mystics to describe the bounty hunter.
All the while the duo dwelled in silence. Tactic for tactic, they one upped each other, and move for move, they complemented each other. Every ploy and every trick was being foiled and rendered ineffective. It was a master tactician vs a man whose reflexes were lightning fast. Hugo had the greater skill and had more experience, but Vincent was adapting as the bout progressed like a highly intelligent fighter.
"He was not kidding," Hedish said in Renekom's ear. "This is not normal."
With an odd smile from Hugo and a passing grunt from Vincent, they competed in a place within their minds and their souls where they were not enemies nor strangers. They were brothers in spirit, disciples of the same legendary Zaatsu Master Warren Ford.
Standing lost amongst the crowd around her, Camille felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back. It was an old, bearded man in a blue robe. He too was watching the sparring session. She could not recognize him at first and almost turned her face back towards the battle. But then she stopped and looked back once more. She was left wide-eyed.
"You're Master Al-Gohari," she whispered.
He smiled. "Those two are something else, aren't they?" he commented.
Mustaqeem Al-Gohari was an 80-year-old Mystic emeritus who was seldom, if ever, seen at the city of Ayn anymore. A legend who quickly rose to prominence in his younger years, he went on to mentor the likes of Warren, Yang, and even Vincent Von Bergen – an entire generation of prominent Martial Artists and innovators.
"I got news of the event and thought I'd come take a look," he further said as Camille stood frozen. His raspy, shaky voice mesmerized while his aura encapsulated her. "Tell Hugo to keep an eye on that boy. Tell him the bounty hunter has far more to him than has ever met the Eye."
When Camille still did not respond, he smiled and looked at her. "Do not worry, Camille," he said. "I am not as intimidating as they say I am. I'm just an old man with a lot of baggage…" After a pause, he asked, "Will you give my message to Hugo?"
Coming back to herself, she nodded saying, "Yes, absolutely, master."
"Good girl. I see a bright future for you, kiddo…"
With a chuckle he once again started to watch the battle.
Camille too turned back toward the fight, but the old Mystic's words stayed with her.
'Far more to him than has ever met the Eye.'
In the middle of the street, Vincent slipped past another one of Hugo's strikes as if he had known it was coming all along…