The lights snapped on before dawn. No warning. No sound. Just—blinding white.
Zane groaned, pulling the thin blanket over his face. "Five more minutes… please… I was dreaming about food…"
"Up." Kael's voice cut through the room like a blade.
Zane peeked out. "Do you come with a mute button or—"
"I said. Up."
Erza was already sitting. Awake. Still. Watching.
Tala stretched slowly, wincing. "My muscles still hurt from yesterday…"
Mira smirked. "That means you're alive."
Yuki was already on her feet. Silent. Ready.
Noor adjusted her sleeve calmly. "Let's try not to bleed too much today."
Zane blinked. "Try? That's optional?!"
The door slid open.
"Training begins in sixty seconds."
Zane shot up. "Okay—now I'm awake."
The air in the training hall felt heavier today. Different. Erza noticed it immediately.
"They've changed something."
Kael nodded slightly. "Pressure level."
Mira glanced around. "Oh great. Yesterday wasn't painful enough."
A voice echoed. "Today: Combat evaluation."
Zane froze. "Evaluation as in… graded? Or evaluated as in… we might die?"
"Pairs will be assigned."
The floor shifted again—glowing lines separating them.
"Erza. Kael."
A pause.
Mira let out a low whistle. "Well… that's going to be interesting."
Kael stepped forward. Calm. Controlled.
Erza stepped in front of him. Still. Focused.
For a second—neither moved. Then—
"Begin."
Kael moved first. Fast. Direct. No hesitation. A straight punch—aimed at her shoulder.
Erza shifted. Just slightly. The punch grazed past her. Too close. She stepped back.
Adjusting. Observing. He's testing speed first.
Kael followed immediately—closing distance again. This time—a low sweep.
Erza jumped—but not high enough. His leg clipped her ankle. She lost balance. Hit the ground hard.
Zane winced from the side. "Oof. That looked painful."
Kael didn't stop. Didn't give her time. He moved in—hand reaching for her wrist.
Erza reacted instantly. Twisting. Grabbing his arm instead. Using his momentum, she pulled. Kael stumbled forward—just a fraction. Enough.
Erza rolled—kicked upward—her foot hit his side. Solid impact.
Kael stepped back. Not hurt. But surprised.
Mira leaned forward. "Okay… she's adapting."
Kael's eyes sharpened. "Good," he muttered.
This time—he changed. No direct attacks. He circled her. Slow. Measured.
Erza stood up, breathing heavier now. Watching. He's switching strategy.
Suddenly—Kael lunged. But halfway—he stopped. Changed direction. A feint.
Erza reacted to the first move. Wrong move. Kael closed in from the side. Grabbed her arm. Twisted. Pinned her.
Her back hit the floor again. Harder. His forearm pressed against her shoulder, locking her down.
"Too slow," he said quietly.
Erza clenched her jaw. Then—she smiled.
Kael frowned slightly. "Why are you—"
She moved. Not against his strength—but with it. She relaxed her arm just enough, slipped her wrist out of his grip, twisted her body, and drove her elbow into his side. Hard.
Kael's hold loosened. Erza shoved him away, rolled back, got up. Now both of them stood. Breathing. Focused.
Zane whispered, "Okay… this is actually insane."
Noor smiled faintly. "They're learning each other mid-fight."
Kael wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. "You adjust fast."
Erza tilted her head slightly. "You repeat patterns."
A pause. Then—Kael smirked. "Not anymore."
He charged again—faster. Stronger. A punch—Erza blocked. Another—she stepped back. A third—she caught his wrist. But he anticipated that. He spun, used her grip, pulled her forward, and flipped her over his shoulder.
Erza hit the ground, air knocked out of her lungs. She gasped—vision blurring for a second.
Kael stepped back this time. Watching.
"Get up." A command. A challenge.
Erza pushed herself up slowly. Pain sharp in her ribs. But her eyes—still steady.
"Again," she said.
Kael didn't hesitate. They clashed again—faster now. Sharper. Every move countered. Every mistake punished.
Erza ducked, spun, struck. Kael blocked, redirected, countered. Their movements became almost synchronized.
Until—Erza made one mistake. Just one. Kael saw it. He moved in, locked her arm, twisted, pinned her again. Stronger this time. No escape.
"Stop." The voice echoed.
Silence.
Kael released her immediately. Stepped back. Erza stayed on the ground for a second.
Breathing heavily. Then sat up.
Zane exhaled loudly. "Okay yeah—I would've died in like… three seconds."
Mira smirked. "You wouldn't even last one."
Tala moved slightly forward. "Erza… are you okay?"
Erza stood up slowly. Ignoring the pain. "I learned."
Kael looked at her. Carefully. "You held longer than expected."
A pause. Then—"Improve your timing."
Erza nodded once. No ego. No excuses. Just understanding.
From above—Nexus watched.
"Subject E-17 performance?"
"Adaptive rate exceeds projections."
A pause.
"Subject K-02?"
"Stability confirmed."
Another pause. Then—"Together?" Silence.
"Unpredictable."
Inside the hall, the rest of the unit stood
quieter now. Something had changed. Not just training. Respect.
Zane looked at Erza. "…Okay. Remind me to never fight you."
Mira smirked. "Too late. We're all going to."
Yuki's voice came softly—"But next time…"
She looked at Erza. "Don't hesitate."
Erza met her gaze. "I won't."
The voice returned. "Next pair."
But this time—they were ready. Not as individuals. But as something forming.