Sora sat at the bar table, tapping her fingers impatiently as she waited for her order. The bartender gave her an apologetic smile before pouring another drink and handing it to her.
"Thanks," she muttered, taking a sip. The alcohol burned her throat but it tasted good. It wasn't strong enough to give her much of a buzz, but it was enough to relax her mind.
She glanced around the room, scanning the faces of everyone around her. Some of them were familiar, while others were total strangers. She was used to the occasional customer coming in to watch fights, but most people never came back.
This bar was popular among fighters and gamblers, which made it an ideal location to watch and review matches as it's located deep inside the Pit in the Undergrounds. It was said that this place used to be part of an emergency shelter during the eclipse.
It was dimly lit, with red lighting coming from above, making it hard to see clearly. The walls were covered in old posters promoting past fights several years ago. A TV hung on the wall in front of her, displaying the fight currently being broadcast.
As soon as she arrived, Sora was greeted by a few familiar faces. Some she remembered from her fighting days, some she didn't. Some were friendly, while others weren't. They all seemed to recognize her, however, and treated her with respect.
When she first started coming here, people would give her weird looks or stare at her arm, but over time, they got used to her presence. She preferred it that way. She didn't like being judged.
She took another sip of her drink as she watched the screen, watching as the current match was coming to an end. The man on the left was tall and muscular, his arms covered in tattoos and scars. He wore a dark green tank top and black shorts, revealing his legs and feet covered in bruises. His opponent, wearing a purple shirt with ripped jeans, was shorter, thinner, and had longer hair.
The tattooed man charged at his opponent, throwing a punch that knocked him to the ground. He then grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground, before slamming him into the ground.
"K.O." The referee announced, raising the tattooed man's hand.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Sora glanced down at her drink, finishing it off and ordering another. As she waited for her order, she looked around the bar once more.
The bartender brought her another drink, which she gladly accepted.
"So," the bartender asked, leaning in close, "how are things going with your new student?"
Sora snorted at the question, taking a large swig of her beer. "Fine," she muttered, staring at the screen.
"Oh yeah? That's great. I thought he'd be dead by now."
Sora gave him the side eye. "Shut up, asshole," she growled, throwing back the rest of her beer.
The bartender laughed nervously. "Sorry, sorry. Just making conversation, those drunken rants can be entertaining, but it's not like he'd know anything about this place."
"It's fine," Sora sighed, resting her elbows on the table. "He's... different from other fighters."
"I heard a fair share of conversations like these. But there was always a 'but' at the end of each sentence..." the bartender said, putting down his cleaning cloth. He leaned forward, staring intently at Sora. "What makes him special?"
"He has no powers, yet he is stronger than most people here, including you."
The bartender laughed loudly at that. "You're joking, right? How can someone like that even fight?"
"Because," Sora paused, staring at the ground, "He's got guts...."
The bartender raised his brow. "I guess it's true what they say about you having a soft spot for strays."
Sora scowled, glaring at the bartender. "Fuck off," she snarled.
The bartender raised his hands defensively, backing away. "Sorry, sorry, just saying... Tachibana was right, you have gotten soft."
Sora felt a surge of anger well up inside her at the mention of the name. She stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over.
"I've had enough of this bullshit," she hissed, slamming her fist on the counter. "You're lucky you're in a bar instead of a coffin."
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, it was just a joke," the bartender stammered, looking frightened.
Sora stared at him coldly, her eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light. "I don't need more people to know my business. And I certainly don't need your opinion on it either."
The bartender gulped nervously, nodding quickly.
"Good. Now get back to work, asshole."
The bartender nodded again, scurrying away to serve another customer.
Sora sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. She needed another drink.
She looked at the time on her watch, realising it was time for her to start training with Takumi again.
She quickly finished her drink and left the bar, heading towards the Pit. She glanced at her phone, seeing that she had several missed calls from the unknown number.
"Tachibana... I swear to God if you're bothering me again-" she growled to herself.
She stopped as a notification popped up on her screen. A message from Takumi.
[Where are you? We have a training session today.]
"Crap," Sora muttered under her breath. She was late. She quickly typed a reply. 'I'll be there in a few minutes.'
****
It was late evening when Takumi left for The Pit. The sun had begun to set, casting shadows across the streets. He walked down the empty streets, taking in the sights and sounds around him.
The city was alive with activity. Cars zoomed past him, horns honking and people shouting. Music blared from speakers somewhere nearby.
Sora is later than usual, he thought, hoping she was alright.
He arrived at the old warehouse, stepping through the metal doors. It was dark inside, but he knew his way around by heart. He made his way through the maze of corridors, passing countless doors and staircases until he reached the main entrance to the arena.
A lone figure stood before the massive steel gates, arms crossed over their chest.
"Sensei?"
The person turned towards him, their expression unreadable. The figure had a skull mask on its head, concealing its face, and wore a long black cloak.
Takumi froze, unable to move. He didn't recognise the figure.
"Who are you?" he asked nervously.
The figure only glares daggers into Takumi's eyes, silently pacing around the arena as Takuni follows suit. Just who is this guy? Was this one of Sora's tests?
Whatever it was, Takumi couldn't be distracted and replaced his regular square glasses with his MK.1 Goggles from his hoodie pocket, which recently shattered on the left lens during a spar with Sora a few days ago.
The powerless boy tossed his backpack to one of the corners outside of the octagon as he entered the energised cage.
Lights shone brightly upon the arena and its occupants, filling the entire building with a hazy, yellow-orange glow. Both fighters stared at each other, assessing their opponent, trying to gauge what kind of fighter they were dealing with.
The masked figure walked over to the middle of the octagon, motioning for Takumi to come forward.
"What are you doing?" Takumi asked, confused. He hesitated, not wanting to get involved in whatever was going on.
The figure stared at Takumi without replying, its posture perfectly straight and unwavering as it copied Takumi move for move. After a short pause, it took a step forward.
Takumi immediately responded, mirroring its movement.
The two danced around the octagonal cage, exchanging blows and blocks, testing each other's defences. Takumi threw a quick punch, which the masked figure blocked easily. In return, the faceless being launched a jab at the boy's throat, forcing him to raise his arms defensively.
They went Back and forth, throwing blows and blocking punches, moving swiftly and deliberately, neither gaining the advantage.
Their movements became faster and faster as they continued to exchange attacks. Takumi could feel his heart racing, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He couldn't remember when the last time was that he had fought someone this strong.
Slowly, Takumi began to tire as his movements slowed. Finally, the stranger found an opening, landing a solid blow on Takumi's face. He staggered backwards, almost falling to the floor.'Damn, that hurts!'
His goggles' lenses flashed. Despite no immediate damage, his right eye's vision was suddenly altered, completely taking him by surprise.
He was seeing double. Or rather, two images were blending into one.
The same happened with his left eye's lens but instead of black his vision was glitched out and distorted.
"Now I'm seeing things..." Takumi breathed.
Confused, he raised his hands up to his face, touching his nose, wincing slightly. He felt wetness running down his face. Blood trickled from his nose and dripped onto his mouth.
Was it real blood or was it another distortion?
The stranger came closer, moving to strike, but Takumi quickly countered, parrying its fist before delivering a powerful kick.
The masked stranger retaliated with a series of quick jabs and punches, forcing Takumi back. The spectacled boy blocked most of them, however, the last hit managed to connect, causing him to stumble backwards.
"Not bad..." The masked figure said, its voice muffled slightly by the mask. It sounded like a young woman's voice.
'A girl?'
Takumi narrowed his eyes, examining the girl further. She wore a tight-fitting blue hoodie and jeans, as well as black boots. Her hood was pulled down, allowing her light brown hair to fall loosely around her shoulders. Her skin was covered in dirt and bruises.
Takumi licked his dry lips, tasting blood on them. "Who are you?" he growled.
The girl moved closer to him, her feet almost silent as she circled around him. She was about a foot smaller than him, her lean figure suggesting that she'd been working out regularly.
"What's your name?" She demanded, standing with her hands on her hips, legs slightly apart. Her eyes glowed yellow in the arena's lighting.
"Jiryia Takumi." He responded bluntly.
"That's a nice name," she laughed as she moved in close. "You look better up close. So different from the photos sensei sent me."
"What are you talking about?" Takumi asked, slightly taken aback by the sudden comment, wondering if she was mocking him. "Who's sensei? Are you working with Sora? Is this another test"
"No," The girl laughed. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. For now."
"What secret?" Takumi questioned suspiciously, glaring at the brunette as she approached. She gave him a mischievous smile before reaching up and removing her mask, revealing her dark red eyes.
"Who are you?" Takumi wondered. "I recognise you from somewhere."
"We haven't met properly before." She shrugged. "Name's Akai. Akai Yuuto."
She had a fair complexion with lightly tanned skin. Her face was angular with high cheekbones and a square jaw. Her lips were pale pink and her nose was straight. She was tall and athletic looking, standing roughly one foot shorter than Takumi, with a long brunette hair that fell down her back in a ponytail. She seemed fairly muscular, but not overly so, and was easily able to dodge Takumi's attack with ease.
The brunette stared at him with her intense amber-coloured eyes and smirked.
The brunette stared at him with her intense amber-coloured eyes and smirked. "Let's see how you can handle this."
Takumi can visibly see an intense energy pulsating around her as her Aetherian powers activate, surprising him. His hands began to shake uncontrollably and his breathing became heavy and shallow. His heart pounded furiously in his chest, threatening to burst through his ribcage.
Akai let out a loud cry, releasing a wave of fire energy, encompassing the area, completely blinding her opponent. A burst of static filled the air as several sparks flew everywhere. The flames blazed brightly around the ring, covering the arena floor and walls with flickering crimson light.
"Now... Let's GO! BRING IT JIRYIA!"