Everyone stood in the backyard of the Future Veins guildhall, a large and open training field surrounded by high walls. Hitsu and Nox stood by the guildhall wall while Enai and Sel stood on opposite ends of the sparring field. White lines indicated the boundaries of the field and where their battle would take place. Enai and Sel stared at each other with determined eyes, they might soon be guildmates but right now they were opponents.
"Hey Enai," Hitsu called out, "How's the new outfit?"
"It's great, Thank you," Enai responded. "You said that it was special in some way?" Enai asked.
"Yeah, all the clothes Tristram makes are made specially to work with the wearer's power," Hitsu explained. "Mine always me to create bursts of light, Nox's has the wrist fabrics that she can harden and use as weapons, Sel's can store flames and resist heat, and yours won't be damaged by your bones just like your skin."
"Woah, really?" Enai said amazed as she admired the outfit she was currently wearing. "I guess it was worth giving that vampire guy some of my blood."
After Enai's request for a fight, which Sel quickly accepted, Hitsu and Nox had taken Enai to Tristram to get her a hero outfit that she was currently wearing. It consisted of a teal, long sleeve, tight hoodie as a top, and smooth black leggings. On her arms, legs, and stomach was opening that exposed her skin making it easier for Enai to use her bones. Around her chin was a light blue face mask.
"Hey!" Sel shouted from across the battlefield, "are we gonna do this or not?"
Enai let out an annoyed sigh as she pulled the mask over her mouth. "Yeah, let's begin."
"That's my cue," Hitsu said to Nox before he walked to the edge of the battlefield. "Alright you two," Hitsu began, "here are the rules. You two fight until the other can't anymore. Don't fight dirty and if I think it's going too far I'll step in. Last rule... Please don't kill each other."
"I'll try my best," Sel responded.
"Can do," Enai replied.
Hitsu sighed and raised his right arm into the air to begin the battles countdown. "Three...Two...One..."
Both Sel and Enai had wide grins across their faces as they awaited the beginning of the battle. Sel grinned eagerly, his smile holding a hint of malice. Enai on the other hand grinned with confidence and pride. Their muscles tensed and their eyes narrowed, the battle was only a word away. Hitsu threw down his arm and shouted out the anticipated word.
"FIGHT!"
Sel attacked first as if he was greedy for the honor. He raised his right hand in Enai's direction, his palm glowing a threatening orange. After a moment of building power, a pillar of flames erupted from Sel's hand and shot directly at Enai. The flames swirled and twisted but stayed on a straight path that Enai stood in the middle of.
Enai's eyes reflected the orange of the flames as she stared directly into the oncoming attack. Without hesitation, she ran straight ahead and into the oncoming fire. In a single moment, she was swallowed up and consumed by the flames, disappearing from sight and into the orange mass.
"Wh-what?" Sel said shocked. Instinctually, he stopped the flames that spewed from his hand fearing he just burnt Enai to a crisp. The flames stopped at his body and began to fade out further and further away. Only a mere ten feet from Sel a flame covered figure emerged from the pillar of fire. As the flames dispersed the figure became identifiable, it was none other than Enai, her body surrounded by a layer of bone creating a protective armor.
As she grew ever closer to the shocked Sel the bones surrounding Enai's face began to retract. Through the openings in the bones, Sel could see Enai's face and her smug grin as she thrust her hand towards his face. As her open hand grew closer to his eyes Sel instinctually closed them as a defense. Upon noticing this Enai's grin only seemed to grow. She quickly shifted her body and planted her feet firmly, pulled back her fist which was covered by a layer of bone, and launched it into Sel's stomach.
Sel's eyes immediately shot back open and a sickening sound escaped his lips as the full force of Enai's punch spread through his body. Sel fell to his hands and knees at Enai's feet, her attack landing at full force. Enai stood over the fallen boy with a satisfied smile, her attack going better than she thought. As Enai stared down at Sel she noticed that an orange circle had appeared on the back of his jacket. After a moment Enai's eyes widened in fear and she jumped backward as far as her body would allow her.
Just moments after Enai moved a pillar of fire shot out of Sel's back through where Enai had been standing. The flames surrounded Sel and created a vortex of fire. Enai stared into the flames hoping to keep Sel in her sights but to no avail. Suddenly, an object shot through the flames directly towards Enai. Reacting quickly, Enai threw up her bone covered arms and blocked her chest. The object slammed into Enai's arms and sent her sliding back across the dirt. Upon stopping several meters away Enai looked to the ground to see the object was a sharp blade connected to a chain.
"What?" Enai thought, "How did he throw that so hard?"
As if answering her question the flaming vortex made a swoosh sound as they parted. Enai's eyes followed the chain to its origin. Upon visually reaching the origin Enai audibly gasped in shock. The chain went up past Sel's open hand and deep into his wrist. Sel wasn't holding the chain, the chain was apart of him. Angrily, Sel raised his head and opened his other palm, from within his sleeve another chained blade fell. Enai could now see the chains went into both of Sel's wrist, the weapons fused into his body.
"What are you?" Enai asked in shock.
"Well, what was it you called me earlier?" Sel asked angrily, "Oh yeah... A criminal."
...
"I still don't believe it," Nox said from the sidelines, "that Sel has those things in his arms."
"Me either," Hitsu replied, "but you remember what he said right?"
"Yeah," Nox answered, "his body can store an infinite amount of fire but to keep it contained he has to wear those chains."
"Exactly," Hitsu said, "so I don't think we should make a big deal of them, especially if they are a good thing."
Nox didn't say anything, she simply nodded in agreement. After several moments she changed the topic.
"Who do you think is going to win?" She asked, "Sel or Enai."
"It depends," Hitsu replied.
"On what?"
"Think about it like this. Enai and the control of her bones is the body and Sel with his control over his flames and emotions is the soul. This battle comes down to body vs soul. Enai has spent her life training her body while Sel has spent his training his soul, so I think they're evenly matched."
"So you think neither will win?"
"No, I think the winner won't be the strongest or the smartest..."
"...The winner will be who wants victory more."
...
End of Episode 34