Jora surveyed the battlefield, the flag raised in his right hand. "Are we ready?"
Both Cadel and Nyota nodded.
"Alright, commence!"
Neither made the first move. They circled the court, their eyes locked, each waiting for the other to act.
Nyota felt the weight of the situation. No abilities to rely on, just his instincts. Cadel, though... he had one. A powerful one. But Nyota wouldn't give him the satisfaction of attacking first.
"I'll keep moving," Nyota thought, maintaining his stance, "even if it leads to a stalemate. I can't let him dictate the pace."
But Cadel was quick to pick up on his strategy.
A sly grin spread across his face. "Ah, I see," he chuckled. In a blur of motion, Cadel lunged forward.
Before Nyota could react, Cadel's fist was engulfed in liquid metal, which hardened into jagged iron in an instant.
"Time to end this quickly."
The blow landed hard, sending Nyota crashing to the ground. His arms crossed instinctively to shield his face, but the impact knocked the air out of him.
By the time Nyota regained his bearings, Cadel was already standing over him, preparing to strike again.
"What the—"
Cadel's other fist was also coated in the same liquid metal, and this time, he swung low, aiming an uppercut that sent Nyota flying a few feet into the air.
Nyota's arms burned from the repeated blows. He couldn't take much more. He had to keep his distance. As his feet touched the ground, he flipped backward, landing in a crouch.
"Well, I see you've survived two hits," Cadel taunted, grinning widely. "Most people are done by now with my 'Liquid Metal' MO."
Nyota grunted, shaking out his arms.
This isn't fair, he thought, teeth gritted, trying to steady his breath.
Cadel shrugged, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. "It's just getting started."
He closed the distance again, his movements fluid and fast. Nyota, on the defensive, jumped back, dodging the first few strikes with a grace that belied his exhaustion. His every movement was calculated, but Cadel's relentless assault showed no sign of stopping.
But Nyota wasn't just evading. He was waiting for the right moment. When Cadel lunged again, Nyota saw an opening. He kicked out, landing a solid strike to Cadel's torso. Cadel stumbled back, surprised.
"Why you—"
He paused, then snickered. "Lucky break."
The two stood in the same positions as when the match began, but now there was a noticeable shift in the tension. Cadel was still smug, but his breath was heavier, his movements less fluid. Nyota was clearly on his last legs, but he was standing.
Cadel smirked, stepping forward again. "You see, I'm the one with the ability. You're not. And honestly? You can't even hope to stand up to the Big Three without one."
Nyota's eyes narrowed, but he didn't speak. He simply waited, focused entirely on the fight. The silence between them felt heavy, charged.
"You and your friends," Cadel continued, his voice rising. "You're just a bunch of posers. You want to be leaders, but you don't even know what real strength is."
Nyota didn't flinch. He didn't react.
"Look at me. Now look at you. You're nothing. Weak, damaged, a fraud. Going against the grain is going to get you nowhere."
Nyota finally broke his silence with a quiet laugh, wiping the sweat from his brow before he balled his hand into a fist.
"You may have abilities," he said, his voice calm but filled with determination. "But I stand down to no man."
His eyes hardened as he straightened, fists clenched at his sides. "And as long as I'm breathing, I've got a fighting chance."
Cadel's sneer faltered, but he was too proud to back down. "You must be crazy," he muttered, clearly frustrated.
Without warning, Cadel took both fists and charged at Nyota. The metal began to twist and turn, forming a massive drill around his fists.
"LIQUID METAL MO! IRON DRILL!"
Nyota didn't move. His gaze remained fixed on the drill, the ground beneath his feet seeming to anchor him in place.
"I can't back down now," he thought, refusing to flinch. His body ached, his arms burned, but he wasn't done.
Inches away from being pierced, Cadel stopped.
Jora had moved in from behind, his hand chopping Cadel's neck with surgical precision, immediately rendering him unconscious.
"Enough!" Jora's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "No killing.
The sparring session came to a sudden halt. Cadel slumped to the ground as Nyota fell to his knees, exhausted.
"Great match," Jora called out, looking at both of them. "A showing of heart and skill. Be proud."
Turning to Sage and Kilo, he gestured. "Why don't you help Nyota out?"
He lifted Cadel up over his shoulders—whose Liquid Metal MO had worn off—and carried him off of the court. "Faris!" He called. "Take Cadel inside."
"Right away!" Faris ran over to grab Cadel from Jora and walked him inside. Once the two neared the campus entrance, Faris muttered.
"Good work Cadel. We left our first impressions, now to make sure that we stay ahead of them at all times."
Sage and Kilo rushed to Nyota's side, lifting him with quick, practiced hands.
"I lost, I'm sorry, I made us look bad."
"Are you kidding me?" Kilo asked, grinning. "There's no way you could apologize after a showcase like that. You made him work for every hit! That was fucking amazing!"
"Language, Kilo." Sage reminded.
"Really? You're correcting my language right now?"
"Just hurry up, let's get him inside before the next match."
The Sage and Kilo helped Nyota off the court, the squadron's applause echoing in their ears. Even Faris and Cadel, who had regained consciousness, couldn't ignore the sound. Faris shook his head in disbelief.
Cadel gritted his teeth, frustrated. "If Jora hadn't stepped in…"
"Let it go," Faris muttered, looking ahead. "We'll make sure they know we're the ones to fear in time."
He repeated, almost to himself, "In due time."
--
The brothers left one of the first aid offices with Nyota, his arm wrapped in a bandage, the dull ache from the bruise a constant reminder of the match. Despite being deemed a draw, Nyota couldn't shake the feeling that he had lost. Not just in combat, but in what the match symbolized.
Kilo nudged him playfully. "C'mon, man. You're way too hard on yourself. It wasn't as bad as you think. Honestly, it was impressive."
Sage, walking beside them, added, "You do realize, right? The entire squadron cheered for you after. Not a single person cared that Cadel has an MO. It's a big deal you lasted as long as you did, especially without one."
Nyota rubbed his head, uncomfortable with the praise. "Yeah, you're right. But... I'm still not satisfied. He was going to kill me if Jora hadn't stepped in."
He glanced down at the bandage on his arm and clenched his fist. A subtle pain coursed through it.
"How can I help others if I can't even protect myself?" Nyota muttered, his voice tight. "I can't let myself be in that position again."
Sage's tone softened, reassuring him. "That's why we're here. We're in this together, and we're gonna make sure you get stronger. We'll help you get to where you want to be."
Kilo nodded vigorously. "Exactly! This isn't some short-term thing. We're brothers for life, man. In this together, all the way."
Nyota took in their words, feeling the weight of their commitment. He nodded, grateful for their support.
When they reached the homeroom door, they ran into Cadel and Faris, both looking casual but clearly aware of the tension from earlier.
"Yo!" Faris greeted with a grin. "You guys remember us, right?"
Sage and Kilo stopped, but Nyota remained quiet, his eyes lingering on Cadel.
"Yeah..." Faris chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Who am I kidding? Of course, you remember."
Cadel shifted, now facing Nyota directly. "Look, about what I said earlier... forget it. I was caught up in the heat of the match. You've got real talent. A sense of pride and dignity that a lot of people our age don't have—especially without an MO. Honestly, you held your own. I lost that match to you."
Nyota shook his head, almost surprised by the sincerity. "No, no, that's not how it went. You're a worthy opponent. I'm just glad I got the chance to spar with you."
He offered his hand, his smile genuine but still a bit hesitant.
Cadel took his hand firmly. "Cadel Barrett. Nice to finally meet you properly, Basilisk."
"Nyota Atar," he replied, the weight of his own name carrying a certain finality in his voice. "Pleased to meet you."
The two exchanged a nod before Cadel turned to shake hands with Sage and Kilo. Faris, too, extended his hand to Nyota, then Sage and Kilo.
"Faris Maxey. Good to meet you all."
Sage and Kilo, ever eager, gave their introductions as well. "Sage and Kilo Hikari. Pleasure."
Cadel's grin returned, but now there was an edge of seriousness. "You guys better not let up. We won't lie down and let anyone trample over us. That's a promise."
Sage raised an eyebrow, his expression cool but confident. "Noted."
"Of course!" Kilo added enthusiastically, his usual energy back.
Nyota, though, gave a knowing smirk as he met Cadel's eyes. "Trust me, that'll never happen."
--
The instruction day ended, and all cadets prepared to head back to their dorms for the rest of the day. Nyota, Sage, and Kilo were the last to leave.
"See you, Jora," they called as they prepared to head out the door.
"Wait, hold up." Jora called them back to his desk.
"Just wanted to say good sparring today, guys. I can tell you've been putting in work on your own, even though this is my first time seeing you fight. You don't look like complete amateurs."
The three laughed among themselves.
"No, seriously, you've been putting in work. Keep it up. You'll be well prepared for your upcoming internship with Doran. I'm sure he'll be glad I'm sending him abundant potential. Just in case no one else says it, I'm proud of you, for real."
Kilo spoke. "Thanks, we appreciate it."
"Actually," Nyota added, "I was going to try to stay after at the sparring courts to put a little more work in. Just to hone my MO, if I even have one."
Jora nodded his head. "Sure thing, do what you need to do. Just make sure to take it easy. You need to rest up. Can't have you injured while traveling."
"Will do!" The three left the room and headed outside for the courts.
"Aye, look, Nyota," Kilo started. "I know I said I'd be there to help you and all, but I'm pretty tired."
"Kilo…" Sage called his name to get him to stop talking.
"What? I'm just saying, who said I was willing to stay after hours at the courts? I got a life, too."
Sage adjusted his glasses. "Yeah, I bet, so you could stay in the dorms playing video games all night, right? Highly productive…"
"You don't have to stay," Nyota said. "If I do experience an MO, I'd have to meditate anyway to get a feel for it and truly hone it. Plus, there's no telling if I'd experience it today or ever, really."
"Dang, you make it sound so depressing. Fine, I'll stay."
"I'm here, so you didn't really have a choice." Sage remarked.
"Oh, shut it, will you? Says who?"
Sage pulled the dorm room key from his pocket and dangled it in front of Kilo.
Kilo tried to snatch the key from Sage's hand, but he pulled away.
He smacked his teeth and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Fine."
The three got outside to one of the sparring courts. There were many other cadets leaving for the day, and a few others had gathered around other courts to hang out.
"Alright," Sage put his baggage down and walked onto the court. "How do you wanna do this, Nyota?"
Kilo followed him.
Nyota walked onto the opposite side of the court. "I was thinking we spar and hopefully an MO would reveal itself."
"So, no plan," Kilo rolled up his sleeves. "Great."
Sage slapped Kilo on the back of his head, naturally annoying him.
Kilo groaned. "Oh, my gods, please stop!"
Sage ignored him and continued. "What we can do is throw light attacks at you, forcing you to focus on attacking us back rather than always defending yourself. There is such a thing as being too defensive, which is what I noticed during your match with Cadel."
"Sounds good. Although, don't worry about me. Light attacks won't cut it, come at me."
"Alright, if you say so." All three of them assumed fighting stances. Kilo was the first to make a move as he ran at Nyota.
Closing in, he jumped high in the air and threw a punch at him.
Typically, Nyota would dodge most attacks, but this time, he was going to be on the attack more.
He jolted his forearm up to block Kilo's punch, then quickly countered by lodging a punch in his abdomen.
Kilo shook off the hit and continued to throw attacks, a medley of punches and kicks. Nyota continued to block and counter them well, but barely noticed Sage approaching from behind Kilo to slip in a high kick.
"Kilo!" Sage called.
"Right!" Kilo quickly ducked, and Sage's leg soared over his head and into Nyota's side.
Nyota recoiled backward but quickly recovered. In shock, he expected Kilo to come back with another attack of his own, which he did.
He braced for Kilo's attack. However, Kilo slid behind him and clenched onto his shirt instead.
Suspending Nyota and forcing him to remain open, Sage had the perfect opportunity to attack once again.
"I'm sorry about this," Sage expressed as he wound up and propelled yet another punch into Nyota's exposed stomach.
Nyota shrieked and collapsed to the ground. Kilo let go of him.
"Are… Are you good?" Kilo asked, breathless.
After half a minute or so, Nyota managed to catch his breath and speak. "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine."
"You feel anything?" Sage asked.
"Pain," Nyota laughed sarcastically.
"I mean anything that could be a sign of an MO."
"Well, I wouldn't know. What should I look out for?"
Sage stroked his chin. "I don't know. I've only ever really been able to feel my MO in my hands, let alone activate it. I've seen and heard of other people's MO activating in their feet and legs as well."
"Maybe look for a tingling sensation or something. Did you feel that anywhere?"
"No." Nyota looked at his hands, then softly punched the ground.
Clearly, he was disappointed. What more could he do? At this point, it had seemed like he'd never have an MO, and he began to wonder if maybe he should just quit.
"How about this," Sage proposed. "We'll fight in small rounds, like weightlifting, so you're not devoting all of your energy into one single match. Try to channel it into something over the course of them, whether it's in the form of anger or something else. Tomorrow's Friday, we've got all night, tomorrow, and the weekend, even."
Sage held out his hand to help Nyota up.
Kilo jammed his hands into his pockets and passively shook his head, standing behind Nyota.
"Okay, yeah," Nyota reached and pulled up. "Sure thing."
"Alright, fine," Kilo shrugged his shoulders. "Small break, then we'll get back to it."
The three rested for a few minutes, then prepared to spar again.
Round after round, Nyota went at the brothers, each one lasting anywhere between twenty and thirty minutes.
After each, Sage and Kilo checked in with him for any sign of newfound physical abilities, but there were none.
As time passed, the evening grew darker, and the campus became virtually clear of cadets.
The three continued on but stopped to pause for a while.
"It's… it's getting late," Kilo said, catching his breath, his hands on his knees. He knelt down. "We've been out here for several hours. All the other cadets on campus went home for the day. The sun's even set."
Sage wiped his head and looked at his watch, then Nyota. "Your call, what do you want to do?"
Nyota sat on the court, his arms hanging over his knees. He was growing frustrated and worried.
Awakening an MO wasn't exactly a process one could rush, as he was aware. But he had hoped that maybe, through extensive combat experience, he could provoke it.
He was tired. He was leaning toward calling it quits for the day, but he refused.
He rose to his feet and once again assumed a fighting stance. "One more time."
The brothers looked at each other, then turned back to Nyota and nodded.
They, too, stood and quickly ran at Nyota simultaneously. Attacking him with fury, he rejected and dodged most of their synchronized attacks.
Every now and then, they would land one, but something was different.
With each landed attack, the brothers' attacks grew faster and harder. But with each one, Nyota could feel a growing numbing, tingling sensation in his chest.
Although, he didn't believe it was an ability, but rather an abnormal stress.
Clutching it, Nyota created as much space away from the brothers as possible, wincing.
This made them stop their attacks.
"Sage!" Kilo called.
"Nyota!" Sage shouted.
"Are you good?" Kilo asked with concern.
The brisk pain immediately dispersed, and Nyota could feel a static feeling flow through his veins, through his arms.
He looked down at them, and he could see bits of blue light flowing through his forearms to his hands and fingertips. Some of his fingers started to twitch for a short few seconds.
The brothers stood on the opposite side of the court in amazement. The lights within Nyota's forearms were so bright they could be seen from quite a distance.
A few compact and swift flashes of lightning flashed between both of Nyota's hands.
"Well, I'll be damned," Sage scratched his head. "If that's not an MO, I don't know what it is."
After a jaw-dropping reaction, Kilo finally spoke. "A damn sure cool one, too… I'm almost jealous." Still quite exhausted, he half-heartedly laughed from surprise.
Despite their astonishment, the brothers grew more concerned about the unknown.
Nyota looked back up at them, his eyes turned a glowing white. "Guys… what's happening to me?"
Sage chuckled. "My friend, you've just willed the power of the most unusual Modus Operandi I've ever seen."
"Don't forget the coolest looking." Kilo added.
Although Nyota's MO had appeared to be quite impressive, he took one final gaze at his hands before his eyes and the rest of his body returned back to normal and he crashed to the ground, unconscious within seconds.