Both Fists met hard in the air. The sound waves from the hit even created burn marks on the ground. But that was not all, the sound wave was actually strong enough to push both of them back.
"AHHH!!!" Both gave war cries as they rushed once more for each other. Punch after punch. No one of them even attempted to defend but for some reason maybe because of their familiarity with one another over many fights gone by in the past, every punch they threw ended up landing on the opponent's fists.
The colt beside Emilia watched with surprise. Emilia noticed the wide eyes he gave the match. "Hey, kid! is this your first Darkling fight?"
He turned to her and gave a proper military salute. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Wait! seriously!? When was your Daranite baptism?" She asked
"A month ago ma'am."
"Oh, my god! what are they teaching you guys these days? A month in and your not already beating yourselves up? Then how are you even going to know your Fighting qualification?"
"Well! instructor Walter said that we had not yet reached that on our curriculum. And then this morning after watching our drills, Teacher snowbottle picked me out to be his colt.
"Hmm! I see." She thought back to the face of the instructor Adria had waved to on their way here and sighed.
Looking at the young lad by her side, she felt the impulse to teach a little. "Okay! a little forward on that Curriculum. Now I want you to listen attentively and let it sink in, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am" He saluted again.
She smiled. Seeing the level of respect the lad gave her actually made her feel good. "Okay. so what's your name sport?"
"Cupfill, Ma'am."
"Cupfill?!" She couldn't help but find how comical it was that the teacher's name was Snowbottle and the student's name was Cupfill.
*cough* "Cupfill" She corrected herself. Carrying the air of a scholar in her tone, she continued.
"Now listen closely. As you know Daranite is the only thing in the world that can actually hurt Vampires apart from the sun. Now! After your Daranite baptism... Hold on! when was the last death!?"
"About two weeks ago ma'am," Cupfill answered. But as he did, Emilia could read clearly the expression on his face. She patted him on the head.
"Don't worry. I understand. First, tell me. How many of you survived the baptism?" Emilia asked.
"About seven hundred of us ma'am out of a thousand two-hundred." His eyes looked down and the exciting mood he had earlier on was gone, "The rest died either during the process or shortly afterwards. The last one was two weeks ago. They said his body refused to merge with the Daranite."
However, when he looked back up at her, he was surprised to see the shocked look on her face.
"Oh, Wow! I had heard the rumor, but I never knew it was already like that."
"Ma'am!?"
"Honestly, you guys have it much better now. I had heard that the baptism process had improved. I just didn't know it had become this good."
"Ma'am!?" Cupfill asked in confusion.
Emilia couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Oh trust me, boy! you guys have it easy. Why don't you ask your teacher about it at a later time."
Cupfill did not understand why she said that. After all, that was about Five hundred people dead all to the Daranite baptism but he still nodded.
"Now! what was I saying?" She put a finger Under her lips in thought. "Yes! the fighting qualification. Now, Darklings are divided into two major categories. There are subcategories but all are mainly under these two types."
As she spoke, cupfillbrought out a pen and a pocket-note book, and she could not help but nod internally.
"Darklings are of two types. It is either a Darkling is an Enhanced or Enhancer. Fortunately, you have here two prime examples brawling it out." She pointed to the two combatants she considered idiots throwing heavy punches at one another.
"Daranite in its raw form is firstly too heavy and secondly not active. But it was discovered that the neurons of the human brain are capable of activating this dull metal, but this does not just happen magically. Daranite needs to first be introduced into the bodies of potential candidates that have been tested to be able to accommodate and link with it. If the individual survives and the body merges with the Daranite, next would be the fighting qualification."
She pointed at Snowbottle, "Enhancers are people that can activate Daranite outside their bodies. Just like Your teacher Snowbottle."
She brought out her broad sword from its scabbard and it made a heavy dump sound as she inserted it into the ground.
"Just like that muscle brain you call a teacher, I'm also an enhancer. we can activate Daranite outside our bodies." She held her broad sword by the hilt and the dull sword seemed to come to life. As it glowed slightly."
"Wow! That is so cool." He attempted to touch the broad sword but she sharply smacked his hand.
"No one touches my Benjamin!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Cupfill massaged his hand. He watched as Emilia shamelessly caressed the broad sword and even whispered sweet words to it.
"Good! next would be the Enhanced. This group of Darklings have the privilege of activating the Daranite in their bodies, this can either be their blood, bones, skin e.t.c. The combination for them is a lot. Just like Adria."
"Oh!" Cupfill nodded his head in understanding as he turned to the two still battling it out.
By now, punches had finally started to reach their intended destination. Both Adria and Snowbottle were relentless in their force to dominate.
As it was, apart from the first punch that pushed them apart, neither combatant was moving. Two pairs of legs fixed in their places as if it was an unspoken rule that whosoever moved back first had lost.
A small crowd of people had already formed to watch the fight. Some even making bets on who would win.
"I see you've not become as terrible as the rumors say." Snowbottle commented.
"What do you mean terrible? Definitely not with the kind of love I showed your..."
"Ahhh!!! Don't you dare say my mother Adria!" Snowbottle interrupted him.
"Oh! So you are aware?" Adria smirked.
"That's it! I am going to make your face into mush potatoes."
"Oh! Like I did your ..."
"I SAID! don't bring my mother into this!"
As snowbottle said this, he took a leap back. He brought his fist close to his abdomen and then He lowered his center of gravity, "I learnt some new tricks from Europe. Now that I think about it, your face would not be a bad test board."
Snowbottle suddenly leaped high into the air.
Adria just like anyone that was watching from could see and feel that this punch was no ordinary one.
Even as he brought it down, a sharp whistle could already be heard as it pierced through the air.
"Shit!" Adria cursed. He crossed his hands in front of his face as the punch got closer the image of it enlarging in his black pupils...