Alan and Theo both sat alongside an artificial rock catching their breath and giving each other praises for their skills. But something wasn't feeling right for Alan, he couldn't defeat a person with the same power level as his, so how could he defeat someone far superior than him? This made him stand up again and look into the eyes of Theo in confidence.
"Let's fight till we can't even move anymore.", said Alan before taking his stance followed by a deep breath and activating his aura.
After a brief rest and some light-hearted banter, Alan and Theo decided to go for another round. The sun had dipped further, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. They returned to their starting positions, eyes locked and ready.
"This time, I'll mix things up," Theo declared, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"I'm counting on it," Alan replied, adjusting his stance.
Theo began by conjuring a dense mist that quickly enveloped the field. Alan's vision was obscured, the world around him turning into a grey haze. He focused, using his wind powers to create a breeze that partially dispersed the mist, but Theo had already moved.
From the mist, Theo launched an ice spear that streaked toward Alan. Reacting swiftly, Alan summoned a barrier of black wind, shattering the spear into glistening shards. Theo emerged from the mist, hands glowing with magic as he manipulated the elements around him. He raised his hand, and thick vines erupted from the ground, snaking towards Alan with surprising speed.
Alan leaped into the air, avoiding the grasping vines, and countered with a powerful gust of black wind. The winds sliced through the vines, but Theo was relentless. He extended his hand, releasing a stream of acid that sizzled and hissed as it hit the ground. Alan conjured a swirling vortex of wind to divert the acid, sending it safely away.
"You're full of surprises today," Alan remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Just getting started," Theo replied with a grin.
Theo then created a complex illusion, making multiple copies of himself appear around Alan. The real Theo mixed among the illusions, each one moving in perfect sync. Alan squinted, trying to discern the real Theo, but the illusions were too convincing. He sent a wave of black wind at one of the copies, only for it to dissipate harmlessly.
While Alan was distracted, Theo used his wood manipulation powers to send a thick branch underground, which emerged right beneath Alan, knocking him off balance. Seizing the opportunity, Theo appeared behind Alan and cast a stun spell. A flash of light erupted, and Alan felt his body momentarily seize up, muscles refusing to obey.
Despite the stun, Alan's mind remained sharp. He focused his energy, using his wind powers to create a shield that deflected any immediate attacks from Theo. The moment the stun effect wore off, Alan retaliated with a whirlwind of black wind, sending Theo and his illusions scattering.
Theo recovered quickly, using the cover of the swirling wind to unleash a burst of frost. The cold energy crackled through the air, freezing the ground beneath Alan's feet. Alan slipped but managed to catch himself, using a powerful gust of wind to lift off the icy surface. Hovering above, he spotted Theo preparing another attack.
[Wood Type: Wood Bullets]
Alan decided to switch tactics. He generated a fierce windstorm, dispersing the mist and illusions completely, while also misguiding the bullets in the way. The field was clear, and Theo stood in the open, casting another spell. Alan descended rapidly, using his control over the winds to direct a concentrated blast towards Theo.
Theo responded with a final trick. He conjured a magical barrier, absorbing the impact of the black wind. Simultaneously, he sent out a shockwave of magic that knocked Alan back. Alan rolled with the impact, springing to his feet and immediately countering with another gust of black wind.
Both brothers were panting, their energies pushed to the limit. Theo's eyes glinted with determination as he used his last trick combining mist and illusion to create a disorienting environment around Alan. This time, Alan relied on his instincts, closing his eyes and feeling the air currents around him.
With a powerful thrust of his hands, Alan sent out a shockwave of black wind, dispersing the illusions and mist entirely. Theo caught off guard, was pushed back but managed to stay on his feet. Alan landed lightly, facing his brother with a grin.
But it was not long before Alan realized that the person he was staring at was an illusion of Theo, and it had started to disappear. Theo once again made his presence behind Alan, pointing his hand at his neck as a death blow.
"Yield?'', asked Theo while panting but he heard no reply.
[Wind Mirage limit reached]
Alan's wind clone popped as it couldn't hold on its own any longer catching Theo off guarding making him question where he had made a mistake to get fooled by a clone but before he could balance himself a hand appeared on his neck instead.
"Yield?", asked Alan.
"I yield, that was an interesting strategy Alan.", said Theo.
"Thanks to you I have developed the sense of how to use the battleground in my favor to distract or make an opening against my opponent.", said Alan. Both smiled at each other appreciating their contribution to each other before both of them fainted due to lack of energy.
It was not long before they were discovered by Shelby who had heard all the chaos coming from Barry's house and healed their minor wounds and replenished their mana with her Rejuvenating Water skill. The boys woke up immediately when they were fed mana, but wished they didn't after seeing Shelby's face.
"Are you two crazy? fighting this seriously could've injured either one of you, You don't think about yourself but think about your services to this land.", exclaimed Shelby showing her honest opinion on this matter.
Alan and Theo agreed best to stay silent at that moment or they would have been scolded even more. After she had healed them, she left leaving the two boys to conclude their training results.
"Look Alan I understand your fighting style, in the beginning, you play defensive and try to learn about your opponent but that's your weakness in this, you sometimes make mistakes resulting in taking a hit or potentially getting heavily injured, You don't know your assassin and these people only attack when your alone so you won't have a backup to save you at that moment, My advice try to pressure your opponent to reveal their skill, while also staying defensive at the same time, remember your opponent knows your techniques so try to be unpredictable.", said Theo.
"I have something for you that will help you in your battle, but use it wisely.", said Theo.