Rayon knew of his own softness, his drill sergeant had been telling him that for as long as he had been with the army, but the boy just couldn't change.
He never judged his brother or Sunny for how they fought, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same.
"I fight seriously against strong opponents don't worry Boss." Ray said with confidence. The boy still called his brother 'Boss' every time he was lectured. Ciaran had always been the brains in their group, and he was the muscle.
Ciaran sighted, it was always like this. He would like to point out that as a part of an elite squad; he was taught how to fight for real. That his opponents, the ones he would consider serious threats were much older than him, and to tell him that his soft mentality would get him in trouble. Yet, he didn't.
Saying all that would expose he had information on his brother's recent activities. And then, he would have to tell them he was in contact with his parents. That particular piece of information was still kept a secret, and only some of the higher authorities in the Empire knew about it.
"Just promise me you will always consider your opponents a treat. I will not ask you to face these kids for real, because I know you won't, but keep your defense up no matter what, or who you are fighting against." Ciaran said, with a defeated look on his face.
His brother nodded and they went to talk with the girls. The first round of matches was still ongoing, so they had more than enough time to chat.
As they chatted Ciaran scouted out his targets. The kids still held a grudge against him and Clara. It would be hard to smoothen out their relationship, but now it was a necessity.
'Damn the old woman, and her insistence on friendship in the classroom.'
He knew that he couldn't appease all of them, not in the short term anyway, and waiting to see if they would not pass into Year Four was too much time investment to give to people he couldn't be bothered to even remember.
His plan was simple, search for the weak link and break them first. It wasn't long before he found him. It was one of the smaller boys. He was just five centimeters taller than Ciaran, but unlike him this boy was weak.
He got beaten black and blue by his opponent and was now groaning in the medical tent.
Ciaran smiled. He was perfect. His family was ordinary, his marshal prowess was below average and he wasn't a good student. Even his drive was lacking. The rest of these stubborn mules were so driven by spite, they had actually improved beyond their abilities, just to prove they didn't need their former leaders. He could still feel their glares when they noticed him.
But this kid, Eddy, didn't have the luxury to glare. He was a bottomfeeder, so he was easy to influence.
"Not doing so hot, are we Eddy? Don't look at me like that, I am not here to mook you, just to make a suggestion. Come back to us. No tricks this time I promise, I will be a better Boss to you this time around. No need to answer, I see your reluctance in your eyes, but if you ever change your mind, come find us, and we will help you improve. I still consider you a friend and I want us to move on to Year Four together." Ciaran told him, as the boy was laying there, giving him the stink eye.
Eddy was more or less over his spite for Ciaran. The only reason he was angry in the first place, was because his plan was to use his connections with their gang to pass into Year Four. After it was disbanded he was so angry he refused to talk with anybody.
Now that reality had shown him his own lack of ability he was more than happy to join in with his former Boss. He was just making a show out of it, so he wouldn't seem that desperate. After today the boy would just ask Ciaran to take him back as a grunt.
Ciaran went back to his friends and waited for his next match.
This time his opponent was a girl. She was slender with brown hair and blue eyes. The boy didn't really feel she was all that strong, but at least she was better than his last opponent.
Her stance was still the standard military one, but unlike the last boy, she didn't charge at him. She was conscious and was waiting for him to approach. He took his Wing Chun stance and slowly approached her.
She thought that his stance was weird and that with the weird way he was standing it wouldn't have any balance, so she tested it out.
She opened with a jab, then crouched and tried out a low hook. Her idea was that she could put pressure on the boy and then when he was at his limits she would knock him down.
What happened was a little of her calculations. He barely moved to dodge her jab by the skin of his teeth, and then when the hook came he parried it with his knee. Just a light touch from his knee was enough to trough the hook of balance and it missed.
Then he just stretched his leg and kicked her in the face. The kick didn't have his full weight in it but it was enough to break her nose and stun her. He was about to finish her off with stomps, but she just surrendered.
The girl knew she lost as soon as the parry came. If she was countered that easily, it was better to just quit and avoid the pain.
This time he was actually the first to win his match. He went to watch his friends fight next to his teacher.
"Quick and easy, no extra harm done, just like you ordered." He said with a grin.
Elizabeth wouldn't humor him with a response, mostly because there was nothing to say. Objectively speaking, he had been doing the best out of all her class. His victories were fast, efficient, and one-sided.
Clara had just knocked out her opponent exactly at the fifth-minute mark. She wasn't even trying to hide how easy this whole ordeal was for her.
Sunny was fully enjoying herself. Her opponent was a beautiful girl from a noble family. And every time they clashed, Sunny was using her nails to leave a scratch mark on her face. This went on until the girl looked like a cat had used her face as a tool for sharpening its claws.
The beauty she once projected was nowhere to be seen, but Sunny was not satisfied. She grappled onto her, keeping her in a chokehold, and started pulling her hair, one strand at a time.
Both Clara and Elizabeth felt a chill when looking at the little girl casually asking her opponent not to give up too quickly.
Ciaran on the other hand was taking notes. He could learn a thing or two from his friend when it came to crushing someone's spirit.
The girl was tenacious, she didn't give up, even when half her hair was pulled out. She struggled through the pain. She was a stubborn girl, and she believed if she held on long enough, she would find an opportunity to get out and win.
"Don't be mean Sunny, just knock her out," Rayon shouted, having won his match with ease.
Sunny looked at her friends and just did as she was told. Just a quick hit to the back of the head and the now-half-bald girl fell unconscious.
Elizabeth was glad Sunny was listening to Rayon now. Before she only listened to his brother, and that was a disaster all on its own. At least the little soldier showed kindness and mercy to her enemies, even when she didn't seem to find it necessary.
"Good job on your fights, but please do try to end them more humanely Miss Waters, you too Ciaran." Elizabeth asked them.
As an orphan, she and Rayon shared a last name, as it was the standard for all parentless children, and bastards to share a name in accordance with the city they lived in. Of course, with Ciaran permanently at the Academy, people started calling Rayon - Rayon Clades, but that didn't change the fact that Sunny saw him as family.
The girl grew up in the Imperial Institution for young ladies, a fancy orphanage for young girls. She had a soft spot for everyone with the last name Waters, and Rayon was no exception.
"No, I don't think I will." She looked her teacher dead in the eyes and smiled.
"How much more than this. Am I supposed to win with nothing but tactics and harsh language?" Ciaran asked acting hurt by her comment.
Elizabeth just pinched the bridge of her nose, it was going to be a long year.