As the sun continued its slow descent, we returned from our short day at the training grounds. Returning to a bath where we could freshen ourselves for the next day of classes. Once I finished getting cleaned, I exited the bath chambers and met with Ariel, Callum, Emerson and Lyra for the evening dinner in our wing of the academy's student dormitory.
I bid them farewell and retired to bed early. Exhausted from the earlier events today.
When morning arrived the next day, I found myself preparing to walk into the tournament rounds of the training grounds, today however the mood between me and everyone has changed once again. All everyone can focus on is winning their battles and I must do the same.
Thorne, and Quentin who automatically qualify from the previous rounds, stood side by side next to me as I was still warming up my muscles. When Emerson joined the group shortly thereafter, I felt confident that I could win.
"Lyra, Cyrus... are the both of you ready for your battle?" Ego announced, looking at the two of us sternly.
The atmosphere around the arena shifted into a cold feeling of intimidation and powerlessness, and with that Lyra and I entered the circle where our combat would take place.
"Now... BEGIN!" Ego ordered, as both Lyra and I instantly unleashed our strength onto the other. I began swinging my arms in a frenzy of movements while a multitude of shadows engulfed everything around Lyra and me. Everything outside the circular formation we were in was blotted out completely by Lyra's shadow magic.
With my fists blazing, I advanced towards her. Every punch was aimed squarely at my target. Though as I landed a few hits in Lyra countered, blocking a punch and kicked me away. Her eyes widened as she darted around.
Suddenly a multitude of daggers flew out and missed the mark, slicing past my stomach and leaving tiny cuts all over the length of my chest. With no more time left, she dashed at me and began an array of kicks.
I easily caught every kick that she threw at me but eventually, my arm started to go numb. She smirked and backed off slightly. As we each eyed one another I attempted a desperate kick. As I had my leg raised an invisible force came crashing against it. I felt as though I couldn't breathe but just as suddenly it was over and the pressure lifted.
The surrounding space was being pressed tighter and tighter. Lyra didn't stop there, instead sending three sharp daggers toward my forehead which bounced off and disappeared with a poof into thin air. Lyra scowled with intensity. I moved forward again, focusing on protecting myself as I kept my attention fixed solely on defending.
After several minutes my hands were tired and heavy, the energy in them now gone as it was sapped into the battleground itself. Lyra began to prepare another spell as I was just about to recover. She struck me with a kick which was followed by a series of attacks which managed to break through my defenses, cracking the knuckles in my knuckles and leaving several gashes across my back and shoulder blades.
With that, she created several shadow spikes aiming for my feet and waist. While her blade slashed, I lifted my own to block, deflecting Lyra's attack once more before stepping forward. But I wasn't prepared for what happened next.
My foot touched the ground and the next instant Lyra lunged into my stomach and wrapped her arms tightly around me, causing my legs to crumple beneath me. With her knee pressed hard into the center of my chest, she knocked the wind out of me. I tried to get free but failed and felt my consciousness fading rapidly.
The class watched closely, anticipating what might happen next. I breathed raggedly, and then saw stars as my head was thrown back and my vision grew darker, almost completely black now. I gasped for air, gulped in oxygen but I couldn't catch my breath. As I laid on my back my breathing eased and I opened my eyes as light flooded into them.
"Have you given up yet Cyrus? It's a miracle you even made it past Callum, but there's no miracle when you fight me."
"Of course not..."
"Hahaha." Lyra laughed mockingly while shaking her head. "You are a stubborn one."
I decided to end this, using the opportunity, I focused my mind and pushed on. Trying to win with just hand-to-hand combat would prove to be more difficult than I imagined. Lyra also continued her onslaught of blows with every passing second. My vision went blank and everything else around me seemed fuzzy, distorted. It took a lot of concentration for my brain to process it all correctly and remain clear minded.
"It appears Cyrus has tapped out..." Ego noted with slight surprise and disappointment lacing his voice as I stopped moving in midair. "I announce Lyra as the wi-"
However, he was interrupted when I rolled sideways, grabbing hold of her shoulders, which caught the girl off guard as she immediately sent another fist at my face and pinned me with her legs. She raised a foot high above her head and prepared to crush my skull with the heel. However, before she could land her kick my hand lashed out quickly and gripped tightly around her ankle before flipping both of our positions so she was underneath me. My vision was blurry and filled with static as I gripped her shoulders tightly, trying desperately to remain conscious.
With one last desperate attempt I punched Lyra as hard as possible straight in the stomach and knocking her out for a moment before slamming the side of my head into her face as my mind went completely dark. The impact dazed me as my head felt as heavy as lead, everything became heavier and my eyes began to water uncontrollably. This was becoming more than just a simple spar, this was becoming straight up a death battle.
"STOP! The fight is over! You win Cyrus." Ego ordered loudly, interrupting our scuffle once more and ordering his students to disband. I refused to win like this, Lyra could still fight, I CAN'T JUST WIN IN THIS PITIFUL WAY!
"BUT MISTER EGO!" I began screaming back angrily.
"Silence boy." I wanted to continue this fight, I NEEDED TO CONTINUE THIS FIGHT!
"Lyra clearly won Mister Ego." Callum blurted out.
"Your teacher is right... Stop fighting boy!" Ego exclaimed before speaking under his breath so quietly that no one heard him speak except for me. "I swear your stubbornness is going to get you killed one day..."
"SIR, I CAN STILL FIGHT." Lyra cried out defiantly, trying to stand as her voice wavered, on the verge of sobbing.
"Look at the state you're both in, none of you can fight." Professor Ego narrowed his eyes in annoyance, glaring at the young girl as she shrunk under his gaze. "That's a risky move Lyra, are you absolutely sure you want to keep going? You don't need to die for the sake of winning, after all this is literally a spar..."
Lyra just nodded, a small smirk playing across her face, and then immediately proceeded to pounce towards me without warning as I quickly sidestepped to avoid her charging bull head-on. With a huff, she turned her head in confusion, her gaze fixing onto me. She frowned angrily and made another lunge at me, tackling my shoulder, sending me sprawling to the floor below. My hands scratched the ground for dear life, scraps cut open from the stones on the surface beneath my fingers, the searing pain of the cuts running hot along with my adrenaline rush as I kicked at her blind spot, aiming for her leg but she avoided the kick with ease.
We locked gazes in an intense death glare for what seemed like an eternity before we both rushed each other at the same time, colliding once again with another flurry of strikes and jabs. Our limbs connected painfully, a loud slap ringing out around the battlefield and sending me to the floor. The force behind the strike knocked me flat onto my stomach and left my ribs cracked, blood and saliva filling my mouth.
"SHADOW BOLT." A black and blue shadow flew directly at my skull and knocked it to the side. Immediately I reached outwards, grasping a firm hold of Lyra's left leg and forced it upwards, causing her to lose her footing for the moment before sending her flying away from me and into a nearby stone wall where she collapsed against.
"Ahhg.."
This fight was over, she was slumped over, bleeding on the grass and it didn't look as if she'd be able to continue fighting anytime soon either. Both of my legs were shaking, bruised and battered, but I managed to get up off of the ground, despite a majority of the energy I had left had been wasted. The next moment we both fell together. The fight ended with Lyra crying in defeat as tears began forming around her eyes,
My victory was announced loudly across the entire class and I slumped over, completely drained as I waited patiently for Lyra to regain consciousness.