"Ahh man that hurts"
Conrad's eyes blinked open and the first thing he could see was a blurry brown ceiling. Of course, he also felt the throbbing pain coming from his chin. Arguably the sensation that woke him up.
It took him a few seconds before his senses were working properly.
He got up and his blurred vision came into focus.
He was still in the dojo and sitting where he had been knocked out.
"You were out longer than I expected. Maybe I should have held back"
When he turned to look, he saw Meliora casually seated with a book in hand. She did not bother to even look at him since her eyes were focused on the contents of the book.
"Ouch, you think?"
He said while rubbing his chin, which had a slight glint of color to it.
"Do you like manga?"
It was an odd question, especially in this situation. She had a calm tone and expression, so she must have been serious about it. So, he gave his honest reply.
"No, not really. I never really liked comics; way too complicated to piece together the action scenes. Watching movies is way better."
There was a brief silence before she responded.
"I was hoping we could be friends. But since you can't differentiate between comics and manga then, that doesn't seem likely"
She closed the book with a soft thud and set it aside. Then she picked up the wooden sword resting on the floor and slowly stood up.
_Wait, so is that how she bases her friends on? _
Was there really a difference between comics and manga? He didn't understand since they seemed pretty similar to him, at least from what he has seen. He groaned as he went on his feet also.
This time he took the same stance as Mel did, albeit a sloppy version of it.
_That doesn't matter now. After losing two times in a row against her, I'm certain there's no way I can beat her now. My best option would be to give her what she wants_
Mel had wanted to him to awaken as a Diviner. He remembered Fern mentioning something like that back in that rusty old room.
_I really wish I paid attention to him back then_
As Mel slowly approached, his heart began to beat faster. He could even feel his feet slowly stepping back. The lingering pain on his chin and the tension in his chest made him feel a bit wobbly.
But nonetheless, he still tightened the grip on his wooden sword.
_Damn it_
Like before, she closed the gap with a swift and fluent motion as she struck out her sword. Miraculously, Connie had managed to raise his sword to block her attack, even though he barely had the time to react.
_I blocked it_
For the first time, he had managed to block an attack from this woman. However, his victory was short-lived as Mel followed up with another quick strike to the left. Fortunately, he could see it and was paired.
She swung right— paired.
She cross slashed— paired.
She swung down— paired.
He was barely managing to keep up but at least he was getting better. He even began to think that he was truly awakening to his newfound abilities, which would explain how he was keeping up with her. Perhaps beating her wasn't totally out of the question.
Connie cracked a grin.
The force of the last strike pushed him back a bit.
"Just copying my stance won't be enough. Especially when you're doing it wrong. Spread your feet shoulder width part, bend your knees slightly and hold your sword with both hands. By keeping it in front, you should be able to defend and strike more precisely"
Connie sighed because her teaching methods were exactly as he described. Nonetheless, he still did as instructed. He could feel his muscles tense up as he tried to find the way to stand his ground.
"I think I get it"
_Tensing up might hinder my movements. I need to relax_
Connie took a deep breath which loosened his shoulders and the intensity he felt in his legs. Then he focused his gaze on Mel who was encircling him.
"Those should be the basics. Get ready to block this next attack"
"Wait. How about we add another condition for leaving here?"
She stopped for a bit. Curiosity was clearly written on her face and Connie took advantage of it.
"Which is?"
Connie knew that beating her directly was not possible and giving her what she wanted did not seem possible. He did not know or understand how he could awaken as a Diviner. One thing's for sure, he did believe he was one because of what happened to his body when he almost died.
"You're just too good for me and I'm not really sure how to awaken these…abilities I seem to have or call on them. So, how about we take things one step at a time. If I somehow managed to land a single hit on you, we're done for the day and get to try again the next. How about it?"
"No"
Mel responded relatively quickly with no hesitation whatsoever. She was so decisive that Connie was taken aback.
Her rushing towards him left no room for further questions or a discussion. He instinctively raised his wooden sword to block her downward swing at him.
_Damn! _
His movements were clumsy, and the force of her strike nearly knocked the weapon out of his hands. But she did not let up, she followed with another series of strikes, each coming from a different angle.
_Why am I struggling to keep up all of a sudden? _
The first time he could keep up with her movements but now he was struggling. It also didn't help that his movements were clumsy compared to her precise and practiced attacks.
Was the first time a fluke or was just letting up so she could show him a thing or two? That seemed likely, considering what he currently knew of her.
Guuaargh.
An opening presented itself in Connie's defense and she made full use of it. She swung her wooden sword, and it connected with his head.
Like before, he was sent flying back and collapsed on the floor.
Knocked out.
Some time passed and before he knew it, the shock of cold water splashing on his face jolted him awake. He gasped for air while his face was dripping with water.
He wiped the water from his eyes only to find Mel standing over him with a small bucket of water in hand with droplets of water still clinging to its rim. Her expression was indifferent from the last time.
"You got me again. But was splashing water all over my face really necessary?"
"Yes. I wanted to take a lunchbreak, and it would be rude to eat without you"
She said as she tossed him a white cloth.
Connie groaned but still used it to wipe the lingering water from his face and hair. The same could not be done for his soaked body. He could feel his garments clinging uncomfortably to his skin and the cold that sent shivers down his spine.
After that, Connie couldn't help but glare at her as she walked away from him. The lasting pain he felt as he rubbed his head still felt fresh, it did make him feel a bit dizzy, but it was nothing serious. By the feel of it, it hasn't been that long since he had been knocked out
_She got impatient and decided to wake me up faster. Haah man. That's the least of my concerns. At this rate, I'll end up dying. I'll have to turn this around somehow_
Even with her petite body. Her blows still felt as if being hit by a speeding truck, it was amazing how that piece of wood was keeping it together. Her attacks were unnatural, the fact he survived two of them was a mystery to him. However, it did have something to do with this Diviner thing.
No doubt about that.
The gap in their abilities made it obvious that he couldn't beat her. Even trying to reason with her was not an option. That time she definitely slowed herself down so he would be able to keep up. But he got cocky and began to think he was actually making progress.
_Heh. Good thing it's time to eat. This is my chance to find out what these Arcana are and figure out a way to survive this somehow _
Connie sighed and pushed himself into a seated position. After that exchange, his muscles felt sore, every joint ached and the sting of the bruises on his face reminded him of how serious this session was.
_Dealing with those two again doesn't seem so bad now_
Upon reaching the corner of the dojo, Mel set the bucket aside and picked up two lunch boxes. She walked over to him, and he accepted the box she offered with trembling hands.
"Thanks"
_Too close_
They sat closely parallel to each other. Connie couldn't help but feel self-conscious about his soaked garments.
There was also the quietness of the dojo, the only sounds being the rustle of wrappers and the soft clink of chopsticks against the containers.
He looked down at his meal. It mainly consisted of rice, a few slices of pickled vegetables and a piece of grilled fish. It was a simple meal, yet it still felt well earned after what he's been through these past few hours.
Mel ate in silence, her eyes occasionally flicking over to Connie who began to gobble up his food. The warmth of the food spread through him, for a moment making him forget the cold wetness he suffered from.
"So, how many blows can I take before dying?"
"You won't die. Even if it does come to that. Miss Mae can easily restore your body"
"Is that why you're aiming to break my skull?"
Connie was the first to break the silence, but for a moment, the silence came back after asking that question.
His voice sounded as though he carried fatigue like that of someone who had been pushed to their limits while Mel had a more relaxed tone. That went to show the difference between their abilities.
After a brief silence, she replied.
"Against a normal human, those attacks would have incurred serious injuries or would have killed them. You, however, are far from normal, or a human. People like us. Are only human in appearance"
Connie's eyes widened and his heart began to beat faster. He wanted to ask but was too afraid of what he might learn.
Nonetheless, he had to know. Connie asked in a trembling voice.
"Then, wha- what am I?"
"An Avatar"
Connie stared at her, the reality of what she just said slowly sinking in.
Those words hit him like a punch to the gut. It was a cold shock that left him momentarily breathless. By that word alone, it meant that he was a vessel of sorts, a conduit of something ancient or divine.
"What? Does that mean I'm going to be possessed by a spirit or something?!"
Mel raised an eyebrow.
"That's not it. Didn't Kael tell you about this stuff already?"
_I think he did but I wasn't listening_
He said so internally for the fear of looking incompetent in front of a cute girl. Simply agreeing was no option either because that would mean she would uphold any information that might help him understand his situation.
"You know…The idiot with the goofy smile?"
He took too long to respond. There was no going back now.
"Uh, I think he must have told me, but it slipped my mind"
Mel sighed an audible breath and paused for a moment, as if choosing her next words carefully.
"Being an Avatar means that your body can perform all sorts of supernatural feats. Your supposed regeneration is such an example. Still, these have a lot of restrictions on them…"
From her pocket, she pulled out a card and showed it to him.
"But with an Arcana Card, those restrictions are removed or lessened. It all depends on expertise really"
_Suit of Swords_
It looked different from what he could remember. Its name and design were different from the one he saw at the subway. This one had a figure holding a sword while their surroundings were full of swords point at them from every side.
For some reason, his memory was becoming foggy lately. But there was no doubt that this card was different from the one he saw.
Although it was not everything, he had a better grasp of how he had managed to survive that explosion and most of what has been happening around him.
"I get it now. That explains why you're so strong despite your tiny body, hehehe"
Having said that he leaned back and felt the coolness of the floor through his clothes. His wet shirt clinging to his skin like a second layer of discomfort.
_Looks like I really am a monster_
He had a small but almost sad smile. Everything he thought he knew about life had just been upended and replaced with a truth that was far more complex for him to fully comprehend.
He chuckled softly while taking another bite from his meal.
Mel fell silent.
There was a slight clatter sound when she put her bento box down and quietly rose to her feet wooden sword in hand. The silent tension of her movements shook Connie's grin.
"Breaks over"
Her voice was cool and composed, no different from her usual. Maybe he was just imagining it.
Connie quickly shoved the last of his food into his mouth and chewed it hastily as he scrambled to his feet. He swallowed it in one gulp, barely tasting the rich flavors.
"Alright rea-"
The moment he fully prepared a battle stance, Mel immediately lunged at him with speed and ferocity that took him by surprise, even though at this point he shouldn't have been really surprised that she can move so fast, but something was different.
The wooden sword in her hand sliced through the air with a hiss, aimed directly at his head. That always seemed to be her target however this time Connie was fully prepared to deal with it.
"Woah!"
Connie barely managed to block the blow as his own wooden sword vibrated from the force of impact. He staggered back trying to create some distance between them, but she was relentless. She pressed forward, her attacks came in an unyielding fury.
Her sword slashed towards his shoulder, but he managed to duck in time. The blade missed him by an inch.
_Shit, I can't keep this up for long_
He paired and dodged as best as he could but even then, he still fell short. Mel's movements were a blur, her attacks flowing seamlessly from one to the next which left very little room for him to counter or even catch his breath.
_Is she pissed? _
It was to hard tell since he didn't see a difference in her facial expression than what he was already used to seeing. However, her movements seemed to be more ferocious now which suggested that she might be angry. Why she was angry was a mystery to him as well.
With one powerful strike, she knocked the sword from Connie's hand, sending it clattering across the floor as he tripped. Mel stepped closer; her sword poised just inches from his throat.
Connie froze while trying to catch his breath.
"Very good"
For a moment, neither of them moved. He could feel the rapid thud of his heartbeat in his ears. She lifted her sword and brought it down towards Connie's skull.
The world faded into black.