The practice room felt like an arena, the hum of tension thick in the air. Peach stood across from Blade, her eyes narrowed in focused determination. Blade, ever the cool one, stood at the ready, his posture rigid and confident. The rest of the group stood off to the side, unsure of what was about to unfold, but sensing the impending storm.
"Alright, alright," Loot said, hands raised in mock surrender. "This is how we all die, huh? Here I thought our biggest problem was getting through the semester, and now it's Blade vs. Peach." He shot a teasing glance at Lux. "Are we placing bets?"
"I'm just hoping we get through this without someone losing an arm," Lux muttered, arms folded. She had her usual serious expression, but there was an edge of concern in her voice. "We're still on school grounds, right? I don't want to be responsible for any accidents."
"You guys are overthinking this," Violet said, leaning against the wall, arms crossed with an air of casual detachment. "It's just a sparring match, not a death match."
"I'm just saying, this is about to get messy," Loot added, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "You know Blade and Peach are both prideful."
As if on cue, Blade shot Peach a smirk, his confidence oozing. "You ready to admit you were wrong about the hunters?" he teased.
Peach's eyes flashed with fire. "We'll see. I'm not afraid to take you down."
The group fell silent as the two prepared for their sparring match. Blade, armed with his usual tool-manipulation powers, cracked his knuckles. Peach, ever the tactician, adjusted her stance, the faintest shift in gravity beneath her feet. It was clear to everyone watching—this was more than just a sparring match. This was a clash of egos, a battle of wills.
The first move came quickly. Blade charged forward, his blade materializing in his hand with a flick of his wrist. His speed was impressive, the sharp steel cutting through the air with lethal precision.
Peach was already ahead of him, however. With a subtle shift of her gravity, she floated backward, avoiding his strike by mere inches. Blade's blade sliced through the empty air, but Peach's calm, controlled movements were too fast for him to land a hit.
"Predictable," Peach remarked, her voice dripping with confidence.
Blade growled, undeterred. He lunged again, this time launching multiple blades in rapid succession, each one whirling around him as extensions of his will. Peach, quick as ever, manipulated the gravity around the blades, redirecting them harmlessly away from her.
"Is that all you've got, Blade?" Peach taunted, her grin wide.
Blade's eyes narrowed. He wasn't going to be humiliated like this—not after everything. With a deep breath, he switched tactics. He wasn't just going to rely on his tools anymore. He needed to think outside the box.
Without warning, he dashed forward, closing the distance between them with his speed. He raised his gauntlets, his fists aimed directly at Peach. This time, he wasn't relying on his tools. It was hand-to-hand combat, pure and simple.
Peach anticipated the move and shifted her gravity, but Blade was faster than she expected. His gauntlet struck her with precision, a solid blow to her midsection that sent her skidding back across the floor.
The rest of the group reacted in unison, eyes wide with surprise.
"Okay, didn't see that coming," Violet muttered under his breath, an impressed look crossing his face.
Peach gasped for air but didn't falter. She'd expected the blow, but Blade's strength was more than she'd anticipated. She pushed herself off the floor, floating back to her feet with a flick of her fingers. She wasn't finished yet.
"I'll give you that one," Peach said, wiping her mouth. "But you've made a mistake."
Blade's eyebrow quirked. "What's that?"
Peach grinned, her eyes shining with a quiet determination. "You underestimate me."
With that, Peach shifted her gravity once again, pulling herself up high into the air. She zoomed toward Blade, her body spinning like a whirlwind as she descended rapidly. Blade tried to block her with his gauntlets, but Peach was already gone, her gravity manipulation letting her adjust mid-air. The force of her dive hit him like a truck, sending him to the ground with a loud crash.
The room went dead silent for a moment.
Blade struggled to his feet, his pride wounded but his resolve intact. He was breathing hard now, his energy draining faster than he'd anticipated. Peach stood above him, her body still floating in a relaxed stance, as if she hadn't even broken a sweat.
"That was… good," Blade admitted, pushing himself up. "But don't get cocky."
Peach grinned. "I'm not, but you might want to be careful. You've already lost twice."
"Don't count me out just yet," Blade said, determination flashing in his eyes. He was done holding back.
The fight continued for several more minutes, a flurry of rapid movements and controlled chaos. Blade, now growing more and more frustrated, began to make mistakes. He was throwing his punches too recklessly, his movements becoming less calculated.
Peach, on the other hand, remained cool and focused. With each passing second, it was becoming more and more apparent that she had the upper hand.
Finally, with one last, well-placed punch—delivered with the precision of a strategist—Peach sent Blade tumbling back onto the mat, unable to get up.
The room erupted in surprised gasps and scattered applause.
"Well, that was something," Lux said, shaking her head. "I didn't think Peach could pull that off."
Loot let out a loud laugh. "I mean, who expected Blade to get his butt kicked? He's always been so cocky."
Violet snorted. "Hey, he tried. But Peach's control over gravity is unreal. She's like… a human wrecking ball."
Blade groaned, pulling himself up with a grimace. "Alright, alright. I admit it. You're stronger than I gave you credit for."
Peach offered him a hand, her smile softening. "Told you."
Blade took it, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "You're lucky you're so damn good at this."
Later that evening, the group was back at their dorm, the atmosphere far more relaxed. But there was a lingering tension between Blade and Peach, an unspoken understanding that their fight wasn't over, even if the match was.
As the conversation moved to more casual topics, Umber couldn't help but bring up a subject that had been on her mind.
"Blade, I—" She hesitated, catching Blade's eye. "I didn't mean to make you mad with the whole hunter thing. I just wanted to talk, not start a fight."
Blade looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "It's fine," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have overreacted."
Peach, who had been sitting silently, leaned forward. "Yeah, none of us are perfect. I shouldn't have jumped into that fight with you either."
"Right," Umber said, her voice soft. "I didn't mean to push you."
Blade looked between the two of them, his face softening. "We're fine. Just... don't bring up the hunters again."
Umber's mouth twitched, her usual playful nature slipping back in. "Deal. But you gotta admit, I made a good point."
Peach rolled her eyes. "We'll talk about it later."
The mood lightened, but Lux still looked concerned. "Let's just promise we won't do something like that again. We've got enough to deal with as it is."
Loot shot Blade a playful grin. "Yeah, like trying to keep Peach from destroying the school next time."
Violet snorted. "Don't worry. We'll all be ready for round two."
As the group settled into a more casual discussion, Blade caught Loot's eye for a moment longer than necessary. There was something about the way Loot had been looking at him throughout the fight—something unspoken, but undeniable. Blade quickly looked away, his thoughts swirling. Maybe it wasn't just the fight that had gotten under his skin.
Outside the practice room, as the evening stretched into night, there was still a sense of something unresolved hanging in the air. The fight between Blade and Peach had been just one battle in a much bigger war—one of wills, identities, and connections that had only just begun to take shape.
And maybe, just maybe, the battle for their own truths was only getting started.