Ken initiated the attack.

He leapt over her left and jinked to the other in attempt to confuse her. By the time Yenne tried to catch him, her fist only slipped through his afterimage. ​​

All of the sudden she felt his fist connect on her stomach. She let out a cry of pain. After, she smiled.

Ken withdrew, backflipping away. He’s well-muscled, had acrobatic skills and considerably strong in his age. His hand twisted forward, his hands summoning the breath of fire.

Yenne only had time to brace herself and spun once to evade the fireball and move forward. She moved aside, nearly catching her with his attack. She breaks a neck and her muscles bunched when she spread her legs.

Her boots planted on the ground as she dragged her heels to caught the fireball and created a momentum, in returning it back to Ken.

Ken’s brain stuttered for a moment as his eyes take in lighter when his fireball came back. His muscles became rigid and stiffened, but he knew that it’s coming back at him. He tried as best as he could to avoid it. Finally, Ken allowed himself to drown and fell.

Ken fell in the ground in his back.

Yenne’s shadow over casted upon him.

“Attempting to stop me by stunning and followed it up with countless magic attacks. I’m impressed with the creativity.”

Yenne’s fist steeled. When she struck him in his guts, there’s a and spasm while his exhalation was interrupted by the pain jolting through his veins and organs. She pulled him up by wrapping his neck.

“But you know pretty well how sturdy my body is.”

“Damn it.”

Ken coughed. Pain has blanketed his body.

He desperately tried to break free from her grasped but to no avail.

Yenne finally decided to threw him.

Ken back hit against the log of a tree. He allowed himself to absorb the hardness and let out a grunt of pain.

“Shit. You’re one tough bastard.”

His spasm ceased. Ken exhaled and with the last second his eyes brimmed in a determination. Yenne had noticed it. Their gazed are alike, ones that are prepared to go all out, to sacrifice a part of themselves in order to succeed.

A mighty drive of their boots against the ground pushed the ground to cracked.

Their hands clenches into fist

And when they met the shockwave from both of their fists created a sharp whistling wind that scattered and rustled the leaves and trees.

They let out a roar.

“You exclaimed that you have an impenetrable skin, I would like to find out how true is that.” Ken said. The smile in his face diminished.

Yenne started to hopped back on forth. “Come then.”

Ken launched himself. At certain point, Ken’s footwork began turned to an odd movement.

Ken continuously jinked from left to right like a boxer coming for his opponent. Several afterimages came later on which confused her.

Yenne’s muscle swelled. Her attention is all on him.

Her eyes keep altering to where he’s next position. She knew that his feint movements are just part of his plan. It isn’t something she can ignore given that Ken has promising skills.

In an abrupt development, Ken’s movements became faster. His afterimages emerging forward. She clearly saw it. He threw his fist like a bullet aimed on her right.

Yenne threw up her forearm forming a defensive block.

Ken’s smirked appeared in his face. His figure slowly became a thick fog and vanished in thin air. On her right, where supposed to be the least of her worries, caught her off guard. It was too late. Yenne’s was on her feet, but even still, she cannot block him. She blamed her reserved bulks for weighing her down.

Her face stiffed for second when she remembered that her weight is also her main asset. Yenne’s worried expression returned to confident.

But Ken’s smirked did not waned.

That’s what he is completely waiting for.

The moment his fist made contact on her skin, there’s a loud explosion.

Ken got up. The explosion that he created also drawn him back a few feet away. As he waved the smoke of dust, he got a closer look on the site. There’s a shallow hole in front of him. Yenne’s presence is unknown.

He glanced at his right hand. It wasn’t damaged, but the ringing pain still lingered to it. His newly profound ability doesn’t hurt him like hell anymore, unlike before in his training.

Throughout the series of combat exercises, Ken developed his new ability, but at first it has a drawback, the exploding fist takes a physical toll on the user. It wasn’t the usual thing he would gamble, but seeing how Sherry trained and the others, he couldn’t help but to feel sorry for himself.

Ken felt a tingling in his back when there’s something that caught his attention. His head quickly turned left and saw white light that shootout throughout the sky. He knew very well who’s the person behind it, but to his surprise, he couldn’t help but to drop his jaw. He never imagined that Linda would use her Inquiara Magic.

Ken heard about her magic. She was completely forbidden by the directors to use that power. He understood the effects of the magic. It would completely decimate everything it’s surroundings, there’s nothing she can do to hold back her magic once she activated it.

The white light spread and formed into a white dome. The wall creeped down and settled firmly. Gladly, they’re outside of the field.

Out of silence, Ken heard a blast.

He pushed through. Not too far, he saw Yenne slouching against the tree. He heard a disappointing sighed from her. Yenne appeared to be harmless from the earlier attack.

Her eyes traverse at him.

“Hey you!” Yenne called out. “You know what this thing is?”

Ken didn’t reply.

“Just as I’ve thought. This wide range of Inquiara Magic came from one of your allies. None of my comrades are capable of this anomalous kind of magic.”

“It seems that your body is tough just what you had claimed to be.” Ken started. “You’re unscathed. You have my deepest appreciation.”

Yenne threw him a questioning glance, one that is out of ordinary.

“You’re saying what now?”

“I’m saying,” Ken started on his combat form. “You’ll be my living punching bag.”

Yenne who’s completely stunned, laughed exaggeratingly.

“I don’t have the right to say anything, but that attitude says something. I’m sure you didn’t get that from the monks.”

“What’s the matter? You’re not going to save your comrade?” Ken inquired.

“It doesn’t matter now. They’re good as dead inside that dome.”

“You’re quite emotionless.”

“I won’t go as far as that. It’s not like they mean something to me. After all, they’re just disposable pawns.”

Ken grunted.

Yenne stretched her legs and arms.

“Very well,” Yenne said. Flames started to engulfed her body. “It’s time to get serious.”

“What are you doing?”

“This is my Inquiara Magic, Flame Aberration.”

Even from such short distance, Ken could feel the intense heat coming from Yenne. It was unlike his fire magic, this one is unrelenting, bestial and calm.