By the time I got down to the training room, the very same one that Yr'Arl and I had used the first time we had sparred together, the feline alien was already there and waiting for me. 

He had conjured a chair with his manna and was currently watching something on a holographic display that emanated from a watch-like band on his wrist. By the almost grumpy look on his face, I could easily assume that his little misadventure with the chilli had already been uploaded onto whatever this universe's equivalent of social media was. 

I hoped it wouldn't go viral, but considering the novelty that eating human food likely was among the aliens that were under the Guard's protection, I had the feeling that it was just a matter of time. 

"Hey, Yr'Arl, how're you doing?" I asked, while trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice. 

Yr'Arl looked up from his screen with deliberate slowness. 

"I am fine, Jacob Lyre, no thanks to your infernal cooking," He said, all but shuddering at the memory of the food I had prepared for him. 

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that…" I said, completely sincerely. "I didn't realise that your palate wasn't designed for spiced food, I had no idea that your reaction would be so extreme."

I was being honest, too. At the time I had only wanted to feel included, I had wanted to give both Akash and Yr'Arl something back so that I could thank them for the hard work that they had displayed during our mission together against the Null Space hybrids and Lara. Unfortunately, that hadn't quite worked out the way I had intended it to. 

"It may not have been your intent, but after my outburst was recorded and placed onto the holo-net, it would appear that the vast majority of Prespian City at the very least has seen the result," He said with a huff. His whiskers drooped with the admission, and I had to wonder if this was the way that Yr'Arl's species pouted. 

"Is there anything that I can do to make it up to you?" I asked. At this point I was willing to do anything to get him to forgive me. After the alien had said that he had put his faith in me, which was like friendship plus, I didn't want to lose him thanks to a culinary misunderstanding. 

The feline alien stood and rolled his shoulders. 

"I can only ask one think of you at this point, Jacob Lyre, you must put up a good fight. No holding back." 

I swallowed hard. I wasn't going to be holding back, but thanks to the debuff that I had received over the past two days for not completing my daily tasks it might end up seeming like I was holding back anyway. 

"I think I can manage that, Yr'Arl," I said with a nod. I'd just have to try my hardest not to let my friend, who was now my opponent, down.

"In that case, this bout shall be over in one of two ways. Either one of us may tap out, causing the fight to come to an immediate end, or one of us will be knocked out so that they are unable to continue battling," Yr'Arl explained. The rules were fairly basic, and entirely what I expected. "And of course, since this is but a friendly bout, any use of lethal force will be disallowed." 

I gave Yr'Arl a swift nod and pushed BB down into our synchro mode. While I had the ability to learn how to use my manna without being in the mode, we weren't there yet. 

"In that case, why don't you bring it on," I said with a cocky smile. I was going to enjoy this. 

I had expected Yr'Arl to start the fight in the same way that he had any other, by starting up a chant and summoning in his spectral armour. But this time that wasn't the case. Yr'Arl disappeared from his spot in front of me with a brief white flash emanating from the ground, the same kind of white flash that had occurred at any time someone had used teleportation magic in the past. 

I made to turn, but I was too slow, and before I knew it a fist had slammed into my back sending me hurtling through the air. My corona shield managed to take the brunt of the blow, but I was still sent spinning through the air like a catherine wheel on bonfire night. 

I ploughed into the wall at the far end of the room with a colossal crash, leaving it with a dent that reformed in moments. 

I wasn't given any time to recover, because just as I was pulling myself up from the ground there was another flash of blinding white light. 

Yr'Arl was in front of me now, and already swinging his boot into my chest. I felt that one, though the corona shield still dissipated at least part of the blow. My head cracked back from the force and bounced off the wall once again, rattling me so that I couldn't even think about responding to the assault that Yr'Arl was levelling against me. I'd never had to fight against the alien himself, only his construct. 

He lashed out with a foot again, this time catching me in the shoulder with a blow that sent me sliding across the floor back into the center of the room. 

A flash of light. 

He was above me now, coming down from the sky like a boot down on an ant. But, if he thought I was going to go down that easily he had another thing coming entirely. 

I threw an anti-gravity field onto my back and propelled myself away from the incoming blow. It was slower than my usual max speed, but more than quick enough to get me away from Yr'Arl's attack. 

I lashed out with an energy beam to cover myself and used the propulsion to get myself back onto my feet. 

This fight was just getting started, and I couldn't wait to see what else Yr'Arl had up his sleeves.