It wasn't so bad.

It only looked bad.

With the little reserves of energy Reia had, she held up both her hands and used her photokinesis to blast just a flash of blinding light in front of the two boys, causing them to shield their eyes as she temporarily blinded them and anyone unfortunate enough to look.

She got to her feet and immediately sent her first punch right into Dennis' stomach, before her second fist plunged into Dennis' face, causing him to stumble like a clumsy toddler.

Almost as if she turned on a dime, Reia then tossed a haymaker at Terrance, trying to repeat the two-piece she gave to Dennis, but Terrance blocked with his forearms as he squinted and a single tear streamed down his cheek with every vein in his fists bulged. Then Dennis, with his dagger equiped, swiped right through Reia's cheek, splitting flesh and spilling red.

Thankfully, Reia back jumped away before she could sustain more damage, sliding down the hallway as more gusts of wind from Caroline told Reia that at least Caroline's battle seemed to be going just peachy.

Dennis and Terrance, both with flames in their eyes regrouped next to each other, making Reia feel small as they leaned over her with a grimace.

And you're telling Reia none of the facility members was going to intervene?

She winced…but still attempted to keep a positive attitude. Maybe she could get in their heads? "You…guys don't talk much…well, Dennis definitely talks a little more than you Terrance."

She was getting way more wounds and injuries than was necessary, she gripped her right rib,

breathing extra heavy while doing so—but her pride wouldn't allow her to just surrender. She had to ignore the pain, to endure everything.

And…it was really her fault for leaving herself open, but she swore if this were a fair fight she would be kicking either of their asses!

But for the moment she had to play defensive, another hit from them and she wouldn't be able to fight back. Reia needed to wait and find an opening or some sort of plan.

They came again, striking like vipers, their blue flamed kicks and daggers slashing at her Reia was able to dodge them all, keeping her space—pacing herself and trying not to overexert her energy, they danced down the hallway, past cowering and curious students, and she ended up sliding on her ass down the center staircase railings, before landing on the second-floor platform and continuing the fight there, Terrance launched himself like a leopard and that's when Reia turned with her sword and with it swiped at his face.

She couldn't keep this up.

Now, Reia wouldn't kill him, no, but she was certainly going for a permanent scar.

He would remember messing with her—as she was about to burn the skin off of his face with a point-blank photon bomb.

But no. Reia never did.

Instead, his brother came to the rescue, in a slick move Dennis' foot came, blocking her blade causing the area to experience 'land turbulence', Reia pushed him away and continued her dance, holding her side as she waited for their next attacks.

Swish!

Faster than she could blink they attacked, again and again, she dodged, ducked, stepped back, her rib still hurt until finally caught her right in her stomach again and she went flying into a wall.

It left her coughing, but she didn't go down, not when they both did another joint kick attack, instead she ducked it, and got a good slash at Terrance's shoulder, grazing it and burning his uniform, her victory was short-lived when Dennis sideways kicked her into the opposite wall.

Ow… but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

She hit it with a thud, fell to her knees as the sweat and blood began to seep into and burn her eyes.

These weren't the honorable things the deans told her she'd experience at Decorous Academy—this wasn't what she attended school for!

Kick! Doof! One right to her jaw, and she lost feeling there.

Her weapon vanished, no longer being able to conjure or mold light. Reia then stumbled, but scrambled to her knees then feet, all the while the mac brothers watched silently.

Pow! Until they sent a shot into her stomach with no mercy, she ground her teeth — biting back any thoughts of letting out a pathetic yell.

Okay, things were actually bad.

POW!

It felt like she would vomit and she hunched over, her lips on the floor, but she pushed back to her knees.

What would the nameless knight say? What would he do?

"Hit her harder.", Dennis ordered.

Terrance wound up his next hit, the photomancer brought up her wrists to block and winced, but it didn't matter, he easily found the opening and caught her in her nose, leaving the girl battered.

She wasn't like the mysterious knight who'd saved her and who'd taken on a dozen other knights…she was getting mollywhopped by two.

They dropped the daggers, only resorting kicks.

Heavy…mana enhanced…kicks.

And the brothers didn't stop—see to them it must've been a game, a game to see if they could get her to fall, to knock her on the ground, to get her to stay there on the floor long enough for them to stomp on her. By no means would Reia let this happen.

Despite every hit she received being worthy enough to put her on her back for good...

However…

"Harder!"

Reia's ears were ringing and she felt her cheek swell.

…to accept that she had lost. She had to fight the urge to tell them to stop.

Pow!

And after that last kick, it was almost lights out, when Reia hit the ground, but her nerves urged her to go on—like it was an impulse or instinct, and as reboundable as a ball, she bounced back to her feet.l, stumbling but nevertheless, Reia Welsh was not getting waxed so easily.

"Stay on the ground, you're not impressing anyone. Everyone watching—is embarrassed for you. You've got your position in this school all twisted."

Kids were watching…even the ones who pretended to not see, the late ones just walking by.

Even so…

"Give up, you're going to get stomped on either way. An inevitable result is an inevitable result, nothing more." Dennis actually sounded irritated, like she was bothering them he tilted his head and sighed.

And before she knew it, Terrance had taken his foot and plowed it right into her face, wedging her head between a wall and his boot, digging the dirty huge thing into her like Reia was a bug he had squashed, she grunted the pain mainly from the pressure on her jaw, with both her hands she grabbed at his leg, to no avail.

They let go, though the shock on their faces when they saw Reia drag herself from her ass to her feet made the two look at one another with skeptical interest.

Reia just simply refused to go let her body give up.

She took a deep inhale but knew she was in no position to fight, still she got into a fighting stance, her fists up and face as straight as she could muster. She looked down at her hands weakly curling them and then laughed, leaving Dennis and Terrance confused "Yo…That's it? That's the best Brick and Kayo could bring? And both of you are still struggling to keep me down. Hell, you guys don't deserve the title of judge…"

Her words didn't seem to get under their skin. Not even an angered scowl.

Sheesh, they were really like dead logs.

They had moved far away from Reia and the hallway was basically empty at this point.

"Oh my…You're so serious, photomancer, I guess that's what happens when you tank a bunch of hits. You might have done well if you joined one of our clubs." But that was it for Dennis seemed completely done with the conversation, his feet still never touching the ground, he said: "Whatever, let's just finish this, we've got more cases in need of judging."

They stepped forward, blank expressions on their faces, they looked at her, looked at each other, and then there was this weird nod that they gave one another.

Shit, just get it over with already!

Reia inhaled and summoned a ball of light to her hands, she stood still, saving her energy to the last moment, waiting for them to come—maybe had it been one person she could fight with all her reserved energy.

Dennis yawned and said, "Alright… this is it, we'll knock her down in one shot. Work with me bro, together!"

The air was split when the mac brothers moved.

And they came at her like a rocket, Reia held up her photon ball, ready to shoot it at the first Mac brother to attack when another figure entered the battle, this figured was small—much shorter than even Reia, and when she appeared she blocked both of the kicks, holding her hands up—her hands consumed by pure magic in the form of what resembled blue electricity, and with those hands catching their size 18s with her much tinier hands stopped the Mac brothers in their place. Dennis and Terrance pulled and jerked their bodies but Reia's savior refused to break her grip, the twins hopped on one leg while this beautiful girl just gave them a cute grin as she watched their futile attempts.

And with a quick blink, Reia immediately recognized the friend who aided her.

Here, her shiny-black coarse hair that was much like wool, curled upwards and held its shape against gravity, her skin radiated like a brown topaz, petite yet curvy, glossy pink lips, and of course, this purple bandana with the unique symbol of an orange burning bottle that sat at the girl's arm.

Yeah, there was no doubt who it was.

"Maila!" Reia said.

Maila didn't say anything to Reia just yet, instead, she flung the two boys back with the thrust of her arms, standing in front of Reia fearless despite standing before two elite judges from the purple Monkey, who towered over her like stallions over a confused bunny.

But Maila wasn't confused, Reia wiped whatever blood and sweat that was on her face.

"This fight isn't a 2v1 anymore… I'm equaling the score."

Dennis tapped his teeth together in irritation "Fight? This isn't a fight, this is punishment. We're teaching this Photonmancer where the hell she and the purple monkey stand. What?! You have a frog in your ear or something? Do the damn unicorn benders want problems? We are judges authorized by VP Kayo himself!"

—What was his problem?

See, Maila was about five feet two inches, but she was in fact the definition of a brawler, unlike the Mac brothers her power wasn't solely exclusive to her feet. Her affinity to strength magic extended to every part of her body, like that one family of gangsters from the kingdom of Azmuerth

But see, the charcoal-haired girl just looked them in the eyes and gave her happiest smile "I probably won't be part of the unicorn benders anymore. So no, I want problems."

What?

Maila…? Maila not part of the unicorn benders? Huuh? Reia was convinced that wasn't possible.

But, she even paid for some of the bucks in the stable.

No that didn't sound right, Maila literally spends her free periods riding unicorns!

"Maila, what're you talking about, you love unicorns!" Reia argued, knowing damn well that Maila would never give them up.

"I do! They're my favorite animal, but when I heard you and Purah were taking on the Monkeys by yourselves—I had to weigh my priorities. Plus, I knew you guys would do the same!"

See Reia nodded and smiled, getting to her feet and giving Maila the most grateful gaze "I look pretty bad, don't I? Just know, I really appreciate you! But you didn't have to—not for me…"

"Can you fight?" Maila asked Reia, blatantly ignoring Reia's last statement.

But Dennis spoke before she could reply "Hey, hey! We have no issue beating your ass to get to Welsh. Now, I'm tired of all this chatting, some of us have class to get to. Back to stomping, bro!"

Reia shook herself, and wiped the blood from her face with her hand, she accepted this "Yeah I can still fight! A one-on-one is exactly what I'm looking forward to—how about it, Dennis?!" She yelled the last part, fury getting the better of her as she thought of their abuse moments earlier.

They were strong, physically stronger than Reia too. But, after fighting both—she knew she could beat one.

"Don't get your hopes up, Photonmancer—a rare ability doesn't make a superior ability."

She literally never said or implied any of that, that just left Reia blinking and her fists clenched.

"Alright, I can't wait to hit you. You've earned it." Reia replied, still pressing her rib as the pain kept coming in throbs. "And I'm getting you back for every. Single. Hit. That you cheesed!"

"What!?" Dennis was actually disgusted with her "Reia Welsh, I really think you're a fool. You're hurt, we've kicked you over a hundred times, how could you possibly plan to keep fighting when you're that badly injured, there's no way you'll keep u—"

Before Dennis could finish, Reia had already put a fist right into his face, causing the tallboy to tumble down into the floor like a fallen tower.

Ka-doof!

"Dennis!" Terrance tried to run to his aid but, was stopped when Maila stomped on the ground and caused a mini-quake.

"Hey! A pretty girl wants your attention and you're worried about your brother?" Maila demanded in a voice that didn't hold a single serious tone, all accompanied by a serious tone that was throwing Terrance for a loop and proving to slightly fluster him "He doesn't need you, pay attention to me! I can crush a watermelon with a mere flex of my bicep or thigh! Let's see what your kicks can do against that!" Maila jogged in place, spreading her feet apart and putting up her fists together like a seasoned boxer.

This only made Terrance raise an eyebrow, nonetheless, he didn't spit a word.

Dennis jumped to his feet, immediately dusting himself off as he looked at Reia Welsh from head to toe "Don't worry, bro, this won't be long." And continued levitating.

With that said Maila sent her fist, the water vapor in the air surrounding her fist evaporating as she sent a thunderous punch, it collided with Terrance's foot encased in azure flames—and thus began the clash of two overly strengthened humans.

And the school felt the small tremors.

-Now, what Reia lacked in strength, she would make up for with speed, agility, and magical ability!

Reia was ready when his kick jetted her way like a bullet, but she sidestepped, immediately slapping his leg away and counter-attacking with a jab before she summoned a photon sphere and blasted it at him.

Dennis evaded both by side striding before his next kick landed into a wall—he had to have pulled his kick at the last moment, for it only dented it and her attack dissipated off in the distance.

So, she had to keep up the offense!

With a leopard-like jump, Reia was in front of Dennis on the offensive in milliseconds, still holding her rib when she began swinging all of her three other limbs, her attacks coming out like fast blurs, each punch and kick Dennis over and over again.

She landed, paused giving him a moment to recover before winding up a punch and hitting Dennis into a nearby utility closet, buckets, and cleaning products went flying.

Dennis grunted, he bled, no longer hovered his feet above the ground, and tried to retaliate but Reia had already seen his kick from a mile away—she already knew the wind up he did when he tried to slug her with a roundhouse, but she ducked.

It was making his face flush red, the irritation of having your target right in your face, hitting you over and over again but being unable to hit them back was quite the hopeless feeling.

Punch!

Pow!

This time, Dennis had enough and blocked with his palm "My mom was a Photonmancer…"

So?

"Wow, good for Mommy Mac."

The air was split, and Reia had to block a sidekick to her face with her forearm. A jolt of trauma shot through her entire nervous system, immediately Reia felt her arm drop as she fought back any tears.

This had the Mac brother, holding his chest in pride, seemingly confident in his win.

"What I'm saying is…She rarely lost—so seeing someone with a similar technique be—not as efficient as her—well, it's only expected, she was different."

Not as efficient? Did he call her weak?

His insult only fueled Reia's rage further, she wasn't surprised when another kick shot her way, but Reia was too fast and with rage in her eyes, she got a clean photon blast in at point-blank range, right into Dennis' stomach.

And her attack didn't explode—no the photons were a hundred percent under her control, she let the ball fling Dennis all the way down what she now came to recognize as the space-time hallway.

It wasn't until he was close to the staircase leading to the first floor that she let it explode—not so huge, not so small–but efficient and painful.

Dennis let out a painful shout, and she almost felt bad, tapping her jaw as she just watched.

And suddenly, a giant bang sent a shockwave her way and Reia was reminded of Maila and Terrance's battle.

The two went back and forth, the small petite girl taking on Terrace in what could only amount to a bootleg David vs Goliath.

Terrance sent so many kicks, and Maila replied, by sending punches and kicks and even getting the better of him at one point, picking the much larger boy up, and choke-slamming him.

—Yes, it was getting that ridiculous…

But to his credit, Terrance got right back up and Reia was seconds from going over to aid Maila when a hand went to her shoulder.

Before she could turn, she was already being sent into a wall with a hammer kick to her back.

She recovered, decided that she was done with this fight and needed to end it immediately! With that said, she conjured as much light to bother her palms as possible, allowing it to spazz infront of her spreading out like lightning, before she compiled it all into one bright photon, moldable, weightless, but it would burn or incinerate anything that Reia wanted it to! It outshined everything, even the lit fires above, illuminating the entire hallway like a miniature star—excluding the intense gravity.

The pain meant nothing, she worked through it, bit the inside of her cheek, and kept going.

If the sentinels didn't care before, this attack would bring them running to stop the fight.

Dennis gazed on, his mouth partially ajar as he watched her attack grow to the ceiling, just below the floating green flames that stayed just below the ceiling.

She held it up with both hands like it were a giant water balloon, looking up at the mountain of a teenager, whose eyes reflected yellow, his jaw trembled, the mac brother looked completely petrified.

Then he said something she didn't expect, "Why?"

It wasn't drawn out or dramatic, it was a simple question, and yet it made Reia do a back take. He lowered his head, expectantly, like she was supposed to understand exactly what he meant.

But she entertained him and held the attack.

"Why…what?"

"Why all this? Why go to such lengths to fight a losing fight? We've hit you hundreds of times, I think you're stupid, why can't just sit back and stay in your lane?" He stomped with the last question.

Her answer was simple "I'm following the code, as a true knight should! And bullying– using one's power to oppress those less fortunate than you is precisely in opposition to our code. Hell, screw the code, I don't like how you guys treat kids at this school—kids training to be knights to protect our belov-ed kingdom Koncord, do you know what type of issues you're teaching them? The trauma they may have because of you guys!"

Hell, it looked as if he had a small understanding, the spark in his eye meant that there was some mutual understanding—but the contention was still there, she could see it in the strain of Dennis' jaw.

Reia didn't attack.

"What're you saying, it's always been like this—we're knights, bred killers—our extortion of the weak is this school's formula for weeding out those not worthy of pushing onto the next step. That's why I enact judgment with these size 18s. That's why I enjoy what I do. You're not doing good, Photomancer, you're trying to make it easier for scrubs, lowering the standards of our school and effectively making out knights weaker—that's what you'll do."

"That's sad, it almost makes me shed tears.", Reia replied with the blandest face, her body ready to attack, but oddly, she had the urge to listen and held the glistening attack.

"One time, when my brother and I were 9-years-old my brother took a baby wendigo from a cavern, we wanted to make it our summon—yeah stupid. Don't ask why Terrance grabbed such a dangerous creature, but he did anyway. Long story short, mama Wendigo shows up at our house while the both of us were sleeping, and—it ripped away our bedroom ceiling when it found us. And see we would have died, had our mom not pulled up and saved our necks. Using the same giant ball-like ability as you."

Reia just called them Photon bombs or spheres.

"Uh Uh…" she listened, but she didn't see his point.

"They're beautiful..." It was then that she saw his eyes, still reflecting the bright light, unblinking and entranced "I always associate light manipulation with her because for so long she was the only Photomancer I knew." Dennis then sighed "You're not her…though…maybe something like her."

Their mother…

Was she somehow getting through to him?

Take advantage.

"She was a knight?"

"She was. Sent the monster packing that night—she's not with us anymore. She died honorably, right after that, when Bento the Berserk had his temper tantrum and invaded."

There was a small, almost undetectable change in the air that sent all her senses crying out at once. Reia caught his movement with her eyes, the follow-through of his foot, and the actual kick that caused the air to jump like when a jet-plane lands.

Before he could do anything, like a giant beach ball that bothered her hands could barely hold up, she chucked the damn attack at Dennis, causing him to blink before the resulting explosion from her attack made the foundation of the school sway. Reia shielded her eyes.

Dennis didn't yell, scream, or anything. It was over in a moment. The boy was standing tall, his clothing slightly burnt as black smoke trailing off of him like a car with a small engine fire.

Then, he tumbled over face first, leaving Reia to sidestep and stare as the much taller boy hit the ground.

THUD! Boof!

A classroom door closed, someone coughed, and only then did she remember there were still passing students and that it was better to wrap things up.

But work to be done, Maila and Terrance looked over for a split second with their backs towards her, and Reia used that moment to summon her sword, and from six feet down the hall she pounced at Terrance, aiming to slice at his shoulder—now, whether his shoulder would be split from the rest of his body depended solely on how he reacted.

It was a battle, right?

And sometimes you'd lose a limb or two in battle.

But when Terrance realized what was happening, her blade was already mere inches from his shoulder, already sizzling through the material of his uniform, so close, Terrance's skin began to boil and blister and was milliseconds from allowing her blade from slicing right through—

But No.

First, a sudden pulse radiated through what felt like every cell in her body. Almost as if by a miracle she was flicked, like an empty cup on the edge of a countertop, flicked in the opposite direction, and for what felt like the nth time Reia was on the floor eating dust.

The pain in her ribs increased only about tenfold.

Leaving her with a single question.

Who? The? Hell?

Reia pushed herself off of her chin with her two paws, spotted the all-black surcoat, with a weird glowing red trim around his shoulder joints and waist. It made her blink, once—twice—okay, she blinked like five times.

Oh.

"Sir Neswitt." Maila said, addressing the interrupting instructor while standing completely upright like some sort of drill instructor.

He had pushed her back without really touching her and the confusion as to how? Well, that question sat in her stomach. She had heard stories about him being among the most talented of the instructors at Decorous academy.

Great, there stood the duelist and battle tactics instructor, a man whose head only came up to Terrance's shoulders yet still dwarfed Reia in height, his face a bread toasted brown with Black glasses to finish.

Yes, before her, strong and tall, was a full-fledged knight.

Reia dusted herself off and tilted her head while standing as straight as she could "Sir Neswitt..."

Another useless member of the academy's facility.

TBC...

*>X<*

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