Chapter 61: Pressure that filled Reina

Markus wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Ash stood several meters away, breathing through his mask.

Neither moved of them moved.

The training hall had gone strangely quiet around them.

Blade and Vire were still fighting on the opposite side of the arena, their movements reduced to flashes of steel and crystal, but Markus barely noticed.

His eyes stayed on Ash.

Ash raised one hand, a faint hiss escaped his mask.

Markus lowered his stance.

"Again?" Ash asked.

Markus flexed his fingers, "Again."

Ash inhaled deep.

Markus moved.

Ash’s eyes widened.

Markus crossed half the distance before Ash released his breath.

A cloud of diamond particles burst from the mask.

Markus immediately changed direction to the right.

Ash turned with him.

Markus cut through to the left.

Ash followed him. The particles spread across the space between them.

Markus ducked underneath the first wave. A diamond passed over his head, another came toward his shoulder.

He twisted slightly and it scraped across his jacket.

A third shot toward his leg. Markus jumped.

Ash smiled behind the mask, his wrist flickering.

The diamonds changed direction.

Markus saw them turn, "Damn."

He landed and immediately sprinted forward.

The diamonds curved behind him.

Ash stepped backward and carried another breath following another cloud.

This time, he didn’t throw the particles directly.

He let them float, hundreds of tiny fragments suspended in the air.

Markus stopped. Ash moved his fingers, the entire cloud shifted.

Markus looked around and the diamonds surrounded him from the front, back, above and by his sides.

Ash closed his fist and they attacked.

Marcus dropped to the ground, the first wave passed over him.

He rolled forward and two diamonds struck the floor where his head had been.

He planted one hand against the ground and kicked upward.

Ash raised his forearm and Markus’s foot slammed into it.

Ash stumbled backward. Markus landed with elegance.

Ash recovered immediately with a short breath. A burst of particles flew out.

Marcus raised his arm as the diamonds struck.

Several bounced off his diamond skin. One cut through the fabric near his shoulder.

Another sliced across his cheek.

Markus ignored the blood as he stepped forward.

Ash stepped back.

Markus stepped forward again.

Ash kept retreating.

"You’re running," Markus said.

"You’re chasing." Ash snapped.

Markus smiled, "Exactly."

Ash suddenly stopped mid motion.

Markus’s eyes narrowed as Ash inhaled deeply, his chest expanding.

Markus lunged as Ash exhaled. The particles erupted directly between them.

Markus crossed his arms in front of his face. The impact forced him backward as his boots scraped across the floor.

Ash used the opening and he rushed forward...trying to attack with his right hand.

Markus blocked the attack but Ash spun around and delivered an elbow.

Markus ducked the attack.

Ash noticed that and his knee came up but Markus caught it.

His fingers wrapped around Ash’s leg.

Ash froze in that moment as Markus pulled him forward.

Ash jumped with the motion instead of fighting it and rotated in the air.

His free foot slammed into Markus’s shoulder. Markus released the hold he had on him.

Ash landed on one hand and immediately kicked upward.

Markus leaned backward. The heel passing only inches from his chin.

Markus grabbed Ash’s ankle.

Ash twisted trying to set himself free but Markus pulled harder.

Ash’s body rotated sideways and Marcus released him.

Ash flew several meters before landing in a rolling motion.

Markus charged at Ashell. Ash planted his foot, he inhaled.

Markus noticed this and threw a punch to disrupt him.

Ash ducked underneath it.

Marcus turned frantically as Ash’s palm struck his ribs.

Markus absorbed the hit, his hand shot toward Ash’s chest.

Ash stepped back..Marcus’s fingertips missed only by centimeters.

Ash’s mask hissed.

Markus’s eyes narrowing.

Ash exhaled directly into his face and a concentrated blast of diamond particles erupted between them.

Markus recoiled backwards as Ash broke free.

Markus wiped his eyes and his face was now dripping with blood...with some of the shards still in his face.

For half a second, everything stopped.

Ash reached for Markus’s hand but Markus parried and grabbed Ash’s wrist.

Ash looked up as Marcus’s fingers tightened.

The crystal on Markus’s hand began growing more and more.

Ash’s eyes widened, "No."

The crystallization spread across his wrist.

Markus tightened his grip, "Got you."

Ash’s breathing became rapid as the mask hissed.

Markus looked at the spreading then at Ash.

Ash inhaled sharply, the mask began glowing faintly.

Markus’s expression changed, "What are you..."

Ash slammed his forehead into Markus’s face some of the shards that were already on his face went deeper in.

Markus released him.

Ash rolled away, grabbed his mask, and pulled it back into place...he inhaled slowly.

Markus raised his arms as Ash exhaled..this time, the particles didn’t scatter, they compressed and a dense stream of diamond fragments shot forward.

Markus crossed his arms. The impact driving him backward, his shoes left trails across the floor.

Ash kept breathing as fuel for the stream to continue.

Markus lowered one arm, the crystals on his skin spreading.

He pushed forward with one step...then another.

Ash’s eyes widened as Markus walked directly through the storm.

Diamonds struck his shoulders, his chest and his arms.

Several shattered against the growing crystal surface.

Markus kept moving.

Ash stopped breathing for a fraction of a second and Markus reached him.

Ash threw a punch but Markus caught it. Ash tried the other hand but Markus caught that too.

Their faces were only inches apart.

Markus smiled, "Got you."

Ash’s mask hissed..then Ash let out a smile, "Not quite."

Markus looked down. The ground beneath his feet glittered.

A layer of diamond particles covered the floor. Ash had been dropping them the entire time.

Markus realized too late.

Ash stomped hard on the ground, the particles exploded upward.

Markus was thrown off balance as Ash twisted free.

He spun and kicked Markus directly in the chest.

Markus flew backward...he landed hard.

Ash stood over him, breathing heavily.

Markus pushed himself upright. He laughed, "You’re learning."

Ash adjusted his mask, "I guess i am."

Across the arena, Reina had stopped watching. She turned away from the fight.

Kael noticed, "Where are you going?"

Reina didn’t answer she just walked toward Victor.

He remained at the edge of the arena, watching Markus and Ash.

Reina stopped several steps away, "Sir Victor."

Victor didn’t look at her, "Yes?"

"You’re not watching them." Reina said.

Victor’s eyes shifted slightly, "I’ve been watching them for the past several minutes."

"No." Reina folded her arms, "You’re measuring them."

Victor finally turned, "What makes you say that?"

"You haven’t reacted once." Reina pressed.

Victor remained silent.

"Markus nearly crystallized Ash’s entire arm," Raina said. "You didn’t move."

"Markus can choose to reverse crystallisation if he wanted to." Victor snapped.

She pointed toward the arena, "Ash nearly blinded Marcus. You didn’t move."

Her eyes narrowed, "Blade and Vire have almost destroyed half the floor. You still haven’t moved."

Victor looked back toward the fighters, "They are capable of handling themselves."

"That’s not what I asked." Reina said.

Victor’s expression remained calm, "You didn’t ask a question."

"Fine." Raina stepped closer, "What are you measuring?"

Victor looked directly at her, "Everything."

"That’s not an answer." Reina pressured.

"It is." Victor affirmed.

"No, it’s convenient." Reina replied.

Victor’s eyebrow lifted.

Reina continued, "You’re watching their movements. Their reactions. Their breathing. Their mistakes."

She glanced toward Markus, "You’re watching how quickly Markus changes his approach when his ability fails."

Then toward Ash, "You’re watching how Ash changes his breathing when Markus gets close."

She looked back at Victor, "And you’re watching something else."

Victor said nothing.

Reina’s voice lowered, "Their abilities."

Victor’s expression changed, if only barely but Reina noticed, "So I was right."

Victor turned fully toward her, "What do you believe their abilities are doing?"

"Changing."

Victor remained silent.

"Not just getting stronger," Reina said. "Adapting."

She looked toward Markus, "Markus didn’t start this fight knowing how to move through Ash’s diamond field."

Then she looked at Ash, "And Ash didn’t start knowing how to manipulate the particles around."

"They are learning," Victor said.

"No." Reina shook her head, "They’re adapting."

Victor studied her.

Reina continued, "There’s a difference."

Markus and Ash collided again in the distance.

Markus caught a diamond in his hand. Ash immediately changed its trajectory.

The diamond curved away. Ash threw another.

Neither of them repeated the same movement twice.

Reina watched, "Every time one of them finds a weakness, the other one changes."

Victor nodded, "Correct."

"And you wanted that." Reina asked.

"Yes." Victor replied.

Raina’s eyes narrowed,"Why?"

Victor looked at the arena, "Because their abilities are incomplete."

Reina’s expression hardened, "Incomplete?"

"Yes." Victor assured.

"They already have abilities." Reina replied.

"They have manifestations." Victor’s eyes returned to hers, "The ability itself is still developing."

Reina stared at him, "So you’re saying Mark 8 isn’t finished."

"I am saying what you are witnessing is not the final state."

Reina looked back toward Marcus as he rushed Ash again.

Reina watched the exchange, "What happens when they reach that final state?"

Victor didn’t answer immediately, "That’s what I’m trying to find out."

Raina turned back toward him, "And if they lose control?"

Victor’s face remained emotionless, "Then we learn something else."

Her eyes narrowed, "You’d let them hurt each other just to find out?"

Victor looked directly at her, "You walked away from the fight to ask me that."

"Yes."

"Why?"Victor asked.

"Because something doesn’t feel right." she replied.

Victor waited.

Reina continued, "You told us these powers were something we had to learn to control."

"They are."Victor said.

"But you’re not teaching us control." she pressured.

Victor said nothing...

"You’re putting pressure on us." Reina said...Silence, "Why?"

Victor finally answered, "Because pressure reveals what instruction hides."

Reina’s expression hardened, "You’re trying to make us evolve."

Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Now you’re asking the right question."

Reina stepped closer, "You knew this would happen."

"Yes." Victor said

"You knew Markus would adapt." Reina asked.

"Yes." Victor continued.

"You knew Ash would adapt." Reina continued.

"Yes."

"And you knew I would notice."

Victor stared at her as a small smile appeared, "I’m glad you did."

Reina didn’t smile, "Why?"

"Because you’re different."

Her eyes narrowed, "Different how?"

Victor looked at her mismatched eyes, "That’s what I haven’t figured out yet."

Reina went still.

For the first time, Victor looked genuinely interested.

Reina’s voice became quieter, "You said everyone’s abilities came from Mark 8."

"They did."

"Then why am I different?" she asked.

Victor didn’t answer.

Reina waited, "You already know," she said.

Victor’s silence confirmed enough.

Reina stepped back, "What aren’t you telling us?"

Victor looked toward Markus and Ash, "They’re fighting again."

Reina didn’t move.

Victor continued, "If you want answers, watch."

Reina turned. Markus and Ash were already moving.

The two fighters were no longer simply attacking.

They were responding, predicting, learning and adapting.

Reina watched carefully.

Victor stood beside her.

Neither spoke to one another.

Then Markus suddenly stopped...Ash stopped too. Both looked toward Victor.

Markus wiped blood from his mouth, "So?"

Victor looked at them, "What?"

Markus pointed toward Ash, "We’ve been fighting for what feels like an hour."

Ash nodded, "And neither of us has won."

Victor glanced at the damage around the arena, "Then you’ve both failed."

Markus frowned.

Ash tilted his head.

Victor continued, "You were trying to defeat each other."

He looked at Markus, "You should have been studying him."

Then at Ash, "You should have been studying him."

Ash lowered his hands.as Markus stared at Victor.

Reina remained silent.

Victor walked toward the arena, "You both learned something today."

Markus asked, "What?"

Victor stopped, "That your opponent changes the moment you understand them."

He looked between them, "And that means the fight changes with them."

Markus looked at Ash and Ash looked back. Neither of them spoke.

Reina looked at Victor...Now she understood.

This entire fight had never been about winning.

It was about adaptation...It was about forcing their abilities to respond to something they had never encountered before.

Each other...and Victor had been waiting for exactly that.

Reina’s eyes narrowed, "You’re trying to make us evolve."

Victor looked at her, "Yes."

She stared at him, "And what happens when we do?"

Victor’s expression became unreadable, "We’ll find out."

The training hall fell silent. Markus slowly clenched his fist.

A thin layer of crystal formed across his knuckles.

Ash’s mask hissed.

Reina looked at Victor one last time, something was being hidden from them, something much bigger than training and now she knew exactly where to start looking.