This girl over here... Is from Russia.
Now although I know most people from there are nice, this girl isn't.
"You seem too confident for someone who is the last candidate." She titled her head slightly. "Anyways... If you know about my reputation, get into position."
"Oh sure... Will." I turned around to face her. She was clearly going to use her magic. And if we recall... She was the one standing in front of me in the line during the selection session.
"What is happening?" Helio asked, standing up slowly from his seat. But Nada signalled him to sit back down, holding a finger in front of her finger to silence him.
I looked back, shooting him a glare to mind his own business.
Because what I am doing here... Is going to settle Nada's future.
Like she asked me to, I stepped away from the table and stood in the middle of the aisle. Facing her across from me.
My heart was beating really fast. I wasn't sure about what I was doing... But she sure did piss me off sometimes. Reading her parts made me want to gag and yell quietly to myself.
And yet, now that I am given the choice to beat her up... I am reluctant.
Maybe it is the fear I carry from Earth... That harming someone is a crime.
I let out a deep breathe. "So... What reason will it be?" I asked. My voice was a bit shaky, since it has been sometime since I had stood up to a bully. Regardless, I wasn't afraid of getting injured. My abusive life had taught me enough.
"Use your magic... I want to make fun of it." She answered back. Already, I could feel that she was inflicting her spells on me.
I reached into my hoodie pockets, pulling out the half-chewed stone I hadn't touched in a while.
"Sorry, but would you allow me?" I asked again, holding it up to her line of sight. Trust me... I know what I am doing.
"Hah! You are so lazy, you chose to keep it safe-guarded instead! Very well... You may not." She smirked at my direction.
I shurgged, and gave it to Nada to keep it safe. And as I was—
"You don't think this is fair... Do you?" Helio grabbed my sleeve, glaring up at me with a different kind of expression. "She is using her powers and you are not. Do you think this is Earth? We also don't have help from the authorities."
I stood there like that for a while, then snatched my hand away from his grip.
"Tell you what, sunny guy... I don't need your lectures to push me forward..."
His face immediately turned pale, his fingers still hovering where I pulled my arm away. Slowly, his smirk returned.
"Fine. Try not to die. Otherwise, my days would be boring..."
"Just hope you will survive next." I answered back, stepping away towards that girl. I held out my hands in a half-shrug.
"Now then... Shall we sta—"
Her palm connected with my jaw.
"You are my ideal victim," she whispered. Raising her hand back up into a fist, reaching out to hit me again.
And I let it. The first hits needed to be hers.
My cheeks were already feeling quite warm from the impact. But they say that the more you get injured and bruised... The more your skin becomes thicker.
Don't worry, I will recover faster than she can think.
She raised her knee to my gut.
I could just stand there and take it again...
However... This wasn't Earth anymore. I can break the laws.
Slam!
"Ow..." She groaned, her face plastered to the floor.
I lifted my feet to keep her that way, the soles of my sneaker keeping her grounded.
"It hurts more this way, then it does the way you did it to me. For instance... I can tell your nose is broken." I calmly said.
Look. Not trying to act cool here... I am just trying to be calm and fast, and trying to reserve my energy as much as I could for the next.
The only thing I did here was step back and she would obviously already be off balance. This will send her crushing to the floor incredibly hard, and just use your elbow to hit the back of her head to harden the impact.
That was all I did—
Grab!
Her hand reached out, wrapping around my ankle and violently pulling it off her head. In instinct, I yanked it out of her grip and stumbled back a step. I knew this was going to happen.
How?
Because I intentionally had her hands free, so she could get up, and fight back.
Why I wanted her to fight back?
You will find out at the end...
"You are... Strong," she murmured, standing up on her knees before getting the rest way up on wobbly legs. "I wonder... How?"
"My thoughts of you honestly." I answered back. She was as tough as a cockroach. Even with a bleeding nose, she was not backing down.
She took a deep breath and lunged at me, and I just tilted my head in response. The punch she planned, zoomed past my ears.
She stayed that way for one whole second.
I immediately shot my hand out the second she was about to retract. Grabbing her wrist tightly and pivoted on my heels.
To most, the next step would be to throw her above the shoulder and slam her to the ground.
But my idea...
I reached my other hand to cup her jaw, tilting it dangerously back and used my knee to tilt her half-way backwards.
"Hit me back..." I whispered.
She did.
She reached her sharp nails towards my face, and I pulled back enough to miss all fingernails except one.
It drew blood from my left cheek. With which, I grinned back at her.
Then let her go, pushing her back with enough force to send her toppling forward.
Within the short amount of time I received as a break, I used my thumb to wipe away the drop of blood falling from my skin.
Behind us, Nada and Helio were silently watching all this chaos.
Sunny guy looked like he had a lot to say.
Well, I am not hearing his criticism.
But in the time that I still have left, let me explain why I pulled that 'dance move' back there...
First of all, she has the power to know what my next step was up till the next three seconds. And I too knew what was going to happen. So during the final second, I diverted my actions to something that she won't account for until it's too late.
Second of all, it will make her confused and enraged, and that is what we want. If she is enraged, then she is likely to tear me down. I need that, after having two witnesses behind us already.
Third of all, the common phrase "hit me back", was to provoke her further into dragging this into complete and utter destruction. We need to draw more blood to make the situation stand by my side.
Fourtly... I already said I had a plan.
"You freak... What are you?" She muttered while panting, having finally caught up to the latest second of information.
"Oh! I see you are back to your right mind?" I asked, folding my arms. From the corner of my vision... I was looking at my tray. That silver knife.
I know it is blunt... But I am not cutting anything with it. I am just memorizing the location of it for better access.
"Right mind...? Are you even aware of what I can do...?" She grinned at me. I just folded my arms in return.
Was I supposed to be scared? I don't know...
Without warning, she came crushing onto me. Her claws extended to my neck, while I just took multiple steps back so her own momentum could cause her damage first.
Then I stopped. My back hit the wall. Only because I saw her hands directing to my head.
Bang!
I could feel my own pulse in my ears...
Blood dripped down from the wall behind my head. That barrier, on the other hand, was straight up cement and concrete.
Whatever... It can't be reversed. And it is not like I wasn't used to it either.
"Hahaha! What happened to you now?" She asked me.
"What?" I squinted my eyes at her.
"I said what now!"
"Huh?"
"Are you deaf?!"
"Huh?"
"Ugh!" She let go of my shoulders, stepping away to hit a table.
Truthfully, my ears were ringing.
What I hadn't accounted for... was the thing she was pulling out of her pocket.
A sharp blade with a handle. Now you take a guess what she might want to do next...
This is why I am meticulous in what I do...
Before she could rush towards me, I moved towards her.
My fingers reached towards her pocket, while I moved towards the table. Helio shifted to the side, in horror.
Metal hit metal. A small amount of spark scattered towards the table as I used the blunt cutlery to push her blade away.
I stepped forward, panting. That move cost me a bit of my stamina and energy, which is actually bad...
However, I was lucky the silverware was near reach in time. Otherwise... I would have died.
She went crashing into the benches on the otherside. Gasping as she looked at my bleeding form.
I hate bullies because of this. Not only do they have a long-lasting ego... But they are also relentless.
So unless I find a permanent solution—
Crack!
—this is what will happen.
Luckily, I knew how to take precautions. Because as soon as I saw her withdraw a knife, I aimed for her glasses.
Those were on my eyes right now. And the knife had implanted itself a small amount into the frame before falling on the floor right at my feet.
See? I know what I am doing. I just can't prove it why until it happens.
"You bitch..." Her voice came out raspy. Until now, she wasn't as badly injured as I was.
She might have a broken nose and bruises... I have a minor concussion, bruises and nearly lost an eye.
"I am actually impressed..." I finally said, reaching my index finger to push the glasses up the bridge of my nose. The rectangular frames couldn't save me the next time... But clearly, I am happy with that.
"With what?" She asked, furrowing her brows while pushing herself up. I have got to say... She had a lot of —
"Fighting skills," I answered, kicking the blade back at her.
Yes, I wasn't quite done. And I wasn't going to let her give up either. Not until I get what I wanted.
She stared as the blade slid back at her. A smirk surfacing on her face.
"Fine! I accept the challenge..."
And this time—
Smack! Splatter!
—I will not move.
My eyes widened and a tear actually escaped from the corner of my eyes. Crimson liquid flowed down the edge of the table. Dripping and staining the white-washed tiles a sickening dark red colour.
"You were quite confident when you pushed the blade back at me..." She whispered, leaning close to my face, watching as cold sweat settled onto my forehead.
My hand was aching... Really bad.
"What the heck is wrong with you?!"
I didn't know who said that...
I acted on impulse.
My hand reached out to pull the blade out, and it was twice as painful as it was when it fell on my hand.
"Ah..." I groaned, dropping the blade to the floor. But still, I used my trembling blood-stained hand to tie my hair back.
As you may have guessed, the impact with the wall was so violent... My rubber band gave up.
Using the same cutlery that was used to dodge her blow, I twisted my hair into a makeshift bun.
That should do for now...
Slowly, I pushed myself off the table I was leaning against. Her turns were done. Now was mine...
"You are quite confident you can get away with this... Aren't you?" I whispered. My body was trembling from the blood lose, and yet, my voice didn't waver a single octave.
"I suppose you still don't know me well..." That girl answered back.
Fine. If she wanted what she saw... I will give it.
But before that... Let me tell you her name...
She is...
**************
First Draft: 27.10.2025
Rewritten: 16.08.2026