The training grounds were already alive by the time the morning settled fully over the academy, the air carrying a crisp sharpness as students stood arranged in five straight rows, their postures firm and their attention forward, the faint sounds of shifting feet and controlled breathing blending into a disciplined stillness that spread across the field.
At the front stood Brakkar, his massive frame unmoving yet commanding, his presence alone enough to anchor the entire ground as his heavy voice thundered across the space.
"IS EVERYONE 'ERE TODAY?!"
The response came immediately, loud and unified, but it was Khaira's voice from the front that rose above the rest, her tone carrying that same forceful, rolled accent.
"YES, INSTRUCTA!!"
Brakkar gave a short nod, his sharp gaze sweeping across the rows as he continued.
"GOOD… NOW TELL ME… 'AS EVERYONE THOUGHT ABOUT THE POINTERS I GAVE YA LAST SESSION?"
A chorus of agreement followed, but before it could fully settle, another voice burst forward with unrestrained enthusiasm, loud enough to drown out the rest.
"YES! I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YA THE IMPROVEMENTS, INSTRUCTA!"
A few scattered chuckles followed, but Brakkar simply nodded again, clearly pleased.
"GOOD! VERY GOOD!" he said, his tone carrying approval, "YA ALL MUST 'AVE FORMED YER PARTIES YESTERDAY… NOW SPAR WITH 'EM… AND AFTER TODAY'S SESSION, YA ALL WILL REPORT TO ME… THEIR STRENGTHS… THEIR WEAKNESSES… EVERYTHING!"
The formation broke almost immediately after that, students dispersing from their rows as they moved toward their respective party members, the training ground quickly shifting from structured order into controlled activity as pairs and groups began preparing for sparring.
At the very back, Damon watched the movement unfold, his gaze drifting toward the front where Khaira stood, her earlier loudness now noticeably absent.
"…Isn't she going to say anything now?" he muttered under his breath, his tone carrying faint amusement before he shook his head lightly and stepped forward to join his own group.
Near the front, however, Khaira had not moved with the others.
Instead, she approached Brakkar slowly.
Uncharacteristically so.
Her usual confidence and arrogance were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a rare hesitation as she stopped in front of him, her posture slightly stiff.
"I-instructa…" she began, her voice lacking its usual edge as she avoided meeting his eyes directly.
Brakkar looked down at her, his expression unreadable.
She hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.
"Last session… ya sparred with dat guy… s-so… t-today…"
Her words trailed, the meaning clear but the confidence absent.
For a second—
Silence.
Then Brakkar laughed loud and deep.
"Hhahahahaha!! SUCH A GOOD STUDENT YA ARE!!" he said, clearly amused, his tone carrying approval rather than mockery, "I SHOULD SPAR WITH 'IM AGAIN… SEE FOR MYSELF 'OW MUCH 'E'S IMPROVED!"
And just like that—
He turned and walked away.
Leaving her there alone.
Khaira stood still, her eyes hollowing slightly as her expression twitched, the brief flicker of hope disappearing as quickly as it had appeared as she completed her sentence…
"W-would ya like to spar with me today…?"
Damon stood at a slight distance, his attention fixed on the spar unfolding between Mira and Zarhka, though calling it a spar would have been generous, as the exchange lacked any rhythm or structure, Mira's movements hesitant and unsure, her body stiff as though even the idea of striking or defending felt unfamiliar to her, while Zarhka circled her carefully, deliberately slowing herself down, pulling back her strength, and guiding rather than attacking as she attempted to show her the basics without overwhelming her.
Mira flinched at almost every motion, her reactions delayed and uncoordinated, her steps uneven as she struggled to maintain balance, let alone form any kind of counter, and even when Zarhka demonstrated a simple movement, Mira's attempt to replicate it came out clumsy, her hands moving uncertainly as though she did not trust her own body.
Damon watched in silence, his expression calm but observant.
She clearly doesn't know hand-to-hand combat…
That much was obvious.
But she's still ranked in the top fifteen… which means her strength lies somewhere else.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer before shifting away.
As for the goat… I'll spar with her myself later…
Turning slightly, his attention moved to the other side where Vaelith and Eric were engaged, though the scene there was far less ambiguous, as it was less a spar and more a one-sided suppression, Eric being pushed back repeatedly, barely managing to stay on his feet as Vaelith moved with sharp precision, his agility and flexibility allowing him to close distance and retreat with equal ease, his strikes controlled yet relentless.
Damon's eyes narrowed slightly.
Vaelith… his movement is clean… good flexibility… and his reaction speed is above average…but.
His gaze shifted toward Eric.
Eric stumbled back again, barely dodging a follow-up strike, his footing unstable yet somehow managing to avoid a direct hit at the last second.
A voice sounded beside Damon.
"DAT' BOY CAN DODGE WELL."
Damon nodded instinctively in agreement—
Then flinched.
His head snapped slightly to the side.
Beside him stood Brakkar.
The sheer presence of the man had gone unnoticed until that moment, his towering frame casting a shadow that felt heavier than it should have been.
"Since when were you here, old man?" Damon asked, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.
Brakkar looked down at him, his gaze sharp and assessing.
"'AVE YA IMPROVED FROM LAST TIME… AFTER WHAT I TOLD YA?" he asked, his voice low but carrying weight.
Damon looked ahead for a brief moment, his expression tightening slightly before he answered.
"I've been trying in the training chamber—"
"TCH!" Brakkar cut him off instantly, his irritation clear, "WHAT TRAINING CHAMBA? YA CAN REFINE YER MOVES THERE, BOY… BUT IF YA WANNA IMPROVE FOR REAL… YA NEED TA FIGHT REAL OPPONENTS!"
Damon's eyes shifted toward him.
Brakkar continued, his tone firm and grounded.
"WHAT GOOD IS IT TO BREAK OUTTA PATTERNS… BY FIGHTIN' SOMETHIN' THAT'S TRAINED TA FOLLOW PATTERNS ITSELF?"
The words struck deeper than expected.
Damon's eyes widened slightly as the realization settled in, his mind catching onto the flaw he had been missing all along.
Break out of a pattern… by fighting something that follows a pattern…
The contradiction was obvious now.
Clear.
Brakkar gave a short grunt before continuing.
"FIGHT BEASTMEN… IF YA WANNA IMPROVE YER HAND-TO-HAND… THEY DON'T FOLLOW CLEAN PATTERNS… THEY USE RAW POWER… INSTINCTS… UNPREDICTABLE MOVES…"
His tone shifted slightly, losing interest as quickly as he had engaged.
"COME TO ME WHEN YA'VE IMPROVED… I'LL SPAR WITH YA THEN."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking away.
Damon watched his back, the words still settling in his mind, when Brakkar's voice came again, this time without him turning around.
"AND THAT TIMID GIRL… SHE AIN'T MADE FOR CLOSE COMBAT… TEACH 'ER SOME BASIC SELF-DEFENSE YERSELF."
Damon's gaze shifted back.
Toward Mira.
She stood there, her eyes wet, her shoulders trembling slightly as she struggled to hold herself together, while Zarhka stood close beside her, clearly unsure of what to do, attempting awkwardly to console her without fully understanding what had gone wrong.
Damon looked down as he sighed silently.
Damon stepped forward without urgency, his presence alone enough to draw both Mira's and Zarhka's attention as he came to a stop in front of them, his gaze settling briefly on Mira's tear-streaked face before he spoke in a calm, even tone.
"Just rest for a moment… and observe."
Mira wiped her eyes quickly, nodding in small, hurried motions as she stepped aside, her hands still trembling slightly as she positioned herself at a safe distance, her eyes fixed on Damon as though afraid to miss anything.
Damon then shifted his focus to Zarhka.
"Let's spar."
For a brief moment, Zarhka simply looked at him, and then a faint spark of excitement appeared in her eyes, her lips curving ever so slightly as she nodded and stepped back, creating distance between them as she rolled her shoulders once, settling into position.
Both of them took their stances.
The air around them shifted.
Damon moved first, his steps precise and measured as he closed the distance with controlled intent, his strike clean and direct, aimed not to overwhelm but to test, and Zarhka responded instantly, her body moving with a grounded fluidity as she deflected the attack with a firm motion before countering with a low sweep that Damon avoided by a narrow margin.
Their movements began to flow.
Strike.
Block.
Counter.
Step.
Pivot.
Damon's technique was sharp, every motion efficient and refined, while Zarhka's style carried a different kind of rhythm, less polished but far more instinctive, her reactions grounded in raw awareness rather than structured patterns, allowing her to adapt in ways that did not follow predictable sequences.
For a while, they remained evenly matched.
Damon's strikes lacked their usual force, his movements restrained as though he was testing boundaries rather than pushing through them.
Zarhka created distance between them with a sharp backward step, her stance lowering slightly as she frowned, her voice carrying that heavy, rolled accent as she spoke.
"Why ya holdin' back? Dat's disrespect to us."
Damon let out a quiet breath, straightening slightly as he responded.
"I didn't mean any disrespect… I'm just trying to break my combat technique."
Zarhka blinked once, her expression shifting into something more thoughtful as she considered his words, her stance loosening slightly as she tilted her head.
"… if ya go like dat, ya only gonna damage what ya already 'ave," she said, her tone firm, "ya should fight with what ya got… if ya already decide in yer 'ead dat ya gonna break yer pattern… den it ain't gonna break anyway."
Damon listened carefully.
The words settled in alongside Brakkar's earlier advice, connecting in a way that made something click within him.
Instructor Brakkar was right….I can really improve more efficiently if I spar with beastmen.
A faint exhale left him as he rolled his shoulders once, his body loosening.
Then—
A subtle shift.
A controlled crack echoed softly as he adjusted his stance, his posture lowering, his presence changing just enough to signal that he was no longer holding back.
"Come at me."