Both fighters stood silently, watching each other cautiously as they paced around the arena.
"If you want to attack me, you should use your powers... it wouldn't be fair otherwise," Fenix announced confidently.
Shade frowned, then Fenix added,
"Don't worry, I won't use mine, I'm not trying to kill you or anything."
That's when Shade slid his foot forward and launched a quick jab. Fenix stepped aside at the last minute, grabbing Shade's wrist before he could retract it and kneeing him in the gut in one swift movement.
Shade gagged for air and hunched over, holding his stomach.
"I said you could use your powers... so why haven't you?"
There was a coldness in Fenix's tone when he said this, and he looked down at Shade without a hint of emotion.
"I... don't need a handicap," Shade muttered, taking this moment to catch Fenix off guard, keeping his body low and charging into him.
Fenix caught him, locking his arms around Shade's body and lifting him off the floor as if he weighed nothing.
It happened so quickly that Shade couldn't process it. A moment later, he was thrown backward and slammed into the arena floor hard.
"Get up," Fenix demanded, gazing down at him with that same empty stare.
The room was still spinning as Shade lay there on the floor. It took him a few seconds to get back on his feet. This time, he got into a defensive pose. Fenix combed his hair back with his fingers, and then he smiled slightly and cracked his knuckles.
Fenix wound his fist back, and as Shade raised his guard, Fenix's stance changed, and he did a sweeping kick, sending Shade flat onto his back.
"Are you sure you want to keep holding back?" Fenix asked, his grin growing.
Shade sneered, then his eyes turned black, and the arena became engulfed in darkness.
The barrier kept it contained, so their teammates in the audience only saw a shadowy dome.
"Visual interference detected. Would you view the battle in infrared?" The robotic voice asked.
Aura was the first to answer.
"Yes!"
A screen slowly lowered from the ceiling. Everyone could see two glowing bodies hidden in the dark arena, but it was difficult to tell who was who.
Fenix relaxed and closed his eyes. Shade, on the other hand, got close and launched a flurry of attacks, growing more frustrated as Fenix dodged each hit within a split second of impact.
He was having a hard time believing that Fenix couldn't actually see him.
Out of nowhere, Fenix reached out, nearly grabbing Shade by the collar. He barely managed to escape and retreat into the corner of the arena.
Fenix clicked his tongue and whispered,
"I know I heard him..."
Fenix listened for any hint of movement, then he felt the wind shift near him. A split second later, he caught Shade's fist in his palm just inches from his face.
In a panic, Shade threw a punch with his other hand, but Fenix lifted his free arm and diverted the hit.
Shade was stunned momentarily, then Fenix gripped Shade's fist tighter and bent it back, causing Shade's wrist to make a loud CRACK.
Pain shot through Shade's arm, making his knees buckle slightly, and in that same instance, Fenix stomped down on Shade's foot, making him cry out and hop out of range.
Fenix didn't pursue him.
"Can you tell what's going on?" Flow inquired while shaking Aura's shoulder.
"It's hard... but it looks like one of them retreated," Aura answered quietly, her eyes still on the screen.
Shade blew on his wrist, trying to dull the pain, and thanking God it wasn't completely broken.
Then he glanced over at Fenix. Even in darkness, Shade could see perfectly.
His skills allowed him to create shadows, and for brief moments, he could become one, but to attack, he had to become tangible.
Fenix is somehow reacting in that fraction of a second. Even someone who can see shouldn't be able to move that fast.
The same feeling from earlier started bubbling to the surface of Shade's mind: fear.
While he was fretting over what to do next, Fenix began approaching him,
"You're breathing heavy," Fenix commented, "If you're trying to hide, you should fix that."
Shade's heart pounded erratically, and he swallowed hard. He then gritted his teeth and became one with the shadows.
Fenix paused in his steps and inhaled deeply.
"One of them vanished..." Flow said in astonishment.
"That must be Shade... I fought him once before," Aura replied, eyes locked on the screen.
"He must be in panic mode, right now," Veil chimed in. Both girls looked over at him and noticed he was watching the screen with a thrilled expression.
Shade rose from the darkness, taking hold of Fenix's ankle.
As soon as he did, he felt his body yanked up.
Fenix had launched a kick with so much force it pulled Shade from the floor and sent him flying toward the ceiling.
When Shade hit the barrier above, it flickered for a moment, then he came hurtling back to the ground, hitting the floor and bouncing once before landing flat on his face.
"... He almost had me," Fenix said, sighing with relief.
The shadows slowly faded away, and Fenix turned to Flow,
"Hey, little sis, hurry up and heal him."
She pouted in response and muttered to herself,
"I'm the oldest," before getting up and doing as asked.
Shade was completely unconscious.
Aura made her way over to assist Flow, but Fenix stopped her by gently holding her wrist.
"She can handle it alone," he assured.
Aura felt a twinge of guilt in her chest. Even if Flow doesn't need help, Aura felt uneasy not doing anything.
"Can I fight you next?" Veil called from the bleachers.
Fenix smirked,
"Sure... but I need a quick break," Fenix replied, turning his attention back to Aura and lifting her hand to his lips.
As he kissed her palm and stared into her eyes, her emotional state was overwritten with a mixture of shyness and desire. All other feelings flew out the window.
She froze for a while, but once she regained her senses, she pulled her hand away and looked away from Fenix, blushing intensely.
"We can fight in the meantime," Caster offered.
Veil tapped his chin thoughtfully before responding,
"Just hand-to-hand, or can I use my ability?" Veil inquired.
Caster weighed the two options and said,
"You can use your powers, but since we're just sparring, no attacking while the other is down and no attacks below the belt."
Veil groaned and leaned back, resting his elbows on the bench behind him. His eyes drifted over to the arena, where Flow was treating Shade, and he frowned.
"Do you think... it would be unreasonable to spar against Shade instead, after he recovers?"
"Yes, that would be," Caster replied bluntly. Veil kept his eyes trained on Flow's hand, which was resting on Shade's chest.
"I'm going to do it anyway," Veil muttered coldly. Caster held his shoulder and said,
"He's not your enemy."
Veil tapped his foot impatiently, still watching until Flow was finished and returned to his side.
She noticed his eyes on her and became self-conscious.
"What is it?"
To answer Flow's question, he kissed her.
She was shocked and backed away instinctively. He then held her cheeks, pulling her back in for a deeper, more sensual kiss. Caster averted his eyes.
Her hands trembled against his chest at first, but she slowly began to relax as it went on, forgetting her embarrassment and giving in to him fully.
Once she did that, he stopped, licked his lips, and said,
"I'm about to spar against Caster, don't forget to cheer me on."
Flow nodded weakly.
Caster and Veil passed Fenix, Aura, and Shade as they left the arena.
Shade sat on the bottom bench, far away from the others. Fenix got up from his seat at the top and went down to Shade.
"Why are you sitting alone? We should all watch together," Fenix said. His tone sounded friendly enough, but Shade still flinched as soon as he spoke.
Fenix then crouched down next to him and whispered,
"I just wanted you to feel the difference between us. So you wouldn't get any stupid ideas," the chill returned to his voice. Shade tensed up, then Fenix continued in his normal tone, "You understand now... so there's no need to avoid me. Just behave yourself."
Shade didn't speak, but he got up and sat on a bench closer to the group. Fenix then returned to his seat.
"If both combatants are ready, please get into position," the computer voice demanded.
All attention returned to the arena as Veil and Caster got ready to battle.
"Begin!"
A wicked grin covered Veil's face, and Caster mumbled,
"200%"
They swung punches simultaneously, and when their fists collided, a shockwave rippled through the room.
Caster stepped back, and Veil reached out for him and commanded,
"Don't move."
Caster was paralyzed immediately. Veil then struck him with an uppercut. The arena rumbled again with impact, but even then Caster's body didn't shift at all.
"Release," Veil whispered. That's when the momentum from the punch knocked Caster off his feet.
Caster wiped the blood from his mouth after hitting the floor and glared at Veil. Veil only smiled in return. That's when Caster whispered,
"Hearing debuff, 100%."
He immediately attacked after that, unleashing a three-punch combo. Veil dodged the first punch, blocked the second, and said,
"Stop," at the third, but nothing happened—and Caster's fist collided with his jaw.