Chapter 55: Challenge(2)
William and the girl, who introduced herself as Mia, stood facing each other in the wide-open gymnasium.
Even with two hundred students scattered around, the place still felt huge—easily big enough for six hundred. There was plenty of room for sparring.
Most students had started their own training, leaving the chosen ones to their duels. William glanced toward Emma, who was holding her ground impressively against her opponents.
"Umm, would it be okay if I hurt you a little?" Mia’s soft voice drew his attention back.
William smirked. "Is that a threat?"
She fidgeted. "Ah... no... it’s just—these are metal knuckles. If I hit your head, it’ll definitely sting."
William couldn’t tell if she was being genuine or just confident. Either way, she wasn’t ordinary.
"A battle without pain is just a game," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Come on. Don’t hold back."
Mia nodded, slipping on her knuckles. "You don’t want a weapon?"
"Depends," William replied. "If you’re good enough, maybe I’ll bother grabbing one."
Mia grinned faintly, pumping her fist. "I understand. Then, here I come."
The next instant, she was gone from her spot.
’Whoa—fast!’ William thought. Her short strides blurred as she dashed in. He saw her move but then, she vanished.
"...!" His mind flared as he twirled on his toes to block the attack. But—
*DHAK!*
Pain shot through his back. She had vanished mid-charge and reappeared right at the same spot, her punch driving the air from his lungs. William stumbled forward, gasping.
"So," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder, "you said you’d hit my head on purpose...to deceive me."
Mia tilted her head with a sheepish smile. "Sorry... my chances of winning are low. I need to use every trick I have."
William straightened, ignoring the sharp burn in his back. "Teleportation, huh? That’s rare." He flicked a finger, and a shield flew from the weapon rack into his grasp. "Why aren’t you in the first class?"
Her face turned red, eyes darting away.
William smirked. "Thought so." With a sudden burst of power, he hurled the shield straight at her—
"Eh—!"
But it hit nothing. She vanished again, and the telekinetic grip he had extended caught only air.
"Tch." He ducked on instinct—just in time. A kick whooshed past where his head had been.
"Not again." He reached out, catching her ankle mid-air, and yanked her down—
But she blinked out of his grasp like smoke.
"I’m over here!" she called, reappearing a few meters to the left, her knuckles glowing faintly with energy.
William turned, a grin spreading across his face. "Good. Now it’s getting interesting."
Their eyes locked.
Mia vanished again—blink—a faint blur and a whisper of air.
William spun, his eyes darting, scanning for even a flicker of movement.
Then—wham!—a punch caught his ribs from the side. He twisted to grab her arm, but she was already gone, leaving a fading shimmer in the air.
’Short-range teleportation,’ he realized, lowering his stance. ’Fast and clever. She’s not just moving randomly—she’s reading me.’
He took a breath, muscles tightening, and raised his guard. But before he could shift, another strike came—this time from above. Mia appeared midair, knees tucked, and slammed her heel toward his shoulder.
William blocked with his forearm, sliding a step back. The hit still stung.
"Nice reflexes," she said, vanishing the moment she landed.
A heartbeat later—bam!—her fist connected with his jaw.
William’s head snapped to the side. His teeth rattled, but his expression didn’t break. Instead, he lunged backward, sending a telekinetic wave forward like an invisible shove.
The air rippled—Mia blinked away before it hit. She reappeared behind him, crouched low, sweeping her leg out.
William jumped over the sweep, already reaching to grab her—but again, she disappeared just before his hand could touch her shoulder.
Her giggle echoed faintly, "Almost had me."
William turned sharply, smirking despite himself. "You’re playing dangerous games, Mia."
"I’m not playing," she replied, appearing right in front of him this time—too close for comfort.
He tried to jab her in the stomach, but she parried it with her knuckles, twisting her body to absorb the impact. Her next teleport came mid-motion—she vanished while spinning, reappearing behind his guard and slamming her elbow into his back.
William staggered forward, his breath uneven, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"You..." he said between breaths, "you’re keeping your mind clear on purpose when attacking me."
Mia wiped the sweat from her brow, panting lightly. "Of course. I have to. I know you can hear my thoughts if I let them get messy."
William let out a low chuckle. "Smart girl. You came prepared."
She narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully. He stood there, calm and composed, one hand casually tucked into his pocket—as if the fight had already ended.
"What’s that supposed to mean?" she asked, frowning.
William grinned, tapping the side of his head. "It means the time you spent dancing around me was enough to form a link between this..." he pointed to his temple, "...and that." He pointed straight at her.
Mia’s expression hardened. "Ridiculous."
"Then don’t blame me for being a little ruthless now," he said, his tone playfully cold.
She took a quick step forward—and vanished.
William laughed, moving one step to the left.
*SWISH!*
Mia’s eyes widened—she’d completely missed him.
"Gotcha!"
William’s leg swung up in a blur, his kick slamming into her stomach mid-air.
"Gha!" she gasped, the impact knocking the air from her lungs as she tumbled across the floor, skidding to a stop.
William landed lightly, bouncing on his toes, his grin wide and wild. "Now, now... you got me warmed up. Don’t faint just yet."
Mia groaned, clutching her stomach. Pain flared through her body, but she gritted her teeth. She couldn’t afford to let him corner her—one more clean hit like that, and it’d be over.
She needed to move faster. Overwhelm him.
Her body flickered—and she was gone again.
William’s eyes tracked the faint shimmer of aether in the air. He leapt upward just as her leg swept through the spot where he’d been.
Then—he came down twice as fast.
*CRUNCH!*
His heel landed squarely on her ankle.
"AHHHH!" Mia screamed, collapsing to one knee, clutching her leg. The pain shot up through her body like lightning.
William crouched down until his eyes were level with hers, his crimson gaze locking onto Mia’s trembling face. The heat of his stare made her flinch. Sweat and tears clung to her cheeks, mixing with dust and pain.
"Done already," he asked softly, his voice calm but chilling, "or should I break a few more things?"
Mia’s lips trembled—but instead of answering, she growled.
Then she vanished.
*BLINK!*
This time, she appeared directly above him, fist cocked back and ready to strike.
William’s hand shot up, catching the air where her punch should’ve landed—
But she blinked out of sight again.
A shimmer on his left—he turned instantly—
*Gone.*
Behind him—he twisted again—
*Gone.*
A sigh escaped his lips as he shifted his weight, scanning every direction. "So you’re done holding back, huh?"
Her figure flickered in and out like a broken reflection—left, right, behind, above—each appearance so quick it was barely more than a flash.
She was everywhere... yet nowhere.
Each teleport left behind a faint ripple in the air, a blur of motion, a ghost of her movement. The gym echoed with small bursts of displaced wind.
William moved fluidly, spinning and stepping with uncanny precision, predicting every possible angle. His arms blocked invisible blows, his body swayed just out of reach of strikes that never landed.
It looked less like a fight and more like a deadly dance—one girl darting through space itself, and one man anticipating her every move with cold, steady rhythm.
The other students had stopped what they were doing entirely.
Their eyes followed the blur of motion, jaws hanging open as the sound of short bursts—*thud, crack, swish*—filled the vast gymnasium.
No one could believe it.
Someone from the fifth class—someone quiet, small, and unassuming—was holding her own against William, the top fighter of the chosen group.
For a moment, the gym felt electric. Every student could feel it—the tension between speed and precision, will and instinct.
A single mistake, a single late move, and this dance would end in disaster.
"I’ll end it now!" Mia shouted, her voice echoing through the gym as she appeared behind him, fist drawn back with fierce resolve.
But William was ready.
*DHAK!*
He caught her punch with his bare hand, stopping her cold. The air between them pulsed with pressure as the impact rippled out.
For a moment, they stood locked in place, eyes meeting.
Mia’s face flushed red, her breath heavy, sweat gluing strands of hair to her skin.
William grinned. "I guess it’s over—"
But she smirked, suddenly pulling her hand free from the metal knuckle. In the same instant—she vanished.
William’s grin froze. His gaze darted upward as he released the knuckle and got prepared
Everyone’s heads tilted to the ceiling—she was there, descending fast, like a hawk diving for the kill.
Gasps filled the air.
"She’s got him this time!"
"No way he dodges that!"
But just as William raised his arm to intercept her—
*SWAP!*
A flash of light.
*THUMP!*
The sound came from behind him.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
"EHHHH?!"
"No... freaking way!"
Every jaw dropped.
Mia wasn’t above him anymore.
She had switched places—with the knuckle she’d left in his grasp seconds ago.
Now, she stood behind him, her fist having slammed into his back with all the strength she had.
It was perfect. Unexpected. Flawless.
Yet..."Why...why..."
Her bare knuckles were red...she didn’t hit him...she hit an invisible wall which he had erected in that last second.
But...how?
She stared at William with her eyes shaking and muttered under her breath, ’Are...you really unbeatable in this academy?’
°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Should I make a list of his abilities which he has already unlocked?