In the massive hall, numerous peers watched from the far side, each glowing with their own distinct aura: stone-gray, red, turquoise, blue, and yellow. Rhino also stood there, balancing himself against the wall. He was not glowing, but his eyes shone with a faint red light. Ahead, at the center of the hall, the polished black floor reflected the vibrant auras of both Niata and Blitz.
They activated their auras? I guess that is the only way they can see our movements, Niata thought to himself, glancing at the group before turning his head to face Blitz.
"You can heal fast?" Blitz asked, his gaze locked directly on Niata's.
Niata's smile was too tight, and he avoided eye contact. "Yeah," he chuckled in a low tone, his stance unwavering.
"Aura increases not just the skin's strength, but the internal organs, everything," Blitz stated, still staring intently. "Since you can heal, does it boost the process?"
Not shifting his position, Niata replied, "Umm... I do not think so. I mean, no. When I healed, I did not feel any difference, even though I had my aura active." A knot of anxiety tightened in his stomach.
What is with these questions? They are weird. I do not get why he wants to know about my healing, Niata thought, unaware of the tiny, bug-like drone hovering unseen high above, its lens transmitting a perfect image to Toro's private lab.
Blitz lifted his right arm, making a gesture as though he were holding a ball. A sphere of red flame ignited in his palm. "You are strong and you are fast, I can tell. Even without Essence. When you stack your power on top of that, you are already stronger than we were after ten days in the Program," Blitz said.
"Thanks, I guess..." Niata responded, his voice trailing off.
"Thus, I am going to be using half my strength, with ten-thousand degrees Celsius of heat intensity," Blitz stated, closing his fist around the flame. His hand began to burn even brighter.
"Alright... I guess we are fighting now," Niata said, his breath catching in his throat.
I do not think I can even match half of his power. I guess that one-million degrees was literal... he is just good at controlling the heat, Niata mumbled to himself, keeping the same stance as he slowly moved back.
"PLEASE HOLD BACK, BLITZ! DO NOT BURN YOUR COMRADE!" Rhino yelled across the room, his eyes still glowing red.
Blitz fired an energy beam. It shot past Niata, who quickly shifted to his right. The beam hit the wall, blackening it but leaving it undamaged.
Niata's eyes widened as he glanced behind him. Essence dampening, he thought.
Blitz rushed forward, launching a right punch at Niata's face. Niata bent backward, backflipping away and kicking Blitz's arm upward as he did. He landed and immediately attempted a gut punch, but Blitz fired a burst of flame from his left hand. Niata quickly bounced to his left side to dodge.
I am wearing regular clothes with no Tyroni suit, Niata thought, now running in circles around Blitz, leaving afterimages in his wake. If I get hit, I will be stripped naked!
He broke mid-acceleration and stopped. Both fighters had paused.
"You can fight. I have experienced it myself. I can confidently use greater heat," Blitz said, slowly walking towards Niata.
Niata slid his left foot forward, knee bent deep, weight pressing into the floor. His back leg stayed straight, heel grounded. One fist extended forward, the other tight at his hip. His body was low, centered, and still, ready to strike or block in an instant.
He's really going to intensify the heat. I know this place dampens Essence, but can it stop pure temperature? Niata murmured to himself, his eyes fixed on Blitz.
Veins began to pulse on Niata's forehead. He clenched his fists and let out a deep breath.
From the sidelines, Valra was completely fixed on Niata, her own aura glowing yellow as a smirk played on her face.
Blitz vanished and then reappeared directly in front of Niata. He fired a wave of heat from both his hands. "Ten-thousand degrees," he whispered.
"HEAT WAVE!" he yelled.
Niata quickly jumped to the side. Landing on his hands, he sprung up with his arms, landing a sharp dropkick on Blitz's right ribs.
Niata used Blitz's body as a springboard to backflip away. As he attempted to land, Blitz grabbed Niata's left leg with both arms. He started spinning at a rapid speed, becoming a blur, before letting go and sending Niata flying towards the crowd.
Rhino moved at a blurring speed, catching Niata easily and setting him back on his feet. He patted Niata on the back, the red glow in his own eyes slowly fading.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" he yelled.
Blitz lowered his fists, the intense heat around him dissipating. He's fast enough, Blitz thought, a flicker of respect in his eyes. The healing doesn't matter if you can't hit him.
The other students began to clap. "You did well!" Neo said out loud, a bright smile revealing the gap between her teeth as she gave him two thumbs up.
Niata looked at her and returned a thumbs up, a slight smirk filled with anxiety on his face. Her hair is blonde again? I did not realize… but I could smell the dye, he thought, the adrenaline still thrumming through him.
Niata's eyes widened. "Just like that?" he whispered, watching Blitz approach from across the hall, both of their auras now gone. He turned to Rhino. "What was the purpose of this fight again?"
"It's to gauge your skill, kid. Your Essence capabilities," Rhino replied. "Everyone in here did it. Think of it as a progress test."
Rhino ruffled Niata's hair violently. "Yes, like that," he said. "But you lost." He let out a loud, echoing chuckle.
The other students surrounded Niata. "You can really fight!" Noah said, his voice warm and smooth.
"That's our edge lord!" Ryple shouted, and the group began to chatter excitedly.
He shifted on his feet, eyes darting from face to face but never quite settling. A shy smile tugged at the corner of his lips, flickering in and out like he was unsure whether to accept the warmth or retreat from it. His hands fidgeted, slipping into his pockets.
Niata chuckled. "Thank you," he said in an unsteady voice.
Blitz pulled him out of the crowd. "Did not get to see your regeneration in action, but good fight, Niata," he said with a small smirk, raising his right hand for a handshake.
Niata's eyes widened. He smiled and shook Blitz's hand. "Thanks, rival!" he said.
"Rival?" Blitz asked.
Suddenly, a ray of yellow aura zipped past, and Niata vanished with it. It was Valra. She now stood with Niata further against a wall. Niata's eyes were wide.
What the heck? he thought.
Valra, a figure slightly taller than Niata with ginger hair and green eyes, had an athletic build. She stood confidently, staring into Niata's eyes with a smirk on her face.
Niata's mind raced, his fighter's instincts taking over. Her build is all efficiency. Broad shoulders for power, a tapered back for rotational speed. Her arms are not bulky, but toned for rapid strikes. She's built for speed and precision, a completely different style than Blitz's raw power.
"Fight me next!" she said, her loud voice echoing across the hall. Everyone turned to look at them.
"What is she doing?!" Herpin said.
Rhino stared. "Wait, ginger... Niata is not fighting you," Rhino shouted, shaking his head from left to right.
"It is a simple spar, no Essence involved, sir!" she turned and responded.
Not again, Niata thought, his chest tightening. Not another fight, not with everyone watching me.
"Whoohoo! Wake up!" Valra said, now inches from Niata's face as she shook his shoulders. "Your martial arts... I want to test them myself."
Niata instantly ran off into the crowd. "You should ask my brother instead! He knows more martial arts!" he shouted as he fled through the double doors.
Niata stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall to the left of the double doors he had just fled through. He stared out the massive window, the silence of the corridor a stark contrast to the recent chaos.
He sighed. "Hmph… whoa."
He smiled to himself, his gaze lost in the view. Suddenly…
"Niata..."
A voice whispered, right into his ear, close and unexpected. Niata jolted, twisting to his left.
"Ahhg!" he yelped, stumbling back.
He clutched his chest, breathing hard. "Hhh... Miss Liosa, you startled me!"
Liosa stood there, not in her armor, but in simple, casual clothes.
"You are wearing casual clothing?" Niata asked.
"It's my day off today. Take a walk with me." Liosa gave a subtle flick of her hand and began walking past him.
"Ahh… okay… but I need to go back in there." Niata hurried to catch up.
"No worries," Liosa said.
Behind them, Neo opened the doors, about to speak, but she paused when she saw Niata walking calmly beside Liosa.
"Why are you here on your off day, though?" Niata asked, looking up at her.
Liosa gently placed a hand on Niata's head, ruffling his hair. "I heard you were knocked cold for nearly two days, so I wanted to check up on you." She let out a chuckle.
Niata giggled, looking at the floor as they walked.
"Being a Guardian is a difficult job, Niata," she said, removing her hand.
Niata turned his head to look up at her. "I did not think there were threats comparable to your rank. Even then, it would be extremely rare," he said.
"You are right. Those threats are extreme. Something like the Dread does not just happen. But that is not what I am talking about," Liosa said. "It is about private life. As a full-time Guardian, I have shifts fifteen hours a day, six days a week. Most of them are spent doing nothing but running around New City."
Doing nothing? Niata thought.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Yeah... it is, well... the police take up almost all the street crimes. For us, while we all train to fight monsters, the day-to-day reality is different. Only specialized teams are on full-time monster-hunting duty. For the rest of us, it is rare. Most Derivatives are destroyed before they can fuse, and illegal Essencers are not really common," Liosa explained.
"Illegal Essencers? They use Awakening rituals, right?" Niata asked.
"Yes. Human sacrifice for power, but most who attempt it fail. Let me continue," Liosa said.
Crazy how drawing symbols and killing someone can activate Essence. Completely weird and unexplained, Niata thought.
"We do assist with space support sometimes."
"You've been to space?" Niata's voice jumped with excitement, the somber mood of the conversation momentarily forgotten. I read that they travel in space, but hearing it from an actual Guardian is...
Liosa chuckled at his sudden enthusiasm. "I have. It's not as glamorous as you might think. Most of the time, it's just long, quiet escort duty. We accompany science vessels on their research runs, sometimes across entire galaxies, to make sure they get their resources safely."
She paused, a distant look in her eyes. "It's strange... being out there. Your aura is all that keeps you alive, lets you move and talk in the void. You learn to push off nothing, to accelerate and stop on a dime. But mostly," she sighed, "it's just more scouting. More time away."
Liosa sighed again, and her eyes seemed to grow misty.
I never expected Miss Liosa to be this vulnerable, Niata thought. I thought she was always so confident.
"Uhmm… are you okay, ma'am?" Niata asked, his voice low and unsteady.
"I have a kid about your age... a boy." Liosa's gaze drifted to the massive windows, her reflection a ghost. "And he hates Guardians. Completely despises the concept." A broken chuckle escaped her, sharp and full of pain.
"...Because he cannot spend enough time with you?" Niata asked, whispering.
"Yeah... that is right. That is why most Guardians do not have kids. Plus, retirement is at fifty years old. You have to wait," she said, turning her head toward the large windows.
They stopped walking. The silence stretched for a long moment, filled only by the faint hum of the building's systems.
"I am telling you this because you have a solid goal," she continued, her voice a little steadier. "You do not just want to be a superhero and save people. You have a solid goal and a path. I am not saying it is good that your parents are dead, just... you have a purpose to start with. And that will build you."
She chuckled again, a little more warmly this time. "Also, one more thing. Your progress was extraordinary, just like Tiamoth said, but I still need to fill in some gaps for you."
"Gaps?" Niata asked. "Oh, yeah. You guys really need to fill me in on a lot."
"And thanks for listening to my vent, kiddo," Liosa said, tapping Niata's shoulder. "Let's continue our walk."
"So, tell me more," Niata said, his voice quiet but earnest as they continued along the endless, circular hallway.