The first blow caught Noah completely off-guard—not because he hadn't been expecting Lucas to attack, but because of the 'speed'. One mont Lucas was standing casually five ters away, the next his fist was sailing toward Noah's face with freight-train force.
Noah's instincts flared to life automatically, Chi flooding his pathways as he barely twisted away from the strike. Even so, Lucas's knuckles grazed his cheek, the glancing contact enough to snap Noah's head to the side.
'Fast. Too fast.'
Noah stumbled back, raising his guard as Lucas pressed forward with a fluid combination of strikes. Each blow ca with precision and power that spoke of thousands of hours of practice. Noah blocked what he could and dodged the rest, feeling the impact of each partially deflected hit reverberate through his Chi-reinforced bones.
"Too slow, Eclipse," Lucas comnted, his voice casual despite the whirlwind offense he was unleashing. "Your reaction ti is good, but your form is sloppy when you're under pressure."
Noah gritted his teeth, focusing on his breathing as he continued giving ground. He wasn't used to being on the defensive like this; most of his Academy matches had ended with him quickly overwhelming his opponents...after analyzing their attack patterns which right now...he couldn't.
Lucas wasn't most opponents.
Noah saw an opening and launched a counterattack, driving a Chi-enhanced palm strike toward Lucas's solar plexus. It was a solid blow, one that would have doubled over most Year Ones.
Lucas simply redirected the force, using Noah's own montum to pull him off-balance and into a sweeping kick that took Noah's legs out from under him. Noah hit the mat hard, rolling away just in ti to avoid a follow-up strike that would have pinned him.
"Better," Lucas acknowledged as Noah scrambled back to his feet. "But you're telegraphing your attacks. I can read your intentions before you move."
Noah took a centering breath, reassessing. Direct confrontation clearly wasn't working. Lucas had superior reach, speed, and technique. But Noah had his chi, his analytical mind, and years of adapting to seemingly impossible situations.
'Ti to think differently.'
"Is this really your best?" Lucas taunted, circling again. "I've seen your matches, Eclipse. You the one that took out a one horn with ? Huh?! Where's that power now?"
Noah didn't respond to the bait. Instead, he studied Lucas's movent pattern, looking for rhythm, for habits, for any exploitable tendency. Everyone had them—even the elite.
Lucas attacked again, this ti with a series of rapid jabs followed by a heavy cross. Noah slipped the jabs and, instead of blocking the cross, stepped 'into' it, accepting a glancing blow to his shoulder in exchange for closing distance. He drove his elbow toward Lucas's ribs, channeling Chi into the strike.
For the first ti, Lucas's expression showed sothing other than casual confidence. He twisted to minimize the impact, but Noah's elbow still connected solidly, forcing a sharp exhale from the older student.
"There it is," Lucas said, a hint of approval in his voice. "Finally taking this seriously."
What followed was a brutal exchange of blows as Noah abandoned his defensive posture in favor of staying inside Lucas's optimal range. It was risky—Lucas still landed two strikes for every one of Noah's—but at least now Noah was landing solid hits of his own.
Lucas broke away, creating distance with a sweeping kick that Noah had to jump back to avoid. Both fighters circled again, reassessing.
"Master Anng's been working with you on Chi channeling," Lucas observed, more statent than question. "I recognize his foundation techniques."
Noah nodded, still focused on his breathing. "Redial sessions."
"Redial. Right." Lucas's tone made it clear he didn't believe that for a second. "Well, he'll be pleased to know you've gone far beyond his curriculum. Your channeling patterns are... creative."
Noah didn't confirm or deny. Instead, he studied Lucas more carefully. The older student was breathing evenly, showing no signs of fatigue. But there was sothing else—a subtle shift in his stance, a slight favoring of his right side where Noah's elbow had connected.
'Not invulnerable after all.'
Noah feinted a rush, then pulled back when Lucas adjusted his guard. Interesting. The Year Three student had a barely perceptible preference for countering with his right. A pattern was erging.
"Ti's wasting, Noah," Lucas called, using his first na in a rare mont of informality. "Show what you've really got."
This ti, Noah initiated the attack. He launched a flurry of strikes aid at Lucas's left side, forcing the older student to defend predominantly with his left arm. As expected, Lucas countered with a powerful right hook.
Noah was ready. He ducked under the hook and drove a Chi-enhanced palm strike directly into Lucas's right ribs—the sa spot he'd targeted earlier. Lucas grunted, montarily stiffening, and Noah seized the opportunity to sweep the older student's lead leg.
For an instant, Lucas was off-balance. It wasn't much, but Noah capitalized imdiately, using his montum to drive Lucas to the mat with a textbook takedown.
Or it would have been textbook, if Lucas hadn't sohow twisted mid-fall, catching Noah's arm and using his own montum against him. Suddenly, their positions were reversed, with Noah slamd onto his back and Lucas establishing a dominant position.
"Good attempt," Lucas said, not even breathing hard as he applied pressure to Noah's shoulder joint. "But predictable. You're thinking like a technician, not a fighter."
Noah struggled, trying to bridge and escape, but Lucas's control was impeccable. The older student shifted his weight, increasing the pressure to an almost unbearable degree. "This is where you would yield in a training match, Eclipse."
Noah gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. He channeled Chi into his shoulder to reinforce the joint, buying himself precious seconds to think.
'There must be a way out.'
Lucas seed to read his thoughts. "There isn't. Not with conventional techniques."
The pressure increased further, and Noah knew his joint would fail soon, regardless of Chi reinforcent.
'If I can't overpower him, and I can't outmaneuver him with standard techniques...'
An idea ford—risky, unorthodox, potentially revealing more than he should. But losing wasn't an option.
Noah abruptly stopped resisting in the direction Lucas was applying pressure. Instead, he channeled maximum Chi into explosive rotation in the 'opposite' direction, dislocating his own shoulder montarily to slip free of Lucas's hold.
[-25 HP / 600 HP]
The pain was intense but brief as Noah's self Regen worked to realign the joint. He rolled away, creating space before Lucas could establish another dominant position.
Lucas rose to his feet, genuine surprise evident on his face. "You dislocated your own shoulder to escape." It wasn't a question. "That's... not in any Academy training manual I've ever seen."
Noah stood as well, rolling his almost healed shoulder. "You said to show you what I've got."
"So I did." Lucas's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Your Chi control extends to cellular regeneration, then? Impressive."
That wasn't the case. But that was a plausible answer. One that Noah was happy to accept was the case. Not that he didn't want Lucas to know the extent of what he could do. But what was the point when Lucas knew more than anyone what he was already capable of and his greatest assets, his summon companion, Nyx.
There was a knowing look in his eyes—the look of a friend who had just confird a long-held suspicion. Noah had revealed more than perhaps he intended, but if it had to be to anyone, Lucas was the safest choice.
Noah reset his stance, signaling his readiness to continue.
The next exchange was even more intense than the previous. Lucas seed to have kicked into a higher gear, his strikes coming faster, his technique more fluid. Noah defended desperately, searching for any opening, any pattern he could exploit.
But Lucas was adjusting, constantly changing his approach to prevent Noah from finding predictable rhythms. It was like fighting a combat AI that learned and adapted in real-ti.
A hamring blow slipped through Noah's guard, catching him in the solar plexus. Even with Chi reinforcent, the impact drove the air from his lungs. Noah stumbled back, gasping.
Lucas pressed his advantage, landing a sweep that took Noah's legs out from under him once again. This ti, Noah couldn't roll away quickly enough. Lucas was on him instantly, securing a chokehold that cut off blood flow to Noah's brain.
"This is the difference," Lucas said calmly as Noah struggled. "Not just skill or power, but adaptability. Experience. The ability to recognize patterns and counter them before they beco threats."
Noah's vision began to darken at the edges. He channeled Chi to maintain consciousness, but he knew it was only delaying the inevitable. Lucas's hold was perfect, technically flawless.
'But technique isn't everything.'
In a desperate gambit, Noah stopped struggling entirely. He went completely limp, simultaneously releasing a massive pulse of Chi throughout his body—a technique Master Anng had explicitly warned against due to the risk of pathway damage or muscle spasm and tear.
The sudden energy discharge and dead weight caught Lucas by surprise. His grip faltered for a fraction of a second—not much, but enough for Noah to twist violently, breaking the hold and scrambling away.
Lucas was on his feet imdiately, sothing new in his expression—a gleam of genuine interest, perhaps even respect. "Unconventional. Dangerous to your own body. But effective. I'm starting to see why you've been climbing the rankings so quickly."
Noah rose unsteadily, breathing hard. The Chi pulse had left his pathways burning, his control temporarily compromised. But he was still in the fight.
"You're learning," Lucas observed. "Good. But not good enough."
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