I cleared my throat awkwardly, breaking the silence.
"So... should we start the spar now, or wait for the vice commander?"
Steve shrugged.
"She's not here yet, so we've got time. Let's start. I'm sure we'll notice if an aircraft arrives with her."
I nodded and glanced at North.
She was still avoiding our eyes, clearly embarrassed by how her grandfather had spoken to her.
"Alright then," I said, stretching. "Let's move closer to the base of the Volcano."
We moved toward the base of the Volcano, the ground beneath us turning darker and more uneven as we got closer.
The heat in the air was noticeable, but nothing unbearable.
A fitting place for a spar.
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the power coursing through me.
North and Steve were strong, but I was on another level. I had more stats, more strength, and a far better grasp of my abilities. This spar was more for them than for me, but that didn't mean I'd take it easy.
"Alright," I said, stepping forward. "Come at me however you want. I'll counter accordingly."
There were no trees or coverings but North still created some distance from me and Steve. She nocked an arrow, her stance solid, eyes sharp.
Steve took his sword in both hands, shifting his weight slightly. They were taking this seriously. Good.
"Ready?" I asked.
They both nodded.
"Begin."
Steve charged first, closing the distance fast. His sword came in a diagonal slash toward my shoulder—solid execution, but too predictable.
I sidestepped, letting the blade cut through air, and before he could recover, I tapped my hand at his wrist. A small push, nothing more, but it knocked his sword wide, leaving him open.
My leg shot out, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying a couple of feet away.
North, always watching for an opening, let loose an arrow aimed right at my ribs. I turned my body slightly, catching the shaft between two fingers.
She clicked her tongue, "Of course you did."
"Good shot," I said before throwing the arrow back at her.
Steve was back on his feet, bringing his sword up in a quick thrust. I leaned just enough to let it miss before slamming my palm into his chest. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough force to knock him off his feet again.
North didn't hesitate. Another arrow whistled through the air, this time aiming for my legs. A smart move—if I couldn't move as freely, she and Steve would have a better chance.
I let the arrow graze my thigh, more out of curiosity than necessity. It stung, but that was it.
"Thats all you got?" I taunted.
Steve pushed himself up again.
"We just started."
I grinned.
"Good."
He rushed forward once more, swinging his sword in a quick flurry of strikes. His form was better than the Steve I remembered from the academy—less wasted movement, more control but it still wasn't enough. I dodged his attacks effortlessly, letting the blade slide past just inches from my skin.
North circled around, trying to flank me, but I was already aware of her positioning. When she loosed another arrow, I tilted my body slightly, letting it soar past me.
Then I moved.
One step, and I was inside Steve's guard. I grabbed his sword-wielding wrist, bent down slightly, placed my other hand beneath his shoulder, and with a roar, hurled him straight toward North.
North dodged flying Steve and adjusted herself again for a shot.
But I was already in front of her before she could release it. With a flick of my hand, I tapped the end of her bow, making her shot go wide.
She clicked her tongue.
I smirked.
"Weak."
She tried to swing the bow at me, but I caught it mid-air and yanked it out of her grip. With a quick spin, I tossed it a few feet away. She cursed under her breath.
"Alright," I said, stepping back. "That was round one. You two get three minutes to recover."
Steve groaned as he sat up, rubbing his back.
"That was good."
I pointed out.
"You landed some attacks."
He replied.
"Yeah, and you let them land."
I shrugged.
"That's not my fault."
North stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders.
"He's toying with us."
"I'm helping you improve," I corrected.
She huffed but didn't argue.
Three minutes passed, and they both stood again, looking more determined than before.
"Round two," I announced. "Let's see if you learned anything."
Steve didn't charge in blindly this time. Instead, he and North moved in sync, keeping distance while trying to box me in. North stayed at range, her bow ready, while Steve positioned himself at an angle that would make dodging difficult.
'Better.'
Steve lunged, but this time, when I knocked his sword away, he used the momentum to pivot and slash from another angle.
I raised an eyebrow—nice adjustment. I caught Steve's sword between my palms, absorbing the impact. It had a little more force than before.
A split second later, North's arrow streaked toward my chest. I couldn't dodge completely, so I bent my knees just enough to let it graze my shoulder.
"Not bad," I admitted.
Steve pushed forward again, mixing in feints to keep me guessing. North's arrows forced me to stay mobile. They were improving, but I still had the advantage.
With a quick burst of speed, I sidestepped Steve's next strike, grabbed his wrist, and twisted, making him drop his sword.
I picked up the sword and hurled it straight at North. This time, she didn't take her eyes off me, she simply shifted slightly, letting the blade pass by.
I sprinted toward her. An arrow whistled through the air—I sidestepped it. Another followed, and I caught it mid-flight. She was already nocking the next one, her movements swift and steady.
But before North could react, I closed the distance and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Done," I said.
She sighed.
"Damn it."
Steve exhaled sharply.
"I really thought we had you that time."
"You're getting closer," I admitted. "Keep this up, and maybe in a few months, you'll land a real hit on me."
North gave me a deadpan stare.
"That's not encouraging."
I chuckled.
"Alright, another short break, then we go again."
We went through three more short spars, each time switching up my strategies, forcing the duo to adapt on the fly.
In the first round, I focused on relentless pressure. I never gave them a moment to breathe, staying in their space, forcing them to react rather than act.
Steve barely had time to swing his sword before I was already past his guard, redirecting his attacks or outright slamming through them. North tried to keep her distance, but I closed in too fast, cutting off her angles and forcing her into a defensive scramble.
For the second round, I flipped the approach entirely. I let them come to me. I stayed on defense, dodging, blocking, parrying. Every time Steve swung, I redirected his sword with the bare minimum effort, making him waste energy.
Every time North loosed an arrow, I sidestepped at the last second, making her hesitate more before each shot.
I wanted them to feel what it was like to fight someone who wasn't just stronger but also more efficient.
By the end of that round, Steve was breathing hard, and North's hands were trembling from the strain of trying to land a clean shot.
In the final spar, I fought unpredictably. I mixed between overwhelming force and fluid defense, never letting them settle into a rhythm.
One moment, I was in their faces, forcing them back.
The next, I was retreating just enough to lure them into overextending before countering.
I baited Steve into reckless swings and punished him for them. I let North think she had an opening, only to deflect her arrow at the last second, making her second-guess her aim.
By the time we stopped, both of them were exhausted, sweat dripping down their faces. Meanwhile, I was just getting warmed up.
As we rested, a distant noise caught our attention. Looking up, we spotted an aircraft soaring above us.
Moments later, boxes with parachutes began descending from the sky, followed by a figure who leaped out right after them.
The person free-fell for a few seconds before deploying their parachute, gliding down with perfect control before landing smoothly a short distance away.
It was Vice Commander June.
She started walking towards us. But North was focused somewhere else.
North let out a relieved sigh.
"Finally, food."
I chuckled at that.
"Glad to know your priorities are in order."