At another place...
Hazel slashed at the head of a serpent-like beast, her battle-axe forcefully cutting through the hard scale and sturdy flesh.
Boom!
The power behind the attack was so strong that the wall close to them crumbled from the remnants of the attack.
[You have slain a Gremlin Beast, Ruin Serpent]
[Your art grows stronger]
[You have received 10 points]
'Only 10? They were easy anyway.'
She stood up from her knees and glanced at the corpses on the ground.
Clang!
Her ears caught the faint sound of fighting from a few buildings ahead— causing her to pause. Although intriuged, she decided to go check it out, after all she wanted to earn more points.
"STOP!"
She had only taken a step away from her previous position when an angry voice called out to her.
Annoyed, she turned her head sharply and glared at the person— however, she was met with a fist that almost connected to her head if not for her instinctive dodge.
Distancing herself from her attacker, she looked at them clearly and realized it was a girl. And one she remembered at least.
Victoria Lewis from Class-C.
'That's the annoying girl who lost to me.' She thought.
"Good. I can see you recognize me." Victoria spoke as she cracked her knuckles. Her short blue hair flowed softly with the wind— her green eyes filled with blazing vengeance.
"You lost already, didn't you? Then do you want another beating?" Hazel taunted as she dismissed her battle-axe— allowing it to break down into tiny white light that entered her body.
A vein popped up on Victoria's head as she narrowed her eyes.
"I'm stronger. Now."
"Hah? I see nothing but a kid who just wants to be acknowledged by people." Hazel countered with a relaxed pose, hitting a sore spot.
"What do you know?" Victoria growled as her fists clenched tightly at her side.
"It doesn't matter any—"
Boom!
Victoria's fist crashed into Hazel's former position as the latter appeared behind her unnoticed.
"Weak." She taunted.
"Don't mess with me!" From her position, Victoria hurled a spinning kick at Hazel who stepped back— narrowly dodging the attack. "I've been training ever since I lost to you. Just for this moment!"
'She's dangerous.' Hazel thought when she suddenly realized a foot was zooming in on her chest.
Bam!
Crossing her arms, she blocked the attack, but the force behind it made her crash into a wall, heavily denting it.
"I'm stronger!" Shouting, Victoria attacked again and again while Hazel weaved through the attacks, her expression cool and relaxed.
"It's pointl—"
Bam!
As she was speaking, Victoria suddenly sped up and her fist crashed into the side of Hazel's head.
'What?!'
Stunned, Hazel resisted the force behind the attack and stood firm. She delivered her own punch into Victoria's guts but the latter also toughened up, standing still.
"You piss me off!" Victoria yelled as she punched Hazel again while holding the arm that punched her gut.
'She's annoying.' Hazel thought as she blocked the attack with her arm then slapped Victoria's face. Stomping on the latter's feet, she tried to create distance only to realize Victoria was still holding her arm firmly despite the pain.
"Stop being annoying." Hazel said as she punched out, only for Victoria to duck under the attack and deliver an uppercut to her chin.
'What the hell?!'
Hazel's eyes bulged as she gritted her teeth— pain flaring through her jaw.
Angrily, she lashed out a kick that Victoria easily evaded and distanced herself.
Wiping the blood off her lips, she shook her head and took a fighting stance. "You're so annoying."
"You bet!" Victoria barked back as they shot towards each other— eyes burning fiercely.
Boom! Boom! Bang!
They moved across the ruins like hungry predators, trading blows and trying their best to draw blood from each other. Hazel spun in the air as she slammed down her leg on Victoria who blocked the attack with her arms crossed.
CRACK!
The ground beneath her feet cracked from the pressure— highlighting the strength behind the attack. In one smooth motion, Hazel positioned herself behind Victoria, ready to deliver an attack to the spine.
!!!
Hazel froze as Victoria caught her ankle in a firm grip— just an inch away from connecting to her back.
"I said it, I'm STRONGER!!
Roaring, Victoria slammed Hazel into the ground harshly.
The ground cracked heavily as pain shot through every part of her body.
"Urghk—"
Groaning, she looked up only to receive a brutal punch to her nose.
Crack!
Her nose cracked as blood flowed down. Her head was ringing in pain as she desperately tried to fight against the disorientation.
"Told you! I won Hazel! You lost." Victoria said with unconcealed joy as she looked at the mess under her.
Hazel forced herself to open her eyes and croaked out.
"So what?"
"What?" Victoria scowled, irritated.
"So what happens after you win? You're still inferior to him anyway." Hazel smiled feebly as she hit another sore spot with her words.
"You-!" Victoria growled. "Shut up!"
Raising her fist, she prepared to punch Hazel again only to stop. Her eyes caught two green orbs staring coldly at her from the darkness. The faint silhouette of a human made her realize it was a student. One she couldn't match at all. Alarm signals flared through her mind— freezing her in place.
"Kanojo ni kamau na!" (Leave her alone!)
Although the words were spoken in Japanese, she could feel the vast anger and impatience behind it.
Forced to swallow her pride, she stood up from Hazel and walked away— looking back one last time to glare at Hazel.
"We aren't finished."
....
Hazel struggled to sit up as she turned her head to look at the green eyes in the darkness. Although the tone was unfamiliar, she recognized it.
"You look ruined."
Emerging from the darkness, Kuramoto looked at her teasingly.
"Like I don't know." Scowling, Hazel rose up to her feet despite the pain she was feeling.
"You were outsmarted. Dismantled. Predicted." Kuramoto stated, his tone slightly colder.
"I know." Growling, she dusted herself and rested on a nearby wall.
"Your arrogance nailed it."
Hearing that, Hazel's eyes narrowed as she reflected on her fight. Soon, she realized she truly acted like an arrogant bully and lost to the rising hero.
Kuramoto watched her silently as he smirked inwardly.
'Kaiser, although you might have broken her, you only helped me as I'd be the one rebuilding her up. Heh.'