Yulli lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if the afterlife would be more merciful than Rio's training. His limbs felt like wet noodles, his back was one with the floor, and his soul had started ascending at least three takedowns ago.
"Well—how's the view down there, kiddo?" Rio extended a hand to him.
"Never been better. I think I saw my ancestors for a second."
"Good! That means you're learning!"
"It means I have a concussion."
"I hope this sparring gave you some new experience because you're gonna need it!" Rio ignores his concerns
"...What do you mean by that?"
Before she could answer, a loud clap echoed through the hall.
Just then, a voice rang out from across the hall. "Alright, everyone, please put back the wooden swords and get ready for a sparring session!"
Yulli blinked. "...Another sparring session?!" He turned to Rio, betrayed. "Didn't I just do this?! Like, just now?!"
Rio laughed, slapping his back hard enough to make him stumble. "Well, it's to get your prep in early! Now you have a better chance of taking down the top dog. I've heard this batch of hunters has some unique students, so you need to keep up!"
That last sentence sent a chill down Yulli's spine. "Wait, wait—what do you mean by 'unique'?"
"Oh, you'll see," Rio said with a wink before shoving him back into line.
Yulli gulped as he looked at the other students, most of whom were excitedly stretching or cracking their knuckles. Some looked normal, and some looked way too excited. And then there was one guy off to the side, slamming his forehead into a wooden dummy for reasons unknown.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Yulli muttered.
Muetaki, standing next to him, nodded silently.
"Yeah, thanks for the support," Yulli groaned.
"Alright, the main purpose of this sparring is to keep your psyche in top shape. You can't rely solely on your mana; you must trust your instincts. There will be times when your mana runs out, and while hand-to-hand combat may seem useless to you all, trust me, it's saved my life more times than I can count."
The instructor's voice echoed across the training hall, a grim reminder that magic wasn't everything.
"I will be calling names. When I call yours, step onto the mats and spar with your partner. The rest of you, pay attention. Hare and Prinz, step forward."
Hare practically bounced onto the mat, cracking her knuckles with barely-contained excitement. Her opponent, however, stepped forward with the grace of royalty. Long silver-white hair, sharp features, and an aura that screamed untouchable. If elegance could kill, half the class would be six feet under.
Someone whistled lowly. "woah she's kinda pretty."
Another voice, way too close to Yulli's ear, chimed in, "Aren't you staying a bit too long there, Yulli?"
Yulli nearly jumped out of his skin and turned sharply, only to find Lawlet smirking at him.
"Lawlet—! What the hell, I didn't even hear you sneak up."
"sorry—I saw you so I figured i wanted to say 'hi.'" Lawlet said casually, before nudging him in the ribs. "But seriously, aren't you a little curious about this fight?"
Yulli raised a brow. "I mean... isn't this kind of one-sided? It's Hare we're talking about."
"That's what I thought too," Lawlet mused. "But, well... see that girl over there?" He nodded toward Prinz, the silver-haired girl standing poised on the mat. "That's the Princess of Gonseng."
Yulli blinked. "Wait. Prinzessin der Ketten?"[1]
"The very one."
Yulli stared. "...And she's here sparring? With us? Normal people?"
"No idea," Lawlet shrugged. "Maybe she got bored of all that noble etiquette and decided to beat up commoners for fun."
On the mat, the instructor clapped his hands. "You are allowed to use mana manipulation. Knockouts or stepping out of the ring will end the match. You two ready?"
Hare grinned, rolling her shoulders. "Oh, you know it."
Prinz nodded silently, completely unfazed.
The instructor lifted his hand. "Begin!"
a defeated turtle.
Hare wasted no time, launching herself forward with explosive speed. Her fist, charged with mana, whistled through the air as she aimed a brutal first strike at Prinz. The force of the blow was enough to make the air itself tremble—yet the moment her knuckles made contact, the impact barely caused a ripple.
Prinz hadn't dodged. She hadn't even flinched.
Instead, she had simply raised her arm, blocking the strike with effortless grace. The resistance felt unnatural, almost wrong—like Hare had just punched through freezing water instead of flesh and bone.
Hare quickly stepped back, shaking out her fist, eyes narrowing. "That felt... cold. Was that your mana trait?"
Prinz tilted her head slightly, her silver hair catching the light as if reflecting her opponent's growing uncertainty.
"Are you done daydreaming?" Her voice was quiet but sharp, a blade hidden beneath silk.
Hare barely had time to process that before Prinz moved.
She didn't charge. She didn't lunge.
She flowed.
One moment she was standing still; the next, she was upon Hare with an elegance that defied logic, slipping through the space between heartbeats. Her movement was liquid, her body shifting with the fluidity of a tide—gentle, effortless, yet carrying the promise of something deadly underneath.
Hare raised her arms, barely managing to block the first strike. It wasn't powerful, but the timing—the precision—was what made it terrifying. Each attack was delivered like a ripple on water, seamlessly connecting into the next. Hare found herself reacting instinctively, her feet moving before she could think, but the more she tried to counter, the more it felt like fighting an opponent who wasn't even there.
Every punch she threw met nothing but empty space. Every block she raised deflected a strike that was never meant to land.
She's playing with me.
Hare gritted her teeth. If she couldn't keep up with the flow, then she'd break it.
Drawing in a deep breath, she stamped her foot down, reinforcing the impact with mana. A powerful shockwave burst from the point of impact, sending a violent gust of wind across the mat, forcing Prinz into the crossfire.
For the first time, she hesitated.
Now!
Hare lunged, fist cocked back for a finishing blow—but before it could land, something shifted.
Prinz's eyes flickered with something unreadable.
Then, she disappeared.
No, not quite—Hare felt the disturbance in the air, a ghost of movement slipping past her senses. Before she could turn, before she could even think, a gentle tap brushed the back of her head.
It wasn't even a proper strike.
Just a light touch.
And yet—
THUD.
Hare's body crumpled to the mat, face-first, arms sprawled out like she had just been unplugged from existence.
The entire room went dead silent.
Yulli's jaw was unhinged. "What."
Lawlet let out a long breath. "Oof. That was embarrassing."
Hare twitched. "...I'm still conscious, you assholes."
The instructor sighed, rubbing his temple. "Alright. That was... shorter than expected. Prinz wins."
Prinz gave a polite bow before stepping back, her expression as composed as ever, like she hadn't just folded her opponent like laundry.
Meanwhile, Hare groaned from the floor. "No way... I—I had her... she—"
Yulli leaned toward Lawlet. "Did she even hit her?"
Lawlet shook his head. "Nope."
Hare weakly raised a fist. "One... more... round..."
"Nope," the instructor shut that down immediately.
Hare let out a dramatic sigh, rolling over like a defeated turtle. "I hate nobles..."[2]
[1] Her name was originally from German and translated to "princess of chains" It tied to her story and there's a reason why her name is specific to that
[2] Royal and nobles are two different terms in this universe!
Hare is from The royal family which usually contributes to the military power Gonseng
While Nobles are a family that more political, which surprised mmostpeople because they don't often let their children be hunters