Moonlight Demon

Keiko

It was shocking how big a difference the simple act of not being tired could make. Even as Keiko sat by, watching her teacher face the Zayama Mage, she felt like she was seeing more than she had before.

For one, the Zayama Mage may be a spellcaster, but whoever this was before becoming a part of the tests, they certainly had a love for battle. One that compelled the Zayama Mage to, on occasion, forego its teleportation plan and engage Haruna in melee combat with its wind weapon. Taking advantage of that sort of pride was one way Keiko figured she could win. 

Besides that, the creature was clearly susceptible to creative moves. Such things as when Haruna threw her sword like a spear, or if its teleportation spot was successfully predicted. Keiko couldn't tell whether this was because the person behind the armor had that problem in their lives, or if it was that the armor itself couldn't adapt. 

Regardless, victory seemed possible now. 

As her teacher's feet slid along the floor in an attempt to catch the Zayama Mage, Keiko leaned back against the wall.  I'm really starting to miss Metsumi's cooking, Keiko thought. On its own, her mind began to think about her friends and she smiled.  I wonder how Kaori and Ash will react when they see my levels. They'll probably be so impressed,  she grinned.  I can't wait to show them! 

Then, metal fell to the floor and Keiko looked ahead to find that her teacher had won yet again. 

"Time to give it a try?" Haruna asked. 

"Yep," Keiko said, standing up. This time though, instead of reaching for her sword, she went with the spear her teacher had bought for her. 

"Same strategies," Haruna put a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly, and said. "The fact that it's a different weapon you're holding doesn't change that."

"Right." Keiko nodded, stepping forwards. 

Although Keiko wasn't quite as good with a spear as she was with a sword, the plan was still the same. She needed to get close, catch it off-guard, and land a hit before it teleported away. 

Keiko spun the spear in her hands a few times, getting a feel for the weapon.  Breathe,  she reminded herself.  Stay calm. You're rested, you're focused. It'll be fine. 

She waited for the usual words to pop up over her. 

Begin?

[Yes ] [No]

And, when she tapped the "yes" option, the armor began floating up into the air, constructing the Zayama Mage's body. Keiko took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. She needed to keep all of her attention on this fight. 

So, she pushed away the anticipation of victory, the faces of the friends she was missing, and simply breathed as the Zayama Mage's body was fully constructed. 

Narrowing her eyes, Keiko got into her fighting stance. Her legs far apart, her spear slightly lowered, waiting to be used. 

"Iridos."  She muttered, activating her Spirit Eye. 

Finally, when the mage's body was done, she charged. 

"Shiron," the Zayama Mage said, casting its lightning spell at her. Keiko barely dodged in time. 

Level 25

MP: 185/200

It didn't go unnoticed that the mage cast its spell far quicker than it usually did.  Is it compensating for my spear?  She wondered.  In that case, it knows that I have more range on me this time, and it's making decisions faster in response. 

Keiko's feet slid to a halt and she got back in position. 

That means the mage should have a higher chance of messing up,  she theorized. 

Her Spirit Eye told her that two bolts of lightning would be sent her way and Keiko rolled to the left, dodging out of the way and moving up once more.

Level 25

MP: 155/200

This time, she reached the creature before it could move again. Instead of teleporting, it created its short wind blade, around half the size of Keiko's sword. 

"Caron." 

Level 25

MP: 140/200

And then, the two warriors exchanged blows. Keiko thrust her spear, but the mage dodged to the right and stepped forwards. She was nearly stabbed, but Keiko stepped back, with the roles switched as now she was the one trying to put distance between them. Eventually, she dodged a slash at her abdomen and retaliated with a kick that sent the mage back. 

Keiko took a couple of deep breaths as she realized she had created a new problem. Although when using a spear she could reach the creature sooner and had more range, this came with a drawback. The fact that she was worse with this weapon meant that if the mage used its wind blade, Keiko had to retreat, as she was clearly outmatched in that regard, without her sword. 

Now, with the mage standing ahead of her, she had to make slight changes to her plan of attack. 

So, I need to fight in bursts,  she thought. I can't stay in front of it for extended periods of time, or it'll definitely wound me.  At the same time though...  She glanced down and looked at her sword at her waist.  I can switch weapons at any time. 

Making a mental note of that, she waited until her Spirit Eye told her that the enemy would attack once more. 

"Shiron." 

Another bolt of lightning, one that Keiko sidestepped. 

However, what the mage did next surprised her. 

"Tiron. Caron." 

Using two spells in quick succession, the mage teleported to her left, with a wind blade at its hand.  What?  Keiko blocked the incoming flurry of attacks as quickly as she could, using the spear's wooden shaft to do so. 

The Zayama Mage raised its blade up and Keiko held her spear above her head horizontally to defend herself. 

But its wind blade broke through her spear, slicing it in half. 

Keiko's eyes widened as she saw the enemy's weapon coming towards her. Instinctively, she moved her head to the side and leaned, and it was this action that saved her from being cut down the middle. 

However, her chest still received a minor cut as she backed away. The pieces of her spear fell to the ground and Keiko reached for her sword, pulling it out. 

The mage stood up straight, its shortsword disappearing into the air, and for a second, Keiko couldn't think of anything. Her mind was blank for a while, until she shook her head, focusing again.

What just happened?  She asked herself, briefly playing back the last couple of moments.  It came towards me with its own sword, and... Did it recognize that I was worse with my spear? Keiko thought. 

Then, she checked its mana. 

Level 25

MP: 100/200

Keiko needed time. There was so much happening that she wanted to take stock of, but her Spirit Eye told her she wouldn't have that time.

"Shiron, shiron, shiron." 

Instead, the Zayama Mage sent out three bolts of lightning that Keiko tried to evade, but she couldn't dodge them all. The last one struck her stomach, and Keiko felt an intense pain spread all throughout her body. 

"Keiko!" Haruna yelled. 

"Agh!" She crashed into the wooden wall behind her, electricity causing her body to tremble. Then, her Spirit Eye told her the mage would teleport in front of her, wind blade in its hand, trying to finish the fight. 

Seeing this, Keiko quickly stood. Haruna was about to run in, but something in Keiko's spirit told her to raise a hand, prompting Haruna to stop in her tracks, even as Keiko gritted her teeth in pain.

"Tiron. Caron." 

What Keiko did next, she did by forcing her body to act despite the overwhelming burn from the lightning that had hit her. She deflected two slashes from the wind weapon and kicked it back again.

The Zayama Mage, perhaps sensing that it could finish the fight here, tried to run up to Keiko.

The fundamentals! Keiko thought, almost like her soul was calling to her from within.  Remember the basics. Defense wins fights. 

The creature reached her and went for a slash at Keiko's neck. 

Seeing that, Keiko placed her sword vertically, and pushed its shortsword back, parrying the blow. 

The creature's arms were raised, leaving it open for a slash at its stomach. 

Keiko lowered her sword, pulled it back, and stabbed through the blue mist connecting its torso to its legs, and the Zayama Mage froze. Keiko stared at its body for a moment. Its arms were still raised over its head. 

Then, the wind blade disappeared, the armor fell to the ground, floating back to the middle of the room. 

And an EXP message appeared over Keiko's head. 

EXP Gained: 90

EXP: 120/250

Keiko couldn't believe it. Her arms were still outstretched, her blade perfectly still where she had stabbed it. 

However, as time passed, and she heard footsteps approaching her, she realized. 

I won. 

A laugh escaped her lips.

I won!!! 

And then, the pain from the lightning spell reemerged and she held back a groan. Haruna placed a hand covered in a white aura on her stomach, where the attack had hit her. 

"I... I won." 

"You did," Haruna said. "Good job." 

After a while, the pain subsided. Keiko looked at the armor in the middle of the room, with disbelief in her eyes. 

"Take a moment to rest," Haruna said. 

"I actually did it." 

"Mhm," Haruna nodded. "Now though, it's a matter of whether or not you can do it again."