The electronics store buzzed with muted conversations and the occasional clatter of makeshift gear as the group finished clearing up lunch. The scent of warmed canned meat still hung in the air, mixing with the faint ozone of spent mana. I stood near the center of the store, my arms crossed, watching as Sol cleaned out his mess tin with practiced efficiency.
"Alright," I called out, raising my voice just enough to cut through the noise. "Let's do something useful. No sitting around all afternoon, we're going to train. We talked about sparring earlier, so let's start."
Several heads turned towards me with a few people grinning in excitement. The energy in the air changed. There was a charge in the air full of nervousness and excitement. People were stretching, pulling on gloves, tying boots tighter. The talking had shifted from food to sparring.
"Alright," I said, rising to my feet. "If we're going to survive the dungeon boss, we need to test each other. Learn who can actually fight and who just talks big."
That got a few chuckles. Mitch elbowed Sloan with a grin. Viktor cracked his knuckles and stretched his shoulders like he'd been waiting for permission. Even Laney, normally quiet, tightened her ponytail and stepped into the open ring we'd marked out with overturned electronics crates.
Josh's eyes lit up. "Are we really doing this?"
Nicole stepped forward, already shrugging off her jacket. "It's about time. Better to find our weak spots here than in front of a monster."
A small crowd started forming near the center of the electronics store, where we'd cleared the floor earlier. The cracked tile gleamed under the glow of the remaining emergency lights. There wasn't enough room for full-speed combat, but it was good enough for drills, technique, and testing reactions.
"Alright, listen up!" Viktor boomed, stepping into the center with that usual theatrical grin. "Ground rules for sparring. No lethal blows, no targeting the throat or spine, and if someone taps out, you stop. We're training, not thinning the roster."
There were some scattered nods, a few murmurs of approval.
Nicole crossed her arms and added, "This isn't about dominance. It's to learn. To gauge how far we've come and where we're weak. Anyone who breaks the rules gets benched."
"And no holding back on technique," Jasmine said, stepping forward. "If you've got a skill book or combat experience, use it—but only after your first round. Everyone with a magical or active skill fights once without it, and then again with it. We need to understand the difference."
That got more reactions. Some tense, others excited.
Viktor gave a sharp nod. "You're not just learning about yourselves. You're helping the rest of us learn how your skills work. Think of this as both sparring and live demo."
Josh raised a hand. "Wait… so we each do two matches?"
"Yeah. That's just Sol for now." Nicole said. "And no shame in losing either round. You're here to learn, not win."
"I want to fight Jasmine," someone muttered from the back, probably Giselle. It got a few laughs.
Jasmine just smiled thinly. "Get in line."
"Alright, first spar is Josh and Sol," Nicole called out, raising her voice just enough to be heard over the shifting crowd. "No magic. No skills. Just footwork, awareness, and control. Weapons are dulled, but will still hurt, so be careful."
Josh stepped forward reluctantly, gripping a machete wrapped in cloth strips along the blade. "I still think this is dumb. I shouldn't be sparring a kid. How will I learn anything?"
"You mean the kid who's been training since he could walk?" I said from where I sat on the edge of a flipped display shelf. "The kid who has more kills than you?"
Josh looked at Sol, then at me. "He's, what, nine?"
"Ten, but my age won't be a problem," Sol answered, calmly drawing a sheathed dagger from his belt. He didn't unsheath it, just adjusted his grip making sure the blade was tucked safely away. His stance was light, balanced, and far too practiced for someone his age.
"He's about the same size as a goblin," I added, narrowing my eyes at Josh. "If you can't beat him without using magic, what makes you think you're ready for the dungeon boss? You are the one who wanted to spar to become better, you can't pick and choose your opponent."
The teasing oohs and light laughter from the others pushed Josh into the center. He rolled his shoulders and gave a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Alright then, let's see what the kid's got."
They stepped into the circle, getting into a fighting stance. Josh looked at Nicole for confirmation while Sol was staring at Josh for any movement.
"Begin!" Nicole called out.
Josh swung first. Sending a sloppy, overconfident, wide downward swing meant to intimidate which did nothing but create openings. Sol sidestepped cleanly, barely shifting his weight. His feet moved like he was gliding over the floor, not a sound underfoot.
Josh blinked, surprised, then tried again. A feint left, swing right faster this time. Sol dipped low, twisted his body, and tapped the flat of his dagger sheath against Josh's ribs.
"Point," Nicole said immediately.
Josh stepped back, frowning, breath catching in his chest.
"You good?" Sol asked softly, his expression unreadable.
"Yeah," Josh muttered. "Round two."
They reset.