The second day, the training continued. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The training room was extra full as more fighters wanted to get a glimpse of Thaedric getting beating. Since the day before, the news had spread wide and far.

And most though just want to see if Thaedric would train with his bloodline techniques. But they were disappointed. Not like it was such a let down since rashaka are known to keep their bloodline technique as close to secret as they could be.

Although bloodline technique of a family is known. Like the Hydraeus now, they are known for their regeneration, poison and weather elemental powers. But the way the powers are represented– manifested–in individual are different.

Thaedric kept his close. It was one of the edge he has in the tournament and he needs everything he could get his hand on.

Everything like this training– it began like the day before with Thaedric and Malak fighting hand to hand. At first Malak fought at his level until he switched it up. And it became worse than the day before.

"Are you sure you want to continue?" Malak asked. Even him was breathing a bit harder and sweat covered his normal pristine body in a thin layer. His blad head shone.

Thaedric didn’t speak. He just nodded. Speaking would open the mouth he clenched tightly against the blood in his mouth. His body was covered in so much pain he didn’t know where it was hurting. Everything was.

But he knew it was worse than the day before because Malak had took his advice and stopped holding back. And now he had broken three ribs and punched him so hard Thaedric knew he was bleeding internally.

His face wasn’t touched though.

His left shoulder was dislocated and bruises covered the rest of his body. He raised his right fist and swallowed the blood in his mouth.

Thaedric began moving forward even though he had little stamina but he clenched his fist together. His goal, the palace and saving his mother high on his mind.

Malak frowned, he shifted in place, his shoulder twitching with a bit of unease. He wasn’t getting the satisfaction he was hoping to get once Thaedric was looking battered and bruised. ’Why won’t he just stay down?’ He didn’t like it.

Thaedric crossed the distance and brought his hand up then he slowly extended it until he wss inches from Malak’s face.

Malak saw it a second too late. To see the way Thaedric’s body clenched and coiled then the punch that snapped his head back in such a close distance.

He touched his cheek in surprise, the punch didn’t hurt his tier four body but it surprise him. "How can you punch so hard without the needed distance. You didn’t even draw you hand bac...huh?"

Thaedric had collapsed.

°•●•°

Thaedric was feeling sour the next morning as he did a bit of stretching in the training room.

The fighters all looked at themselves, exchanging looks and those who bet that Thaedric won’t be coming today quickly handed their coins over.

Thaedric felt their eyes on him. It lacked most of the usual hostility that usually comes with it, there was now respect. And fear in it. He didn’t mind them one bit.

"You seems eager this morning." Malak smirked.

Thaedric answered his smirk with one of his own. "If you keep fighting at that tier three level them maybe I can match your speed. Maybe not the full strength of the tier but the speed...I’m catching up."

"Why don’t you let us test that? But before that...what was that punch you did at the end yesterday?"

Thaedric smiled. He was glad it worked. "A form of punching technique where you use explosive speed. You put your full weight behind it. Rabbit punch, that’s the name."

"Rabbit, what’s that?"

"It’s a type of a...that’s the name of the punching technique."

"Teach me."

And so Thaedric did. He spent the first half of the day to teach Malak the rabbit punch. It was a pretty straightforward thing where you utilize the strength of the whole body to punch from a short distance. It uses speed above all and Malak got the quickly.

As Thaedric has once suspected, Malak liked to play mad so as to get away with a lot of his deeds.

When they began training, Thaedric found that he haven’t gotten any better. He uses all his strength, snapping punches with all the speed in his body but he failed to catch Malak. But he also managed to dodge some hits.

On that third day, Malak snapped the bone of his right leg in a terrifying snap that echoed through the room. Thaedric screamed and fell to the floor. That was where the day’s training ended.

☆☆▪︎☆☆

It was the seventh day of the training and all the slave fighters were concentrating on two man as they fought in the middle of the room.

They created ring made of rashaka as they observed the fight.

"He hasn’t gotten hit yet." One of them said as they watched Thaedric twisted away from kick that would have made his bones groan.

They don’t bet if Thaedric would come to training or if he would faint halfway through. Now, they only bet on how much hit Malak would be able to land on him.

"He fight in such a strange way." They watched Thaedric raised his fist together in front of his face and danced back, jumping lightly on the balls of his feet.

"Yes. See how his whole body is relaxed."

Thaedric danced in place, a hoping dance that gave him control. It made him able to dodge any attack that was sent his way and also keep his distance from Malak.

"That bastard Malak will have to go in to attack him. Just one well placed punch from Malak should do the trick." An only slave fighter who has stayed alive and fighting through to his tricks of reading opponents said, his eyes taking it all in.

The old slave continued. "With all the hoping that Thaedric is doing. Malak can’t successfully kick him. And he can’t punch him in the face and ribs since he’s guarding it. That leaves only the abdomen but...."

Malak exploded forward, a blur and punch Thaedric in the abdomen.

The sound of flesh on flesh was high but it was Malak that grunted and staggered back.

".....but Thaedric will probably suck in his abdomen and punch before Malak did," the old slave laughed. "If only I have the strength and speed to pull it off."

His laughter mixed with the cheer of the others.