Chapter 10: 10: “Fighting” The Otherworlders

In position once more, facing Damien, with the wind blowing her tied back hair, Kaitlyn calmed herself, focusing once more. 

“Same as last bout!” Dexter announced, getting ready to flip the coin, standing off to the side of the fighting area. 

The coin spinning in the air, the sun glinting off of it as it spun, being blown by the cold winter breeze. 

One breath.

In.

...

Out.

...

*Ting*

Disappearing from the spot, Damien, similar to Josephine leapt forward, pressing the initial attack. 

Slice after slice, each from a different direction, Damien having boosted his speed much more, looked for a gap in Kaitlyn’s defence. 

The sounds of battle rang out, Kaitlyn, standing still, firm as a mountain, deflecting dagger after dagger, throwing knife after throwing knife, shuriken after shuriken. 

Bending over, picking up a throwing knife that she had blocked, Kaitlyn shifted, dodging a slice from a dagger. 

Winding up her arm, Kaitlyn let the knife fly, throwing it forward like a flash of lightning. 

Seeing Damien dodge the incoming knife, a knife that was off target anyway, Kaitlyn leapt forward, taking advantage of Damien’s opening.

Coming to a stop, half bent over, feeling a sword against his neck, Damien let out a rough laugh, standing up while brushing his hair back, “That was a rough one, there’s no cover at all. Good fight though, that was a nice bait at the end.”

“You fought well without cover,” Kaitlyn nodded, sheathing her swords once more, nodding, “You and Josephine are well practiced.”

“Thank you,” Damien nodded, grateful for the praise, turning around before calling out to Rachel, “You’re up next! I nominate you, Rachel!”

Giving Damien a high five as they exchanged places, Rachel pulled out her Katana, facing Kaitlyn.

“Why so cold, Kaitlyn?” Rachel asked, seeing Kaitlyn’s solemn expression, “We’re such good friends~ you can go easy on me, right~?”

“Hmm...” Kaitlyn murmured, mulling it over for a second, waiting for the gust of wind to finish blowing by before raising her front-facing sword a little more, replying, “Just for that I’ll go a little harder on you.”

Acting aggrieved, Rachel called out, putting a hand to her chest, “Aren’t I your best friend? The one who called out to you on the side of the road?”

Changing her sword stance, Kaitlyn nodded, “You are one of my few friends, I’d be more friendly, but right now we’re not friends, but examiner and examinee, so I must take my job seriously.”

“Alright then... Let’s get this over with,” Rachel sighed, steeling her expression, settling into her stance, looking back up with a hardened eyes.

...

The sun glinted, the coin fell.

...

*Ting*

Unlike the rest of the fights, Kaitlyn leapt out, meeting Rachel in the space between them. 

Slash after slash, trading blow after blow, Rachel blocked the unceasing blows, jumping back to take a moment to gather her breath.

One breath in.

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One breath out.

Leaping back at Kaitlyn who assumed a defensive position, Rachel pressed the attack, letting her katana flow like water, unleashing a smooth flow of attacks. 

Kaitlyn focused, staying composed under the stream of attacks, waiting to seize the moment to strike. 

Deflect. Parry.

Seeing an opening, Kaitlyn let Rachel’s blow fly by, shifting herself before pressing the advantage, rushing forward in a flash. 

Attacking like a predator moving in for the kill, Kaitlyn appeared, her face mere inches away from Rachel’s, one sword’s tip pushing up against the bottom of Rachel’s chin and the other pushing Rachel’s own sword aside. 

Sheathing her swords with a small smile, Kaitlyn nodded, leaning a little closer to whisper, “Nice fight, you did well.”

Frozen in place with how the practice bout had ended, Rachel watched as Kaitlyn walked off to her rest bench, taking a moment to reboot like her old university laptop before turning and walking back to her own bench. 

Rubbing where the sword had poked her, a poke with only a gentle force behind it, Rachel sat back down, a tinge of embarrassment appearing on her face. 

“Well I’ll get up and start stretching before it’s my turn I guess,” Oliver mused, chuckling, his amusement at Rachel’s situation plastered across his face, “Nice fight, nice fight.”

Stretching, cracking his neck, Oliver grinned, feeling the satisfying relief as he picked up the practice sword and practice shield laying beside the bench, “I win the roulette again! Cracked my neck without horribly breaking it and paralyzing myself! Let’s gooo!”

Squinting as he walked out into the sunlit fighting area from the shade-covered bench, Oliver used his shield as a temporary roof, waiting for Kaitlyn to finish drinking the water she had left on her own bench. 

“Ready, everyone?” Dexter called out, patting Kaitlyn’s back as she yawned, her lack of sleep the previous night starting to catch up to her, leaning down to whisper to her, a grin surfacing on his face, “Go get his ass, I was talking to him last night, and like, he’s literally like Jayce, he needs an ass-kicking.”

The wind blowing his gleaming blond hair around, Oliver called out, seeing Dexter’s nefarious grin, “Are you planning something over there? I feel like this is a little unfair!”

With the picturesque scene unfolding, Oliver calling out to them, his hair blowing in the wind, Kaitlyn nodded, murmuring in a solemn tone, “Just like Jayce, random storybook scenes happen around him... Alright, I’ll kick his ass.”

Flipping the coin up and down in his palm, a satisfied, yet strangely smug expression on his face, Dexter walked back between the two fighters, announcing, “Same as always! Ready?”

Flick-

A sunbeam flash.

...

*Ting*

They leapt forward, meeting in the middle, Kaitlyn’s two swords clanging against Oliver’s shield as he was pressed under her barrage of attacks. 

Evading slice after slice, Oliver’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his concentration clear on his face, feinting and pushing Kaitlyn away to gain a moment to gather himself.

Not even half a breath later, Kaitlyn was back on him, continuing her barrage of attacks, fast as lightning, with the fierceness to back it up as well. 

Dodge. Dodge. 

Leeeeaaaaannnn-

Hardpressed under the barrage, Oliver tried his best, sneaking in a feint or a counterattack whenever he could, Oliver stumbled, tripping over his own ankles. 

Falling to the ground, Oliver looked up to see Kaitlyn standing over him, a sword pointed at his neck and a small grin on her face. 

“Nice job,” Kaitlyn surmised, nodding as she sheathed her swords, extending a hand to help him up, “You did well considering I counter you.”

His hearty laugh reaching Kaitlyn and Oliver, drowning out the cheers roasting Oliver coming from his friends on the bench, Dexter called out, “Great job! Truly a great fighter! Truly... a Jayce 2.0, Jayce but with a sword instead of a spear! I look forward to dueling you!”

Sighing, Kaitlyn apologized under her breath as she pulled Oliver up, “Dexter has a really intense rivalry with Jayce... Don’t mind it.”