The Cyborg System-Chapter 59: Preliminaries

Unlike the usual sparring which took place on Saturdays, today’s session was a little different. While they would usually train explicitly with those from their specific discipline, with matches decided on in advance, the Open Sparring sessions once a month allowed cross discipline fights arranged by the students themselves. One could simply walk up to someone and challenge them, never having met before, and potentially take their place in the rankings. This freedom to choose fights was a little more chaotic but meant that the regular ranking system was less important, and some even would choose to fight someone several ranks above them if they thought their skills would match up well, in a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

They were still not allowed to use spirit weapons or armour, but they could borrow freely from the training weapons provided on the weapons racks around the room. All of the combat masters were present, ready for the largest sparring session so far. Not everybody had to fight, but everyone was there—whether as spectators or participants. After all, the atmosphere leading up to the event had been electric, with Lenny hearing many students discussing it for the several days before around the base. This was especially impressive considering that they would all be travelling off-world in only a couple of days, facing opponents who wanted nothing more than to kill all humans they came into contact with. For many, this must have been a pleasant distraction.

The truth was, today was a testament towards everything they had been working towards all term. No one really knew which discipline was the strongest, although many were convinced it was either Elemental Fighting or Melee Arms. However, these disciplines were certainly not the ideal choices for everyone—and in many ways, being without real spirit weapons, the students were without the stat enhancements and weapon affinities they would usually benefit from. The simple reason for this was, the masters, with their high tier armour would be in a better position to stop fights before anything too drastic happened.

The crowd gathered in the Great Hall was considerable. Lenny had spotted Harry and Rose in the throng and so the former Sanctuary Kids formed their own group, as they often did. However, unlike usual, Vee and Nicholas had joined them, and even Ollie, the red sash came to stand with their group. Rose spotted Ivy with her team and some other members of the Drowned. She had caught her looking over a few times, but she didn’t try to call her over or make a fuss.

Master Wood stepped forward and the noise of the crowd seemed to quieten down. "Today’s session will last several hours. If you wish to leave to use the toilet, or get some food, please do so. We’re not your parents. I would recommend people return for the final fights. Those from ranks 250 to 200 will fight first. If that’s you, you do not need to fight someone within that block, but it is generally recommended. Are there any further questions?"

A single boy raised his hand. A few of those around turned to face him. Ignoring him, Master Wood said: "Good, let’s get started then."

*

Although Lenny liked an underdog as much as anyone, he had to say, the initial group of fights were a little underwhelming. Although many of the red and orange sashes fighting would have a strength in some area or other, it was usually the case that they could not use it in such a way to give them an impressive or overwhelming victory. Sure, sloppy strikes would occasionally knock their opponents out, weak abilities would give others a slight edge. Sometimes, there would even be impressive moments, but far too few of them.

One girl, an archer named Sasha with a weak wind affinity, seemed to take out her opponent quickly, utilising her ability well in combination with her weapon. In fact, she had won so fast, she challenged another orange sash immediately, hoping to jump through the rankings, only to find out he had a weak hardening ability which paired terribly with her own. After a definitive win, her opponent squeaked out a victory after closing the distance with minimal damage.

Another boy with a transformation ability could only change his hands into claws. This actually proved quite effective against his opponent—another wind user, this time from the Elemental Fighting class, who seemed to use up all his essence in the first few moments of the fight, throwing out wind slash after wind slash. Unlike other elemental abilities, which were usually considered strong, the wind element was a special case. Although it could be as powerful as any other, it was neither an exclusive ability nor linked with any major faction—even worse for its reputation, a low-level wind ability book had leaked online many years ago, making it widely available for everyone, and therefore a much lower barrier to entry for those looking to learn a little. It was for this reason, more than any other, that it was usually considered the weakest of all the elemental powers, though it still paired well with archers.

Many of the higher-level students left at some point to get food or out of sheer boredom, but Lenny wanted to stay to watch. He wanted to study how other people dealt with different abilities, as he was very aware this was an area where he lacked some practical experience compared to the high levels. Studying them, he could feel his own battle awareness increasing. Though in many ways, he felt like it was teaching what not to do, rather than what he should be doing.

Harry had left at some point, returning with several plates of spirit beast and chips. There was no batter to speak of, and the chips were baked rather than fried, but it was still a decent comfort food for the group, and the creamy and slightly acidic tartar sauce cut through the strong fishy flavour well.

*

When it was finally the next block of student’s turn to fight, Lenny, Harry and Rose all stood ready. They had no one in particular in mind beforehand, and Vee’s approach was slightly less reserved than their own.

"Hey you," she said, approaching a yellow sash they had never seen before with the number 165 around their neck.

"Me?" said the boy.

"Wanna fight?"

He looked down at her rank and the colour of her sash and smiled. "Sure."

Although that fight was one of the first to start from their ranking block, it was one of the last to end. The boy had a telekinesis ability, and would use it to launch his daggers at Vee. However, she would simply use her practiced head movement to avoid the strike. When her opponent switched up his approach and went for the body instead, he was surprised when a black bird had come from his opponent’s neck to intercept the strike.

"I’m sure that’s bigger than last time?" thought Lenny. "System, scan..."

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[Name: Valentina ’Vee’ Stapleton]

[Ability: Tattoo Manifestation]

[Strength: 13]

[Speed: 15]

[Stamina: 24]

[Perception: unknown]

[Spirit: 6 of 8]

[Health: unknown]

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That was a pretty decent improvement in a relatively short period of time. If she could keep up this pace, she would be a force to be reckoned with in no time. Hell, she was already a challenge. Lenny knew he could take her confidently when using all of his enhancements, modifications and Adrenaline Rush skill, but had decided that day he had used it against a red sash that he would always try to keep a level playing field and focus on his technique instead.

Although her opponent had more essence than her, it was clear the way this would go. Her footwork was too smooth and her endurance too high. Lenny could already see his opponent starting to tire, though he was hiding it well. "I knew she’d win," said Lenny.

"It’s not over yet," said Rose, wondering why he was so confident of the outcome.

But for Lenny it was obvious. Her opponent was getting tired and his spirit was almost completely depleted. He could see from his scan. Actually, now his essence had increased significantly, he could get some good information on anything up to a yellow sash. Anyone beyond that, it simply read as unknown, but Lenny felt that by absorbing more cores and increasing his spirit essence further, he would be able to get even more information.

Harry had been the next chosen to fight, going up against one of the green sashes from the Drowned. Despite his growing confidence and skill in his own ability, he was not faring well, many of his earth strikes being destroyed by high-powered jets of water firing out like a cannon. He was learning to use the earth to shift his body too, but the water jets were just too fast, and it was clear that, to a large degree, he was simply being outclassed.

It was then, transfixed on everything else going on around him, Lenny felt a tap on his shoulder. A blue sash from his Melee Arms class with a poison ability, called Brom, had come to challenge him. He was bony with a gaunt face and had the number 50 on his tag, over one hundred places above Lenny in the rankings.

"Do you accept?" said Brom with a smile.

"Wow, he sure knows how to hold a grudge," Lenny thought, thinking back to the episode outside of Melee Arms where he had laughed at him being pinned to the floor. There was no way he could accept such a fight and hold back, no way to hide that he had an ability either.

"You do not have to accept," said Master Berg, appearing from nowhere. He’d used his spirit armour to cross the room in a few moments.

"No, it’s fine," said Lenny. "I accept."