“Impressive.”

  “Huh?” Sabrina had vanished and was now behind me.

  “But it’ll take more than that!" She reached for my leg.

  “Then I’ll give you more!” I was pulled by an invisible string once again, flying over and above her. I reached for her shoulder again, but she quickly grabbed my hand, spun, and tossed me, sending me flying into the air. I stopped and stood on a ripple upside down as I looked down at her.

  “There it is!” Sabrina's smile widened as my eyes glowed a vile yellow. “There’s that smile!” She aimed her palm at me, sending dozens of Water Bombs in my direction.

  “You wanted me to try, right?" I kicked off the air, creating a ripple that sent me away from the first bomb. Another closed in, and I zipped around it. "Then I guess I have to lock in.”

  “You can dodge mid-air!” Sabrina sounded more excited than shocked as I continued using Ripple Walk and Zip to evade her spells. I looked like a rabbit jumping through the air with every evasion, and each time, I got closer and closer to her. “Let’s see you dodge this, little rabbit!” Hundreds of Water Bombs spawned around her, and I stopped mid-air on one of my ripples.

  I thought she said she was holding back! I shook my head as the spells rained down on me. It doesn’t matter even if she doesn’t. I will show her! I will get stronger!

  “So graceful…” Sabrina was in awe as I dodged every Water Bomb that would have made contact.

  I created a ripple that suspended me upside down before jumping off to evade a Water Bomb that would have hit. The moment I left the platform, I had to zip around another, which gave me no time to jump off the air. I created another ripple and jumped back before another would have hit, and zipped around another. I continued this process, flipping and spinning through the air, drawing closer and closer to Sabrina until I finally saw an opening.

  I created a ripple and positioned myself. I jumped off, using Flow to give my momentum an unfathomable burst of speed as I reached a hand out to touch her. Sabrina smiled wide as she grabbed my wrist and tossed me to the ground. I rolled but quickly recovered, getting to my feet as she began to attack.

  I parried her palm and reached for her shoulder again, but she pushed my arm away and kicked my foot, forcing me to a knee. Her palm connected with my cheek, and she grabbed my hair, kneed me in the gut, and tossed me away. I rolled again, getting to my feet immediately to prepare my defense.

  “You have no fighting style,” she scolded as she attacked me again. I parried and evaded what I could, still trying to touch her when I saw an opening, but each time I was denied. “You’ll never get anywhere fighting like that.” She unleashed a spinning roundhouse that I managed to check with my wrist. Her force caused me to slide several yards, and I bit my cheek in pain.

  “Then teach me,” I said as she began attacking me again.

  “No. You need to develop your own fighting style just as everyone else did.” I parried her palm and zipped behind her as she attacked me with another. Using the momentum that pulled me, I executed a roundhouse kick. She blocked it. “Good kick,” she grabbed my leg and pulled me closer, striking my chest with her palm. “But terrible form.” I staggered back but regained balance and clicked my tongue. “What’s the matter, little rabbit?” Sabrina smirked as she crossed her arms. “Giving up already?”

  “You know I hate that nickname.” She had given it to me after our first week of training. When I showed her my Ripple Walk ability, she said it reminded her of a rabbit jumping through the forest to escape its predator

  “That’s what you are, though.” She remarked. “A scared little rabbit who still holds back.”

  “I’m not-“ she pointed to Rei behind my back.

  “You refuse to use your weapon to your advantage.”

  That’s not what it is! She’s a b-

  “IIIIIIGH!” Rei shocked me violently. Sabrina looked at me in confusion. I gave her a weak smile in response. “That’s not why I don’t use her.” I grabbed Rei’s hilt. “I don’t use her because…”

  It's not because of her. My grip loosened. It’s because of me.

  “I’m not worthy.”

  Why did she choose me? Was it just so her family knew that she was the soul within the dagger? Was I only the messenger for the message she wanted to send? That had to be the case because there was no other reason she would have chosen me.

  I can’t even protect Nia. I grit my teeth. She has to step in front of me while I hide behind her like a coward! I didn’t blame Rei for refusing to let me draw her. What she saw in me was nothing more than a weak and pathetic loser. She still saw me from Earth, which was also me in this world.

  “If that’s how you feel,” Sabrina got into a combat stance. “Prove to her that you are worthy.”

  “You need to develop your own fighting style…” Sabrina's words echoed in my mind.

  My own fighting style… I closed my eyes and thought back to all the styles I knew of from Earth. I recalled watching UFC growing up, fantasizing about being a fighter one day and not a coward. Out of all the fighting stances I remembered, one called to me. Muay Thai. Many of the fighters used it, and I liked how it looked. I thought it was cool how they bounced forward and backward on their toes, disguising a lunge or starting one faster.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Let’s see if I remember correctly. I put one foot forward and stood with my feet out the same distance as my hips. I stepped on my tiptoes and began bouncing. It took a moment for me to get into a feel of the movement, but it eventually started to feel natural.

  “Hm?” Sabrina looked at me in confusion. “What are you doing?”

  “You don’t know what this is?” I asked.

  “I don’t. What is it?”

  “Heh,” my eyes glowed vibrantly. “Come and find out.” I motioned with my hand in a mocking gesture.

  “Fine then.” Sabrina kicked off the ground and immediately appeared in front of me. She attacked me with her palm, but I quickly jumped back on my toes and spun, executing a flawless spinning backhand.

  She stepped into it, causing my strike to barely miss her as she attacked with her back leg like an ice skater striking a pose, but I quickly jumped back again, spinning to execute a spinning roundhouse. She ducked under it and came at me, but I used my kick's momentum to spin again, jumping off my leg to execute another kick. She blocked it and grabbed my ankle, pulling me closer to palm-strike my jaw.

  I zipped above her, balancing my hands on her arms and pushing off into the air. I created a ripple and jumped off it back toward her. She turned to face me, a large smile on both our faces. I reached out to her when a Water Bomb flew at me from the side. I zipped, twirling around it in the air and behind her. Before I hit the ground, I brought my knees to my chest, creating a ripple and kicking off, slamming into her back.

  “AGH!” Sabrina cried out as I crashed into her, pinning her to the ground.

  “Finally!” My eyes glowed brightly as I leaned forward. “I got you, you little imp!”

  “Dummy.” She side-eyed me. “You’ve always had me.”

  “W-What?” My face flushed. “Sh-Shut up!” I quickly got back to my feet and averted my gaze.

  “Aww. You’re cute when you blush, you know?” She giggled and reached a hand to me. I looked at it and grabbed it with a grumble as I pulled her up. “My little monster.” Sabrina sighed dreamily. “To think you won already. Those abilities of yours are quite intriguing.”

  “Are they?” I murmured and scratched the back of my head.

  “They are,” she assured. “I’ve never seen anything like them. How were you dodging in the air like that? And that ability to create platforms in the air, it's like nothing I’ve ever seen.” She slapped my back. “You’re a lot stronger than you let on.”

  “That hurt,” I grunted. Yet, I hadn’t flown forward like I did all the other times. I figured it was because she finally realized how weak she had to slap me not to knock me off balance and send me flying.

  “What now?” I asked.

  “Well, now that you completed your first assignment, I have another for you.” She fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve as she spoke. “Have you heard about the dungeons?”

  Dungeons!

  “Sort of.” I didn’t know this world had them, but I knew what a dungeon was.

  “Well, as I’m sure you know, no dungeon has ever been cleared. Parties tend to fall back or perish within them.”

  “That’s because they’re complete NOOBs when it comes to dungeon completion,” I remarked with a snort. “Most people believe dungeons are for loot, and they enter in an attempt to gain treasure, but that’s far from the truth.” I smiled. “Dungeons are a test of strength. A trial with tribulations, and the best way to complete one, in my opinion, is by speed-running.”

  “NOOB? Speed-running?” Sabrina cocked her head.

  “You wouldn’t understand,” I rubbed my nose confidently. “Let’s just say I like to complete them as fast as possible. The faster you complete it, the better it looks. Even if you use glitch strats or clip out of bounds, people always look up to you depending on your speed.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sabrina rubbed her eyes. “I don’t understand a word you’re saying. It’s giving me a migraine.”

  “Aww, is the wittle vwampire stwuggling to understand?”

  “HISSSSK!” She bore her fangs at me.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I cried as she chased me around the courtyard of her estate. “Sabrina! I’m sorry!” We both had used Flow, but she was still faster and was hot on my trail. “PLEAHEHEASE!” I sobbed as I jumped off a ripple into the air. “I was just-KYAAA!” She grabbed my ankle before I gained any height and pulled me toward her. “No! No!” I struggled as she wrapped me in a jiu-jitsu hold and exposed my neck. “W-W-Wait! S-S-Sabrina!” I gulped as I heard her mouth open. Her eyes stared at me coldly, and I knew what she was thinking. “M-Master,” I stuttered. “P-Please…” My eyes teared up. “Don’t-HNGH!” Her fangs sunk in.

  “I KNYEW IT!”

  SALVATION!

  Nia tackled Sabrina off of me, pinning her to the ground.

  I’m so grateful! I clapped my hands together. Thank you, God! Had Sabrina not agreed to let Nia stay with us at her estate while I trained, I would have become Sabrina’s mid-day snack.