POV: Rai Shinsei
Several minutes had passed as Aria continued to scold me constantly about doubting myself.
If it were someone else such as Arthur, I would have simply just tuned out their unnecessary rambling as I would rather focus on eating than to listen in silence for another second, but unfortunately the person before me was Aria, whose words were genuine as for once, I decided to listen to her opinion intently.
"I don't understand you. You're not weak, Rai. You're strong, maybe the strongest within this academy, so why do you believe you're so weak? Is it because you were unable to conceal your lightning after watching the Headmaster, who is known as the "Greatest Aspector" within the entire world do it effortlessly?"
"Do you understand that you are a first-year who is not only capable of concealing their Aspectual Force, but you're also capable of manipulating your own aura with relative ease? In terms of Aura Manipulation, you're probably ahead of most of the students within this academy, so why are you so hard on yourself?" Aria questioned, vexed until she began eating her açai bowl once again, which uplifted her mood within an instant as she smiled joyfully.
While all of that may be true, it's far from enough, Aria.
If you were aware of my ambition, then you would understand my frustration.
Not only has my Aspectual Power diminished over the course of two years, but I assumed that I was at least proficient in terms of Aura Manipulation when in reality, I haven't even touched the surface of it.
For me to fulfill my ambition, I must surpass your grandfather in terms of power and yet, I can't even comprehend something as simple as concealing my own lightning.
Even thinking about it now makes me annoyed.
Maybe if I was a genius like Arthur or Ryan-
Snapping me out of my thoughts was none other than Aria, who threw a raspberry into my forehead as I caught it before it fell onto the table while my startled reaction caused her to stifle a giggle.
"What was that for?" I asked, waiting for Aria to finish chewing so I could hear her explanation.
"You were spacing out after my explanation, so I wanted to make sure that you were able to understand-"
"Of course I understand, but you shouldn't be wasting food on worrying about something as trivial as that." I replied upon flicking the raspberry into her mouth amidst her sentence, causing her to accidentally swallow it as she then went on a minor, yet quiet tantrum, fussing at me about germs as I felt a smile grow along my expression from watching her be visibly agitated with my actions.
"Have you decided on who your sparring partner will be?" I asked, changing the topic as Aria gave me a glance of vexation before finishing her açai bowl with a final bite.
"You're going to be my partner." Aria replied casually.
"Huh?" I uttered in confusion.
"You see, originally my partner was going to be Sarah, but one of her friends had already asked her, so I decided that you're going to be my partner as after witnessing your flawless display of Aura Manipulation, I figured that there would be no better partner to learn from than you, right?" Aria explained as I sighed.
"Aria, surely there is a better sparring partner for you, right? I understand that I'm capable of teaching you Aura Manipulation, but as for sparring, I prefer not to place my hands on you as it's very easy for me to accidentally hurt you." I replied as my response seemed to have irked Aria.
I may sound as if I'm arrogant, but it's the truth.
In order for me to fulfill Rylie's special requirement, my ideal sparring partner would be Arthur as I could go all out without having to worry about his safety.
Aria is strong without a doubt, but there's a clear difference in our strength.
Even if we were to fight with our Aspects, there's nothing that she would be able to do against me as despite her possessing Light Manipulation, which in theory should allow the user to move at imperceivable speeds, she's significantly slower than me as her body isn't in sync with her Aspect and in terms of combat, she doesn't stand a chance against me, but most importantly…
She's the last person that I would ever want to fight.
"How incapable do you think I am? You may be stronger than me, but I was trained in hand-to-hand combat since I was a kid by my very own grandfather, not to mention, I also have noble blood running through my veins! I can assure you that there is no need for you to be concerned for my safety and besides, I wouldn't underestimate me as I believe that my aptitude in hand-to-hand combat will surprise you!" Aria asserted with a proud smile as her confidence in her own abilities aroused my curiosity.
I'm glad she's confident in herself, but I have no intention of having her as my sparring partner, so in order for me to resolve this…
"Alright then, Aria. Let's make a deal." I proposed as Aria furrowed her eyebrows.
"This evening at the evaluation facility, if you're able to land a single effective attack on me within three hours, I'll be your sparring partner for the month and if you fail to do so, then you're on your own. Do we have a deal?" I asked with a wry smile as I extended my arm towards her in the gesture of a handshake, prompting her to accept it immediately as my arrogant proposal provoked her pride.
"Deal! You're going to seriously regret underestimating me, Rai." Aria said with a determined smile.
I'll make her face a harsh reality.
~
POV: Aria Akari
Later on that day, I decided to spar with Rai in the evening as he chose the evaluation facility for our sparring ground.
I was confident as hand-to-hand combat was always one of my strong suits, despite being a last resort option for in case I reach my Exhaust Limit in a fight as my overall Aspectual Power overshadowed my prowess in hand-to-hand combat.
Knowing this, I was sure that Rai was full of himself, despite witnessing his power firsthand, I was trained by my grandfather, who is known as the strongest hero in the continent, meaning that no matter how skilled Rai may be, I was confident that in terms of hand-to-hand combat, he couldn't be much better than myself.
Yet, I was the one laying on the ground of the evaluation facility, enervated as I bathed in the shimmering moonlight while gazing at the numerous stars that brimmed with luminosity across the vast night sky.
Is this for real?
Hearing Rai's footsteps approach me slowly, my eyes soon matched with his own as upon his arrival, he looked down at me with an amused smile, but despite how much I was annoyed by his nonchalant attitude, I was forced to be met with a harsh reality as a single glance at his face had destroyed all of my confidence.
I knew he was strong, but not to this extent.
Within the span of an hour sparring against him…
Rai didn't even break a sweat.