I stepped into the dim school grounds, my hands balled into fists as rain finally started to fall again, bouncing off the slick pavement. Willis snarled at me from across the space, his fists wreathed in gale-force winds, his eyes filled with a storm of their own. As I squared up to him, I could feel the cold, the rain, the anger, and the fear. It was electric.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, drifter trash" he sneered, his voice carrying the harsh whip-crack of the wind he commanded.

"What makes two of us," I shot back. And it was the truth. Willis had made my life hell since I'd stepped foot in Terra, and now, at least, I had a chance to get back at him.

His face twitched at my retort, his purple eyes burning brighter. It was evident Willis wasn't used to people standing up to him. Well, surprise, surprise.

Willis lunged first, a sudden gust of wind propelling him forward with frightening speed. I barely had time to sidestep his initial charge, a powerful right hook that I knew would've left me on the floor. He moved with a savagery and precision that spoke of countless hours of hand-to-hand combat training.

I was barely keeping up, just relying on basic self-defense techniques my dad had taught me and instinct to avoid his strikes. Willis' fists cut through the air, slicing at me with gale force and precision. I blocked a jab, sidestepped a roundhouse kick, and just barely managed to duck under a sweeping hook.

A sharp pain lanced through my side as a roundhouse kick to my body connected. Damn, he was fast. I stumbled back, clutching my side, barely managing to regain my footing as a sudden gust of wind threatened to blow me off my feet.

"Fight back!" Willis roared, his voice echoing over the howl of the wind and the patter of rain on the pavement. "Come on! Where’s all that bravado now you little shit?!”

I wanted to shout back, to tell him this wasn't a fight, it was a massacre. But I held my tongue, gritting my teeth against the pain, the fear, the anger. His insults stung, but I knew better than to let them get under my skin.

I took a deep breath, trying to find a rhythm in the chaos of the fight. Willis was all power, all brute force. I couldn't match him blow for blow, but maybe I could outsmart him.

I dodged another punch, then another, bobbing and weaving as I tried to find an opening. I wasn’t that great of a martial artist, but somehow, I was slipping and avoiding all his attacks. Somehow, I was starting to see patterns form with every movement.

He favored his right side. He telegraphed his kicks with a slight shift in his weight. His punches were powerful but thrown the same way. It was hard to describe how my mind was processing all of this, but process it I did.

Picking my moment, I parried a vicious right cross, throwing Willis off balance. I moved in, aiming a punch at his midsection, but he recovered faster than I anticipated. His arm shot out, palm connecting with my chest, and the air around us seemed to compress, sending me flying backwards.

My back hit a brick wall and the breath was knocked out of my lungs. I slid down to my knees, gasping for air, the taste of iron and rain mingling on my tongue. My eyes were watering, but I forced myself to look up at Willis, now standing tall, breathing heavily, his eyes still filled with rage and hatred.

"Is that all you've got?" he barked, his voice booming above the roar of the storm. "You talk big, shitbag, but when it comes down to it, you're nothing but slum-dwelling Earth trash."

His words echoed in my ears, cutting deep into me. I clenched my jaw, swallowing down the pain and the bitter taste of failure. This wasn't over. I refused to let it be over.

With a grunt, I pushed myself to my feet, shaking off the dizziness and the dull throbbing pain that spread from my chest. I raised my fists again, squaring off against him once more.

"Come on, Willis," I called out, forcing a smirk onto my face. "I’ve been hit harder than that by toddlers.”

His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in renewed anger. I was taunting him, yes, but I needed him angry, needed him to make a mistake. I just hoped I'd survive long enough to take advantage of it.

A strong gust of wind kicked up around us, picking up loose debris from the street and swirling it around in a furious whirlwind. Willis was making his move.

"Filthy rat," he said, his voice almost drowned out by the swirling windstorm. "Let's see how well you can dance."

 

So I squared my shoulders, tightened my fists, and prepared for the storm.

"Come on," I called out, forcing a smirk onto my face. "Is that all you've got? Or are you just too scared to really give a drifter rat like me the time of day? I'm half your fucking size for crying out loud."

A strong gust of wind kicked up around us, picking up loose debris from the campus and swirling it around in a furious whirlwind. Willis was making his move.

I stared at him, my mind buzzing, thoughts tumbling over one another. I had to be smarter, faster. Maybe I couldn't beat him with brute force, but if there was one thing I had learned from Midori and Talia, it was to never underestimate the power of quick thinking.

The storm was growing stronger, the wind howling through the narrow alley. I could see debris swirling around Willis, the very air bending to his will. I had no such control over the elements; no such raw, destructive power.

His fists were clenched, body hunched, ready to attack. The wind whipped around him, but something was off. The wind wasn't constant. It had bursts, like a heartbeat. I remembered the sound of it, the rhythm of the storm. My mind was connecting the dots, and I could almost see the pattern, like a blueprint laid out before me.

With every step he took, every punch he threw, he was syncing with the rhythm of the wind. His attacks were timed with the gusts, combining his strength with the raw power of nature. If I could just anticipate his moves, predict when the wind would blow...

"Fuck off, Willis!" I spat out, defiantly standing my ground. "You think you're so high and mighty just because you were born here with a silver spoon in your mouth?"

Willis smirked, not bothered by my words. He came at me again, fists flying in a blur of motion.

He was a tempest, a wild hurricane, but I was the eye of the storm.

Calm, focused. I slipped past his guard, finally seizing the openings I’d picked up.

His fist swished through the air, inches from my face, and a gust of wind ruffled my hair. The rhythm was there, like a metronome moving at hundreds of beats per minute. Wind, punch, wind, kick, wind, hook... and there it was, my opening.

Just as he was drawing back for another punch, a gust of wind building around him, I lunged. I moved in close, too close for him to land a blow, and rammed my elbow into his stomach.

The look of surprise on Willis' face was priceless. He stumbled back, gasping for air. But I didn't let up. I pressed the attack, driving him back swinging boxing combos to his body and his head. Each blow I landed was another statement, another shout of defiance. My well-timed counter had shifted the momentum of the fight, and I was taking full advantage of it.

The air was thick with tension, the electricity of our fight crackling, the sound of our fists and feet landing on wet pavement echoing through the campus grounds.

I barely had time to react as Willis shot his arms out, a gust of wind erupting from him. It was a shockwave, and it sent me flying backward. My back slammed into the floor of the commons, and I instinctively threw my hands out in a breakfall, stars dancing in my vision as I landed on my feet.

I heard Willis' footsteps getting closer, the crunch of gravel under his shoes. Every breath was a struggle, pain lacing through my ribs. This wasn't good. Willis was stronger, faster, and clearly, he was only just getting started.

"Can't handle a little breeze?" Willis mocked, his voice closer now.

"You know what Willis?" I challenged, struggling to keep my voice steady. "Maybe it's time to give you a reality check."

"Reality check? Now you've pissed me off," Willis spat, his eyes blazing with fury. His hands clenched into tight fists, the wind howling around him. "No more holding back."

I swallowed hard, the gravity of the situation sinking in. If Willis really did decide to stop holding back, I wouldn't stand a chance. But somehow, I didn’t let that deter me. If anything, it only strengthened my resolve.

Willis scowled, and with a powerful motion of his arms, four copies of Willis materialized from the rushing wind, their forms wispy and shadow-like. They didn't look solid, but I knew better than to underestimate them. The same dangerous glint in Willis's eyes reflected in each of their faces.

An army of Willis Kongs. Great, like one wasn't already a thorn in my side.

Each of them rushed toward me, faster than the gusts that carried them. I barely had time to brace myself, and the first two blows I managed to block with my arms. But the third Willis landed a hit to my side, and the pain exploded through my torso. The fourth swung a kick at my legs, but I managed to evade, only to get a solid punch to the face from the first Willis.

I stumbled backward, tasting blood in my mouth. My body screamed at me to drop, to curl up and wait for the pain to pass. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. I refused to back down, not when so much was at stake.

"Having fun yet, shitbag?" Willis's voice rang out, a sneer painted on his face.

I grinned, blood spilling down my chin. It hurt. It hurt so much, but it was cathartic. All my emotions. All my pain. All my feelings of helplessness were pouring out at once in a cathartic explosion.

"Oh, you have no idea," I spat back.

It wasn't easy keeping track of five Willis Kongs, not with my vision slightly blurred and the pain making my movements slow. But I had no choice. I fought back, one blow at a time, refusing to let Willis see my struggle.

I’ve seen this magic before.. The thought danced at the edge of my consciousness, but I forced it back, focusing instead on the figures advancing toward me. Willis didn't seem to be the type to play around with clones. Why was it so familiar?

Willis pressed his advantage, using his clones to attack from all sides, pushing me back step by step. I kept blocking, dodging when I could, but his blows were heavy. They had weight, even the shadow clones' hits felt like sledgehammers. Every punch, every kick that landed, was a blow that sapped my strength. But I could see the pattern. Willis was controlling the clones, they mirrored his actions, his rhythm, his pulse.

“Raiju!” I shouted in my mind.

As soon as the word left my mind, I felt an ethereal pulse vibrate through my body as the AI summoned a ‘puppet suit’ rescue drone right in the nick of time. The metallic sheen flashed as the puppet repelled Willis's next punch, the clone stumbling as I controlled it to swing at him with an uppercut.

The pulse vibrated through me once again, a robotic arm appearing, swinging a heavy blow towards another clone. Willis's eyes widened as he saw the arm, realizing that I wasn't as powerless as I seemed.

His eyes widened for a split second before they narrowed into a glare, frustration etched onto his face.

“Two can play at that game, Willis," I said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

Before Willis could respond, I directed Raiju to throw a haymaker at the nearest clone. The clone burst into a whirl of wind and shadow, dissolving before it hit the ground.

"One down, four to go," I muttered under my breath.

I could see Willis falter, his eyes widening as his clone dissipated. I couldn't help but grin, despite the throbbing pain in my side. Willis was finally starting to see that I wasn't going down without a fight.

But then I noticed something. Willis wasn't just looking surprised. He was looking... concerned.

The wind around him was swirling with a different kind of energy now. Darker, more dangerous. His gaze hardened and the wind howled around him, the echoes of it sent chills running down my spine.

"What is that power, Ikazuchi?" Willis growled, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of the wind. "That isn’t any magic I recognize.”

"Does it matter?" I replied, forcing out a laugh that was more a gasp of pain. "You scared, Willis?"

The look in his eyes told me that he was anything but. His gaze darkened even further, the wind whipping into a frenzied gale around him.

“What are you?” he said with an ugly scowl.

My breath hitched, and for a moment, I faltered. I didn't even know what he was talking about. Willis looked at me with a question in his eyes that I couldn't answer.

What the hell was going on with Raiju? How was it summoning these machines, exactly? It was something I definitely needed to figure out soon.

"Answer me, Ikazuchi!" Willis roared over the roaring wind, and I couldn't help but flinch.

"I..." I began, struggling to find my voice amidst the chaos. "I don't know what you're talking about."

And that was the honest truth.

"No more games!" Willis spat, and his remaining clones were suddenly at my sides, forcing me to dodge and weave with everything I had left. Raiju was quick to respond, its metallic constructs clashing with the shadowy figures in a deadly dance.

"Maybe this will get you talking!" Willis growled. And then, with a burst of wind, he shot towards me, one of his clones following closely behind. They were faster than before, faster than any human could be.

But somehow, I could keep up. My mind could, at least.

And that's when it hit me. I wasn't just moving on instinct, on adrenaline. Something else was guiding my movements, predicting Willis's attacks before they even began. Was it Raiju?

With a rush of clarity, I saw it. I saw the patterns, the rhythm. The ebb and flow of the wind, the way the clones moved in unison with Willis. My mind wasn't just quick, it was moving at a speed I'd never known before. As if the world had slowed down, and I was the only one moving at normal speed.

My body responded almost on its own, dodging a punch here, blocking a kick there, every move perfectly timed to Willis's rhythm. I didn't have to think, didn't have to plan. I was just...reacting. And I was keeping up. I was holding my own against Willis and his clones.

The rescue drones and Willis clones responded in kind, the machines around me moving in perfect synchrony, matching Willis's increased intensity. Each parry, each counter-attack, was perfectly timed, perfectly executed. I could see the shock in Willis's eyes. I had him on the defensive now.

The world around me seemed to slow down further and further. The punches coming my way, the shadowy figures darting about, even Willis's enraged shouts seemed distant and distorted. I could see every detail with crystal clarity. Willis's fist heading straight for my face, the ripples in the air as his clone surged forward to flank me, even the individual beads of sweat that were trickling down Willis's face. It was like I had tapped into a reserve of mental acuity I didn't know I possessed.

I quickly moved my head to the side, Willis's fist whistling past my ear. I then twisted my body, narrowly avoiding a second punch from one of his clones. Relying on my quickened senses, I retaliated with a well-aimed punch towards Willis's midsection. I saw him flinch, a grunt escaping his lips as he staggered backward.

A look of disbelief flashed across Willis's face, and I let out a short, breathless laugh.

The tables were turning, but the fight was far from over. Willis was still on his feet, his clones regrouping around him. His eyes were a storm, and I felt a chill run down my spine as he squared his shoulders and clenched his fists.

"Do you think this is a game, Ikazuchi?" he hissed, his voice carried by the wind. His clones mirrored his actions, their bodies tense, ready to strike.

"You started it, Willis," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. But I could see from the look in his eyes that he heard me.

"Fine," he spat, and jumped back further than an ordinary human could have. “I’ll finish this, then.”

His gaze darkened even further, the wind whipping into a frenzied gale around him. Suddenly, his figure blurred, and the three remaining clones merged back into him.

"Raiju, prepare for..." But before I could finish, Willis hit me with a solid wall of force. I barely raised my arms to cover my torso out of instinct, the force of the blow sending me sprawling.

The world spun as I hit the ground, my vision a blur of shadows and light. I could hear the rush of wind and Willis's heavy breathing. I struggled to push myself up, every muscle screaming in protest.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Willis raise his hand, the wind around him swirling violently. I could feel the rush of air, cold and biting, like the heart of a winter storm. I felt a chill run down my spine, and then, a sudden void, a gap, emptiness.

The atmosphere changed. I could see a dark, swirling vortex forming in his hand, a terrifying combination of starry light and shadows, the essence of emptiness. A void that I realized wasn't only the absence of light, but something far more dangerous.

"Fuck," I muttered in fear, watching as the void in Willis's hand grew larger, the wind whipping around it in a chaotic frenzy. I'd heard Carrie mention that their magic was based around 'Emptiness', but seeing it used firsthand against me was something else entirely.

"Raiju!" I cried out, panic creeping into my voice. The AI responded immediately, constructing a shield around me just as Willis released the vortex. The wind howled as it hit the shield, the force of it enough to make the ground tremble. I could see the shadows swirling around it, like tendrils reaching out to consume everything in their path.

The vortex slammed against the shield, and for a moment, everything was still. The world seemed to hold its breath, waiting, watching. Then, with a deafening explosion, the shield shattered, fragments of blue light scattering in all directions.

I was thrown backward by the force of the explosion, the wind roaring in my ears. My body slammed against the ground, pain shooting through every nerve. I tasted blood, felt it trickling down the side of my face.

Struggling to my knees, I looked up just in time to see Willis advancing toward me. The vortex was gone, but the look in his eyes was even more terrifying. It was a look of absolute control, of ruthless determination. He was truly going all-out now.

This was his world, his battlefield. I was an intruder, and he was going to put me in my place. I swallowed hard, every instinct screaming at me to run, to hide. But I couldn't. I wouldn't.

“The heirs of the Old Families are more than a match for a fledgling Magical Girl, Ikazuchi. A filthy, third-rate slum rat like you doesn’t stand a chance," Willis spat, his words whipping with the wind, echoing around the deserted battlefield.

I pushed myself to my feet, refusing to back down. “Raiju…” I murmured, my mind quickening again as I studied Willis, his new stance, the way the wind and shadow swirled around him now.

"Who are you trying to kid, Ikazuchi?" Willis taunted, his voice icy, cutting like a blade. "Are you going to summon another one of those toys? Or are you just going to stand there until I decide to put you out of your misery?”

His words hit me hard, but I gritted my teeth and squared my shoulders, readying myself for his attack. Willis seemed different now, a look of calm determination replacing his previous rage.

Suddenly, an image surfaced in my mind. It was a silhouette of a Magical Girl in a blue and silver musketeer’s uniform.

"You know, you remind me of someone, Willis," I wheezed, coughing out a laugh. The taste of iron filled my mouth, and I wiped at my lips, smearing blood across my cheek. "Ever heard of Argent Chevalier?"

Willis froze, his face paling. The wind around him faltered, and his eyes widened in shock.

"What did you say?" He seethed, his voice barely above a whisper. His clones flickered, their solidity wavering.

"Just making an observation," I shot back, forcing a smirk onto my face. "You two seem to share some of the same magic tricks... Relatives, perhaps?"

I could see the veins in his neck popping out, his fists clenched at his sides. The wind around him grew wild, lashing out in all directions. I had hit a nerve.

"Shut up!" Willis roared, his eyes blazing with fury. "I have nothing to do with that woman"

Suddenly, the wind howled like a wounded animal, churning with his rage. The air was thick with electricity, the hairs on my arm standing on end. "Don't you dare mention her around me!" he bellowed, his voice almost drowned by the tempest.

Willis' power was something to behold, raw and potent. It roared and raged around him, a physical manifestation of his fury. I saw the shadows dance and twist in his palm, merging into a perfect sphere of darkness - a Void. It hovered there, pulsating ominously, threatening to swallow everything in its path.

Willis, the heir of a distinguished magic family, was preparing to unleash his full might on me, an underdog without a clue of how to control my powers.

And yet, I was smiling.

Because I realized something about Willis. Something he didn't even seem to realize about himself. He was always in control, always certain, always angry. He was so used to dominating others with his power, to asserting his superiority, that he'd forgotten a crucial fact.

My mind was quicker, sharper. The world around me slowed down, every detail standing out in stark clarity as I formed a plan.

That anger, that rage - it made him predictable.

Got it, Raiju?

"Affirmative."

"Now you're really letting the mask slip, Willis," I taunted, every muscle in my body tensed and ready for his next move. “Who would’ve thought that King Kong would use the same magic as a mass murderer?”

His eyes were wild, the empty darkness in his hand pulsating with his unrestrained wrath as he hurled it at me.

"Ikazuchi, you insolent--" He didn't get to finish his sentence, though, because I was already on the move.

"Pulse!" I called, jumping off the ground. A drone formed just in time to throw me into the air, avoiding Willis’s spell.

In that split second, as the world seemed to freeze around us, and a plan formed in my head.

"Raiju, now!" I yelled into the wind, praying that the AI would come through for me one more time.

A shimmering figure materialized beside me, an enormous metal hand reaching out and plucking me out of the air just as I began to fall.

As the mecha's hand brought me closer to its cockpit, I could see Willis's eyes widen in surprise. He hadn't expected this.

His eyes snapped to me, and his hand moved to fire his spell at me again.

And in that moment, I struck. He never saw it coming.

Before he could react, a second Raiju construct, another rescue drone, sucker punched him from the side. Willis was sent sprawling, his spell deviating from its path and causing an explosion against the wall of the school library.

The impact sent tremors running through the ground, books and debris flying from the shattered windows.

I didn't exactly want to have to explain how an Aeolus class mech got onto the school grounds. Thinking quickly, I had Raiju put me back on the ground and dispel the construct, sending it back to wherever the AI pulled it from.

Willis got to his feet shakily, staring at me with disbelief and raw fury. His hair was askew, a scrape along his cheek and his clothes singed at the edges.

"You...!" Willis roared. The wind around him intensified, the emptiness in his hands growing larger, threatening to consume everything around him.

"Defense!" I cried, and as the system responded, another barrier erected around me. Willis' dark spell collided with it, the explosion deafening, the shockwave shattering the remaining windows.

The barrier held, though, even as the ground beneath me quaked. But Willis was relentless, charging towards me once again. The shadows whirling around him, the ground beneath his feet cracking with each step. In a panic, I summoned another construct.

A road barrier materialized between us, providing a few seconds of respite. The barrier shuddered as Willis smashed into it, his hand glowing with an ominous light. But the delay was enough. It gave me time to brace myself, time to prepare. With a loud crash, Willis broke through the barrier, his face a mask of pure hatred.

Suddenly, the air was filled with a high-pitched, girlish voice, echoing across the battlefield. “THAT’S ENOUGH!”

The voice was shrill, commanding. Willis and I both turned toward the sound, our fight momentarily forgotten. There, hovering above us, was a radiant woman in silver armor. She was the very picture of a Magical Girl complete with a frilled silver half-armor and plated skirt, ribbons in her hair, and a glowing winged staff.

Her blue eyes, bright and determined, were locked onto us. The wind whipping her colorful silver hair about her face, the staff in her hands radiating a powerful aura. "Enough!" she cried again. "This fight is over, Ikazuchii, Willis. Stand down! Both of you."

For a moment, we were both stunned into silence.

"Okay," I said, my voice hoarse. "Okay... I'm done."

Willis hesitated, his gaze flitting between me and the magical girl. Finally, he nodded, his face pale and tired. "Alright," he said. "I'm... I'm done too."

She lowered herself gently onto the schoolyard, the glow from her staff illuminating her stern face. "I am Seraphina," she announced, her voice calm and commanding. "Of course, the two of you know me better as Principal Egan."

There was a ringing silence as the reality sank in. Principal Egan was Seraphina, one of the most powerful Magical Girls in the world. I felt a shiver run down my spine, my breath hitching in my chest.

"It seems like you two have been quite busy," she said, her gaze cold as she looked over the damage we had caused. "A brawl in my schoolyard... this is a clear violation of St. Antonia’s Academy’s code of conduct."

Willis paled even more, if that was possible. "Principal Egan... I--" he started, but she held up her hand.

She paused, an icy edge to her voice, "I suggest you think very carefully about your actions in the future, Mister Kong."

The stern warning hung in the air between us. Willis was silent, the arrogant confidence he exuded moments ago now replaced with shock and apprehension.

I swallowed hard.

The stern warning hung in the air between us. Willis was silent, the arrogant confidence he exuded moments ago now replaced with shock and apprehension.

I too was silent, the adrenaline leaving my system in waves and making my body shiver. Willis and I shared a glance. We were both guilty, both in trouble. It didn't matter who started the fight or who was going to finish it.

Then, she turned back to us, her gaze cold. "I expect to see both of you in my office first thing tomorrow morning. Do not disappoint me. And Willis? I’ll be sending your father the bill."

With that, she turned and disappeared into the main building, leaving us in the middle of the now repaired schoolyard.

The silence that followed was deafening. My body ached, the rush of the fight giving way to exhaustion. Willis looked equally spent, his arrogance replaced with a silent contemplation.

Then he finally broke the silence, his voice low and harsh. "Ikazuchi? Go fuck yourself.”

I let out a bitter laugh, feeling the raw energy of the fight finally leave my body, leaving me drained. “Right back at you, Willis.”

We both were silent for a moment, both of us too tired to continue fighting.

Then, Willis rubbed at his scrape, spit on the floor, and walked away into the darkness with a scowl.