The training grounds inside the obsidian palace were nothing like Eldo expected. Instead of a simple sparring ring, the floor was a shifting maze of black glass and jagged spires. Kishi stood at the far end, already stretching, her werewolf tail flicking impatiently behind her.
"Ready, kid?" Kishi called out, cracking her knuckles with a wicked grin. "Or do you need to finish trembling first?"
Eldo squared his shoulders, fighting to hide the nerves in his voice. "I'm not shaking. Just waiting for you to catch up."
"Oooh, spicy!" Kishi laughed, bounding forward in a blur. Eldo barely had time to blink before she was in front of him, claws flashing. He ducked, barely dodging a swipe aimed at his head.
"Too slow!" she taunted, flipping over him with effortless grace. Eldo spun, throwing a punch, but she cartwheeled away, landing light as a feather on the tip of a pillar.
"Come on, little fireball," Kishi called, beckoning him with a single clawed finger. "I thought you wanted to be king of this place!"
Eldo gritted his teeth, heat rising through his veins. "Don't count me out yet!"
He launched a quick burst of flame at her feet. Kishi leapt, twisting midair, landing right behind him. "Predictable," she whispered in his ear, before tripping him to the ground. Eldo rolled, flames swirling in his palms.
Kishi danced away, always a step ahead. Every time Eldo tried to land a hit, she was already gone, her speed almost unprocessible. "You're thinking too much," she called, vaulting off a pillar and landing above him. "You'll never tag me if you keep telegraphing your moves!"
Eldo's frustration boiled over. "Fine—let's see how you like this!" He focused, letting the hellfire inside him ignite. His skin shimmered with crimson light, flames licking up his arms and legs. The air warped with heat.
Kishi's eyes widened with delight. "Now we're talking!"
Eldo surged forward, moving faster than he ever had before. The world blurred with heat. He swung a punch wreathed in hellfire, but Kishi simply laughed, slipping past him like smoke.
"Much better!" she cheered, even as his flames singed her fur. "But you're still relying on brute force!"
She ducked low, sweeping his legs out from under him. Eldo crashed to the ground, his flames sputtering. Kishi crouched over him, grinning. "You've got power, kid, but you need finesse. Speed. Flow. Hellfire won't save you if you can't hit what you're aiming at."
Eldo glared up at her, catching his breath. "You make it look easy..."
Kishi offered a hand, helping him up. "That's because it is for me. Don't get discouraged, Eldo. You've got more in you than you think. Again?"
Eldo nodded, determination sharpening in his eyes. "Again."
Kishi's smile grew sharper. "Good. Because that was just the warm up."
The next round began in a blur. Kishi darted sideways, her movements a blend of animal grace and dizzying speed, zig-zagging between the black glass spires. Eldo tried to track her, but she vanished and reappeared in unpredictable bursts, claws scraping sparks from the obsidian.
"C'mon, fireboy!" she taunted, her voice bouncing off the pillars. "You'll never catch me standing still!"
Eldo grit his teeth and chased, flames swirling at his heels. He threw a wild hook—Kishi leapt straight over him, flipping to land with both feet on his shoulders.
"Not bad!" she laughed, ruffling his hair from above. "But you've gotta do better!"
With a growl, Eldo burst into his hellfire form, flame instantly engulfing his arms and back. The heat warped the air, his outline shimmering like a mirage. "Try me!"
He spun, trying to shake her off. Kishi backflipped away, landing lightly on all fours. "Ooo, now you're cooking! Let's see some hustle!"
She lunged, claws slashing. Eldo ducked the first swipe, narrowly blocked a second with a flaming forearm. Their movements sped up—she struck, he parried, dodged, countered, all at a pace that left the black glass floor scorched and scored. Kishi snaked around his defenses, tagging his ribs with a quick jab. Eldo yelped, the sting mixing with embarrassment.
"Speed, Eldo!" Kishi barked, circling him. "You're fast, but you're thinking too slow!"
"Then stop running and fight me!" Eldo snapped, sweat beading on his brow despite his fire.
She grinned, fangs flashing. "Make me!"
Kishi feinted left, vanished right, materialized behind him. Eldo spun, too late—her claws grazed his back. He grunted, frustration mounting.
Suddenly, he remembered her advice from earlier: stop thinking, just move.
He let go—let the hellfire carry him. His next step became a blur, his body flickering through the heat. Kishi's eyes widened as Eldo matched her speed, their movements now equal flashes of red and silver.
Kishi went for a high leap, aiming to somersault over him again. This time, Eldo anticipated the arc. He surged upward, twisting in midair, catching her ankle with one burning hand.
Kishi tried to wrench free, but Eldo spun, using his momentum and the fire's strength to sling her down. They crashed together, rolling across the glass—Eldo, for the first time, on top.
He pressed her shoulders down, pinning her to the floor. His flames licked harmlessly at her fur, held in check by sheer will.
"Ha...Ha...Okay," Eldo panted, "I got you!"