'h-huh? What just happened?'
It was the only thought on Dein's mind as he lay on the floor with his broken nose. Still visibly confused.
After all, just then. Dein had caught Changing Star. He believe then that that was the opening he was looking for. He grabbed Nephis and refused to let go before activating his Aspect Ability on his left hand…
And then…
And then Changing Star, that woman, she slid her other hand under Dein's and used it to pull the collar of his dobok down, causing his face to collide with the elbow of her other arm that Dein is holding, which she angle perfectly so to do just that.
And after Dein became disoriented from the forced elbow strike, Nephis easily pulled her arm out of his hand and swiftly avoided the punch he was about to throw. Then she just lightly pushed him down to his back, causing him to fall.
That… that was the memories that came to Dein's mind after regaining consciousness immediately after falling down.
"Uh, are you okay?"
The awkward yet fierce voice of Changing Star pulled Dein back to reality. He gasp and immediately tried to sit up only find out he has a concussion. Blood poured down his broken nose.
"Gagh…"
Dein tried to touch his nose but it was too painful to fix so instead, he looked up at Changing Star who seem to not know what to do for a moment before she awkwardly extended a hand.
Seeing that, Dein bite down on his lips and stood up on his own despite shaky legs. He knows he's being a sore loser but still, it's not like he could accept her help anyway… the question of why he lost despite giving it his all haunted him…
After all, Dein managed to survive his first Nightmare. That harrowing dream where all odds were stacked against him and yet he still triumph. And yet…
Changing Star defeated him.
'Dammit…' that said… Dein wasn't the only one who managed to conquer his first nightmare. In fact, considering how Nephis has a true name, hers is definitely a hundred times more difficult.
So it only makes sense that she stronger.
Dein calmed down when the trio in his head reminded him of those facts.
And so he sighed.
Beside him, Awakened Rock tried to hand him a handkerchief but before he could, Dein 'stole' it, he snatch it from Awakened Rock, afraid his flaw would act up. Rock even told him to go to infirmary but Dein ignored him and turned to Nephis.
"Uh, is your elbow okay? My nose is kinda hard so…"
He said jokingly, trying to save some of his pride only for a burst of laughter to erupt on the crowd watching.
"Pfft, really this guy. Trying to save face huh?"
"Hey hey, we all lost so why are you trying to act cool?"
"That guy, wasn't he the one who overstayed in his first Nightmare?"
Hearing the last comment, Dein glared at the spectators, formerly challenger that Nephis defeated.
"Oh, shut your mouth!"
He told them off before walking down the ring where Nephis, Changing Star, stood bewildered as if completely confused with everything.
Leaving her on her own, Dein met up with Arthe and Nervig. His hand pressing a handkerchief on his nose to stop the bleeding. "Hey…"
They stared at each other stupidly before bursting out laugher.
"Oh man, you got yourself beat huh?"
"That looks like it hurts…"
Hearing him, Dein rolled his eyes as he takes his seat.
"Yeah yeah, shut up. You guys didn't even fight you bastards!"
Well, if only the one more guy in their group who fought Changing Star were here. Dein wouldn't have been ganged up on. However, Grob seems to be on some corner doing push ups as if more more muscles will increase his chances of beating that monster named Changing Star.
'Sigh, now then—uh, what?'
Dein eyes suddenly went wide as his nose suddenly stopped feeling pain and bleeding, and then it stopped. The moment it begun healing Dein, his flaw suddenly froze his body and the handkerchief can no longer reached his skin, preventing his nose from being healing, It was only then that Dein realized the handkerchief he's holding is a memory. It seems like it specializes in healing. That said, it doesn't work now. At least, not on Dein because of his damn flaw.
He sighed, the moment he accepted that he can't use handkerchief to heal himself, he was able to move again and put it down. Luckily, the strange memory managed to stop the bleeding and the pain so Dein slightly fixed his broken nose.
After that, Dein turned his attention next to the last person willing to fight. He stood up elegantly and walked over with pride. Just like that, the fight between Han Li Caster and Changing Star, Nephis begins.
The two of them locked eyes as they stood in front of each other. Caster has a soft smile on his lips, uncaring about the failure of other sleepers, while Nephis looks serious. The aura these emit were vastly different from everyone who ever step foot on that ring.
And looking at it, Dein already knew that this will be a battle between two high level fighters. Changing Star with her mysterious background and Caster with his prodigious clan.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Caster slightly bowed.
"Lady Nephis. Please excuse me in advance."
'This arrogant guy…' Dein was about to shout at Caster for seemingly underestimating Nephis but in the next second, everyone's eyes went wide as he suddenly disappeared…
Before everyone could think that Caster had ceased to exist, he suddenly appeared behind Changing Star as if he teleported. Of course, though Dein couldn't see it, he had already surmised Caster's ability because of the punch he threw on the machine earlier.
To simply put, Caster move fast. Really fast… like, extremely fast. Too fast that a normal eye cannot perceive it. Of course, the same goes for Dein. If he were to ever fight Caster, he'll be defeated in less than a second because he'll be too sow to react.
Speaking of reacting. Despite moving so fast to attack Nephis from behind, the aloof, white haired Changing Star still managed to react to Caster by slightly turning her body to deflect the striking punch Caster sent towards her. Causing the supposed games ending blow to only hit her in the shoulder and making her spin a bit.
However, Caster was unperturbed. That was because the moment Nephis prepared to counter him, Caster immediately continued the attack by using his Aspect to once again appeared behind Changing Star.
When that happened, everyone seems to already knew what the ending would be. After all, Changing Star is currently in the middle of attacking when Caster just seemingly teleported behind her… there's no way she could…
'No way…'
Dein couldn't help but have his eyes go wide when Changing Star suddenly changed course to deliver a devastating forced elbow strike to Caster's face. Really, what's with this girl trying to elbow everyone on the face?
Caster have no way to react as inertia caused by his own attack forces his face to collide with Nephis's elbow… that was what's supposed to happen, but the cheater that Caster is because of his Aspect, he managed to forcefully evade the collision albeit barely.
That said, as if luck had it for him. He tripped and fell down on Changing Star, causing her to fall on her back. However, just before she hit the mats, Caster carefully grabbed her by the collar of her dobok before slowly placing her down.
Seeing this absurdity. Dein almost had the urge to scream: 'Hey, stop acting cool, this isn't romance!'
But it seems the female sleepers thought differently as they all exclaimed at Caster's gentlemanness.
The whole fight lasted no more than two seconds. And Nephis, laying on the floor, blinked a couple of times. Once again, she seem confused and bewildered by the whole situation. Not by the fact that she lost but by Caster's actions.
Well, even Dein is weirded out. When did Caster become a womanizer?
'When he has an ulterior motive probably…?'
That's just Dein's conjecture but… 'Nope, we shouldn't concern ourselves with Caster, that bastard's too troublesome'
Just like that, the evaluation ended with Nephis wiping out everyone and Caster defeating her by luck in the end. Well, Dein is probably the only one who thinks it's by luck. Seeing how everyone looked up at Caster with reverence, gawking, and whispering among themselves. His performance definitely left a deep impression.
Even Instructor Rock gave Caster a nod as Nephis stood up on her own.
That said, Caster didn't look proud of his win. Nephis still has her unreadable expression while Instructor Rock silently evaluated the sleepers. It seems everyone who doesn't have rock for a brain had come to the same conclusion.
Nephis, Changing Star, had not once used her Aspect today.
The seed of envy bloomed even bigger in Dein's heart, along with a sense of admiration for the girl who easily bested him.
Dein stared at Nephis who's dusting herself off and thought: 'What a monster…'
And just like that, the first day of training ended.