I instantly take a defensive stance.
Before I could think, Master Shou his staff over his head and strike my forearm. The impact flares a stinging pain. "Agh!"
His staff plummets down on me again without missing a beat. I lunge out of the mat entirely, narrowly dodging the staff slamming on to the ground with the force of a man in his prime. It's as if he could actually see me despite being completely blind.
"Halt!" Master Fu announces. "Do not leave the mat. I'll give you a warning." I nod feebly. In that moment, I meet Master Shou's eyes. It reveals nothing, but his form reacts with a killer instinct.
I roll away as his staff smacks same spot I was a moment before. He rears back to strike again as I struggle to regain my footing. My heart beats frantically.
"Selene," Master Fu calls in concern.
If rooted to the middle, Master Shou's staff could reach almost the full radius of the mat. I have to move him back.
"Oblivion!" I say, realising I've given away my exact location. I rear back as he moves forward. The staff swings to my neck, but my claws fasten on to it. My claws elicit a loud crack as we battle on sheer strength- the walls shudder.
His face remains blank and doesn't give anything away. He switches to strike at my knees while my hands still recover from the reverberation. I pivot up, twisting myself in midair. As he estimates my location, I find an opening.
His staff was dangling unsure in one moment but smacked my claws in the next. He halts my first ever attack before it could even begin.
Since he lacks sight, he only depends on his four other senses. In the past, after using Oblivion, I find myself heavily relying on my ears to detect noise. Hence, I must be as quiet as a mouse, to keep him guessing. Minimal movements- no sound.
He twirls his staff in a brilliant speed that makes me gasp.
"Ugh!" I jump to evade his strike but I suddenly hunch over, wheezing. Nausea rises up my lungs as I worry that he crushed my lungs.
His strikes down from above me, launching into another attack. Blistering pain blossoms in my one hand that stops it as my other hand claws onto his arm. To my surprise, my claw makes contact.
With no delay, he rams his staff onto my sternum again, sending me staggering out of the mat. I freeze in shock- like ice water was splashed over me. Are my powers failing me again? But I've made up with Grimm and even perfected my skills.
"I've considered the possibility if the blind could be unaffected by Oblivion," He begins. The back cloud wraps around him and explodes. A black emptiness fills his eyes and mouth but he stands unshaken. "Oblivion detaches the victim from his five senses, but what if a blind man has trained his remaining senses to detect the slightest of signals- to the point that even Oblivion won't deter his awareness."
"Selene, this is your last warning," Master Fu says gently. "If you leave the mat once more, your opponent will automatically win."
I force air into my lungs as I stand up shakily. Revising my options I cautiously step back into the mat, steeling myself for another beat down. I shake away the dread.
Pull yourself together, Selene. Grimm is depending on you- Luka is depending on you. I'm not losing this fight.
I have a full five minutes before I detransform.
He moves fluidly and with a speed of a cheetah as my eyes could barely follow him. But it's just enough to depend on reflexes and jump aside. We exchange blow for blow in search for a critical moment to strike.
I find none.
The seconds are dwindling and my speed degrading, but I'm no closer to the end. If I can't win in strength or power, maybe I could trick him?
I bulb lights up over my head as I detach a ring from my hip. I toss it like a frisbee. It glides around him, about to strike him from behind.
It makes a light clink as it collides with his staff and falls uselessly onto the mat. He says gruffly,"Nice try."
I skid across the mat, picking up the ring with cold hands along the way. He whips around to thrust his staff onto my knees. I leap back. To my horror, I've moved to far out of the mat. When my feet touches the ground, it's game over.
I channel all my strength into my to last throws and propel them in an awkward angle.
As swift as a lightning strike, the hoop slices the air towards his arm.
Clink!
The sound of defeat as it simply fastens around his staff. He blocks it seamlessly.
But there's no time to blink as the ring causes the staff to fly out from his palms- onto the ground. The second ring clamps onto his leg and forces him onto the floor.
I crash onto the floor on my behind with a loud thud. "Gah!"
"That's a match!" Master Fu says, although more in disbelief as he rubs his eyes.
I detransform when my five minutes is up. I stare at both of them without masking my hopeful expression. "Did we win?"
"Yes, my dear," Master Fu says, smiling. "You did." I whoop triumphantly as Grimm fluttered in jubilation.
The rings and the dark aura around Master Shou disappears. He struggles to get back up. "I could use a some assistance."
I jerk up in surprise and rush to help him up. He groans mildly, rubbing his back. Gingerly taking back the staff I picked up he says, "I'm too old for sparring these days." As if he didn't almost annihilate me a moment ago. I remain in a daze as I escort him to a seat.
Master Fu leaves the room and returns back with two glasses of water. "The children are getting stronger. It's a favourable thing."
Master Shou takes a sip of water and I feed Grimm as he rests on my shoulder. Throwing agitated glances at Master Shou I eventually blurt out, "So will you help me?"
"I don't go back on my word," Master Shou replies, mildly insulted. "I suppose you have a plan? If you share a fraction of your mother's intellect. I assume it's worth considering."
It's better than nothing.
•●•●•●•●•
Master Shou presses a pal-sized box onto my hands. "Make sure you return it without damage."
"I promise, Master Shou," I say with resolve I hope he could read on my face.
"You've proven to me that you can be trusted. I have faith in you." His places his hands on my shoulder firmly as his soulless eyes stare at me. "I could have prevented the Midnight incident, but when I began to try, I was already to late. Do not fall like how the Sunbird had."
"I know," I say solemnly.
"You sound just like your mother, but you're as stubborn as your father. I wonder, had I retained my sight, if I would be struck by your appearance."
I nod, only to remember he wouldn't know, so I then agree verbally. "Grimm said I look like her."
"They would be mighty proud," he ends.
He leads me to Master Fu who takes me to a gramophone in another room. He presses buttons, I didn't notice before, on it's base and it opens to reveal a secret compartment. Inside was a large hexagonal box dividing two sections at the centre, like a yin and yang, and five more around it. I gasp, wonderstruck.
"This is a miraculous box- one of the first of its kind. You must keep its location confidential so do not speak of it to anyone. I nod and imitate a person zipping their lips.
He slides open one of it's side drawers and pulls out a miraculous. He wraps it meticulously in a grey handkerchief and offers it to me. "Once this is over. I also request that you return it to me."
A completely different thought comes to mind and I voice it aloud, "I guess you're sort of relieved that I didn't accept your miraculous that time."
"Indeed but not for the reason you think." Master Fu clasps his hands and gives me gentle smile. "You already have a miraculous- one with a kwami you grew to trust and share a lasting bond with. You would never have become as strong-willed as you are now if you had received any other miraculous."
His assurance lifted my spirits and diminished anymore doubts I had of myself. "Thank you."
"If you wish to catch up with Ladybug and Chat Noir, the news says that they are at the Pont de la Tournelle Bridge. Godspeed."
I turn to Grimm and we lock gazes. It's time to re-enter the field. I open the door leading outside. On the horizon, the sun is already setting, giving way to evening. I glance back at the two masters before I step out. "You won't regret this."
•●•●•●•●•
Heeey, guys! Thank you so much for waiting!
I've done decently for my O levels and I'm pretty proud of my performance.
I'm itching to edit everything that's wrong but I have to finish the story first.
The end is near, my friends.