Hero System! Transported to Another World, page 31
Alex looked at midnight and smiled, 'I thought I could just do what she was doing but I forgot about balance even after she warned me. This time, I'll do this properly.' Alex took another deep breath and kicked the mat. It was slower but this time he didn't lose balance. The kick is also very accurate. "Good! Once again!" Midnight exclaimed as she put the pad a bit higher.
Alex and Midnight continued the training for another 2 hours. "Good job. You've learned a lot. We even got to combine the moves you learned to make a few combos for you. So that will come in handy." Midnight smiled. Alex nodded, "That was tedious but also very fun… I already feel a bit more powerful after learning all this." He smiled.
Midnight smiled back and walked towards the door out of the arena, "Let's go out now. No need to stay here anymore for today. Today's training from me is over." Alex nodded and followed behind Midnight. He looked at her and smiled, "What about your previous engagement?"
Midnight looked back at Alex and smiled, "Well, I guess we will come back to this arena once again today. I am already warmed up from training you so I can't wait for this. It's been some time since I've had to battle an A ranked awakened. This time I won't limit myself unlike that intruder yesterday."
Alex looked a bit surprised by Midnight's words. He asked, "You held back in that battle against that intruder?" Midnight nodded in answer and spoke, "It's more like I was observing. She already had serum and grenades. If I was to push her too far, maybe she had another few grenades that she would use to kill herself while trying to take me out. Plus, she pushed too close to me so I was more or less handicapped."
Chapter 90: A Surprise | Hero System! Transported to Another World
Alex looked surprised by Midnight's words, 'Midnight saying that her combat abilities being only at B rank must be her being humble. After seeing her movements, I can say for sure that she is well above B rank in terms of combat as well… Maybe not at Buster's level but she is still very powerful… Which is amazing to think about when she is taken to be more of a support in battle with her abilities.' Alex looked at Midnight as the two walked down the hallway to the main observation room.
Imani was sitting on the chair, watching the security feed when the two entered the room. She turned back and smiled, "That was a pretty well fought out battle. You took on someone stronger than you and held your ground. If you had used that dagger from the beginning, you might have had a higher chance of winning so I commend you for that. Plus, most of the attacks, except for the last one was from what you had learned this morning so you're doing well. Now, The more you learn, the more ways of battling will open up. More plans and ideas will come up so that's what I will help you with." She then turned her attention to Midnight and spoke, "At least, for now, you don't need to stress about anything. All you need to do is rest." A small smile formed on her face.
Midnight looked at Imani and smiled back, "He did learn really quickly. I also got warmed up a lot from training him so I'm ready to have a few practice rounds as well. What do you say about that, Imani?"
Imani smiled back and nodded, "I've been waiting for this for some time. Training with a bot everyday was boring so now, my first actual combat session with someone more powerful than me, at least in rank."
Midnight laughed when she heard Imani, "Don't worry, I won't be using my abilities for this match, It will only be a physical battle. So we'll be around the same level in terms of physical abilities. That makes the match up more than fair." Imani looked at Midnight and nodded, " That's why I'm excited about this as well. I'm no match for you when it comes to an actual battle but no abilities, just physical strength battle is what I'm looking forward to."
Imani then looked at Alex and smiled, "Well, Why don't we rest for a while then get into this battle. I'm sure that you'll have some fun watching this match but also keep in mind to observe what we do in battle as well. You'll learn something as well. Well, That's what I hope."Imani said as she pointed Alex to a chair. Midnight also walked to a chair and relaxed.
Imani spoke, "I'll be doing something so I'll be back in a while. Until then, I hope you show Alex the videos and talk about his mistakes and what he did right." She smiled at midnight and walked out of the room. Midnight nodded and showed Alex the videos while waiting for Imani to return. Until then, The two watched the videos taken by the cameras. Midnight pointed out the many mistakes Alex had made during his practice match. She also laughed at him being thrown around by her when he was trying out attacks on her.
After some time, Alex seemed to get a better understanding of everything. Imani returned into the room and smiled, "Now that sometimes has passed. I'm sure we can get into the battle, right?" Midnight and Alex nodded and followed Imani to the arena.
The two stood in the circle, facing each other. Both had a confident smile on their faces while they waited. Alex didn't know what the two were waiting for but he soon understood. At the top of the arena, a hologram clock showed up.
"Time- 20 Minutes"
Alex understood that the two were waiting for that hologram to appear. "3…2…1, Begin!" A voice exclaimed. As the two heard the voices, they both circled one another. They were observing each other. Imani smiled and ran to Midnight as quickly as she could. Midnight, a bit surprised by the attack, jumped back to dodge. However, Imani once again jumped to Midnight, she persisted until Midnight had no other option but to defend.
Imani ran close to Midnight and threw a straight punch to her gut. Midnight tried to block the attack but was too slow and was hit, "Ahh!" She groaned a bit before kicking back. Imani, a bit surprised by the quick defensive kick jumped backward.
However, She didn't expect Midnight to sprint towards her before she could even land properly. Midnight threw a quick punch to the gut, which also hit. The two were equal in terms of damage. They jumped backward and observed each other again.
Alex watched as the two were in a halt, "They really don't know each other's moves properly so I think they are trying to just observe what the other one has or what they do at first so that they can make a plan after they have a grasp of each other's techniques." Alex thought out loud.
A soft voice suddenly entered Alex's ears, "They are indeed observing each other, sizing their attacks and power up. Once they feel more comfortable, this match will be a fast one. It looks like a B rank versus an A rank… Knowing Midnight, she probably decided not to use abilities for such a match... But such confidence on the B rank girl must mean that she is fresh out of training under an S ranked awakened…"
Alex looked behind him to see Hana. She was in tight jeans and a black jacket. She looked at Alex and then turned her attention to Imani, "is that the girl who is supposed to keep you safe? I head a few things but I really don't remember… My mind was on something else the entire time…" She said as she sat down next to Alex.
Alex didn't answer for a bit. He didn't know that Hana would be here in the arena. She looked at Alex and spoke, "I just wanted to check up on the guy who hasn't been able to catch a break in his life. But leave that for now, answer my question."
Alex smiled, He looked at Imani and spoke, "Her name is Imani. Apparently, Ryan was training her for things like this. Her ability is enhanced senses… That's what she said so I assume she can hear a lot clearer and further away, same with smell… But what Ryan seemed to talk about the most was that Imani was a closed ranged fighter… And apparently, she has the physical ability to battle an A-ranked awakened but her abilities aren't as strong so she will have to be in B rank for a bit longer. But I'm pretty sure, looking at her fight that she is already an A rank and is just like me, waiting to get the higher rank…" He explained slowly.
Hana looked at Alex with furrowed eyebrows, "Like you?" She then smiled, "It seems like being in all those shitty predicaments helped you get stronger. A win I guess." Alex laughed and scratched his head, "I don't know. But as long as I can be of help to everyone, I'm happy with getting stronger."
Hana nodded when she heard Alex's words, she spoke, "I was here to talk about two things but let's leave that for later, the two finally seem to be more comfortable with each other so it's a matter of who can get a clean hit on whom. This will be an interesting fight, Midnight isn't the best close-range fighter in terms of power but in terms of techniques, she is among the top. So I'm curious about what will happen now."
Hana then looked at Imani, "Hands a bit lower and legs a bit more spread apart… She seems to be someone who runs around more…" Hana continued observing the two. Alex heard Hana's points and noted them, 'If it weren't for her, I would have had a bit more of a difficult time understanding their stances and moves. But it does seem true, From what I've seen till now, 5 minutes in… Imani seems to run around a lot and attacks people after a sprint towards them or a jump. And Midnight seems to be more stationary compared to Imani and seems to focus more on counter-attacks…'
Imani and Midnight both jumped towards each other, they both aimed to punch each other's stomachs. *boom* Both of them clouded with each other and were pushed back. Midnight smiled and threw another kick, to Imani's head which was quickly dodged. But before Imani could attack Midnight, her eyes opened wide. She looked at the ground to see Midnight slowly dock down and sweep her legs.
Imani fell flat on the floor. She looked at Midnight who tried to jump above her. Imani quickly jumped back up and dodged backward. "That was good." She smiled while watching Midnight's every move. Midnight smiled "Your initial punch on me was also very good." She complimented back.
Hana looked at the two and sighed, "This really isn't as fun as I thought it would be… By the looks of the timer, they spent 5 minutes just tapping each other to test the waters. Now they seem to have gotten serious but only to this extent… But one man's trash is another man's treasure. It might be boring for me, but Alex you watch how they plan their attacks, it could help you even more in future battles."
Chapter 91: Still Cold | Hero System! Transported to Another World
Alex nodded when he heard Hana, He continued to watch the match. Midnight suddenly smiled and slowly walked to Imani, who was waiting on Midnight's next moves. After seeing Midnight slowly creep to her, Imani felt a bit confused but she slowly crept towards Midnight as well. Once the two got around 8 meters close to one another, Midnight suddenly burst in speed. Imani, taken by surprise, tried to block the attack. She put her hands up and waited for the strike.
She soon realized that she made a mistake, A sudden pain burst in her legs. Midnight slid and kicked her legs instead of her upper body. Imani fell on the floor but before she could do anything, Midnight already jumped on her body and raised her fists to attack. Imani's eyes opened wide and she put her hands up. Midnight smiled and spoke, "well, It took some time but I guess you gave in…" Imani smiled back and spoke, "Who said I gave up?" She quickly pushed her hands to Midnight's face but soon realized that her plan had failed.
Midnight rolled Imani to her back and held her in a lock. Imani sighed and spoke, "I give in." Midnight smiled when she heard Imani's words and said, "That last attack was very smart, nearly got me with that one. But you failed to realize that I already had an idea that you would do that. But still, if you had done that a tiny bit quicker, you would have gotten me and won. I guess I won only by luck this time." Imani shook her head.
Midnight smiled and let Imani up, "But that was a good match, I'd love to have another one again." Imani spoke, "Me too. But even this time, you won by skill and skill alone. I saw no luck here. I guess that why Master Ryan told me to not have a one on one battle with you right now. It seems like I was the one who failed to recognize your strength."
Hana took a deep breath and looked at Alex, "Well, what did you think of this battle? I was surprised when I saw this happening when I came here but I guess Midnight also wanted to spar with someone. And this one as well might have wanted to have a battle with someone stronger… It's too bad that she underestimated Midnight, she might not be the physically strongest A rank here but in terms of combat and skills, she is very impressive."
Hana then turned to Midnight and shook her head," However, When she uses her powers, she has to concentrate a lot, making her vulnerable. Her voice is even more powerful than her combat prowess as it can stun a reaper… So midnight tends to use her powers more in live combat as it can be more helpful. I can't say she is among the most powerful A ranked awakened out there but her skills are at the peak. That's why she teaches newly awakened. If she were to get physically more powerful and her powers needed less concentration, Midnight would be an S ranked awakened… But again, that's something that I could say for any A ranked awakened. Buster for example, If he could use his powers at a longer range, He would be an S rank as well… Well even now, some could argue that he would be an S ranked awakened but he still lacks the overall power. There are a few others but I want you to try and figure out what they lack to become an S ranked awakened and try to compare yourself with their predicament. Once you do that, You'll learn about what to improve upon to be more powerful and eventually break through to S rank." She slowly explained to Alex.
Alex nodded and questioned, "Thank you for explaining this all to me but I have a question, Why do you have such high expectations from me to think that I would reach the strength that you are right now… It's the same question as to why are you helping me in everything… I appreciate it a lot but I just am confused as to why I'm getting such a treatment." He wanted to know why Hana was helping him this much. Alex never had anyone try to help him out Hana did. He remembered everything she did for him from the moment he fell out of the gate.
Hana gave a rare smile and spoke, "Even I don't know… There is something inside of me that keeps on telling me to help you get more powerful. To make you as powerful as I am now. You know, this small little voice in my head… I already know that your potential is very high and that you could be as powerful as me, so all I have to do till the day you equal me is to teach you. I think this is why I'm helping you, this small feeling in me that tells me to." Hana mumbled at the end.
Alex didn't understand what Hana fully as he only heard the first part. He smiled and spoke, "And I appreciate it… I don't know how long it will take me but I'll try to get to your level as quickly as I can." Hana smiled back. Hana then looked forwards, "I can stop though. If you don't like it, I'll stop. Looking at everyone around you now, these women seem to already have a grasp on you so You could just ask them for help." Alex's eyes opened wide and he quickly spoke, "No! No! I really appreciate the help and I hope you continue to. I'll also return the favor when I can."
Hana smiled and spoke, "I know…" Midnight looked towards Alex and Hana sitting next to each other, exchange conversations, and smiled. Hana noticed Midnight's look and nodded. Midnight quickly ran towards the two and spoke, "I was taken aback during the match when I saw you come here… But again, you might have been worried about Alex here." She smiled slyly.
Hana sighed and spoke, "I was nearby so I wanted to take a quick look to see how everything was going. I was already informed about everything that had happened so I wanted to check up on an immigrant from another world. But now, I'm satisfied to see that you're taking care of his training. At least It's for sure that Alex will improve his skills in combat. He was lacking in many things when I saw him punch a reaper so I'm sure that will change in a few weeks." Hana then stood up and turned to the door, "I'll be off now. I would have gone a bit sooner but I wanted to see how this match would end up."
Midnight furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "Is that all that you came here for? Just to check? Why don't you stay for a bit longer, I thought you said that you'd have a long chat with me the next time we met…" She seemed to be a bit saddened. Alex looked at the two in surprise, 'I didn't think Hana and Midnight would be this close to one another… It's a big surprise but it also makes sense why Midnight asked me to talk to Hana about her past when I could…' His attention turned to Imani who was also watching the two in confusion.
Hana looked at Midnight and shook her head, "I have the mission to go back to. The other reason I came here was to see if Alex would be able to do something or not… Now that I've confirmed he is as strong as a B ranked awakened, I can go back to the mission. Ryan told me to consider him for the mission if he reaches B rank. Now that I know that in a week or so, he will be able to take care of himself in battle with other awakened, I will take him with me when the raid begins. I'm sure Ryan will give more information to you later this day. So I'll be off now. Be sure to train this guy hard." Hana said as she walked out of the place.
Midnight looked a tiny bit sad but she turned to Alex, "You are quite the special human being. Alex, we'll be training even more from tomorrow onward so you can be more ready for defending yourself or attacking the enemy." She then turned to Imani, "Now that we're done with our battle. I guess I'll go and rest a bit. He is all yours." She smiled and walked out of the room.
Imani looked at Midnight and shook her head, "She seems to keep her feelings inside… But It wouldn't feel good if someone treated you so coldly… But I'm that's why everyone calls her the Ice queen. She doesn't seem to get attached to anyone and always tries to distance herself from people if they seem to get closer…"
Chapter 92: Simulation | Hero System! Transported to Another World
Imani then looked at the door, "But again, that's what I thought but she was sitting close to you, Alex… This is a first for someone who is known to be Cold hearted… What kind of spell did you cast on her?" Imani said in a curious tone. Alex shrugged and spoke, "I don't know. I asked her the same question but she answered that she had a feeling that was telling her to help me get stronger and help me reach up to her level. She didn't say anything else."
Imani shook her head and smiled, "It wrecks your brain to think about all this for too long. Ignore it for now, I'm sure she has her reasons as well. I've heard that in terms of brains, Hana is also very smart and a quick thinker so she must have her own reasons. Or some past that doesn't let her get close to us… Maybe she saw something in you that reminded her of a happy memory and wanted to help you. Maybe she just doesn't like people and saw that you would possibly be the same in the future. Or maybe she just thought you were good looking and fell in love with you the moment she saw you. There are so many things that could happen for her to act this way. All we can do is ask her and wait."
