I wasn't really worried about the fight. I was strong enough. And I've still been training. I've been studying a lot since moving here. Mainly light magic which I've started to learn to control. And every once and a while Koro would come by to train with me at the castle in the new training area.

     Apparently, the room that I had... Attacked Masai in, so to speak, had been the old training grounds. Masai told me he had bad memories of it there. I agree. You tend to not like to go to the place you had killed the live of your life.

     So we remodeled the training grounds so it was more friendly. We tore down the huge walls and the eerie oak doors so that it was an open area. We redid the floors so it was a tan stone and in the center, or where the raised platform used to be, was a black, blue, and silver painting of a wolf head. Very pretty, I must say.

     We took away the black throne that belonged to Masai's father. We didn't replace it with anything so there was more room to train.

     We replaced the training dummies for some more modern ones and we had weapon racks on one side of the area. Figures we might need real weapons instead of just magical ones. Especially for some of the kids who haven't unlocked there powers yet.

     The new training area was actually quite beautiful now. Rose vines have started to grows the the outside edges where the room ended. All sorts of colors grew. Pink, blue, purple, black, white. We've really improved the place.

     But back to what I was saying earlier. I wasn't worry about the fight. Even if he was a Shōbō-shi. He doesn't know me. Though with light magic, I know him.

***

     Everyone went silent. Niether me or Hio moved so I thought it would be good to get a bit of back story from this guy.

     I stuck out my hand to him. "Good luck," I said, breaking away the silence. Everyone seemed shocked at my reproach but I ignored the gasps.

     Hio narrowed his eyes at me, looking at me skeptically. Though hesitantly he reached and shook my hand.

     "You too, mortal," he mumbled, just loud enough do only I could hear.

     I smiled as a slideshow of memories flooded through my mind from upon touching him. Now we have some history.

     Suddenly I jumped back, pulling away my hand from Hio and gripped the white and blue dagger that Masai had gifted me only minutes before.

     "You could of strikes me," Hio said cooly.

     "What's the fun in that?" I shrugged.

     I haven't had a true battle in months. I wouldn't want it to end too quickly. Plus, no one knows I'm the Tokubetsu yet. They don't know I have magic. Let alone, light and dark magic.

     Hio summoned a fire sword on command. He waited before attack. Probably hoping I would gape at his powers. I didn't.

     Hio ran at me, aiming for my arm. A good place to go for when not wanting to injure someone badly.

     Hio was only inches away when I jumped to the side to dodge his blow. I landed lightly on my feet giving me a lot of time to react.

     Hio laughed. "Your just like Lord Masai. Except for one flaw. Magic."

     "Magic truly can be a flaw. Don't you think? It really can change someone's personality," I said, almost sounding like a riddle. It was fun to toy with Hio. Though I can't use my magic yet. My hair would change along with my eyes, ears and tail.

     "You speak in riddles," Hio stated before swiping at me again. I dodged once more.

     "And your going easy on me. Come on, don't want to hurt your queen," I teased. I wanted Hio to try. No point in this battle if he's holding back.

     "You have a big mouth, mortal," Hip growled angrily at me.

     I shrugged. "Gets you popular in high school."

     That's technically true. Though you get popular for all the wrong reasons.

     Hio's sword turned into a long spear so he could attack from further away. So he's starting to get serious now. I like it.

     Hio ran towards me, spear aiming at my chest. My grip on my dagger tightened as I deflected the blow. Hio's spear cluttered to the ground before fading away into nothingness.

     Hio looked at the spot where his spear had fallen then back to me, not a single scratch or burn.

     I took this as my opportunity to strike. I swiped my legs under Hio's making him fall on the ground.

     I stared at him with a smirk on my face. "See, I don't need magic."

     Hio smiled. "You're about to."

     His form transformed into a new one. A man. He was taller, though younger, with impossible to comb blue hair and ocean blue eyes. Blue galaxy wings tucked behind his back. Masai.

     I stared down at Hio's illusion unimpressed. "So it's true. Shōbō-shi can transform into different people," I said in a bored tone.

     Hio looked at me with rage. Rage I knew didn't fit his illusion of Masai. A fire scythe appeared in his hand. That's a new weapon I haven't seen all that often.

     Hio swiped at me and I had to use my magic to avoid the hit. I quickly popped into the Umbre and out again, only a few feet away from where I once stood.

     My hair had turned back to black and red and my eyes matched it with a dark red color. I pressed my black Tsuki ears against my head so they blended in with my hair and I kept my tail hidden.

     Everyone was staring at me now, eyes wide with surprisement. Though Hio seemed unimpressed.

     "I see you have a demon friend working for you. Your new appearance doesn't change anything. You. Are. Still. Mortal."

     I smiled. "Define mortal," I muttered and ran towards Hio.

     Hio, still disguised as Masai, looked shocked I had decided to make a move. Though he looked just as pleased.

     "Mortals are weak. Mortals are magic less. Mortals will die quickly compared to demons," Hio said as we collided, our blades clinging against one another.

     "Well only one of those fits me," I said vaguely.

     Hio looked at me with surprise but he didn't stop attacking. He swung his scythe at me again, in which I ducked to dodge the blow. Looks like he's finally getting serious. Then I might as well get serious as well.

     I set an illusion of a clone that followed my movements so you couldn't tell there were two of me. I stayed like this for a few minutes as I dodged each attack that Hio had tried to strike me with. Eventually I disappeared into the Umbre, leaving my new clone to continue out my fight.

     I wandered around the Umbre for a bit, watching the blurry scene. I scavenged to find a place to materialize where no one could see me. Or would think to look for me.

     After several minutes I noticed a small balcony directly above the fight. I wasn't sure what room the balcony led to but it would be a good place to watch the right.

     I shifted back into the Omin on the balcony. It was high enough up that no one would really notice it but close enough to the ground that I still had a good view.

     I saw Koro smile as soon as I transformed. He glanced up at where I now perched and winked at me. I laughed to myself. I've been training with Koro so much that by now he could instantly see through my illisuons. And some how he always knows where I am.

     A sly smile also creeped upon Masai's face but nothing more. So he too saw through my illusion. Makes sense since he has dark magic himself.

     My clone seemed to do everything I would do in a fight where I wanted to keep my magic a secret. Time after time she dodged Hio's attacks, who was still weilding the scythe, and hardly ever attacking. And even when she attacked it was using the small white and blue dagger that Masai gave me this morning.

     "Why don't you fight instead of playing games? Or are you too weak?" Hio teased. Man, he sounded like a five year old making fun of his younger brother.

     My clone smirked. "I am fighting you. Just in some ways that you don't understand yet."

     My clone really did seem real. She acted exactly like me and everything she did seemed real.

     Whenever she got cut, which she has by now along her arm, she winced in pain and a cut mark showed exactly where it would have been a slight drip of blood would run down her skin. If I didn't know better I may have fallen for the illusion myself.

     This routine kept up for a while. My clone was able to get a few cuts in, making Hio's illusion of Masai slowly fade back to his original self. Though more cuts marked her then Hio and she was wearing down.

     The clones movements started to slow and her breath was getting harder. She was wearing herself down and quite quickly too.

     Hio swiped at the clone again with his scythe. The clone tried to duck but was too slow and the stick part of the scythe hit her in the shoulder, sending her flying to the ground harshly. She wasn't cut at all but there was a pretty big burn mark on where the scythe had hit her.

     My clone smaked the ground, earning a big bruise near her rip cage. Her face contorted with pain as she tried to stand up but failed to get off the cold floor.

     I leaned forward from where I was watching. Looks like I'm about to go up to finish the battle.

     Hio walked up to the clone slowly, a psycotic grin on his now normal face. With his cuts across his arm and wild red hair it made him look even more crazy.

     Hio's scythe disappeared, reappearing as a fire sword so he could end the battle. Though if I was in the position of my clone I would say this battle is already finished.

     "And now, to finish this battle. Blood shall be spilled," Hio said, sounding like a physcho. What's this guy's major malfunction?

     Hio was now standing right above my clone who was panting heavily. Helplessly she looked up at Hio with pure hatred in her eyes.

     Hio smirked, leaned in close to my clone, before stabbing his sword right through her.

     Whispers of fear was sent through the crowd. All except Masai and Koro seemed tainted by Hio's move.

     My clones eyes widened and she staggered for air. Blood spooled out onto the floor, staining her clothes. She glanced up at Hio and smiled.

     "You always were..." She stuttered. Suddenly her figure changed into someone I knew from Hio's memories. I never caught his name except for 'Hio's father'. "A disappointment," the clone now dressed as Hio's father finished.

     Hio's eyes widened with shock. He opened his mouth to say something but was left speechless. Finally, my clone fell limp. That's my cue.

     "F... Father," Hio stuttered as he stared at the dead body in front of him.

     I jumped down from the balcony and landed right behind Hio. Before he could move though I pulled out my white and blue dagger and pinned it to his throat.

     I leaned in close to his ear. "Next time you try and kill me make sure I'm actually dead," I hissed just loud enough that only he could hear.

     Everyone went quiet except for Masai who was smiling at me.

     "And with that, I declare this battle to be over."