The Psychopathic Beast Emperor

Two people stood facing each other. They were Sel in his sect uniform, holding twin sabers. His expression was as calm as always, but his eyes held a certain readiness. The other person was Apollonia, with her hair tied up in a bun, and her wings spread, ready.

The air between them felt... still, as if something was waiting to snap. Sel exhaled slowly, his twin sabers lowering just a fraction as his eyes locked onto Apollonia’s stance. She stood tall and balanced, her wings slightly raised to react at a moment’s notice.

"Come," she said simply, her eyes glowing with a piercing and bright gold light.

Sel didn’t hesitate and moved.

CRACK!

The ground split beneath his feet as he shot forward, his body low, sabers angled for a cross strike. His speed was sharp, precise... no wasted motion, and no excess force. It was clean and efficient. Apollonia’s eyes glinted.

Her wings gave a subtle beat, and her body rose just enough for Sel’s blades to slice through empty air.

FWISH!

Sel’s eyes flickered.

She’s already reading me.

He twisted mid-step, his right saber slashing upward while the left followed in a delayed arc... a layered attack meant to trap movement.

CLANG!

A burst of golden light formed in Apollonia’s hand, shaping instantly into a radiant blade. She deflected both strikes with minimal movement, her expression unchanged.

"Your control is excellent," she said calmly.

Sel pressed forward, blades flashing faster now.

"Then why am I not hitting you?"

"Because you’re too honest."

BOOM!

A pulse of light erupted from her wings, forcing Sel back several meters. He skidded to a halt, boots digging into the ground.

Apollonia descended lightly.

"Every strike you make," she continued, "has intent written all over it. There’s no deception. No pressure. No unpredictability."

Sel adjusted his grip.

"I don’t need deception."

"You do. Against me."

Sel dashed again, this time faster.

His sabers blurred, angles shifting mid-strike, rhythm breaking slightly as he attempted to introduce variation.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Apollonia blocked each one effortlessly. Then, she moved. A single flap of her wings, and she vanished. Sel’s instincts screamed.

He twisted too late.

BANG!

A kick slammed into his side, sending him skidding across the ground. Dust burst around him as he rolled and forced himself back to his feet. Apollonia landed where he once stood.

"Speed isn’t your issue," she said. "Nor is strength."

Sel wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"...Then what is?"

She looked at his weapons.

"Your choice."

Sel frowned slightly.

"...My sabers?"

"They suit your personality. Controlled, balanced, and predictable."

Her wings spread wider, light gathering faintly along the feathers.

"But they don’t suit me."

Sel’s eyes sharpened.

"...Explain."

Apollonia raised a hand.

A long, radiant spear of light formed instantly, its tip gleaming with a piercing glow.

"I dominate space," she said. "Distance, angles, and movement."

She pointed the spear at him.

"With those, you’re forced to enter my range... on my terms."

Sel glanced at his sabers.

Then back at her.

"...So?"

Apollonia’s gaze didn’t waver.

"Use a spear."

There was a pause as Sel looked at her and considered her suggestion. He could use a lot of weapons, you could say; he was a weapon freak. But, he didn’t have a core weapon... yet.

Wind passed between them.

"...Alright."

Sel didn’t argue.

He simply moved one hand. There was a faint flash from his storage ring, and the sabers vanished.

In their place, a spear appeared. It had a silver shaft and a dark grip. Simple, but sharp.

Bahamut, watching from afar with his arms crossed, blinked. Sel spun the spear once, testing its weight. Different, longer reach, less comfort, and more... exposure.

Good.

He lifted it, pointing the tip toward Apollonia.

"Again."

Apollonia smiled faintly.

"Now we begin."

Sel moved, but not like before. He didn’t rush in blindly. The spear extended, probing and testing range, forcing Apollonia to react first.

CLANG!

Their weapons met, but this time, Sel didn’t pull back immediately. He pushed, rotated.

The spear slid along her light construct, redirecting its force while his body shifted to the side, creating a new angle of attack. He threw a thrust, sharp and direct. Apollonia tilted her head slightly as she deflected it, but her wings flared wider.

"...Better."

Sel didn’t respond. He stepped again and threw another thrust, then a sweep, then a sudden retraction into a reverse strike. His rhythm changed. It was not clean anymore, nor predictable. It flowed.

Apollonia’s movements became sharper and faster. Her wings beat stronger, lifting her slightly as she adjusted to his new range.

CLANG! BOOM! CLANG!

Shockwaves rippled as their weapons collided repeatedly, dust kicking up around them. Sel slid back, then lunged again, the spear driving forward with more force this time. Apollonia blocked, but her feet shifted slightly.

Sel noticed. His eyes glinted. He spun the spear and stepped in again without hesitation now. Apollonia met him head-on. This time, she didn’t hold back. Her wings burst open fully, and light exploded outward. She surged forward.

BOOOOM!!!

Their clash sent a massive shockwave across the field, cracking the ground beneath them. Sel’s grip tightened. Apollonia’s eyes gleamed.

This... was a fight now.

The shockwave hadn’t even settled, and Apollonia was already moving. Her wings flared, light bursting from each feather like blades. She didn’t retreat this time. She pressed. Sel’s eyes sharpened as he stepped in.

CLANG!

Their weapons collided again, but this time, Apollonia didn’t stop at the clash. She twisted. Her spear of light bent unnaturally, sliding along Sel’s shaft and snapping toward his shoulder from an impossible angle. Sel reacted instantly.

He dropped his center of gravity and pivoted, making the tip graze past him. He then countered with a thrust straight for her midsection, fast, clean, and dangerous. Apollonia’s wings snapped inward.

BOOM!

A burst of compressed air forced the spear slightly off course. It still hit, but only scraped along her side. Sel’s eyes flickered.

I landed it.

But, it wasn’t enough.

Apollonia’s expression didn’t change. Instead, she vanished. Sel’s instincts screamed again as he looked up... too late.

BANG!

A downward strike slammed into his spear, driving him into the ground. The earth cracked beneath his feet as his knees bent from the force. He gritted his teeth.

She’s heavier than she looks... No! It’s the force.

Light gathered around her wings again, amplifying the pressure behind every movement. Sel twisted his spear, redirecting the force and rolling out of the impact zone just as another strike came down.

CRASH!

The ground where he stood exploded, but he didn’t stop. He dashed forward again, this time abandoning defense entirely.

A full commit. His spear shot forward three times. Each thrust faster than the last, angles shifting, rhythm breaking, forcing Apollonia to adjust instead of control.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

She blocked and stepped back. Sel saw it. His eyes gleamed, and he pushed harder. Apollonia, noticing his plan, stopped retreating. Her wings spread wide as light surged. The air grew heavy and Sel felt it immediately.

His next step became slower, his thrust became heavier, and his breathing became strained.

"...So this is it..." he muttered.

Apollonia’s voice came calmly through the pressure.

"You adapted well."

Sel didn’t respond. He charged anyway. He didn’t aim to outmaneuver her... he aimed to break through.

CRACK!

The ground shattered beneath his step as he launched forward, spear aimed directly at her chest.

Apollonia didn’t dodge... she stepped forward. Her wings folded in, compressing all that gathered light into a single point. Her spear formed again, brighter, and denser.

They clashed.

BOOOOOOM!!!

The explosion of force sent a massive shockwave across the field, dust and debris blasting outward violently.

For a moment, everything was obscured. Then the dust settled. Sel stood there, frozen. His spear had been stopped. Apollonia’s weapon rested against his throat, close enough to removed his throat. His arms trembled slightly from strain.

Apollonia then lowered her weapon slowly.

"It’s over."

Sel exhaled.

A long, quiet breath.

"...Yeah."

His grip loosened as the spear lowered. Sel straightened, rolling his shoulder slightly.

"...Again tomorrow?"

Apollonia looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

"Next time, last longer."

Sel smirked faintly.

"...I will."

As she turned to leave, her wings folding behind her, Sel glanced at the spear in his hand. He spun it once.

"...Yeah," he muttered quietly.

"I’ll get used to you."