CHAPTER V: HALNEA
In the training hall, tension was palpable. Martis's opponent had just been announced: HALNEA. Upon hearing this name, a sadistic smile appeared on the faces of Leonard and Charlipé, as if what was about to happen promised to be entertaining.
Leolio seemed to know who she was and began to discourage Martis.
« Listen, withdraw, otherwise you'll regret it. »
Martis, always curious, asked:
« Wait, why should I withdraw? Who is HALNEA? »
Leolio sighed and explained:
« HALNEA VALKYRIE is the strongest fighter in the entire Academy. Out of the 227 matches she has fought, she has only lost one, and that was against the professor. The worst part is that the majority of her matches always end in a knockout. At your level, it would just be humiliating for you. »
Martis thought for a moment, then without hesitation, replied:
« I'm still going to face her. »
His answer disturbed both himself and Leolio.
« Wait, Martis, what did you say? »
« What? What did I say? Am I crazy? She's going to massacre me if I go. »
The professor looked at Martis with concern.
« Martis, are you sure you want to fight? You can also withdraw for today, I would understand. »
Martis stood up and, with confidence, said:
« No, it's fine. There's a first time for everything, right? »
With those words, he advanced toward the center of the tatami, determined but with his heart filled with fear.
On the other side, a girl with long black hair and silver eyes stepped onto the tatami. Martis immediately recognized her; it was the girl he had met near his locker. But her gaze was not the same as that morning; she seemed determined, as if only the fight interested her.
« Oh my God, it's official, this girl is a demon. What a killer look! I'm really dead, » he thought.
The professor approached them and asked Halnea:
« Halnea, in which style do you want to fight? »
She replied in a soft, almost angelic voice:
« I would like to use a combat weapon, please. »
This voice disturbed Martis to the highest degree; the girl who made the entire Academy tremble had the voice of a sparrow singing at five o'clock.
To his left, two students brought a kind of giant cabinet filled with weapons of all kinds. The professor pointed to them and said:
« Martis, since it's your first time, it's up to you to choose the weapon. »
He advanced in front of the weapons and began searching for the perfect weapon, muttering:
« Wow, it's the first time I've seen these weapons in real life; there are all sorts. Well, which one to choose? I'm not going to take the swords, it's too dangerous, not the daggers, I risk killing myself, and certainly not the hammers, they weigh three times more than me. »
Then, at the back, he saw a wooden spear. He grabbed it, but just touching it, he felt a strange sensation, as if he were taking back something very dear to him.
« But... I know this feeling, it reminds me of something. »
The professor asked him:
« Have you found a weapon yet? »
He turned around with the wooden spear and touched the pointed part, asking:
« Yes, I have, but I would like to remove the pointed part, I don't want to hurt with it. »
The professor saw no problem with it and agreed. Halnea took a spear and removed the pointed part, then she moved in front of him in the center of the tatami.
The professor approached and said to Halnea:
« Halnea, I know you always fight at full strength, but this time, don't go too hard, no overly powerful blows. »
She bowed slightly, accepting the professor's conditions.
The professor stepped back and said loudly:
« Are you ready? »
When Halnea heard these words, she gripped her spear with both hands and placed it horizontally in front of her, her knee slightly bent. On his side, Martis, more clumsy, held his spear like a sword.
« Well, it must be simple, it must be exactly like... like... well, I have no idea, but yeah, it's debatable, » he thought as he prepared.
When the professor shouted « Fight! », a shiver ran through the entire room. Some students hadn't even had time to blink when, already...
Halnea had disappeared from her position.
A movement so fast that even Leolio frowned.
Martis had only a fraction of a second to understand: she was already in front of him.
The spear shot like lightning. Pah! The blow almost pierced his stomach. A second impact arrived immediately: the spear's shaft struck his skull with a dull thud.
Martis was thrown to the ground, his breath cut off. He tried to regain his senses, seeking to gain a few seconds...
But when he looked up, his blood ran cold.
Halnea was there, already back on him, a threatening shadow, the tip of her spear a few centimeters from his face.
He rolled to the side by pure instinct. The spear sank into the tatami with a dry sound.
Martis jumped up clumsily, but as soon as he stood, Halnea materialized again in front of him.
He didn't even have time to inhale.
She unleashed a storm of blows.
Sharp blows. Fast blows. Blows precise to the millimeter.
Martis parried as much as he could: two, three blows... But the others fell on him like a meteor shower. Each impact resonated throughout the tatami, each breath of Halnea resembled a beast's growl.
In a corner of the room, a student grumbled with contempt:
« This is what I hate about this demon... She's going to turn him into pulp before he can even breathe. »
The word crossed the room like an arrow and struck Halnea in the heart.
Her hands tightened further on her spear. Her eyes darkened. Her breath became heavier.
« Again... again this damn name... » she thought, her heart tightening. « I can't take it anymore. I'm not... a demon. If this continues, one day... I will really lose control. I'm tired of this Academy... tired of all these looks... »
She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, took a deep breath, then looked at Martis with a mixture of weariness and cold determination.
« Let's finish this. »
Her foot slid slightly backward, her center of gravity lowered: Martis felt the air change, heavy, oppressive.
She struck.
A sharp blow to the left flank. Martis felt his body bend despite himself.
Then—faster still—Halnea pivoted and raised her foot.
An upward kick, perfect, surgical.
BAM!
Martis's chin was struck as if a celestial hammer had hit it.
His body rose into the air, spinning under the impact. The students held their breath as he rose... again... again...
When he reached a certain level, time seemed to stop, a voice that seemed familiar to him was heard in the distance.
« No, no, no, you can't even land a single blow on him. You really make me pity you. »
When he opened his eyes, he noticed that he was no longer in the training hall; he was in a strange place.
It was a magnificent plain that seemed to stretch infinitely, the sky was a deep blue that seemed infinite. In front of him, there was a temple that seemed to be demolished, some small or large parts floating above the ruins.
And in front of the ruins, the remains of a red Torii lay on the ground: the two pillars were on the ground while the upper part levitated several meters above.
Seeing this, he had a feeling of déjà vu, he advanced, amazed by this place. As he advanced, he saw a huge peach tree full of peaches, he wanted to advance but he saw a monkey's tail sticking out, he stopped, seized with fear.
« What is that, a monkey? »
A voice rose from the tree in a vexed tone:
« Who are you calling a monkey? »
The thing leaped from the tree and, as if it had pushed off the air, it bounced from nothing to land in front of Martis, saying:
« Stop insulting yourself! Well, stop insulting us. »
The creature resembled a 1.90-meter monkey with golden fur standing on two legs, he wore a massive golden armor, on his head a golden diadem was placed like a kind of sovereign. He held in his left hand a stick covered in gold, he looked at Martis with a friendly smile.
Martis, seeing him, panicked, he didn't know who he was dealing with.
« Oh my God! Who are you? A monkey? What are you, a demon? A mutant? Doctor Strange? Raizen? »
Wukong burst into thunderous laughter, so powerful that the air around him vibrated.
« HAHAHAHAHA! Martis... you really must have a problem in your little head. I don't know who you're talking about, but it's certainly not me. »
He took a step forward.
His aura turned golden. The ground cracked under his feet. And with a slow but assured movement, he took a fighting stance.
His eyes shone like two miniature suns.
« Listen to me well, kid. »
He raised his fist.
« I am not a legend. I am what comes before legends. »
The wind began to swirl around him, as if drawn by his presence.
« I am the one who defied the heavens, broke the chains, and overthrew the gods themselves. »
He smiled, a wild smile.
« The one who could crush Kratos with one hand. »
Then, he shouted:
« I AM... SUN WUKONG! THE MONKEY KING! »
Martis remained speechless, he was both terrified and fascinated, the being he saw in his nightmares was before him, the mysterious Sun Wukong.