Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. Three: Dark Sarcophagus: Verse One-Hundred and Thirty-Five

Cypher was stunned by what Alex had just suggested. Did he even realize what he was talking about? Cypher was already a complete rank one Conductor with a peak solid stage Orrium. His mind was also powerful, but their bodies were hovering at around the same level.

Cypher carefully stared down Alex and saw that the man before him was serious. He was fully dedicated to this challenge that he had issued, and Cypher could tell that he wouldn’t budge on that.

“What?” Cypher asked, his face twisted in confusion. Alex spat on the ground and twirled his Scal’tar.

“If you really want to be friends again, then I want you to fight me with everything you have. No spells, no tricks, just a straight even fight with our weapons. I’m not stupid after all, I still remember what you did to me on accident, I shudder to think of what you could do if you actually tried. So, will you fight me?”

Cypher still didn’t like the sound of this, and he looked at Alex questioningly. “Are you sure this is the only way? You do realize that I’m a complete Rank-One Conductor right? The gap between us isn’t too vast, but it is still there.”

Alex spat again and sighed, “Cypher, I’m not an idiot, I might put on a show most of the time but I have considered this already. You have a Rank-One body, big deal so do I. Your mind? Also Rank-One, but mine is as well, even if only in the early stages. Your Orrium is the only edge you really have over me and it won’t even come into play. This is a mortal fight, not one of magick and enhancement. So I ask again, will you fight me?”

Cypher thought carefully for a few seconds. If spells wouldn’t be coming into the mix, Cypher felt certain that the fight would be fairer. He also did in fact wish to repair his friendship with Alex, but fighting to the death wasn’t exactly ideal for future prospects.

“I will fight you Alex, but I won’t fight you to the death. That said, I won’t hold back either. I’ll give you everything I’ve got!” Cypher said, his confidence spilling over and his excitement rising. A fight like this would not only repair his friendship with Alex but would also serve as excellent training.

Alex nodded and jumped back a few meters. He took a ready stance and Cypher pulled a saber from within his dimensional pocket. He wouldn’t use his father’s saber, it was simply too powerful and wouldn’t be fair at all in a fight like this.

Cypher and Alex stared at each other for a moment and each gripped their weapons tightly. Five years had passed, and each of them had fully developed their fighting style by now. This battle wouldn’t be like their first sparring match.

They were stronger, had more stamina, and their techniques had been refined into deadly precision. Whoever made the first move would be critical. The wind blew through the clearing in which they found themselves. In the distance, a doe ran off, the tension between the two Conductors startling it as their aura filled the space between them. As the doe fled, a twig snapped and the two Conductors leapt at each other.

The first exchanges were lightning-fast, a casual observer wouldn’t have been able to see more than a blur of motion. However, in that instant, the two exchanged over twenty attacks. The first blow had gone to both of them.

Cypher had narrowed his eyes and gone in for a low bash to Alex’s midriff with the pommel of his saber. Alex had responded with a similar attack and had bashed Cypher in the side with the blunt end of his staff. Both attacks met their mark and the two followed up with deadly slashes aimed at the other’s shoulders.

Both attacks were blocked and it was then that many other attacks followed. Each managed to block the other’s attack and follow up with one of their own. The noise of clashing weapons soon filled the area, along with grunts of pain and sharp breaths.

Alex leaped back and tried to gain some ground, but Cypher quickly followed after him. The Scal’tar had a much longer reach than Cypher’s own weapon, and if he allowed Alex to gain that space, it wouldn’t be easy to close that gap.

Alex however, had been ready for this and he twirled to the right and bashed the back of Cypher’s head with the end of his Scal’tar. Cypher stumbled but quickly regained his bearings and twirled to meet the blade of Alex’s weapon as it tried to slice through his side.

“CLANG!”

The two blades connected and sparks rained down on the ground as the edges ground against each other. Cypher then dropped low and released a quick sweep with his leg. Alex fell to the ground and Cypher rolled over him, launching his elbow into Alex’s gut as hard as he could.

Alex coughed up a little blood and grunted, but the two quickly rolled apart and returned to a standing stance. Alex began to spin his bladed staff and approached Cypher. Cypher retaliated by lowering his stance and began to block each of the attacks Alex was releasing.

Blade. Pommel. Blade. Pommel. Elbow Jab. Uppercut. Tornado kick. Low sweep. Bash. Blade. Blade. Pommel. The attacks continued like this in an endless barrage. Neither of them was giving up any ground, and nothing seemed to slow them down.

Small shockwaves radiated outwards from their attacks as they connected and the trees around them swayed under the force of them. Alex planted his Scal’tar in the dirt and swung around it, both feet leaving the ground. He kicked Cypher in his chest and backflipped backward, taking up a defensive stance.

Cypher flew back a few meters and coughed up some blood of his own but he wasn’t too badly hurt from that attack. He smiled, spat on the ground, and then wiped his lips with the back of his hand. Alex returned the smile and the two quickly returned another exchange of rapid blows.

Alex backflipped several meters away with surprising speed. As he steadied himself, he twisted the middle of his Scal’tar and pulled it apart. Two long blades appeared as the weapon split, and each of the two halves was roughly a meter long. Cypher paused in his pursuit and Alex seemed smug as he watched Cypher’s shocked expression.

This would complicate things, but Cypher was actually pleased as he looked on. His blood flowed faster as adrenaline pumped through his system, and his battle instincts took over at full capacity. Cypher surprised Alex and summoned a second weapon of his own, an ethereal blade.

This wasn’t a proper spell and was only as powerful as the weapon Cypher already held. It wouldn’t violate their agreement and only evened them up once again in terms of battle prowess. The two let out a laugh as they watched each other and flew in to clash once again.

Round two had begun and neither would lose.