She came at him at high speed, her left arm cocked back for a powerful hook. She swung, aiming for Evryn's head with full force.
Evryn raised his right arm to block—but his eyes widened in horror. It was a feint.
Too late.
Her right foot shot up instead, slamming hard into his side with the weight of her entire body behind it.
The impact knocked the air out of him—spit flew from his mouth as pain shot through his ribs. She wasn't holding back anymore.
Before he could recover, Helaine spun with the momentum of her kick, her body twisting like a whip. Her left leg came up, fast and high, aimed right for his head.
"Your first mistake was not—" she shouted mid-spin.
"—acting on instinct!"
Her boot connected clean at the end of her sentence, cracking across his temple and sending Evryn crashing to the floor.
Evryn immediately clutched the left side of his head where the blow had landed. The kick felt like a shockwave pulsing through his skull. His thoughts were scrambled—everything was muffled, like his brain couldn't process anything beyond the pain.
"Evryn!"
Helaine's voice cut through the haze. She sounded more irritated than concerned.
He stayed hunched for a moment, still dazed, but the fog in his mind gradually cleared.
"Evryn!"
"What?" he snapped, finally lowering his hand from his head.
Helaine exhaled sharply. "Get up."
She didn't need to say it twice. Gritting his teeth, Evryn straightened, though the throbbing in his skull hadn't stopped. He locked eyes with her.
"Evryn… you're not a bad fighter," she began. "But you're missing the most important thing."
He furrowed his brow. "And what would that be?"
"Instinct," she said flatly. "Instinct is everything."
She stepped closer as she continued, voice sharpening.
"It's not just about dodging or throwing punches. It's about survival. Instinct separates a fighter from a nobody. It's the thing that lets you act without thinking, to move without second-guessing. That's how you take control. That's how you win."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You fight like you're trying to pass a test—thinking too much, hesitating. You barely fight back, just enough to get by. And that pisses me off."
Evryn didn't respond, but something in him stirred.
"I don't care if I'm your ally or not," Helaine went on. "Treat this like a real fight. Like your life depends on it. Stop overthinking. Stop searching for openings. Act. Move. Hit back. Let your instinct take over."
Evryn stayed silent, absorbing every word Helaine said.
"You build instinct through fights and training," she continued. "That's how you become stronger—how you become someone formidable."
She paused, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her gaze softened slightly. "I should've told you this earlier… but I don't know. I noticed something about you…"
She trailed off. "Never mind. Forget it."
Helaine straightened her posture, her voice turning steady again. "It doesn't matter how powerful someone is—if their opponent fights purely on instinct, they already have the upper hand. They don't waste time thinking—they just act."
Another sigh escaped her. "I'm not great at teaching. So I'll try my best, alright?"
Evryn didn't know what to say. He understood her words—took them in—but deep down, he wasn't sure he fully agreed.
Instinct, huh… But you can't just rely on that alone. You have to think, too. You have tl read the fight, see what's coming before it happens. If you act without thinking , won't you just end up falling into someone's trap?
His thoughts were interrupted again.
"You don't have to rely on your powers for everything either," Helaine added, as if reading his mind. "You can channel Aether through your body—move faster, hit harder. Think of it like reinforcing yourself."
Evryn blinked, recalling something. Razek… That time those sparks burst from his legs when he leapt onto the platform—it wasn't just for show.
"If you learn how to control the Aether flowing through you," she continued, "you can enhance your strikes, your speed… even deliver a blow strong enough to knock someone out cold. Or more."
"Now, let's try again," Helaine said, raising her fists and slipping into her stance.
"Okay," Evryn mirrored her, exhaling deeply as he closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his thoughts to focus completely.
Then he moved—charging forward with speed, right fist pulled back, ready to strike.
Helaine's eyes locked onto the motion, bracing for the incoming hit.
Evryn closed the distance fast. He swung his right hook—and stopped it mid-motion. Her eyes narrowed.
It's a feint—
His left fist came from below, slamming into her side.
"Kh—!" Helaine gritted her teeth, stumbling slightly. But she recovered in an instant, grabbing Evryn's arm and pulling him forward. She ducked low, her right fist launching up—crack—an uppercut straight to his jaw.
Evryn's head snapped back. His teeth screamed in pain.
Before he could react, she used his momentum, yanked him around, and threw him to the ground.
He hit the floor hard.
His mouth opened from the blow, saliva slipping out—but his thoughts weren't on the pain.
I need to move. Now.
He looked up just in time to see her raise her right foot and swing it down—fast.
Evryn rolled.
Smack!
Her boot slammed into the ground where his head had been a second ago.
Crap. That would've cracked my skull in.
She moved again, twisting her hips into a powerful roundhouse kick, her right leg aiming straight for his head.
Smack!
It missed. Barely.
Evryn had rolled back just in time. His body trembled—heart racing, blood pumping. There was pain, sure, but also something else.
Thrill.
He sprang to his feet.
Helaine was already charging at him again. "Stop running!" she snarled, and slammed her fist into his chest.
The air rushed out of his lungs. He coughed—but then came her right hook.
Wham!
It clocked him in the face, sending him stumbling sideways.
His vision blurred, but instinct finally took over.
Don't think—move.
He twisted his body, mimicking Helaine's motion from earlier. But this time… something was different.
The air around him warped. Gravity bent. Power surged through his leg.
His kick launched—amplified by the strange force, pushing outward with crushing speed.
BAM!
Helaine saw it—just barely—but didn't have time to react. The kick slammed into the side of her head.
She stumbled back, clutching the side of her skull, dazed.
Evryn collapsed to the floor, his right foot throbbing from the force of the impact.
But he grinned.
I did it.
Same spot she got him earlier.
Payback.
Helaine gritted her teeth. She was pissed, but also impressed with what Evryn had just pulled off.
Soon, a smirk followed.
"Not bad, but I don't think I'm going to let you get away with hitting me like that."
Oh crap…