Sally: So, are you ready, Sakolomé?
Sally stood before him, ready to pounce like a wild animal about to hunt. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she seemed to be waiting only for a signal to attack.
Sakolomé took a deep breath, trying to calm his agitated mind.
Sakolomé: Yes, I'm ready!
As soon as he spoke, Sally sprang into action with a bewildering agility.
Sakolomé watched her movements closely, his eyes scrutinizing every gesture of Sally like a predator watching its prey. Yet, he remained calm, almost serene.
Sally performed a series of impressive acrobatics, gaining height before descending upon him with a lightning-fast kick that split the air.
Sakolomé muttered to himself:
Sakolomé: This is also an opportunity to see if…
But he didn't have time to finish his sentence. The kick arrived with terrifying precision. With a smooth and precise movement, Sakolomé raised his arm to block the attack.
A mischievous smile appeared on Sally's face.
Sally: Well done!
She jumped back agilely, landing gracefully a few meters away from him.
On his side, Sakolomé was already analyzing the situation. He had felt the power behind that kick. For a normal human, Sally hit incredibly hard—much more than he would have imagined—but she hadn't yet reached the level of Salomé or other opponents he had faced before.
Sally didn't give him time to think further and charged again with a series of rapid and varied attacks. Blow after blow, Sakolomé parried them without apparent difficulty, his movements precise and calculated.
Sally: You defend yourself really well! It's incredible!
Her voice betrayed growing excitement in the face of the combat's intensity.
But Sakolomé remained silent. He continued to dodge and counter methodically without ever going on the offensive. His movements were fluid, almost elegant, like a perfectly mastered dance.
Intrigued by this complete lack of counterattack, Sally suddenly stopped her attacks and crossed her arms in front of him.
Sally: Sakolomé… Why don't you counterattack?
The silence persisted for a moment before she spoke again with a more insistent tone:
Sakolomé: Listen carefully! What's the point of being evaluated if you refuse to defend yourself seriously? Why are you acting like this? Explain yourself!
Faced with this direct question, Sakolomé hesitated for a moment before finally responding:
Sakolomé: Actually… I don't want to hurt you. And besides… I generally don't like hitting girls. It's something that makes me uncomfortable… My mother always taught us that it's disrespectful to raise a hand against a woman.
At these words, Sally burst into a frank and mocking laugh that echoed throughout the room.
Sally: Hahaha! So what? Are you a common sexist? Do you think women are weak and don't even deserve that you fight seriously against them?!
The remark stung Sakolomé. He immediately tried to defend himself:
Sakolomé: No! It's not that at all! I swear… It's just how my mother educated us! She kept repeating that we should never hit a woman… never!
The mocking smile on Sally's face gradually disappeared to make way for a more serious expression.
Sally: And if this woman were a threat to humanity? What would you do then?
This question hit home. Sakolomé remained silent for a few moments, lost in thought.
Sakolomé: Hum… That's a great question… In that case… I suppose I would try to neutralize her without hurting her too much.
But Sally wasn't going to let him get away that easily.
Sally: And if she were stronger than you? More powerful than anything you can imagine? What would you do then?
A shiver ran down Sakolomé's spine as he thought about this hypothesis.
Sakolomé: Well… That would really be a dilemma…
A mysterious smile appeared on Sally's face—a smile that suddenly seemed icy and terrifying.
Sally: Very well… In that case, I'll put you face to face with this dilemma right now!
Without waiting for his response, she pulled out a remote control from her pocket and pressed a button.
Instantly, the room was filled with strident alarm sounds as the lights turned to a deep red. The walls transformed into imposing metal plates that seemed to shrink the space around them.
Surprised by this sudden change, Sakolomé looked around with concern.
Sakolomé: What are you doing?!
But Sally didn't respond immediately. A vibrant green aura began to surround her with force, making her hair float as if carried by an invisible wind.
Salomé watched the scene from a corner of the room with eyes wide with amazement.
Salomé: Wow…
The atmosphere became oppressive. The gravity seemed to intensify throughout the room as the temperature soared, forcing even Sakolomé to sweat profusely.
Then suddenly… Sally vanished.
Sakolomé frantically scanned the surroundings.
Sakolomé: Where is she?!
Before he could understand what was happening, he saw a foot appear right in front of his face—ready to strike with devastating force. With an instinctive reflex, he dodged just in time and performed a backward somersault to gain distance.
Sakolomé: What? Can Sally move that fast too?
Behind him, Sally reappeared in a flash and grabbed his shirt with a firm grip.
Sally: Take that!
She flung him forward like a rag doll.
He managed to regain his balance in mid-air and landed calmly on the ground.
But before he could catch his breath, Sally appeared in front of him again and launched a powerful blow that he barely dodged. Sally's foot struck the ground with such force that it shook the entire room around them.
Realizing that Sally's strength had increased significantly since the start of the fight, he jumped back to gain ground. But she stretched out her arm in his direction, and he felt himself immobilized as if invisible chains bound him.
Sakolomé: What's happening to me?
With a determined gesture, she pulled her hand towards her, and he found himself drawn towards her without understanding how it was happening.
At that moment, he approached defenselessly; she took advantage of it to deliver a powerful blow to his stomach. The impact sent him bouncing painfully onto the metal floor.
Before he could regain control of his movements or even think about his next action, she appeared directly in front of him and kicked him like a ball thrown with force.
Sally's speed and attack style left him no respite. She used her telekinesis to pull Sakolomé towards her while creating opportunities to chain multiple attacks relentlessly.
He realized that her power was comparable to Bakuran's when he used his mana. In terms of the intensity of the blows, she rivaled Bakuran while having a tactic similar to Salomé's.
In this desperate phase of the fight for Sakolomé, Sally clearly dominated the round.
Desperately trying to escape Sally's relentless attacks, Sakolomé disappeared and reappeared several meters behind her in a desperate attempt to escape her grasp.
Sally: Are you going to keep running?! Sakolomé?!
She charged towards him with the same intensity as before.
The combat intensified in every possible way; each movement was charged with raw energy and conflicting emotions.
Intrigued by the rigorous training Sally must have undergone to become so powerful—he who thought she was just a girl from a rich family—he realized that appearances are often deceiving.
Salomé followed the fight with concentration; she felt like she was watching an action movie where every blow carried dramatic stakes.
As Sakolomé took more distance to observe Sally, who suddenly stopped attacking:
Sally: Why do you always refuse to counterattack? Am I not threatening enough to make you act?
With sincerity in his voice, Sakolomé replied:
Sakolomé: If…
He took a deep breath before continuing:
Sakolomé: You are very strong, Sally; I can see that even now you're not yet at full strength, but your power is already extraordinary!
A spark in Sally's eyes betrayed her surprise at Sakolomé's sincere words.
Sally: Are you saying that to flatter me?
He vigorously shook his head in denial.
Sakolomé: Not at all! I'm very serious! Normally, I would have tried to neutralize you…
Frowning, Sally retorted:
Sally: So why don't you?
With emotion in his voice, Sakolomé explained:
Because you are not only a girl but also my friend; if you were a stranger, I think I would really act differently. But facing my friend... I could never forgive myself for hurting you. It's like with Salomé; during training, it's always the same; I can't hurt those who are dear to me!
Blushing suddenly under the effect of Sakolomé's touching words, bright lights appeared in her eyes as she awkwardly tried to hide her embarrassment by coughing lightly:
Anyway... let's stop here for today!
Her aura disappeared instantly as she pulled out the remote control and pressed it. The room returned to its original state where they had started their initial training.
Exhausted after the intense fight and covered in sweat, Sally realized she needed a good bath after so much physical effort.
She said with a sigh:
I really deserve a good bath! I hate feeling sweaty!
Salomé added with enthusiasm:
You both were incredible! That was a magnificent fight!
With a complicit smile illuminating her tired but happy face after this intense friendly exchange, Sally replied:
Yeah... but admit it! Sakolomé is just a coward!
Surprised by this teasing but affectionate remark, Sakolomé asked:
What?
Salomé burst into laughter at the young man's desperate attempt to defend himself against Sally's friendly teasing, which she refused to listen to his sincere but clumsy justifications.
After that, after taking a refreshing shower and feeling clean now, Sally sat on her bed with Sakolomé and Salomé; they discussed various topics joyfully, thus strengthening their friendly bonds in a warm and relaxed atmosphere where each could express their thoughts freely without fear or judgment.