At a clearing in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of Unmei, not long after recess ended at Unmei High.


    "So...care to share why we are in the middle of the woods?" Mukarramma asked Judai as she observed her surroundings. She noted how there was no one besides her, Judai, and the rest of nature.


    Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above. It cast dappled shadows on the forest floor, a tapestry of vibrant greens and earthy browns. The air was crisp and fresh. It carried the subtle aroma of pine and damp leaves. Birds chirped melodiously in the distance, creating a symphony that harmonized with the rustling of leaves and the occasional snap of twigs underfoot.


    After silently walking up to a couple of meters away from Mukarramma, Judai finally turned around to face her. He stood between 40 to 45 meters away. This was perfect for what he had in mind. "Simple. We are here to start your training."


    Mukarramma tilted her head at Judai. "My training?"


    Judai nodded in response before explaining. "Yes. If I had to be honest, I expected it would take at least a few days for us to start with you recovering and thinking about accepting my offer. But since those two are no longer a factor, I figured starting now would be for the best."


    Mukarramma slowly nodded in understanding at Judai. "I see...so what do you have in mind?"


    "Nothing complicated. Just a simple spar between us, no dark barriers. Although I''ve seen your fight against Yoshino and the others, I get the feeling I''ve yet to see everything you''re capable of. Also, no need to worry about wasting magic. I''ve got plenty of it to share. So no need to hold back on that." As Judai finished saying that, he deactivated his human disguise, raised his fists, and positioned himself to attack. Mukarramma followed suit without needing him to tell her after getting caught by surprise briefly by Judai''s true appearance, if he had to guess how her eyes widened briefly.


    Judai and Mukarramma stared at each other, waiting until the imaginary bell that would start their fight rang. As Judai stared at Mukarramma''s stance, he couldn''t help but notice how she looked to be about to draw a card from her left and another from her right. That''s odd. Can''t see her pull cards from the front where she wouldn''t be left wide open? Or is it perhaps a personal choice of hers? That was something he would need to ask later when training was over.


    Pushing those thoughts aside, Judai considered the best approach for this fight. If I go all out, I probably would be fast enough to succeed in a direct, straightforward attack that would defeat her before she could do anything. But what would that show me and teach her? No. I suppose for both of us to get anything out of this, taking a page out of him and giving her a chance to act at least once might be for the best... Judai briefly nodded to himself, as he now knew what to do.


    "Now!" Judai declared before bolting in Mukarramma''s direction while going at speeds Judai thought were slow enough for her to react in time.


    Thankfully, Mukarramma didn''t waste the chance Judai gave her pulling one card with each hand from two small balls of dark fire that appeared by her left and right side after Judai declared the start of the spar.


    Judai saw as he quickly approached Mukarramma how the latter glanced between the two drawn cards for a split second before using the one in her right hand. "The Moon, effect!" She shouted before Judai''s fist collided with her face. The latter immediately heard the sound of something breaking. Judai wasn''t worried since he didn''t apply any dark magic to that punch. At most, it would only disorient Mukarramma for half a second.


    Judai watched Mukarramma''s body as it was launched a far distance away from him like a ragdoll. Or is it like a wooden puppet? Anyway, I suppose it was inevitable it would end like this, even when giving her the first move. At the very least, we have plenty of time to—


    Judai''s thoughts were cut short when Mukarramma''s body, which had finally landed on the ground, exploded in a blast of smoke not too different from Mukarramma''s summons whenever they were destroyed. What the—


    Judai''s thought process was interrupted again when he heard Mukarramma''s voice to his left. "Strength, effect!"


    Judai barely had time to glance where Mukarramma''s voice was coming from before seeing a punch quickly traveling to his face. Judai''s eyes widened in surprise before recovering just enough where he was able to turn a clean hit into a grazed one.


    Judai immediately jumped away from Mukarramma to gain distance. While he was in the middle of his jump, he noticed how the latter''s wooden body had been covered mostly from head to toe in medieval black full-plate wooden armor with hints of yellow-gold made out of even sturdier wood than her body. Only her long black hair was left for Judai to see. Interesting. So I guess she did have a card up her sleeve.


    After Judai landed on his feet, he decided to change his approach since a straightforward attack probably wouldn''t work anymore. "Phew, I''ll say. That trick you did back there almost caught me off guard. What was that?" Judai asked, pretending to stalk Mukarramma by calmly walking in circles around her and controlling his breathing so it wouldn''t make her suspicious of him as he ordered the termites underground to move right below her position.


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    Judai had gathered those termites while on his way to where they were now in the woods. He wasn''t sure if choosing termites or any other insects would make a difference. But just in case, he chose the ones that had experience eating through wood.


    Judai had also been tempted to buy a deodorant spray and a lighter for the fight. But he gave up as soon as he realized that Mukarramma would have a bug spray in their next spar.


    Mukarramma lifted up the visor in her armor. "Do you like it? That clone of mine that you just saw was an illusion created by The Moon''s effect. It allowed me to sneak up on you...or at least try to."


    Judai nodded, although his face couldn''t show it due to the limited expressions his insect face was capable of doing. He had been genuinely impressed by Mukarramma''s magic, especially because it hadn''t just fooled him. It had also fooled all the insects around them that Judai used to watch the fight through them. "And that armor? I figured you for more of a caster than a knight."


    "This," Mukarramma pointed at her armor''s chest plate. "Is Strength''s effect and my answer for any close-range fights. It makes me stronger and faster while giving me a suit of armor made out of one of the strongest woods on Earth, White Oak." Mukarramma proudly explained.


    Judai slowly nodded in understanding before frowning. "Wait, but...it''s black and yellow..." The bug-boy darkspawn pointed out.


    Mukarramma rolled her crimson eyes. "First of all, it''s yellow-gold. Second, have you never heard of a paint job? I obviously changed their color with magic." Mukarramma did a dramatic hair flip. "I thought it would fit me best. Don''t you think?" Mukarramma asked smugly to Judai.


    Just a little closer... Judai thought before shrugging. "I guess? But why wood? Even if it''s somehow the toughest wood in the universe, it''s still wood, isn''t it? I may not know much about metals, but I''m pretty sure steel would be more durable than wood in most cases."


    Mukarramma calmly wagged her finger at Judai. "Now that''s where you''re wrong!" She puffed her armored chest before placing a hand on it. "Thanks to my magic, this wooden armor is as strong as titanium! And before you ask, yes, I did test it—"


    Now! Judai ordered half of the termites below ground. Immediately, a swarm of wood-eating bugs surfaced from the ground and attacked a very surprised Mukarramma. Judai had enhanced the termites with his dark magic so Mukarramma couldn''t ignore them.


    Judai watched as Mukarramma closed her visor on reflex before attempting to brush off the termites flying all around her. "Wha-, what is this?!"


    Judai didn''t waste time as he rushed Mukarramma while she was distracted. If what she said about her armor being stronger than platinum is true,


    Judai activated his aura, applying dark magic to the rest of his body. I''ll need to attack as hard and fast to break it! Judai thought as he threw a punch straight at her helm and...


    CRUNCH.


    Judai frowned as although he had thrown a serious punch at Mukarramma, it had only dented the helm at the cost of crushing most of his fingers. This isn''t going to work. There should be a way to bypass this defense... Judai''s thoughts trailed off as he, now up close, noticed how Mukarramma''s armor had gaps in many places. Maybe I coul—


    Before Judai finished that thought, Mukarramma grabbed his arm with the broken hand faster than Judai could pull back. "Gotcha!" She said with glee.


    Judai''s eyes widened before he tried to get himself free by turning off his aura for a second. He wanted to cut off his arm so it would regenerate while he was free from Mukarramma''s grip.


    Judai might have been too obvious as Mukarramma shouted, "Not a chance!" She drew a card, glanced at it, and showed Judai that it had been The Magician, all in less than a second. Mukarramma''s seemingly indestructible armor inexplicably burst out into splinters when she drew the card.


    "The Magician, effect, sword!" Mukarramma shouted when Judai was just a millimeter away from cutting his arm. Immediately, an immense gust of wind, which Judai could only describe as small, tiny blades made out of air, came out from the tarot card. Said blades of air cut Judai in various places and killed all the termites surrounding Mukarramma.


    "Urrghh!" Judai gritted his teeth as the arm he wanted to cut off was instead chopped off by Mukarramma''s magic. The gust of wind pushed him back a couple of feet away from Mukarramma, making him fall to the ground.


    As Judai tried to recover his composure, Mukarramma approached him slowly, drawing a card and showing it to him. It was the Death tarot card. "So...did I satisfy you?!"


    As Judai looked up at Mukarramma, he couldn''t help but let out a smirk since he knew he had won. "Hold...that thought." As Judai finished saying that, the other half of the termites he had ordered to stay below ground just in case resurfaced and attacked Mukarramma. Her widened eyes more than indicated to Judai that she hadn''t expected that.


    "Arrrggghh!" Mukarramma screamed out in pain as the termites viciously bit through her wooden body. The pain might have been too much since she let go of the Death card in a panic.


    Not wanting to lose the only opportunity he had to win, Judai got off the ground and threw a punch aimed at Mukarramma''s torso. He staked every bit of magic he could on this one attack.


    Mukarramma''s eyes soon grew wide in shock as Judai''s punch went right through her wooden torso. "Bleerrgh!" Mukarramma immediately coughed up black blood.


    As Judai pulled his arm from Mukarramma''s torso, the latter immediately fell to the ground. Judai soon followed her. Both faced the blinding hot sun above them.


    Judai took a deep breath, focusing on using the dark magic he received to regenerate his wounds. As he felt his body slowly regenerating, he finally answered Mukarramma''s question: "Now...I''m satisfied. Although we may need to go a few more rounds..." Closing his eyes, the teenage darkspawn looked up through the eyes of the city''s insects, figuring enough time had passed since he last did it.


    Mukarramma frowned at that. "...Himar...bleurgh." Mukarramma cursed in an unfamiliar language to Judai before coughing up more black blood. The hole in her chest slowly regenerated little by little.


    Judai''s eyes soon snapped open. What he had seen made his face grow a serious frown. Without delay, he contacted Life through their mental link.