Time Turner

A nerve suit was nothing more than a suit that stimulated the wearer's nerve and prevents an object to penetrate the skin. But a hit that was too hard would definitely leave a bruise. Something that could be easily solved with a visit to the infirmary.

"Alfi!" Henry greeted the moment his eyes landed on Alfizar. He dragged along the poor Dioz by his neck. Followed by the amused duo behind him.

"You are going to spar?" Alfizar eyed the nerve suit they wore. Then to the modified bow and arrows on Dioz back. The arrows head was not sharp but look like a small mechanic claw. These arrows were specially made for CDC. So it would stick to the hit target until it was 'pulled out'.

"Yeah, someone needs to blow off some steam." Henry started to mess Dioz's hair as if he was a child. Dioz grabbed Henry's hand then throw it off his head.

"Get on the arena already!" Dioz shouted to Henry then he glared at the kid who still hanging around Alfizar and Rachzi. He angrily gets to the arena. Henry chuckled as he shook his head amused while muttered something sounds like "puberty". And an angry "I heard that!" shouted followed soon after the offending comment.

"Watch me okay? When the Captain clear you to get into the Combat Simulation, I will personally teach you how to be a pro combatant." Henry's lips went up into brilliant a smile to Alfizar.

"Then show me what you got!" Alfizar laugh. Sure, he is working hard on his strength now. So he could learn what he probably will need in the future. The unknown future that was still a mystery to him. He has to work harder! To protect his family!

Henry hopped on to the third arena, then slowly, a glass wall went down to caged them in. That was a glass that will protect the spectators from any kind of attack from the duel inside, regardless it was dangerous or not.

It was a thick glass that could withstand a few bullet shots. The glass cage closed off tightly, a hologram display light up almost immediately on the glass. It was displaying the information of the combatant inside along with their 'virtual' condition.

[Name: Dioz Hanson

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Weapon: Bow (20 arrows), a Handgun, a Dagger

Condition: Unharmed]

[VS]

[Name: Henry Leonore

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Weapon: Personalize guns, 4 Dagger

Condition: Unharmed]

["Prepare yourself!"] A mechanical voice suddenly sounded out near arena 3.

["The fight begin in, 20, 19, 18, ..."] As the voice counted down, Dioz took one of his arrow from his back, while Henry held a dagger with each hand with a reverse-grip. Then Henry took a fighting stance as if he did not hold the dagger at all.

["... , 10, 9, ..."]

"You are not going to use your gun?" Dioz raised one of his eyebrows.

["... , 5,4, ..."]

"I'm going easy on you!" Henry grinned widely, but his eyes remained serious. "And you need to move to blow off some steam. Which is something you can't do by only pulling the gun's trigger." Dioz snorted in response, clearly, his mood was still sour.

["... , 1. Begin!"]

After the cue of the mechanical voice, Dioz pulled his bowstring and aimed at Henry's heart. Aiming for an instant kill. He continuously released three arrows. Although the speed of him releasing the arrows was not as good as a professional archer, it was already impressive knowing who his sister was.

Henry dodged the first arrow then punch the second and third arrow on the shaft. He could slice the arrow shaft with a really sharp dagger and a little force, but the daggers he holds only a fake, so instead, he punched the shaft.

The best way to fight a long-range fighter was to close off the distance. So Henry began to advanced closer to the archer as he dodges another four arrows.

Seeing Henry shorten the distance between them, Dioz rapidly back off as he aimed an arrow at Henry's heart, but he released the arrow towards the feet of the unsuspecting target.

The upper body would easily dodge, but the center of gravity did not have such a luxury until they trained it, to move as fast as they wished. Another arrow follows after to Henry's feet.

Henry almost tripped when he dodged the unexpected arrow. But he caught himself before he faces planted to the unforgiving floor. Still, unfortunately for Henry, an arrow manage to scratch his t.h.i.g.h.

"Hey! It was unfair!" Henry shouted with a mocked hurt face to conceal the groan of pain that about to come out. The nerve suit light up a line of light yellow where the arrow scratched him, the pain was real.

But, as someone who has participated a duel like this for many times, this pain was nothing to him. He did not waste any more time as he continues to advance towards Dioz.

"There is nothing fair in a fight!" Dioz blocked Henry's dagger with his bow. He reached for his own daggers in the waist pouch, but he failed to take it out as a dagger slashed his wrist. His nerve suit around his wrist light up a pale red as it would be a nasty wound if it was not for the special weapon and nerve suit.

***

From the outside of the glass cage, Alfizar watched the duel Henry and Dioz had. The glass cage will display the participant's condition as the duel goes on.

"Argh!!" Dioz screamed in pain right after the dagger slashed his wrist away from the pouch. A line lights up with a pale red to indicate a pretty bad wound on Dioz wrist.

The glass cage displayed a human figure as Dioz and show the spectators where he was wounded. A fast heartbeat and how much the blood have loss was also displayed.

"That must have hurt" Vianzo cringed at Dioz's shouted of pain. They watched as the duel continued with Henry easily gained the advantage.

"That was why it was never a good idea to fight with unstable emotions" Rachzi explained.

"And he was very angry earlier," Alfizar add in his five cents.

"Because of a certain kid," Frans glanced at the only kid in their group. Then he simultaneously received two smacked on his head.

"Filter your mouth for once!" Rachzi smacked his head. "Sooner or later, you will offend someone with that mouth of yours unintentionally."

"Don't be cruel! He is only a kid!" Alfizar said after Rachzi reprimanded Frans. Vianzo who was too far to give his own smack was snickering over Frans situation. Even Alfizar now begin to get the group's habit of smacking Frans's head. Raelan makes a face to mock Frans.

"And it was his own fault! I'm teaching him to be a respectable gentleman! Not a playboy!" The kid pointed accusingly at the dueling Dioz.

"Argh!" Their attention was brought back to the fighting arena when they heard a shouted of pain.