The fight erupted once more.
This time, however, it wasn't a simple exchange of fists.
We both had weapons.
We were both using our abilities.
And the difference between us became painfully obvious.
As powerful as my weapon was, I lacked refinement.
Every transformation required conscious effort. I couldn't seamlessly shift between weapon forms the way Kurono did. Every time I wanted to change from a sword to a spear, or from a hammer to an axe, there was the slightest delay—a pause that someone with enough experience could easily exploit.
Thankfully...
Three months of fighting Sai's dolls wasn't for nothing.
Those relentless simulations had drilled the fundamentals of weapon combat into me. My movements weren't elegant, but they were efficient. Every block, every swing, every adjustment came from countless hours of getting beaten over and over until my body learned what my mind couldn't.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
The shaping became easier.
The smoke obeyed my thoughts with less resistance, each transformation becoming smoother than the last.
I had to admit, though...
Most of the reason I'd chosen Kurono's ability wasn't because it was the perfect counter to Aqualad.
It was because it looked ridiculously cool.
Ever since I was a kid, I'd thought being able to create any weapon I wanted was one of the sickest powers imaginable. Swords, spears, hammers, scythes—you name it.
It was a deeply personal dream.
So now that I had the chance to actually experience it...
There was no way I wasn't taking full advantage.
Honestly, this was a huge win for me.
I'd always assumed I'd eventually have to sweet-talk Hal Jordan into giving me a few lessons on hard-light constructs and weapon creation.
Turns out...
I already had a great teacher..memory plus facing aqualad helped in many ways as i was getting the hang of it.
After what felt like an eternity of clashing steel, fire, water, and black smoke, we finally broke apart.
The sudden silence felt almost strange.
For a brief moment, neither of us moved.
We simply stared at one another.
I had to admit...
Aqualad was good.
Really good.
His control over water, his footwork, his ability to read my movements—it all came together in a way that only years of experience could produce.
Honestly...
I wanted to keep going.
There was still so much I wanted to test.
So many weapon combinations I hadn't even tried yet.
But one look at him was enough.
His breathing had become noticeably heavier, and the water orbiting his body had slowed considerably.
He'd reached his limit.
It reminded me, once again, just how absurd my own stamina had become after three months of Sai's training.
With the Blue Core constantly supplying my body with energy, exhaustion rarely had a chance to catch up to me. I could fight for hours if I needed to, recovering almost as quickly as I spent that energy.
That didn't make me invincible, though.
My muscles could still ache.
My body could still break.
Pain still hurt just as much as it always had.
It simply took a lot longer before fatigue became a real problem.
I rested the warhammer over my shoulder before letting it dissolve back into drifting black smoke.
"Let's call it a day here."
The flames surrounding my body faded, followed shortly by the smoke.
"I'm suddenly in the mood to try some pizza..."
I looked up at the sky, pretending to think deeply.
"...and hot cocoa."
Aqualad blinked.
"...Hot cocoa?"
"Yeah."
"It's the middle of the day."
"So?"
"..."
"..."
"I've been punched around for the better part of an hour."
I shrugged.
"I think I've earned it."
Behind us, Wally threw both hands into the air.
"Finally! Someone around here has their priorities straight."
I pointed at him without taking my eyes off Aqualad.
"See? Wally gets me."
"I get pizza."
"...Fair enough."
I stretched my arms over my head as we walked out of the training room, every joint in my body popping in satisfaction.
Now that was a workout.
As we stepped into the hallway, I noticed a row of locker rooms built into the side of the training complex.
I pointed toward them.
"Mind if I take a shower? That workout was intense."
"Huh?"
Kara blinked before following where I was pointing.
"Oh... sure. Just don't take forever."
"No promises."
She rolled her eyes, though I could still see the curiosity lingering on her face.
Honestly, everyone had been giving me that look ever since the spar ended.
I wasn't exactly sure whether they were impressed...
...or trying to figure out what the hell they had just witnessed.
Probably both.
Grabbing a clean towel from one of the storage shelves, I headed down the hallway.
"I'll show you where everything is," Wally volunteered before jogging after me.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Besides..." he grinned. "Someone has to make sure you don't accidentally wander into the girls' locker room."
"...Fair point."
The two of us disappeared around the corner.
—
Meanwhile...
Inside one of the Watchtower's secured briefing rooms, Batwoman stood silently before a wall of holographic monitors.
With a few taps across the console, the recording of the entire sparring match finished uploading.
Upload Complete.
She opened a secure Justice League channel.
Three windows immediately appeared on the display.
Batman.
Wonder Woman.
And Cyborg.
Three of the League's senior members.
Superman was noticeably absent.
Not because he wasn't interested.
Quite the opposite.
Clark had always believed people deserved a chance to explain themselves before being judged. Unless a situation demanded his immediate attention, he preferred not to involve himself in intelligence reviews or psychological assessments.
Batman, however...
Batman preferred to know everything first.
The recording began to play.
None of them spoke.
Not during the opening exchange.
Not when Kai activated Shinra's speed.
Not even when Aqualad started taking the fight seriously.
It wasn't until black smoke began pouring from Kai's flames and the first weapon formed in his hand that the silence was finally broken.