The trainee glanced at Leon before taking his position. The difference between them was difficult to ignore. Leon barely reached the older boy’s chest, and his arms were considerably shorter.
Rovan noticed the trainee holding back. "Don’t go easy on him because of his age. Treat this as a proper spar, but keep your strength under control."
"Yes, Commander."
"Begin," Rovan said, stepping back.
The trainee adjusted his stance and moved in cautiously, keeping his guard raised as he watched Leon’s movements. Even after Rovan’s instruction, he was reluctant to use his full strength against a child.
Leon kept his eyes on him, watching his approach. The trainee extended his right hand toward Leon’s shoulder. Leon shifted to the side and tried to close the distance, but the older boy took a longer step backward. His arm remained between them, keeping Leon just beyond his reach.
Leon frowned, and tried again, but from the other side. The trainee turned with him, keeping Leon in front of him.
Every time Leon stepped in, the older boy’s longer legs carried him out of the range, and every time the trainee stepped in, Leon had to adjust to a stance he wasn’t comfortable with. Neither of them could settle on a comfortable distance.
The trainee finally threw a controlled punch at Leon’s chest. Leon raised his forearm to block it, but extended his arm too far forward, leaving his elbow away from his body.
The punch struck his forearm and knocked it backward, forcing him to shift his rear foot to regain his balance. Before the trainee could follow up, Leon stepped forward and drove both palms against his chest.
The trainee stumbled back some steps, and stared down at him. The push had carried far more force than he expected from a boy that size.
Leon didn’t look pleased either. He had moved his opponent, but his own balance was badly set, so he had to stabilize himself before he could push forward again.
"Watch your footing," Marcus called from the edge of the practice area. Leon glanced towards the voice, and the trainee stepped forward, utilizing the opening. He stepped in and caught Leon’s wrist, intending to pull him off balance.
For a moment, the two of them fought against each other’s grip. The trainee leaned his weight into the pull, using his height, but Leon’s arm barely shifted. Seeing this, the trainee’s expression tightened.
Instead of stepping back, Leon stepped toward him. The sudden closeness surprised him, and their shoulders collided, sending them stumbling backwards.
The trainee recovered first and backed off two steps while Leon caught himself with a hand against the ground and pushed upright.
A few nearby trainees saw them fighting and stopped to watch.
"Don’t force your way through every exchange," Rovan called. "Find your footing first."
Leon nodded and returned to his position. The trainee settled again, but he no longer looked like someone humoring a child.
He lowered his stance and kept his hands close to his body. Instead of going forward, he waited, inviting Leon to come to him.
Leon seeing this smirked, and pushed towards left, and slid right as the trainee moved to block him, but his upper body was left open.
The trainee reached for his shoulder, but Leon twisted away, and caught his back. The trainee swung his other arm around, and Leon ducked beneath it and came up close to his side.
He drove his palm toward the trainee’s ribs, but the trainee shoved his shoulder, causing Leon to retreat, and only hitting his forearm instead. Leon slid backward across the ground, and stabilized himself a meter away.
The trainee stared at him, rolling his shoulder, and panting heavily, while Leon was still looking same.
At the edge of the practice area, a faint smile crossed Garret’s face. "He’s stronger than he looks."
Rovan watched the trainee carefully. "That last exchange caught him off guard. He’ll have to be more careful."
Marcus kept his eyes on Leon. He knew Leon hadn’t put his full strength behind that movement. He had seen enough of Leon’s practice to recognize the difference.
"His physical strength is quite unusual for his age," Rovan said. "Though his movements still lack refinement."
"He’s had little experience against other opponents," Marcus replied. "I brought him here for his technique refinement."
Garret chuckled. "Then these grounds should give him plenty of surprises."
"That’s what I have in mind," Marcus said, smiling faintly.
Rovan turned his attention back to the match. "Let’s see how he handles the next exchange."
Back in the practice area, the trainee didn’t approach directly, instead he circled around Leon, gradually narrowing the space between them.
Leon was beginning to understand his opponent’s style. His opponent wasn’t particularly fast, but he had enough experience to avoid the mistakes Leon kept making. Every opening Leon found, the trainee closed before he could use it.
Leon followed his movement, unwilling to let his opponent dictate the surrounding. When the trainee stepped forward, Leon tried to slip past him, but the he changed his direction and placed his foot across Leon’s path.
Leon pulled back just before their legs collided. The trainee used the moment to lower his body and sweep a leg toward Leon’s ankles.
Leon reacted quickly, hopping from the ground. However, he landed awkwardly, and reached toward the ground to steady himself.
The trainee came forward with a controlled strike toward his shoulder.
Leon raised his arm, trying to deflect it just enough to avoid taking the full impact. He pushed himself upright and moved in close before the trainee could extend his reach again.
His shoulder struck the trainee’s chest, disrupting his stance as he staggered half a step but managed to remain upright. He brought his arm around Leon’s back, attempting to control his movement.
Leon braced himself and pushed against his side. For a moment, their bodies remained locked together, neither able to move the other easily.
The older boy changed his footing and tried to turn Leon away from him. Leon tried to follow the movement, but his foot dragged across the ground as he nearly lost his balance.
Both stepped apart, maintaining distance.
Around the ground, group of trainees had gathered, discussing the fight in low voices. One of them leaned forward to get a better view, while another quietly exchanged a few words with his companion.
Leon shook his arm once and raised his guard again. His breathing was still steady, and a little dust had clung to his clothes. Across from him, the trainee was breathing hard.
He had expected to control the match through his reach, but Leon’s strength and unexpected movements had made that difficult.
The trainee advanced again, throwing a short punch toward Leon’s shoulder. Leon moved inward instead of retreating, allowing the strike to pass beside him. He caught the trainee’s wrist and turned his body, attempting to use the older boy’s forward movement against him.
The trainee tried to pull free, but Leon stepped closer and turned beneath him, holding his arms. His feet shifted into position, and he pulled sharply.
The trainee’s balance broke, and before he could recover, Leon turned his body. The trainee hit the ground on his back with a heavy thud, sending a small wind of dust across the practice area.
A few trainees nearby were shocked with the outcome.
Leon remained standing, though his feet were not perfectly positioned. He took a step back as the trainee tried to recover, keeping his guard raised.
"Enough!" Rovan’s voice cut through the sudden commotion.
Leon stopped, lowering his hands and watched him. The trainee pushed himself upright. There were dust at the back of his clothes, and he looked momentarily stunned by what had happened.
"Are you injured?" Rovan said, approaching the two.
"No, Commander," the trainee replied, brushing the dust from his clothes.
Rovan looked at Leon. "That was a good use of his forward momentum. But your footing was nearly lost before you completed the turn. You need to work on that."
Leon nodded. At his side the trainee gave him a respectful bow. "Thank you for the match, young master."
Leon acknowledged him with a slight nod, and went towards Marcus at the other side.
Garret was still standing beside him. His attention remained on the practice area, and a faint smile crossed his face. "That last throw was unexpected," he remarked. "I didn’t think the trainee would end up on his back."
"He has more strength than his size suggests, but he still needs to learn how to use it properly," Marcus said, watching Leon approach.
Leon stopped beside them, listening.
"How was your first match?" Marcus said, looking down at him.
Leon thought for a moment. "It was harder than I expected," he said. "He kept moving away whenever I tried to get close, and kept changing his approach."
"That’s the difference. During practice, I guide you through techniques and correct your mistakes. An opponent won’t do that. He’ll keep adjusting to whatever you try," Marcus said, nodding.
Leon nodded, and shifted his attention back toward the practice rings. Another match was already taking place. He watched the spar, studying their movements and techniques.
There was much more he needed to learn, and these spars would give him the opportunity to do so.