Safe With You | 𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐢

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 | You Can Do Better Than That

"Ugh," Y/N spit out blood as the air was whacked out of her lungs, "Shit, Maki. Take a chill please."

"Would one of the Kyoto students just 'take a chill' if you begged them to like you're begging me now?" The green-haired girl looked down at the first year laying in the dirt. She adjusted her glasses and observed the other groups around them. "This event is serious, Y/N. I don't want to hurt you, but if you don't get hurt then you won't get stronger."

Y/N stared up at the clouds above her head, cursing whoever had made this exchange event a thing. That morning Gojo had left his four students in the hands of the second years, who were to be in charge of training them for the Exchange Event with the Kyoto school in two weeks. Panda explained the basic format of the group battle and the individual battles. Typically, the third years would be competing but their recent suspension ruled them ineligible to compete.

This event is going to be the death of me. I will die right here on this dirt if this keeps going.

Y/N closed her eyes, trying to find any possible excuse to get Maki to give her a break.

"Get up."

Her eyes snapped open at his voice. Megumi stood over her with demon dog by his side.

"Get up. You can do better."

He walked away without an explanation and returned to his fight with Panda. Demon dog gave her a bump and trotted after his master.

She laid in the dirt for a second longer in shock.

Was he disappointed or was he trying to be motivating?

Y/N shook away the confusion and stood up to face Maki again.

"Are you ready now?"

"So ready."

The younger girl made the first move and Maki returned with the same ferocity as earlier. It became evident that just throwing cards wouldn't get Y/N any further than it did last time. Y/N poured all her focus into studying Maki's strategies.

The second year was gifted with incomprehensible speed and agility, but that didn't make her immune to anything. Y/N needed a strategy soon or she would end up eating grass again if something didn't change.

"It's just another card game..." the first year started muttering out loud while dodging Maki's staff.

In that moment everything fell into place.

Instead of channeling her energy to just propel the cards, Y/N grabbed a handful of cards and fanned them out. She enveloped each card in cursed energy and let go.

They hung suspended in the air and she began to move them at will. As Maki went for another swing, Y/N moved the hovering cards into a line the length of her staff and blocked the hit.

Maki raised her eyebrows, impressed by the last-second save. Y/N kept toying with her new technique and moved the cards around in different ways. She lashed out with them as if they were a larger blade but it didn't function well. They were easily knocked away by Maki's defensive strikes. After that failed test, Y/N opted to keep this as a defensive technique.

Y/N fanned another handful of cards and sent them levitating to replace the fallen ones . She slowly got a hang of the floating cards and focused on finding a way to attack her opponent. This may be a more interesting fight than previous attempts, but Y/N knew she couldn't win if she stayed on defense.

"Throwing cards and blocking hits isn't going to work forever, Y/N"

"I'm aware, Maki."

"Keep thinking," the older girl mentored between hits, "Just like you developed your new technique, find a void in your combat repertoire and create something to fill it in."