The Married Life Of Immortals

Bane's heart raced as he struggled to keep up with Ezio's unpredictable movements. Each time Ezio vanished, Bane tightened his grip on Kyōka and Yume, relying on his instincts and the enhanced perception granted by his mana-infused eyes. The blue glow of the veins in his eyes pulsed with each surge of mana, helping him to track Ezio's rapid shifts.

Ezio appeared behind Bane, his daggers slicing through the air with lethal precision. Bane twisted just in time, raising his swords to deflect the blow. The clang of metal echoed through the training hall, drawing the attention of the other disciples who had gathered to watch the duel.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Ezio snarled, his voice a low, dangerous growl. He lunged again, aiming for Bane's side, but Bane spun away, countering with a swift strike of his own.

Bane's blade grazed Ezio's arm, drawing a thin line of blood. The sight of the wound seemed to enrage Ezio further. He vanished once more, reappearing in a flash to deliver a flurry of attacks that forced Bane to retreat.

"You think you can provoke me and get away with it?" Ezio hissed, his movements growing more erratic and aggressive.

Bane could feel his muscles straining under the relentless assault. He channeled more mana into his arms, enhancing his strength and speed. He needed to turn the tide of this fight, to prove that he wasn't just a punching bag for Ezio's frustrations.

With a burst of energy, Bane surged forward, Yume creating a copy of himself. The first was cut through, but Bane was right behind it with only Kyōka in his hand, bringing the blade up in a vertical crescent slash, fully charged with lunar energy. Ezio had no choice but to block, and Bane knew this, so at the last second, he channeled all his remaining mana as fire into his arms. The connection created a shockwave, but Ezio was the one sent flying back into the wall of the training ground.

Bane, covered in sweat, collapsed to his knees, his vision starting to get blurry again. He knew he had pushed too hard again, and used all of his mana, but it had been worth it. Beating Ezio was all that he really cared about, and he would deal with Lysia's scolding after.

"You really think you are special, don't you?" A cold voice asked as the rubble from the wall was pushed aside.

Bane turned his head slowly to see Ezio get up out of the mess the impact of his body had made without even so much as a scratch on him. Even the cut Bane had made was gone. Only his red bandages that covered him were dusty, and torn in a few places showed any wear from the fight, but the assassin's body was unharmed.

'I tried to tell you,' Eve sighed.

A wave of emotions passed through Bane, but he pushed himself off the ground, and all thoughts of how bad this was out of his head. He had made his bed of nails, and now it was time to lay in it.

"Yeah, I do. What about you? Anything special about you? Or does it even matter since you would rather scowl at people then get close to them?" Bane growled, summoning Kyōka and Yume back to his hands.

Ezio’s eyes narrowed, his gaze a deadly mix of anger and determination. "You think you can understand me? You think you can just waltz in here and change everything? You don’t know what it’s like to be in my shoes."

Ezio’s words hung heavy in the air, but Bane wasn’t in the mood for a heart-to-heart. He tightened his grip on Kyōka and Yume, feeling the weight of his exhaustion but refusing to back down.

"Maybe I don’t know what it’s like to be you," Bane replied, his voice steady despite the fatigue. "But I do know what it’s like to fight for something. And I’m not backing down."

Ezio’s lips curled into a snarl, and without another word, he lunged at Bane, his movements a blur. Bane braced himself, but he was out of gas, and this was only going to end one way. Lucky for Bane, a certain pair of Masters had been watching the fight.

Before Ezio could reach Bane, a full-sized elf with white hair appeared between them. In the next second, Mizuage waved one of his sleeves, and Ezio's body was crushed to the ground by an invisible force.

"While I am sure that my master deserved the near death experience you had planned to give him, I as not only his servant, but the Master of the Sect he belongs to can not very well watch you bully him any further," Mizuage said with cold indifference and then turned to give Bane a sideways look. "I thought that we just spoke about using your words to deal with your problems?"

Bane wanted to be respectful, considering his situation, but he really didn't like this whole talking thing. "Senior Mizuage. Can you honestly tell me that you could have talked your way out of this? You know that he sneak attacked me as soon as I came here, right? What happened to “strength rules all”?"

Mizuage put a hand to his head as he looked between the two full grown men trapped in children's bodies. "That rule only applies if you have the strength, which you clearly don't or I wouldn't have had to stop this one from beating you within an inch of your life. Though," Mizuage said, then glanced back at Ezio, who was still plastered on the ground. "This one does seem quite unreasonable, hmm."

As Mizuage released Ezio from the invisible force pinning him down, the atmosphere in the training hall remained tense. Bane stood there, catching his breath, his grip still firm on Kyōka and Yume. Ezio slowly pushed himself up from the ground, his expression unreadable but his anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Enough," Mizuage's voice cut through the silence. His tone was firm yet measured. "Ezio, return to your quarters and cool off. Bane, come with me."