This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 27

Today, it would all end.

Unknown leapt backward as a gleaming blade split the air mere centimeters from her face, landing firmly on her feet as her eyes found the dagger. She activated her quirk and ripped it from Traceback's hand. The knife flew through the air and pierced the truck of a large tree behind her, the blade producing a deep thud as it lodged halfway into the rough bark. Traceback grit her teeth, her brows drawing in concentration as she quickly rushed forward. In a moment, she was in front of Unknown once again, both hands balled into fists as she aimed a punch at her stomach. The older girl twisted away just in time to avoid the blow, quickly moving to grab at her arm, but Traceback managed to slip out of her grasp and darted past her. The redhead made a beeline for the blade, leaping up and forcibly dislodging it with a single hard swipe- the dark handle was still warm. She wasted no time in charging forward once again, reaching Unknown faster than the eye could follow. The blade flashed as it drew a sharp arc in front of her, nicking the other girl's shirt as she leapt back, followed immediately by a barrage of swipes and stabs that were nearly too quick to track. Unknown's brows furrowed in concentration as she rapidly twisted and ducked and dodged the relentless assault, her eyes darting as they followed the spot of light reflecting off the silver blade. She spotted her chance as the dagger jabbed upwards. It whistled past her nose as she leaned back sharply, Traceback immediately moving to follow with another attack, however her eyes widened as a hand shot up to grip her upper arm, forcing it upwards from below. She barely had time to register the sharp discomfort before another hand grabbed her raised fist and twisted it harshly. The sun bounced off the blade and shone directly into her eyes, causing the girl to instinctively squeeze them shut. The moment she looked away, however, a cold dread settled in her stomach. She felt a sharp kick to the back of her knees as the hand on her arm shoved her backward, sending her toppling over. She had no time to try and save herself before her back met the hard ground.

The dirt was cold as it pressed against her, even through her insulated training attire. The stray pebbles and twigs jabbed at her uncomfortably, and a large root dug awkwardly into the base of her spine. Her deep red hair, usually straight and well-kept, was tousled all around her, falling in a tangled, dirty halo. The distant treetops swayed gently as her gaze cast to the morning sky, the branches all but barren, having yielded the last of their leaves to the winter chill not long ago. It was almost perfectly cloudless, the calm blue sky fully visible before her, foretelling pleasant weather for the day.

A hand peeked into her field of vision, drawing her attention away from quiet treetops. Traceback shook her head in gentle refusal as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"You're getting faster."

She glanced up at Unknown who now leaned against a thin tree next to her, passive eyes focused elsewhere.

"Thank you," she tried to offer a small smile, though it didn't quite work.

Traceback had little confidence in herself at the best of times, and it was only magnified during training. She knew she was rather lacking when compared to the others, and she could never seem to catch up.

Physically, Horus was the strongest of the four. Despite being the same age as herself, he was much taller, well-built, and relentlessly strong. He was the most skilled hand-to-hand fighter out of them all, to the point where none of them would spar with him without the added advantage of a weapon or quirk. He was not necessarily aggressive by nature, but over the years, he had become more reliant on his brute force and harsh personality when dealing with whatever problems he might encounter. By no means did his strength come by chance either; he was entirely dedicated to physical training, never passing up on an opportunity to become stronger. He trained whenever possible, even during harsh weather or sickness, setting him apart as the most driven out of the four. He never aimed to be anything less than the best of them all, and he wouldn't stop working until he got there.