Douluo Dalu: 1st Cycle: Dancing Panda

2 hours in they completely stopped using their Soul Ring abilities. They almost ran out of Soul Power, but the two still wanted to spar. That didn't change the situation though. Wu Siduo was still leagues ahead of him, if not more. 

This turned into a full exchange of combat experience. Facing someone with abundant experience, would greatly boost one's own. However, the more Karni got used to the Bo Staff, the more she seemed to read his moves. It was bizarre.

Despite his growth, the frustration was already built up immensely. He hit the ground, again adding to the frustration. Wu Siduo breathed. She's also become exhausted after an all-day training session. "Next one will be the last one, otherwise this will be more damaging to us than useful." This alone told Karni how tired she felt. The sun was setting already. They've been here for hours.

This realisation made Karni be conscious of his own tired body. But more than that, the realisation fuelled his frustration. So many hours. So many! And he hadn't made her hit the ground once! The more he was thinking about it, the more the harsh truth of just how inexperienced he was kicked in. Forget getting home; this flaw had to be fixed before there would be any hope for getting home at all.

Truthfully, he wasn't that unskilled, she was an oddity instead. Other children were just as inexperienced as he was. After today's spars he should even be above most of them in terms of combat expertise. Unfortunately, he only had Wu Siduo for comparison. He didn't have a proper way to gauge his own skill level. What he thought about himself right now…

'I suck ass… If I just had a bit more power. I can't even deliver a strong enough hit to get her on the ground, even if I do hit her!' A lightbulb lit up in his head. 'Wait a minute. There might be a way."

Constant frustration as well as dealing with it and not letting yourself be consumed by it led to growth. He collected himself almost too easily. He felt newly energised by his new thought. "One last round then?" He looked at her, trying to hide a smile.

"Hmm? What are you planning?" Noticing the change in his mentality, Wu Siduo became suspicious.

"It's a secret." He stopped hiding his smile and readied his Martial Soul.

Siduo shrugged. "One last round." He was about to do something unexpected, but expecting the unexpected is easier said than done. Either way, she enjoyed this feeling. Going out with a bang in the final spar.

She dashed toward him, like she did so many times today. He looked calm. For a change. It was his last chance today. His beating heart betrayed his excitement and nervousness. Could he get her? At least once?

He needed the perfect set up. Something he hadn't done today. As she was two thirds through the way already, he suddenly threw his Bo Staff at her!

A Tool System Soul Master can resummon their martial soul in their hand, but this still took some time. Wu Siduo's best guess was that this was his plan. And she could use this against him. She's faster.

This was probably the fastest Karni attacked today. It was thrown directly at her from a somewhat close distance. This split second decision did catch her off guard. Her eyes followed the Bo Staff closely. She could immediately speed at Karni once she dodged it. 

She dodged to the side and as she planned, was about to speed up full force into Karni, but a hand greeted her instead. A big, yet incredibly soft hand. Long soft fur of black and white. It caught her off guard, but it wasn't fast.

Her claws changed as well. At the very last moment she suddenly got big white arms, with a different set of claws: shorter, but stronger and wider. Like Karni's, it was a lot slower than her previous attacks, but faster than Karni's. Enough to catch up.

The giant paw and big white claws clashed. A crash and a stop. Caught in a stalemate, for a split second. The force rebounded on them both. Karni could feel his hand actually bend a little weird. They bounced off, as if from some elastic surface. It was too much force for either of them to control. Too much for their current bodies at least. Wu Siduo has, finally, dirtied her ass like Karni has countless times today.

She looked back at him and there was a look of helplessness. She muttered under her breath. "Should've seen it coming."

What she saw was Karni, taller and a little fatter than before. He was covered by black and white fur, and his overall appearance resembled that of a small panda in a weird human form. He, too, was on the ground, but there was a smile on his face.

He stood up and stepped towards her to help her get up. As weird as she was, this was incredibly fruitful for him.

"Congrats. You caught me by surprise, I guess this is a draw." She wasn't angry, she was smiling. "So, you have Twin Martial Souls huh?" 

His second Martial Soul was hidden from most people. It was a strategy that would only work once, and likely won't be a viable strategy when they are stronger.

Originally, he wasn't going to reveal it, but the frustration got to him, and honestly, she didn't seem like a bad person. Just an annoying one. Besides, she revealed her own Martial Soul as well. Even if he knew about it beforehand, it was an equal exchange of trust. Revealing Martial Souls didn't feel like such a big deal when it was only the two of them.

"Sorry if it seems a bit underhanded, but I really wanted to see you fall at least once." He tried being apologetic, but it was hard when he wore a giant grin on his face. He was clearly satisfied with the result.

"Well, the point of having a second Martial Soul is to keep it hidden is it not? And besides, you don't seem too surprised about my Martial Souls either." She gave Karni a raised eyebrow. Though there was a bit of genuine confusion there as well.

Karni could hardly hide his expression. He forgot to feign surprise. He'll have to keep that in mind next time he meets someone from the novels.

Most people kept a second Martial Soul hidden. So did she, until he showed his at least. She saw Karni panic a bit and it looked like this satisfied her somewhat, even if she didn't get an actual answer.

"Don't worry too much. I might force you to spar, but I won't force you to spill your secrets. My second martial soul is called White Tiger, and my first Martial Soul is called the Hell Cat." She changed the topic and introduced her Martial Souls.

Karni recollected himself. "My first martial soul is called the Staff of Predictions and my second is called the Fluffy Bamboo Panda." He answered back as acknowledgement. Then he realised something himself.

"You didn't look that surprised at seeing my panda martial soul either though. If anything, you said something about expecting it? Or that you should've expected it?" Yes. She should have been more surprised. All twin martial souls were incredibly rare. Two of them at the same place at the same time, and in the same year? It could be called an impossibility.

"Well you didn't look as surprised at seeing my White Tiger, why should I be surprised at your… Fluffy Bamboo Panda?" She rebutted him with a question that seemed to make sense but didn't.

Karni sighed and waved it off. She ignored some secrets. He will too. Though he had so many questions about more than her Martial Soul. For starters, her behaviour. "Well, let's not dwell on the details. We should probably go back and eat. I'm tired as all hell." He changed the topic like she did before.

"Well, I would! But… You forgot something!" She looked towards him, feeling helpless as well as embarrassed. And he looked back, confused. 

Why did she look embarrassed? After all the kissing she wanted with a straight face? After she wanted the… Ah! He forgot her weird wish for a pat. Hell, how many pats did he even owe her? He didn't want to think about the reasons behind her wishes anymore. At least she was embarrassed for a change.

He gave up on questions. Karni only looked apologetic and slowly reached out with his hand. She flinched as she saw the hand coming towards her. She became a bit nervous. She was acting differently compared to before. 

He reached her head. And he softly started patting it. If she was taking this seriously, he owed her a lot, so he just patted her for a long time instead. It felt surprisingly soothing. Like petting a dog… well, a cat.

So the kiss thing was actually a joke. And this she took seriously. Odd that. More odd than that, the more he patted, the more her head felt comfortable in his hand. It really was soothing in the same way one would find cuddling a pet soothing.

A giggle escaped her.

He instinctively reached back and removed his hand. She grabbed it. "Nah. You still owe me." His hand was back on her head. It was awkward in other aspects as well. He was slightly shorter than her. His hand reached upwards.

Her head felt comfy, he could only continue petting with a daze, he wasn't really sure what was happening at the moment. The smile he saw on her for a brief moment was one of relief. Why? 'Nope.' He said to himself. 'Don't ask. It will only give you more of a headache.'

The atmosphere turned quiet and you could hear soft crickets in the background. The lighting around them was dim. They stood somewhere between two of the lights, and the sky seemed abnormally clear today. Karni was looking up at the stars, spaced out so he could accept the situation easier. It was hard to accept this as normal. He didn't find it normal. But she did for some reason.

The scene could be captured in a frame. A boy and a girl alone under the night sky. The boy was comforting the girl, as if telling her everything was alright. But introduce the context into the scene and it is utterly ruined. The guy was really just trying to cope with everything and the girl was forcing him to do it through a bet. It was anything but poetic.

She looked into his eyes, they seemed a bit teary. "It's you after all."

Karni was confused. Speechless. There was something missing here. Miscommunication wasn't the right word. They were on completely different wavelengths regarding the situation. "Of course it's me?" To her, the atmosphere was sombre, to him it was confusing and weird. He knew: she somehow knew him, she said something about it before. But it didn't feel right to ask questions right now. 

Didn't stop him from wondering though. Would she be from his world? Someone he knew? But who? It's been a long time since he's been so close with another girl. Was it something else? She knew this person? But she expected the Martial Soul? It was feeling more and more like an incoming headache.

Instead, Wu Siduo was only enjoying the atmosphere and ignored his confusion. She just kept on staring at him with moistened eyes. It made Karni immensely uncomfortable. If she weren't a six year old, he'd run for his fucking life. An adult acting this way would creep him the fuck out.

Then she reached for him… and gave him a soft hug. He couldn't hear any crying, but based on the wetness of his shoulder… she was crying. His left ear felt warm as she was pressed against it.

They stayed like this for another ten minutes. Karni never hugged anybody for so long before in his previous life, not even his mom whom he loved dearly and hugged regularly.

Thinking of her made him sad as well. He missed his mom, and this hug, it didn't quite feel the same, had the same pure intentions. She simply wanted closeness, and right now, he could appreciate that. There was genuine goodwill and sincerity in Siduo's hug. Her mood, like a yawn, transferred to him as well. It was relaxing yet strange.

At the very least, Karni managed to release some pent up emotions. He could feel Siduo did as well, though he did not know what those were. He… and she… they both needed it, even if for different reasons.

It lasted a while, until no more tears were released. His shirt had dried up a bit. The only thing he could feel was deep breathing of Siduo on his shoulder. 'Wait a minute… She's asleep isn't she. Oh come on!' He shouted into oblivion of his mind.

He didn't know where she lived. He assumed it wasn't in the dorms as the Hell Cat and White Tiger represented the royal family of the Star Luo Empire. In the case of Wu Siduo, she was probably a distant descendant left behind on this continent. She probably lived somewhere in the city, probably a nice looking mansion sort of thing. Probably…

He really couldn't figure out much from this. Since he didn't know where she lived, he could only carry her toward his dorm. His dorm was a bit messy.

After clearing the bed, he carefully put her to sleep. Then he grabbed a bunch of clothes, threw them on the ground and collapsed on top of them. This was his bed tonight.

The night passed peacefully. They were both out cold after the extensive training session. It was probably the best sleep he had since he came to this world, despite the fact it was on a pile of clothes. It felt just a little less lonely than usual.

… … …

The morning sun woke him up. He was still feeling groggy. Then he looked at the clock. "Shit! It's already school time!"

"Ahhh… why are you yelling early in the morni- Wait, what did you just say?" A voice answered him. A feminine voice that was coming from his bed.

Wu Siduo looked at him atop his bed and instinctively turned away. Her face was red. Finally! The woman finally felt utter embarrassment! "Shit! I fell asleep yesterday!" Her reaction was similar to his. She was thinking about teasing him to lessen her own embarrassment, but felt like she lost before even beginning.

"Yeah, you did! On my shoulders! While crying! Be happy I even got you to a damn bed woman!" Finally, he could get some semblance of revenge.

"Who did that? Not me, nuh uh. I bet you enjoyed a girl in your room. Must have been forever since that happened last huh."

"Oh my god! We're six! What is wrong with you!" Karni was exasperated.

"Oh yeah. Well, we sure don't speak like six year olds you dumbass…" She stayed quiet for a moment. And Karni stared, realising what she just said.

"Wai-"

"And thanks…" She interrupted before he could ask. She immediately changed character and hopped off the bed. "The bathroom's mine!" 

"Of course it is." He composed himself and got off the pile of clothes he fell asleep on. Then he processed what she said. He was right. Something was going on. No. He was sure before, this was just confirmation from her side. They needed a talk.

His thoughts were stopped again by Siduo's yelling from the bathroom. "Hey! Let me borrow your school uniform! Mine's all dirty! Also, I'll borrow your shampoo! Thanks!" 

Karni lazily stepped to the closet to take out one of the uniforms. They were about the same size at this age so it didn't matter what size he gave her.

She unlocked the door. "I'll dress up now. You better not peek". She was hiding behind the door and opened it slightly.

"Yeah, yeah. Here's your uniform. I'm not interested in six year olds." He said as he simply passed it through the gap she created.

"Thanks, I'll return it tomorrow." She closed the door behind and he was left standing. Damn. She didn't react to his words.

"Well I guess I'll get dressed as well."

She soon came out of the bathroom, noticing that he was dressed already. "You're not going to shower?"

"We're late already, there's no time." He reached for his bag, when she grabbed him.

"Go shower. You're filthy." 

"Bu-"

"No buts, nobody wants to smell you in school." She practically threw him in the bathroom.

Even in his past life, he showered irregularly. Either he started to smell, or he went out of the house and didn't want to smell when doing so. His student life and his laziness combined made him into someone who would only do things when necessary. Or rather, use that time for what little fun he could have instead. 

He begrudgingly showered and came out 15 minutes later. "You haven't left?"

"Of course! We're partners in crime. Who do you think I am, I don't abandon my comrades." She said as if stating a fact. Maybe this was the start of a friendship. And this new friend was a six year old who didn't sound like a six year old and also claimed she didn't sound like a six year old. Well. A weird friend was still a friend.

The two didn't stay for idle chatter. They dashed towards the school building at full speed.

"Your shampoo smells nice by the way." Her teasing demeanour returned.

"Oh shut up and run." A friend could also be an annoying friend. But he wasn't about to just take it anymore.

They arrived in front of the class door, took a second to take a breath and then entered. Right away all of the attention was focused on them.

"You're late!" Teacher Yi Lan scolded. Only then did he look at them confused as Wu Siduo had the male students' uniform. The girls' uniform had a skirt.

They apologised for being late and went towards their seats. The students in the last row started whispering. "They're late together, they wear the same uniform and they even sit next to each other."

"And a lot of us saw them sparring together yesterday."

"It's almost like they're a couple." A voice said as the classroom started a childlike laughter, which included some "ewws" as well. They weren't mature enough yet, they found topics of couples and love funny. It was still foreign to the children.

Karni and Siduo ignored their laughter and sat down in their seats. Neither of them seemed to care about children's thoughts.

The laughter quickly quieted down. Siduo had a degree of disinterest in her eyes, but it would be annoying if the behaviour continued in the future. And with children, it's best to be direct. "If you laugh at us, I'm sure you're also capable enough to spar with us no?" She turned towards the kids that started it all.

They quieted down and whispered something. Then they returned the stare. "Yeah, we can spar with you, so what?"

"Good, we'll have a two on two after classes then." She smiled sweetly. Other kids didn't notice, but Karni felt the threat in her smile. She spent the whole day facing it yesterday.

The class began whispering again. A fun event to watch was awaiting them after classes. Most of these children were of noble blood and therefore they were raised with the most proper etiquette. The school was like a place to relax to many of them.

They treated a spar like a show. Almost everyone here would go watch. As the chatter got louder, even Karni and Wu Siduo started chatting. 

"Siduo. Why care what the kids say? Didn't you say we don't act like six year olds?" 

"Scared?"

"All right, all right settle down." Teacher Yi Lan stopped the ensuing unruliness.

"Since you two missed what I was saying earlier and missed the previous class, you will have to make up for lost time later. As I was just saying, we are going to be talking about Spiritual Power and Spiritual Sea today. Later on, we'll also test each of your Spiritual Powers."