Chapter 126: The Opening Was False Advertising
There really was a gap, but Jin had only seen it once, which made it worth testing, not trusting.
When the Stonehorn finished its charge, wheeled around, and dragged its heavy body back into place, Corven’s marker stayed uncovered for a brief moment. That was exactly why Jin didn’t order Glitch through it. If Jin could spot a weakness after a single exchange, Corven certainly knew it existed; he had fought alongside the Stonehorn for far longer than Jin had spent watching the beast.
So Jin probed instead of committing.
Glitch threatened the left side. The Ram adjusted, and the same inviting path appeared. Jin let Glitch curve toward it while keeping him ready to pull away, but Corven made no effort to close the route.
It remained wide open, almost as if he wanted Glitch to take it.
Then the Stonehorn braced on its rear hooves and swung around, its horns carving a broad, level arc across the path Glitch was approaching from. The rear legs gave the trap away. They weren’t planted for balance; the Ram had been preparing to spring.
"Stop. Get back!"
Glitch halted hard, claws scraping against the arena floor as the horns swept past his snout with less than a body-length to spare.
Now Jin knew for certain. The delay during the Stonehorn’s recovery was genuine, and Corven knew about it well enough to turn that weakness into bait.
There was no taunt from the other side of the arena. Corven only watched Jin with quiet patience, as though he had been sure Jin would notice the opening and wanted to learn whether he would rush into it.
Glitch considered the whole thing a personal insult.
The route had looked ideal for attacking. Then, at the last moment, it had turned out to contain no acceptable way to hit anything.
That was dishonest advertising.
Fight his decisions. Not the horns.
His father’s advice returned to him.
The recovery window alone wouldn’t win this. Each time the Stonehorn moved away from the marker, Corven had choices to make: how far to pursue Glitch, which lane needed blocking, when to pull the Ram back, and where Glitch was likely to head afterward.
Jin couldn’t simply wait and hope Corven made a mistake. He needed to keep forcing those choices while watching for the point where the Stonehorn’s position made one of them too expensive.
Glitch’s fast response to commands made that possible.
"Left."
Glitch ran toward a low stone barrier.
"Stop. Turn back."
He locked his feet, reversed, and shot toward the middle of the arena. A few seconds later, Jin showed pressure on the right, then withdrew him again before the Stonehorn could engage.
Corven handled every attempt well. He never followed far enough to leave the marker truly vulnerable, and Jin’s first stop-and-reverse failed because Corven repositioned before Glitch had even finished turning. The Ram used its broad, plated body to seal direct lanes, then pushed Glitch away from useful ground with short charges that never carried it too far.
Corven refused to chase. No matter how Glitch moved, the Stonehorn stayed close enough to defend its territory.
Still, Jin slowly cut into the lead. He gained one point through positioning, then another small advantage through command response when a sharper turn forced Corven to shift the Stonehorn and rebuild his defensive angle.
Neither beast managed another proper hit, but the score began edging in Jin’s direction.
The danger remained unchanged. The Stonehorn outweighed Glitch and had far more raw strength; if one clean horn strike landed, the instructors could step in and end the match immediately. Jin was taking ground a few inches at a time against an opponent that could erase all of it with one impact.
Then a real chance opened.
During another controlled charge, the Stonehorn carried itself slightly too far. It turned to recover its place beside the marker, leaving its flank available for a full second.
Glitch could make it.
Excitement burst through the bond, sharp and immediate. The enemy had left its side open. There was a target, and as far as Glitch was concerned, the target obviously required hitting.
"Marker. Left side, now."
Glitch reacted as though Jin had committed an unforgivable tactical crime.
A perfectly exposed opponent stood within reach, and Jin was ordering him to ignore it so he could touch an object that didn’t even move. As far as Glitch was concerned, the academy had failed at the most basic level of education.
He obeyed anyway.
Instead of striking the Ram, Glitch broke left and raced for the marker. The point on the board mattered less to Jin than the choice Glitch had just made.
Glitch had shown restraint in training before, but this wasn’t a drill. He was already fighting, the opening he wanted was right in front of him, and he still buried that instinct because Jin told him to do something else.
His trust in Jin had outweighed his need to attack.
Corven saw it. His expression tightened by a fraction before he drew the Stonehorn closer around its marker, changing his angle and giving Glitch less room to exploit.
Glitch’s obedience had changed Corven’s judgment.
That was fine. Jin could work with that.
His attention moved to a low, broad slab near Corven’s half of the arena. There were only three routes past it: left, right, or over the slab itself.
Glitch could cross the top. His claws and natural balance were enough, especially after all the mobility exercises. No skill was required. He was a Grey Rock Lizard, and Jin had spent weeks teaching him how to use the body he already had.
The Stonehorn couldn’t climb after him with any speed. Its weight also made an instant reversal around the slab unlikely, and crossing over the stone wasn’t a realistic option either.
The wall would have to pick a route.
Jin’s gaze settled on the slab’s left edge.
"Left. Drive forward."
Glitch accelerated along it.
Corven moved at once. The Stonehorn stepped across the lane and filled it with plated muscle.