SxD: Sparring Match: Issei vs. Yang

Professor Glynda Goodwitch stood at the front of the combat class, arms crossed as she surveyed her students. Her sharp gaze settled on Isse

Professor Glynda Goodwitch stood at the front of the combat class, arms crossed as she surveyed her students. Her sharp gaze settled on Issei Hyoudou, who, despite his clear strength, had yet to show any real finesse in a fight.

“Hyoudou,” she called, her voice firm. “Since you seem to believe brute force is enough, let’s put that to the test. You will be sparring with Miss Xiao Long.”

“Alright!” Yang grinned, rolling her shoulders as she stepped forward. “I’ve been wondering what you can do, new guy.”

Issei blinked. ‘Wait, we’re fighting for real?’ He sighed, already feeling the conflict in his gut. Somewhere deep inside him, something stirred—an urge to fight, to prove himself, like an instinct buried beneath his amnesia. But at the same time, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about fighting someone who hadn’t done anything to him. And a girl, at that.

He had no problem fighting strong opponents, but hurting someone just because a teacher told him to? That didn’t sit right with him. And there was also the other issue: his strength. He still wasn’t sure where the limits of his power were, and the last thing he wanted was to go overboard and injure Yang.

“Wait, we’re fighting for real? I thought this was, like, a demonstration thing,” he asked, hoping for a way out.

“Combat class is about practical application,” Goodwitch stated.

Yang cracked her knuckles as Ember Celica activated, her lilac eyes gleaming with excitement. “Hope you can keep up, hotshot.”

Off to the side, Weiss folded her arms. “Try not to embarrass yourself, Hyoudou.” She had no expectations of him winning. Yang was one of the best fighters in their year, and Issei—based on what she had seen—was an unpredictable mix of strength and idiocy. ‘This won’t take long.’

Issei rolled his shoulders and exhaled. ‘No promises.’

The match began.

Yang wasted no time. She shot forward, her footwork swift and controlled, throwing a quick jab aimed at Issei’s face. He barely had time to react before his body moved on its own, tilting just enough for the punch to graze past his cheek.

His eyes widened. Huh? That was close. His muscles had reacted before he even thought about dodging. Weird.

Yang, grinning, pressed the attack. A follow-up hook came at his ribs, fast and powerful. Issei raised his arm in defense, bracing for impact. The hit landed solidly against his forearm—and he barely felt it.

Yang frowned slightly as she stepped back, shaking her hand. “Damn, you’re tougher than you look.”

Issei awkwardly scratched his cheek. “Uh, yeah… sorry about that.”

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. “Apologizing in a fight? You are an idiot.”

Yang’s grin widened. “Guess I gotta turn it up a notch.” She lunged in again, her movements fluid, mixing punches and feints, testing his reflexes. Issei dodged on instinct, shifting his weight without fully realizing how natural it felt.

Yang lunged forward with a powerful right hook—fast, strong, and well-practiced. Most would’ve been flattened.

Issei simply wasn’t there.

He sidestepped at the last second. Yang blinked in surprise before throwing another punch. Again, Issei leaned back just enough to let it pass.

“What the—? Hold still!”

Yang unleashed a rapid barrage of strikes, but Issei smoothly weaved through them, his movements effortless. The entire class watched in stunned silence as he continued dodging, almost casual in his approach.

And that feeling—that itch inside him—kept growing. Even if he didn’t remember much, his body remembered fighting. It wanted to move, to counter, to win.

But his mind held him back. ‘If I hit her, will she be okay? I don’t know how much power I can hold back…’

Yang noticed his hesitation. “What’s wrong? You’re not even throwing a punch.”

“I don’t like hitting girls,” Issei admitted.

Yang smirked. “That so?” Then she ducked low and swept at his legs.

Caught off guard, Issei lost his footing, stumbling backward. Before he could recover, Yang shot forward and drove a palm strike into his chest. The impact boomed through the training hall like a cannon going off.

A normal person would’ve been sent flying.

Issei… barely moved.

Yang blinked, staring at her hand as if expecting a different result. “You—you didn’t even flinch?!”

Issei, now slightly annoyed, rubbed his chest. “That actually kinda stung.”

Weiss’s expression shifted—just slightly. ‘What? That should’ve at least knocked him down.’ Weiss narrowed her eyes, something about this felt wrong. “Wait… Hyoudou, where’s your Aura?”

The room fell silent.

“My what?” Issei tilted his head.

Weiss felt a chill. “You don’t have Aura?”

“What’s that? Food?”

Now everyone was staring at him like he had grown another head.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Yang cut in, waving her hands. “I just punched you without Aura, and you’re fine?”

Issei shrugged. “Yeah. Was I supposed to feel it?”

The class erupted into murmurs. That punch would’ve staggered any normal Huntsman, even with Aura.

Weiss stared at him, heart pounding. ‘No Aura. No protection. And yet…’

Goodwitch, watching closely, narrowed her eyes. Interesting.

“Alright,” Yang grinned, shaking off her shock. “Then let’s see what happens when you actually try. Show me what you got!”

Issei exhaled. “Alright. You asked for it.”

BOOST!

A red gauntlet appeared on his left arm, glowing with power.

“Alright,” Issei muttered, stepping forward. “I’ll go easy.”

He threw a single, controlled punch.

The moment it connected—

BOOM!

A shockwave rippled through the air as Yang’s Aura shattered instantly. The force sent her stumbling backward, her eyes wide in shock. The entire training hall shook, dust kicking up from the impact. The class collectively held their breath.

Goodwitch snapped her fingers, instantly dispelling the dust. Her gaze flickered between Yang—still on her feet but visibly stunned—and Issei, standing there like nothing happened.

The silence was deafening.

“Match over,” Goodwitch declared. “Hyoudou wins.”

Yang blinked, looking down at herself. “Wait… what?”

“My bad,” Issei said, rubbing the back of his head. “I held back as much as I could.”

The murmurs among the students grew louder.

Weiss felt her breath hitch. ‘That was him holding back?’

Goodwitch adjusted her glasses. “While your strength is undeniable, Hyoudou, your technique is severely lacking. You rely entirely on power instead of skill.”

Issei shrugged. “If it works, it works.”

The teacher’s eye twitched. “That kind of thinking will not serve you well against experienced opponents. Strength alone is not enough.”

Weiss scoffed. “See? This is what I’ve been trying to tell you!”

Issei grinned. “Yeah, yeah. You just like yelling at me.”

Weiss flushed. “I do not—ugh, forget it!”

Yang, still in mild shock, finally grinned. “Damn, dude. That was awesome.”

Issei smirked. “Told ya I was strong.”

And for the first time since meeting him, Weiss had nothing to say.

And that annoyed her more than anything.