On the rooftop of the school building, with the moon casting a pale glow, Jayce and Master Yi engaged in an unbroken session of training. Their bare chests glistened with sweat under the dim light, evidence of the intense physical exertion they had endured. The sound of clashing training swords reverberated through the night air, echoing their determined efforts.
Blow after blow, parry after parry, they danced a deadly dance, their movements fluid and precise. Jayce's face contorted with exertion, his breathing heavy and labored, while Master Yi seemed to possess an almost supernatural stamina, his movements relentless and purposeful.
The training swords, though made of wood, emitted loud, resonating sounds as they clashed together, refusing to break apart. The echo of their clash filled the night.
But then, in the midst of their tireless exchange, Jayce's steps faltered. He staggered back, disengaging from the fight, and finally yielded by setting his training sword down on the ground. Sweat dripped from his brow, his chest heaving with exhaustion.
Master Yi, still enthralled in the fight, halted his movements and turned to face Jayce, a quizzical expression on his face. "Why did you stop?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Jayce, gasping for breath, met Master Yi's gaze with a mix of determination and humility. "If I had gone on just a little longer," he admitted, his voice laced with honesty, "I would've been defeated badly. I had to recognize my limits."
A smile tugged at the corners of Master Yi's lips as he listened to Jayce's words. He walked over to Jayce, his steps measured and purposeful. Placing a hand on Jayce's shoulder, he commended him. "You've shown great maturity, Jayce. To recognize your own limitations is a strength many never possess, especially at such a young age."
Jayce, still catching his breath, looked up at Master Yi, a mixture of exhaustion and pride on his face. "Thank you?" he said. "I've learned that there's more to a fight than just blindly pushing forward. Sometimes, knowing when to yield is just as important."
Master Yi nodded, his respect for Jayce evident in his eyes. "Indeed, it is," he affirmed. "Rest now, Jayce. We've trained well tonight."
Together, they turned away from the training grounds and made their way back towards the dormitories. The moon continued to cast its ethereal light upon them as they descended the rooftop, their steps filled with a new sense of purpose and understanding.
Later that day, at the inferno arena buzzed with excitement as Jayce made his entrance. There were more spectators in the stands than people that Jayce knew all gathered for the annual exhibition.
The battle between Jayce of Clan Stormcloak and Varus of Clan Magnus was the very last fight of the day and the one everyone wanted.
The story circulating was that Varus, the fan favorite was engaged to be married to Celeste of Clan Amniel when a challenger called Jayce of Clan Stormcloak stepped forth to win the maidens hand in marriage and now Celeste was torn between them.
Scores of people filled the stands, their boos reverberating throughout the massive structure. Urging Jayce in no uncertain terms to give up the chase for another man's woman.
Jayce made his way to the centre of the arena and waited awkwardly as what can only be described as the most incredible pyrotechnics went off to herald the entry of the favored son of the Kingdom of Fire.
Varus, charismatic and confident, entered from the opposite end of the arena, a smile playing on his lips. As he raised his hand to wave at the crowd, their cheers grew even louder, fueling his magnetic presence.
Jayce approached his position, his eyes locked on Varus. The tension between them was palpable. Varus sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I'll be sure to take good care of Celeste," he taunted as he adjusted the armor around his neck.
Suddenly Jayce felt an anger welling up inside him, but he had a plan for this. He knew that Varus was somehow manipulating his emotions so he came up with a way to use sign language to activate a chant for an illusion spell called tranquility which overrode any other illusion spells cast on the user leaving him with a sense of calm.
Jayce swung his training sword in around seeming to show off but secretly made the signs with his hands.
In a moment the anger left him and his head felt clear but then came the second level of the deception. Jayce had to feign losing his cool, allowing his face to express anger. "Celeste is mine!" Jayce screamed. "I'll break your legs if you ever go near her again."
Varus grinned.
It was working.
The referee declared the start of the match but Jayce remained still in his stance, a calculated move that confused Varus who expected him to lunge forward in anger.
Varus then took the invitation to attack and launched a flurry of attacks from various angles, hoping to overwhelm Jayce's defense. This was the skill that Master Yi hailed as the best he had ever seen in any of his students and Jayce couldn't help but agree. His form was flawless, left no gaps and seemed to come from everywhere at once.
But Jayce, with his unwavering patience form, deflected each strike while pretending to just barely parry it to give the appearance of difficulty. After a particularly vicious attack, Jayce executed a labored and sloppy defense.
Varus was delighted.
After what seemed like an eternity, Varus was panting because he expected Jayce to have gone down some time ago. He adjusted his gauntlet and suddenly Jayce felt the cold creep of fear crawling up his spine and tightening around his neck.
Jayce then did another twirling of his blade as a cover for using his hands to do sign language and activate another illusion spell; Fortitude. This spell overrides other spells leaving the user with large amounts of willpower but as Jayce reformed his stance, he made his hands shiver visibly which caught Varus's attention and made him grin.
Time seemed to stretch into eternity as the match continued. The crowd cheered, believing Varus's victory was imminent, even as Varus himself grew frustrated. But Jayce knew he had to bide his time. He began to it—the signs of Varus's fatigue. The once forceful strikes lost their power and his attacks had longer lags between them.
As Varus's frustration grew, his desperation beginning to show. He was undefeated and usually ended all duels within the first five minutes so wasn't prepared for a match that dragged on for close to forty minutes.
In a final attempt to end the match, Varus unleashed a series of forceful and intense strikes, hoping to overpower Jayce with sheer volume of attack and very little technique.
But Jayce expertly defended against them, stepping back away from Varus with precision and technique. This time, he didn't pretend to be clumsy and it was then that Varus realized he had been played.
Jayce swiftly switched to his Wingbat form, leaping forward to close the distance between them. He initiated a powerful overhead strike, followed by a flurry of strikes from various angles, denying Varus any chance to counter. This was what he had trained for, hours of practice with Master Yi emphasizing stamina and endurance.
As the match shifted sharply in favor of the rookie, the crowd grew quiet, captivated by the unexpected turn of events. Varus's guard slipped, and he made rookie mistakes under Jayce's relentless assault. But Jayce refused to end the match prematurely; he continued to pound Varus, showing his dominance.
Jayce and Master Yi had done their research on Varus of House Magnus and gambled on his lack of preparation for a drawn-out bout. And now, Jayce knew he was ready.
With a forceful strike, Jayce smacked Varus's training sword away, instantly paralyzing his right hand. Varus switched hands, but he looked feeble holding his blade with his weaker hand, like a baby. Jayce swatted away his sword once more, this time slashing his right hand as well. With both hands limp at his side, Varus knelt, conceding the match.
A moment of silence hung in the air, the crowd momentarily stunned. But then, the chants began, growing louder and more fervent with each passing second. "Rookie, Rookie, Rookie!" The crowd erupted in celebration.
It took a moment for Jayce to realize that he was the 'rookie' and the crowd were chanting his praises so he lifted both hands in victory.