[In the Arena]
" The arena this is where I had my fight with Darius."
The arena is a bit different than the rest of the area's in the academy because it was made with the help of an ancient artifact, however, there are only a few people that know where the artifact is actually situated.
Artifacts are separated into two categories, the first one is the ancient artifacts. The ancient artifacts are artifacts that were made during the Dark Ages and it was also the time when blacksmiths were able to make the strongest of artifacts. Why you might ask. because of the constant wars. Because of the constant wars, humanity where constantly pushing itself toward extinction, and because of that the blacksmith researched and experimented with new ways to make armor, weapon, items, and artifacts in order to protect their clans, in other words, during the Dark Ages, because of the endless battles and war, human blacksmith had reached an incredibly high level of knowledge and mastery when it comes to artifacts making, weapon making and item making even though none of them were able to make weapons at the level of or better than the Sacred Swords. However, all of that knowledge was lost and the techniques that were trained and evolved throughout the generations were not passed down. The second category is modern artifacts. Just like its name entails this category is made of the artifacts that were crafted after the Dark Ages to today, the Modern Days. They are inferior to the ancient ones but they are still useful.
The artifact that the academy uses is an ancient artifact with the ability to remodel. That's why the arena can also change into the training grounds. To succeed in changing it you need to have every detail right and an enormous amount of energy. That's why the academy only uses two models; the arena and the training grounds.
- This is where the second test will take part. As I have already said the second test is the sparing. The upper half of the leaderboard is gonna come up here put your and in the box and take a paper, on the paper will be a number, and the person who holds the number is gonna be your sparing opponent. Says Darius.
[After the upper half of the leaderboard picks their numbers]
I open the paper and I see the number four.
" What is the meaning of this? I thought that since the upper half of the leaderboard was the one to pick a paper that meant that the upper half was gonna face off against the lower half. I guess I was wrong but why is there an upper leaderboard number on my paper?"
I look at Darius and when I see him with an amused face and a smile that tells that he plotted something bad for this test. I get an ominous feeling.
- This year to spice things up I have added a new rule to the second test but first the top five on the leaderboard come up front.
Me, Juliana, Sunev, Gancelot, and Lumia walk up to the front standing in front of the twenty-five other students admitted this semester. Darius continues.
- Show your papers.
What we reveal when we show our papers are, upper half numbers.
"I'm not the only one. What is Darius trying to do with this test?"
On my paper, there is the number four same thing for Julianna but for Sunev, Gancelot and Lumia there is the number two.
- What is the meaning of this Darius? I ask.
All the students are shocked by the way I addressed the King's Sword of Wind and the principal of the academy.
- Can you relax, kid? I was just about to explain. And add some respect.
- You are the one that told me to call you Darius arent you?
- Yeah but that's outside of school.
- Fine.
- Alright! As you can see the top five of the last exam all have an upper half number however it isn't to give them an opponent. The top five of the last test get the challenged and challenger right.
- What the hell is that, principal?
- Oi, oi, oi you're starting to get on my nerve Noah. Shut up and listen." I wanna beat him up."The number on your paper equals to the number of fights you gotta have however if you use your challenged right you can refuse half of them. But if you use your challenger right and challenge somebody then you lose your challenged right... WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STARING AT THE SKY, NOAH!?
- Eh... I mean... I thought you'd do something weird and make something fall from the sky thinking that it's cool while it's not and is actually really cringe to watch happening.
At that moment all of the students thought two things when looking at Darius's face.
The first one was " While it's true you didn't have to tell him like that. He looks like the demon in the books we are read when we are kids"
The second was " Waaaaa he is seriously pissed... your dead Noah Arcadios."
Darius rips apart my paper with his wind magic and up my head, the number 6, made of wind, appears.
- Eeeeeeeehhh, does that mean I have to fight three times if I keep my challenged right but six times if I use my challenger right?
- That is exactly what you have to do, you fucking buffoon!
" Oops. I must have pissed him off even though that wasn't my intention. I must have offended him somehow."
- Anyways the top five will go first, after their battles the arena will be separated into three so that we can do the final test. Those who want to challenge them go ahead.
The one who walks up to me is a girl, a girl of average height with green short hair.
" What the hell?"
- I challenge you, Noah Arcadios.
- So you wanna fight me, number five Lumia Parmekia?
- You must have not heard me say that I challenged you.
- I heard you loud and clear Parmekia and I accept your challenge.
We both enter the arena while the principal and the other students head up in the stands. And now we are both standing face-to-face in the arena.
" Lumia Parmekia she uses ki and I would guess that she's around mid-Iron rank."
{Lumia}
" Noah Arcadios he fought against the Wind Sword and proved that he had forged his first mana heart during that fight he showed impressive battle prowess and was approved by the Wind Sword himself. I need to be careful. He doesn't know how I fight so hell try to take it slow and figure out my battle style."
{Noah}
I rush at her and throw a kick in direction of her leg and it hit. It seems like she's surprised that I took the initiative.
{Lumia}
" What he attacked first!"
{Noah}
I follow up with a punch in the stomach and send her flying.
-Lightning magic! Body Of Speed! Electricity!
I run toward her, jump and fall toward her and punch her. She dodges and she punches me in the side.
- Not too bad Parmekia.
- Same for you Arcadios.
She gathers her ki around her hands and run at me.
- PARMEKIA STYLE! FLOWING PALMS!
" Tch! flowing palms is a technique from the Parmekia style that is an attack based on hitting the opponent with your palm with ki repetitively."
I dodge the first two but get it by the first then the second and the third. I back off and cough a bit of blood.
" The problem with this technique is once you get hit the hit keeps coming its almost impossible to break the flow but it seems like her limit is five palms.
- Lightning Magic! Electricity bolt!
A bolt of electricity heads towards her.
- PARMEKIA STYLE! REDIRECTING PALM!
Ki gathers again at her palm but more than last time and instead of hitting the bolt of electricity she gently touches it and redirects it to the side.
{Lumia}
" That drained me off of too much ki I need to end it with the next move."
She looks toward Noah or at least where Noah was supposed to be.
- HM! WHERE IS HE?!
{Noah}
As soon as she redirects my electricity bolt I activate Body Of Speed! Lightning! And I rush to her side throws a punch in her side follows it up with a kick in the stomach and I end it with a roundhouse kick to her face. She gets up with difficulty.
- I lost.
- WINNER! NOAH ARCADIOS!
We walk up to the stands and Darius gives Lumia a health potion. Gancelot rushes at me and grabs me by the collar. AGAIN.
- The hell do you want? Fayrak.
- What is wrong with you you were against a lady.
- So what is your point?
- You should have holded back!
- Are you crazy Fayrak? Do you think that if this was a battle to the death or if this was an enemy from another kingdom they would have held back.
- ....
I grab his wrist, squeeze it and I let some killing intent leak out. He starts shaking
" That's expected it is the first time."
- Listen Fayrak. I have assassins after me and do you think there are only male assassins? Get it together gender doesn't matter when you have an opponent in front of you.
He lets me go. Lumia walks up to me and bow.
- Thank you for fighting me seriously.
- I wasn't doing it for you it wouldn't be a spar if we were holding back.
{Darius}
" This is highly abnormal. This kind of mentality isn't possible for a child that's eight years old. it was as if he already fought a war. Is it because of his mother? Luke, this child needs to be observed carefully or he could fall into the darkness that is revenge."