We had our weapon control practices taught by the platinum ranked mage, Aleksander Kazamir.
The training took place in the training fields, as it was the most isolated area from the building sites in the academy.
As Aleksander smoked, we all stood in a circular formation with a spacious region within, where a spar took place.
It was our usual routine, and we were all prepared to learn the techniques Aleksander would teach us.
Rosemarie was in a mock battle of swords against a fellow classmate and it was clear she was dominating the fight.
Her strikes were powerful and her opponent could not match the force behind them. Her speed was also impressive, as she moved with such agility that her opponent could barely keep up.
Rosemarie's movements were so precise and powerful that it seemed like her opponent would not be able to last much longer.
"The magic sword tournament is right around the corner, academies will soon start selections for who will participate. In the rookie bracket you'll go against your fellow first year classmates, which means it doesn't matter if you're friends. In the prelims you're all enemies.."
This was being a bit over the top by using enemies, but I expected these words from our teacher— Aleksander.
Aside from the fact that he was one of the few teachers who showed up late to classes and dressed whichever way he pleased, his number one goal was that everyone pushed to become the best version of themselves.
It was honestly impressive the way he used rough methods to train us, if the school found out I'm not sure they'd be okay with it.
The battle was over before it even began; another clash of swords and Rose delivered a blow strong enough to disarm her opponent, who fell on her buttocks.
This was one of the many girls in the class who always praised how elite Lady Rose was. Now she had been added to her list of the vanquished.
Her classmates were praising her once more as she was announced the winner. Lady Rose had proven her skill and prowess in battle once again, and her classmates couldn't help but admire her.
I observed quietly.
The Magic Sword Tournament had been the most talked-about event in the school recently, and it really motivated me to train harder. I heard that students from other academies had already been selected, and now it's our school's turn to make the needed selections.
Whenever I felt like slacking off, I remembered the words of Aleksander, and in respect of that, I went to the Arcadian Castle everyday to get some training done in the dungeons.
It was mostly target practice, but it was a great way to sharpen my skills.
"Hey sir?"
She finally spoke, breaking the silence that had been present before and during her spar.
"What's up?" Aleksander asked casually, smoke left his mouth as he spoke. His expression was dull, and he wasn't particularly impressed with what he'd seen, but that was expected from a platinum-ranked mage.
To my surprise, she declared her intention to challenge "Nyx Besimios" in other words "me" for her next match.
I kept my emotions in check, not wanting to show my shock.
A good number of the class were surprised when they heard I was going to battle Rose.
Most of them were convinced that I would lose, with comments like "What a waste of time fighting that nobody", "I really hope he has the decency to decline", and "Rose is gonna wipe the floor with him for sure" being thrown around.
I proved them wrong in my battle against Dilbert Filum last week, but this situation was different.
I felt uninterested in going up against Rose, not because I was scared of losing, but rather because I felt like it would be cheating to analyze all her moves and copy them.
"Yeah sure, whatever I don't care.." The usual carefree man we had as a teacher.
"Uh, I don't think it's necessary, I'm not participating in the tournament.." I had very good reasons for choosing not to.
The boy who couldn't use magic was this strong all of a sudden? It would make people suspicious, especially in a tournament that brought a huge crowd.
"Nyx, Besimios." she said.
"But I--" she taxed my patience, "I just said it wouldn't benefit if I participated.."
"But it'd benefit me, so step in here now.." she wasn't asking, rather she was demanding.
Despite my refusal, Rosemarie was determined to get me to compete and called me out again, this time more firmly.
I had no choice but to accept her challenge.
...
Our battle had begun.
Rose didn't waste any time making the first move, she dashed forward quickly and swung her wooden sword from above.
I was able to match her striking force and when our blades collided, the air pressure caused the dust beneath our feet to be displaced.
All this, and yet I wore a mild look. One which was mistaken as mocking her. It made her even more determined, although I wasn't trying to mock her.
Remember, we only use wooden swords during mock battles.
She didn't hit as hard as I'd expected, but her speed was incredible. I enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with her, but it didn't last long.
In the blink of an eye, she was suddenly in front of me, faster than before. I was taken aback, wondering if she had some kind of speed magic or enhancement.
She had already swung her sword diagonally down towards my left shoulder, and I had to quickly move the sword to my left hand and push away her advances.
Originally, I planned to cast a spell with my left hand, but I decided against it. Her abdominal region was wide open and I was sure I could take advantage of it, but I hesitated and failed to act.
"You're very strange you know, you may not be the best spell caster, but you're impressive with a blade and you've proven to have great instinct for battle. After watching you in action I had to fight you at least once."
She acknowledged my fighting skills for some reason, even though I'd never spoken to her before.
I responded with a bit of cockiness, telling her, "Is that so? I guess I have a fan.." earlier, I couldn't risk ending the battle, as I could have fatally wounded her as a result.
Surprisingly, she welcomed my confidence, while the others around us looked at me with piercing eyes.
"Perhaps a Iittle sparring can benefit us both.." I added. To make my snide remark earlier, less awkward.
"Alright! Let's go!"
[ Unique Skill ---> Oracle Engine ]
Activating...
[ First Function ---> Increase mana output by 15% ]
Processing...
[ Second Function ---> Speed enhancement ]
Processing...
We both took our respective sword stances and what happened next was beyond normal comprehension.
It was as if we had vanished in mere seconds, only to reappear a few meters above ground with our swords clashing.
The students couldn't believe the level of speed we had achieved; it was as if we had moved with the wind. We vanished and appeared so many times that only Aleksander could keep up with the fight at this point, leaving the others standing in amazement.
The force of our swords meeting was so strong that the only reason they hadn't snapped was because they'd been fortified with mana.
Our battle was good enough to impress Aleksander, but it was just us practicing and we weren't actually serious.
However, I may have been a bit too unserious, because Aleksander's reaction made it seem like she was more on the attack and I was on defense.
To be honest, she was just better in combat than me; I had no excuses.
Her physical strength seemed to increase with every hit, making it harder for me to match her power since I was only using a fixed amount of mana buff. Eventually, her next strike was able to push me off my feet and to the ground, and I was disarmed by her.
"And the winner is Rosemarie Lunette.."
Aleksander announced the winner, and it was no surprise to him as he had predicted I would lose due to Rosemarie's unique skill. A unique skill not obvious to anyone.
I was confused as to why the Oracle Engine had not performed any scans [Analytical Appraisal] on her movements.
Despite my disappointment, the crowd cheered for her victory, even though they had not known who the winner was until the announcement was made. We were just too fast to keep up with.
"I gotta say you really know how to handle a sword Rose.."
I offered a handshake to her as a show of good sportsmanship, and she accepted it with a smile.
"I guess you're my fan now.." she fired back with some snark.
"Ah, good one, I deserve that.."
It was clear that she had enjoyed the sparring match, and I think we both learnt a lot. However, I must admit that I learnt more from the experience - and I'm sure I won't be making the same mistakes again.
I needed to delve deeper into the source of my abilities, I needed cultivate and ascend to greater heights.
I needed a quantum leap.