"Any rules you'd like to impose?" I asked, myself and her figure separated by a fair distance as we eyed each other up.
"I don't think there's any need. But let's go all out." Her voice was quiet but not shy in the slightest, a bold tone hidden behind her tight grip around the swords handle.
"Then let's begin!" I shouted and the two of us only sidestepped in a circle. For a swordsman, the calculation of distance, the opponent and the terrain are necessary steps before trying to dive into the clash head on. These approximate measurements might not seem of much help to the average joe, but for a trained swordsman with incredible kinetic vision these small details can determine a fatal blow and a miss. Also, going back hundreds of years, it's a custom of the Empire to show respect to the opponent your facing.
So when are you going to move, sword princess, I mused to myself as a snicker slipped onto my mouth. Then an abrupt thrum shook the colesseum floor as jagged spikes of earth conjured from the floor, stabbing me from multiple sides. I mechanically slipped past each blow as my feet skated across the coarse surface of the dirt that kicked up in the air, opaque dust clouds settling behind.
Swiftly following the path carved by her spikes, she pursued my retreating steps as her blade enforced itself with a wind spell, a makeshift tornado shield enforcing the brunt of attacks and weakening any of my attempts to hit back.
"A spell applied to a weapon, that's quite impressive for a first year. But I should expect that from arguably the best swordsman in this school." I complimented her, but her gaze remained hardened, saliva falling from her mouth emphasising her incredible concentration.
An eerie almost beastly aura spilled from her yellow tinted brown eyes as it thickened the air and became palpable, her fangs sharpening at my neck.
Multiple scythes of abrasive wind conjured in a flurry of attacks before me as she kept her distance. The spells, however, simultaneously dispersed as barrier of wind enlarged from my palm. She clicked her tongue, but her disheartened demeanour didn't last for long. The flurry of erect pillars from the ground continued to surface as one by one I was pushed expertly to the back of the colesseum, my movement severely hindered by the mass objects hoarding around me.
Closing the gap, her sword swung downwards at me as I pressed to the edges of the colesseum walls, the wind ruffling my hair as its enforced brown tip tore past me.
The force of the impact sent me tumbling away into a different corner of the arena, my being pierced by the sharp fragments of rock trying to pierce through my adamantine skin.
"Tch! I knew you were good. And though I may not be trying my hardest, you certainly are worthy of my praises." I muttered to myself before spreading my legs and planting them firmly in the ground. My wooden blade soon vanished into a single point, its tip pronounced as my sword retracted back with my arm.
My mind cleared in an instant and I gouged out her presence with my azure glare. My icy presence manifested in my vision, my muscles pulsing as blood pumped fiercely through my veins. I felt strength gather in my limbs as my muscle stiffened.
My vision a field crafted of grids as my perception faded into not what I only saw, but what I felt and perceived.
"This move is supposed to be executed with mana...but I can't bring myself to kill you." Kora's emerald hair bounced as she accelerated a wind spell catapulting her forward. But it'd be too late.
"Dragon sword first form: Wyvern's Wasp." All the stored energy and power within my body combusted in an instance as I met Kora halfway, my blade shooting towards her as it paused before making impact. Her eyes slowly sharpened in a thought of victory.
And then instantly despair overtook as the impact of my blade outsourced through the air sending her flying backwards and slamming into the wall in a moan of agony.
"Ooooo~, that one must of hurt, right?" I chuckled to myself as I slowly approached her and offered her my hand.
She winced in pain as she brushed herself of the dust on her body and took my hand. "You train the Dragon sword style?" She asked, her eyes fixated on me in curiosity.
I slowly slid my thumb across her cheek removing the dirt cling to her rosy cheeks and smiled. "A little I guess. From time to time."
"Then why did you take the magic swordsmanship class?" She asked.
"Well there is no Dragon sword style instructor. As you probably know, as a sword fanatic, the dragon sword style is quite rare in the Empire these days. I bet you could count all Dragon sword practitioners on your hand." I explained to her as I threw her my towel and we sat on the floor.
She silently nodded and her hand strung through her enchanting hair. "This might be a little selfish since we don't really know each other like that, but could you teach me the Dragon sword style?" Her hands clasped together and her head lowered.
Wow~, this is a different development. I know in the original game she didn't ever learn the Dragon sword style so I wonder what would happen if I did teach her? How far would I fuck the game? Maybe this will cause a freak accident and kill the shitty hero!
"Hmmmm...I'll think about it for now, how about that. Anyway lets do some light sparring for now till the rest of the class arrives. Oh yeah, almost forgot. It's an honour to meet you, Kora Willmer. You can call me prince charming if you'd wish." I got on a single knee and kissed the back of her hand.