That evening.
After dinner time is over. Viswa stood inside the arena as he waited for the group from the Hill-side village to come to him.
Soon, all ten people came. Along with them, a large number of Circle 1 students came as well. They all wanted to witness this sparring session.
Viswa looked at the group and said.
"I will spar exactly one round with each one of you. Whatever weapon or fighting style you choose, I will use a fighting style that is would be best against you, so that you can understand what could go wrong with your combat style.
Is that okay with you?"
"That is more than what we could even ask for. Thank you so much."
Makar said with a very respectful tone and smile. Everyone is actually surprised by his actions. Particularly noble kids. After all, most of them started scheming against each other by the time they are ten.
They don't know the importance of coexistence and the benefits one could gain for being humble and asking for help when needed.
In their opinion, Makar who is currently ranked second among the freshmen, should be trying his hardest to go against Viswa who is the best among the freshmen. Since Viswa already destroyed the repeaters, Makar is as good as being the actual second rank among the circle 1.
So, in their heads, he should be focusing all his efforts on defeating Viswa, not asking for his help.
In fact, even Viswa was surprised when Makar asked him for help. After all, all the people he had met until now are basically insane and extreme. He convinced himself that it's the way of this world.
But Makar might have changed his mind a bit.
The first one to step up was someone with the lowest rank among the Hillside village group.
He is fighting mostly with his hands. Fists, palm strikes, and finger strikes.
Viswa decided to go with grappling. As soon as the other party made a move, Viswa ducked and tackled him to the ground, and then it is time to school.
He smothered the guy as he tried to throw punches from that position. Viswa just made him feel like he is being coiled around by a very strong python. He felt powerless and his limbs appeared useless.
For the next fifteen minutes, Viswa made him expend all of his energies and in between, he even explained when and how he could have finished him off.
When the second person came with a knife, Viswa also took out his own knife and started a knife fight. He pointed the openings and flaws once again. He was patient and thorough and the sparring sessions continued.
Now, only two people were left.
The top two among the Hillside village group. The first place is obviously Makar and the second place guy is called Mathur.
Viswa looked at Mathur and gestured for him to get onto the stage. He took out a short sword and got into a fighting stance.
"What is your specialty?"
Mathur was surprised and then said.
"I am not especially skilled in anything. I just do a bit of all. I can fight with short swords, spears, long swords, sabers etc."
"Okay then, switch between your fighting styles every three minutes, I will fight you based on your styles."
"Thank you for your concession."
Viswa started the sparring session and he countered every fighting style with ease. And every time he defeated Mathur in a fighting style he whispered something to him.
Mathur was defeated, but he wasn't depressed, he even had a polite but excited smile on this face throughout the process. His last style is a fist fight. Viswa first started with his fists as well and then tackled him to the ground.
He grappled with him for a few minutes and they finally landed on a rear naked choke.
Viswa whispered something in his ears slowly and this time the whisper was very very long.
Mathur's expression changed with each word and only after struggling for almost three minutes, did Viswa let him go.
Mathur was sent off stage. His gaze didn't leave Viswa at all as Makar got on the stage and their fight proceeded forward. Of course the result is pretty obvious.
After the spar is over, Viswa left the arena and went to the main building to check out some missions. Last time he was there, he saw a mission. It doesn't have much reward, so he didn't bother taking it, but now he took it anyway.
The receptionist was surprised.
Because when Viswa was previously here, the receptionist recommended a few missions out of goodwill, but he decisively rejected all of them. This is one of those missions.
Viswa took the mission and immediately set off.
He really did want to stay with the kids, but he was unable to do so. He has some things to do and resolve. He let the other seniors from the orphanage check up on them for now. Erin might not get along with Viswa, but he didn't have a decent relationship with the kids, so he went there.
Viswa traveled overnight to reach his mission area.
After he left the village and walked for a couple of hours, he stopped there.
It is an empty patch of land. There is only one path that is rarely used and connects the Black Sand Village and the Hill Side Village. Apart from that, all the area has are some wild trees, shrubs, and some overgrown grass along with large rocks.
Viswa sat on a rock, started a fire and started roasting some meat that he stored from his hunts.
"I have been waiting for you. Here I was thinking that you wouldn't make it in time. So, I had to slow down and stop here."
A young man came from behind the tree. With a black cloak and a mask on his face. He had a bow in his hand with a quiver on his back. The same archer that Viswa missed last time.
The archer took off the mask and a familiar face is revealed. To no one's surprise its Mathur.
The one Viswa schooled just now.
"I had more than dozen faces popup when I thought which motherfucker has done that to our orphanage, but your face didn't.
Trust me, I am very very angry right now. And if I were you, I would just give all the names behind this scene and just accept a quick death."
"Or What? You are going to kill me? Torture me until I spill the beans? Try it Viswa. I would admit that you are the man."
"I don't need acknowledgment from the likes of you, Mathur.
And, it won't be as simple me killing you. But I would torture you, in the ways that you could never imagine.
First of all, I will not engage with you here. I will run. Run to your village. I will set up a large bonfire in the middle of your village. I will wait for you to come after me and when you reach the village, I will break your limbs, tie you to a post.
Then I will ask you the same question again.
'Who else is there behind this?'
Only this time, if you don't answer me, I will skin a member of your village alive right in front of your eyes and throw them into the bonfire.
As they scream in the burning agony, I will ask you the question. Once again.
'Who else is there behind this?'
And every time you don't answer, I will burn another person.
I will watch as you slowly breakdown and count down how many lives it took for you to spill the beans like I wanted."
Mathur stood in the dark as the cold breeze hit him. He shivered while his body is soaked in sweat.
"Do you really think, you can do all that and get away scot-free?"
"Of course, I will. Because according to the academy records, I am currently on a mission. To collect crabs, clams and oysters from the reeves on the other side of the Black Sand village.
And after I am done with your village, I will swim overnight to reach that area and the fishermen that go into the sea first thing in the morning along with the large basket of sea food that I collected will be my witnesses.
After all, I wouldn't even be a major suspect. I don't have a motive."
Mathur gritted his teeth and said.
"And what about the witnesses in the village? Do you think they will stay put?"
"They wouldn't have to. I will burn them along with the rest after I am done with you. We can't have witnesses."
"You are pure and absolute evil."
"I never claimed I am not."
"You have though. You are the one that toots your own horn about playing by the rules and all the crap, but you are like the rest of the assholes out there in the academy."
"I am playing by the rules, Mathur. And I will be punished according to the rules, only if I was caught doing the things I said I will do.
As long as I am not caught, I will not be punished.
Thus, playing by the rules.
You must have been on a misconception that when I said I am playing by the rules, you must have thought I am tied to them. No, literally play by them. Using them to my advantage.
I think, I have given enough time to you though. So, spill the beans."
Mathur had a very conflicted expression on his face. Tears streamed down his eyes as he held the bow tighter.
"I am sorry. I am really sorry for doing all that to you. But I cannot back down now. I cannot reveal anything to you.
As soon as he said those words a black-colored energy surged around him while another five people surrounded Viswa.
At the same time, Viswa rubbed his nape, on the spot of his slave mark as he spat.
"I fucking knew it."