The evening sky was unusually dark, as if it was about to rain. Amidst the heavily clouded sky, Chris Yunoer stood still in the training ground, lost in meditation.
"Let me think purely. Back to when I first started learning the sword."
When Chris first started learning the sword, he had no particular thoughts. The only emotion he felt at the time was a strange excitement, and the expectation that he would become like his father, a great swordsman.
"But now, I find myself chasing after Louis, just as I followed my father's footsteps."
Merely holding a sword used to bring him joy. He used to delight in seeing himself grow stronger day by day. But now, things were different.
"That's not enough. Why do I want to become stronger? What am I trying to prove with this strength?"
With closed eyes, Chris sensed someone entering the training ground and opened his eyes. It was Toddron Terry, a graduate of the Knight Division, carrying a rough-looking potion bottle in one hand. The color and aura of the potion seemed unpleasant.
Ignoring Toddron's mumbling, Chris closed his eyes again. Since they were both here to train, there was no need to pay each other any attention.
"Ha. Now even chicks like him are ignoring me."
However, Toddron seemed to have a different perspective. He responded to Chris's inattention with annoyance.
"Did you just say something to me in that tone? Who else would you have said that to? There's no one else here except you!"
"Todron Terry, I know your name. I didn't expect someone ranked top in the graduating class to act so lightly."
"What? Are you insane? Hey, newcomer, say that again. You dare call me 'light'?"
The atmosphere quickly turned hostile, and Chris frowned. He let out a sigh and threw a training sword at Toddron.
"If you have so many complaints, prove it with your skills."
"This is really getting on my nerves. Fine. I'll teach this chick a lesson."
A clash erupted between them. Without an audience, duels were prohibited, but Chris and Toddron were not the type to care about such things. They clashed their swords with each other.
Clang!
Swoosh!
Toddron's moves seemed fluid and flexible, while Chris's swordplay remained unrefined, relentlessly attacking Toddron.
"What's this? Is that all you've got? You made all that fuss for this?"
"Don't make a racket."
After the duel with Adrias, Chris realized his weaknesses. He knew that his long-ingrained habits made it difficult to change his swordsmanship easily. This was the chance to correct his bad habits.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Swoosh! Crash!
As Chris consciously returned to the basics of his swordsmanship, his sword underwent a sudden transformation in speed. It flowed like a serpent aiming at Toddron's neck.
"Ugh!"
Taken aback by the sudden change, Toddron hastily tried to step back but stumbled. As a result, Chris's sword had already reached Toddron's neck like a venomous snake.
"It seems I won."
The duel ended in an instant. Toddron, with a dumbfounded expression, looked at the sword that had touched his neck and laughed wryly. He then shook his head and stepped back.
"I can't believe it. Me, the top graduate, getting beaten by a newcomer."
Hearing Toddron's mumbling, Chris narrowed his eyes. Thanks to his growth, whatever he said now wouldn't be well-received by the other party.
Chris let out a sigh, planning to finish his training and leave.
"Stop."
As Chris turned to leave and head outside the training ground, Toddron's voice stopped him. When Chris looked back to see what Toddron wanted, he found Toddron downing a potion.
"What are you doing?"
"Heh. Just wait. It's not over yet."
Having finished the potion, Toddron threw the empty bottle on the ground and drew his own sword.
Seeing him unsheath his magic sword, Chris frowned and spoke.
"No matter how you lost to your junior, isn't this going too far?"
"Shut up! You too, Vivian! And all the other guys from this ridiculous academy who laughed at me! I'll kill them all!"
"You're crazy."
Though he said that, Chris secretly tensed up and drew his sword.
Toddron's condition was strange, with only a black aura visible and the disappearance of the white aura.
"Tremendous pressure."
Chris felt the mana emanating from Toddron's surroundings as if it was visible.
Then, Toddron kicked the ground and swiftly approached, swinging his sword.
Clang!
"Ugh."
The force and speed were different from before, and Chris was thrown off by the attack.
He was surprised by the destructive power; it made him doubt the true nature of the potion.
"For now, I need to survive."
Toddron's attacks were relentless, bombarding him without pause.
In this onslaught, Chris struggled to defend himself, shaking his body to parry the strikes.
Clang!
Crack! Clank!
The thunderous sounds were so huge that they engulfed the entire area, and Chris had to forcefully align his dislocated shoulder as he escaped.
"What's all this commotion?"
At that moment, someone entered the training ground with a surprised voice.
And the person who entered was none other than Serena Erestial.
Seeing Chris, Serena called out, "Chris?"
"Serena! Go outside and ask for help! Something's wrong..."
Clang!
Chris was once again swept away by the thunderous sound as Serena saw the situation and drew her sword.
Since such loud noises and commotion would surely draw someone else to investigate, her priority was to save Chris.
"Is that... Senior Toddron?"
Although his size had increased, the figure seemed to be Toddron.
Regardless of how they ended up fighting, she needed to stop them for now.
Swoosh.
Recently, she had changed from a greatsword to a longsword. Serena attacked Toddron with her new style.
However, her skill with the new sword was still amateurish, and she couldn't touch Toddron's fur.
"Thank you."
But thanks to Serena's attack, Chris's incoming assault halted.
With Chris saved from the danger, they took their stances again and faced Toddron.
Serena wanted to ask how they ended up in this situation, but looking at Toddron's giant form, she was astonished.
"Now, another chick? Do I look that ridiculous? I'll kill you all!"
Toddron's shout felt like it contained mixed mana, shaking them to the core.
And thus, the second battle between Chris and Serena against Toddron began.
"Vivian, I have a favor to ask."
Recalling the situation a little while ago, Vivian blushed.
It was Adrias who directly asked her for a favor.
"I won't disappoint you."
Adrias's request was simple. He asked her to investigate if a similar incident, like the one that occurred at the banquet, had happened in the Knight Division. If it had, she was to contact the Knight Division professors immediately.
After getting off the train, Vivian ran. She planned to take a quick look around the Knight Division campus, as she didn't know where and when the incident would happen.
Thud...
But her plan changed when she faintly heard a noise from somewhere.
The direction from which the sound came was where she usually trained at the training ground.
Without hesitation, Vivian changed her course to follow the noise. As she got closer, the noise grew louder, turning into a deafening roar.
Clang!
It was an incredible sound, almost like a magical spell.
Vivian didn't relax her guard at such an absurd sound. She needed to find out what it was first before informing the professors.
Thud! Clang!
Vivian cautiously entered the training ground.
There, she saw two beaten-up students and something enormous swinging two swords indiscriminately.
"Adrias told me to contact the professors first, but..."
What would Adrias have done in this situation?
Seeing the state of the two students, it felt like they would be dead by the time she brought the professors.
If it were Adrias, he probably wouldn't have left them to find the professors first.
In the end, Vivian decided to save the two students first.
"Rest assured, I won't disappoint you."
Making a silent pledge, Vivian drew her sword, and the sound of the sword being drawn caught the attention of the monster and the students.
"Senior Vivian."
"Ugh."
The students were in serious condition, covered in blood and unable to stand properly. In contrast, the monster appeared unharmed.
"Vi-Vi-Vivian?"
The monster spoke.
With a stern expression, Vivian slowly approached the creature.
"I don't know who you are, but I have to fulfill Adrias's request."
"Do-I-don't know... who I am?"
"I don't know. You're just a monster."
"Ughhh! Uaaah!"
The already intense aura of the creature started to go wild.
But in the face of the approaching Vivian, the monster could only gaze back with a cold stare.
"I won't disappoint you."
A hint of madness remained in Vivian's eyes.
And soon, Toddron, transformed into a monster, clashed with Vivian.