The Second Day of the tournament was about to start. Everyone took their own seats. Snacks were laid on top of most people, waiting for the previously victorious set of trainees to arrive.
It was early morning. The twelve of us remained on the back stage after being told to wait by the bald instructor.
Some fixed the straps of their armor whilst the rest were whispering some sort of chant to calm their nerves.
Silenced engulf the back stage of the training grounds. No one uttered a single word the whole time.
For once, I could relate to them.
Eye darting back and fort, before long, the bald instructors voice echoed through the grounds.
"Welcome, my friends! I apologize for keeping you waiting! Today, we will finally know who would reign as our year's trainee champion! Now!! Are...you...READY!!!"
The whole area shook from the echo of his voice. It was amplified with mana, but the noise was similar to one who held a microphone. Shaky and buzzing.
The crowd replied with a cheer and a shout.
"Good, Good! Now, come out, little ones!"
Once we heard the bald instructors voice, each and every one of us immediately stood.
Rushed outside the back stage while holding our weapons on the palm of our hands.
"Why don't we give them a round of applause!"
The crowd clapped their hands. Though It was a simple praise. Each of us were embarrassed by the sudden gesture, except for one that is.
The only trainee who's also a noble in disguise, well, he never hid it in the first place but it was still a shock when I found out about it.
Renna Heart, had no expression showing on her face. He stared blankly to the crowd as if nothing mattered anymore.
The clapping stopped after a few seconds or so, whist the bald instructor gestured for us to sit on the side, and before long, he called the first set of trainees who would spar.
"Xuruz Trueslade!!! Lucy Verl!!!" the bald instructor said.
Each of us showed a curious look at each other. We didn't even chose our slots which we've done yesterday, so why did the bald instructor started already.
It was an easy question if you think about it.
It seems that our picked from yesterday was still used for today. The first winner would spar with the second, then the third would spar with the fourth, and the list goes on.
Though some of the trainees were still asking themselves, the first participants realized only after they ascended the stage.
And after that, they immediately entered into battle mode.
Each stood in a stance as they waited for the bald instructor to say the word.
Xuruz placed the shield infront of him whilst his sword on the ready on his side. his legs curled slightly.
Whilst Lucy on the other hand, was using a thin weapon, a rapier if you'd call it. She held her weapon with one arm and the other crossed behind her. She stood straight while eyeing her opponent from the side. Her weapon laid waiting as it pointed with her right arm curved back to her left shoulder.
Though it was faint, I could hear their chants while their mouths moved in a quick motion. Slowly, each of their weapons were enveloped with a faint light.
"BEGIN!" The bald instructor shouted.
Without a moment to waste, both trainee dashed towards each other.
At first glance, Lucy might be at a slight disadvantage.
A rapier was a thin and long weapon that's used for stabbing an opponent. It would instantly break if it was used for slashes.
She must have also realized this seeing as how she went for the offensive.
But what I failed to know is why did Xuruz also dashed forward.
His fight yesterday consisted of blocking, waiting for the opponent to deplete his stamina. It can also be called a battle of attrition.
So why did he also went on the offensive? Why now?
My eyebrows slowly rises. While the two participants went on a long dance with their weapons, I forced myself not to blink in the slightest.
Xuruz had changed his approach, if he was proficiently blocking the opponent he had yesterday, now, he was having a hard time. He, who didn't move a lot yesterday, was now doing his best on dodging the fast thrusts of his opponent.
I felt the need to rub my chin. My back hunched as I began to think seriously what happened to Xuruz.
"What's the difference? Why does it look like he's struggling now?"
Based on his fight yesterday, he showed how proficient he was with his weapon, well, he barely used the sword yesterday, but you get what I mean.
He showed how good he was on reading an opponent trajectory, how they attack and what not. He managed to block most of them but some still managed to graze him.
So seeing as how Xuruz was on the losing side made me a lot more curious than before.
Amidst my thoughts, my eye widened.
"Trajectory..... of course!" I muttered in a high tone. The other trainees turned to my direction, surprised by who made the noise.
Covering my mouth, I finally realized why Xuruz was struggling.
His opponent last time used a pair of daggers. It might be a bit shorted but daggers were much wider in width than the usual long sword or short swords. It was easier to read the weapons trajectory considering it moves the same as the sword.
And returning to the task at hand. Lucy wielded a rapier. It was a light weapon mainly used for stabs. And because of it's thin appearance, it must look like a twig if you crossed paths with it.
Sweat began to drop from Xuruz's forehead. His eyes were moving in a fast paced, trying to catch sight of where his opponent's weapon was about to go.
But, to make things much harder, Lucy Verl, moved her rapier from one hand to another with each attack. Sometimes she used her right hand twice, and sometimes thrice on her left.
It was a simple distraction, but it was all she needed.
"What;s wrong? Having a hard time?" Lucy said whilst darting left and right. Her approach was a hit and dodge, so for the counter attacking Xuruz, it was a bad match up.
"Argh...." Xuruz tried to push his shield towards Lucy, but it only managed to hit the air.
"You know, you're slower than you look." Lucy muttered, stabbing from the side.
My eyes widened. Blood started dripping to the floor.
"That was a good fight, but it seems you overestimated yourself." Lucy jumped back, pulling her rapier out of Xuruz bloody arms.
"...you must've realized it already, you can't win against me." She continued her words, grinning as she lightly taps her weapon on the ground.
Xuruz remained motionless. His face staring down whilst his arm that held the shield trembled.
After a while, he stood up, but his damaged arm could not do the same. The shied fell on the ground with a thump, he glared at his opponent prepared his sword in front.
"Quite stubborn...well, don't regret what's about to happen next." Lucy muttered, made small hops left and right.
She dashed forward with her body low on the ground. With a thrust, she aimed for Xuruz's other arm, whilst on the other end, Xuruz had his sword up.
A thrust versus a downward slash, who would reign on top.
Clang!!!
A single noise echoed and the victory was decided.
"It's not that I overestimated myself, it became like this because you underestimated me...." the side of Xuruz's lips slowly rise. "...because of this, I won."
Silence engulf the area. Every single one of the audience and the trainees were only thinking of one thing.
Incredible.
The rapier had made it's mark, but Lucy's eyes widened, unbelief that her attack had only grazed her opponent.
On the other hand, Xuruz stopped his sword just at the right distance. It laid floating on Lucy's neck. And if you look at it closely, small drops of blood were already appearing.
If Xuruz didn't stop his attack, then Lucy might've already been dead.
It was a one in a thousand chance of happening, but, if you think about it, was it luck or pure skill?
Mouth's remained open and eyes blinked in a continuous motion.
Lucy fell to her knees, her eyes fixed on the ground and her shoulders dropped as well.
The conclusion of the first fight has already been decided.
"Winner!!! Xuruz Trueslade!"