Chapter 174 - Julie Vs Everyone

The group made their way to the designated arena in silence, a solemn expression on their faces, especially Jien's prior cohort. They didn't know what to expect regarding this challenge, they knew nothing about these newer members other than their first impressions. Now they would have to fight them with little to no information. It was like their first year in the Warping Forest all over again.They didn't necessarily fear facing these new members, having grown in their own right to the point of being able to handle the challenge. What they worried about was that the challenge would fracture any chance at unity they had. However, they fully recognized that regardless of how they felt this was going to happen and the result would be what it was.Soon the group had reached the empty quarter of a training field, three sides with fights already occurring and the last had the white stone of the academy wall towering over them, providing the entire 'arena' with shade from the burning heat of the sun. In the center of the training field was a man with dark tousled hair, a rugged face and piercing obsidian eyes. The chest of his uniform held many different medals along with a simple black chain that Jien recognized from the man that brought Julie to the academy the previous day.The man looked over them all with a gaze that screamed of calculations on how to quickly dispatch them from the land of the living. In an instant all of them felt like they were facing the greatest danger they had ever faced, cold sweat matting their back. A moment later the intensity lifted as if it had never existed in the first place. "Unit, number of fights and list of challenges." The man spoke in a rather sonorous tone that surprised everyone there. For some reason they almost expected his tone to be cold, raspy even. Still Julie was quick to answer lest the intense stare resume."Unit B114 with up to 20 total fights. The only fight that is for sure is me against everyone else." She spoke the words with a calm but as the others actually realized what was spoken most gaped at the brunette spear wielder. Was she insane, did she take them too lightly or did she perhaps have a death wish? None of them could figure out what was going on in this girl's head. They didn't even know everyone's name, an adventure that Jien's group of friends had over everyone else.In response to Julie's call for challenge the petite girl with braided hair laughed as if she had heard the funniest joke she had ever heard. She turned to the others she would apparently be teaming up with. "Name's Alys, daughter of a bandit, trained in tracking, killing, hunting." she stated as she unslung a cloth wrapped package that had been hidden on her back behind her hair. As she removed the cloth a small but well maintained and highly polished mahogany bow came into view along with a simple leather quiver, jam packed with arrows fletched with black feathers.The giantess of a girl gave a laugh, though hers a lot more upbeat in nature. "My name is Robyn like I had said earlier, daughter of a miner up in the Halbus Mountainside." She quickly looked around until she spotted one of many weapon racks lining the field. She quickly ran over and looked over the weapons, picking up a few and giving them a few wild swings before nodding and settling on glaive that had a dull edge. The glaive itself seemed to not match her size and it became apparent they would have to see to it that she received something created for her stature.The last of the three new members introduced himself in a near whisper as Andrew Bishop, son of a priest at one of the temples of the goddess of healing. He pulled what looked like a small metal cylinder from his pocket and with a light flick it extended into a simple staff. The boy still looked absolutely petrified by the idea of conflict with Julie, but also resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be getting out of it. There was no path for being reassigned, at least not unless members of a unit died. They were all truly stuck with each other from here until the end of the end of their training with the academy.Jien was next to introduce himself, drawing his rapier with a firm expression and his eyes growing a hint colder. He didn't like fighting but that didn't mean that he would shun away from it now that he had spent his time training in various combat scenarios. His introduction stated him as a noble's son and the introductions that followed did the same, but they did not list the specifics. It made no difference here. The academy gave no special privileges or leeway unless you earned them through meritorious acts for the Elitrix Empire.They all drew out their weapons and Julie looked them all over, still cradling her crooked spear as if it were her own child. "Julie Summers, soon to be the leader of this unit." Her words were firm as her spear was grabbed firmly in one hand. She made to head to the weapon racks to grab something when the faculty members sonorous voice rang out once more. "Your weapons will be replaced with standard issue weapons in due time, for now you will use the training weapons in the racks."His statement broke the serious of the situation, leading to a hurried shuffle to put away their weapons and grab standard versions from the training racks.