Lassim's second day at the academy began after awakening from a unique dream that left him feeling both exhilarated and a bit silly. He quickly shook off the lingering sense of grandeur and got ready for the day ahead.
After a refreshing shower, he dressed in his blue and gold academy uniform and made his way to the academy's training grounds. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over the courtyard. He arrived early, eager to get started and show off his newfound power.
As he approached the training grounds, he noticed that there were already around 50 students gathered, more than the class the previous day where there was only the top 20 students of the first year grade, all chatting excitedly amongst themselves. he recognized a few faces from his orientation the day before, but most of the students were new to him.
He found a spot near the front of the group and waited patiently for the class to begin. As the minutes passed, more and more students arrived, until there were around 200 in total. Lustria and Sirium both arriving soon after, greeting and standing near Lassim. The courtyard was buzzing with energy as everyone eagerly awaited the start of the class.
Finally, the instructor arrived, a stern-looking man with a no-nonsense attitude.
He was a tall, imposing figure, with a stern expression that seemed to be etched permanently onto his face. He had a commanding presence that demanded respect, and his piercing gaze seemed to see right through you.
His hair was a deep shade of gray, pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of his neck. His face was weathered and lined with age, but his eyes sparkled with a fierce intelligence that belied his years.
He wore a simple robe, dark blue in color, with intricate gold embroidery along the edges. Different from the typically dark blue and silver lined robes of the elders Lassim had witnessed so far.
He had a golden 'G' just above the academy sigil on robe's chest and back, signifying his position was that of a guardian of the academy. Equal to the headmaster in protection duties, a category of it's own when compared to the regular elders.
He was powerful and the natural pressure he radiated pressured the students with an unseen weight on their shoulders. A silver locket hung from a chain around his neck, glinting in the sunlight.
His imposing figure stood before the assembled students, his posture statuesque and his gaze sharp as a hawk as he surveyed the crowd. His voice carried with authority as he addressed the eager young warriors before him.
"Good morning, students," he began, his voice deep and commanding. "I am Guardian Kale, your instructor for this Battle Mastery class. You can call me Master Kale for your duration of your enrollment at the academy."
His words were concise, his demeanor no-nonsense as he wasted no time in outlining the objectives of the day's lesson.
"Today," he continued, "we will begin with duels between students of similar rank. These duels will allow me to assess your combat capabilities and determine potential leaders for our combat formations."
There was a ripple of excitement and nervous energy among the students as they absorbed Master Kale's instructions.
Master Kale's steely gaze swept over the crowd once more, his expression unreadable as he assessed each student in turn.
"Pair up with the person directly below you in rank starting from our number one student, Lassim, and prepare for your duels," he commanded, his voice brooking no argument. "Remember, this is not a fight to the death, but a test of your abilities. Show me what you are capable of."
With that, the students began to pair off, their anticipation palpable as they readied themselves.
Lassim was already standing near Lustria, so the two of them paired up and found an empty area to conduct their battle.
Lassim and Lustria faced each other, their eyes locked in determination. This was their first spar, and neither knew the full extent of the other's abilities. The anticipation was palpable as they readied themselves.
"Ready?" Lassim asked, his voice steady.
Lustria nodded, her expression focused. "Let's do this."
With that, they both assumed their fighting stances, their bodies tense and ready for action. Lassim gripped his halberd tightly, while Lustria held her bow with confidence.
The first move was Lassim's. He lunged forward, aiming a swift strike at Lustria's side. But she was quick to react, dodging to the side and countering with a series of rapid strikes of bolts of darkness in the shape of arrows.
Lassim parried her attacks, his movements fluid and precise. He could feel the energy of the [Storm Bringer] technique coursing through him, enhancing his speed and strength. A light mist started gathering around him into the air above with each wave as he swept his halberd.
As the duel continued, Lassim and Lustria traded blows, each one trying to outmaneuver the other. The air crackled with the sound of their weapons clashing, the mist turning into a cloud overhead with it beginning to grow darker and darker in color. It's area started at a mere 5 meters in width, but over the course of just a minute it had grown over 20 meters and was beginning to draw attention from the nearby duels. The ground beneath them shook with the force of their movements of cat and mouse as he chased Lustria around.
Lustria had begun to emit a darkness that was somehow blurring his perception of her. The darkness being provided by the cover of the cloud was starting to give her an advantage that made his accuracy even worse.
'Since she wants to show off her new [Dark Veil], I might as well show off too.'
With a smirk, he channeled the power of the storm within him and from the brewing storm around him, focusing it into his halberd. The cloud struck down with a sudden burst of torrential rain and two strikes of lightning aimed directly at the grip of the elemental halberd. The runes along it's blade's edge charging fully in a mere instant.
With a powerful thrust, he released the energy forward, unleashing a devastating attack that whistled through the air with incredible speed and force. The lightning and water strikes created a deafening roar, illuminating the courtyard with its blinding light. The nearby duels all stopped in hesitation to watch.
Lustria barely had time to react before the attack connected, sending her tumbling backward, coming to a rest on her back 15 meters away and burns on her school's robe. In pain, but mostly just sore and annoyed at the burnt fringes of the robe, she looked up at Lassim, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Good fight," Lassim said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, offered a hand. "Sorry about your robes. I hope it didn't hurt too bad?"
Lustria, annoyed at being defeated so abruptly, she at least took his hand to stand back up.
"I'm tougher than I look. I'm just frustrated by how quickly that happened. Your power also seems to be too much for just SI1." Lustria looked at him suspiciously.
Lassim didn't comment but merely scratched his head with a smile. "I'll pay for your desserts at the school's cafeteria next time."
With that, they both turned to face Master Kale, waiting for his assessment of their performance.
After a moment, he nodded, acknowledging their efforts.
"Both of you have shown great skill and determination," he said, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "Lassim, your technique was impressive. I'm surprised by how quickly you've developed something that can merge both of your elements so quickly. Also, your power is a bit... high." He eyed Lassim suspiciously for several moments.
Lassim nodded, a sense of pride swelling within him, but also a sense of worry.
'This might be a chance for me to ask about my cultivation. I'll need to see if I can speak with him after the lesson. It seems he might already know.' He thought to himself.
After the stare down, "Lustria, your agility and speed were commendable," Master Kale continued. "You have a natural talent for combat, and with more practice, you'll become even more formidable. Lassim is just a bad match up for you since he uses lightning. You can use the darkness of his cloud to generate [Dark Veil], but you still need to gain more distance. We'll work on your distance and control abilities throughout your time in the academy."
Lustria smiled, her eyes shining with excitement from the praise. She had always loved the thrill of battle as a member of the Alisone family, and she was eager to continue honing her skills.
"Both of you have the potential to become great warriors," Master Kale said, his tone serious. "But remember, true strength comes from discipline and dedication. Lassim, after the lesson please follow me to my office."
With that, Master Kale returned his attention to the rest of the students. "Continue with your duels."
After a few more minutes, Sirium defeated his opponent easily with his newly acquired [Whirlwind Step] that left his student in a daze with his mesmerizing movements of the wind element. Lassim and Lustria eye'd the other student's students, but none were overwhelmingly exciting to really draw their attention.
Master Kale continued to give advice and suggestions for each student's areas of focus to improve upon. After each duel was finished, Master Kale announced that he would suggest the students begin taking hunting missions to obtain more techniques that would compliment the suggestions he provided.
"In our next lesson, we're going to begin an exercise regimen to get your general athletic ability up to par. Your body may be enhanced slowly over time by your elementals slowly awakening and sharing their power with you, but if you can't grow strong enough by the time you hatch then you can't fully enjoy the maximum potential that their hatching can do for you. Your body will evolve the moment they awaken from their mote egg, so your body must be ready to be the perfect vessel to receive such evolution bringing power. For today, consider my suggestions. Class dismissed. Lassim follow me." Master Kale ended and began walking off.
"See you guys later!" Lassim said quickly before heading lock-step with the guardian towards the building near the training grounds.