As the tension mounted in the arena, Jaylen stood poised and ready, his katana held firmly in his grasp. Across from him, Miss Xirenia assumed her stance, her eyes gleaming with determination as she prepared to face her student in combat.
Jaylen's mind raced as he moved, his thoughts a whirlwind of strategy and anticipation. 'I have to move swiftly to not allow her to counter-attack,' he thought, his muscles tensing with determination.
Launching himself forward with astonishing speed, Jaylen closed the distance between himself and Miss Xirenia in a blur of motion.
With a deft switch of his stance, he unleashed a slashing attack aimed directly at her torso, his katana slicing through the air with lethal precision.
But before he could even register the sensation of his blade making contact, Jaylen felt a sudden emptiness, as if his strike had met only thin air.
Instinctively, he leaped back, his senses on high alert as he braced himself for whatever counterattack his mentor might unleash.
As he retreated, a fist hurtled towards his face with startling speed, leaving Jaylen with no time to dodge. With lightning-fast reflexes, he brought his arms up to block, the impact reverberating through his entire body as he absorbed the force of the blow.
Despite his efforts, the sheer strength behind the punch sent Jaylen hurtling backward a short distance, the momentum carrying him across the arena floor as he fought to regain his footing.
His thoughts swirled in a tempest of uncertainty and determination. 'I know she said she wasn't going to hold back, but I hoped she would a little. She's three major realms above me.'
But as quickly as these thoughts surfaced, they were eclipsed by a primal instinct, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, a silent warning that spurred him to action.
His senses heightened, attuned to the slightest movement in the arena around him. Without warning, a sudden force propelled towards him from his left, swift and unyielding in its approach.
Jaylen's reflexes kicked into overdrive as he instinctively lifted his katana to block, bracing himself for the impact. The clash reverberated through his body, sending shockwaves of pain radiating outward.
Despite his efforts, the force of the blow overwhelmed him, sending him hurtling backward with an even greater force.
His limbs flailed as he struggled to maintain his balance, the unforgiving ground rushing up to meet him. With a heavy thud, Jaylen landed hard, the impact stealing his breath away.
Amidst the chaos and the agony, Miss Xirenia's voice cut through the din like a beacon of clarity. "Don't get distracted," she commanded, her words a stark reminder of the perilous dance they were engaged in.
With sheer determination fueling his every movement, Jaylen pushed himself upright once more, his muscles screaming in protest as he prepared to face his opponent head-on.
His gaze darted towards the spot where the attack had originated, only to find it empty, devoid of any trace of his adversary.
Reacting with lightning speed, Jaylen spun around, his katana slicing through the air with deadly precision as he sought to intercept his opponent's next move. But to his dismay, all he found was the fading after-image of Miss Xirenia, a stark reminder of her elusive prowess.
"Good try, but your opponents aren't always going to appear behind you," her voice echoed in the arena, a taunting reminder of the harsh realities of combat.
Before Jaylen could fully process her words, a searing pain erupted in his stomach, stealing the breath from his lungs. The force of Miss Xirenia's blow sent him crashing to the ground once more, his body wracked with agony as he struggled to draw in shallow gasps of air through the pain.
As he lay there, his world reduced to a haze of agony and exhaustion, Jaylen fought to maintain his focus, his mind stubbornly refusing to yield to the overwhelming sensation of defeat.
Gasps and murmurs rang out from the crowd of students as they watched one side being beaten down.
They were unsure if they should intervene; on one side was their teacher, whom they believed would not harm them unjustly, and on the other side stood the top student of their year.
"Brandon, we got to do something this isn't a fair fight, Miss Xirenia doesn't seem to be holding back" Sarah spoke with a sense of urgency as she moved forward toward the arena to intervene.
"So that's how much trust you have in him then?" Brandon spoke, his voice rising at the end as if he were unsure, turning his words into a tentative inquiry.
Sarah halted, turning towards him she opened her mouth but Just as she was about to speak, he pressed on, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Your to quick to run off to lend a hand to people you deem need help, without giving them a chance to grow and face challenges themselves."
"But Jaylen, he is a person I deem worthy to hold the title of First in my place, he is by no means weak enough to need help from you of all people," He said harshly before turning his attention back to the arena.
Sarah's brows furrowed into a frown as she processed his words, her thoughts unknown before she turned her attention to the stage where Miss Xirenia stood over Jaylen as he crawled towards his practice katana.
She didn't move even when Miss Xirenia's mocking words reached her ears; she decided she would trust in the strength Jaylen had honed over the years.
"Hmm... Is this all you could do? How did you even get the top spot? Hmm... Maybe the Orpheus family should change the heir once again? Maybe to... hmm... someone more suitable," Miss Xirenia's mocking words reverberated in Jaylen's ears, each syllable dripping with sarcasm and disdain.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Jaylen's hands curled into fists, his knuckles white with tension as he fought to suppress the surge of emotion threatening to consume him.
With a fierce determination burning in his chest, he refused to let her words undermine his resolve.
Summoning every ounce of willpower he possessed, Jaylen reached for his katana, the hilt cool and reassuring beneath his trembling fingers.
Drawing strength from the familiar weight of the blade, he used it for support as he pushed himself upright once more, his muscles straining against the onslaught of pain.
Despite the trembling of his limbs and the burning ache that threatened to overwhelm him, Jaylen stood tall amidst the chaos, his gaze locked firmly on his opponent. With unwavering focus, he met Miss Xirenia's mocking stare head-on, his eyes blazing with determination.
Amid the turmoil, Jaylen's mind remained a beacon of clarity, his thoughts a silent mantra echoing through the chaos. 'I... will... not... fall!.' With every heartbeat, he steeled himself for the battle ahead, drawing upon his inner reserves of strength and resilience to face whatever challenges lay in his path.
"I applaud you for being able to stand once again. Your willpower would put some people I know to shame," Miss Xirenia's words, veiled in false praise, sliced through the air with razor-sharp precision, their mocking undertone unmistakable.
Despite the surface-level façade of admiration, Jaylen could sense the underlying contempt laced within her tone.
Refusing to be swayed by her taunts, Jaylen's resolve remained unyielding as he charged forward, his movements fueled by a fierce determination to prove himself in the face of adversity. "Haaa"
With a swift motion, Jaylen cast his first spell of the match, but as he channeled his energy into the spell, he could feel the tenuous grip of his mastery slipping through his fingers.
In an instant, reality twisted and warped around him, the world spinning as Jaylen vanished from sight. But when he reappeared, it was not behind his opponent as planned. Instead, he found himself suspended in the air.