Today, Jaylen was training in the mountainous region again, but on a different peak than usual to get away from the bickering twins in an argument.
The peak he was on was the second largest and most populated with students, unlike the first peak, which was almost desolate except for him and the twins.
It was here that one of the major benefits of the training regions showed itself.
Since many students had no reason to leave their class-specific complex, which had everything they needed to train, they rarely encountered students from other classes.
However, in training regions, you could encounter students from other classes and see various techniques and spells that could benefit your training.
One advantage was the ample space; Jaylen had observed some destructive techniques used from a distance on the same peak and wasn't affected by them during his training. This meant there was ample space to accommodate any technique one could imagine.
Jaylen was positioned on a plateau not far from the top of the mountain, having just finished an intense training session.
The sun beamed down on him, and sweat trickled down his face. His breathing was a bit uneven, but he was gradually regaining his rhythm.
As he stood there, catching his breath, the sound of footsteps approaching rapidly echoed in his ears.
Assuming whoever it was, was just passing by, Jaylen returned his focus to his training. Without warning, a rush of air surged past his ear, a wheezing sound that sent a chill down his spine. In an instant, a sharp sting flashed through him.
Freezing in his tracks, Jaylen slowly brought his hand up brushing lightly against his ear–sending a jolt through his body. Turning his gaze to his hand, a small splotch of red covered the tips of his fingers.
"Blood?" He asked, his voice tinged with bewilderment, leaving a palpable sense of uncertainty in the air.
As he lifted his gaze, his eyes were drawn to a glimmering shard of ice, fascinatingly embedded in the ground before him.
His gaze followed the trajectory and landed on Yuki's still outstretched hand. His jaw clenched as anger surged from the depths of his being. "What the hell, Yuki?"
"What was that for?" He yelled, his voice sharp with irritation and confusion.
Yuki responded with another ice shard fired directly at Jaylen's chest. In the split second before it hit, Jaylen leaned to the side, the shard whizzing past him.
"Yu—" Jaylen started, but he barely got out a syllable before the next shard flew at him. He jumped, letting it pass under his legs.
Yuki showed no signs of stopping, continuously launching ice shards. Jaylen dodged them with acrobatic precision—jumping left, backflipping, doing cartwheels—whatever was necessary to avoid being hit.
But Jaylen soon grew tired of dodging like a leprechaun. After sidestepping another shard with a quick flip, he landed and dashed forward, shouting, "Grr, alright, you asked for it!"
He closed the distance between them swiftly, raising his right arm to throw a punch. Yuki, anticipating his move, weaved under his arm and immediately followed up by lifting her left leg and kicking toward Jaylen's head.
"Arrgh!" Jaylen groaned in pain as the impact connected. Not giving him a moment to recover, Yuki placed her other leg on his back, using it to spring away and push Jaylen to the ground.
With a graceful twirl, she landed smoothly, standing tall as she looked down at Jaylen. She let out a huff, then mumbled just loud enough for him to hear, "Hmph, still think I can't beat you?"
Hearing Yuki's voice dripping with arrogance after just one bout, Jaylen let out a chuckle as he pushed off the ground, flipping to face her. "You think this is over? Heh, we're just getting started."
He moved forward again, targeting Yuki's right leg to disrupt her stance. Yuki, as if anticipating this, prepared to block it.
But Jaylen feinted, slamming his foot into the ground and switching legs to throw a kick at her right side instead. The force of the kick made Yuki's face scrunch up in pain as she was propelled to the left.
She rotated herself mid-air and landed with her feet skidding across the ground until she came to a stop. "That's it? I know girls that hit harder than that," she taunted.
Ignoring the provocation, Jaylen dashed at her, initiating the next bout. He spun around, jumping up and swinging his right leg toward Yuki's head.
Yuki moved impeccably, turning her head just in time to dodge, leaving only centimeters between her face and the sole of his shoes.
Seizing the opportunity with Jaylen's back turned, she swiftly kicked the back of his left knee, forcing him to kneel.
Standing before him, she couldn't resist a snarky comment, "Hah, are you proposing to me mid-fight? How sweet of you, but sorry, I only date men stronger than me."
Angered, Jaylen stood up and sent a straight jab with his right hand at Yuki, who ducked under it slightly.
She twisted her torso and struck his right side with her left hand, following up with a right hook to his stomach, stunning him. While he was reeling, she grabbed his head and brought it down as she lifted her knee to collide with it.
Jaylen reacted just in time, barely blocking to protect his nose from serious damage.
As she released him and backed up, Yuki summoned a bow, clearly done playing around and aiming to do more than just leave him with a concussion.
Yuki's bow, with its gracefully curved limbs, appeared to be forged from pure, enchanted ice, its translucent blue hue caught the light in dazzling ways, and white, frost-like patterns traced along its length, giving the impression that the bow was perpetually encased in a thin layer of snow.
The handle, wrapped in supple white leather, was adorned with silver filigree that resembled creeping frost, the bow's name was Frostbite Requiem.
Jaylen, upon recovering, noticed the bow in her hands and was shocked. He couldn't believe she had brought out her actual weapon. 'Why the hell did she bring out her bow? If she's fully intent on causing harm, then I will be too!'
Without wasting a second, fearing she might fire an arrow, Jaylen quickly retrieved his weapon, Dark Solitude, and unsheathed it. White flames flickered before disappearing.
Hearing a high-pitched whistling sound, Jaylen turned his gaze toward the arrow flying at him. With a swift motion, he lifted his katana and sliced the arrow cleanly in half. The two halves spun away harmlessly, and Jaylen resheathed his blade with a determined look.
He barely had a moment to rest before noticing a volley of around twenty arrows mid-flight, all heading straight for him.
Preparing to cut them all, Jaylen shifted his left leg back, centering his weight on his right. His grip on the handle tightened, his knuckles whitening.
Even though it seemed impossible to cut all the arrows with his current level of skill, Jaylen believed he could do it—or at least cut more than half.
As the arrows approached, he spoke within his mind 'Awakening of the Slumbering Dragon' before dashing forward, slicing the first arrow with a precise swing.
The first cut gave him a surge of confidence, but as more arrows came, he realized the futility of his endeavor, especially with Yuki continuing to send more his way.
Switching to a more defensive stance, Jaylen stayed on the move, his katana a blur as he cut through as many arrows as he could.
Each swing was a testament to his skill and determination, but it was clear that he couldn't intercept them all. The relentless barrage forced him to retreat and dodge while striking at the incoming arrows.
The sound of Jaylen and Yuki's clash echoed throughout the mountain. Each clash of Jaylen's katana meeting the tips of Yuki's icy arrows created a sharp, resonant sound that rang through the air.
Their duel drew a crowd of onlookers, students and teachers alike, all keeping their distance to avoid being caught in the crossfire. No one interfered as a voice echoed in their heads. "No one is to interfere in their fight no matter how deadly it gets"
Having spoken the voice, or Headmaster Jevelyn, continued to watch the fight taking place from high in the sky, a chair formed perfectly under her.
"Are you sure headmaster, we should let them fight?" Miss Xirenia asked, while seated next to the headmaster in a chair made of flames.
"It'll be fine you worry too much Xirenia, look for yourself" Headmaster Jevelyn dismissed her with a wave, her gaze fiercely fixed on the fierce clash unfolding before them.
Back into the fight, despite the overwhelming odds, Jaylen continued to cut down arrows with precision and speed, his movements fluid and calculated.
The intensity of the battle was written on both their faces, Yuki's fierce determination meeting Jaylen's unyielding resolve. The onlookers could only watch in awe as the two clashed, each strike and parry showcasing their prowess and the sheer force of their will.