Ciona returned to her spot, under the curious gazes of the other students. So far, that had been the best fight of the day. Kizaer grinned from ear to ear; witnessing his friend's victory had certainly put him in a good mood.
Professor Lin continued the combat training class. "Next match, same procedure: Walk to the center, greet each other, and begin the fight." Two other students followed the instructions, and another swift battle commenced.
Some fights ended quickly, while others lingered for a few extra seconds. Twice, Professor Lin intervened and determined the end of the bout. However, until now, no other fight had been as electrifying as Ciona and Ethan's. In fact many students longed to have a fight like that.
After another clash, Professor Lin called the next pair. "Shen and Matias, position yourselves in the center of the platform, greet each other, and start the fight." The two students followed the instructions, standing face-to-face in the middle of the platform.
Matias let out a small grunt of dissatisfaction. "Seems like today isn't my lucky day," he complained, locking eyes with his opponent. Shen, on the other hand, remained as serene as when he practiced Flow Synchronization.
The students stood about 4 meters apart. After exchanging greetings, Matias took two steps toward Shen. His eyes reflexively blinked between the first and second step. But before Matias's second step could touch the ground, he was surprised by Shen's figure, which was only a few centimeters away from him.
All Matias could register was the sensation of being struck in the left floating rib and a sharp blow to his right temple. Then... Darkness enveloped him.
Matias didn't know how much time had passed before he was assaulted by the sensation of being in a spinning world. After an inhuman effort, Matias managed to open his eyes, his head ached, and after a moment he realizes that his body was lying near Professor Lin who was looking after him.
Shen had already returned to where he had come from and remained silent. The tranquillity Shen displayed revealed advanced mental discipline and focus.
Matias knew he had no chance in this fight. After all, Shen belonged to the Strider clan, renowned for their swordsmanship and sword mastery. Shen himself had a certain level of reputation, standing out among the best young members of the Strider Clan.
"If this guy had a sword in his hands, I think he could take my life even faster than the duration of this fight," Matias lamented to himself. He could have given up before the match, but Matias understood that at the Free Feather Martial Arts School, his attitude and determination meant everything. If he wanted a chance to be accepted as a disciple by a renowned teacher, he could never hesitate, even if defeat was certain.
After Shen and Matias's fight, two more matches took place before something peculiar happened.
Professor Lin called out the names Joane and Ruth. Before Ruth could leave her spot, Joane raised one of her hands and spoke up. "Professor Lin, could I fight someone else?" Her statement caught most of the students off guard.
Professor Lin wasn't bothered by the question, as Joane hadn't outright refused the fight; she simply asked if it was possible to change opponents.
"And why would you like to switch opponents?" Professor Lin inquired.
"She is weak; her body posture reveals that she has never participated in a fight or received any training before coming to this school." Joane hit the nail on the head. Indeed, Ruth was a humble student who had never received any combat training. Despite her apparent nervousness, the girl still wanted to try.
Professor Lin raised one of his eyebrows but didn't respond immediately. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Ruth, what do you think about your classmate's opinion? Would it be better if someone else other then you to face her?"
Young Ruth didn't answer right away. With clenched fists by her sides, she looked down at her own feet in silence, her body was trembling slightly with hesitation. Still, that fear was overcome by Ruth's timid steps toward the center of the platform.
No words came out of the girl's mouth, but that small gesture of taking hesitant steps, even when faced with the prospect of fighting a seemingly stronger opponent, already demonstrated that little Ruth possessed something valuable: Determination.
Joane glanced at Ruth as she approached the center of the platform and exchanged a brief look with Professor Lin. Joane remained silent for a few seconds before also positioning herself in the center.
Joane and Ruth locked eyes for the first time. Before exchanging greetings, Joane said, "I apologize; don't misunderstand me. It's not that I underestimated you; I just wanted to fight someone strong. But it seems you're strong in your own way." Afterward, Joane made a quick fist salute. Ruth, still silent, returned the gesture, and the fight began.
Joane advanced relentlessly against Ruth, who, in a desperate and inexperienced attempt, tried to land a simple punch on Joane. Joane easily evaded the novice's blow, passing by Ruth and stopping behind her.
Joane gripped Ruth's hair with her right hand and pulled firmly without releasing it, forcing Ruth's body to arch slightly backward and exposing her neck. Joane extended her left hand toward Ruth's throat, her fingers gripping Ruth's trachea with firmness, but only that—Joane didn't exert more force than necessary to maintain a tight grip.
From this brief interaction, one could already deduce that Joane's fighting style was at least wild. However, if anyone wanted to be certain of this fact, they would have to wait for another one of Joane's fights.
Professor Lin raised one of his hands, halting the combat. "Alright, Joane is the victor. Joane, I hope you understand that some people are physically weak due to lack of opportunities, not lack of will." Professor Lin gently admonished Joana, taking advantage of the moment to teach the other students an important lesson.
"Yes, professor, thank you for the guidance. Ruth, thank you for the fight," Joane replied simply, without any pretensions. And then Professor Lin addressed Ruth. "Ruth, don't hold any grudges against Joane's words. The Armanci Clan is well-known for their frankness and straightforward way of expressing themselves."
Ruth merely nodded and returned to her place.
Professor Lin nodded approvingly, satisfied with the outcome of that brief bout. Self-realization was a primary focus of any educational institution, and if students could grow in both power and character, any teacher would feel fulfilled by the achievement.
Professor Lin continued the training, and three more fights took place. At this point, the other classes were also wrapping up their short sparring sessions. It seemed that Professor Marcus had instructed Professors Xun and Lin to put the students through this same process.
This quick and efficient process is important for teachers to better assess the differences in abilities and capacities among the students. After this first class in the Martial Pavilion, also known as the "grinder," there will be special lessons for students in Classes A-1, A-2, and A-3 who have no martial training.
These students will be separated from the others during the first two months to better focus on basic combat learning and techniques, while the other students will receive normal combat instructions from the teachers and participate in daily training fights.
In return, the students who are separated for basic combat training will have to remain on school premises for four hours longer than their classmates.
For a better understanding: students start their day at 7:00 a.m. in the Knowledge Pavilion, where academic classes take place. At 10:00, students head to the Cultivation Pavilion for Flow Cultivation classes, which continue until noon. Then there's a break for meals, and after the interval, students must go to the Martial Pavilion for Martial Combat classes, which start at 2:00 p.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. At that time, students are free to return home.
This means that students undergoing special basic combat training can only leave the school premises at 9:00 p.m. All of this aims to accelerate learning and reduce the disadvantage among classmates.
After the completion of the last fight, Professor Lin furrowed his brow before calling the next pair. "Kizaer and Arthur, step into the center of the platform, greet each other, and begin the combat." Professor Lin instructed, thinking to himself, 'Kizaer… the grandson of that old violent man. Better pay extra attention during this next fight.'
Kizaer walked toward the center of the platform with relaxed steps, maintaining a genuine smile on his face. Arthur, on the other hand, remained serious, emphasizing the proper conduct expected of an heir from one of the aristocratic families in the city.
In the center of the platform, the opponents locked eyes, and Kizaer casually waved one of his hands and said to Arthur, "Oh, hi, I'm Kizaer." He smiled. Arthur didn't return the gesture and simply assumed an attacking stance.