-Asher Frostblade's point of view.
Although Asher felt normal as usual, something inside him was unsettling.
He didn't know how to describe it in simple words, yet it was something he couldn't explain.
His thoughts were scrambled, as if they were slowly being hidden.
"Why am I forgetting some things?"
Her mind was uneasy.
Although she seemed fine on the outside, her mind was being consumed. Her memories...they seemed to be blurring.
Just some, not all. However, this was difficult to understand and quite strange. He had never forgotten anything before, let alone had his memories suddenly vanish. Still, Asher felt impatient.
Sweating coldly and staring blankly, he thought about what or why some of his memories were disappearing out of nowhere.
Although it's possible to recover erased memories, it's a really hard thing to do.
Fortunately, it was only two or three memories, none important, just memories of his past life, like when he used to look at the sky. Those kind of memories.
Although he felt them wandering somewhere, he knew that those were the memories that had been erased. They weren't completely lost yet, though....
"It's possible that I'll forget everything.
What will happen if he forgets everything someday?
This was the question Asher was asking himself. He didn't want to lose his memories, especially those of his new life.
Although he didn't mind forgetting some memories of his previous life, he knew that those memories were the source of everything he had accomplished so far, and if he lost them, it would be worse.
He doubted himself, wondering if his memories would really disappear.
Sighing, Asher tried to calm himself.
Although for a moment he had been scared and nervous to see some memories being erased for no apparent reason, that didn't mean he would actually lose them.
Maybe he was just thinking wrong, maybe his mental exhaustion was getting to him again, and maybe he would recall those memories again.
Then he reassured himself.
He was fine, and that was the most important thing.
There was no reason to be alarmed.
It's not as if his memories would disappear in an instant.
While it's possible, it doesn't always happen, and he knew that all too well.
Therefore, he relaxed and stopped worrying so much about losing memories that weren't important.
However, if he were to lose some important memories, his personality would change completely. It would be a problem, but nothing serious had happened yet.
Not yet. So he stopped thinking about absurd things and looked at Oriana.
"Well, I don't have anything else to think about."
He said this, but inside he felt fear.
Fear of losing both the memories of his old life and the memories of his new life.
Although he was avoiding confronting his emotions at the moment, they seemed to be getting the better of him.
"Haa..."
He sighed heavily, rubbed the top of his nose and squinted his eyes.
Then he looked down at the ground, feeling somewhat tired.
In fact, he was exhausted and bored. Everything was strange now.
Despite that, he opened his eyes and met Oriana's gaze.
It seemed that she had been watching him for a while now.
"Looks like she noticed something..."
Though he didn't know if she had really noticed.
"I should ask her later."
That was her thought. She should know what exactly it was that was happening to him.
One reason was that she knew quite a bit about mental exhaustion and all that, so maybe she would know what had happened to Asher's memories and might have an answer to his question.
Of course, he wasn't sure if she would actually have an answer, but it was better to ask than to ignore something as important as losing memories.
***
-Scene change.
-Oriana Mengral's point of view.
Oriana noticed it from the beginning.
Asher was really strange.
Suddenly, his attitude was different from normal. In fact, since the beginning of the evaluation he had been acting unusual, his actions throughout the day were different.
"Some variable because of his mental exhaustion..."
Although Oriana wasn't sure, it was possible that was what it was.
Mental exhaustion was a really hard thing to understand. You couldn't know exactly how it would affect a person.
It can drive you crazy, it can change your personality, your emotions and your thoughts.
Mental exhaustion is an unpredictable thing, you can't say for sure what the change in the person suffering from it will be. However, in most cases, nothing serious happens.
But Oriana had noticed it.
Asher's mental exhaustion was unique and different from the others. It seemed hard to understand, but there was something different about Asher.
Something Oriana did not yet understand, and she had to ask him about the changes he was experiencing. The best way to find out would be to ask him directly.
Of course, that was not possible at the moment. However, after she finished her fight with Asher, she would go directly to ask him about the changes she had felt or would possibly feel at some point.
A clear example of mental exhaustion was Asher's strange attitude. Although Oriana had been watching him for an indefinite amount of time, his demeanor changed every time she looked into his eyes.
Oriana then looked at Asher.
Finally, after a few minutes, the other cadets who were still fighting finished. Really, she thought the fighting wouldn't take too long. Although there were exceptions, such as cadets of similar strength, it was surprising how long it took for them to finish their fights. Despite this, the results were surprising.
After a few minutes, Professor Lucas looked at Oriana, and she nodded immediately, knowing that the fight between her and Asher was next.
There was a reason why the last match would be between them. Oriana knew that Asher fought with the experience of a warrior skilled in hand-to-hand combat. This would be a great example to the other cadets, showing the importance of physical strength and combat techniques without resorting to spells or magical abilities.
Of course, they could use mana to reinforce their muscles and increase their strength, but it was always more advisable to train the physical body rather than rely too much on mana.
A clear rule in a deathmatch is that, if mana is depleted, the fight is reduced to a melee. At that point, physical skill will decide the outcome.
In the worst case scenario, if one is weak in melee and one's enemy still retains mana, the outcome could be decided immediately with a simple spell.
Oriana knew that this area was very important. Therefore, it had been decided that the last combat would be between her and Asher, to set a clear example to the other cadets.
After a few seconds, Professor Lucas spoke.
"Now, the last combat will be between Cadet Asher and Professor Oriana. The rules are simple: you must not take this into something dangerous. This applies especially to Professor Oriana. She will only be able to use the minimum part of her strength and will not be able to employ mana or skills."
"Cadet Asher can use spells, mana, or simply fight with combat techniques."
"If anything unexpected arises, I will intervene to stop the combat for Cadet Asher's safety. If Professor Oriana uses more force than allowed, she will be punished for breaking the rules."
"Now that the rules have been explained, they are clear."
Oriana, of course, knew the rules. She was not to break them. She could not use mana or skills, only combat techniques, and she was to use the minimum of her strength. However, that didn't mean she couldn't increase her power a bit if an unforeseen situation arose during combat.
Still, the rules had to be followed. Oriana understood Professor Lucas' words and positioned herself in the center.
Like her, Asher did the same.
However, at that instant, Oriana noticed something different in the atmosphere.
"It's strange."
"Something seems to have changed in him again."
Indeed, this was reflected in Asher's face.
A smile, like that of someone who enjoyed combat, appeared.
Oriana watched him as he held that smile for a prolonged time. No one else seemed to notice, except her. However, she could guess that something different was going to happen to Asher at any moment.
Despite that, Oriana remained skeptical and decided to concentrate on assessing the fight.
She had already evaluated the other cadets' fights, and had the evaluations and scores of each. Now all that was left was Asher. However, at that moment, Oriana felt that Asher's personality was completely different, as if something in him was changing.
It seemed that his emotions were the most relevant thing that was altering. Oriana noticed it, and it was quite evident.
"But... the others don't seem to notice."
After all, all eyes were on her and not Asher.
The cadets wanted to see what Oriana was capable of. The high-ranking nobles knew of Oriana's title and how far her strength could go.
This further motivated the cadets to pay attention to her rather than Asher.
"Though they might change their minds once it all starts."
It was a possibility. However, seeing the change in Asher's emotions and expression, as if he was slowly changing, Oriana found it uncomfortable to look at him.
It felt strange to observe that sudden change in him.
"His mental exhaustion is affecting him too quickly."
It might not be a year from now that his mental exhaustion would complete and show a significant change in Asher, turning him into someone completely different.
No matter what happened, she would know after this fight.
Then, the professor's voice reached her ears.
"If both parties are ready, then begin. And don't forget the rules, especially you, Professor Oriana."
"I'll keep that in mind," Oriana replied to Professor Lucas.
The atmosphere remained calm as Oriana watched the strange smile on Asher's face.
"It's hard to see it..."
It was complicated to interpret that smile; it wasn't like any other. It looked like he was eager to fight or to witness something in this fight.
"I'll take the first step..."
His thought was interrupted as Asher's figure faded from his sight.
"I lost him," he thought as Asher disappeared.
That speed wasn't normal, it didn't match the movement of someone who hadn't trained for a long time. Not even with a mana boost could such an absurd speed be achieved.
Oriana moved her eyes quickly and saw it: Asher was already a few centimeters away from her.
As if it was something simple to repel, Oriana moved her hand, opened it and blocked Asher's fist that was about to impact her left side.
However, she interrupted him just in time and, turning her leg, tried to knock him down, but Asher again disappeared.
"How does he do that?"
No matter how fast he was, she should be able to see his speed. Perhaps his other abilities were restricted, but his reaction was not.
It was as if he disappeared out of nowhere and reappeared right in her shadow, as if he was moving through shadows....
"Shadows?"
She looked at her shadow, and then Asher appeared there.
"So that's it..."
She immediately counterattacked as soon as Asher appeared in her shadow.
He was moving at an incredible speed, eluding her perception and reaction by using the shadows themselves....