The class made their way to the combat systems and entered their allotted VR pods.
Inside, instructor Horvey Doe was waiting. He surveyed everyone as they gathered around him, each wearing a one-piece combat gear that came in black.
When they all gathered, the instructor began, "Today, we will be culminating everything we have learnt about fighting.
"I expect to see everyone apply what has been taught. Of course, I also understand that some of you already have tailored-made fighting styles and as long as your movements follow the set guidelines you pass.
"Remember, this is simply a sparring session, and I don't want to see anyone going overboard." He said, specifically looking in the direction of Zen.
As the instructor of his class, it was his job to know what was going on, and he was quite aware of what had transpired between Zen and Alex.
While he found no problem with the kids having their own bouts and challenges, he did not wish for it to grow into a conflict that would follow them once they graduated.
What humanity needed were hunters to fight void creatures and beasts across the universe, and not more enemies who only cared about fighting themselves to show who was the strongest.
For this reason, he wanted to see if those two would spar.
"The rules are simple: there is none. Use whatever you can to grab the win over your opponent."
His words caused the students to look at each other in doubt. Some were confused as to why he would utter such words. Understanding their gazes, he continued.
"In a fight to the death, there is no such thing as rules. The quicker you learn this, the better your chances of surviving out there."
Their class on survival wasn't just for show. They had been taught that the peace and quiet they enjoyed in the empire was limited to only the empire.
In the vast vacuum of outer space, there are forces, humans, who are hostile to the empire and one can come across them at any point when they venture out to hunt.
"Now, who is going to start? The first to come forward has the choice of selecting their opponent. You cannot refuse." He pointed out, immediately drawing the hands of several students.
Every individual present was highly competitive and had been recognized as among the best. However, to truly prove themselves, they needed to assess their standing in comparison to others.
While they had all sparred with their friends by this point, there were still those they hadn't faced yet.
The instructor noticed how many eyes were locked on Alex, Julia and Ross.
"You're about to get really busy, hehehe…" Sophia, standing with Alex and co commented mischievously.
She marvelled at how the majority of students still wanted to have a piece of the three, especially Alex.
Instructor Horvey looked among the students and chose a girl. She had blonde hair and was a dark-sclera human named Zephra Leen.
"Yes, Zephra. Step forward." Once instructed, she stepped forward with an arrogant look on her face.
"Who do you choose as your opponent?"
Those who knew her already knew who she was going to choose. She hated the fact that a certain someone in their class barely did anything but had the most attention anyone could get.
However, said person always had a cold vibe that pushed anyone away; a stark contrast to when the person was with friends.
"Julia Knight," she stated, pointing at her. The way she stood, trying to emphasize her assets showed the kind of person she was.
Julia simply looked at her challenger with dead eyes, a look that further annoyed Zephra. While she wasn't against fighting with anyone, the fact that some people saw her as some kind of obstacle to overcome slightly annoyed her.
'I guess making an example out of her would get a message across.'
Julia stepped forward under everyone's gaze. Her demeanour began to change into her cold and hostile persona the further away she stepped from Alex and Ross.
The instructor looked on as the two stood before each other. Instructor Horvey could even feel the hostile atmosphere and chose to ignore it.
He snapped his fingers, and the environment changed into that of a coliseum. The two combatants stood on the stage while everyone else was put in the spectator stands.
"Before you begin. Do any of you wish to use a weapon?"
Zephra chose to use a weapon while Julia shook her head. Her demeanour hadn't changed since she stood before the girl.
To Zephra, it felt as if she was not taking this seriously, which unnerved her to no end.
'Tch… That smug look on your face won't remain for long.'
There were a couple of mean people who wanted to put Alex and Julia in their place. But with their points on the line, they couldn't afford to misbehave.
Now, however, everything goes, and she would be damned if she didn't take advantage of it.
The weapon's rack appeared between the two on the stage and Zephra moved forward to select her choice.
Based on her ability, she chose a bow-blade. It could be used to shoot projectiles, not necessarily physical ones, and could also be transformed into dual curved blades.
Once she made her selection, the rack disappeared leaving the two face-to-face and a distance of a few tens of metres between them.
The spectating students were already seated, waiting for the start of the fight. Alex and Ross barely showed any expressions as this fight's conclusion was basically set in stone.
"Proceed once the signal is given."
Both combatants nodded and readied themselves. The coliseum became silent as the countdown concluded.
[Fight!]
However, what everyone expected to see did not happen. They didn't have the chance to appreciate the style of combat each person would use and the unique applications of their abilities.
None of that happened.
"…"
Zephra was already embedded in the walls of the coliseum, passed out and Julia standing right where Zephra was supposed to be, concluding the fight.