The school day went on as normal, with nothing interesting in either History or Arcana Theory. I was most interested in Basic Combat, which came right before my free block. As I exited the campus to go onto the field, I saw that there were already a few students present.
Not only that, a few students were skipping class to watch the duels that would occur today… including Ian.
"Why're you here?" I asked, smirking slightly.
"No reason," he replied, crossing his arms. "I just wanted to see how you would fare against the rising star of Stallard Hope."
I was confused. Rising star? Was he talking about Aiden?
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you heard?" Ian inquired with a bewildered expression, eventually letting out a little laugh. "No, I won't tell you yet. Just be careful when you fight Aiden. Good luck."
I nodded blankly, joining the other students on the field. A few minutes passed, and the students began filling both the field and the "spectating area." I wondered how the other teachers felt, probably aware of where their students were.
I began warming up, starting with my hamstrings before stretching my quads, abductors, and adductors, along with my rotator cuffs etcetera. I wasn't able to freely channel my Arcana yet, so I held off on that.
Although, I had learned a few techniques from Arcana Theory, so tonight would definitely be eventful.
Looking at the other students, I felt only a few had unlocked Arcana.
Not everybody had the ability to train their inner energy, as many came from common backgrounds. However, despite their inability to channel Arcana, many of them were most likely adept in studies.
Stallard Hope was quite prestigious, and if one wasn't adept in combat or the use of Arcana, another way to enter was intelligence.
I wouldn't ask a frog to climb a tree to prove its skill.
Just like I wouldn't ask a gorilla to swim as well as a frog.
It was only a matter of how well they performed in their given field.
Another few minutes passed, and all the students were finally lined up. I sneaked a glance at Aiden, who seemed somewhat disappointed for an unknown reason. But I didn't understand why Ian had called him a rising star.
Taking my mind off such matters, I stared at the short man before us.
Davis Pate.
"Good Morning, class," He said, his voice bold and clear. "I shall not waste time explaining. We should get to it if we wish to finish most of the duels today. Let's not waste as much time as Ferhill and Onyx, shall we?"
The students nodded.
I glanced at Onyx, who seemed quite energetic as opposed to his heartbroken appearance yesterday. Perhaps something had changed between then and now. Ferhill seemed as indifferent as usual.
"First spar shall be Ryan Ashford and Aiden Nightshade."
What…
First spar?
I was pleasantly surprised.
Nodding, I stepped forth before facing my opponent, who stood before me with an indifferent expression. His eyes stared into mine, our gazes wrestling profusely before the battle even began.
That was the beauty of battle.
Our job was to make our opponent yield before we ever crossed blows.
"Are you boys ready?"
I could barely hear Mr. Pate. I was too concentrated.
Since we didn't know each other, our battle would not be of wits like Onyx and Ferhill's. Although, composure would be an important aspect.
We both nodded.
"Okay, then. You can begin."
I quickly unsheathed my sword, maintaining my gaze on my opponent. As my blade escaped the scabbard, I swung…
No, what?
Before my eyes, Aiden vanished, like a lead amidst a strong gust of wind. My brain blanked for a split second, but it seemed that was enough for the teen. Suddenly, I felt the world turned eerie, enveloped by silence.
My shoulders threatened to tear as Aiden's sword clashed against mine, causing shivers to run down my spine.
What… What the fuck was this?
This was not what I expected… at all!
What kind of monster was this?
My eyes tried to track his movements, but they couldn't. My body tried to feel his movements, but it couldn't. It was like I was facing a shadow; something I couldn't touch, no matter how much I tried.
He hadn't even used Arcana yet…
Bam!
Another blow rammed into me, quickly followed by a third.
I moved according to my instincts, which proved to be somewhat useful. Although I wasn't able to counter yet, my experience made it possible to block the blows that came in rapid succession from unpredictable angles.
As the fourth blow slammed into my sword, I began calming down.
My widened eyes narrowed to slits, my pupils rapidly moving around in order to track Aiden's movement. My muscles loosened, and I began attempting to deflect my foe's movements rather than blocking them.
It was easier to redirect than to endure.
My breathing became rhythmic, and my footwork turned smooth.
Aiden was not as overwhelming once I overcame the initial shock.
Despite that, the boy was definitely powerful and fast. No matter how hard I tried to look for an opening, there simply wasn't one yet. It was difficult enough to try to continue the fight, let alone try to win it.
But could I let Aiden know that?
Of course not.
"Did you not have breakfast today?" I asked, forming a mocking smile. "My grandma could hit harder than the taps you're doing."
"Sweet. Go fight your grandma then," he spat back. "Rather than that, you can't be talking while taking all my blows like a little bitch. I suggest you focus on the fight rather than running your mouth."
Someone with a tongue, I see.
I like.
"I would, if there was anything to focus on."
Aiden just smiled at that comment, refusing to respond.
Beyond that point, however, I felt pain in every part of my body… parts I didn't even know had pain receptors.
But did I show it?
Of course not.