CHAPTER 13: SUPER HUMANS?
“Observe, at this level common sense isn't the same anymore. Logic would tell you that an axe versus a crossbow at such a distance is useless but look how second year students fight.
They defy common sense.”
Dante spoke calmly as the fight progressed.
The battle was fierce. Jason with his crossbow fired rapidly and Alex with his axe knocked them out of the air as he ran and dodged.
Surprisingly, after a while Jason started using his axe like a bat returning stones and even other arrows with just as much force. It was only the accuracy that was a bit lacking.
This was most likely caused by him being more used to a melee weapon than a ranged weapon.
“They both seem so calm, it’s like they’ve fought all their lives.”
Riku’s eyes were glued to the fight. He was fascinated at how they could dodge and return fire in any position.
The fight felt like flowing water, nothing the other side did could disrupt the flow of the battle.
Dante smiled slightly as he looked at Riku finally understanding the real difference between freshmen and second years.
As though reading his mind Dante continued to explain,
“The reason for that is, after learning the basics in the first year you are taught advanced tactics.
and then allowed to make any modification you need to your signature weapon.”
Riku nodded but was still fixated on the fight at hand.
Jason jumped back trying to maintain the large distance that was between them.
The flow seemed to change when Alex threw his axe.
Without delay Jason jumped to the side to dodge. The axe however, after passing Jason boomeranged returning to Alex.
Alex rolled forward dodging a few more arrows and further closing the distance between the two. After catching the axe Alex threw it again towards Jason.
Without his axe Alex’s speed seemed to have doubled as he dashed forward while Jason was busy dodging his axe. Despite being occupied by the flying axe Jason fired two arrows mid air.
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Alex tried to dodge them as he rolled mid dash still moving forward.
Alex jumped up catching his axe that had boomeranged towards him.
This time with his axe in hand at point black range. Alex was ready to swing at Jason.
The kinetic force from the chambering of the axe behind Alex’s body felt like it was enough to cleave even an elephant in half.
But suddenly Alex felt a slight tingle and was unable to move, frozen mid swing.
Alex glanced at his right shoulder only to see a graze less than five centimeters long.
Before Alex could finish his exhale the announcer’s voice echoed,
“Winner is Jason! Jason has been promoted to Rank 513th.”
Riku was flabbergasted
“How the heck?!”
Riku was at the edge of his seat watching the fight. He was certain Alex had the upper hand so how did Alex suddenly become the winner. Riku continued to voice his frustration.
“ How is that even fair? Some cheap ass paralysis ointment or something?”
The few students in the audience whispered as they looked around oddly at Riku’s outburst as though he was some estranged mad man.
“You really seem to have forgotten,”
Dante shook his head, now he remembered why he disliked first year students so much. It was the sheer naivety they were filled with. It irked him.
Dante grabbed Riku, looking him directly in the eyes and continued with an expression filled with a great amount of seriousness.
“This is a school for “Assassins'' in a real fight that wouldn’t have been “Paralysis oil” that could have been anything from Polonium to Stonefish venom. dead within minutes!
Don’t take these matches lightly Riku, as unfair as you might think it to be, this is the harsh reality.
The truth is in fact, even if that was a paralysis inducing substance, just imagine the torture they would put us through if any one of us were ever captured, death would be a mercy.”
“Never you forget. This is not some game. We put our lives on the line everytime we fight.”
Riku was shaken up. Dante always looked like the expressionless kind who didn't care much, but now there seemed to be some unknown rage behind his every word.
Riku had to admit he had tried to cope with the concept of the school by thinking of it all as just a game but once again he was brought back to reality.
The arena was huge, so huge in fact that after the first opening match it was split into four separate arenas allowing four simultaneous fights to happen at once.
Riku and Dante stayed until the sun had set and watched over fifty matches before they decided to leave.
For Riku each fight was more impressive than the last. The level of skills and tactics were almost super human.
“So, you think you stand a chance against any of them?”
Jose asked as the entire team sat in Jose's dorm room.
Riku took a gulp of his own saliva and his throat got dryer at the thought of facing any of the participants,
“I could.. maybe, if I was extremely lucky.”
Riku held his head and voice down trying to understand why the gap was so vast.
“But… but just one year extra and it seems as though these students aren’t even human anymore.
Their ingenuity, reflexes, stamina and weaponry makes them seem almost superhuman.”
Flashes of the fights he witnessed earlier flashed in his mind as he spoke. His thoughts of climbing up the rankings quickly and making a quick buck was shattered.
Riku laid in his bed within his small room, staring at the ceiling trying to figure out how he would win even a single match in the rankings.
Whether it was speed, strength or tactics he was several times outclassed. As it stood now wasn't he less than cannon fodder for these super humans?