"Mina can't feel her leg no more..." Mina mumbled while trembling, suffering from fatigue after the squats.

"Pathetic! I don't even feel a tingling in my leg!" said Dalius with conceit, though his legs were also quivering on the spot.

"Your legs don't lie, potty-mouth boy. Mina can see it wobble like Mina's." Mina responded with her eyes narrowed.

"No- no- nonsense, I- I- I was merely fully exercising it since the last one didn't!" Dalius stuttered, attempting to deny his flaw with excuses.

Mina squinted at him, knowing he was just spitting lies to protect his ego, as she decided to overlook his statement and turned away.

The instructor then approached them, requesting them in his strict tone, but less stern than his prior, "Two of you, hopefully, this punishment could be an example for next time. Always listen to the advice from your instructor, no matter who it is."

"Yes, sir," Mina replied with tenacity, while Dalius simply shunned him as if he didn't exist.

Racrern still wasn't pleased with Dalius's attitude but let it slide as he didn't want to further stress himself over such a trivial argument.

"Now, two of you run along to the queue. The main activity is about to begin." Racrern stated as he pointed to the queue where the rest of the students assembled.

Mina and Dalius then paced back to the queue with their debilitated legs, staggering throughout the walk.

With that being done, Mina resurfaced herself in front of Keena, who was smirking at her throughout her journey back to them,

"How was your exclusive exercise? You must be feeling honored with such deluxe treatment." Keena teased Mina as soon as she reunited with them.

"Please, Keena... The torturous punishment already crushes Mina. There is no need for more of those snarky remarks." Mina responded with a sour tone.

"Let it be a lesson to you, Mina. For reminding you to pay heed to others' words next time," said Keena with a smirk.

Mina sighed while quavering on the spot.

All of a sudden, a voice was inserted into their conversation. It was Konnaugh who approached them with concern, accompanied by Y.

As Konnaugh asked Mina for her condition sympathetically,

"Are you alright, Mina? You seemed a little bit wilted."

"Yeah, she's fine. Little discipline like that shouldn't be enough to cripple her." Keena inserted with a shrug.

"But she doesn't look fine to me..." said Konnaugh with a titter, remaining concerned about Mina's sapped state.

Meanwhile, Mina dropped onto the floor, perching with an exhausted groan.

And turned to Konnaugh and Y with a weary greeting,

"Hi, Konnaugh and chili boy..."

"Yup, she is fine," said Y with a subtle irritated tone but persisted with a straight face, mainly provoked by his despised nickname from Mina.

His questionable reaction baffled Konnaugh, questioning in an utterly bewildered tone,

"Huh? What- Why is that?"

Before long, Racrern also rejoined the mass, asserting in a loud, audible voice, captivating the students' attention,

"Listen up, students! I will be testing lots of your physical prowess today through different activities. The test included your dexterity your strength assessment. So, remember to try to flaunt your potential, as it is the benchmark for your eligibility for the upcoming tournament. A tournament that decides your ranking system in athleticism. However, today's test doesn't determine your tournament eligibility but helps me grasp a better picture of your current level. And who has a better chance of enrolling in the upcoming tournament."

Upon heeding the word "tournament," the students began to huddle in their circle, hushedly discussing the tournament.

While everyone was plunging in their gossip, a loud cough was emitted, recapturing their attention.

It was Racrern, adding his sparing elaboration,

"As I was saying. Before I assess your prowess, I will teach you all about the first tested activity, fencing, especially its techniques. Since most of you may not be familiar with the basics, this can be a building ground for you all to understand better about swordplay. Develop the general perception of it. So, you all better take notes on it, as it is important for the test."

Before Racrern commenced his lesson, it was interrupted by a shout, seizing everyone's attention and to whom hollering at Racrern's name in a croaky timbre,

"Sir Racrern! The practice sword as I promised!"

It was an old man, seemingly way older than all of them, with his feeble and frail physique, unlike Racrern's.

Probably, it was his age that siphoned the appeal of his body, making him appear weaker.

He had a small stature for an adult, with a bushy, long beard completely covering his mouth, half-exposed hair on the side of his flat cap, and an apron to his vest.

A blacksmith? No, a woodworker? Maybe.

A basket of wooden swords seemed to be embraced by his wrinkly hands, marching toward them with an eagerness on his face.

Maybe he was happy to see them, or he was just enthralled to release that cumbersome basket from his possession.

"Just place it there. It will be fine. Thanks for the hard work, Zon." said Racrern while pointing to a spot beside him.

"Pleasure is mine..." the old man responded, placing the basket at the designated spot before hobbling away with a grin.

After watching that old man completely dismissed, Racrern turned back to students sharply, ordering them to equip one of the sprawling swords in the basket.

Everyone then strolled up to the basket, drawing one of the wooden swords and wielding it in each bearing.

Once everyone collected their sword, Racrern also reached for one of the practice swords for himself.

As he breezily swung the sword a few times, examining the weight of the sword, adjusting himself to the weight, and accustoming himself to the acceptable force output.

When he was done with his adjustment to the sword, a wave of assertion was then vocalized,

"Alright, students, this will be a brief instruction to fencing, and practical training will also be taught later on. So, please bear this in mind, and note that the exertion of force and the righteousness of stance is remarkably important in swordplay. One false swoop by overly exerting the force will make you lose the grip on the sword, deflecting it out of your hand, losing the game immediately. The same goes for being flabby when grasping the sword, and a single deflect will also make you drop the sword involuntarily. So grab it right and use it wisely.

As for the stance wise, your footsteps, posture, balance, and grip are core to assessing your efficacy in your stance. And one simple mistake could lead you to your fall, such as tripping, and your rival will gain the upper hand in the game.

But remember! It is not absolutely determined in the clash when one is dropped, as the fallen victim still can regain his or her ground with enough agility and speed, evading the fate of being subjugated. Without further ado, I will teach you how to grip the sword properly while maintaining your stance."

After presenting his instruction, he lifted his sword, demonstrating his gripping method to them, stating, "To swing a sword, a gripping method is the core element. Especially the angle of the grip, if one didn't grasp it correctly, it will weigh much heavier than it supposed, limiting your facility to control the sword's direction."

He then bent his wrist to the crowd, displaying his way of welding the sword while repeatedly clenching and unclenching the hilt, continuing in an enlightening tone,

"Now, first place your dominant hand onto the upper section of the handle, which is directly under the cross-guard. Remember, no space should be left in the midst of the cross-guard and the hand, as it will increase the weight of the grip, hindering your fluency in swinging. Besides that, the wrist must always be relaxed. Namely to preserve your energy from overexertion, causing your arms to fatigue. Then, if a two-handed method is your liking, your other hand shall grab the handle segment that is precisely under your dominant hand, which you can either leave a partial space for both hands, or you can simply attach them together with the dominant on top and non-dominant at the bottom.

After that, as for the stance, you should..."

The instruction then lasted for an hour, with everyone attentively listening, and some even wrote down his guide in a notebook.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Except for Mina and Dalius, to whom one had already drifted away in her reverie while another boredly swiveled his sword around because he thought he had already mastered the basics.

Eventually, the instruction was fully elucidated, with Racrern stating,

"Now, everyone finds a spacious spot for your swing practice, so it will not clash with others. Just practice a few swings, and I will personally walk around and monitor you based on your performance."

That said, everyone began to find a spatial space to learn their swing while Racrern marched around them, supervising their forms.

There, Mina was also positioned in her personal space, attempting to launch her first swing.

Unlike anyone else, she hesitated, apparently worrying about something beforehand.

But she casually shrugged off those doubts and lifted her sword over her head, transmuting her energy to the grip, and charging her strike.

Whoosh!

Mina launched her first swing, though it seemed harmless.

It wasn't.

Her strike was so powerful that it propelled a shockwave that shattered the terrain before her.

Mina was stunned, though it wasn't her first time, and her expression lingered unfazed, which might be why she hesitated.

She recollected herself and simply turned away, deciding to exercise another swing in the opposite direction.

Which as well deduced the same destruction as the first, slicing up the terrain.

The students beside her also halted their training, watching Mina cut up the floor in bewilderment and consternation.

She again pivoted in another direction and repeated until all her four sides were painted with holes, forming a star-like shape with her in the middle.

Now Mina was muddled, not knowing what to do, rooting to the one last untouched ground she stood on.

This depressing scenery was later come across by her instructor, who was utterly flabbergasted by the wreckage Mina caused.

"Mina... what just happened..." he uttered.

"Mi- Mina doesn't know..." Mina anxiously replied.

Instead of scolding Mina for her vandalization, the instructor sighed and approached her while treading over the rugged surface.

As he reached a fair distance with Mina, he proceeded to advise Mina in a tender tone, saying,

"It's alright, Mina. This occasionally happens when one underestimates their potential. So, don't blame yourself for the damage you caused since it was unintentional and harmed no one."

"Not that I mean you should blame yourself when it did. Just be careful, and try to be lighter when you hurl the next swing," he added with a titter.

"But Mina has been repeating the same mistake ever since she was five. She was unable to control the force whenever she threw a swing. And not even a single instructor manages to help Mina curb her power. Mina feels like she is a lost cause for a sword." Mina uttered with a sullen demeanor.

"No, Mina! Everyone can be efficient with the sword. As long as you try, never give up on your pessimistic thinking! Even the mud can be a bar of gold if you consistently polish it! So, how about you try to unwind a little on your grip when swinging? Scale your force to just a handful of portions." Racrern stated.

Mina's eyes glittered soon he heard the encouraging words from Racrern and decided to give herself another attempt, saying,

"Like this?" before launching another swing, which resulted in the exact same blow, tearing the floor apart even deeper.

To which the shockwave also sent Racrern to lose his balance, faltering on the spot.

Soon the shockwave was vacated, and Racrern quickly regained his balance, taking a minute to catch his breath before asserting,

"How about much lighter than that?"

"Like this?" said Mina and again launched another swing, which also deducing the same effect, quaking the ground while crushing the terrain even deeper.

Racrern again trembled on the spot, losing his footing during the impact.

Who again requested, but in a much solemn tone,

"How about much, much softer?"

"Like this?" said Mina again and swung, once again resulting in a similar blow.

"Again! Lighter!" Racrern again requested, now in a more agitated voice.

The scene repeated for at least twenty minutes, with all students gawking at their queer portrayal, bewildering by their somewhat unhinged manner of training.

Keena also responded to it with a grimace, mumbling in a weirded-out manner,

"What are they doing...?"

***

***

***

As the basic practical practice of fencing was finished, Racrern, who was covered in dirt, assembled the students back in a queue, announcing,

"Alright! Since everyone has their portion of the basic training. Why don't we step up the game with some sparring? Then, you all may capture a better image of what a true swordfight is likely to be!"

Students once again huddled in circles, agitating about the sparring, with some galvanized by the idea while some weren't as much.

Meanwhile, Mina, also covered in dirt, unshaken by the idea of sparring, simply stationed in the queue with a straight face.

Until she sensed a woeful glare from her back, sending shivers down her spine.

And so she turned for the check, realizing it was none other than Dalius, her arch-nemesis, menacingly stared at her with a smug expression like a gnarly tiger to a deer, implying his wish to challenge Mina in a duel.

In response, Mina simply returned him with a taunt, sticking her tongue out while pulling down her eyelids, infuriating Dalius exceedingly, and causing him to react with a scowl.

Mina then plainly slighted him by returning her gaze to the front, angering Dalius even more, who wanted to challenge Mina even further.

"Now, you guys probably think that you're the one in charge of picking your opponent, but too bad! I will be the one to exercise that!" said Racrern, shattering the students' wills, including Dalius, who replied with a disbelief shout, "What?!"

In the meantime, Keena returned and approached Mina, patting her shoulder and saying in an encouraging tone,

"We meet again, Mina, but also, good luck on the upcoming duel!"

Mina was elevated once they reunited and also responded in an echo resonating with hers,

"Oh! You too, Keena!"

While Konnaugh also joined the conversation, inserting his portion of emboldening,

"Good luck, everyone!"

Y also chimed in but with a mumble,

"Good luck..."

The students were then divided into a duo through the random approach, so their aptitude could be fully tested, as once set against an unrecognized opponent, it would build a sense of adaptation, exerting their wits to accommodate their feet.

The randomness will also imitate the real-world scenario, as the attacker sent to challenge them, in reality, can often be anonymous.

Considering that, the students tensely waited for their instructor to assign them a partner, wishing their opponent to be someone they knew or maybe someone deemed weaker.

Since there are 28 students, deducting the two absented, Laura and Keanton, the chances of them being assigned to someone they knew were slim, given that they also barely knew other students' capabilities, except the descendants of the renowned heritage, Zaran, Xorros and Vuzgal, which will be a total nightmare to a duel and will starkly be one-sided.

Before one was assigned with partners, Racrern asserted, soothing this tense and stressful atmosphere,

"Don't worry, students! It is just a test, a spar! No one is going to be harmed unless an accident is involved, which is most unlikely! So relax, calm your nerve as it is not some world-ending disaster."

His words may sound pleasant and accommodating, but it wasn't as nurturing as he thought it would be.

Since many were already dived into their jittery bubbles, stuck in a loop of concerns regarding their opponents, mostly targeting Zaran and Xorros, they slighted the words from their instructor.

What about Vuzgal? Since there was only one, the chance of her being grouped with them was slim.

Besides, they found her appearance to be docile, making her a non-threatening opponent, and dueling with her was not as appalling.

Since many also glorified her presence, partnering up with her was like a blessing rather than a calamity.

Except for the ones that witnessed her monstrosity strength, cutting up the land in the prior incident, who silently kept their distance from her.

"Now, for the moment of truth!" Racrern announced with a clap, reverting their attention to him.

The students' agitation now rose even higher as their opponent's name was about to be announced.

Some closed their eyes, praying for their opponent to be less fierce.

Some were drenched in sweat, gawking at their instructor with a subtle quiver, worrying but accepting their fate.

There, Racrern raised his hand, seemingly to point at one of them, as everyone was muted, worrying them to be the first to pick, where their breath was completely swayed away by distress, trembling on the spot.

Instead of teaming them up, Racrern shouted, WAIT!" causing an abrupt halt of everyone, surging their adrenaline to the roof and making their hearts skip a beat.

Some students then booed at him, ranting at his butterflies.

In response, Racrern laughed and reached for his pocket right after, bringing out a name list of their house, he then cleared his throat and asserted,

"Truly sorry for that, students! Now I will announce you and your opponent! And without further ado, Layla you're up first! And you will be challenging Mara! So, please proceed to find an empty spot and have your spar ready!"

Once the girls' name was called, they approached one another, walking away together while finding a site for their sparring session.

A subtle relief also can be directly observed through their expression, as none of them were facing an 'unfair' heritage.

Racrern then continued, declaring the name of the students,

"Kairu!" Racrern shouted,

"Yes, sir!" the boy replied.

"Your opponent will be Mikel!" Racrern continued,

"Yes, sir!" he replied again.

The boys then departed, searching for an empty spot for their sparring session.

And this announcement was endured until the last of them was assigned.

Now skipping only the names of the introduced characters,

"Dalius! Anfar!"

"Jerema! Patria!"

"Konnaugh! Keena!"

Upon harking their name being aligned, Keena was blustered with joy as she pumped her fist and shouted, "Yes," muffledly.

Meanwhile, Konnaugh scratched the back of his head with a faint smile, saying in an enervated tone,

"Please go easy on me, Keena... I may not be as proficient as you..."

"Don't worry, Konnaugh! I will be sure we have a blast together!" said Keena with exuberance and turned to Mina thereafter, bidding her farewell,

"Good luck, Mina! See you later!" said Keena with a wave, departing with Konnaugh, who waved Mina farewell as well.

In exchange, Mina waved back at them, uttering, "Good luck..." as she casually watched them slowly marching away, quietly waiting for her name to be called.

"Wybert! Kelssy!"

It was Y's time to take his leave, who bidden his farewell in a sedated tone, wishing Mina good luck,

"Good luck, princess. See you on the other side."

"See ya, chili boy," Mina replied, goading Y in the meantime, who ranted at her before leaving,

"It's Y! Quit calling me that!"

***

***

***

Now Mina was isolated, alone in the space with the rest of the unpicked and none she was acquainted with.

Mina sighed, dallying on the spot, swiveling her head out of tedium, and analyzing who was left behind.

This lasted for another 10 minutes...

Until, finally...

"Tamina! Your opponent will be Mina!"

Her name was called, though it wasn't the first of the two names.

Mina allayed by little because of her intrusive thought of not partnering up with someone, or worse, being the last to pick.

As we know, everyone hated to be the last or the first because of our dignity, loathing the indicative of being unappreciated or the obsessive fear of being the lab rats.

Now Mina was grouped, a boulder was lifted off her shoulder, but who was the one she partnered with?

Is she a descendant of any prominent clan?

Can she level Mina in terms of finesse?

Mina was excited, rotating her head a few times passionately, pinpointing her partner, and there, she found her, waving at her from afar. Since Mina was a renowned one, finding her was never an issue, but for others was otherwise.

The girl was average in stature but taller than Mina, as Mina was relatively tinier than most around her age. She has the body structure of an average Demonkin, two dark brown luminous pupils, a pair of gray curved, fluting horns, and a long, silky brown ponytail.

The girl approached her, inquiring about Mina her identity since she wasn't confident that she was accurate, "Are you perhaps her royal highness-"

"Mina is Mina, princess or not." as usual, Mina denied her royal title and interrupted the girl before she was finished calling her that title.

"Oh... Then I'm Tamina! Nice to meet you, Mina!"

Tamina bestowed her hand, wanting to shake Mina and to whom Mina shook her hand as a sign of respect.

"Shall we?" said Tamina while turning to the side with an open arm, inviting Mina to search for an empty space together.

And there they went, pacing down the venue, finding a corner that wasn't occupied.

Will Mina ever defeat her newly met opponent? Is she a prodigy or just an average Demonkins? The answer was stalled for Mina to discover.