I stood up and made my way down to the battle arena. For a moment, it was quiet. I couldn't hear anything as I tuned out everyone else but the opponent I was to face.
Aithne wasn’t any scrub adventurer. From the battles I had watched beforehand, she had in-field experience, years of hand-to-hand combat training, and more skills I had yet to see, I was sure.
I could almost feel my blood tingle at the prospect of testing my skills, but I wasn’t going to go all out. A kid like me keeping up with someone of her level would put too many eyes on me, eyes I didn't want to be in the presence of as of right now. Human greed wasn’t to be underestimated.
My boots crunched against the hard earth of the battle arena as I walked to my position.
“Elway? Are you perhaps related to that man?” Aithne asked, her eyes fully focused on me.
I didn't even have to ask who she was referring to, because I already knew, “Yes.”
She looked for a moment, staying quiet, and then a loud laugh left her lips, “It all makes sense now. In the introduction I was wondering why a child was there, no parents would let their kid become an adventurer at that age. But you being of that bloodline gives me something to look forward to. Don't disappoint me, kid.”
“I’m nothing like my uncle,” I said, trying to settle whatever ideas about me that were arising in that head of hers.
“Attributes and type of mage?” She asked, seemingly ignoring my statement.
“Water and wind, martial mage.”
From the past battles, I had come to the realization that Aithne was grading the candidates off of power in magic and combat abilities.
Going along with this I had decided to go with these two elements, as they were my most offensive.
Her nonchalant pose change slightly as she prepared herself, “Interesting. Come at me when you're ready.”
At her words, I unsheathed my dagger and let out a quick, sharp breath. ‘This is it, Rye. Are you ready for a show, buddy?’
I felt him nod his head in anticipation, ‘I’ll watch your back.’
I smiled as I enhanced my body with wind attribute mana and dashed toward Aithne. I could see her eyes widen in surprise at my speed as I made it to her. Enhancing my blade with wind attribute mana I caused the range to extend slightly as I thrust toward her rib area.
Her speed seemingly increased and parried my strike.
I used that momentum to spin and slash with my dagger, sending a crescent of wind flying straight toward her.
Due to the distance between us, she barely had time to dodge. The blade of wind barely hit her right side, but it still caused her battle uniform’s cloth to be torn. Pieces of her right arm sleeve fell and flew off with the wind, and a small bleeding cut could be seen on her now exposed skin.
She gently placed to fingers on her wound, “I see you use your lightweight body to aid your speed when using wind, very clever. I don't usually fight children, so it was a shock.”
“I figured it was common sense.” Even though injuring her wasn’t the outcome I had wanted, I hadn't expected her to react that way. Have I overestimated her?
She stifled a laugh, “Yes, I guess you're right.” Her face turned more serious as she got into an actual battle stance. “Shall we continue? I want to see more of what you’ve got, Falyn Elway.” Her words echoed through the arena and her arms ignited in flames.
Hiding my surprise, I held my dagger at the ready and nodded. It seems I chose the right elements.
Enhancing my body with the wind once more I dashed toward her. And this time she did the same.
Her flame-clad fist clashed with my wind, causing embers to bloom out and expand with every one of her strikes.
My wind is feeding her fire oxygen, I thought, cutting off all the wind circulation. I then clad my fist in condensed water. They added no extra weight, but due to the mana, they were as dense as cement.
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Every time our blows collided, it would be followed by sizzling explosions, causing a mist to spread throughout the arena.
“Water Spears,” I said, as multiple spears of water manifested above me and shot toward Aithne.
I used wind magic to aid their speed, but they were nothing to Aithne. She conjured a wall of fire in front of her and the spears simply sizzled out of existence on collision.
After my water spears were dealt with, she disbursed the wall of flame and an axe-shaped weapon made up of pure fire grew from her flame-clad hand. “Ash Axe.”
I could feel the heat waves radiating from the axe as she made it to me. I quickly enhanced my dagger in a layer of water and our weapons clashed with a loud exploding sizzle that roared throughout the arena.
It wasn't hard to tell, spells and mana aside, Aithne was physically stronger than I was. With every clash of my dagger and her flaming axe, the ground indented and splintered where I was standing.
“Do you usually try this hard when you fight children?” I taunted, as pulled my dagger back and went for a sideward slash toward her gut.
She side-stepped and pulled her axe overhead and swung down. Putting my dagger up to block our weapons clashed once more.
She smirked, “You aren't any normal child, turbanian.”
We kept exchanging blows and eventually got to a point where I couldn’t see the bleachers any longer, due to the mist that surrounded us.
Dammit. This is going on too long.
Getting away from Aithne I gained some distance in the cloudy mist. I didn’t come into this with any sort of plan in mind, but I didn’t want things to go like this.
I didn't even get a second to rummage in my thoughts before Rye called, ‘Fal, behind you!’
Looking behind me, I saw a flaming fist shooting right toward me. On instinct I clad my hand in a layer of frost and grabbed her arm, then sidestepped, to avoid the blow.
…That wasn’t supposed to happen.
Aithne’s flames disbursed and she stopped, realizing what I had done. “High magic at your age. You truly are of that bloodline.”
“I advise this to not go on any longer, Miss Aithne,” I said coldly.
Her brows narrowed, “You haven’t shown me everything, have you?”
“No, and don’t plan on doing so.”
It was silent for a moment in the thick, cloudy mist.
“You’re an interesting kid, and you must have your reasons. You have more than enough skill to be an adventurer as well. So we can end our battle off here.”
I let out a quiet sigh of relief and disbursed my mana.
“You do know I have to rank you fairly high, right?”
“Why’s that?”
She showed me her cut once more, “You're only the second person who managed to wound me today, the crowd would think I’m unjust if I don’t.”
I just nodded. It's not what I would've asked for, but I couldn't rebuttal. And I kind of brought it upon myself, nothing I could do now.
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Jared’s P.O.V
The soreness in my body seemed to grow by the second as I carried myself out of the battle arena.
I had told myself not to use heavy mana taxing spells unless the situation required, for this exact reason. But this was an exception, becoming an adventurer would l open so many paths for me, paths I wouldn't be able to take in my backwater town.
Limping into the dark exit tunnel I thought back to that Falyn kid. Aithne didn’t seem like the type to go easy on anyone, so I had to wish him good luck.
I mean just look in the state she drove me to. I doubt he'll pass, poor kid, I thought, as I leaned against the cold cement of the exit tunnel to aid my walk.
“You did good, my friend.” A quiet voice called from deeper within the tunnel.
I let out a hoarse laugh, as the action caused me pain due to the mana over usage, “You’re still here? I thought you would’ve left by now, stick in the mud.”
Kent stepped into the dull light that managed to reach this far into the tunnel, “That kid still came, I want to see what happens in his duel. Do you care to watch with me?”
I turned toward the arena and popped a squat, “Might as well. I can barely move anyway.”
Kent stepped up beside me and we both began watching as we saw Aithne call the next candidate.
“Falyn Elway.”
“Falyn Elway, so that's the kid's name.” I turned to Kent wondering if he's ever heard of the boy's family, but his face was frozen.
Tapping him on the shoulder seemed to snap him out of it. “Do you know that kid's name or something?” I asked.
He kept his eyes on the battlefield, “Yes. I attend school with his sister.”
I didn't know what to say, so I just asked the first question that came to mind. “Is she powerful?”
“She's in line to become student council president next year, so yeah, I’d say so.”
My eyes widened, and I turned my focus back to Falyn, “Maybe the kids got some skill after all.”
“Yes, maybe.”
From the start to the end of the battle I would be lying If I said I wasn't impressed. The kid managed to injure Aithne faster than even Kent had, and the mastery of his elements wasn’t anything to scoff at either.
Even though half of the battle was unseeable due to the mist, Kent and I knew the kid was on par with us.
We both stood in the dark tunnel and waited for the announcement of his ranking. When the thick mist finally cleared Aithne let out a loud throat-clearing cough, “I give you the rank of Bronze Tier 1.”
I was shocked at the revelation. The kid managed to rank higher than I did.
I looked back at Kent but his face was as cool and composed as it ever was. “Come on, let's go.”
Nodding my head and following him, I looked back at the kid once more. I couldn't help but feel excited. Even if this random brat I meet a few days ago ranked higher than me, I couldn't be mad, because it seemed like he was doing what I was trying to. He was trying to prove himself.
I smiled as I looked toward the exit, Falyn, maybe you and I are more alike than you think. Whether it be on an adventurer's contract, or in a wyverns dungeon, I hope we meet again and fight side by side.