As soon as the bell rang, I lunged towards the headmaster, dirt exploding at the wake of my sudden movement. Lifting my right arm up, I shifted my body to throw my weight behind my strike.
[Claw Strike]!
However, just as my hand was about to strike the headmaster, his arm moved and locked with my elbow as his right leg went behind mine. Twisting his body, he used my own momentum to throw me to the ground!
SLAM!
“GUH!” I wheezed, the breath knocked out of me, as I was laid on my back within a pit in the dirt even larger than the one my dash created.
Just as I was about to get up, the headmaster’s leg struck my stomach in an axe kick, pushing me back into the ground!
“AAHHHHHHHHH!” I growled, fury in my eyes as I leapt again towards the headmaster, who swiftly dashed backwards while continuing to face me. Then he spoke to me as I chased him, the distance between us rapidly shrinking.
“You know, youngster, I may not be able to match your strength-” he said, digging in and deflecting my strike with his buckler towards the sides, “-but there are as many ways to deal with a more powerful opponent as there are stars in the night sky.” He said with a look of contempt as his short sword dashed towards my other arm.
However, that was exactly what I was waiting for. I immediately kicked the dirt in front of me, instantly slowing my pace down, the sword just barely missed my forearm, leaving a visible cut on my sleeve. The dirt I had kicked went into the headmaster’s face, as my body began to spin because of the torque created by the one-legged kick to the ground.
“Wha-?!” The headmaster exclaimed before the back of my heel rushed to strike at his temple.
However, his buckler moved, faster than I thought it could, just in time to get between my foot and the headmaster’s head. Since he did not have time to angle it, my heel struck at his buckler, and it in turn crashed into his head, launching him away!
I jumped straight at him, eager to follow up on my attack and ensure he does not have any time to recover! The headmaster’s buckler slammed into the ground, pushing him upright, and his sword dug into the ground as he tried to slow down without falling to his back. Just as he was about to stop, I was right upon him, kicking towards his face once more!
What the headmaster did next, however, stunned me.
He instantly let go of his sword, and preformed a front flip, my leg grazing the hair on his head, only for my forehead to meet his heel!
I slammed into the ground, my head pounding like I fell from the first layer to the third layer headfirst. Still, I grew even more furious, and lunged towards the headmaster, only to see him thrusting his sword at my eye!
I flipped to the side, his sword grazing my cheek, as I fell beside him on all fours. Just as I was about to get up, he punched me with his buckler, nearly knocking me out.
Then he stepped back, pointing his sword and buckler at me.
“Is that all you are capable of, child? Did you really think you could go to the Kengir Academy with that level of skill?! Don’t make me laugh!” he sneered.
He smiled, believing that his taunts worked as I lunged at him once more preparing to strike once more with my hands!
“Hmph, I had expected better from you.” He said, as he thrust his sword towards my heart.
However, instead of dodging or striking at him, I moved my palm towards his sword, allowing it to impale my hand all the way through!
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“Hu-?” the headmaster said, but he did not get to finish, as I held his sword arm with my impaled hand and his buckler with my other hand and struck his forehead with my own!
The headmaster’s head swung back, and I pushed his arms, both weapons still held, and wrapped him around my arms in a deadly hug, as I slammed him to the ground and continued to strike his head with my own!
“Urgh!” The headmaster struggled as my strikes continued, a mad, desperate fury in my eyes as I continued to strike, not knowing whose blood covered our foreheads. The headmaster’s resistance began to weaken, and I saw the end of the fight coming soon.
A savage grin found its place on my bloodied face as I was about to strike him once more, but the headmaster yelled something at the last moment.
[Mana Blade]!
A confused look showed on my face before I felt my head fly off my shoulders, the world spinning around in circles. Then I heard a bell ring, and the voice of the referee boom once again.
“…The battle is over! Victory goes to the headmaster!”
Suddenly, the grasslands and the blue sky disappeared, replaced by white light. My body and the headmaster’s were covered in light, and all of a sudden, I found us standing in the exact same spots we stood on before the fight began, no sign of the brutal wounds we inflicted on each other in sight.
My hand found itself at my neck, as a deep shudder went up my spine.
“If this was a real fight, I would have been dead. Again.”
The thought gave birth to the deep fear of my foes and the fury at my weakness once again. I remembered the encounter with the black hunter spider, Alanus and his groupies, the Frost Eagle, and now the headmaster. My claws, disguised as nails beneath Azoth’s illusion dug into my hands, drawing blood as I chewed on my lips in deep frustration.
The white dome suddenly disappeared, revealing the shocked faces of the receptionist and the referee, as well as the complex look on Azoth’s face. As soon as the lights of the arena went out, Azoth walked to me and held my hand, unclenching my fingers and healing the cuts I inflicted on myself.
“You fought brilliantly, my child. Know this; I could not be prouder of you. Your courage and ferocity in battle are worthy of our kind, regardless of the result.” She said, taking me into a tight hug.
Through the telepathic connection, I felt her pride in me, her concern over my self-esteem, and her determination to ensure that I will be capable of protecting myself. Slowly, I felt the chaos brewing in my chest simmering down. Then, I stepped out of Azoth’s embrace and smiled weakly at her.
“Don’t worry about me, it’s going to take a lot more than that to break my spirits. Next time, I promise to win and bring you the enemy’s head.”
She smiled warmly at me and tightened her hold on my hand briefly before letting it go. Then the headmaster’s voice echoed behind me.
“I very much like my head where it is, so I kindly ask that you leave it where it is.” He chuckled.
I turned to face him, as the referee and Kema approached us.
“I cannot believe that an unarmed, seemingly innocent child is capable of such savage violence…” the referee said, clearly still in a daze.
“I can’t believe the headmaster was so close to defeat, and by that same unarmed child no less!” Kema said, shock plainly visible on her face.
“Even though I won the fight, I still consider it to be my loss. Not only did you nearly defeat me with no class, weapons, or magic to speak of, but you also forced me to use magic to win the fight.” He said, shaking his head.
“It doesn’t matter how you won, because at the end of the day the one still standing is the victor.” I said, brooding over my loss.
“No, my child, do not sell yourself short. You fought with such savage ferocity and showed no fear and used your superior attributes and unpredictability to defeat a much more experienced and trained foe, with nothing but your bare hands as well. You efficiently used one kick to blind me and set up a brutal strike at the same time, and you neutralized my advantages in training and weaponry by simply impaling your own hand with my sword to tie me up. You clearly have a brilliant head on your shoulders. Imagine what you can do with proper training, a class, and arms befitting it.” He shuddered.
“Well, I guess you’ll be the one teaching me that then.” I grinned with chagrin.
“What do you mean? You earned a perfect score on this test as well, passing all of my assessments and earning yourself that letter of recommendation!” he laughed heartily.
“Wh-what?! But I lost!” I said, baffled.
“To a grizzled adventurer with decades of experience, with better gear to boot.” He laughed harder!
“My child, the purpose of that test was to see how you would fare against a superior foe. No matter how talented you are or how powerful your gear is, there will come a time when you will be cornered by a powerful foe. A person who is unsuited for adventuring may cower in fear or fight with despair clawing at their hearts. Only those who will fight with a ferocious desperation burning in their hearts and a cool, calculating mind looking for an escape or a road to victory will survive these encounters and reach greater heights, and that is something that cannot be taught. This aptitude is available in spades within you, and to be honest, it breaks my heart to think of what a child like you experienced to possess this fierce will to win and survive…” he said, his expression somber.
“In any case, please follow me. I have a letter to write for you.”