The soft morning sunlight seeped through the towering windows, illuminating the vast training hall in a warm golden hue. Elena half stumbled through the room, her mere presence commanding attention from all those gathered. The hushed whispers of onlookers filled the air, creating a tension that clung to every corner. Despite the constant buzz of conversation, Elena remained focused on her goal. She had the same thoughts running through her head on repeat while she waited for the teacher to start. 'These kids are beneath me. I can do this. I am awesome and I can do this.' Elena felt a pinch in her nerves in her neck, and when she moved to massage it, her whole body complained. The workout this morning had been rough.

She looked around the room for a seat, and of all the people that her mind focused on, Reginald was the one that made her seethe the most. Seeing him again today made her stomach churn with a mix of anger and disgust so intense it felt like her insides were all competing to see who could jump out of her throat the fastest. Yesterday's arena fight replayed in her mind in vivid, searing detail. The way he had casually threatened her. His voice dripping with malevolent delight as he spoke of collaring her and making her his sex slave.

Reggie, in one brief fight, had ignited a fury within Elena that burned hotter than any flame. She wanted nothing more than to use it to burn his kingdom to ash. She had fought with everything she had, driven by the primal need to show him that she was not someone he could control or demean. That she was not his. Visions of herself standing in front of a terrified Reggie tied to a chair with his buddies cowering in the corner brought a vicious smile to her mind. 'Oh man,' she thought to herself. 'The looks on their faces as I proclaimed "And I will strike down upon these with great vengeance and FURIOUS anger...". It'd be amazing.'

As Elena stood near the front of the training hall, the sight of him just standing there brought all those emotions rushing back, crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her fists clenched involuntarily, nails biting into her palms so hard it almost hurt. He looked different today, though. While his wounds from their brutal clash had been magically healed, there was a pallor to his skin, a sickly hue that made him appear weaker, almost fragile. His usual arrogant posture seemed slightly deflated, as if whatever internal damage he'd sustained lingered beyond the reach of magic.

Despite his obvious discomfort, he still held himself with that infuriating air of superiority, though it seemed more forced now. Seeing him like this, not quite the invincible figure he liked to project, should have brought Elena some satisfaction, but instead, it only intensified her rage. How dare he stand there, looking as if he hadn't done anything wrong, as if he were the one who had been wronged? The memory of his vile threats was too fresh, too raw, for her to feel anything other than pure, unadulterated contempt and vitriol. 'If the healers hadn't been on hand yesterday, or if I met him alone in an alley, I'm certain that I would have made the world a better place,' Elena thought to herself.

Every glance he cast her way, every sneer that twisted his lips, was a stark reminder of his true nature. He might look weakened today, but tomorrow? The next day? His arrogance was a mask, hiding a dangerous cruelty and a sense of entitlement that ran bone-deep. Elena had seen it firsthand, and she wouldn't forget it. She wouldn't let him think for a second that she was afraid of him or that his threats had any power over her.

Part of Elena wanted to march up to him, to confront him and remind him of his humiliating defeat, to watch his smug expression falter. But another part of her knew that showing him any reaction would only give him what he craved. Instead, she gave him a pitying look and forced herself to focus on the rest of the class. She would channel her anger and vitriol into every study, every test, every move, every strike. She would become stronger, not just for herself but to ensure that someone like Reginald would have to meet someone like her before he hurt anyone else.

As Elena stole another glance at him, she couldn't help but notice how out of place he seemed. His usual confidence was overshadowed by a subtle unease, a discomfort that went beyond mere physical pain. It was as if he looked at her and for the first time felt fear. It was a small victory, knowing that she had shaken him to his core, but it wasn't enough. She needed to keep pushing, keep fighting. She needed to make him understand that his threats were meaningless and that his power over her was non-existent. Her anger towards him would be her fuel, and it burned with the intensity of the Big Bang.

A part of Elena wondered if her anger would have been better directed inward. That maybe she let herself get to the point where someone like him could have that effect on her. But that part of her was quickly drowned out by the part of her that just wanted him to know she was the big dog on campus.

She looked around and saw Adrian sitting, his pile of books acting both as reading material and shield. As Elena started walking towards him, she heard the other students once again spread rumors about her. Unfortunately, as this was a different class, very few of the students were ones that she recognized from yesterday's bout. It seemed like that was going to be a constant thing until someone new captured their attention.

"Did you hear? She took down three opponents at once..."

"Did you see her hands after the fight? There weren't any!"

"I heard she summoned a blood beast who fought using her body..."

"Someone said she didn't even break a sweat..."

"No, I actually saw her power. She's a demon princess."

"I never want to face demons."

"She's pretty. I wonder what she did with her hair."

Elena smiled at that last one. She wanted to go over and tell the girl who asked her friends that she didn't really do anything. Just used some herbal shampoo Agatha had.

Elena strolled into the crowded room, weaving her way towards Adrian. Among the sea of students, he stood out as one of the few who didn't give her the cold shoulder. Sure, he also seemed to have a thing for her, but she could ignore his occasional glances so long as he didn't try for more. And honestly, his friendly demeanor was a refreshing change from the hostility she often faced. She settled into the seat beside him and gave him a warm greeting.

She could feel the weight of eyes on her as she made her way towards her only friend in class. They had gotten worse since yesterday. If anything, yesterday's arena battle only seemed to encourage the whispers. Adrian offered her a hand to shake as she sat down, and the simple act of reaching for it burned her sore muscles. She felt the ache in her body from Marcus' intense training regimen that morning.

The soreness in her muscles was a sharp reminder of the grueling morning she had endured. Determined to improve, Elena had thrown herself into every aspect of her training with the most focus she could muster. She was hopeful that with her increased Attributes, she might be able to go longer and harder than the day before. She did, but Marcus saw she was getting better and decided that her previous workout wasn't going to be effective. So he ramped up the difficulty to match.

The day had begun with an intense stretching routine, but unlike yesterday, Elena was expected to get her posture in the stretches correctly nearly immediately. Marcus was the kind of drill instructor that would put the US Marine Corps to shame. She had to push her flexibility to the limits, each stretch targeting muscles she thought the universe had spawned inside her just for the morning's exercises. Yesterday's feat of touching her toes was a personal best.

But now? Elena had to grab the bottom of her hooves and hold the position for 5 minutes. She had to maintain balance on one foot while the other foot pointed straight up. She held each position until her limbs trembled. Sure, she probably could have gone easy on herself, but if Marcus was taking the time to train her, the least she could do was refuse to slack off. This focus on preparation was vital, and she realized he was just setting the tone for the rest of her painful and tiring day.

Following the stretching came Elena's first real delve into combat training, and it was as brutal as she had anticipated. Thomas volunteered to be her opponent this morning. His strikes were swift and precise, forcing her to stay on her toes. She thought she had managed a few decent moves, but she was quickly disabused of the notion as the majority of the session was a series of stumbles, falls, and painfully missed blocks. Every time she hit the mat, she forced herself back up, her body protesting but her mind resolute. Her body screamed as she failed, but she knew if she didn't learn from every failure, one day she would fall and wouldn't get back up. So she did her best absorbing the techniques like a sponge. Unfortunately, her sponge was full of water, and she didn't feel like she got much.

The intensity of the sparring session left all of Elena's muscles screaming in protest, but at least she refused to give in to the fatigue. Pre and post workout Elena both agreed that going as hard as they did was a terrible choice, but at this point, what's done is done. She could still hear Marcus's voice, as she tripped and slipped and got flipped. "Keep your guard up, Elena! Anticipate his movements!"

And sure, she attempted to follow his guidance, adjusting her stance and timing with each bout. But honestly, Thomas sucked wang. And like the bastard he was, he did not hold back, delivering each strike with full force. It was around the time Elena took her third arrow to the leg that she was about ready to use blood magic on him. But the arrow to the knee? God, that made her cry. It was so incredibly painful. No wonder why the guards would use it as an excuse. And even when she got close, his blows jarred her, they shook her, and by the end, she couldn't even flinch when he swung.

Adding to her exhaustion was the early morning yoga session she had attended at dawn. What was meant to be a calming and restorative practice had turned into a test of endurance. Drill Instructor Marcus had decided it was time to push the class, leading them through advanced poses that required immense strength and balance. And since the class involved Lila, Lehara, Thomas, Rowan and herself, Elena thought he was grading her compared to everyone else.

A thought occurred to her. 'Maybe I need to bring some of my...uh...trainee-mates? Classmates? Whatever. I should bring some of them to his early morning routine. Maybe then I hopefully wouldn't seem so bad by comparison.' By the time Elena was done, her arms and legs quivered with the effort of holding positions far beyond yesterday's practice. And by the end, she felt as though she had run a marathon with no training.

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Oh, and who could forget the best part of the morning? After breakfast, Elena faced the oh-so-incredibly easy task of a five-mile run to get to school. 'No, Marcus said it's just 8 kilometers.' And while she was determined to get to school on time, today she found out she had only 27 minutes to complete it. The rushed pace left her sprinting most of the way, and when she got there, her lungs were burning and her legs protesting with every step.

And she was still late.

Elena shook Adrian's hand. She heard another comment about herself and held her head high. 'I'm a big tough guy. I don't care if they talk about me. Those rumors are mostly fake anyway. And hopefully after yesterday, they will know better than to come fight me.'

Unfortunately, Adrian couldn't contain his excitement and practically fawned over Elena. "Elena, you were amazing out there yesterday!" he gushed, his eyes wide with admiration. "The way you beat Reginald was unbelievable! Everyone thought you were done for when he bisected you, but then you got back up with your organs showing. By the gods, it was the craziest thing I've ever seen!"

Elena felt a flush creep up her cheeks, embarrassed by his enthusiasm. "Thanks, Adrian," she said, trying to sound modest. "I just did what I had to do." She hoped that would be enough to deflect some of the attention, but oh no. Adrian wasn't done.

"No, really!" he continued, his voice full of excitement. "You should have seen everyone's faces when you stood back up. It was like something out of a nightmare, but in a good way! And when you taunted him? And that final move you did, where you took him down so brutally? People are going to be talking about that forever! You were like a force of nature! Terrifying, sure. But it's like you were unstoppable. It was awesome!" Elena's face grew hotter with each word, and she could feel more eyes turning towards them. "Monsters and Demons will know your visage and will run in terror!"

"Uh, well, thanks again," Elena muttered, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "I just tried my best, you know?" She glanced around, hoping to find an escape route, but Adrian's admiration was relentless. She looked over and saw several students looking at her confused, and Veronica just started with a sly smile. At least the admiration Adrian gave her was enough to piss off Reggie more. Elena looked in his direction and saw him silently seething. Part of her wanted to take out his handkerchief and dab her forehead on it just so he could see his initials on it.

"And it's not just that you won," he went on, seemingly oblivious to Elena's growing discomfort. "It's how you did it. The way you just kept fighting, even when it looked like you were done for. And when you climbed on him and just kept beating him? That was so brutal, so... final. It's like you were sending a message to everyone watching. People are going to remember that fight for a long time. You're really something special, Elena."

By now, Elena's face was probably as red as her skirt, and she was struggling to find the right words to respond. Compliments had never been her strong suit, and Adrian's praise was overwhelming.

"I, um, appreciate it, Adrian," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "But please stop. Really, I was just trying to survive out there. Plus I.... I hate compliments. It… makes me feel weird."

"What? But how? That's...I mean I guess that makes sense, but I just thought someone as amazing as you would, you know, be used to them by now." He paused, clearly struggling with the concept, before adding, "But like how? How could anyone not want to tell you how awesome you are? I mean you're...well, you're you! It's kind of hard not to notice."

Elena slunk down in her chair, hoping to find a brand new way to manifest a teleporting power. And of course, right in the middle of her trying to disappear into the ether, the Arena Master strode in. He was a tall man, a figure of imposing authority with broad shoulders and a frame likely hardened by years of combat and discipline. His presence commanded immediate respect and to some extent fear. A thick grizzled beard framed his face, and you could barely see his mouth through it. His piercing eyes scanned the room, finally settling on Reginald. He squinted for a few moments before going back to scanning the room. "Where is Elena Vale?" he called out. His voice, deep and resonant, carried effortlessly, and she had to wonder for a moment if the voice she vaguely heard yesterday was due to magic or raw talent.

The treasonous trainee in front of Elena leaned out of the way, giving the arena master a clear view of her. The Arena Master seemed to have found both of his quarries. Reginald, who looked like a million bucks despite the ferocious beating, and Elena, the guy turned girl who was currently trying her best to become an evaporating puddle. "Elena Vale, Reginald Lockheart," he called out, his voice resonating through the hall. "To the front."

Elena untangled herself from her desk and with a mix of anticipation and anxiety, she walked to the front and joined Reginald, who seemed to nearly teleport standing at attention. His chest puffed out proudly and someone held up some crystal-looking thing, like a camera. The Arena Master looked at Reginald first, his expression stern but approving. "Reginald, your performance in the face of overwhelming odds was exemplary. You fought with determination and resilience, even when the situation seemed hopeless. Despite overwhelming force, you hung on past the point when others would give up. It shows your fellow trainees the length they can go to when they set their mind to it." He nodded, placing a hand on Reginald's shoulder. "For your bravery and endurance, you are to be commended. May all who face the certainty of death do so for as long as you."

Reginald's face lit up with pride, though Elena could sense a hint of his usual arrogance beneath the surface. The Arena Master then turned his gaze to her, his eyes scrutinizing but respectful. He turned and walked the two steps to be directly in front of Elena and turned to face her. "Elena Vale," he began, his voice carrying a weight that made the room fall silent. "Your performance was not only exemplary but exceptional in its ruthlessness and efficiency. When the fates had you marked for death, you came back and through sheer determination clung to life. And not only that, you thrived. When your opponent was ready to strike you, you became the wind. When death looked for you, you were a shadow. And when your weapons were gone, you became the weapon. You have shown a fierce determination and an ability to rise above challenges with an almost brutal effectiveness. You have shown that not only can you be tenacious to refuse to give up, but brutal in showing life that you will not quit."

He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing. "It is for this reason that I offer you the title of The Butcher of the Crimson Arena. You have earned this through your tenacity, brutality, and willingness to put yourself on the line."

A murmur ran through the room as the Arena Master extended his hand toward Elena. "Do you accept this title, Elena?"

Elena swallowed hard. "I wasn't aware I had an option," she said. She heard Reginald breathe in, trying to calm himself down. She then nodded, remembering what Lehara had told her the previous night. Groups would fall over their feet to have a butcher at their side. And she needed to do what she could to make sure she picked the best group. Elena looked around at the class who was bewildered that she hadn't accepted immediately, and she said in a quiet voice, "I just realized I don't know how to accept."

The Arena Master gave her a handshake, pulled out a small crystalline orb, and then asked her to press her thumb on it. It looked like the Ano from yesterday, but much smaller. Elena did as instructed and a few moments later she felt a brief wisp of mana leave her body. A picture of her head floated above the crystal and then the very brief accolade of "The Butcher of the Crimson Arena" stood proudly underneath it.

The Arena Master then turned to look at the rest of the trainees. "The bar has been set quite high. Do not expect that the Butcher will be so easy on you." Elena looked over the class and saw several of them pale. Before they left the front, the Arena Master looked at them both. "I hope that we will see champions out of both of you one day. We all hope to see you again in the arena, where your fights may be glorious."

Reginald and Elena went back to their places and the teacher resumed the lesson. With a final nod, the Arena Master departed as swiftly as he had arrived, leaving the students buzzing with excitement. The instructor cleared his throat, bringing everyone back to focus.

"Today, we will be working on a variety of skills," he began. "First, we will practice our defensive maneuvers. Everyone needs to pair up."

Elena ended up being partnered with a girl named Maria, who looked at her a bit shocked and kind of worried. "I guess you're the talk of the school now," Maria whispered.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Great. Just what I needed." She turned to the girl and remembered her earlier comment about her hair. "Also, I meant to tell you. I don't really do anything to my hair. I wash it every other day and just use shampoo."

Maria looked a bit shocked that she had been overheard. She quickly smiled, though, clearly pleased. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was talking that loudly. But yes! I really love your hair. It looks so soft. You said you don't do anything special with it? How did you get it to look like that?"

Elena shook her head, surprisingly not feeling awkward at the situation. "Nothing really. I just...it's just the way it is."

Maria tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "Seriously? Wow. It's just naturally like that? Man, I'd kill to have hair that looks effortlessly like that." She bit her lip in hesitation before speaking again. "Can...can I touch it?"

Elena smiled and leaned closer to Maria, letting her hair fall down.

Maria gently ran her fingers through the hair and felt it softly fall into her palm. "Now that's not fair. It's so soft!"

Elena shrugged and smiled. She looked at the girl's desk and saw a jacket lying on it. "Can I ask you a question? Where did you get that jacket from? I like the color and design."

Maria's face lit up. "Oh this? I got it from a local thrift shop. My boyfriend and I love going shopping and those places have some amazing old stuff. I can send you the address if you want to go. But only if you tell me where you got that blouse. I love the style. I don't know if I could pull it off, but you look gorgeous in it."

Elena smiled and nodded. "Yes please, and of course I will! If you want, I'll also find out from Agatha what kind of shampoo she buys."

Maria smiled broadly. "Would you? That'd be awesome!"

They spent the next hour practicing their defensive techniques, blocking and countering each other's strikes with increasing precision. The instructor moved among them, offering tips and corrections. Elena found sparring with Maria was much easier than fighting with Thomas. She didn't hit nearly as hard, didn't move nearly as fast, and when Elena did manage to hit her back, her attacks seemed to purchase more damage.

"Good, Maria. Remember to keep your guard up," the professor advised, watching her closely. "Elena, try to anticipate her moves."

As they trained, Elena couldn't shake the feeling of Reginald's eyes on her. His silent seething was palpable, and she could sense his resentment growing with every passing minute.

After the defensive drills, they moved on to agility training. The students navigated an obstacle course designed to test their speed and reflexes. Elena felt her muscles burning as she vaulted over barriers and dodged swinging pendulums.

When it was done, the instructor turned to Elena. "Well, Miss Vale. Tell us what you did to achieve your victory yesterday?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just really wanted to not lose?"

The instructor shook his head. "No, I mean what training have you done to get yourself prepared?"

Elena shrugged again. "Oh, I wake up, do some stretches for half an hour, do some sparring for an hour or two, do some yoga for an hour, have breakfast and then run 8 kilometers to school in under 35 minutes." As she finished, she saw the class pale and start to groan.

The instructor turned to the rest of the class. "You heard her. Your training regiment starts tomorrow." Adrian paled and Elena turned to look at him. "What's going on?"

Adrian looked at her with newfound amazement mixed with a bit of sadness. "You're the Butcher," he said as if that explained anything.

"Okay, and?" Elena asked.

"We get to learn from your example," he said as he looked depressed for the death of his mornings.