Edan jumped into the air, the whip cracking against the ground where he had been standing. Landing lightly he rolled sideways, barely avoiding getting a whip to the forehead.

Edan ground his teeth in irritation, reaching for a sheath along his chest. He had two knives left, plus his push daggers.

Seiwa stood calmly before him, his breathing steady as his hand moved, manipulating the whip as it danced around him.

Edan had challenged Licinia first. She was fourteenth, previously twelfth, and still recovering from her loss. The limp she had gotten had slowed her down, and the standard hand-and-a-half sword she wielded had been a poor match for Edan once he got in close. He had stabbed her twice. One with each dagger. They had ended the match dyed orange and red.

Riding the momentum and still full of energy, Edan had moved on to the twelfth-ranked Seiwa. Any hope Edan had that fighting Licinia before him had left the Seiwa tired was quickly dispelled within the first minute of relentless attack.

Edan was fast. Very fast. Probably faster than Seiwa. That didn’t mean shit though if he couldn’t get close.

Edan palmed a dagger, preparing to throw. A brown blur made him jump back, the crack of the whip as it split the air made him wince. Edan’s hand blurred as he threw the dagger. It sailed throw the air. Somehow the whip curled and knocked the blade off course.

Someone sitting too close to the action swore as it narrowly missed them.

The combatants ignored them.

Edan was growing desperate. He had to close the distance. The constant dodging was chewing through his stamina. But he also couldn’t afford to be reckless. He hadn’t wanted to begin accumulating injuries just yet.

Eden sprinted to the side, trying to tangle Seiwa up as he turned to keep Edan in sight. Seiwa’s dark eyes regarded Edan, watching him closely, even as he too turned. The Whip flicked out, then curled back, judging the distance.

There was the barest hitch in Seiwa’s step. The barest stutter of the whip. It was enough. Edan made his move. He went from sprinting around his opponent to sprinting at him so fast he slid sideways on the smooth stone floor. It saved him. Seiwa, seeing Edan’s sudden change in direction lashed out with the whip. The weighted tip unfurled and tasted the air where Edan’s head would have been if he hadn’t slipped.

It was enough. It had to be enough.

Edan drew his last knife and threw it. Seiwa must have known it was only to keep him busy. But a knife is still a knife and it can't be ignored, especially if it's thrown at your groin.

No one saw Edan’s grin.

Seiwa reacted how you would expect any man to react. He prioritized his junk. While Seiwa may have been talented with the whip, he was still inexperienced and he overreacted, almost curling in on himself as he slashed downward with the whip to deflect the thrown blade.

He may have saved himself a great deal of pain, but he had lost his focus for a second, and judging by the way his eyes turned round in shock, Seiwa knew it would cost him.

Edan was inside his reach and he had drawn his push daggers.

Seiwa was no fool though. He grasped the whip by the thong and handle, pulling it taunt and using the chord to deflect the first stab by Edan.

Edan twisted with the block, allowing momentum to carry him forward and to the side. He twisted again, throwing out a wild elbow that grazed Seiwa’s chin but did no real damage. Edan let the retaliatory short straight punch from Seiwa brush past his ear, the flesh turning hot.

He was right. He was faster, and here, close to his opponent, it was where he fought best.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Edan smiled.

A stab turned to a slash. Each attack came quicker than the one before. Seiwa blocked one, deflected another, then tried to duck. Edan was there. When his blade couldn’t reach, his limbs would follow. Elbows and knees moved just as swiftly as quick, short, jabs, the blade at the end of each fist turning the blows deadly.

Edan pushed the taller boy back, staggering him through sheer ferocity.

Seiwa put up a great defense but his first mistake turned the blades yellow as they scissored across his stomach. Distracted by the blow, the ending came quickly. Edan kicked the inside of Seiwa’s knee, twisting the boy to the side and staggering him. Edans right hand rose up, sliding under Seiwa's defending arm. The blade at the end of his fist made contact with the soft skin under Seiwa’s chin.

Then Edan couldn’t move. A large hand was wrapped around his wrist, holding his blade in place.

“A good match.” Master Sims remarked, standing over Edan as he held him in place. Edan hadn't even felt him move. “Though that final blow could have been very dangerous. Even with the enchantments on your blade, Mawe. It may have been a dulled blade, but the force of your blows can still have an effect.”

Edan blinked as he realized what Master Sims had meant. By the way, Seiwa was sweating, the other boy had figured it out as well.

“Damn. Sorry about that. Caught up in the moment, you know?” Edan apologized to Seiwa.

“Such things happen. Congrats Mawe, you’re ranked twelfth now.” Master Sims waved away the apology and Seiwa gave a shaky nod. He knew better than to make a fuss if the teacher wasn’t. “Now, off with you.”

The powerful grip on his wrist was released and Edan tried not to wince as blood flow returned to his fingertips, making them tingle. Edan withdrew his daggers, sliding them into the sheaths at the small of his back with familiar ease. He looked around quickly, spotting the daggers he had thrown earlier lying on the ground.

Edan gathered his weapons and walked back to what he was coming to call his window. Sliding down the wall with a groan he absent-mindedly felt along his chest for the sheaths and slid the daggers home while watching the rank 6th student, Kumi face off against Lorien in the hopes of getting her number 4 spot.

Kumi spun his staff around, the dark wood making a whirring noise as it cut the air. Lorien bounced on her feet, a bright smile on her face. In her hand, she held a long metal trident, its pronged tip glinting in the afternoon sunlight.

“You aim for the top?”

Edan glanced over at the Titan. She once more stood nearby watching him.

“At least the top 9,” Edan admitted, ensuring no one else could hear him.

The Titan regarded him silently. Just when it was about to get awkward she smiled, her teeth surprisingly white against her tanned skin.

“You walk a fine line Bwaka. Rest too long and you will be challenged. Your stamina is not endless and even skill can fail in war. You must push hard and remain steady, or the hungry ones will come for an easy meal.”

“Uhhh, sure. But class is about to end, so...”

The Titan threw her head back and laughed. The sound boomed around the closed room. The laugh matched her body more than her voice. Loud, bellowing, rolling, powerful.

And, Edan realized, authentic.

The class stopped, even Kumi and Lorien skipped away from each other, breathing rapidly as they stared at the Titan.

Edan tried to shrink away as the eyes that were on her began to drift to him.

As if sensing the scene she had caused the Titan stopped laughed and looked around the classroom, her level gaze was calm but where it landed students were quick to avert their eyes.

“A good plan. You are not Bwaka,” The Titan said to Edan once the class was ignoring them. “You are Emge.”

Edan cocked an eyebrow in question.

“It is a small, hairy animal from my home. They make homes in trees and will come down to scavenge fallen nuts and berries. They are well known for being sneaky.” The Titan smiled. “They will often make creatures fight each other while they steal the food from right under their noses or wait for my tribe to go hunting and then steal our catch before we come back.”

Edan wasn’t sure whether to thank her or be insulted.

“Uhh…thanks?”

“Do not take offense. Like all things on my planet, they are powerful, though they rely on speed more than strength.” She gave him a meaningful look, her amber eyes playful.

Edan wondered what he had done to draw her attention, and why he kept it.

Lorien was finishing up her fight. Her dress flared out as she spun around, her weapon held out wide in one hand by the end of its shaft. The enchantment turned red as the long handle of her trident collided with Kumi’s head. Even dulled, the force behind the blow still knocked the boy silly and he collapsed to the ground in a heap. Lorien skipped over and crouched down before poking him gently with the tip of her trident.

Master Sims rolled his eyes as he pushed her away.

Edan hopped to his feet.

“The war resumes?” The Titan asked.

“It never stopped,” Edan muttered.

He missed the nod of satisfaction from the large woman behind him.