"This is a bad matchup. Aiden is going to one-shot defeat him." After recovering from her defeat Valarie joined Edric with Amanda on the other side as they watched Alex walking onto the arena.
The opponent Alex has to face is none other than the rising Sword Saint; someone whom Edric respects.
Aiden Halestorm.
Aiden has a record of winning most of his matches during the two years of the academy, and recently, when the tournament was organized, he was among the five contestants who participated and won for his academy.
Although the limelight was stolen by Edric since he ended up facing two enemies and winning both of the rounds, there was no doubt that if not for Aiden's victory, their school would have lost.
"I don't agree with you." Before Edric could have said anything, Amanda retorted, making Valarie frown.
"Why would you say that? We all know that Alex is nothing but a bookworm and has a skill that is not useful for battle."
Amanda chuckled, pissing Valarie off even more, as the former said, "If only you ever woke up early in the morning, you'd understand why I'm betting my money on Alex."
Valarie ignored the girl and looked back on the stage; wanting to see what made Amanda so confident.
When Amanda's gaze fell on Edric she found her lover sulking, as some words reached her ears, "You never bet your money on me..."
Amanda smiled in amusement before hooking her arm with his and whispering, "I always remain so engrossed in you that I forget betting."
Edric's mood lifted as, with a shy smile, he looked towards the arena...and soon frowned.
"A stick?" Hearing him, Amanda also looked towards the arena and found her brows elevating.
In Alex's grip there indeed was a wooden stick rather than a real weapon.
And it wasn't a proper stick rather a fragment of a tree branch.
'What is he thinking?'
....
"Student Alex?" The instructor asked; clearly as confused as others.
Alex asked, "Will it be against the rules if I fight with this?" Truth be told, he didn't have a real weapon. Until now, the wooden weapons were provided by the school but they were removed.
"Are you mocking me?" The heavy voice of his opponent resonated, making him look intimidating.
Aiden heard about Alex's weapon from the murmuring of the audience, which forced him to ask.
Alex raised his brows before replying, "No."
"Hmm, then it's fine." Aiden nodded and got into a fighting stance. Unless someone was making fun of him, he didn't feel like getting angry needlessly.
The instructor stepped forward and asked in a hushed voice, "You don't have a blade, right?"
Her question was met by a nod as Alex said, "I can manage myself with this, though."
"This won't do, Alex...." The instructor heaved a sigh and contemplated what she should do.
Alex then asked, "Then...can I borrow it from someone?"
The instructor blinked in surprise before she assented, "If they agree then sure."
Alex sprinted towards the giant classmate and asked, "Lend me your sword."
The boy with thick brows hummed before asking, "Can you even lift it?" The person asked, since the sword he held was only a few inches shorter than Alex.
It was a great sword with a thick middle and tough blade. It was more for hammering enemies into oblivion and held double-edges. The handle of the weapon was thicker than Alex's thigh.
Alex huffed, "Just give it to me. I don't need to swing it around."
The black-haired giant chuckled before allowing the blade to fall towards Alex as he said, "Just finish my homework in return of the favour."
Alex shrugged as he held the heavy metal over his shoulder and dragged it towards the arena.
He was getting laughed at, and many blatantly ridiculed him for choosing a weapon which could crush him rather than helping Alex in winning this battle.
Alex, naturally, paid no mind to them, and once inside the ring, he planted the blade on the ground with all the strength he had.
"Ahhh!"
*Crash*
The blade somehow stabbed the ground, and while a little tilted, it retained its position inside the ground.
Alex dusted off his hands and looked at the instructor before telling her, "I am good to go."
The instructor was now worried as she gestured toward the medic to be nearby.
Once she ensured that Aiden was ready, she slashed her hand and yelled, "Begin!"
Aiden crouched low, his muscles coiled, then exploded forward toward Alex. His sword remained sheathed, gripped tightly in his left hand, aimed to deliver a crushing strike to Alex's neck and end the fight in one blow.
In a blink, his form blurred. Gasps echoed through the crowd as Aiden vanished, reappearing just behind Alex, ready to strike. He swung the scabbard with lethal speed—but his eyes widened in shock. Alex was gone, no longer standing where he'd aimed.
*Blink*
Just as Aiden sensed that advancing punch he used his skill for the second time and retook his initial position.
Aiden narrowed his eyes from behind the fabric, "How did you anticipate my movement?"
Alex shrugged, "Not like I am also blocking my ears like you. Just heard you." Alex's demeanour was nonchalant, but only three people on and off the arena knew that what Alex suggested was absurd.
'Aiden was airborne when he appeared behind Alex...then how?' Valarie asked herself with a frown.
Aiden didn't hesitate or linger, charging forward again, relying purely on his physical strength to attack Alex. He knew his opponent would be waiting for him to use his skills.
"Come at me!" Alex growled, widening his stance and tucking his left hand behind his back. The fierce look on his face made Aiden hesitate, but in the end, he couldn't resist.
*Blink*
"Agh!" This time, Alex was ready. He drove his fist into the spot where he sensed Aiden's arrival, landing a powerful punch just as Aiden appeared.
There was a grin on Alex's face...which lived for a very short duration as Aiden suddenly held his hand by his wrist, and raised his leg to kick Alex.
Alex raised his leg just in time to block that kick, but the force was enough to make his bones tremble by the impact.
Alex took a quick decision, and yelled,
"THIRD FORM!"
Aiden widened his eyes as he remembered that it was the same stance that took Abeth's life two days ago.
Instantly, his figure disappeared as the green-haired teleported as far as he could and readied himself to pary any throwable Alex aims at him.
"Huh?" However, all Aiden sensed was a chuckle as he heard his opponent saying,
"Kidding~Don't worry, you aren't worth making me use that move."
Many from the battlefield chuckled hearing that and inside the arena, Aiden's hand trembled in agitation.
He...was being looked down upon. He was made fun of.
Clenching the handle of his sword with his left hand, Aiden removed his blindfold with the other one.
Those reddened eyes showcased nothing but anger, as Aiden glared at his opponent, before declaring,
"I will make you pay for forcing me to go all out."
Alex grinned, 'Nice...nice. Waste more Soul Energy for me.'
Raising his hand, he provoked Aiden,
"Show me what you got."
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A/N:- It was a weird fight scene but I intended on making it like that. The next one will be interesting. Thanks for reading.