Rio was looking forward to this test for many reasons. The primary reason is that he's finally going to witness an actual real time combat. The secondary is, to observe Arcuied, and the other characters. Each reason is as important as the other to him.
"Without further a do, let's start." Guile announced as he snapped his finger.
As he snapped his finger, a large stage rose from the ground. The stage was big, a transparent two-way mirror covered it. It probably has to do with the thing they were going to put in it, Rio thought.
The spectacle didn't end there, at the various corners of the field containers filled with different weapons magically appeared. Most likely imbued with a skill that causes it to be hidden, Rio thought as he observed the events below.
"Go get the weapons you want!" Guile said as he took a step back and observe the students find their weapons. Some haven't gotten over the suprise yet, and notable one's already moved to get the weapons.
While others were busy with their own things, Guile exited the room.
Regarding weapons, Rio was undecided at the matter. He didnt know what kind of weapon he wanted, and haven't decided about it until now. Blades would be ineffective at long range combat. Bows were not even an option, he didn't have that great of an aim. Guns were inefficient at best. He wants to find a perfect weapon that can be used at any combat.
Well, as luck would have it. There was an artifact that can operate as he wants. The problem is, the place was too far away from the moment. It would take several weeks of time to go there.
At that dillema, he decided to put aside that matter and think about it after getting The Formless Seed. It seems most of his problems stem from the fact he didn't have the freedom to move as a teacher. Rio sighed at that.
At this moment, the student he was watching finally moved.
—
Arcuied stood as he looked at his fellow classmates. Many were panicking and undecided. Then again, the mock test was an immediate suprise to the whole student body.
But he was different from them, he already knew what weapon he wanted. He was walking to go there right now.
As he approached the container, he held onto the handle of the weapon. The weapon was a long, straight blade with a sharp edge on both of its sides. It was a Sword.
As he held the handle, coincidentally a hand also held another weapon from the container. Arcuied turned up to look at whose hand was it. To his suprise, it was Eugene.
"What a coincidence," Eugene chirped casually as he held the long shaft of the weapon with a pointed steel head the end. He took it out, and only now did Arcuied had a good look of the weapon.
It was a Spear. The spear stood beside Eugene, making Eugene seem more elegant. Eugene noticed the weapon Arcuied was holding, and nodded seemingly think of something,
"What?" Arcuied asked with a serious tone, noticing the odd nod of the man.
"It was nothing," Eugene said as he waved his hands off, indicating it wasn't anything important. He asked innocently "The sword fits iyou, but do you even have the skill to use it..?"
"More skilled than your spear waving." Arcuied rebutted with a non-chalant tone as he moved away without a word.
Eugene's eye twitched at that remark. It seems the man had quite confidence in himself. Eugene just shook his head and tried to find the person he was looking for. At some corner of the field he spotted her. Amber Hong. He hurriedly walked over where Amber Hong was.
Arcuied didn't know what was the problem with Eugene, but experience told him the best way to shut off a snarky remark is to rebutt it and leave immediately.
Arcuied arrived at his position earlier, now that he has a weapon all he needs to do is wait until he gets called. Speak of the devil, an announcement rang loud inside the room.
"No. 1, Arcuied, enter the stage and proceed go be examined. Please bring your wanted weapon."
Arcuied blinked in suprise to that. He didnt know he was going to be first. Well, it's not like it matters that much to him. Being first nor last doesnt change anything.
He patted his chest as he prepared himself. He walked over the stage, noticing that all the stares were directed at him. He even saw Eugene smirking at him and Xiao giving a thumbs up.
Arcuied shook his head and ignore the stares. This was an important moment. This was the turning point, or in essence, whether he can stay in this academy or not.
As he slowly walked inside the arena, the entrance closed abruptly. Arcuied brandished his sword while waiting for the opponent he was going to face.
At that moment a loud roar resounded, the students, Arcuied include looked around to find where the roar came from. Then, the large door was kicked open.
Guile entered with a leash on his hand, tightly dragging a large beast that was resisting. He dragged the large beast inside the arena, afterwards he took off the leash and the beast remained a still, cautiously looking over the room.
"Heh, this is the big boy you're going to fight!" Guile said as he walked over the door and prepared to exist, continuing, "I call it, Serbius! You either knock this little guy out or you get knocked out! Credits to the Recreational Club for this monstrous abomination!"
Arcuied looked at the monster. The monster can be described in two words, strong, and monstrous. It looked like a chimera, having the same features and looks. A lion's body and head, a snake part of it's tail, and vicious black wings like a bat.
"This…power," Eugene muttered with a hint of fascination, years of training from the noble house made him adapt to different kinds of magical radiation and sense their appropriate rank, "It's Rank D.."
Eugene sighed, it seems like this newbie classmate of him isn't going to last long. Every student in this Academy are atleast Rank E. Maybe if it was him fighting that abomination he would have atleast a chance.
"Not only Rank D. It's a Chimera." Amber quipped from the side, she knew many kinds of monsters. As the heir of a famous guild leader, the various monsters of wild were taught to her at a young age. Even she, doesnt stand much a chance againts that abomination.
While every student was sighing at the their fellow classmate's inevitable fate, Rio at the chairs above observe intently without blinking. He knew that Arcuied can beat the monster. However, he was measuring his chance againts it. He was far stronger than the monster, that's for sure. But combat experience? Virtually none. Rio gravely sighed, and wanted the weekends to arrive quickly for one of his objectives to initiate.
Arcuied ignored the stares the students were giving and just brandished his sword. Pointing it to the monster. At the moment Guile left the arena, the test started.
He moved, imbuing magic to his feet and applying <Speed> skill. He arrived almost instantly at the monster. He thrusted the sword in the side. However, as he was going to thrust the sword, he sense immediate danger.
The snake tail lashed out to him, forcing Arcuied to abandon his offense and revert to defense. He checked whether the monster had any blindspots. His eye caught one thing. The monster was blind at the other eye, using that as an advantage he sped up as he ran to the left side.
Swoosh!
He slashed his sword horizontally, as the wings of the lion aggresively flap and blew him away from the sheer force of the wind. However it wasn't all for naught. He felt it, his sword touched the skin of the monster. But, it wasn't just the monster that was wounded. Him too. His skin tore up from the wind.
He looked at part of the left side of the face, there was a graze. Blood fell down as the wound opened up. Arcuied had a skill that he barely used in public, however this was an exception. It was <<Curse of Mandala».
His attacks are curse itself. They hurt and destroy more than intended. As the monstrous lion noticed the grazed wound on his left side, he roared in anger. The monstrous lion pushed forward as he chased Arcuied.
Arcuied just recovering, blocked the lashes of the lion's snake tail as it struck the sword. Arcuied looked at the sword. He knew that he couldnt let this continue or the sword will break. Destroying his chances of winning.
His strategy? Just run. The strikes of the monster were deadly, receiving it on his body is not an option. Blocking it with his sword will just break the blade. Running while dodging is his best choice as he accumulate enough time to launch his technique.
"ROAAAAAAAR!" The lion roared, as it chased Arcuied over the stage. Using it's two bat wings to create a spherical wind ball that launches at the stage, exploding and grazing the ground.
Arcuied got affected by the small explosion and got blew up to the left side. Not yet. He gritted his teeth as the sharp wind grazed his body, afflicting small wounds that accumulated. However, he just stood up and ran.
The lion sped up, it continued to chase Arcuied while firing small spherical sharp wind at his direction. However, as Arcuied's clothes were grazed and sliced, his body having many wounds. He preserved. As he ran until he reached the corner. The lion cornered him, that was what many thought.
—
"He got cornered!" Eugene said seriousl, no longer underestimating Arcuied. He managed to evade and damage a Rank D monster while being Rank E. He's a talent. Even if hated to admit it, maybe better than him "This is…probably where it ends."
At the above, Rio stared more intently knowing what will come next. It was an iconic part of the novel. It was going to happen right infront his very eyes. This last exchange will declare the match conclusions.
—
Arcuied just stood. He held his sword high. His body full of wounds, his hair messed up, and his clothes sliced and ruined. He accumulated enough time to activate this skill. The skill was called, «The 72 Winds of Blade».
He held the sword with his two hands. Without hesitation, he activated the skill. The wind converged into the blade, forming an invisible sharp augmentation.
Swoosh!
Arcuied slahsed horizontally, afterwards vertically, and after diagonally. He slashed as many times he can. The lion was large, it received every part of the slash at it's body. The sharp wind afflicting wounds over the body of the lion. Added with the hidden effect of «Curse of Mandala» the lion screamed in agony, wanting to retaliate.
However, it was for naught. As Arcuied tired himself out by the skill. The lion fell unconsious. He beaten it. He won. He succeeded. At that moment, a large hand patted his back.
"Well, if you look at that!" Guile said as he look at the state of the match, "Aren't you a champion, aye?"
—
Eugene looked at the stage, shocked still at the conclusions. The swordmanship of Arcuied was superb, amazing, and elegant. The man won a battle that seemed like a loss.
Eugine looked over Arcuied. Arcuied stood tall, wounds accumated in his skin, clothes torn apart, and blade still pointed. He knew that feeling, the man, just like him, experience life and death at it's core.
Now everything seems interesting..
Eugene thought, as he awaited for the future where he can stand beside and battle such a talent.
At above the stage, Rio looked over the stage. He saw a real battle. Arcuied was amazing, it was true that he was hardened by battle. Rio felt like he could defeat the chimera easily, it was his instinct telling him. But he wasn't going to rely on merely instinct, he knew couldnt do what Arcuied did. He was no battle hardened person. Hell, he lived in a modern society, he didnt even have much knowledge of fighting.
Rio sighed and thought about one of his plans. Practicing in the daemonic dimension. It was the most viable. He was a teacher with a verified certificate, he could easily enter those. He really awaited the weekends to come.
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