Chapter 103 - Last Match Of Round One

A stiff wind blew in the stadium as the last match of day one was about to converse. All the lights were already lit, and the audience was far silent compared to before. They were mostly tired from all the cheering. Like the contestants, they did not have it easy either. It was not every day, normal citizens came across supernaturalism after all. 

But the last match held importance too, and they could be preparing for their last cheering as no one other than the academic staff was allowed to be there. It won't be telecasted in the television as well. After all, it's better to hide the abilities of their elites.

"I am kind of getting goosebumps for this match," Ileana said. She had already finished her matches and with her new earth spirit—she performed far better, though she lost once again. In the end, in her six matches, she lost twice, in one she did not show up and in the other three, she won quite effortlessly. There was no hope for her to go to the next round—not that she ever hoped. 

'If only I have Evnele with me from the beginning, then perhaps there was a chance.' She was talking about the earth spirit, that Aanya got her. AS an Elementalist apprentice, she could bond with only one elemental currently, though the numbers could be raised as her order advances. Even though Evnele cost quite the sum of credits, it was still a baby spirit barely two hundred years old. 

Yes, two hundred years is not that much for spirits who actually never die. Moreover, it was only her first day with the earth spirit, so she could not show what could have in a couple more weeks. anyways, she was not heartbroken at her loss.

All hope to get to the next round for her was lost, but it wasn't the same for the two in the duelling ground currently.

"I wondered which one of them will win today," Ileana muttered and her eyes moved from the stern face of Lara in the stadium to Shin, who was smiling, looking at his opponent.

"Mmm," Aanya said while her eyes were somewhere else.

Lara only lost once in her matches, and Shin still held onto his winning streak, but what matters for both of them was that whoever wins this match will go to the next round. Certainly, none of them wanted to give up such chances, even if the opponent was their training partner.

Lara's mindset and values will never let her give up, and Shin was going for the big surprise, Elior will give him.

Ford blew his whistle as the match started, though none of the duellists started the assault. The two training partners only stared at each other, bearing their swords. The smile from Shin's exterior had vanished, while Lara had her eyes locked with him. Mana was churning in both of their charging paths, waiting for the assault to unfold.

"Aanya," Ileana finally noticed her idol was not interested in the match, staring elsewhere. Her eyes drifted off to where she was staring, as a grin appeared on her lips immediately.

"Ah, yes?" Aanya got back to Ileana, knitting her brows. "The match? It started?"

"It sure did," Ileana said with a knowing smile. "But you are busy elsewhere."

"So you are saying who's going to win?" Aanya ignored whatever Ileana was implying, and concentrated on watching the match.

"Are you jealous, Aanya?" Ileana asked as if her entire interest in the game shifted elsewhere. Well, she sees both of them duel every day. Her eyes moved towards another stand, to a certain someone, talking to a few of the female students.

"Jealous? Why?" Aanya asked bewilderedly. "You surely don't mean?"

'Wow, I did not know she was so good at feigning ignorance,' she thought. 'Does she not know, Elior already told me about the game they were playing?' she looked at Aanya, trying to peer. 'Oh, she really did not know.' Then a grin appeared on her lips. Let's just play along with her for now.

"Are you jealous that Elior is moving around from girls to girls since our parents moved to visit the academic facilities?" she asked again. It had been about an hour when the Head professor brought their parents to the academy to show them how the teaching and training were done. Since then, Elior was moving around from girls to girls, as if searching for his ideal partner.

If Ileana was not aware of the relationship between Aanya and Elior, she might really have thought that. Taking her childhood friend to concern, he might really do something outrageous like that.

"No," Aanya asked as her eyes drifted off towards Elior, who was currently, shaking hands with a couple of students, gleefully. "I am just curious what he was doing there? I never saw him doing nothing-worthwhile, in the two months I knew him. However, now that I see it, he seemed to be messing around."

'A sound excuse,' Ileana mused inwardly, and found Elior looking back at them. Noticing their gazes, he waved his arms towards them before looking at the match. 'What is he really doing there?' she could not help but think. 'Trying to make Aanya jealous, but that is not like Elior.'

Ileana found no sound reason behind Elior's weirdness. It was better to ask him after all, and it appeared he was coming in their direction.

Aanya held onto the knit in her brows till came to them. "What were you doing with them?" she asked at once.

'Possessive, aren't we?' Ileana mused from the sides. Learning her idol is more possessive than she looks. 'Let's see how my dull best friend reply to this."

"It's a surprise," Elior answered with a smile, intensifying the mystery. He peered at the duel on the match and sat beside them. "It seemed my effort won't go to waste.'

Currently, Lara holds the advantage there, coming at Shin found whatever gap she could find. She has not let him use his fast manoeuvre even once after the initial contact.

"Huh, I never knew this gentle, silent girl could be violent like this," Aanya commented, as eyes stuck to the match.

'Huh, so they were avoiding to bicker in front of me?' Ileana concentrated on the match too.

"Well, Lara had no other option," Elior explained. "She chose to be violent from the beginning, which I will approve of. Even though Shin had learned the basics of forms, his style was always freestyle. If you give him space, he will use it to bite you back. Of course, Lara would know that, she's his training partner after all."

It was just the same in the match. Shin was blocking moves after moves, trying to find empty space. Even his weave of air was neutralised by Lara. Even though she used her metal attribute, she seemed to cut through his weave. She was getting far close to the realm of a true swordsman, and it was already far more dangerous than the other swordsman he faced. Well, Carlos barely had anything in him other than his swordsmanship and the electric sword.

"But who do you think will win?" Aanya asked. She had seen them duel a couple of times, and they were matched well together. Anyone could hold the upper hand with the other's negligence.

"Well, in the duels, they have found Lara won more times than Shin," Elior muttered. "With the current ratio of 6:4 in Lara's favour." Though it needed to be added before it was almost 2:1, but Shin got better in everything even with his mistrust in training.

"And she's holding the upper hand too," Ileana added. "I would like to see her giving that delinquent boy a good thrashing."

"Well, she could," Elior smiled, "But if Shin loses, it would mean, all the effort I pull will be for nothing.'

''You seemed to be rooting for your favourite student," Aanya chuckled. "Not an impartial student, after all."

"Well, I'm partial when it comes to Shin," Elior admitted. 'Why wouldn't I be? Shin had given his life for me, after all.'

Currently, in the match, Shin gasped for breath though his opponent was in similar condition. This was their sixth match and not all of their matches went smoothly. Contesting against someone of the upper level was always challenging. Even if they won most of the contest, they have exhausted their body and spirit.

"Lara, why so serious?" Shin muttered in his painting. His sword moved to her right side of the ribs, but Lara twisted her sword already to a block and shoved it towards him violently. She was not hearing him at all. 

Her sword was not anything extravagant, but it appeared far colder and almost perfect with the Steel reinforcement. While his one was already worn out from all the fights. This might be its last match.

'I never knew you were this strong..' he was regretting coming to the match heedless with and that too with an opponent who knows him the best.