57 The Silent 4

" Name your weapons. "

" Iron Stick " Both of them replied in unison.

As soon as they answered, the walls on either side of the room further opened up to reveal all lengths and thickness of iron stick. Arnav walked over to the side and picked up a iron stick of medium thickness. Turning around, he saw Beauty selecting the same weapon.

The boss turned to face the two contestants of the oncoming duel, he then instructed them about the rules and regulations of the match, "First, the fight continues till one of you forfeit the match or till the moment where one of you are soundly defeated by the opposite party."

" Second! The moment you lose your weapon, you lose the match as well."

" Third! It's the rare case of a draw. If you both lose your weapons at the same time, it can be called as a draw. Then, you fight with fists using any kind of martial arts you know. " A hint of ridicule could be heard in his voice now as he commanded.

Taking their position inside the arc drawn in the middle of the Great Hall, Arnav faced Beauty. Behind him, he could hear Night Owl and Murat guffawing at some baseless joke he had just told.

" Don't worry, I would go easy on you. " Arnav taunted Beauty, smirking.

Beauty smiled hearing his words. What a dazzling smile it was! " I wouldn't care too much if I were you, Wolf. "

The whistle was sounded. As soon as the shrill sound hit their ears, both of them assumed the basic stance.

" Good! Start the match!"

Arnav twirled the spear in his hands, displaying his expertise. Not wasting any more time, he immediately dashed forward with the pointed end of the spear facing towards Beauty's heart. Just as the spear was about to scratch her skin, Beauty moved back and blocked his spear with hers.

Clank!

Clank!

Soon, the sounds of iron clanking reverberated throughout the hall. An incense stick of time passed but both the parties were still in a deadlock. Blows were exchanged and light scratches could be seen on Arnav's body, but Beauty remained unscathed. In spite of the faint wounds on his body, Arnav's battle spirit did not fade and this match only aroused his dormant beast. If all, the glow in his eyes intensified, it was the excitement one experiences when faced with a worthy opponent, which he hadn't had for years.

" You are good!" Arnav breathed as they came into close proximity again, staring at the emotionless eyes of the fellow who was now in a deadlock with him. Their faces were so close that their breaths were intermixing and their scents interwoven. He could even detect a hint of Jasmine smell coming from her, which confused him.

In his moment of distraction, Beauty slipped her spear beneath his and flipped up causing him to lose his hold on his spear. Arnav's eyes twinkled with amusement as he twirled around twisting both of their hands in the process resulting in the landing of both of their spears on the ground at the same time.

" Damn it! " Beauty cursed herself. Arnav grinned.

However, he did not see the fist coming towards his face, making him land backwards on the floor, his nose bleeding.