168 Moving up Damonia Battle Board

The next five days past in a blur for Jayde. In the day she attended school and every evening to teleported to her dimensional space. With her time cheat Jayde spent twenty days practicing her {Summoning Strikes} technique as well as {Fire Wings} transmutation spell.

As Thorn had warned her, Jayde was only able to summon and direct three smaller swords with {Summoning Strikes}, while she could summon more miniature swords, she quickly lost control if she had more than three swords. Jayde wanted to master {Summoning Strikes} before she tried to integrate her {Blades of Fire} spell.

As for her fire wings created with her {Fire Wings} transmutation spell, Jayde instantly fell in love with her wings, and it was only her steely will power that made her spend time practicing her {Summoning Strikes} technique. Ever since she had taken to the skies with her fire wings, all Jayde wanted to do was soar and dance in the heavens in her dimensional space.

For the first time in her two lives, Jayde had a touch of vanity. She couldn't help weaving her {Fire Wings} transmutation spell and admiring her large wings in her a mirror. Thankfully no one was around to see her strutted about in front of the mirror admiring the beautiful fiery wings behind her. Fortunately, while the wings were made out of pure magical fire, the magical fire didn't burn. Jayde had given up trying to figure out the science behind the magic she could perform.

Before Jayde knew it, it was Sixday and time for the challenge she had issued against the hundredth-ranked person in martial combat. As Jayde and Takara left her cottage, she found Ash, Nova, and Raven waiting for her. Nova was a bundle of energy as they walked over to the combat arena.

Surprisingly Nova had a bundle of parchments in his hands, he had been busy during the week checking out the competition for today's challenges. Jayde was surprised that the young man had put so much effort into his gambling.

"Jayde you are up again a third-year student, his name is Alezander Dutelet, he supposed to be a whiz at the sword. Of course, he got nothing on you," Nova said loyally. "So here's the plan you need to act clumsy and incompetent during your match, just have to barely win."

A line etched between Jayde's brows as she glanced over at Nova. "Why?' she asked in a bland tone.

"To increase your odds of course, the weaker you look, the higher the odds against you winning your next match," Nova blurted out.

"What has that got to do with me?" Jayde asked as she pinned Nova with her eyes.

Heat stained Nova's cheeks. "Oh come on Jayde it a quick way to earn resources," he pleaded with a hangdog expression.

"Hmm, okay by I want sixty percent split on the winnings from my match."

Nova's whole face lit up as he jubilantly yelled. "Alright!"

"You really shouldn't encourage him," Ash whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Jayde shrugged nonchalantly as the four of then entered the arena. Let the boy have some fun she thought.

Since there were many contests, Jayde match was still hours away. Ash, Raven, and Nova had also challenged stronger opponents, and with Nova's pleading Ash and Raven finally agreed to appear weaker than they were. With the three consenting to his plan, Nova spent hours leading up their matches with a satisfied grin on his face. He really looks like a cat that stole all the cream, Jayde thought, amused at Nova's antics.

Finally, it was time for Jayde's match. Standing Jayde squeezed past Nova.

"Remember weak and clumsy," Nova whispered.

Jayde nodded her head as she moved past Nova. Raven, Ash, and Nova had already had their matches all three had won their fights — barely as per Nova's instructions.

Walking onto the platform, Jayde looked at the youth in front of her. The young man looked around twenty. Tall and slim, he was carrying a long saber sword. His thin lips curled into a derisive smile when he saw Jayde standing before him.

Jayde's right eyebrow arched, weak and incompetent, okay I can do that, she thought.

Alezander Dutelet flashed towards Jayde as soon as the referrer announced the start of the match. He was humiliated that he had to face such a weak opponent, the only reason Alezander had accepted Jayde's challenge was that he knew if he refused he would be teased merciless, else he would have refused Jayde's challenge.

He aimed to gut the young girl in front of him, even though killing was frowned upon during these matches, he had already thought of a good excuse to use when he was questioned. Really it wasn't his fault that the young girl couldn't parry his attack, he aimed to place all the blame on her shoulders for being so arrogant to challenge him.

Jayde saw Alezander lunge towards her, in a classic attack. He extended his front leg forward, using his back leg to propel his body forward. His typical thrusting attack was made by swinging his saber diagonally left and down, Jayde could immediately see that he was aiming for a kill shot.

Jayde sidestepped, then reaching out to grab his tunic top, she pulled him forward and down before smashing her head against his forehead. Jayde could see the whites of Alezander eyes as his eyes rolled back before he fell to the ground unconscious.

There weak and sloppy, Jayde thought, as she looked over to the referee who was staring at the young girl in horror.

"Ahem, you can announce the winner," Jayde prodded.

"Cough, ah right, winner number three hundred and twenty-five," the referee announced, and with the referee's announcement, Jayde's rank jumped from three hundred and twenty-five to one hundred.

Since most students were watching the magic combat fights, few realized what had happened on the martial platform, and those who had been watching Jayde's match were still dazed by what they had seen that it took them a couple of seconds after the referee's announcement before they clapped their hands.

When Jayde got back to her chair, Nova was standing and glaring at her.

"What the hell was that Jayde, what the hell happened to barely winning?" he demanded.

"What are you bitching about, you said weak and incompetent. See I didn't even use my sword. I just smashed his head like an idiot."

Slapping his palm to his forehead, Nova groaned.

"One of Damonia's rising swordsman attacks you with a sword and you disarmed him and knocked him out cold in a couple of seconds, how the fuck is that weak?"

"Not my fault the guy was useless," Jayde said aggrieved.

Nova gnashed his teeth, before stalking off.

Jayde wrinkled her forehead as she stared at Nova's retreating back, turning to look at Ash and Raven. She asked: "What was I suppose to do?"

Raven and Ash burst out laughing at the puzzled look on Jayde's face.

Jayde sat down on her chair and watched the next couple of matches. Eventually, Nova came back and apologized to Jayde, he then informed Jayde to be careful. After he had left Nova had snuck into the area where the third years sat, and he had overheard a couple of Alezander friends swearing to get back at Jayde.

"Most of his friends are a much higher rank than you, so they can't challenge you, but once you move up the ranks they will be gunning for you," Nova said his voice laced with concern.

"Don't worry about it Nova," Jayde said with a grim smile. "I'll take care of it."

"Seriously Jayde you need to be careful those guys are dangerous."

"I'll be fine," Jayde said patting Nova's hand.

"Nova stop worrying," Ash said. "We are normally always with Jayde, and those guys won't try anything on the school premises, and they won't be stupid to try anything so soon."

"Yeah, you right. So Jayde are you going into Aeris tomorrow?" Nova asked.

"Yes, I have an appointment at The Golden Thread."

"Oh, then let's all meet up first thing tomorrow," Nova suggested. While he thought that his brother might be right about Alezander's friends not trying anything so soon after Jayde's match, he still figured it would be best if they accompanied her to Aeris — just in case.

"Okay," Jayde agreed.

After all the matches Jayde, Nova, Ash, and Raven strolled over to the lobby of the arena to issue their challenges for the next week.

Jayde issued a challenge for the ninetieth ranked person. While she was really tempted to jump straight to fiftieth Jayde knew she needed to take her time.

Ash, Nova, and Raven had also jumped up in ranks. Ash was now ranked two hundred and tenth, Raven two hundred and fourteenth and Nova Two hundred and twenty-fifth.

After all four of them had issued their challenges, they left the combat arena chatting merrily. Jayde could feel vicious stares as she walked with Nova, Ash, and Raven toward their cottages. Pretending not to notice she talked to Raven, while hiding her bloodthirsty grin, come and get me you bastards, she thought.

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