Chapter 28: Figures
Two figures faced each other in the arena.
On one side stood a slim boy with distinctly Japanese features, emanating a sense of authority.
In his hand was a prototype glaive— Takahasi Aoi.
Gazing into the distance of the arena, Aoi fixed his eyes on his opponent.
As he slowly circled the disc arena, he scrutinized its surface, searching for any advantage he could use to his benefit.
Were there any? It was a simple arena.
Across the arena stood a muscular guy wielding a curved, double-edged sword.
Aoi repositioned himself, creating a safe distance between himself and his opponent.
He couldn't help but marvel at Aeravat's prescense, as if a deity had graced the battlefield.
Aeravat exuded a unique blend of ethereal beauty and raw power, with petal-shaped brown eyes that shone brilliantly.
His tanned complexion only served to enhance his otherworldly prescense, which was neither black, nor white or even something in between.
Despite his arrogance, Aoi was no fool.
He observed his opponent with caution, knowing that this was the number one ranker, Aeravat Indrath.
By sensing the atmosphere around him, Aoi had already confirmed that Aeravat's battle strength was around (E+).
Aeravat stood with a stoic poise, his demeanor indifferent, as the entire class looked on with bated breath, their eyes fixed on the sparring match that was to begin.
The top rankers among them appeared especially apprehensive, acutely aware of the gravity of the outcome of this match.
"I know this is not necessary to say, but since this is just a sparring match, do not use any artifacts," Professor Riya announced.
"Begin!" she commanded, and with that, Takahasi channeled mana, ready to unleash the full force of his dark element at any moment.
Step by step, Takahashi made his way towards the center of the disc while Aeravat stood his ground, bored.
Was he bored? Or, was this how he usually lived? It was hard to tell.
The ground trembled as Takahasi lunged towards Aeravat, his glaive gleaming with a deadly intensity.
Though the blade was dull, it was anything but harmless.
Aeravat effortlessly intercepted the attack with an expert flick of his wrist.
????????????!—Steel bit steel, sending sparks flying in the air.
"Hahn!!" Takahasi pushed with all his strength, but Aeravat stood unmoved, his countenance betraying any signs of strain.
In a swift motion, Aeravat released a swing of his sword, knocking Takahashi back by ten feet.
The intense onlookers could guess by this short exchange who was physically stronger. But physical strength was not everything that determined the outcome of a battle.
With Takahasi's strength rated at (E-) and Aeravat's at (E+), it was clear that the latter had an advantage in this match.
Aware of the power difference, Takahashi approached the situation with caution, determined not to risk any reckless moves. nove(l)bi(n.)com
But, he was not one to give up easily. Takahashi had a rare element as his affinity—darkness.
He landed, his figure positioned at a distance, perfectly on one knee.
Aeravat placed his right hand on the ground, aiming towards Takahashi.
In that instant, pillars of ice rose from the ground with a series of deafening thuds—????????! ????????! ????????!
The spiky pillars rose higher and higher.
Acting on instinct, Takahashi activated his [Dash] skill, evading the ice like a leaf on the wind.
He zigzagged to the left, using his momentum to approach Aeravat in a blur.
Takahashi executed another [Dash] skill, unleashing a dark aura that engulfed his glaive, ready to strike.
In return, Aeravat lifted his left palm and released a fiery projectile at Takahasi, scorching the air with intense heat. At the same time, he swung his sword, and a water ball hurtled from it.
The ball of water was as big as a football, but the projectile of fire slightly obscured its path.
"Vup!" went the explosive collision, enveloping both combatants in a dense cloud of vapor, momentarily blinding Takahasi's peripheral vision.
***
Emily gazed at the scene before her in awe and whispered, "This is amazing. It's almost like an art exhibition instead of a fight."
"You're right," Aurora nodded in agreement.
Everyone observing the match had a similar expression of bewilderment.
The contest seemed more like a symphony of music, art, dance, and light, rather than a brutal fight.
The onlookers remained silent, embraced in the stunning beauty unfolding before them.
***
Noah's POV:
[Scanning...] The robotic sound of Nano echoed in my neural network.
"What are you scanning?" I asked in a low tone.
[This is the first time I have witnessed such a style of martial combat, using magic. The fighting technique seems new and foreign. Initiating data analysis for deeper understanding so counter measures could be readied for probable future conflicts.]
I quirked one eyebrow in surprise. 'Probable future...conflicts? Maybe it means sparring sessions?'
As Takahasi landed, he emerged from a cloud of vapour.
Slowly, the cloud dispersed to reveal Aeravat. Takahashi hurled his Glaive in a javelin throw towards Aeravat, who swiftly dodged it by taking two steps back.
But, upon hitting the ground, the Glaive caused eight bone shards to fly towards Aeravat from its shaft, while two others flew towards an different direction.
Aeravat remained still and sidestepped, evading all bone shards effortlessly.
Suddenly, the ice pillar that Aeravat created earlier came crashing down on him as the bone shards sliced through them.
Aeravat dodged the falling ice as well, but Takahasi used the opportunity to grab his Glaive and launch a series of attacks at Aeravat in quick succession.
Aeravat's eyes widened in surprise as he realized the danger, reacting quickly by unleashing his Art Flow of the Universe.
Soon enough, the deafening sound of shattering metals and bones echoed across the arena.
Takahasi was sent flying into the air towards the edge of the arena, as Aeravat narrowly managed to dodge his opponent.
But, before Takahasi could hit the ground while plummeting down, Aeravat used [Destructive Rush] to emit a beam of deep violet light that hit Takahasi mid-air, sending him flying out of the disc arena.
It was over.