Chapter 23 Demonstration [2]

The demonstration event was what kickstarted Leon's journey in Ward.

At this point Leon has already met all the female members of the main cast but only Lilith had a favorable impression of him.

During the demonstration the whole class would be asked to have duels in pairs. Everyone would pair up with the people they had familiarized themselves with in the past week and demonstrate their abilities.

The only exception was Leon. Most of the students didn't have a good impression of him due to what happened in the morning as well as the fact that he was amongst the lowest ranking student.

To top it off the class had odd numbers of students. This resulted in Leon being left alone.

But as I've said this event was what would kickstart his rise as a dark horse in Ward.

With no one left to spar the combat instructor of the class himself dueld with Leon. Of course the fact that he was a combat instructor meant that Leon had no chance of winning.

The combat instructor wouldn't even need to get serious for a cadet of his rank. If he wasn't the protagnosit, that is.

As a veteran awakener he was able to tell that Leon was holding back. So he pressurized Leon to see his true strength.

With the danger to his life Leon had to use his sword art. The result?

A veteran warrior felt death coming for him and he was forced to protect himself. Of course the attack was easily blocked but the fact that an Enma-rank was felt threathned from a Meta-rank was simply absurd.

This event would be the pedestal that would push Leon in the cetnre stage.

Now, why was I recounting this event? It was because…

"Attentions, cadets. You can pick up spare weapons for this training from there. Quickly start moving and form pairs for duel. I don't want to see anyone not having a pair because this class has even numbers."

The class which was supposed to have odd numbers of student had even numbers.

This reason for this was pretty obvious too.

…It was me.

"Why aren't you guys moving? Should I come down and kick your asses? Move quickly!"

Groups started forming as cadets went to the people they knew. Shortly, almost everybody had a partner.

'Almost' everybody. The sole exceptions were Leon and me.

'I knew this was going to happen.'

It wasn't that I hadn't tried to talk with anybody after entering the class. I tried but I failed.

It seems that talking to only myself for two years has detoriated my communication skills.

Even remembering what happened in the morning was enough to redden my face in shame.

This was the reason I had been counting the number of cadents in the class.

"It seems we are going to pair. I'm Leon. Nice to meet you."

The protagonasit of my favorite novel walked upto me.

Seeing him in flesh made me feel complicated.

Truth be told I didn't like 'Hero has returned' that much at first. It were the struggles of Leon that kept me from dropping the novel.

I wanted to see if he would remain the good and kind person until the end. He was the reason 'Hero has returned' became my favourite novel.

The path he had walked up till now was only filled with misery.

His life would only take a turn for good after entering Ward. But all of this was just a precursor of greater hell he would walk through in future.

He would find, meet and befriend many peoples on his journey. But no one would be able to walk along with him.

The path he has ahead of him is only filled with death, betrayal and loneliness.

The path of a Hero.

"Haha…We should get the weapons."

He awkwardly withdrew his hand as I only kept staring and not shaking it.

I couldn't help but sigh as we walked towards the area where the wepons were kept.

To me this guy wasn't just a character of the novel I read. He was my support, my reassurance, my source of encouragement when I was just a husk driven by a single goal.

'I should use my art.'

It wouldn't matter much because my level of art was still low. Besides in a way this situation was happening only because of me.

Although I was not going to stop using my knowledge as an advantage I would still help him whenever I could. This was what I had decided.

This was the least I could do for the support he has always given me.

Leon picked a katana while I picked a longsword because of its length.

'I'm only using my art because I need to make sure Leon shines. Not because I want to try it, definitely not.'

"You don't look like someone who uses a longsword."

The fact that he could tell this just from a single glance at showed his level of expertise. That or I was too awkard with the longsword.

Both of us were standing inside a circular ring with a 30 feet radius. Besides us everyone has already started sparing in similar rings.

'I shouldn't use my art more than once. Or it might get me in trouble.'

I wasn't planning on hiding my art. Rather if I wanted to get 'their' attention I had to show a minimum level of talent at the least.

But it didn't mean that I would reveal that I had a Legacy-grade art. I would disguise my art as my stigma.

Stigma were the unique ablility that every human posses but only a few can awaken.

Nathan's eyes were originally green so my red eyes already meant that something happened to me.

I will the use the excuse of my red eyes and disguise my art as my Stigma.

But this meant that I can't show a high level of mastery. Because I was supposed to have awakened my Stigma during special exam.

A blue transparent dome began covering the ring when a mechanical voice rang.

======

Commencing the duel.

Mana Shield deployed.

Please fight to your hearts content

======

"Let's have a constructive spar which would teach us both."

I didn't reply and simply stood at my place.

'Scan'

Stars began appearing in my mind and constellation in shape of longsword began being constructed.

Since I wasn't moving Leon dashed towards me.

1 second

I didn't try to engage him and kept moving backward.

3 seconds

Despite Leon having lower stats than me, he was already catching up. Was it because I was moving backwards?

5 seconds

Leon swung his katana in a beautiful trajectory. I barely managed to block his attack.

Should have picked a lighter weapon?

8 seconds

Leon wouldn't use his art if the situation wasn't dangerous. This meant I could safely try to fight him.

I swung the longsword towards his right shoulder.

He nimbly ducked and closed the distance without stopping. Now he only hand to swing once and he would win.

10 seconds.

Time was up.

'Constr-Huh?!'

Leon who had been sparing normally suddenly backed away despite the prefect chanceto win. He was now standing at the other end of the ring and vigilantly examining me.

'Did he realize that I was about to attack him there? Is that even possible?'

I don't think my actions could have given me away.

But his demeanor was clearly disagreeing with me.

Gone was his relaxed and friendly atmosphere when he was fighting me before. His eyes never left me as he placed the katana in the scabbered and made a stance.

A stance which was the most commonly attached with katanas: Iai stance.

*Gulp*

'He won't use his art right? After all the even the combat instructor had to force him to go all out.'

Leon wasn't a hot blooded person who would blindly use his art. His master had drilled into him the meaning of her sword art.

'Did his instinct warned him that I was about to use something dangerous?'

A legacy art was special even if it was only at the novice mastery stage. This was why I was only planning on using it for a single time.

'What kind of crazy instinct are those? He shouldn't even know that I have an art let alone a high level one.'

Still, I had no time waste. I decided to take the momentum in my hand and dashed towards him.

As I reached him, I swung my sword in a wide arc.

Leon effortelessly delfected my sword upwards without cancelling its mommntum.

'I only have a single chance'

"Pierce"

The now 9 feet long sword stopped in air. Using the weight I swiftly brought the blade down on Leon's head.

Leon eyes widened as if he didn't think I would use a skill. Still, his body didn't stop.

Like a practicesd verteran he shifted to the right to dodge the attack with mininmal movements.

'Construct'

PHZZZT-!

Leon snapped his head in the direction of sound. But it was already late.

A sword had appeared next to his abdomen.

'What will you do now, hero?'

"Seventh form…"

"Oye, tha-"

"..Deadline"

CLICK-!