The Second Day of the Second Test
The second day of the second test. I arrived at the training arena. The written exam had only been on the first day, so today every first-year academy cadet was gathering at the arena. What are we doing today? Since the second and third days consisted solely of practical evaluations, I was curious about the content that changed every day.
It must be about time now... The moment I thought that and turned to check my watch, my vision suddenly went black.
Tap. A pair of lovely hands had appeared from behind and covered my eyes.
“...Who is it?”
“Who could it be?” I asked cautiously, and a woman’s voice answered, laced with mischief.
“...Shane.”
“Wrong~” She denied it. But I wasn’t fooled. After all the time we’d spent together lately, I could recognize her from her voice alone.
“It is you. I’m certain.” The moment I called her name with conviction, the hands slowly withdrew and light returned to my eyes.
“Hi?” Shane stepped in front of me and waved cheerfully.
“Hey. Hi. Where are the others?”
“The others? Not sure. They’re probably already here somewhere.”
Swish. She raised a hand and pointed toward the arena doors. A low buzz of voices filled the air. By now, what seemed like the entire first-year class was streaming inside.
“Looks like it.”
“Right? Then let’s stick together until it starts.” Shane pressed close against my side.
“How did the test go yesterday?” She tilted her head up to ask.
“I think I got a perfect score. You?”
“Same. Pretty sure I did too.”
“Want to make a bet?”
“What kind?”
“Guessing today’s test content.” It would help pass the time, and it sounded like fun.
“What’s the penalty?”
“How about a simple wish voucher?”
It sounded simple enough, and if it was entertaining, that was all that mattered.
“I’ll guess a fight against a demon. What about you?”
“Hmm… I’ll go with sparring against an instructor?” Shane gave an awkward laugh, clearly not confident. Honestly, just guessing correctly at all would be impressive.
We chatted like that for a short while.
Everyone’s gathered.
A man’s voice echoed from the air. It sounded calm, yet it resonated across the entire training arena like a broadcast. From the dry tone and the situation, it had to be Cain.
I am the swordsmanship instructor, Cain.
Just as I expected.
Then he’ll get straight to the point. I waited for Cain’s next words.
I’ll now explain today’s test. Today’s exam will consist of sparring against an instructor. Five minutes of offense, five minutes of defense. All spars will be recorded and evaluated together with the other instructors later. Receive this.
Woooong. A wave of mana vibrated from the arena ceiling. Then, thin sheets of paper fluttered down like snow. The sight of papers raining from the sky reminded me of dogs racing back to their owners.
Wooong. The sheet that touched me emitted a resonant hum. It seemed to be made using personal mana. When I looked at it, the paper read 500. Adel Ifrit. 1. 10.
500. Adel Ifrit. 1. 10.
Everyone should have received a sheet. From the left it lists rank, name, the training arena you must go to, and your sparring order.
“Which arena did you get?” Shane asked, still looking at her paper.
“Number 1.”
“Oh, same as me? Let’s go together.”
The test begins in ten minutes. Move quickly. That is all.
“Ten minutes, huh. Should we hurry?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Shane and I headed straight for Training Arena 1. When we arrived, I spotted some familiar faces.
“Adel?”
“...?”
Christina and Siris were standing in the center of the arena. No one dared approach them. That’s the Helen family for you.
…I don’t feel any particular pressure, though. Good was good. Shane and I walked over to them.
“You two are here too?”
“Yes. Arena 1.”
“Really? We’re all together then.”
The four of us chatted, and time flew by.
Step. Cain entered through the arena entrance.
“Is this everyone?” He glanced over us and muttered.
“...”
“...”
The arena fell silent.
“Well, fine. I am Cain, the instructor in charge of the spars in this arena. I look forward to working with you.”
Clap, clap, clap. A modest round of applause followed. Some cadets had looked uneasy when they realized Cain was overseeing this arena, but the mood quickly settled.
Actually, this is better. Among the instructors, Cain ranked at the very top. Sparring with him might earn me some invisible bonus points.
“You’ve already heard the details, but I’ll explain once more. The test consists of sparring with an instructor—five minutes of offense followed by five minutes of defense.”
Shing. Cain drew his sword.
“Scores will be evaluated later alongside the other instructors. We’ll proceed quickly. Sparring order number one, step forward.”
The second test began at a brisk pace.
***
Starting with Christina in the first slot, then Siris, then Shane—everyone finished their spars.
“Urk!”
The cadet currently sparring with Cain was sent flying backward and collapsed. That student had been number nine, which meant my turn had arrived.
“Next.”
At Cain’s call, I walked forward.
“Good luck,” Shane whispered her encouragement.
Tap. As I stopped in front of Cain, he spoke.
“Adel, is it? It’s been a while.”
“...It has. Two months now, right?”
“About that.”
Shing. I drew my sword while we talked.
“Have you changed at all recently?”
“...”
Changed. Truthfully, not yet. What a shame… If the spar had been tomorrow, I could have shown him my martial arts. It was a little disappointing that I couldn’t display them properly.
“There hasn’t been any change yet.”
“Yet, you say.” Cain mulled over my words. He seemed to grasp the hidden meaning.
He leveled his sword at me.
“The moment you begin your attack, the test starts. Begin whenever you’re ready. Once five minutes pass, I will take the offensive, so don’t be startled.”
“Yes.”
I took a slow, deep breath. …I’m nervous. This felt like the most tense moment I’d experienced lately.
You’re not aiming for a perfect score anyway. I decided to relax. Getting full marks would be nice, but plenty of others had already fallen short. As long as I gained some kind of realization from sparring with Cain, that was enough.
Hwaruruk. With a calm heart, I summoned my fire energy and gathered it along the blade.
Tap! I stamped the ground and advanced. Cain shifted into a defensive stance.
Wooooong! The first clash was a collision of mana against mana. Cain’s mana intertwined with my flames, creating a scorching current. I broke through the wave of energy and charged again.
Kaang! The two swords collided in a shower of sparks. As we locked blades, I intensified my flames and poured more power into the sword. Cain subtly twisted his wrist, letting my blade slide off.
The pattern repeated. In truth, the others had faced the same thing. Whenever they stabbed or slashed, Cain would deflect or block perfectly. I wasn’t the only one.
“Five minutes.”
The silent Cain finally spoke. “Five minutes have passed.”
Whoosh! With those words, an attack carrying the clear threat of death came flying. If I had been even slightly slower, I would have truly walked the road to the afterlife.
Already? But I couldn’t afford to think any further.
Whoosh! Cain thrust his sword. This time it felt like two separate thrusts coming from both sides at once. I closed my eyes for a split second, trusted my instincts, and blocked the strike on the left.
Kaang! The ring of steel against steel echoed. My instincts had been correct.
Whoosh! Another thrust came.
“...?” I sensed something odd in the exchange. It’s too obvious. Cain kept stabbing as if inviting me to slip through the gap and counterattack.
Let’s try it. The best defense is a good offense, after all. Defense wasn’t limited to blocking or deflecting.
Whoosh! He thrust again. I moved half a beat faster, rushing straight into his guard.
Hwaruk. I unconsciously blended my fire energy with the still-incomplete martial art. The movements grew smoother, and it felt as if the flames and my body were becoming one.
I feinted a slash with the hand holding my sword, then drove my empty left fist forward.
Kwaaaang! A massive explosion rang out.
Whoosh! Yet Cain continued his thrust without shame. He hadn’t taken any damage at all.
I can feel it… A clue about the martial art. It seemed I might realize it even before hearing Shan’s explanation.
“Ten minutes have passed.”
“...Ah.”
If Cain hadn’t spoken, I might have kept going. He approached and patted my shoulder.
“You’ve grown considerably.”
“...”
For some reason, emotion surged in my chest. …Tomorrow. I would have time to sort through all these feelings then.
In the final test.