Ryan wrote slowly. He wasn't sure of his answers, but he wrote what he believed was correct.
He looked at his paper. His answers were short, but clear. He didn't write many details. He didn't see the need.
When time was up, Professor Darius clapped his hands.
"Pens down. Pass your papers forward."
The students collected their papers. Ryan handed his to the student in front of him, who handed it to the one in front of him, and so on.
Professor Darius received the papers, flipped through them quickly, without reading them deeply.
"We will discuss these answers in the next lecture. Prepare yourselves for criticism. I will not be kind."
He looked at the students. His grey eyes were cold as stone.
"That is all for today. Leave quietly."
When they left the hall, Edan was excited.
" I didn't expect combat strategies to be this complex."
Ryan said.
"Fighting isn't just about swinging a sword or unleashing fire"
"I know. But I didn't expect all these rules."
"Rules were made to be broken."
Edan looked at him.
"But didn't he say we have to follow those rules?"
Ryan looked at him
"He said that these are the rules he uses, but that doesn't mean we have to always implement them; we can just implement them in his class for points."
Edan looked at him and shrugged.
"It's okay, we'll think about it later."
Then he asked
"Would you like to go to the training ground? We still have time before the next class session begins."
Ryan looked at him and shook his head.
He had nothing else to do, so he decided to go with Edan, and he also wanted to explore the academy.
Edan shrugged.
"Alright. It's on the east side of the campus."
They walked together through side corridors, away from the crowd of students. Ryan was silent, his eyes moving with an old habit. Edan was talking – about Professor Darius, about the ten rules, about the scenarios he had been asked to solve. But Ryan was only half-listening.
He was thinking about the girl who had bowed before him. About her green eyes that had thanked him even though she didn't know him. About Ari. About the stares that had surrounded him from every direction.
They arrived at the training ground.
**********
The place was unlike anything Ryan had seen in the academy.
It was not an enclosed hall, but a wide open courtyard surrounded by high stone walls. The ground was rough sand mixed with earth, packed down by thousands of students' feet over the years. On either side of the courtyard were raised wooden platforms where students sat watching – some taking notes, some commenting in low voices, some just spectating.
In the center of the courtyard, two students were fighting.
The first was tall, with prominent muscles, wielding a long sword made of heavy wood. He attacked fiercely, his strikes coming one after another like a hammer on an anvil. His opponent was smaller, faster, using two short swords and dodging with skill.
A crowd of students surrounded them, some cheering, some whistling, some watching in silence.
Ryan stood at the edge of the courtyard, out of sight. Edan stood beside him, watching the fight with curiosity.
Ryan asked.
"Who are they?"
"I don't know. But they seem to be from the upper years."
Ryan nodded.And He watched the fight.
The tall student attacked like a flood. His wooden sword cut through the air with force, leaving a faint trail in the sand. His opponent retreated step by step, as if luring him to a specific area. The tall student laughed, confident of his victory.
he shouted.
"Stop dodging and face me!"
His opponent did not answer. He kept moving.
Then, Ryan saw what he was planning.
At the edge of the courtyard, there was an area of sand that was less packed, more slippery. The smaller student was deliberately heading toward it. When he reached it, he stopped suddenly.
The tall student slipped. He hadn't expected the terrain to change. He lost his balance for a moment, and his sword fell from his hand.
In that instant, his opponent pounced. A strike to his wrist, then to his knee, then a sword at his neck.
he said.
"Surrender."
The tall student hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand.
"I surrender."
The crowd shouted. Some applauded, some whistled in disapproval, some began moving toward the two fighters.
Ryan remained standing where he was.
He was thinking.
The smaller student had used the environment. He had used his opponent's weakness – his overconfidence. He had used his knowledge of the terrain. He had ended the fight quickly.
Professor Darius would have been proud of these rules.
After the fight ended, the two students walked to the edge of the courtyard. The tall student was angry, clutching his swollen wrist. The smaller student smiled a small smile, but he did not boast.
A third student approached them – he wore robe was made of finer fabric. He was tall, with carefully styled blond hair, and cold blue eyes. He was smiling, but his smile was as cold as ice.
he said.
"Nice fight,But you were lucky. If the ground hadn't make him slipped, he would have defeated you."
The smaller student looked at him. "Luck is part of fighting. And terrain is part of the environment. Those who don't use it, lose."
The blond young man laughed. "Perhaps. But in a real battle, there will be no rules. No designated arena. No refereeing."
He stepped closer. His face became more serious.
"They will try to kill you. Not stop you. You will need more than luck and intelligence to survive."
Then he walked away.
Ryan looked at the smaller student. His face was pale, but he showed no fear. He turned and walked away, heading toward a group of his classmates.
But after that fighting ended and the Taliban left the training ground
Two more students stepped forward.