Chapter 14: Combat Training
The training grounds were nothing like the rest of the academy.
The space was massive, segmented into multiple sparring platforms, surrounded by low barriers. The floor was reinforced, most likely to protect against the supernatural aspects of the academy's students. Most students were already gathered, with some stretching and others simply waiting.
At the front stood the instructor. The man had a presence that made the room feel smaller just by standing there.
He was, of course, Awakened Dael, the man who had given them the introduction ceremony at the start of the academy.
Well, looking at his build, it made sense.
"This is your first combat session," he said. "Today is not about teaching, but understanding where you stand."
His gaze swept across the room.
"Some of you have trained for this your entire lives, while some haven't even held a weapon since your nightmare."
He then gestured to his side.
It was a reinforced machine… a thick metal plate mounted onto a heavy frame.
"You will strike with all of your force. No hesitation."
They lined up.
One by one, students went up to take the test.
Numbers appeared after each strike, some students activating their newly acquired aspects while others simply gave strikes:
10.
9.
11.
12.
Jaren went up, and used some sort of dashing ability.
20.
Damn.
Murmurs followed, with Jaren sporting a huge grin after taking the highest spot.
After a few more students hit the metal, it was Dolin's turn.
He stepped forward, adjusted his stance, and struck.
The impact rang out and the number flickered.
11.
Well, that was expected.
He was nothing special in swordsmanship, even struggling against mere dormant beasts in his nightmare. The Puppeteer was an exception, as its abilities were more mental based. Even still, Dolin had ended up almost dying at the end of his nightmare. This score was expected.
A few more passed by, and finally, it was time for the shining star of the academy, Blake.
He stood up, with a proud expression, not even preparing with a stance.
He raised his hand, sword high—
—and disappeared.
For a split second, space itself seemed to distort.
Then—
BOOM!
Blake appeared out of thin air right into the machine, slamming it violently. The metal groaned under the force.
There was a delay, and then a number appeared.
25.
There was silence, and then the noise began.
"The hell was that?!"
"He didn't even wind up…"
"Was that his aspect?!"
The boy stepped away, proud of his performance.
He was confident. Maybe even too confident, but nobody could deny.
He's strong.
After a few dozen more students went up to test, with Cecilia even scoring a 13, the test ended.
Dael stepped forward.
"You all did good. Now we will see how well you can use that strength.
A slight shift in tone.
"Now you will all spar."
***
"The rules are simple," Dael said. "Force your opponent to yield, knock them down or out of the ring, or deliver a blow that would be fatal if the weapons were real. You may use your own abilities."
A pause came.
"Don't hold back."
For a moment, nobody moved, but then—
"I'll go."
Blake stepped forward.
Of course he did.
A few students exchanged looks before a large legacy boy stepped into the ring with a confident look.
The boy looked confident with a broad build and steady stance.
"Begin."
The boy lunged first, swinging wide.
Blake didn't even move.
He simply flickered out of existence.
A ripple. A distortion.
And suddenly—
He was behind him.
The wooden sword struck the back of the boy's knee with brutal precision.
The boy collapsed and before he could even react, Blake's blade was already resting on his neck.
"That was… what?"
"He didn't even see him move…"
The boy on the ground clenched his jaw with an expression of anger, but said nothing.
Blake stepped back, as if already losing interest.
"Next."
Another boy stepped in, having an uneasy expression.
He didn't rush in right away like the boy previously.
Good. At least this one is smarter.
They encircled each other for a bit, and then the second student struck, sending out a quick thrust.
This time, Blake didn't even use his aspect. He matched his opponent's strike, changing the trajectory of the attack in an instant, before sliding to the side and landing a blow.
The hit landed clean against the boy's ribs, causing him to stagger.
The attacks did not stop.
Another strike came, and then the weapon was knocked out of the student's hand.
A kick followed up, causing him to hit the ground hard.
"Next."
There was hesitation now.
A third student stepped in, clearly unsure.
That hesitation was enough.
Blake blinked out of existence, reappearing mid-swing.
The strike landed across the boy's shoulder, sending him crashing across the floor.
Finally, Instructor Dael intervened, his gaze sharpening.
"I think that's enough from our 'prodigy' over here. Let's get some other people in the ring."
Blake didn't respond, simply stepping back.
***
A few matches passed by, with some being short and quick and others being long and monotonous. Finally a familiar face showed up in the ring.
Cecilia moved, picking up a practice sword and stepping into the ring.
Her opponent was cautious from the start, with a good stance and tight guard.
A controlled slash lashed out.
Cecilia shifted her movement gracefully.
Her blade met his, and redirected it. In the same motion, she stepped in.
A short strike to the wrist and his grip broke.
Another to the shoulder, and his stance collapsed.
A final strike and he hit the ground. It was clean, without wasted movement.
Dolin watched the match with intrigued eyes.
It seemed that his classmate from Wilderness Survival was good with the sword.
Another opponent entered the ring.
He was more aggressive, coming in hot with fast chaining attacks.
Cecilia gave ground, backing up a bit.
Each movement specifically placed, as if guiding him.
Then—
She stepped in, striking the boy's elbow as if finding a weak spot.
His arm faltered, leaving him open for another strike to the side.
CRACK!
His balance broke, dragging him down.
The crowd of students were in awe.
"She's dismantling them all…"
"She wasn't even that high on the strength test—how is she doing that?"
Dolin watched carefully, noting every movement.
She wasn't wasting a single move, targeting precise weak points on all of her opponents.
Like she knows where to hit.
Cecilia then pointed her blade at a boy from the group of legacies. The people's eyes followed her blade, and it landed on a certain someone.
It was Blake.
He laughed before stepping into the ring.
"Looks like I will have to teach my fellow legacy a lesson."
The tension spiked instantly.
They both didn't move.
The instructor's voice rang out. "Begin."
Blake vanished.
Cecilia turned around—
Blocked… barely.
The force pushed her back a step.
Blake reappeared instantly—
Another strike, faster this time.
She deflected again, but her stance shifted.
Unstable.
Dolin could see the movements and could tell that the girl was losing quickly. If she could not turn the tides, it would end with her defeat.
Blake pressed.
His blinks were relentless, and even worse, they were random.
His appearances were unpredictable, not giving her any time to think.
Cecilia tried to counter, striking close at him. But before the blade could even reach, he was already gone.
The battle seemed over. Blake was going to win.
But then—
Cecilia stuck out her sword into the open.
It was an odd move, as she was leaving herself open and stabbing empty space.
It looked like a mistake, but before anyone could even think, it was already too late.
Blake smashed into the place where her sword was, crashing into the blade.
He coughed up blood, his internal organs seemingly damaged.
Even though he had a high ego though, he still had resilience. He quickly teleported away, snarling once he reached a safe distance.
"You damn bitch. How did you—"
Before he could even finish, Cecilia was already making her way towards him.
Blake flickered out of existence, reappearing to her side. She struck once again, pushing him back.
It seemed that the tides of the battle had shifted. Somehow, Cecilia had caught Blake off guard, leaving him slightly injured and less focused.
Blake was being pushed back. Cecilia seemed to have adapted to his movements, easily combining both defense and offense into her swordsmanship.
But then—
She committed too much to a strike. Blake flickered out, dodging the blow.
She looked around, planning to catch him once again, but found nothing.
She was too late.
From above, Blake drove his sword down right onto her, driving her into the ground.
She crashed into the ground.
Before she could even recover—
His blade rested against her neck.
Blake looked down at her, looking like a demon from hell with the blood dripping from him.
"...that's it?"
Cecilia didn't even respond, just staring up at him.
Not defiant, or angry, just still.
For a moment, she looked insignificant.
The precision and control from before were gone. Stripped away from a single exchange.
Dael's voice cut through.
"Match over. Good job you two."
Blake stepped away, being taken away to get his injuries checked out.
Cecilia left, looking down as if carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
So even that wasn't enough.
Dolin's mind was in a blur. The match was great. Both of them far outclassed anything he had seen before. His thoughts on Cecilia hadn't really existed, with her only being a classmate to him in the Wilderness Survival Class. Now, Dolin could see her as truly someone to respect.
He was truly surprised. The match could have gone either way, but Blake still held the stop spot.
Well, I guess he isn't at the number one spot for nothing.
With that type of battle prowess and true name, Dolin could only wonder what type of nightmare Blake had gone through.