The training arena quickly drew the attention of nearby students.
Some stopped their own training. Others approached the edges of the arena to observe.
It wasn't common for a Bronze Class student to fight a newcomer from the Iron Class.
In the center of the arena, Ragnar shrugged, relaxing his body.
His muscles moved beneath his striped skin.
On the other side, Draven stood still, observing.
Calm.
Focused.
The beginning of the combat
"Begin!" announced one of the instructors who had approached to supervise.
Ragnar attacked first.
He advanced with surprising speed for someone his size.
The first blow came as a direct and powerful punch, aimed at Draven's face.
Draven tilted his body to the side.
The fist grazed his face.
Without wasting time, Ragnar spun his body and attempted a side strike with his elbow.
Draven took a half-step back.
His elbow cut through the air.
The force of the movement kicked up dust from the arena floor.
Some students' eyes widened.
"He dodged too easily…" one of them murmured.
The Beastikim's pressure
Ragnar didn't stop.
The Beastikim were known for their aggressiveness in combat.
He advanced again with a rapid sequence of blows:
a punch, a knee strike, a downward punch.
Draven blocked the knee strike with his forearm and narrowly dodged the last blow.
The impact of Ragnar's fist against the stone floor produced a dry thud.
Small cracks appeared on the surface.
Now Draven understood the situation better.
Ragnar's physical strength was real.
The first exchange of blows
Draven finally advanced.
His movement was quick and direct.
He entered Ragnar's guard and threw a short punch at the Beastikim's abdomen.
Ragnar tensed his muscles.
The impact was strong.
But it wasn't enough to knock him down.
Ragnar smiled.
"Not bad."
He responded with an upward strike.
Draven blocked with both arms.
The impact pushed him back a few steps.
The ground scraped beneath his feet.
Some students began to cheer.
Now it was a real fight.
Zayra observes
Outside the arena, Zayra watched attentively.
She didn't seem worried.
She was analyzing.
"He's still testing," she murmured.
A student beside her asked:
"Who?"
"Both of them."
Ragnar increases the intensity
Ragnar cracked his neck.
His feline eyes became more focused.
— You can take more than I thought.
He flexed his claws.
— Now let's see your resistance.
The Beastikim advanced again, but this time with more aggressive movements.
He tried to grab Draven.
Draven spun his body and narrowly escaped.
Ragnar's claws grazed through the air.
If that attack had landed, it would have caused a serious injury.
Draven responded with a spinning kick.
The blow struck Ragnar's shoulder.
The Beastikim took a step back.
It was the first time he had been pushed back.
The atmosphere changes.
The students began to murmur again.
— The newcomer hit Ragnar…
— That's not normal.
Ragnar himself seemed more interested now.
He smiled wider.
— Finally.
He assumed a lower stance.
More serious.
— Now the fight truly began.
Draven's battle instinct
Draven felt his blood rushing faster.
The pressure of the fight.
The impact of two blows.
The need to react in fractions of a second.
All of this awakened something within him.
It was the same feeling he had when fighting monsters in the forest.
But now it was different.
This opponent thought.
Adapted.
Reacted.
And that made everything much more interesting.
Draven advanced again.
Great Sage
The voice emerged in his mind.
[Analysis in progress.]
[Opponent displays high physical power and an aggressive fighting style.]
[Suggestion: exploit openings after charge attacks.]
When Ragnar advanced with another heavy blow, Draven dodged to the side at the last instant.
And counterattacked with two quick blows to the torso.
Ragnar stepped back once more.
Now he was clearly excited.
"Very good, rookie."
He wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Very good indeed."
The fight isn't over yet.
The instructor watching the combat crossed his arms.
He also seemed interested.
"That boy…" he murmured.
In the arena, the two combatants faced each other again.
Neither of them seemed tired yet.
And the fight was only just beginning.