The students watched as the fight took another turn. Though Eric broke the rule by taking out his weapon, the instructor remained silent, allowing the match to continue.
The fifth ranker, the pink-haired girl, Lyra chuckled as she observed the fight.
"Now Eric has his weapon, the battle will end soon." She said, her voice rather confident.
"I wouldn't be so sure," The third ranker, the black-haired boy, Ren muttered, his focus on the duelists.
"...He will win... Easily." The second ranker, Aria spoke up, attracting the two's attention.
"Eric or...?" Ren asked, surprised Aria spoke up.
"...Adrian," Aria replied in her usual indifferent tone.
"Huh? You think that guy will win?" Lyra exclaid. "Don't you know, he has no affinity! It is clear he will lose if they go all out."
"..." Aria looked at her friend, her eyes slightly squinting. "He is stronger than . I can feel it."
"!"
Both Lyra and Ren's eyes widened at Aria's unexpected statent. The revelation that Adrian, despite being Affinityless, could potentially outmatch even Aria, the rumored strongest first year, left both Ren and Lyra speechless. They were baffled more since they knew how strong their friend firsthand.
"But... how can that be?" Lyra stamred, her disbelief evident in her voice. "He doesn't have any affinity!"
Ren remained silent, his mind racing as he processed Aria's words. If soone like Adrian could rival Aria in strength, then he would have another rival to challenge and surpass.
'Though he won't be able to advance to the Lunar Tier, he can be a good opponent till the next year...'
_____ ___
"Aren't you worried?" Aurelius asked Aurelia who was trying her best to distract herself from the battle.
"No. Not a bit." She muttered in a low voice.
"Huh, you aren't worried?" Aurelius pressed further. "Although your relationship isn't good, he is your brother."
"That's exactly why I'm not worried," Aurelia said as she looked at Aurelius. "I know him too well. If that Eric guy is this much, he won't stand even three seconds."
"Y-you an, your brother is THAT strong?" Aurelius asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"..." Aurelia made no comnt, though her silence indicated her answer.
Aurelius though hesitant, had no choice but to believe in her words, for he knew that she didn't like lying.
'I have heard many things about you, my parents always compared to you, so I always wanted to catch up to you and surpass you...' Aurelius muttered inwardly as he focused on Adrian who seed to be effortlessly dodging Eric's spear attacks. 'And my resolve has gotten even stronger now.'
anwhile, though Aureliua seed distracted, she still cast glances at the ongoing battle.
'...Where were you in the last two weeks...' She muttered inwardly. 'Were you so confident in yourself, you didn't even co to the trial classes?'
'What exactly happened to you... Why did you change? Or...'
'No, I mustn't lose hope...'
'Or else, Mom and Dad will be sad...'
'Right, I need to investigate further... I don't believe I don't know my brother...'
__ _____ ______
anwhile, Adrian and Eric continued their fight.
"Is this all you got?" Adrian said in a cold voice, seemingly bored.
"Y-you-!" While Eric's frustration mounted, Adrian maintained his calm deanor, effortlessly evading each of Eric's attacks with calculated precision. Eric's desperation grew with each failed attempt to land a hit on Adrian.
"Stop dancing around like a coward and fight !" Eric growled, his frustration boiling over.
Adrian's response was a cold smirk as he continued to dodge Eric's increasingly frantic assaults. He could see the cracks in Eric's composure, the telltale signs of fatigue and frustration that clouded his judgnt.
'Should I push him a little more?'
"You're the one swinging your spear around like a novice, you know," Adrian remarked, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Is this the best you can do?"
Eric's face flushed with anger at Adrian's taunt, his grip on the spear tightening as he lunged forward with renewed determination.
"You forced to do this!"
The atmosphere crackled with tension as Eric, fueled by rage and frustration, unleashed his most potent technique. With a swift motion, he channeled Aether into the tip of his spear, summoning forth crackling bolts of lightning that danced along its length.
"Take this!" Eric roared, thrusting the electrified spear toward Adrian with reckless abandon. "Lightning Touch!"
Adrian's eyes narrowed as he recognized the impending danger. Despite his best efforts to evade, the lightning-infused spear found its mark, grazing Adrian's right side with a searing jolt of electricity. Adrian staggered backward, montarily losing his balance as a surge of pain shot through his chest.
"Urgh..."
'Damnit, it landed on my recent injury.' Adrian thought as the pain amplified due to the lightning bolts hitting where he was shot with an arrow.
The spectators gasped as they witnessed the unexpected turn of events. Eric's attack had landed, on Adrian, eliciting a mix of shock and anticipation from the onlookers.
'But, it's not that unbearable...'
Adrian, however, refused to succumb to pain or despair. With steely resolve, he clenched his jaw and steadied himself, his gaze cold and unwavering as he locked eyes with Eric.
"You shouldn't have done that," Adrian said, his voice eerily calm.
"Haha, look at y-!" Before Eric could react, Adrian darted forward with lightning speed, his movents fluid and precise. With a single, decisive strike, he overwheld Eric's defenses, delivering a punishing blow that sent him staggering backward.
With another leap, he appeared behind Eric and kicked him square in the back, sending him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. The spear clattered from Eric's grasp as he struggled to regain his balance, his confidence shattered by Adrian's sudden counterattack.
The spectators watched in stunned silence as Adrian stood over Eric, his expression unreadable as he surveyed his fallen opponent. The air crackled with tension, the outco of the duel clear to all who witnessed it.
Finally, Instructor Valeria stepped forward, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "The match is over. Adrian is the victor."
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