Word had spread.
By the ti Lindarion arrived at the training grounds, a small crowd of students had already gathered.
'Of course they would gather..'
Vivienne Valerian didn't challenge people often. And when she did?
She didn't lose…well, except to Luneth. But she was built different.
Lindarion scanned the onlookers, noting familiar faces—so first-years, so upperclassn.
Even Jack Valerian was there, arms crossed, watching with a blank expression.
Lindarion smirked slightly.
'He probably thinks she will embarrass , how insane is he ntally..?'
Vivienne was already waiting in the center of the sparring ring, her posture relaxed but poised.
She turned as Lindarion stepped into the ring, her sharp eyes assessing him.
Then—she smiled.
"Good," she murmured. "You actually showed up."
Lindarion rolled his shoulders.
"You sound surprised."
Vivienne's expression remained unreadable. "I wasn't sure if you'd take seriously."
Lindarion exhaled. "I only take actual fights seriously."
Vivienne's lips curled slightly.
"We'll see."
Instructor Sera Vallora stepped forward, arms crossed.
"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP."
The murmurs in the crowd quieted.
Sera's fiery red gaze swept over them.
"STANDARD RULES. NO WEAPONS, NO MAGIC—JUST TECHNIQUE."
She looked between Lindarion and Vivienne.
"FIRST TO SCORE THREE CLEAN HITS WINS."
Vivienne nodded once. "Understood."
Lindarion tilted his head slightly. Easy enough.
Sera stepped back, raising a hand.
"BEGIN!"
Vivienne moved first.
She was fast.
Not just physically—but ntally.
Her approach was clean, controlled—testing his reaction.
She threw a sharp feint toward his ribs—not ant to land, just ant to see how he moved.
Lindarion didn't take the bait.
Instead of dodging, he simply shifted slightly, just enough to make the attack useless.
Vivienne's eyes flickered.
She adjusted instantly, following up with a real strike—a precise elbow aid at his jaw.
Lindarion leaned back.
Barely.
The attack missed by a breath.
Vivienne didn't hesitate.
She flowed into the next motion, her body turning with perfect efficiency, aiming a sharp kick toward his legs—
Lindarion stepped forward instead of back.
And with perfect timing—
He caught her wrist.
A brief mont of pause.
Then—
Lindarion twisted.
Vivienne's eyes widened slightly as her balance was thrown off.
She was quick. She adjusted imdiately, avoiding a full takedown—
But she couldn't stop him from scoring the first hit.
A controlled tap against her ribs.
Point to Lindarion.
The watching students murmured.
Vivienne exhaled slowly.
Then—she smiled.
"How amusing."
She adjusted.
Vivienne was many things.
Prideful. Arrogant. But most of all—adaptive.
This ti, she didn't rush.
She watched.
Waited.
Lindarion took a step forward.
She shifted her weight slightly—not committing to an attack, just responding.
'Ah.'
She was learning.
'Good. Make this worth my while.'
Lindarion tested her.
He feinted a strike toward her ribs—similar to how she had tested him earlier.
Vivienne didn't fall for it.
Instead, she countered instantly—aiming for the opening he had left.
Except—
That was the trap.
Lindarion had anticipated her reaction before she even moved.
The mont she committed to the strike, he was already gone.
A clean sidestep—
A smooth pivot—
And another controlled tap against her shoulder.
Point to Lindarion.
The watching students murmured louder.
Vivienne didn't react.
She simply breathed.
Then—she smiled again.
But this ti, it was sharper.
Vivienne changed her approach.
Instead of engaging directly, she adjusted her distance.
Not attacking imdiately—waiting for him to move first.
Lindarion raised an eyebrow.
'Clever.'
She knew she couldn't outread him, so now she was forcing him to act first.
But that was fine.
Because Lindarion had already won.
He stepped forward—a deliberate movent.
Vivienne's body tensed slightly, preparing to react.
And that was all he needed.
Because at that mont, he did nothing.
He just stood there.
Vivienne hesitated.
A brief second of uncertainty.
And in a fight of this level—that was death…or loss. To be more precise.
Lindarion moved instantly.
A clean, precise strike—his palm pressing lightly against her shoulder.
Point to Lindarion.
Silence.
Then—
Sera grinned.
"AND THAT'S THREE."
The match was over.
Vivienne exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders.
Then—she laughed.
Not bitter.
Not angry.
Just genuinely amused.
Lindarion tilted his head. "Sothing funny?"
Vivienne shook her head, smiling.
"You really are sothing."
Lindarion smirked. "I know."
She laughed again.
Then—she turned sharply on her heel and walked away.
The watching students whispered.
Jack Valerian was still stone-faced.
Cassian groaned. "Of course you won."
Luneth simply nodded once.
Lindarion stretched, sighing.
"Alright," he muttered. "What's next?"
Cassian groaned again.
"Can you just let the rest of us catch up first?"
The whispers in the crowd hadn't even died down when Sera Vallora stepped forward.
Lindarion imdiately noticed.
Not because she was loud—she was always loud—but because the air shifted around her.
The natural command in her movents, the way students instinctively made way for her—it wasn't just respect.
It was recognition.
Sera Vallora was not a normal instructor.
She was a warrior.
And now?
She was looking directly at him.
Her crimson eyes glead with sothing dangerous.
"Not bad, Sunblade," she said, rolling her shoulders. "Didn't think you'd handle Vivienne that well."
Lindarion sighed.
'Why do I sense a 'but' coming?'
Sera grinned.
"But…" she continued, cracking her knuckles, "you still haven't fought soone like ."
Cassian made a strangled noise.
"Wait, wait—hold on—"
Sera ignored him.
She tilted her head, eyes locked on Lindarion.
"Since you're already ward up…" she smirked, "how about you and I have a little match?"
The training grounds fell silent.
Even the upperclassn students who were watching from the sides were surprised, they usually had nothing but arrogant expressions , but that changed now completely.
"Is… is she serious?" soone whispered.
"She's an instructor," another muttered. "That's not even fair—"
"Maybe she's just going to test his skill?"
Lindarion exhaled sharply.
He wasn't stupid.
Sera Vallora wasn't challenging him to win.
She was challenging him to see what he was made of.
And more than that?
'She is going to be holding back.'
Of course she would hold back.
If she went all out, he'd be on the ground before Cassian could count to fifteen.
Lindarion rolled his shoulders.
"Fine," he said simply.
Cassian's jaw dropped. "You're actually saying yes?"
Lindarion glanced at him. "Would you say no?"
Cassian hesitated.
Then, very quietly, "Yes."
Sera laughed.
"Good," she said. "Let's make this quick."
Lindarion stepped into the ring again, standing across from Sera.
She wasn't even in a stance.
She stood completely relaxed.
But Lindarion knew better than to be fooled.
Sera Vallora didn't need to stand properly.
Because she was already prepared to move the second the fight started.
She grinned.
"Rules are the sa," she said. "First to three points wins."
She flexed her fingers.
"I won't use my full strength."
A pause.
Then—her grin widened.
"But you better use yours."
Lindarion's eyes sharpened.
Then—
Sera moved first.
Lindarion had been watching her carefully.
Even before she moved, he knew her speed would be a problem.
And still—he barely saw her move.
One second, she was standing across from him.
The next?
She was already at his side.
Lindarion reacted instantly.
A hard pivot, his arms snapping up to block—
Too slow.
Sera's strike was already past his defense.
A solid hit—just a tap against his ribs.
But in a real fight?
That would have been enough to break sothing.
Sera stepped back, smirking.
"Point for ."
Lindarion exhaled.
The students were muttering now.
"She's that fast while holding back?"
"Lindarion couldn't even block it—"
But Lindarion?
He wasn't discouraged.
He had learned sothing.
Sera wasn't just faster.
She was unpredictable.
Which ant—he couldn't fight her normally.
This ti, Lindarion moved first.
The mont Sera stepped toward him, he attacked imdiately.
He knew he couldn't match her in pure speed—so instead?
He forced her to react.
A sharp feint to the left—then a real strike to the right.
Sera's grin widened.
"Clever."
She dodged—but barely.
And that was the opening Lindarion needed.
He adjusted instantly, his movents precise, striking where she was moving instead of where she was.
A light tap against her shoulder.
Point to Lindarion.
The crowd erupted in whispers.
"He actually scored?"
Cassian looked like he was about to faint.
Luneth, however?
She simply nodded.
As if she had expected it.
Sera stepped back, shaking out her arms.
"Well," she mused, "that's interesting."
Then—she grinned.
"Let's pick up the pace, boy."
Sera stopped holding back.
Not completely.
But enough for Lindarion to feel the difference imdiately.
She closed the distance so fast it felt like she had teleported.
Lindarion barely managed to react, dodging by a hair's breadth.
But Sera was already moving again.
She vanished.
Not literally—but she might as well have.
One mont, Lindarion saw her in front of him.
The next?
She was gone.
His instincts scread.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up—a sharp pivot, his arms coming up to guard.
Too slow.
A fist slamd into his ribs—controlled, precise, just hard enough to knock him back.
Lindarion barely managed to recover his stance.
The mont he blinked, she was already moving again.
Another strike—faster, sharper.
Lindarion dodged—but only barely.
He countered imdiately, aiming for the gap she had left.
Sera's grin widened—like she had been waiting for that.
She twisted, her movents fluid, unreadable—
And before Lindarion could adjust—
A sharp tap against his ribs.
"Point."
The crowd erupted.
"That was insane—"
"He almost had her, though—"
Lindarion exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders.
Sera took a step back, flexing her fingers.
"Not bad," she admitted. "You lasted longer than I expected."
Lindarion didn't respond.
Because his mind was already replaying everything.
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