ƒreewebηoveℓ
Clash of the Blades – Edwin vs Riku
Inside the quiet room of Edwin’s personal training chamber, they stood at opposite ends, facing each other with quiet intensity.
"The ego you have is bigger than my stomach," said Riku. "Today, I want to see how strong you are since every professor envies you."
He didn’t say anything.
On one side stood Edwin Leonhart, the first-year class and ranked second, a swordsman known for his precision.
Opposite of him stood Riku Vierhart, the third-ranked swordsman of the third year. Tall, sharp-eyed, and lean with strength, Riku had a reputation for relentless aggression and footwork so fast that even seasoned professors found it difficult to follow. He wielded a single-edged sword with a curved blade—a style distinct from Edwin’s dual-wielded straight swords.
A silent nod was exchanged.
Then—
CLANG!
Their swords t in an explosion of sparks. tal against tal as Edwin’s sword shot out like lightning, each strike calculated to test Riku’s guard. But Riku didn’t retreat—he welcod the aggression, stepping in instead of back, curving his sword to deflect Edwin’s blow while twisting his hips for a counterstrike.
Edwin ducked, narrowly missing the arc of Riku’s blade as it sliced the air over his head. With his left hand gripping, the sword tightly rotates with a flick of the wrist, driving up into Riku’s chest—but the third-year shifted his footing in a blur, sidestepping as if he had predicted the move from the start.
The floor trembled beneath them as both swordsn began moving faster, their footwork circling and clashing like wolves in a deadly dance. Edwin’s style was ticulous with overwhelming strength.
Each motion was efficient, forged from thousands of hours of repetition. Riku, on the other hand, fought like a storm—fluid, unpredictable, fierce, with sudden bursts of overwhelming montum.
"You are not weak.", says Riku.
Edwin slid forward and brought his swords into a spinning assault spinning horizontally and vertically for a sweeping cut. Riku responded with a roar, parrying the first slash with brute strength and vaulting over the second with an elegant twist mid-air.
As he landed, his boot scraped across the floor and in that instant, his curved blade thrust out like a cobra, aiming for Edwin’s shoulder.
CLANG!
Edwin twisted just in ti, crossing his swords to form a shield through rapid spinning, catching the strike. The pressure behind Riku’s thrust sent shivers down Edwin’s arms—but he didn’t yield.
"I didn’t think you’d be this fast," Riku said through clenched teeth.
"You’re not slow either," said with an ego voice.
Their blades separated and the room rang with tal as they clashed again and again. Sparks rained down like falling stars. Sweat began to sheen their brows, but neither showed signs of exhaustion.
Their movents grew sharper, more dangerous. Walls cracked from stray wind pressure. The mana-reactive floor began to light up with overload warnings.
Both swordsn simultaneously leapt back to gain distance. Then, as if reading each other’s mind, they charged again.
Riku unleashed a rapid five-slash combo, his blade becoming a blur. Edwin countered with defensive sweeps, turning his swords into a shield of steel. He took a single half-step back to bait Riku in—then spun in a deadly arc with blades crossing like scissors.
Riku grinned. "Got you!"
He dropped low, sliding beneath the arc, and aid an upward thrust toward Edwin’s abdon.
And Edwin dropped his right sword down and kicked it up with his boot.
The blade flipped end-over-end and Edwin caught it midair behind his back, swinging it down in a perfect slash as Riku’s blade grazed his vest.
A streak of blood blood along Riku’s cheek. At the sa ti, a shallow cut ford along Edwin’s side.
Both remained frozen for a mont.
Breathing heavily.
The grin on Riku’s face widened. "Damn, you’re good."
Edwin nodded, one eye narrowing. "Likewise."
Then without a word, they both resud.
Steel clashed, echoed, then blurred again. They spun, struck, dodged, and countered, the room trembling with each blow. The walls glowed brighter, reacting to the chaotic mana surging around them.
Their duel pushed to new heights—both swordsn now fighting not just with skill but willpower.
A final clash erupted as both poured mana into their blades—Riku’s sword igniting with wild fla, Edwin’s blades glowing a soft white-blue.
They dashed forward, their feet launching off the floor—
Their blades t in a blinding flash with the heavy sound....
BOOOOMM!
A deafening explosion rocked the earth as dust and debris flew high into the sky, scattering like ash from a volcanic burst. The gate of Arcadia Academy, carved from enchanted stone and layered with protective sigils, cracked apart like dried bark.
Rubble burst outward in all directions, creating a wave of energy that sent nearby trees toppling and shattered the surrounding periter wards in an instant.
The sound was heard by all the students in the academy.
From the dust erged an assassin cloaked in shadows and his eyes were very serious. His steps were uneven, wild—like a beast no longer aware of what it once was.
The assassin who activated the skill fragnt known as the skill of madness.
In his mind, only a single voice echoed:
"Kill... kill... kill..."
The skill was now in full control of him.
The assassin dashed forward with inhuman speed, the wind itself unable to keep up. The path he carved through the campus was chaotic and directionless—but deadly. A single leap sent him flying through the air like a falling teor.
He landed at Ground Zero, the open training field where so first-year students had been sparring with each other.
BOOOMMM!
The ground caved beneath his impact. The force of his landing sent a shockwave across the training field. Students were thrown off their feet—so slamd into walls, others flung across the grass like ragdolls. Screams erupted as dirt and mana flared wildly into the air.
"W-What is that?!"
"It ca from the main gate—he just appeared!"
The assassin didn’t speak. He didn’t hesitate. He launched himself at the nearest student—his arm crashing into the poor boy’s chest, sending him flying a dozen ters away.
Another student tried to cast a barrier spell, but the assassin struck through it with a twisted blade of mana ford in his hand. The barrier cracked instantly, and the attacker was knocked unconscious before he could scream.
Reviews
All reviews (0)