Rank 6 knights.
Although they were strong and almost at the class of being complete mages or knights, facing the unknown was something that made General Lance assign everyone of them in a group of five, with a platoon leader among them.
In Avarice, the usual process was that they'd move from the normal class to the magic class once they awakened their magic, where they would learn about the basic concepts of magic for one year before moving to the main academy.
Myra, along with Felix, Sanis, Rein and Tina were surveying a part of the capital after leaving the stadium.
"How did Myra get platoon leader and I didn't?" Rein, a guy with dark spiky hair and a lean, muscular body and black eyes said.
"Drop it, we've gone over this argument a couple of times. I'm just way better than you." Myra said as she sashayed her ponytail at an attempt to annoy him again.
Rein gritted his teeth and kept quiet. "I'm the mature one." He said to himself repeatedly.
"Keep quiet and pay attention, we have to be serious and I also have to focus." Tina, a quiet tall girl with golden curls said.
"Don't worry, you're always tensed up, who do you think can beat us all together." Felix asked with a smirk.
They all could think of people who could. In the academy, he had said this before in front of their teacher and when they had concurred, they were rewarded with a group beating.
Recalling the painful experience, instead of replying, they all just turned and glared at him.
"Talk about holding a grudge, sheesh." Felix sighed as he continued walking.
"WAIT!... I feel there's something there." Tina said in sudden alarm.
"Come on, be fine, it's probably…", before he could complete his statement, he was smashed headfirst into a wall. A middle-aged man covered in purple patches of dark mana turned his head in an irregular angle with his tongue sticking out.
"One down, four more to go."
Myra gritted her teeth. "Oh hell!"
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"The last match of the semifinals we have Lucas Volt and Kevin Dominic." The speaker shouted into the Voice Orb.
Kevin came out, followed by Lucas as they were both cheered on.
"Two minutes, nineteen seconds was the new record time right?" Kevin asked the official in the ring as he passed the mana scanner.
"Yeah, but why are you asking?"
"Because I'm going to set a new one."
"It's not that easy, kid."
"I know, that's why I'm doing it." Kevin answered.
"Hmm, if you say so kid."
"Ready on both sides?"
"Yes."
"Sure."
"Then…fight."
The two opponents stood still for a second, different strategies forming in their head.
"Hereditary Skill: Archangel of Wisdom."
Kevin transformed and leapt forward towards Lucas, his katana in his hand.
Lucas quickly created a Lightning Spear and thrust it at Kevin. Kevin parried it but the distance being closed, Lucas swung again, another lightning blade clenched in his hand.
"He's fast, but he's unskilled, it's kind of hideous in a way." Kevin thought as they went back and forth exchanging slashes.
"Aura Extension: Thor's playground!"
Suddenly from the top of the dome, continuous strikes of lightning started to engulf the arena.
"I was waiting for this, y'know Shadow Walk".
An advanced move used by swordsmen to amplify their speed and reflexes. It was involved with controlling their adrenaline to make it function as they pleased, a skill created by one of his predecessors.
Kevin had already understood it to the max due to the memories of the previous Rank 10 magic users.
He moved gracefully and silently through the bolts of lightning towards Lucas who, using electricity, propelled himself to Kevin.
"Soul weapon: 7th Wielder." Lucas's fist landed on the great blue shield, pushing Kevin slightly back.
"Might as well just break the weapon." Lucas thought as he let out lightning fast barrages of punches on the shield, pushing Kevin back more.
Kevin poked his head out from behind the shield, and asked.
"I've always wondered what it's like to be hit by your own attack."
"What the hell are you…?"
"Release!"
The shield glowed for a second before exploding, half the total force of his attacks redirected back at him, making Lucas fly back.
"Now for the finishing combo."
The shield turned to chains and throwing it, he grabbed Lucas by his leg and brought him closer.
Still fazed, he didn't know when the chains turned to brass knuckles.
"12 palms of destruction."
Receiving countless blows, Lucas fell back and Kevin was waiting there for him as he dragged his collar, threw a left swing to his face, then a right then another continuously.
"What's all this? I'm getting completely overwhelmed. I'm going to lose."
Another blow hit his chest which made him wheeze as he was close to going unconscious.
"I wanted to try at least, I knew that I was going to lose if I fought against this guy but at least couldn't I at least not lose this miserably. Everyone already knows that its going to be them in the finals, so the stakes were already against me. Whatever I give up, I'm tired….."
The last hit sent him rolling on the ground. Lying flat, he looked up and saw his teammates watching him, shouting him and cheering him on, even Jayden.
"What's Jayden doing, did he really believe I could win. Ha. Haha. Ahahaha. What the fuck is wrong with me, my own teammates trust me more than I trust myself.
Whatever, if I'm going to lose I'm going out big."
Standing up, he saw Kevin approaching him, his eyes barely on him but on the timer.
"Kevin, you bastard. Look at me!" Lucas shouted at the top of his lungs, lightning flowing through his whole body, his veins, his blood cells, his entire being.
For the first time since this match started, something that he hadn't calculated or anticipated happened.
"Yo, I'm looking now." Kevin said as he dodged the swung hand from Lucas and jumped back, swinging his chains, parrying countless lightning blades aiming at him from all directions.
"Now this is how a proper mage fights, distancing us to keep the fight in their favour. Lucas, sorry for underestimating you but I also have a point to prove."
Lunging straight for Lucas, he braced himself as using his shield, he blocked majority of the lightning forming a blockade around Lucas. Majority, that is.
"First time, I'm collecting damage directly like this, and to an unconscious person at that." Kevin smiled as he looked at Lucas, who stood controlling the lightning around him, his eyes closed.
Muscle memory.
Repetition made permanent.
Every movement performed once is learned
Every movement performed a thousand times… is remembered.
The body adapts, not consciously though but instinctively.
Swing a sword enough times and the arm no longer waits for instruction, it moves on its own.
Faster than thought, more precise than hesitation.
And in a fight where a single moment decides everything, that distinction is the line that divides victory and defeat.
A single swing and a wave of electricity spread across the ring, blocking Kevin from passing through without damage.
On a normal occasion, Kevin would have waited a few seconds or planned it better but he had a goal to complete and so here he was, enveloped in lightning, parrying countless lightning blades.
Finally seeing the opportunity he was waiting for, without hesitation he moved, closing the distance between the two in a second and swung for his neck.
Instinctively, Lucas threw his hand out, but it did not connect with anything as last second, it was only the sword and not Kevin.
Shadow walk.
The blade disappearing and appearing behind Lucas in the form of brass knuckles, twisting his body back,
Kevin delivered the final blow, a direct hit to the pressure point at the base of his skull, the Feng chi.
Although Lucas was already unconscious, a direct hit to his pressure point seemed to stop the mana flow causing him to finally pass out.
"I win. Rest proudly, Lucas Volt, you are strong." Kevin said as he raised his hand and pointed at his wrist. The official understood the message and checked the timer.
"And the winner of this match is Kevin Dominic," the official rushed to the speaker and spoke into his ear.
"Is that so? Ladies and gentlemen, I've received word now that Kevin Dominic won the match in two minutes, sixteen seconds, setting a new record over Jayden Reginald's own."
The audience erupted, the cheers wild as they carried Lucas out on a stretcher with the praise as Kevin walked out with a majestic stride, the rivalry between the strongest of the two sides becoming personal and more importantly, the fantastic display of power and grit shown by Lucas during his fight.
Bringing the stadium to a calm, the speaker spoke into the voice orb,
"What a splendorous match, I was inspired and didn't even know who I was rooting for anymore."
Waiting for the crowd to calm down, he continued,
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, finally for the final match we've all been waiting for between swordsmen and mages: Jayden Reginald vs Kevin Dominic."