Once everyone had finished picking out their weapon. Leo called everyone to gather around the center ring.
Now I won't claim to be an expert in every weapon," Said Leo, "Some of you might even be able to use your weapons better than me. But what I am an expert in is fighting with weapons alone. Fighting can be considered a game. You are always trying to predict your opponent's next move, you measure your opponent's ability and so on. For your first lesson, I want to see what you've got. We will have a sparring match. Two people at a time. We will all watch the match and commentate on what could be improved on. Now, are there any volunteers.
In an instant, Erin was the first to put her hand up. Without even waiting for Leo to say anything she headed for the arena in the middle and stood inside. She held a single silver longsword that shined bright. It wasn't one of the weapons that Quinn had seen on the wall so he could only assume it had been one she already owned.
At first, a lot of the students were hesitant of going up against Erin. Her reputation for being a high-power level had already reached many peoples ears.
"Oh, I also forgot to add, Abilities will be banned during today's sparing sessions," Leo added. "It is important that you know how to use your weapon first, only then can you truly bring out the full potential of the weapon with your ability."
After saying those words. Students had raised their hands like a rocket. They all wanted to get the chance to beat the famous Ice queen. Now that she wasn't able to use her abilities this was their chance.
In the end, A large man was selected from the crowd who wielded a two-handed axe. He was about double the size of Erin in terms of muscle.
"I think you chose to join the wrong club, your ice abilities will be useless here." The man said.
Erin didn't reply though and simply took her stance. Waiting for her opponent to come forward first.
The man charged in wielding his large axe above his head. When he swung it down Erin spun her body to the side avoiding the blow and at the same time slashed at the back of the man's legs causing him to stumble.
She then placed her blade towards the man's neck. Inches away from his throat.
"I give up." The man said.
Everything had happened in an instant and the room was suddenly silenced. They all knew Erin was strong but it was unexpected of her to be so skillful with the blade. Most ability users, if they had a strong ability like Erin, would rely on that power and not bother learning a weapon. But it was clear to everyone she had some practice.
After the fight had finished, two men seemed to appear out of thin air wearing a black military uniform. They then grabbed the student by both arms and escorted him to the school doctor to get healed up
Then, to Quinn's surprise, Vicky was suddenly standing right beside him.
"She's a feisty one," she said, nodding toward Erin.
Quinn glanced at her with clear annoyance but didn't reply.
Before Erin could slide her sword fully back into its sheath, another voice rang out, it was Vicky's.
"I'd like to challenge you… unless you're a coward."
Quinn immediately slapped his forehead. Here we go…
"Sure. Why not," Erin replied, her voice as cold as ice.
Within moments, the two stood opposite each other, swords and stares ready. The crowd buzzed with excitement—just the sight of these two blonde rivals facing off was enough to send whispers rippling through the room.
Somewhere in the crowd, Quinn silently rooted for Erin, though he wasn't overly confident in the outcome.
"Are you sure you don't want to use a beast weapon?" Leo asked Vicky.
"I'm far stronger than these pathetic first-tier toys," she said proudly.
Her answer drew shocked murmurs from the crowd. They'd already seen Erin's skill earlier, and while Vicky's reputation was terrifying, many thought the gap between level five and level six couldn't be that big, and moreover no one was allowed to use abilities.
"Let the match begin," Leo announced.
Layla was among the spectators. From where she stood, she saw two golden-haired beauties about to clash and swallowed hard.
"I'm rooting for you, Erin," she muttered under her breath.
The fight began. Neither moved at first—just a tense silence hanging in the air.
"Don't hold back," Vicky said. "Give me everything you've got."
Erin was then the first to act. She lashed out with a swift transverse slash, giving Vicky no choice but to leap into the air. Erin had expected this; atleast if Vicky was not just pretending to be strong and egoistic, she would dodge that. But what she didn't expect was the follow-up—a sudden crescent kick aimed right at her head.
Caught off guard, Erin barely managed to block the knockout strike. That was the danger of facing someone you didn't know—you had no idea what tricks they carried.
But now, Erin knew exactly what kind of opponent she was up against.
For the first time, a smirk broke across her otherwise cold, expressionless face.
But Erin's smirk didn't last long—Vicky surged forward with unpredictable footwork, weaving in and out like a predator circling prey.
Erin reacted instantly, her blade flashing as she aimed for Vicky's shoulder. But Vicky tilted her body just enough for the strike to cut through empty air, then countered with a low sweeping kick. Erin jumped back, her boots skidding across the polished floor.
The crowd gasped at the intensity of the exchange.
The next moment was a blur—Erin darted in with a flurry of rapid slashes: left, right, then a sudden diagonal. Vicky dodged some, deflecting others with her palms striking against the flat of the blade. Small cuts began to form on her hands, but she didn't so much as flinch.
"That's insane…" someone whispered. "She's blocking a beast weapon with her arms."
Vicky's grin widened. "You'll have to do better."
Erin's eyes narrowed, but before she could make her next move, Vicky suddenly accelerated, closing the gap in a heartbeat. She swung upward in a brutal uppercut—Erin narrowly avoided the strike, but she was ready. Her blade whipped upward, catching Vicky's shin just enough to divert the attack, and using the momentum, she spun into a counterstrike aimed at Vicky's neck.
The crowd roared.
Vicky ducked at the last instant, then drove a vicious kick into Erin's unguarded abdomen. The impact reverberated through the room, and Erin was sent flying backward, hitting the ground hard and coughing up blood.
The fight was over.
Two academy guards appeared once again, but this time, they were here to lift Erin carefully and hurrying her toward the medical ward.
Vicky straightened her posture, the fight already forgotten in her expression. She glanced at Erin with a smirk. "That was fun. Let's do it again sometime." Then she turned and walked away without a backward glance.
For the first time since arriving at the academy, Erin had met someone strong enough to inspire her. Though her defeat stung, it didn't matter—she had found a new resolve. She would grow stronger, perfect her swordsmanship, and one day, she would stand against Vicky again.