A tall man who looked like a wardrobe went to the weapons rack and chose a broadsword without hesitation. When he was done, he jumped onto the platform with a rough leap and landed on both feet. He waited for his opponent.
Where the hell is he? The man wondered, looking at the crowd of students.
The students were also confused and looked around, wondering about the man's identity.
Off to the side, a guy with long hair was quietly warming up. After finishing his unusual back bends and twists, he stretched his legs a little. Then, he jumped lightly on his toes as if to cheer himself up.
When he was done, he calmly walked through the crowd, tying his hair back as he went.
"..."
People silently accompanied him, giving him strange looks but saying nothing.
After finishing with his hair, he continued at the same pace, pulling his arms forward and crossing them, then pulling them back as if hugging himself from behind with straight arms.
"Hey, what is that?"
"I have no idea."
"Does he have plasticine hands?"
The crowd whispered, but the guy didn't listen to them. As he approached the platform, his warm-up ended naturally. Without breaking stride, he pushed off the ground with one foot, landing softly and rolling from heel to toe with the other foot as if he hadn't jumped at all but was simply continuing his stride. Finally reaching the other end of the arena, he turned on his heels to face his opponent.
"..." The audience was in shock, unable to process such a situation.
First, the guy's strange, weightless gait threw them off balance. Second...
"Isn't that a little too cruel?"
"It's not even funny. It's just horrifying."
They looked at the short, thin guy with his hair tied back in a ponytail and then at his opponent, who looked like a half-bald wardrobe with a big sword. The wardrobe turned to the small guy.
"Hey, kid, aren't you going to take a weapon?"
... The guy didn't even hint at an answer.
"Well... As you wish..." The man said, sounding resigned.
Elion silently examined the man, preparing himself for sparring.
Hmmm... What can I say? He's big, and his sword matches that. Although, his hands seem better suited for an axe. He will most likely strike from above, but that's easy to avoid... What is there to fear? One blow, and you're dead, so just don't get caught. The guy thought this and then delved into his own feelings a little.
There's a slight tension in my body, more excitement than anticipation. There is almost no fear... Only a slight tremor remains due to excitement... Elion pondered for a moment and turned his gaze to his opponent.
His hands gripped the sword tightly, and his face twitched slightly. It seems like he's really looking forward to this... Maybe he wants to show off. But there's no mockery or strong underestimation... Most likely, he'll rush forward aggressively, but he won't easily lose his vigilance. He assessed his opponent's condition and then heard the instructor's voice.
"The rules are simple. Serious injury, voluntary surrender, or falling off the platform, and the match is over. You can go all out with your weapon strikes, but be careful not to hit the neck or eyes." The instructor calmly explained before the start of the fight, completely ignoring the fact that Elion had no weapon.
As for why he didn't take one...
I don't know how to use any of them. I don't want to learn. It would be foolish to give in to my emotions and take a stick. It would greatly limit my physical abilities. He argued logically. He ignored his inner voice that said, I just don't want to.
"Well, then, we'll start in 10 seconds." The instructor said calmly in his internal report.
The big guy took a couple of silent steps forward and assumed a ready-to-attack stance. Elion simply crossed his arms behind his back, blew a strand of hair off his face, and remained where he was.
"..."
"..."
The instructor's silent report continued in his head when a sweet, encouraging shout rang out.
"Elion, that guy was jealous of your hair! He'll definitely want to touch it! Show that envious guy what you're made of!" The girl shouted cheerfully into the megaphone she had made with her hands.
"..." Elion just closed his eyes, trying to ignore the crazy girl.
The instructor ignored the girl and asked in the same tone,
"Is the first fighter ready?"
"Yes." replied a slightly angry voice.
"Second?"
"..." Elion nodded.
"Begin."
With these words, the fingers of his hands, hidden behind his back, began to tap in time to a melody that existed only in his head.
His dance began with the tapping of his fingers.