Silas straightened, then glanced over his shoulder.
"You," he said calmly, addressing one of the knights near the weapon racks. "Hand him a bow."
The man hesitated, eyes flicking to Akira's still-unsteady stance. "A… bow, sir?"
"Yes." Silas's gaze never left Akira. "That is his weapon, after all."
A faint pause followed before Silas added, his voice cool and sharp enough to cut:
"I'd rather not hear him crying later that the fight was unfair because he didn't have one."
A murmur spread through the gathered knights and trainees.
"Who is he…?"
"He looks like he just woke up."
"He's done for."
Akira heard every word.
The knight hurried to the weapon racks and returned with a familiar bow, its wood polished and its string newly tightened. He held it out, looking at Akira with a hint of pity.
Akira snatched it from his hands.
"Interesting," Silas said quietly. "You look less pathetic already."
More whispers followed.
"He's gonna regret this."
"A bow against Silas?"
"This won't even last a minute."
Akira said nothing. He reached for the quiver, drew an arrow, and nocked it toward Silas's head.
Silas caught the arrow between two fingers and said, "You gotta do better than that."
But Akira was no longer in the same place.
Silas looked down to see Akira throwing dirt toward his eyes, which he dodged easily.
"To be more fair to you," Silas said calmly, "I'll fight you with my eyes closed and only use two fingers."
Akira's jaw tightened.
He moved sideways, his feet digging into the dirt as he sprinted, creating distance in a wide arc. Another arrow was already in his hand. He drew and fired without stopping.
The arrow screamed through the air.
Silas shifted his head an inch.
The arrow passed so close it brushed a strand of his silver hair before embedding itself in the ground behind him.
Akira didn't slow.
A second arrow. Then a third.
Both were released in rapid succession—one aimed high, the other low—forcing a choice.
Silas stepped forward.
Two fingers flicked.
Snap.
Snap.
Both arrows shattered midair.
Mana surged within Akira—it flowed into his legs.
He jumped.
The ground cracked slightly beneath his feet as he vaulted upward, twisting midair. Another arrow flew from his bow at point-blank range, aimed straight at Silas's throat.
Silas finally moved faster.
He tilted his head back, letting the arrow skim past his neck. Then he stepped forward and dug his fingers into Akira's stomach, sending him flying.
Akira hit the ground coughing violently, bile burning his throat, his chest refusing to draw breath for a second.
The training grounds were dead silent.
Silas lowered his hand slowly.
"That," he said evenly, "is what happens when you let me get close."
"Now, if you are done crying, get up and fight me."
Akira coughed again, fingers clawing at the dirt as his lungs finally dragged air back in.
He rolled onto his side, his stomach screaming in protest, and spat onto the ground.
Laughter rippled through the watching knights.
Akira pushed himself upright.
The bow lay a few feet away. He staggered toward it, every step heavy, then grabbed it and turned back to Silas, breath ragged, eyes burning.
"I'm not… done," Akira rasped.
Silas watched him with mild interest.
"Good," he replied. "Then stop wasting time."
Akira raised the bow again. He drew it back, but instead of shooting at Silas, he fired into the sky and immediately charged toward him.
"Let's see what you're up to this time—show me everything you've got!" Silas yelled.
Akira jumped up to kick him.
Silas crouched down, dodging Akira, and threw a left hook, which Akira blocked with his two fingers.
Akira didn't stop.
His knee rose, then his elbow, then another kick—wild, desperate, relentless. None of them were meant to land cleanly. Each strike existed for only one reason.
Keep him here.
Silas parried, dodged, or blocked.
"This is pointless. I'll end it here," Silas said as he flicked Akira on the forehead, sending him rolling back.
However, the knights noticed Akira smirking as he was hit.
They were the first to notice.
"Wait—"
"Above—!"
Silas's eyes flicked upward. He opened them.
Too late. He can't avoid it, Akira thought.
However, Silas disappeared, letting the arrows fall harmlessly to the ground.
Silas appeared behind him and said, "Were you relying on that pathetic plan of yours? If so, I guess you're done."