The training grounds were massive.
It was scorched stone platforms surrounded by pillars embedded with mana stones that hummed with energy, and the air smelled like ash and metal from whatever beating this place took daily.
I spotted a long assortment of every weapon I knew and some that I didn't.
"Okay, this place is pretty cool," I spoke.
"Eh... there's no dumbbells or barbells," Bram spoke, sounding a bit disappointed.
"That's what the gym is for," Liam spoke.
"Yeah, we'll go later, so just pay attention," I said, pointing toward Corvin.
"Okay, students, since it's only the first day, all I want to see is your current proficiency, so pick a weapon and do your usual training," Corvin spoke.
The students rushed with excitement, grabbing weapons.
I grabbed a basic one-handed sword.
Liam took a 2-meter-long light spear.
Seris took two daggers.
Nira took a long bow.
And Bram took... nothing.
We all stared at him.
"Dude, you're not gonna take anything?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm more of a fistfighter."
"We can see that," Nira commented.
"Then at least take a wrist guard or something," Liam spoke.
"Nah, I'm alright." Bram was adamant.
"...anyway, Seris, I didn't take you for a close-range fighter," I spoke, turning to Seris.
"I prefer to get close first." She spoke with an unreadable expression.
"Uhh... yeah..." I turned to Nira. "And long range from the Princess? How unexpected." I joked.
"Says the one with the most boring choice," Nira spoke.
"What's wrong with swords? they're cool." I replied.
"Not when you're holding it." She shot back.
"...tch." I clicked my tongue and turned to Liam. "You wanna spar?"
Liam blinked, slightly surprised by my question, "...Sure."
We moved to an open space and stood about 6 meters away from each other.
I felt gazes coming from all directions, not that I didn't understand them. The Rank 1 and 2 were about to fight; it should be a spectacle worth watching.
"How do you wanna do this?" Liam asked.
"How about limited spell usage?" I answered
"How many?" He asked.
"Hmm... two spells, element doesn't matter."
He smiled as he got into a stance. "You sure?"
I smiled back, readying myself as well, "I've never been more sure."
'Focus.' Vaelis spoke in my mind.
'Hmm.'
I felt the ice mana begin to gather within my body as my body temperature dropped rapidly. It felt like I was taking a cold shower.
'Visualise your desire and command the mana to obey.'
"Huuu..." I let out a breath, the vapor of my breath so cold it was visible.
I didn't notice it then, but...
My eye color had changed.
"What did you do?" Liam spoke with eyes wide open.
I smiled. "Come and find out."
He let out a small laugh. "...Okay."
He rushed in my direction as flames began to burst from his spear.
I lifted my hand.
'Freeze.'
The flames disappeared.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Wasting no time, I swung my sword directly at his neck.
But just as fast, the floor shifted, and I felt my balance falter. Using this opportunity, he directed his spear at my neck.
I ducked down, dodging the spear, and rolled back.
"That's cheating! How can you change the ground?!" I screamed.
"Says the one who neutralized my fire for style." He shot back.
"Fair point." I shrugged.
We both took our stances.
We rushed at each other.
I swung my sword horizontally.
He leaped over and shot his spear toward me.
I sidestepped, dodging the spear, and he landed back on the ground.
For a moment, we made eye contact.
We were both smiling.
The ground shifted again, this time it rose, forcing me out of balance.
Looking forward, I saw his spear rushing toward my face.
'Manifest.'
A crude ice shield manifested in my hand, and I used it to block.
The ice shattered and flew in all directions.
I dove straight at him and swung my sword vertically.
-Clang
He reacted just in time, raising his spear.
The ground shifted once again. This time, a large pillar struck me directly in my abdomen faster than I could react.
"Ughh," I clutched my abdomen and looked up at Liam.
He was smiling.
'This fucker.'
"Huuu..." I kneeled and touched the ground.
'Freeze.'
A sheet of ice covered the entire arena, and the temperature dropped significantly.
"And you say I'm cheating," Liam commented.
I let out a small laugh. "Guess we're both cheaters."
A flame appeared once again on Liam's spear, this time a lot bigger and hotter than before, and even the newly dropped temperature began to slowly heat up in its presence.
We smiled and...
"That's enough."
A voice came as both Liam's flame and my ice seemed to melt and extinguish at once.
There stood Corvin between us.
"You two are forgetting this is supposed to be a light display of abilities." His tone was commanding.
Liam and I both bowed and spoke simultaneously.
"We apologise, Professor Ash."
"Hmm." He nodded. "You two will meet me after class."
"Yes, Professor." We both spoke.
"Good." He said, leaving us.
Looking around for a moment, I saw all the wide eyes directed at us.
"Ughh!!" I grabbed my head.
"What's wrong?" Liam asked.
"Haa... don't worry," I waved my hand. "I've just got a massive headache."
"And you still fought despite it." Liam scoffed.
I smiled. "You can't say it wasn't fun."
He smiled, back. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"You two are psychopaths." A familiar feminine voice came.
"Come on, you didn't think we looked cool?" I raised a brow at Nira.
"All I thought was what the fuck is wrong with you two?" Nira spoke.
I turned to Liam and whispered. "Isn't this what they call a hypocrite?"
"I think you're right." He whispered back.
"I think so too." A voice came from behind, causing both me and Liam to flinch from surprise.
Seris stood right behind us as if she had appeared out of nowhere.
"You almost gave me a heart attack!" I exclaimed.
"Oh..." She seemed... confused about what she'd done wrong. "I'm sorry." She apologized regardless, which made me feel kind of bad.
"Haa... It's fine, we just weren't paying attention." I spoke.
"Okay..." She seemed fine? I couldn't tell.
"Well, I thought it was epic," Bram spoke from our side. "When you froze the ground, that was really cool."
I smiled. "Thanks... anyway, how did you guys do?"
"Unlike you two, we all just did our own things," Nira spoke. "I practiced at the shooting range."
"I just shadowboxed but stopped to watch you two," Bram spoke.
"I just practiced dagger techniques," Seris spoke.
'She's not stuttering anymore, guess she got comfortable with us.'
Liam seemed to be in a daze as his gaze was fixed on the ground where Seris had stood when she first appeared.
"You alright?" I tapped on his shoulder.
"Uhh... yeah." He nodded.
My brows furrowed.
'So he noticed too.'
I had already noticed Seris's strange behaviour, but I didn't focus on it. I had too many other things on my mind.
'So... how was I?' I asked.
'Terrible.' Vaelis answered.
'...'
'You need to focus more on your manifestation, it's the most lackluster part, and the rest is just horrid. Vaelis spoke harshly.
'Oh...'
'...However, your idea to use words as a trigger was decent.'
I smiled. 'Thanks.'
"By the way, why'd your eyes change?" Nira asked.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I questioned her.
"Your eyes changed to blue during the fight."
I looked to Liam. "Really?"
He nodded.
'...This isn't good.'
"Hmm... it happens when I cast spells of a certain element. I'm just surprised you all noticed." I made an excuse on the spot.
"I think everyone noticed." Bram spoke, "It stuck out, dude."
"It was a deep, beautiful, dark blue, like the sea," Seris spoke as if she had seen it up close.
'Okay, that was creepy.'
Nira was giving Seris an odd look. She seemed to have found it weird, too.
"Is it still blue?" I asked.
"No its back to its normal grey," Bram answered.
I clapped. "Then there's nothing to worry about, guys."
They could tell I didn't want to speak about it, so they didn't push.
'Can you tell me why, Vaelis?'
'It's your soul being reflected through your eyes.'
'What does that mean?'
'...It means your soul is large and your body reacts to it.'
'I thought souls didn't have a constant shape.'
'They don't, yours is just abnormally large and closely tied to your body.'
'Oh...'
I didn't even need to think about why; it was extremely obvious.
My soul is the mixture of two souls that created a larger one...
Mine.