Damn it! Are we senior students being utterly disregarded?
Heh, this is quite amusing, truly amusing. It seems this year’s new batch of students possesses a rather audacious streak.
It’s nothing, merely a few hotheads. They emerge every year, and a thorough lesson always brings them to heel.
****
The senior students exchanged glances, their gazes sweeping across the field, yet none harbored any intention of stepping into the fray. It wasn’t born of apprehension, but rather a conviction that their intervention was wholly unnecessary. In their estimation, it would be a profound waste of talent for them, seasoned third- and fourth-tier students, to contend with mere newcomers.
“Well then, Senior Kairi, given your unparalleled academic standing here, do you not intend to step forward and set an example for us all?” From a corner of the red table, a senior student with a closely-cropped haircut turned his gaze toward the white-clad youth at an adjacent table, who was idly sipping tea, and urged him on with a jovial chuckle.
“Oh, come now. I’ve been pursuing my studies in the Advanced Academy for more than four years. To ask me to bully a newly arrived junior student—it simply wouldn’t be right, no matter how you look at it.”
The white-clad youth, Kairi, offered a faint shake of his head. He was no naive fool; such transparent ploys held no sway over him. With a sudden, enigmatic smile, he raised a hand and called out, “Esteemed Mentors, if truly no suitable candidate presents themselves, I humbly propose Junior Hansen Tijie. His drawing sword technique has reportedly seen significant breakthroughs recently, and this occasion would prove an excellent opportunity for the three of you to offer him some valuable guidance.”
“Senior Kairi, you—” Hansen had merely aimed to playfully prod Kairi, hoping to cause him a fleeting moment of discomfort. He had utterly failed to anticipate such a forceful counter-strike from Kairi, leaving him momentarily speechless.
“Hansen Tijie, Advanced Academy student, step forward.”
Before Hansen could utter a single word in explanation, Dannich, serving as the chief examiner, promptly issued the summons, his demeanor as decisive and efficient as ever.
“Yes!” Left with no recourse, Hansen rose from his seat, a rueful expression clouding his face, and strode forward, halting precisely ten meters opposite You’er.
“This is both an assessment and a wager.” Chilong exhaled a plume of smoke, his magnetic voice imbued with a distinct air of detachment. “Failure, for either of you, will incur a cost.”
Upon hearing Chilong’s words, You’er remained perfectly composed, for the consequence of her failure had been predetermined from the outset: nothing less than the loss of her and Timobi’s eligibility to enroll in Gatarnia Academy.
What, then, would be Hansen’s price?
“Should I lose, I am prepared to forfeit five thousand ‘exchange points’.” Hansen mused for a moment before articulating his terms.
“Insufficient. Let it be twenty thousand.” Chilong snuffed out the cigarette held between his fingers, his gaze briefly lifting as he delivered his succinct pronouncement.
“Hiss! Damn it, Chief Mentor Chilong remains as merciless as ever! A staggering twenty thousand contribution points! If Hansen were to lose, he could bid farewell to any cultivation resources from the academy this year!”
Nearby, the senior students drew in sharp breaths, each of them casting a gleeful, somewhat malicious glance toward Hansen. As for the examinees—or rather, the nascent new students—though their faces bore expressions of utter bewilderment, they nonetheless grasped that these ‘exchange points’ must represent something immensely precious.
“This… this situation has escalated considerably.”
The dramatic turn of events left even Kairi utterly flabbergasted. A pang of regret struck him, for if Hansen were to lose after being so adroitly maneuvered into this predicament, Kairi himself would surely bear a share of the blame.
“Mentor Chilong, I am indeed willing to wager the exchange points. However, what tangible advantage does this offer me? If she emerges victorious, she gains entry to the academy with a ‘Magicless One’ and acquires twenty thousand of my exchange points. Yet, should I win, there appears to be no substantial benefit for myself… [Though I harbor no belief that I will lose.]”
Hansen’s final remark was unspoken, a thought kept to himself. Unquestionably, he sought to secure his own interests.
“Should you prevail, I shall allocate twenty thousand exchange points to you.”
Chilong’s voice remained calm, yet his words unleashed a torrent of uproar.
“Holy hell—a windfall from the heavens!”
“Chief Mentor Chilong, I, too, wish to participate! Is it still possible to request a change of combatants?”
****
The senior students were consumed by profound regret, their insides twisting in agony. Had they but known of the twenty thousand exchange points to be gained so effortlessly, they would have long since clamored before Chilong. As expected, Chilong remained utterly oblivious to their desperate lamentations.
“Heh, do you truly believe Hansen has those twenty thousand exchange points secured?” A sudden, chilling laugh sliced through the clamor, restoring a profound quiet to the training grounds. All the students turned their gazes toward Dannich, who had uttered the remark, their eyes wide with astonishment.
Could a mere new student possibly overcome a senior student so meticulously cultivated by the academy?
The answer resonating within each of them was an unequivocal negative. They harbored no belief in such an outcome, yet dared not voice their skepticism, choosing instead to settle their minds and await the commencement of this clash between new and old.
“Do you accept the wager?” Chilong inquired, his gaze fixed upon Hansen.
“I do!” Hansen affirmed with an immediate nod. She was merely a new student; if he were to show fear now, he would surely lose all standing within the academy thereafter.
With the exception of Chilong, everyone else instinctively retreated, ceding the hundred-meter radius of space to You’er and Hansen.
“Are we both to wield live blades?” Hansen inquired, his hand brushing the weapon sheathed at his waist, as he addressed Chilong.
“To not employ one’s own sword—or weapon, for that matter—would hardly qualify one as a true Sword Wielder,” Chilong responded with a quiet pronouncement.
“Assume the sword-holding stance!” Standing with folded arms midway between the two combatants, Chilong issued his command.
The sword-holding salute was a gesture of respect performed by Sword Wielders when engaging in sparring matches, a practice strictly mandated within every academy.
“I am considerably older than you, and I possess two additional years of cultivation experience within this academy. Perhaps you will perceive this as an unfair advantage, but I must apologize… for such is the inherent unfairness of this world.” Hansen’s weapon, a katana approximately three feet in length, was cradled against his chest. His words drifted softly to You’er’s ears as he performed the salute.
“Will you show me leniency simply because of this perceived unfairness?” You’er inquired abruptly, her Hidden Edge clasped in her arms, as she addressed Hansen.
“No…” Unprepared for such a direct question from You’er, Hansen faltered for a moment before shaking his head.
“Then, were your words just now of any consequence?” You’er retorted, her voice carrying a distinct rhetorical edge.
“I, Hansen Tijie, will show no mercy!” Hansen reiterated, a flicker of genuine anger now evident in his voice.
“Gugu You’er Guinevere. I await your instruction!” You’er declared, her expression remaining utterly serene.
“‘Guinevere’…? An unfamiliar surname. Could they perhaps hail from some reclusive, hidden clan?”
Beyond the arena, Dannich and Sifney exchanged a knowing glance, a shared flicker of bewilderment reflected in their eyes. For You’er to have attained the rank of Sword Master at such a tender age, and to have grasped the essence of sword intent, they simply could not conceive that she lacked the guidance of powerful ancestors.
“Commence.”
Within the arena, no ostentatious opening declaration was made. With Chilong’s understated command, this astonishingly high-stakes duel officially commenced.
Boom!
The moment his words faded, a torrential surge of aura, akin to a raging tempest, erupted from Hansen’s very being. This formidable presence, several degrees more potent than that of a High-tier Swordsman, verged on the absolute pinnacle attainable by any Swordsman.
His figure, swift as a gale, launched into a powerful sprint toward You’er.
As Hansen charged, he conspicuously refrained from drawing his blade, instead keeping his left hand firmly upon the katana’s hilt at his waist. His left shoulder thrust forward, his footwork a blur of rapid, interlocking steps, yet executed with unwavering stability.
‘A Sword Wielder specializing in drawing sword techniques, then?’
You’er’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, instantly deciphering Hansen’s distinct combat style. With a subtle flick of her wrist, Hidden Edge seamlessly slid into the scabbard at her waist. She then sank into a low stance, gripping the sword, mirroring the preparatory posture for drawing a blade. Ethereal blue elemental energy surged into Hidden Edge; though still sheathed, the glint of its formidable edge was already discernible.
“Damn it! Has this new student lost her mind? She intends to challenge Hansen in drawing sword techniques?!”
“That’s utterly illogical! Hansen’s cultivation realm already far surpasses hers. Her most prudent course of action should surely be to evade his initial onslaught!”
“It’s over. It seems she truly is nothing more than an inexperienced, headstrong youth.”
“Hmph, to dare utter such grandiose claims, I had imagined her to be some extraordinary individual. Yet, she is merely mediocre, nothing more.”
****
The senior students engaged in hushed whispers, yet only Chilong, Dannich, Sifney, and You’er herself maintained expressions of unwavering calm.
“Sister You’er, you can do it!…”
Beyond the periphery of the field, Timobi, having been pushed to the very rear, found himself unable to even glimpse the unfolding events. He could only offer silent prayers, unwavering in his conviction that You’er would undoubtedly emerge victorious.
For his Sister You’er was truly formidable!