59 Blood

Almost instantly metal clanked with sparks flying off. All that was shown was shadows and large sounds. A storm of weapons striking one another, and the air becoming frenzied. It was as though they had both disappeared into the wind at least from a mortal perspective. For a knight, it was fairly fast and, for me it was pathetically slow but their fighting styles had some rough talent.

Jerome was quick, but weak his strikes were meant to redirect force and send it back to Samuel. Samuel used few strikes all filled with immense power, which made him slow in comparison. Even with their polar fighting styles, the fight reached a stasis. Or maybe it's because of their polar fighting styles, that it turned into a tie rather quickly.

Jerome, changed his stance giving up on defense and only taking offense. He moved like the shadows changing position and size incredibly fast. When Samuel would strike Jerome was already gone, but then Jerome was back attacking once again. Samuel was forced on the defensive to deal with the various strikes.

He bobbed up and down all around avoiding the little dagger. The dagger was striking at his sensitive points like his neck and arteries. For this kind of battle that was dangerous, and normally the teachers would stop any deadly moves. But a fight between geniuses means no holding back, even the teachers wouldn't want to change that.

After all, they want the very best not just some uncertain scum. Samuel's muscles bulged his body grow almost half a meter, even his clothes became partially ripped. He looked like a savage divinity, the crowd started to roar in response especially the barbarians.

"Barbarian transformation...." John said in a dreadful voice.

Earlier he was beaten even without the transformation yet now seeing the transformation, John's face was ripe with fear and sadness. It took a special type of person to see this but get motivated instead of afraid. John was not that kind of person he could never be that, I evaluated in a cold rational tone. It was how I liked myself best, cold, rational, and unfeeling.

All of a sudden Samuel's speed was significantly boosted. He roared in anger and flailed his ax around like a hammer. Jerome quickly moved to dodge but only making it by a hair. His right arm was even partially skinned by the ax's momentum. He dodged back a distance, before using his robe to stop the bleeding on his arm.

His healing was rather slow, but it was possible to tell that the blood stopped flowing. He gritted his teeth, as his dagger became 2 then all of sudden 4 and finally 8 different daggers. All intersecting with all his new various hands, he looked like an 8 handed shura.

Multifarious attacks abounded in a single instant. The daggers would redirect the force and strike back all at once. But Samuel's force was so great it could cut through it. It was easy to tell that Jerome was slightly inferior.

'There is still danger in only relying on speed.' I thought as I watched stone-faced.

Speed ends up being defensive, he should have taken his speed offensively instead. Samuel switched the side of his ax and rammed the wooden part into Jerome. He flew a short distance before losing his balance, the shura arms faded leaving him with one dagger.

He was breathing hard, and he was blooded and weak. Unable to stand up and his handsomeness warped by his malevolent feelings. The dagger was red from his blood, and then the red darkened. It became a dark red color after it mixed with his blood for a while.

"Blood dagger." He uttered in malevolence

The dagger glowed, and his splattered blood flew out like a hidden dagger. It was all over the arena, and it struck at Samuel, who was unaware. Cutting his back and forcing him forward, then all of a sudden Jerome jumped forward. He held the dagger to Samuel's neck. It was so bloody it created the illusion of cutting his neck.

Jerome sheathed his dagger and jumped away from Samuel, whose face was utterly dumbfounded. But he had no face of protest, he understood his loss. He bowed respectfully and walked out of the arena in shame. But the crowd wasn't going to let that happen, they yelled out his name.

"SAMUEL, SAMUEL, SAMUEL." They saw him as honorable, not as a failure.

But Jerome just smiled a malevolent smile, he had defeated him and so he was a loser. He looked at me, with that same malevolent look. I didn't like it bad intentions against me, was the best way to get killed by me.

"Jerome is the winner." The assistant headmaster said as he looked at Samuel, he was concerned about his condition from his face. It made me question his involvement with Samuel, but I had no proof to validate it. Jerome gloated off the arena and went to his class. He was seated with the beauties of his class who were fawning up to him. Even at a young age, boys would act like boys I thought coldly.

"Next: Aria vs Clinton." The assistant headmaster said in a solemn voice. Clinton was a bit of a dark horse, he was unexpectedly skilled, even from my point of view.

So they badly want to find out his full potential, after all, some fall through the cracks on any test. No matter how diverse, or allowing a test is for students. The same pinked haired loli walked on stage, with Clinton's grim eyes meeting her happy ones. His eyes squinted and he unsheathed his cutlass, He surprisingly dual wielded it, unlike last time. He took a defensive stance, as Aria smiled at his response.

"Why so cold Clinton?" She said in a cutesy voice

"Dangerous." He said in an icy tone with his cutlass threatening to slash her apart.

It was a strange scene the grim warrior was a bloody cutlass, was terrified of the pink haired unarmed loli. The stood a short distance from each other awaiting the assistant headmaster.

"Ready."

"Set."

"FIGHT!" The assistant headmaster yelled out in sequence

But the fight didn't start, they just stood there unable to move. But the fight had already started, it was a mental fight. The first to move, to break the tension would be the first to lose. Because they would have to reveal there intent. Aria took no stance, the entire time just lightly bouncing on her feet. Her face intoxicatingly cute with her constant smile.

"BOOM."

All of a sudden, the ground Aria was stepping on collapsed. Clinton moved quickly, running forward with his cutlass. He swung to slash her in half without any regrets. Aria winked and smiled before she disappeared. He cut nothing but air and looked around in fear. He had moved quickly hoping to end it quickly. But now she had the upper hand, and he was stuck on the defensive.

Then he felt a kick to his back, it was light but was like a sharp knife. I could tell based on his facial expression, it hit his spine in a bad place. He quickly turned with his cutlass, to cut her apart with a spin. She then jumped up dodging his spinning attack, he jumped back and made some distance.

He took deep breathes and relaxed his body. Trying to avoid stress on his spine at all costs. Aria's face distorted with murderous intentions, her cute symmetrical face becoming demonic. She jumped at him with knife hands, throwing her hands like knives cutting through the air. Clinton guarded with his cutlass, hoping to cut her.

But she gripped his sword safely and with her leg, she kicked the sword away from him. He scurried away in further fear and looked at his hands. The fingers were distorted and broken in various positions. He gritted his teeth in pain and forced them back into place.

"I surrender." He uttered in a grim and tired voice.

With his barely recovered hands, he took back his cutlass and left the arena in an utter stupor. The crowd was left stunned at Aria's power, even I was surprised. With a single kick she had destroyed his hands, she was holding back earlier.

'She's much stronger than I expected.' I thought in solemn silence

She bowed in schadenfreude as Clinton left the arena. She wasn't honorable, she just followed procedure. She was even slimmer than Jerome, at least he didn't hide his intentions. Her murderous face receded as she donned a fake smile. Acting as though she hadn't nearly crippled him before. Even the teachers were surprised, I could see the assistant headmaster massage his temples.

"Round 3 shall begin." The assistant headmaster said when he felt better

"Aria is exempt from combat."

"Jerome vs Lucas. Please enter the arena." He said in a booming voice as the crowd murmured

'Exactly as expected, of course, it is a given that I will ultimately be the winner.' I thought as I smiled at Jerome, whose eyes were filled with ambition and resentment.