Holding On

Instantly, the six trainees spurred into action. The clangour of blunted steel rang out in the Exercise square, echoing in the hearts of the spectators.

On the left side of the square, Henry and Caden - an orange-haired youth with spiky hair - clashed in steely determination. Their swords locked against each other, each vying for the upper hand.

Toward the centre, Nico saw Leon and Lucas each take a step back, the force of their clash sending tremors through their arms.

The half-blood tensed his legs and lunged, his sledgehammer barrelling forward with huge force.

Last, at the eastern edge of the designated area marked for the duels, Patricia and Kayara collided, their weapons producing a screeching sound as they impacted against each other.

The short-statured girl grit her teeth and exerted more force in her strikes. Meanwhile, her taller opponent had no change in her expression, responding in kind to the extra power burst of power sent her way.

Nico sat at the edge of his seat. He felt the tension in the air seep deeply within in his bones. His peers were all in similar states, their eyes darting across the three duels taking place, anxious excitement all over their faces.

Nico shifted his gaze and stared at the battle between the half-blood and arrogant noble in the centre.

'Come on, come on, come on. You can do this, Leon.'

He stared intensely at their movements, narrowing his eyes as if dissecting each of their moves to form a detailed image in his mind.

Increasing his concentration, Nico soon noticed the redheads clash again.

The victor of the confrontation was soon revealed, as Leon dug his heels in the ground refusing to be pushed back under Lucas's relentless assault.

The fiery-haired noble swung his axe with measured precision, each of his strikes precise and calculated to not give the half-blood any time to breathe.

He had forced Leon on the defensive.

Nico's expression turned grim, his mouth thinning into a small line as he pursed his lips. He was worried for his friend.

However, his expression soon eased.

It seemed Leon was sticking true to the reputation those of his kind possessed. The brown-haired boy witnessed the burly boy tense, his muscles bulging underneath his dark attire.

The weapon in his hands hurtling menacingly seeking to undo the noble's careful guard.

'Yes!'

Nico's elation died down a moment later, though.

Lucas had craftily evaded his opponent's attack by taking a few steps back, allowing the weapon to whisper past him before he utilised the sudden opening created from Leon overextending and retaliated.

His axe whizzed straight for his opponent's midsection.

Nico tensed, alarms bells ringing loudly in his mind. A gasp escaped several of his peers, who also had their gaze trained on the same fight.

Leon's eyes widened, not expecting such deft movements from the Stanburg Heir. He noticed the blunted axe heading his way.

The half-blood changed his grip on the sledgehammer, shifting it into a defensive position.

He strained his body, allowing large mouthfuls of air to travel to his lungs and aid his muscles. The synchronisation method granted him harmony with his body and the hammer.

Leon roared, several veins throbbing on the side of his neck.

Bang!

The heightened sound of steel clashing together rang out. The burly half-blood had blocked the attack in the nick of time.

Lucas, however, did not become discouraged. His dark smile widened, flames of insanity bursting to life in his crimson eyes.

A maniacal laugh escaped his throat, as he used his opponent's momentum against him.

The noble's axe shot through the air with great speed, striking several times in ‌a few seconds. Leon fell into the defensive for the second time.

Nico leaned forward in his seat, his brows knit together in unease. By now, thirty seconds had passed in the duel - he knew courtesy of the few timing instruments they had found on their chairs - and already his comrade was forced to defend twice, with limited opportunity to attack.

Lucas was well and truly dominating the fight.

'All I can do is hope for the best and hope that Leon survives the next few seconds, which are crucial.'

Nico narrowed his gaze once again, peering into the arrogant noble's battle style to further understand its secrets.

A seed of a plan formed in his mind.

***

'Damn it! Blasted tangerines!'

Henry internally cursed as he panted. The sword in his hand shook. He suppressed his trembling, gritted his teeth and stared at Caden with a resentful expression.

They had been going at it for close to a minute now, one that felt like a whole lifetime to Henry. His opponent was fast, more skilled and cunning than him.

It took him all his effort just to keep up, trying to limit the amount of damage he sustained from the swift strikes.

As more and more bruises formed between the points of contact of his body and Caden's sword, Henry felt a growing pit of hopelessness.

Their latest clash proved his inferiority.

He slid back a few meters, desperately trying to regain his breath.

The orange-haired youth, meanwhile, didn't care of the thoughts currently running through the farmer's mind. The mocking words of Lucas a few days before constantly flashed before his eyes, filling him with boundless fury and rage.

Caden wanted to impose his wrath on something… someone.

His gaze focused in on Henry, a sinister smile tainting his features. A low chuckle escaped his mouth, as he began walking in his opponent's direction.

The sound of his approaching steps reverberated deep in Henry's heart. The green-eyed trainee felt a shiver crawl down his spine.

He shook his head furiously and gripped his sword tightly.

Breathe in. Out. Repeat.

Breathe in. Out. Repeat.

Henry soon got his breathing under control. He wiped the sweat that formed on his brows with his sleeve and got into a stance.

'I can't let those two see me lose.' the raven-haired boy thought with a smirk, sweat dripping down his chin onto the ground below.

The thought of his two friends sent a fresh surge of energy through his body.

Henry's posture straightened.

Another rumble shook the heavens, distracting him for a moment.

He gritted his teeth as he saw Caden come closer.

'I have to hold on.'

Readying his sword, Henry scoffed and muttered in a low tone, "Come at me, ya orange bastard."

A dark grin stretched across his face.

He would do his best to hold on.