The Arena's Verdict

Elijah and Klein stood in the center of the arena, the air thick with tension as the crowd of students watched, anticipation growing with each passing second.

"You're nothing but the school's joke" Klein sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You think you can stand against me? All you know how to do is run, just like you did when you stopped coming to school."

Elijah's lips curled into a smirk, unfazed by the taunt. "Is that right? We'll see who's running soon enough."

Klein's eyes narrowed in anger, and he lunged forward with a powerful punch aimed at Elijah's face. Elijah sidestepped with ease, his movements fluid and precise, as if he had all the time in the world. Klein's fist swung through empty air, missing its mark by a mile.

"What's wrong, Klein? Is that the best you've got?" Elijah mocked, his tone light, almost playful.

Klein growled in frustration, throwing another barrage of attacks—jabs, hooks, kicks—but Elijah dodged each one with infuriating ease. The fight was clearly one-sided, with Klein growing more and more desperate as his attacks became wild and reckless.

"Do you only know how to run?" Klein spat, his voice seething with rage.

Elijah didn't bother to respond with words. Instead, he grinned wider and slapped Klein across the face—a hard, resounding smack that left a bright red mark on his cheek. The crowd gasped in surprise.

Klein staggered back, his hand instinctively going to his stinging cheek. His face was now beet red, not just from the slap but from the sheer humiliation of being toyed with in front of everyone.

Elijah continued to dodge Klein's attacks effortlessly, slapping him again and again whenever an opening presented itself. Each slap was accompanied by Elijah's mocking laughter, the sound cutting through the air like a blade.

Klein's temper flared, his humiliation boiling over into blind fury. He lashed out recklessly, his form sloppy and desperate, but every move he made only opened him up for more of Elijah's taunting blows.

"FUCK THIS!" Klein roared, his patience snapping as soul energy began to swirl around his legs. A second, more intense energy manifested beside him, taking the form of a spectral sword that appeared in his hand.

The crowd gasped again—using Soulshards in a spar was strictly against the rules.

Klein, now driven by unrestrained anger, dashed forward with incredible speed, his footwork enhanced by the speed Soulshard, while the sword in his hand gleamed menacingly. He swung at Elijah with deadly intent, his eyes wild with rage.

Elijah's grin never faltered. As Klein attacked, Elijah dodged smoothly, waiting for the perfect moment. He heard Marcus, the instructor, shouting from the sidelines, his voice filled with urgency. Elijah knew the instructor was about to intervene, but he had planned for this.

In one swift motion, Elijah sidestepped Klein's furious strike and summoned his own soul energy. A translucent stinger materialized in the air—a manifestation of his Bumblebee's Stinger Soulshard. With Klein's back fully exposed, Elijah unleashed the stinger, driving it into the base of Klein's spine with precision.

*CRACK*

The sound echoed through the gym, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present. Klein's scream of pain was guttural, raw, as he collapsed to the ground, his body unmoving.

"ELIJAH, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!" Marcus appeared beside them, too late to prevent the attack, his face a mask of shock and horror.

Elijah turned to face the instructor, a cold smile on his lips. "He broke the rules, used Soulshards in a spar. I had no choice but to defend myself."

Marcus stared at Elijah, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You hit his spine on purpose—you crippled him!"

"Not on purpose, instructor," Elijah replied calmly, his expression unflinching. "He gave me no choice. He was trying to kill me, and I took the first opening I saw."

The gym was deathly silent. The students looked at Elijah with a mixture of fear and awe, realizing that he had orchestrated everything from start to finish. Klein lay on the ground, writhing in pain, his body twitching but his legs refusing to move.

Marcus swallowed hard, his mind racing. "This is beyond my authority. The Union will have to get involved," he said, his voice strained as he gestured for some of the staff to take Klein to the infirmary. Marcus quickly made a call, his face grim as he requested the presence of Union Enforcers.

---

The Union Enforcers arrived within the hour, their presence imposing and unmistakable. Dressed in dark uniforms, their expressions stern and devoid of sympathy, they immediately took control of the situation. The lead Enforcer, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar running down his cheek, surveyed the scene with cold, calculating eyes.

"Gather everyone who was present," the lead Enforcer ordered, his voice carrying a weight that demanded obedience.

The students, now filled with trepidation, lined up to be questioned. One by one, they recounted what had happened, their voices trembling as they described the fight and the events leading up to Klein's injury. The Enforcers listened intently, their expressions unreadable as they pieced together the details.

When it was Elijah's turn, the atmosphere grew even more tense. The lead Enforcer fixed him with a piercing gaze, his eyes probing for any signs of deceit.

"Elijah Blade," the Enforcer began, his voice low and threatening, "you are accused of intentionally using a Soulshard to cripple a fellow student during a spar. How do you plead?"

Elijah met the Enforcer's gaze without flinching. "I plead not guilty," he said firmly. "Klein used Soulshards first, despite the rules. He tried to kill me, and I had no choice but to defend myself."

The Enforcer leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing. "You expect us to believe that? You knew exactly where to strike. You knew it would cripple him."

Elijah's expression remained stoic. "I did what I had to do to survive. I saw an opening, and I took it. If I hadn't, I might not be standing here right now."

The Enforcer studied him for a long moment, searching for any cracks in his story. But Elijah's face was a mask of calm resolve, betraying nothing.

After what felt like an eternity, the Enforcer straightened up and exchanged a glance with his colleagues. They nodded slightly, having heard enough.

"Klein broke the rules first," the lead Enforcer finally said, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "He used Soulshards with the intent to cause severe harm to another student. While Elijah's actions were… excessive, they were in response to a life-threatening situation. The blame lies primarily with Klein."

The judgment sent a ripple through the gathered students. Whispers spread like wildfire as the Enforcers concluded their investigation. They had saved Klein's life, but his spine had been severely damaged. Although the healers had managed to repair most of the damage, Klein would be left with weakened legs and a long recovery ahead.

Elijah was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the implications of what had transpired were clear to everyone present. As Elijah returned to the classroom, the other students avoided his gaze, a mixture of fear and respect in their eyes.

---

Back in the classroom, the atmosphere was heavy. Marcus resumed his lecture, but the energy in the room had shifted. The students were no longer just preparing for a combat test—they were keenly aware of the deadly stakes involved.

Elijah sat silently, his expression unreadable, but the tension in the room was palpable. His classmates couldn't stop glancing at him, their eyes filled with apprehension.

"The test in the A2 district will proceed as planned," Marcus continued, his voice more subdued than before. "I expect all of you to be ready. Remember, this is a test of your abilities as Bellatores. Do not take it lightly."

As the class ended, the students filed out of the room and boarded the giant floating armored bus waiting outside. The bus was massive, designed to transport them safely to the combat zone, and it hovered several feet off the ground, its armored exterior gleaming in the sunlight.

Elijah took a seat by the window, staring out as the bus lifted off, his mind already shifting to the challenges ahead. But as he glanced around at his fellow students, he could feel their eyes on him, the weight of their unease pressing down like a tangible force.

He smiled faintly to himself. "What a bunch of fucking cowards!".