Spar

Inside the Drasca Estate

"I admire your talent, Sid," said Dominic with a glint in his eye. "Let's put it to the test, shall we? How about we have a friendly sparring match? I'll limit myself to using only Integration."

Sid agreed, feeling that this spar would be very beneficial to him.

"I'm in your care, senior."

"Shall we head to the training area?" Dominic asked , motioning for Sid and Evangeline to follow. They made their way to the wide open area where the knights were currently training. As they walked, several knights who saw them immediately greeted Dominic.

"Welcome back, Young Master Dominic!" One of them called out.

"It's good to see you back, young master," another person joined the conversation. It was an aged man wearing a simple white Tunic.

"I just got back, Master Dan," Dominic bowed his head in respect.

The person he greeted was Dan Drasca, a retired 3-Star Knight and the head instructor of this place.

"Hello, Evangeline. I apologize for not assisting your family" Dan apologized.

"It's ok, I understand " Evangeline replied with a genuine smile. She knew that the Drasca family wasn't in a position to help because of the Rosegold and Summer family alliance.

"Thank you for your understanding" Dan replied and then his gaze shifted to Sid.

"Who's the kid, young master?" Dan asked.

"His name is Sid Silvercraft, and he might not be an official knight, but his power is already above ordinary 2-Star,"

"What a talent !" Dan exclaimed, impressed by Sid's power despite not seeing him fight yet. He had enough experience to determine that the young man in front of him was no ordinary person just from looking at his demeanor.

Dominic nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, he is. That's why I thought it would be a good idea for us to spar."

Sid nodded , feeling excited about the opportunity to spar with a genius knight. A genius Knight was a title only given to few selected people in the kingdom who has the potential to become a Grand Knight someday, and Dominic being one showed how powerful he was.

"Please prepare the main battle platform for us," Dominic requested .

"I'll lead the way " Dan bowed his head.

As they made their way to the platform, the trainee knights stopped their practice and watched the battle that would soon unfold.

"Are they planning to spar?"

"Who's that young kid?"

"Young Master Dominic is one of the most talented knights of his generation. I doubt that he would spar with someone ordinary."

"I think this will be a good show. I even heard that the young master had already reached 3-Star rank."

"Oh, then this would be a good fight. But I doubt he will use his full power in this spar ."

Some were skeptical that Dominic would spar with someone so young, while others were excited to see their young master in action.

"Are you ready, Sid?" Dominic asked , a hint of overwhelming confidence lingers in his voice. It was not because of his ego or anything like that , he was simply confident of his overwhelming talent.

"I'm ready," Sid replied, unsheathing his sword from his waist.

Dominic chuckled and also unsheathed his sword, and they began their sparring match.

Before beginning the spar, both of them sized each other up, their eyes locked in fierce confrontation. Sid stepped forward with his front foot, extending his sword out in front of him, ready to lunge forward and attack.

Dominic, on the other hand, held his sword high above his head, with the blade pointing upward. His front foot was slightly forward, and his back foot angled outward for balance.

Sid activated his skill first, using his full power right from the start. Blue energy flowed through his body, its manifestation almost looking like he was enveloped in flames.

"This kid's Integration is so powerful," exclaimed Dan. He had never seen someone so young with such pure energy before. Even his young master was not this powerful when he was only at the 2-Star level.

'A genius among genius? Interesting ' Dominic chuckled and was impressed again. He knew that Sid's pure energy was impressive enough to rank him in the top 10 of his university.

Not wanting to be outshined, Dominic also used Integration, and blue energy flowed throughout his body. As expected for a genius like him, his power was in no way inferior to Sid's.

However, he knew that it was due to his experience and expertise as a 3-star knight, and also being older .

After a moment of silence, Sid finally attacked with all his might.

As Sid lunged forward, Dominic sidestepped, easily dodging the attack. He counterattacked with a swift strike, which Sid narrowly blocked.

The two continued to exchange blows, Sid attacking with all his might, and Dominic calmly deflecting each strike. Sid's speed and power were impressive, but Dominic's superior skill and experience made him a formidable opponent.

As the spar continued, Sid became more and more frustrated, his attacks becoming increasingly desperate. He knew that he was outmatched, but he refused to back down.

Dominic noticed Sid's frustration and decided to give him some advice. "Sid, you're letting your emotions get the best of you. Stay calm and focused. Use your energy efficiently and don't waste your movements."

Sid nodded, taking in Dominic's advice. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He focused on his breathing, channeling his energy in a more controlled manner.

With newfound focus, Sid launched a series of precise strikes, each one aimed with precision and purpose. Dominic parried each one with ease, but he could sense the improvement in Sid's technique. He was beginning to feel a little bit intimidated by Sid's ability to improve in such a small amount of time.

"Impressive," Dominic said, acknowledging Sid's improvement. "You're learning quickly. Too quickly in fact"

Sid grinned, feeling a sense of pride at Dominic's words. "Thank you, senior. Your advice was really helpful."

The two continued their spar, their swords clashing in a rhythmic dance. The other knights watching from the sidelines were mesmerized by their skill, their eyes following each movement with rapt attention.

After several more minutes of intense combat, Dominic finally made his move. With a quick and efficient strike, he disarmed Sid, sending his sword flying through the air.

"That's enough for today," he said, offering Sid a hand to help him up. "You did well, but you still have much to learn."

Sid felt humbled, realizing just how much he had to improve. He had the raw power to compete with Dominic but the gap in technique and battle awareness was very wide.

"Thank you, " he thanked Dominic for the spar, feeling grateful for the experience.

Dominic smiled, happy to have helped. "You're welcome, Sid. Keep training, and one day you'll be better than me"

The two shared a moment of mutual respect, their swords now at their sides. The other knights clapped in appreciation, acknowledging the incredible display of skill they had just witnessed.

The spar may have ended, but the lessons and experience gained would stay with Sid for a long time to come.

Author's note

Great news! Thanks to your support and powerstones, my two books will be featured tomorrow in the "Editor's Choice" section. I will be uploading two chapters at different timeframes tomorrow for you all.