Intermediate exam

Everyone woke up early in the morning today. The stress was at an all time high. If the trainees passed this exam today they could directly become a soldier after the training grounds ended, but if they couldn't they would have to try again next month. No one wanted that.

"Hey Will. Are you ready for today?"

"Hey, yes I think our training this past week has really paid off, and you?"

"Hah, I think so too. Anyway let's wait and see how the exam will be conducted."

All the trainees were in their designated grounds. At the moment all of the sword ground trainees were gathered around a big stone square that was elevated around a meter over the ground. On top of the stone square Teacher Boris could be seen looking at all the trainees.

"I see the day has come along. Today is exam day. You have all been working for one purpose and one purpose only. To pass this exam today. This is a great opportunity for each one of you. I want you to give it your all. I want you to crave this so much that can't sleep at night. Anyways, I know more than half of you won't pass anyway, I won't allow weaklings to become soldiers. If you want to pass this exam, you're going to have to bleed for it." Teacher Boris made an incentivizing speech? Or he was trying to scare them? It was quite confusing, but after all, Teacher Boris wasn't your normal guy either.

"Okay, kids. The exam is simple. Each one of you is going to come up on the stage and fight me. And notice that I said fight and not spar. Even though we are using wooden swords, I want you to attack with the intention of killing. It's not like you could even scratch me but that is not the main point here. I would also like to say that at the intermediate level the trainees will be able to train with real sharp swords. So take that as an incentive as well. Okay, let's start."

That information made quite the stir with the trainees, most of them couldn't wait to start using a real sword.

"Okay to start it off I am going to call here on stage trainee William."

"Right off the bat, that is unlucky, but I am sure you got this in the bag. Good luck." Clint tried to encourage William to do his best.

Everyone opened a way to the stairs that led up to the stage so that William could make his way up. Now on the stage William gave Teacher Boris a look and went to grab one of the wooden swords there. He went back and faced Teacher Boris from a fair distance.

"Okay. On account of three. One… two… three…"

When the countdown ended William stood still. He remembered the encounter with the wolf, Teacher Boris was the wolf now, he was the predator, one wrong move and it was over. Seeing that his trainee wouldn't attack Teacher Boris started to decrease the distance between them.

"Are you not going to attack? I have all the time in the world."

Seeing Teacher Boris getting closer William knew he needed to act. Seeing no opening in his stance William went in for a horizontal slash onto Teacher Boris waist. When the hit got blocked William tried to go in for a left leg kick to the other side of the waist. It was a move that often worked on Clint. Seeing the incoming attack, Teacher Boris grabbed William's leg and turned around, throwing him on the ground.

"Is that all? Man, this year's batch is really bad."

William got up from the ground and one again took his stance, this time he went in for a series of attacks. A horizontal slash from the sky, blocked. A stab aimed onto his chest, blocked. A slash and a puns, blocked. Nothing worked on Teacher Boris and Williams' stamina was starting to deplete. He had scratches all over his body, sometimes Teacher Boris would graze his skin with the wooden sword and that would open a small cut on his skin that started to bleed. William has used his Ki yet, and he doesn't want to. He wants to see just how far he can get in a fair fight.

"Come on kid, I know you can do better than this."

Even with his encouraging words nothing worked. And that was when it clicked in Williams mind. He was a shit sword user. Yes, he was the best at the class but that was because of his strong body. The trainees were at a level that the physique overshadowed the skill. So William had an idea.

"Oh, that's a bold move young man."

William threw his sword away, he was now facing teacher Boris with his two hands lifted and covering his face.

"Okay, let's see how this goes."

After saying that teacher Boris attacked William, not the other way around, now that William did not have to think about how to move the sword and how to predict and counter with the sword he could just avoid the attack by moving his body. And William was a master at moving his body.

Teacher Boris went for a slash at William's abdomen, seeing the incoming attack William jumped back narrowly avoiding the hit and jumped back in. Seeing that teacher Boris increased the distance so that he could attack with the sword and William could not reach him with his fists.

"You see that is the problem with martial arts. Their range is just too small, against a sword user you are automatically in a disadvantage."

The fight continued. William would avoid some of the attacks of teacher Boris but would still get hurt, and his injuries were accumulating with time. The fight had already gone over 10 minutes. That was more time than any of the trainees could fight for. William was exhausted, physically and mentally. He didn't know what to do, anything he tried failed.

"Haaa haaaa haaaa" panting William stood there facing teacher Boris, who didn't have one drop of sweat on his face.

"Just once… haaa I got to haaaa hit him… once." William said to himself. The audience was totally absorbed in the fight. The ferocity of William and the swift counters from teacher Boris made this one incredible fight.

William was going to try something else, something he didn't do before. He didn't even know if it was legal, but he had to try.

Teacher Boris went in for another attack noticing his posture William knew he had a feeling in him that teacher Boris would go for a stab. And that is what he wanted. Waiting for the stab to come he waited till the sword was far enough for him to reach it. He bent his head to the right avoiding the point of the sword and with his right hand he grabbed the sword. The impulse of the thrust made Williams' hand burn with the friction. Teacher Boris was caught off guard by this action, he never expected William to do something like this. He hesitated for a second, and that was the second that William needed to connect one punch onto teacher Boris' face.

'Pah'

Quiet. No one around the stage talked. They were all shocked.

"Got you!" William said to his teacher before collapsing on the ground of exaustion.