19 Martial Arts Competition (Part 3)

Aerik and I take a defensive stance automatically as Norman walks closer. He is like a devil incarnate walking out of hell. Ever since meeting him on my sixth birthday and bumping into him during Day 2 of the orientation tests, he has grown more resentful and sinister.

I can't make heads or tails where he can become such a dark force that even I have to guard against him. He isn't even restraining himself. On the other hand, Aerik bites his lips. I can tell he is barely holding back from attacking Norman. He decides to be diplomatic instead.

"How could you be so hostile to my sister? She did not do anything to warrant your rage or hatred."

Norman's expression keeps getting darker, word by word. "Exactly. She. Did. Not. Do. Anything," he emphasizes each word. Aerik was about to question him further, but Norman is beyond diplomacy.

I grab Aerik's sleeve. When I got his attention, I shake my head and step forward.

"Then beat me Norman, but remember that I won't fall to your petty threats. If you want to hear me scream, then fight me with all you got. I'm just going to warn you this one and only time, this bird sings a song of death."

I coldly turn my back on him after saying what I need to. Aerik catches up to me. At the corner of my eye, the Aquane noble stood with his arms crossed. He nods at me slightly before walking down another hallway.

"Don't let Norman get to you," Aerik advises me before going to his seat. He looks like he wanted to go up with me on the stage but he has to follow the rules. The stage is for contestants only. I nod in response.

I walk out into the cheering crowds. Although the break was only 30 minutes, I feel like everything has changed within those few seconds encountering Norman. I stare at Lord Vernon. I have an inkling that there is more to this than I originally thought. What happened between my sixth birthday to now? Lord Vernon must have felt me stare because his head turned towards my direction. His dark eyes trying to pierce into my soul. There is something evil growing within him. I mentally shiver. If I am getting bothered by this, it must be worse than I can ever imagine.

I recall mother finally sensing something strange after healing Norman and interacting with Lord Vernon. I do not know what she thinks now but she treats Lord Vernon the same.

The announcer begins, "We are now down to the last 15 candidates. We will be doing this a bit differently. Each contestant will wear these bells. Whoever retrieves both bells before the time limit of 20 minutes wins. If the bells are damaged in any way or the person obtains only one bell loses. The boundaries still apply." It seems pretty straightforward until the announcer adds the twist. "Weapons are allowed." The arena became abruptly silent before bursting with comments.

"I thought this is only for martial arts."

"My baby is going against those monsters who trained their whole life. Isn't it unfair to add weapons on top of it?"

"This is incredible. We can finally see how powerful the nobles are."

The crowd roared with differing opinions. Among the remaining contestants, some looked sick and others looked excited.

The announcer brings his hand up for silence. "The weapons will be provided with blunt edges. Personal weapons are not allowed or it is an automatic disqualification and the candidate will be banned from entering the Academy forever." There is a glint in the announcer's eyes as he explains. The crowd collectively decide to remain quiet.

I find where my parents, brothers, and Galen were sitting. My parents stayed calm in front of this plot twist while my brothers and Galen look worried. Especially Aerik since I will be going against Norman.

"We will now have Numbers 13 and 29 to choose their weapons." We walk towards the box where there is a pile of blunt weapons. There are daggers, short swords, whips, and knuckles. I mostly used daggars or short swords on my missions and my favorite custom made gun. When I had to dress like a prostitute, I used jewelry that contained poison, and sashes for close combat. I am also very familiar with the mechanics of the whip and made a custom made whip for these purposes as well.

I should use the short sword since father trained me to use it. I glance over to Norman who is busily choosing a pair of knuckles. From his choice of weapon, he is planning a close range combat. I look at the two weapons- the short sword and the whip- and hesitate. I would be forced to do close hand combat if I choose the short sword which is not bad but this body is too weak to go against Norman head on. The whip will at least help me widen the distance between us and eventually overpower Norman. The reason I hesitate is because father is already suspicious with my skillset. It's a bit believable learning techniques from books and applying to my training since father witnessed my progress, but weaponry has not been a priority.

"Have you both chose your weapons?" the announcer says. I quickly decide to pick up the whip. Norman snickers when he sees my choice. His eyes seem to say that "a coward will always be a coward." The whip is not really seen as a weapon since it does not cause debilitating injuries, but little does anyone realize, if used right the whip can do just as much damage or more to the other person. It can cause lasting scars on a person's back or severely damage nerves and blood vessels.

The crowd seem to feel the same way as Norman because I hear the commoners bet on Norman's win. I take a look at my family and the royals, curious to know what they think.

My family looks a bit unsure of my choice. Father can't seem to decide how to feel since his face expressions change from confused, concerned, and uneasy. On the other hand, the royal family was staring curiously. Their body language emphasizes that. I mentally sigh. This will be either advantageous or disadvantageous for me when the competition ends.

The assistants gave Norman and I the bells which we tie onto our belt. The bells jingles as we take our stance on our respective sides. The announcer clears his throat. "You both have 20 minutes. You may begin." After the announcer puts down his hand and makes his escape to his chair, the crowd cheers as the battle begins.

I take a deep breath and stare deeply into Norman's eyes. Let's settle this once and for all, I challenged him with my own piercing stare.