Heroes [III]

Michael ducked beneath the incoming punch and thrust the pommel of his sword into his attacker's abdomen.

Without pause, he spun around, slashing at another Cadet who rushed him, and jumped back just in time to evade a fireball that streaked past.

He glanced around.

There were seven Cadets surrounding him. They started attacking him out of nowhere!

Well, he had an idea.

They began attacking him after Samael yelled. 

So, it didn't take Michael long to put two and two together.

The answer was simple.

That bastard had put them up to this.

But why were they listening to him? Samael wasn't even a high-noble anymore.

As far as Michael knew, his father had banished him from the family. So, what was Samael doing still commanding these people? Did he buy them?

Just then, Michael's gaze landed on her.

A girl with hair as white as untouched snow stood at a safe distance, her frigid blue eyes studying his every movement with cold detachment.

Juliana. Samael's Shadow.

Suddenly, it all clicked. It wasn't Samael.

She was the one pulling the strings here, pitting these Cadets against him.

This wasn't the first time Michael had seen her do something similar. 

He had seen how she ruined friendships, made people hate each other, and turned proud nobles into her mindless playthings in less than a few days.

It wasn't just her beauty — though that certainly helped — it was something deeper, something far more dangerous, something that Michael couldn't put a finger on.

There was an ethereal quality about her, something that drew people toward her like moths to a flame.

And by the time they realized they were caught in her web, it was far too late.

They were already burning.

Michael had to admit, even he'd felt drawn to her when he first saw her. Until he witnessed what she did to others. It was impressive. And terrifying.

She was dangerous.

"Tsk," he clicked his tongue and dodged two more fireballs before darting toward the girl who was breathing them.

In a quick motion, he slipped behind her and knocked her out with a chop to the back of her neck.

Turning around, he then deflected a dagger aimed at his chest and grabbed the assailant by the collar.

Without a second thought, he lifted him up and… threw him!

He threw a person! Straight at Juliana!

Michael understood her game. She was using these Cadets as pawns, bait to distract him so she could move in when his guard was down.

After all, he was one man. If several people attacked him all at once, his back would be turned to one of them.

It was a clever plan, but not if he turned her own tactics against her.

Not if he started throwing these baits at her, instead.

Juliana's eyes widened upon seeing a boy come flying at her.

She dodged just in time, moving out of the way and letting him crash to the ground behind her. 

But before she could recover, another body came hurtling toward her.

Then another.

Michael threw the Cadets one after another, giving her no room to breathe.

She barely managed to avoid each one, her usual grace disrupted by the sheer force of his relentless assault.

And when her balance was off for the briefest moment, Michael was on her.

He appeared in front of her in a blur, his leg whipping through the air in a sharp arc.

She attempted to block his kick with her rapier, but the impact still sent her staggering sideways.

Her blade broke and one of her orbs shattered.

Juliana coughed, spitting blood, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, the crimson smearing across her lips.

She straightened, her composure never faltering, and smiled.

It was a sharp, dangerous smile.

"Sorry about your sword," Michael said, walking up to her but keeping a cautious distance.

He wasn't foolish enough to drop his guard around her. Not even for a second.

Juliana's smile sharpened even more, like the edge of a blade. 

"Oh, don't worry about it," she replied, her tone darkly amused. "It wasn't even my main weapon."

As if on cue, an Item Card manifested above her shoulder, shimmering in the air before a short sword appeared in her left hand, formed from a whirlwind of light sparks.

It was a curved, single-edged blade forged from black steel with a mesmerizing wave pattern that seemed to glow faintly.

The hilt, made from polished dark wood, looked darker than the blade itself.

It was a wakizashi.

But Juliana wasn't done yet.

A second sword appeared in her dominant hand, similar in looks but this one slightly larger. 

It was a katana.

Michael narrowed his eyes. "Dual-wielding?"

This was his first time seeing something like this.

Dual-wielding required precision, balance, and almost inhuman coordination. One wrong move, and your defenses would be wide open.

And it didn't grant much offensive prowess, either.

A single sword with two hands could deliver devastating power in each strike, but with two swords? Each hit was weaker and less controlled.

That's why even master swordsmen often avoided this style despite having the skill for it.

So why did she choose this? Did she think she could pull it off?

Was she that confident?

Juliana pointed her katana at him with a slight smirk on her red lips.

"This isn't just any dual-wielding. The technique I'm about to show you is called Two Heavens as One," she declared. "By the way, I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Juliana Vox Blade. And you?"

Usually, Juliana couldn't care less about her opponents. They were just obstacles, temporary challenges to be dealt with and forgotten.

But this guy? He was different. In the few seconds she'd faced him, she could sense it — his strength wasn't normal.

He wasn't just strong. He was a monster.

The exam had started in the morning. It was now edging into evening.

By this point, even the strongest Cadets were flagging. Everyone was exhausted after hours of continuous combat.

But him? He still had enough strength to spare to throw people around like ragdolls!

How was that even possible?

Michael's voice broke through her thoughts, his tone dry. "What do you mean? You know me. I was in your class!"

Juliana blinked, genuinely taken aback. "No? I don't forget faces."

Michael's mouth fell open. "I sat behind you in bio everyday!"

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, in a rare display of emotion, Juliana's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Wait! Y-You're Michael?! But you were so… so…" She trailed off, staring at him. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Michael shrugged, now half-embarrassed. "I awakened?"

Juliana couldn't believe it.

She remembered him. 

She remembered everyone in her year.

This guy used to be short, round, with dark circles under his lustreless eyes. But now he was tall, lean, and good-looking?!

Sure, people changed after their Awakening, but not THIS much!

Juliana shook her head and smoothed her expression. "Ah, forgive me for not recognizing you. You look… good? Listen, I'm not in the medical field or anything, but I'm pretty sure shredding that much weight that fast can't be healthy."

"...What do you mean THAT much weight?!" Michael shot back, clearly offended. "I was just a little chubby!"

"Nuh-uh," Juliana said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You were like… how do I put this nicely… like a sack of potatoes?"

Michael was at a loss for words. It took him half a minute to find his voice back.

"What the hell is wrong with you and that bastard? Are you guys fatphobic or something?! Huh? Do you hate fat people?"

Juliana scoffed. "Excuse me? That's incredibly rude. How could you accuse me of something like that? I don't just hate fat people. I hate everyone equally."

"Y-You...!"

Michael massaged his eyebrows, trying to ward off the creeping headache.

What an insufferable girl.

How could Samael tolerate such a Shadow?

But then again, Samael was far more insufferable than she was.

"Whatever," he muttered and raised his sword, taking a deep breath to rein in his temper. "Look, I've got nothing against you. Just stop blocking my path and let me deal with your master."

Juliana sighed dramatically. "Oh, I wish I could. But I've got orders to keep you exactly where you are. So, no, you're not moving past me."

Michael let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "I don't think you can stop me."

Before another word could be exchanged, Michael shot forward. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the sheer force of his launch.

His speed was alarming — so fast that Juliana's eyes struggled to follow his movement.

Clang—!!

But she still blocked his attack.

Her wakizashi clashed against his longsword.

Sparks flew as their blades locked in a bind, and before Michael could press forward, she pivoted and slashed low at his knees with her katana.

Michael leaped back, narrowly avoiding the strike, but Juliana was relentless.

She closed in and unleashed a storm of blows, each attack faster and wilder than the last.

Her strikes were chaotic and unpredictable — a whirlwind of steel that would have overwhelmed anyone else.

But Michael kept up… albeit barely.

He wasn't simply defending. He attacked, too.

They exchanged violent blows in rapid succession.

But neither of them could land a solid hit on another. It was a stalemate, one strike answering another in perfect time.

Michael found himself genuinely impressed by Juliana's swordplay.

No, it wasn't flawless by any means.

Her technique had gaps while her strikes lacked overwhelming power. But her speed and unpredictability were nothing short of ridiculous.

There were no discernible patterns in her assault, no obvious intent, just an onslaught of erratic blows.

She fought like a hurricane, her blades slicing through the air like a torrential downpour.

She used her wakizashi to deflect, block, and engage in close-quarters, while her katana struck with precise, mid-range cuts.

Her battle style was unconventional… but highly effective.

On any other day, Michael might have struggled to take her down.

But today? Today Juliana was already exhausted by hours of relentless fighting.

And while they were currently locked in this stalemate, Michael knew he had the upper hand.

He was stronger, faster, and his mind was clear. 

On the other hand, Juliana was slipping.

Bit by bit, she was giving ground. Her movements were growing sluggish, and her attacks were losing their edge.

Then she made a mistake.

A small one, but enough.

She reacted just a fraction too late, and Michael took his chance.

He moved around her, thrusting his blade into her exposed side. The force was enough to send her sprawling to the ground and another one of her protective orbs shattering from the impact.

Breathing heavily on one knee, Juliana's eyes narrowed as Michael's figure loomed over her. His sword was raised overhead to deal the final blow.

"I told you," he said coldly, the tip of his blade gleaming under the floodlights. "You can't stop me."

Without waiting for her response, he brought his sword down on her—

Thwaam—!!

But just as he was about to claim victory, a massive battle hammer struck him from the side, sending him flying like a broken mannequin.

He hit the ground hard, rolling several times before springing back to his feet. Thankfully, he had sensed the attack and twisted his body just in time to bring his sword between him and the battle hammer.

Otherwise, that could've gone very badly.

He glanced down at his orbs. One had cracked slightly but didn't break.

Then he looked ahead, spotting a fat young man rushing toward him, his face flushed like a ripe tomato and green eyes ablaze with unrestrained fury.

Michael recognized him. It was one of his old bullies. Jake Mel Flazer.

"You orphan bastard!" Jake yelled, charging at him.