Chapter 45. Spar 1

"ICE CARNAGE: FIRST FORM, FLUID SWORD" Aurora spoke and the large sword separated into hundreds of small sword each of a length of half a meter and a width that did not reach 3 centimeters.

She spread her arms and the swords moved in uniform direction uniformly like the wind in a downward curving manner then rose to the height of fifty meters and they moved to a length of 200 meters before taking another sharp turn and headed back in the same manner. They reached them and instantly disappeared. The speed of the swords was very hard to keep up with to the mormal eye.

"I really would like to spar with you," Aurora said as she looked at him her eyes shining with slight battle intent. Alaric could only laugh. Now that she had gained a new skill she was planning to test it out on him.

"I happily oblige to your cry for defeat," Alaric spoke and stood up.

The Marshal Pit was a fighting zone so it was the perfect place.

"I promise not to make you feel much pain," Alaric said as he led the way out.

"Intimidation won't work on me, if you are scared of losing to a girl shorter than you, its not to late to forfeit," Aurora said her mood not wavering even the slightest.

Alaric held her by the waist and in a short while, they disappeared with a silver streak that reached the arena in ten seconds. Aurora looked at him and her voice was laced with disdain.

"If that is the speed... I wonder if you really are my opponent. Even I could reach here in fifteen seconds," she said shaking her head like a disappointed child.

"I..." Alaric just felt no need to explain. Even his excuse could be termed as dumb.

"Unable to finish? Obviously its a dumb excuse," Aurora said with the same tone. Alaric felt his lips twitch. He actually had slowed down so that the wind could not get in her eyes. Of course it was dumb. The wind would have no effect on her.

"Fine, you won the battle this time," Alaric said as he disappeared to the other side of the arena.

"You can call the match on when you are ready," Alaric said but Aurora's triumphant smile was still plastered on her lips.

"I will set the rules. You cannot use your physical strength on me. But if you want to have me deformed have it your way. Second and most important, you can't use your inscriptions.

"Also, you are not allowed to speak unless you want to forfeit, I have the liberty of using every move I can against you," Aurora said and as she finished her words, Alaric's face had turned from pale to palest.

How were these supposed to be rules? He opened his mouth to speak but Aurora gave him that look that said 'you dare break the rules?' Alaric knew the consequences of breaking the rules. He would be instantly disqualified and she would have her first victory against him.

The rules were completely against him. Even if he hurt her, he could not ask if she was alright or he would be disqualified. She also had the freedom to tell him everything and anything she could to make him answer.

She had also taken away his major strength. Though, it was not that he would use any brute strength against her. Even his inscription could probably impair her. He just nodded in agreement. There was nothing wrong with her rules.

"Well, the match had started immediately I finished stating the rules. You can attack," Aurora said without any shred of hesitation or doubt. She was completely confident that she was going to beat him. Aurora was going to make sure to toy with him.

By the time Aurora had stated the start of the match, he had already culculated over 100 ways to defeat her and they all involved instant defeat. Well, he wanted to see how powerful she was. He was going to let her last as long as she could and exhaust all her moves.

"Am not holding back," Aurora said but Alaric just smiled. He was looking forward to that. Alaric could feel the air get slightly fresh but before he could even process that it might be an attack, he was all dizzy. He cursed in his mind. She was also a wood elementalist. He was getting poisoned.

He knew just how important a moment of distraction was to your opponent. He could feel his control on his elements waver. He totally lost control of his wind element.

"Sarah, help," Alaric spoke. He could feel that his control over lightning was also wavering.

[...] System needs subject to obtain the skill poison resistance. Request, denied.

Alaric almost cursed out loud. It was not that he would not want to gain such an ability... But how was gaining it during battle helpful in that battle? He was giving his opponent a window to toy with him.

Alaric was not going go count on the system. Having a 100% active brain had its own advantages. He had gone through all possibilities and he had found the most impactful one.

He concentrated on his body and felt every forein substance in his body. Lightning was the best attack element. Why not attack the poison? He directed lightning inside his body and started burning the poison. It would have been better if he had the fire element and just burn it directly.

Soon, he had fought all the poison in his body but it took around a minute. If he had awakened the fire element, he would burn it in a second. After regaining his control, he opened his eyes and looked at her and found her staring at him with an amused expression.

"I thought that you would never figure that out, took you long enough" she said. Alaric wanted to refute but could he? Unless he was seeking disqualification he would not. She could have taken everything else but fighting a battle when silent was just too tiring. Well, she was enjoying it.

Alaric had just regained his bearing when he felt vines creeping on his legs. He tried to move but he was stuck. How was she managing to keep catching him offguard. This time he did not hold back too much and he laced his feet with lightning and the vines were electrocuted as they lost their strength and he shook them off.

He had just fend off an attack when he felt another one on his back such that he could feel his hair rise. He instinctively dove to the left dodging by a mere millimeter as a sword grazed on his cheek. Some of his hair fell victim of the ice sword and was cut off.

Seeing him fall into her trap, she made patch of water to appear on the part his foot was stepping to and as he stepped on it, it turned to ice and his foot was coated with ice immobilizing him. This time she was not holding back to give him time to free himself as a sword fell from the sky and came piercing directly towards his head.

Alaric cursed as he struggled to break the ice hindering him. He could feel that the more he struggled to free himself, the tighter the hold became.

"Ice lock," Aurora said revealing her technique. Alaric had no choice but to take the attack head on. He could not dodge it so he could only counter it.

His index finger razed with silver lightning as he raised his hand and using his finger, he met the sword. The impact of the clash caused his hair to blow back but the sword stood no chance as it dissipated into ice dust.

Well, that was to be expected so she was not much disappointed. But she really was disappointed for how much effort it had taken her to time that attack. All her preparation crumbling to dust.

She knew by the time she landed her next attack, he would have freed himself and after the ice sword dissipated, the ice lock she had hailed was turned to nothing but pieces of broken ice.

It was usually very difficult to get someone into an ice lock and it was usually impossible to do so twice because your opponent would be ready and aware of such an attack. She clasped her hands and she was engulfed with snow as her clothes turned white. Even her shoes.

Had Alaric been serious all this time and utilized his instinct to the fullest, he would not have missed the array that had been created on the ground. He would also have noted that the surrounding were getting covered with ice.

He had greatly underestimated his opponent breaking one of the rules. He realized of the array that had been formed and its effects later. He could only shake his head as he analyzed the array and its loopholes. It had almost a hundred. If he wanted, he would just destroy it with one attack.

But he did not want that. He wanted to see exactly what her plan was when using the array. It did not take long before he realized that the array was producing vapour. He wondered what its function was but by the time he realized it he regretted not destroying it in the first instant.

The vapour was seeping into bis body and in his body it was being turned to ice. He started feeling cold and also his movement was slowed down. Her attacks were all hidden and what one thought their purpose was, they were wrong.

Alaric could feel that his body would freeze in two minutes. He did not know what Aurora was planning next. He knew that her next step required him being frozen so she could prepare her next attack.

Alaric used the first principle of attacking the ice and it took him two minutes to completely eradicate it. It was a spar but he was realizing his flaws with her every attack. He knew that had it been a person of his same level, he would have a hard time.

He also knew that had it been a real battle, his opponent would not give him time to break free and destroy their attack. He would have lost instantly but he knew one thing though, he would never give his opponent a chance to act on him.

After he destroyed the ice in his body, a horrified look appeared in his face. Then he cursed.