The clash of steel was followed by a grinding sound, and the young recruit's sword was flung away. The brute strength in the last clash had weakened his grip on his sword.
The young recruit looked on with disappointment but soon sighed, accepting his defeat. In terms of skill, he was not as good as the man before him. He saluted the man and left the stage. The sword had been retrieved and sheathed.
The crowd was caught up in the fight, a dazzling display of swordsmanship. They were engrossed in the battle to the point that there were almost no whispers, no cheers, nothing.
Only constant symphony of the blades meeting one another.
Rumble!
The crowd erupted like a volcano with cheers. Applauding the warriors who had just finished.
"Number two will move on to round two! Next! Number 3 versus number 4!" Marcus once more claimed the stage for himself and called out the next group of competitors.