18 - From Shadows to Spotlight

(Lena's POV)

"A bow?"

I asked, watching Raye pick his weapon.

And not just me…

"Is he out of his mind?"

"Probably."

The other students questioned his choice as well.

"Are you sure about your weapon selection?"

Professor Sariel asked him.

"Yeah."

And Raye simply answered.

The professor looked at Raye for a few moments…

"Alright."

Then he just accepted it and nodded his head.

"In that case, here."

Professor Sariel handed Raye a quiver filled with wooden arrows.

"Obviously, we can't use real arrows."

He said.

"This quiver has exactly 20 wooden arrows, enchanted with a spell. If they hit your opponent, they'll feel as if they've been struck by a real arrow. Though, it'll bounce back because they're blunt. We've also reduced the pain, as this is just a duel."

Then he explained.

"I got it."

Raye responded as he took the quiver from the professor and slung it over his back.

And with everything set…

"Begin."

Professor Sariel started their duel.

'Ugh, just what is he thinking...?'

...

*****

"Are you crazy?"

Garin, Raye's opponent, asked.

He's confused at Raye's action as well.

Though...

"..."

Raye just ignored him.

Instead...

Fwip-

Shiic-

He drew an arrow from the quiver and loaded it in his bow. Ready to fire at any moment.

Watching him do that…

"Hah!"

Garin laughed mockingly.

"I'm a swordsman trained to see and parry arrows. With you alone, arrows aren't a threat to me!"

He exclaimed.

"..."

And the students watching, silently agreed.

'He's right…'

Even Lena couldn't deny it.

But when she looked at Raye, trying to see his reaction...

"...?"

She saw his expression, it was so calm and collected.

"What are you planning…?"

Lena wondered.

Just then…

"You're pretty talkative, huh."

Raye finally spoke.

"Why don't you just shut up and come at me?"

Then he added immediately.

"..."

His words successfully provoked Garin.

A vein popped on his forehead as he grinned angrily.

"If you say so!"

Bam!

Then he finally charged at Raye!

Being a swordsman, Garin was fast, closing in quickly.

The students watched Raye, expecting him to shoot.

But as Garin got closer…

"..."

Raye held his fire.

"What the hell?!"

"Is he an idiot?!"

The students grumbled, annoyed that Raye wasted his range advantage.

"Gugh..."

Even Lena was struggling not to curse at him.

And soon enough…

"Should've fired while you had the chance!"

Raye was within Garin's range!

And with both hands on his sword…

SWOOSH—

Garin launched a heavy downward diagonal slash!

But to everyone's surprise, with just a slight sway to the left…

Fwoosh—

Raye narrowly avoided Garin's strike!

And now that Garin's right side is exposed to him...

"[Gust]"

Raye cast a spell...

Fwish—

And immediately released the bowstring to let the arrow fly!

Thwack!

The arrow struck Garin's side.

Crack—

"ARGH!"

And it cracked a few of his ribs!

Garin jumped back in panic.

And looking at where he'd been hit…

"Wha…"

He saw a dark bruise forming, swollen with pain.

And before he could even make sense of it…

"[Gust]"

He heard Raye say that.

And when he looked up to check on him...

Thwack!

Pop-

"GAAH!!!"

An arrow struck his left shoulder and dislocated it!

'Are arrows meant to be this fast and strong?'

Garin asked in his head.

He parried and dodged a lot of arrows before.

'The pointblank shot, I can understand why I was hit...'

'But it doesn't make sense that I wasn't able to see the last arrow.'

Garin thought.

'And surely, blunt arrows aren't supposed to be this strong.'

His mind was racing.

'Why? What was Raye doing?'

Garin thought hard, but before he could even think of a good idea.

"[Gust]"

He heard Raye's voice again.

And before he could even react...

Thwack!

An arrow struck him again!

Pop-

This time, hitting his right wrist, dislocating it as well.

"GRAAAHH!!!"

Thud-

Garin dropped his weapon.

"Ugh..."

He tried his best to suppress his scream.

"[Gust]"

Thwack!

But then an arrow hit his knee.

"GAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Garin felt an intense pain and was forced to take a knee.

"Haaa... haaa... haaaa..."

His breathing went rough with the injuries he received.

In a few seconds, he was reduced to this state...

'What the fuck...?'

Fear crept up on him.

Garin looked up, and there...

"Hmm? You done already?"

He saw Raye, aiming his bow at him again.

'That's not Raye...'

Garin thought.

He spent a lot of time with Raye, that's why he knows just how useless he is without his family.

But the one in front of him...

'That's not Raye... That's a monster!'

It's not the Raye he knew.

'I can't win against him.'

'I need to give up!'

Garin decided to surrender in fear.

"I give—!"

"[Gust]"

THWACK!

Crack-

But he was struck by an arrow between the brows before he could finish speaking.

"..."

Garin lost consciousness.

And with that...

"That's for calling the old man crazy and for calling our home a trash box."

Raye and Garin's match came to an end.

This was the second fastest match, just next to Lena's.

...

*****

Looking closely at Garin...

"..."

'Yep, he's out'

Raye was able to make sure that he was out of cold.

Garin passed out in a weird way.

Like a flip phone, but you flipped it the other way around.

Anyway...

"I was sure he was about to give up."

Professor Sariel said that after approaching Raye.

"Oh, I didn't hear."

Raye casually replied. And he did hear him.

Hearing his response...

"Haaa..."

The professor just sighed and shook his head.

And after that...

"Good job."

He finally said the word.

"Thanks."

Raye responded with a smile, then he walked down the arena.

"Hmm?"

Coming down, Raye felt everyone's attention on him.

"..."

The students are just looking at him.

They're feeling awe and shock.

They don't know what or how to react.

No one was even expecting Raye to win, but he beat his opponent one-sidedly!

Not in a way they can imagine too!

They can't even figure out why Raye's arrows were strong and fast!

"Did he cheat again?"

"Probably, that's where he's great at, after all."

"Yeah, Garin is weak, but I can't imagine him losing with Raye, comparing their stats."

That's why they started to doubt him again.

'Ugh, this again?'

Raye thought, tired of this shit.

He was about to go on his way to ignore them...

"You're pretty proficient with the wind element, huh."

When Lena suddenly approached him.

"Casting the spell, [Gust], every time you shoot an arrow... You're controlling the wind from it and applying it to your arrows to make them stronger and faster, right?"

Lena asked.

She asked loud enough for the others to hear.

And upon hearing her words...

"..."

The students accusing Raye of cheating went silent.

"There was no need, but thanks for the help."

Raye commented. He realized what Lena was doing.

"Duh, I just hate people who accuse others of cheating just because they can't understand what they did."

Lena shrugged.

"Is that so?"

Raye mumbled.

"But you do deserve recognition for your efforts. I know it feels terrible when your hard work is mistaken for cheating."

Lena's next word surprised Raye.

"..."

He went silent for a few seconds, and after that...

"Thanks."

He thanked Lena.

Then Raye walked away and blended through the crowd.

After that, the next events unfolded quickly...

Garin was dragged by the healers, he was one of the most injured in this test.

Raye didn't need healing because he was unscratched in the first place.

And after a few more duels...

"You're dismissed."

The practical test finished.