"You seem pretty proud of that reckless strike," Kairoz said, his eyes narrowing. "If we were using real swords, you'd be dead right now."
"Are you an idiot?" Duke snapped. "You don't die instantly unless you're hit in the head."
Kairoz chuckled darkly. "I see... Then let's go all out."
"All out?" Duke echoed, adjusting his stance.
"Yeah," Kairoz continued, his tone sharp. "You're saving your best for the climax, aren't you? Just like you did in the previous exam." He tilted his head. "Don't tell me… that was it?"
Duke's expression grew serious—but that wasn't his full thought.
"Judging by the look on your face... this is all you've got, isn't it?"
Kairoz's eyes narrowed as he took his stance again, the air between them heavy with rising tension.
All of a sudden, a wave of nervousness crept over Duke. His heart pounded in his chest as Kairoz stood still—silent, unreadable.
Then, without warning, Kairoz exploded forward, sprinting at Duke with terrifying speed. He closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
"So fast—!"Duke gasped, swinging his sword in a wide arc, desperate to defend himself.
But Kairoz vanished.
"What?!" Duke's eyes widened in disbelief.
A shadow loomed above.
"He's—up!"
Kairoz had leapt high into the air, his body twisting with precision.
Before Duke could react, Kairoz brought his wooden sword down with a brutal strike, crashing it against the top of Duke's head.
The sound echoed.
Duke's eyes turned white. His body collapsed to the ground, motionless.
The force of the impact shattered Kairoz's wooden sword into pieces.
He stared down coldly at Duke, the fragments still falling around him.
"Now that,"Kairoz said, voice icy, "was a headshot."
He turned away, sneering.
"A mere village boy... daring to compare himself to a noble like me."
A murmur rippled through the crowd as silence fell over the training field.
"What just happened…?" someone whispered, their voice barely audible over the growing whispers.
Duke lay motionless on the ground.
"Duke!" Jack shouted, eyes wide in disbelief as he and Samaira rushed forward. Their footsteps pounded against the frozen dirt, panic etched into their faces.
Behind them, Touka followed, her eyes narrowed , expression unreadable.
Well, well… he's quite the fighter,*l she thought, watching Kairoz step back with an arrogant grin.
"He's knocked out!" one of the soldiers called
out, crouching beside Duke. "His head's bleeding—he needs medical attention!"
"Bring the damn first-aid kit!" another soldier yelled, his voice laced with panic.
Jack dropped to his knees beside Duke, his hands trembling. Samaira's face had gone pale, her breath shallow as she looked at the blood trickling down Duke's temple.
Touka stopped a few steps behind them, her violet eyes fixed on Duke's motionless body. For a brief second, something flickered behind her cold gaze—but it vanished as quickly as it came.
"This first-aid kit isn't enough," the soldier muttered, checking Duke's pulse with urgency. "We need to get him to the fortress—now."
"I'll come with you," Jack said immediately, standing up.
"Hey, Jack," Samaira interrupted, grabbing his arm. "You still have your test left."
Jack hesitated, torn between worry and duty.
"Touka, you go with them," Samaira said, turning to her .
"M-me?" Touka blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"Yes," Samaira said firmly. "You already finished your test. Now go with him."
"…Sure," Touka replied after a moment, her tone flat. She just keeps ordering me around like a boss,she thought, a bit annoyed.
The soldier gave them a reassuring glance. "Don't worry, kids. He's going to be fine—he just needs proper medical attention, which he'll get at the fortress."
"He probably needs someone with him after a loss like this," Samaira added softly, watching Duke being lifted onto a stretcher.
"You can come," the soldier said, nodding to Touka.
"Sure," Touka answered, her voice quiet.
I'm probably the worst possible person he needs right now, she thought, trailing behind them.
A wooden horse cart stood nearby, its wheels half-buried in the snow. The soldiers carefully lifted Duke's unconscious body and laid him gently inside.
Touka climbed into the cart after them, sitting beside Duke as the horse neighed softly, ready to move.
Without wasting another second, the cart rumbled forward, making its way down the snowy path toward the fortress in the distance.
The cold wind brushed against Touka's cloak, but she barely noticed. Her violet eyes stayed fixed on Duke's pale face, his breath shallow, his forehead still bleeding.
Why am I stuck with him?" Touka muttered under her breath, glancing at Duke's unconscious form.
"Hey, girl," a soldier said from the front of the cart. "I've stopped the bleeding. You just need to keep the cloth tight on his forehead."
"Okay," Touka replied, gently pressing the cloth against Duke's wound. Her fingers trembled slightly, though she kept her expression neutral.
Meanwhile, back at the field, Jack knelt beside where Duke had fallen earlier. His fists were clenched, his eyes filled with frustration.
"Please don't die, you idiot…" Jack muttered, his voice cracking.
"You're right," Samaira said quietly, standing behind him. "He is an idiot… but he doesn't deserve to die."
Her voice suddenly sharpened with anger as she turned and started marching across the field—straight toward Kairoz.
"Hey! Samaira, stop!" Jack called after her, scrambling to his feet.
Kairoz raised an eyebrow as he saw her approaching, confused by the fire in her eyes. Did I do something to her? he wondered, watching her with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
"You went a bit far," Darius said casually, standing beside him. "Did something happen between you two?"
"I don't know," Kairoz replied with a shrug, crossing his arms. "He was just... annoying."
Darius chuckled. "Hah! Seriously? That's it?"
"Hey, Samaira, it's my match next," Jack said as he jogged toward Stage 4. "I have to go."
"Mine's after two more contestants," Samaira replied. "Still, I should head over now—just in case they finish quickly."
Jack nodded with a smile. "Sure. Don't worry about me."
"Hey Jack, all the best! See ya!" Samaira waved as she headed toward Stage 5.
She's so energetic, Jack thought with a small grin.
"If the matches finish quick, I'll come watch yours," Jack called out.
"Sureee! That'll make me happy!" Samaira said brightly, flashing a smile as she walked toward her stage.
Jack walked toward the stage, his footsteps steady despite the tension in the air. Across from him, Lysa approached with quiet confidence, her eyes sharp and focused.
Both took their stances.
Just focus, Jack reminded himself, tightening his grip on the wooden sword. And don't underestimate anyone.
Lysa raised her weapon into a high stance—aggressive and calculated. Her expression was serious, unblinking.
Jack's eyes narrowed. Alright then… let's finish this quickly.
He shifted into his own aggressive stance, feet planted firmly, ready to strike.
The air between them grew heavy with anticipation.
"Now get started!" the soldier called out.
Jack and Lysa dashed toward each other, their wooden swords clashing with a loud crack. Back and forth they went, blow after blow, neither giving an inch.
She's good, Jack thought, gritting his teeth as he parried another strike.
After several exchanges, their swords locked again. Jack pushed forward, trying to overpower her with sheer strength.
But Lysa suddenly released one hand from her grip—and punched him square in the face.
"Huuh?! Is that even allowed?" Jack shouted, stumbling back.
"Yes, it is," the soldier called out. "But remember—points are based on sword strikes."
Before Jack could fully recover, Lysa closed the distance and struck again—this time sweeping his legs out from under him with a swift kick.
Jack lost his balance and staggered—Lysa didn't waste a second. She struck him cleanly with her sword, the hit landing squarely on his shoulder.
"First strike goes to Lysa!" the soldier announced, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Damn it," Jack muttered as he pushed himself up. "She's seriously annoying…"
"Hey! Don't you know this is supposed to be a sword fight?" Jack shouted, frustrated.
But Lysa didn't respond. She was already charging at him again with blazing speed.
Jack barely dodged, sidestepping at the last second. Now's my chance, he thought, ready to counter.
But before he could move—wham!—Lysa spun and landed a back kick right to his face.
"Gah!" Jack cried out, stumbling and crashing onto his back in the snow. "Crap…"
Lysa rushed in for another strike, but this time Jack ducked under it and rolled back to his feet.
She's a real fighter, no doubt about that, Jack thought, brushing the snow off his shoulder.
"I think you just don't know how to use a sword," he said with a mocking grin. "That's why you're fighting without one, huh?"
Lysa scoffed, circling Jack with a mocking smile.
"Look at you—I don't think you even know how to use a sword… or even your hands."
Jack clenched his jaw, gripping his weapon tighter.
"Big words for someone who keeps kicking instead of swinging," he shot back.
Lysa shrugged, raising her blade.
"If it works, it works. Try staying on your feet this time."
Damn it… I tried to make her angry, but I ended up getting mad instead, Jack thought, frustration boiling inside him.
He smirked, forcing a cocky tone into his voice.
"I was just gonna say—whoever taught you how to fight clearly didn't know what they were doing. Probably a loser."
Jack pointed his sword at her. "And now that I know you're gonna use your fists or legs again, I'll just dodge it. Easy."
He let out a confident chuckle.
"Hehehe… That should get under her skin," he
thought.
First, her face darkened.
Damn... I don't even know how I'm supposed to dodge those punches and kicks, Jack thought. If she gets angry and makes a mistake, maybe I'll have a chance.
"A loser like you has no right to say something like that to anyone," Lysa snapped.
"Crap... I'm screwed," Jack muttered under his breath.
"I'm going to kill you!" she yelled, her face twisted in rage as she charged at him with full power.
She closed in fast.
Jack let his wooden sword drop to the ground.
"Huh?" Lysa flinched, confused for a split second.
Her sword was just about to reach his neck when he grabbed her wrist mid-swing.
"What?!" Lysa gasped.
With a sudden burst of strength, Jack slammed her into the ground. He quickly yanked the sword from her hand and pointed it at her neck.
"It's over," Jack said, his voice steady.