The rest of the lecture, however, was quite uninteresting. Dorne left it at these basic questions and only spoke about the general development of the paths and their significance in today's society.
When Corin left the lecture hall, he expected to meet Cearen somewhere on campus. But as soon as he stepped out of the door, Cearen was already standing in front of him, grinning, his arms crossed as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Why am I not surprised?" Corin muttered.
"Because you're getting to know me."
Cearen put an arm around Corin's shoulder and began to steer him in a certain direction.
Corin frowned. "I thought we weren't meeting until later?"
"Change of plans. You want to go to the fighting faculty, don't you?"
Cearen grinned.
"Then I can't just let you wander around on your own. You'll get lost."
"I can always ask around."
"Maybe. But honestly, you should see this as soon as possible."
Cearen's voice sounded playful, but Corin realized there was a more serious meaning behind it.
Sighing, he allowed himself to be dragged along. Cearen led him through wide corridors that were noticeably different from those in the main building. There was more space here, as if the building had been constructed specifically to avoid collisions between hot-headed students.
The closer they got to the combat faculty, the more students he saw with weapons or special combat gear. Some carried refined swords, others wore heavy boots or light armor. Many of them had their family crests clearly visible on their capes or belts.
And then he felt them, the stares.
Male students eyed him with cool appraisal. He could literally see how they categorized him. A new face. No coat of arms. No visible rank.
The female students, on the other hand, seemed to have other thoughts. Some whispered among themselves, gave him curious glances or kept their eyes on him a little too long.
"You're being watched," Cearen stated dryly.
"Is that normal?" Corin asked quietly.
"For someone with no obvious affiliation? Quite." Cearen shrugged her shoulders.
"But don't worry, if you show something interesting soon, you'll get even more looks."
"Reassuring."
Cearen laughed.
"Welcome to the combat faculty."
They entered a massive hall with raised bleachers. In the center was a fighting ring of worn stone, surrounded by a shimmering magical barrier. A dozen or so students had already gathered. Some were standing in groups, others were warming up or sharpening their weapons.
A large display crystal on the wall indicated that a show fight was about to take place.
Corin watched the battlefield with a steady gaze.
"So,"
Cearen began with a grin.
"Are you ready to see what the academy's best fighters can do?"
Corin let his gaze wander over the hall. This was no place for mere exhibition fights. This was where they decided who really counted in the academy.
He took a deep breath.
"Show me what I'm getting myself into."
Corin let his gaze wander over the stadium. The stands were filling up quickly, students from a wide variety of faculties taking their seats, some discussing loudly, others with expectant gazes fixed on the fighting area.
The faces of the two fighters continued to flicker on the display crystal.
"Who are they?" Corin asked with a hint of cuirosity.
"Ines, the student representative, and Blues, her deputy. This match is apparently an annual tradition, a sort of friendly test of strength between two of strongest official representatives of the academy.
"Is this really just an exhibition match?" asked Corin as he sat down next to Cearen on one of the lower tiers.
"Yes and no,"
Cearen replied as he leaned back and relaxed.
"Officially, this is supposed to be a friendly demonstration. But unofficially... well, they both want to prove they are worthy of leading the student council."
Corin looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
"So there's more to it than that?"
Cearen grinned.
"Of course it is. There's always more at stake here."
"I would guess they are pretty skilled?"
Cearen looked over, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"They belong to the strongest in the academy. The Ranks were reset, thats why their rank is uncertain. As for my opinion....they are alright"
Corin was surprised.
"Alright?"
He got cut off as the hall vibrated with the voices of the students as Ines and Blues entered the arena.
Ines moved with an almost dance-like elegance. Her long black hair with the red tips was artfully tied in two side braids that moved slightly with her every movement. She wore tight-fitting combat clothing made of black fabric with red lines running through it, probably reinforcing armor. Two swords were strapped to her back.
Blues, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. The dark-skinned man was muscular and tall, with an expression of imperturbable calm on his face. His green eyes surveyed the battlefield with an almost analytical precision. He carried a visible giant golden Halberd.
Both bowed to each other and then to the audience.
A gong sounded.
The fight began.
The arena shook with anticipation. Students from all years had gathered on the stone tiers, some already shouting names, others holding their breath. In the middle of the circular arena, two figures stood opposite each other, student representative Ines and her deputy Blues. Both wore the reinforced combat robes typical of exhibition fights, which protected them but did not restrict their speed.
The referee raised his hand. A moment of tense silence, then he lowered it.
Blues moved first. With a single step, he brought down his huge golden axe. The moment it touched the ground, the entire arena shook as if he had unleashed an invisible force.
Corin's eyes widened, what had that been?
Ines, however, had already dodged. She was fast. She slid to the side, her two short obsidian swords flashing in the light. Then, a sudden change. A glow, a fine shimmer at the edges of the blades. Was that heat? Fire? Corin wasnt sure but something had happened.
Blues reacted immediately. He pulled his axe out of the ground effortlessly, as if it were as light as a feather, even though it had previously seemed to weigh several tons.
How was that possible? Corin could only marvel as Blues hurled the weapon through the air with terrifying speed.
The audience went wild. It was a dance of brute strength against calculated precision.
Blues followed up, his fighting style dominating, forcing Ines onto the defensive. But she remained calm, her eyes analyzing his every move. After a while she threw one of her swords into the air. A weird maneuver, but before Corin asked himself why, he saw the hilt of the sword begin to glow
With a lightning-fast whirl, Ines catapulted forward. Her remaining sword pulsed with an invisible force as she sped towards Blues. He reacted immediately, his axe became heavy as lead, his grip tightened, and with brutal strength he parried the attack. The clash of metal on metal echoed through the arena. She used the force of the impact to jump into the sky. After cathing the sword in the sky, she fell down in a ferocious spinning attack. Blues seemed surprised but was still able to rotate his weapon to stop Ines impact.
The dust settled. The two faced each other, no visible wound, but everyone knew, this was far from over.
Corin sat there with his mouth open. What the hell had he just seen?
Then he realized it.
Ines' body began to change. Her skin was glowing slightly, as if an invisible heat had gathered under her surface. Her hair, already reddish at the tips, flared up for a split second, as if absorbing the flames. Her posture tightened, her muscles tensed. And then, she disappeared.
Blues ducked instinctively. A hiss through the air. Suddenly Ines was right behind him, her swords circling in flaming lines. She moved faster than before, as if the heat had intensified not only her blades but also herself.
Corin gasped.
"She's getting faster..."
Blues didn't react in panic. On the contrary, he moved as if he had expected something like this. His axe flew through the air, slicing through the room with massive precision, but Ines dodged, literally dancing around him. She seemed unstoppable.
Then she hit him. But it wasn't just a hit.
A huge blast of fire erupted with the impact of her blade. The heat was so intense that even the audience could feel it. A shockwave raced through the arena, sand and dust swirled up, students shielded their faces from the blaze. Blues' robe began to burn, his dark skin surrounded by blazing flames.
Corin opened his eyes. This had to be it, this was the moment Blues fell. No one could survive something like that!
But Blues barely seemed to register the heat. The flames flickered on his skin, but he showed no sign of pain. On the contrary, he was smiling.
"Is that all, Ines?" His voice was calm, confident. The golden axe darkened, as if its weight was increasing again.
"Then you're not fast enough yet."
And with a single step, he brought his weapon down on her.
------------------------------------------------------
The fight was over. In the end, no one had won, it was an exhibition match after all. Nevertheless, what Corin had seen was impressive. But not beyond his capabilities.
He leaned back slightly, his gaze still fixed on the battle arena. It had been easy to follow her attacks. Ines was fast, precise, but nowhere near Viviana's level. He could imagine himself catching up to them pretty quickly. Training with Viviana, even tho she was holding back immensly, seemed still much more dire to him. What impressed him, were the usage of their seemingly personal blessings.
A faint smile flitted across his lips. If this was the top of the academy... then he was curious to see what else awaited him.