Chapter 103: A Brother’s Challenge [1]
Chapter 103: A Brother’s Challenge [1]
The swordswoman had barely lowered her wooden blade when Andras stopped in front of her.
"Sister."
Seris turned at the sound of his voice.
Her gaze fell on Andras, then briefly shifted to the girl standing beside him.
"Andras. Seraphina."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"It’s good to see you both again."
She turned toward Seraphina.
"I heard you secured second place in the entrance examination. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Lady Seris."
Seris nodded before looking back at her younger brother.
"And you..."
Her eyes settled on Andras.
"Third place."
There was a trace of surprise in her voice.
"I didn’t know you’d become this strong. Enough to rank third in the entrance examination, no less."
Andras smiled.
"Well, it was you who gave me the motivation."
Seris’s expression changed slightly.
She didn’t answer.
Instead, an old memory surfaced in her mind.
Their previous spar.
The moment her control had slipped.
Andras lying before her.
For an instant, the noise of the training grounds seemed to fade.
"Seris?"
A voice pulled her back.
She blinked and looked toward the speaker.
The girl she had just defeated stood nearby, accompanied by two other female students. All three wore the uniform of second-year students.
The first girl glanced between Seris and Andras with open curiosity.
"Seris, is this your brother?"
Seris cleared her thoughts.
"Yes."
She was about to introduce him properly when Andras stepped forward.
"Hello. I’m Andras Darkmoor, Seris’s younger brother."
He gestured toward Seraphina.
"And this is my fiancée, Seraphina Valebright."
Seraphina offered the three girls a polite smile.
"Hello. It’s nice to meet you all."
The girls exchanged glances before introducing themselves.
"I’m Mirelle Ashford."
The girl who had just sparred with Seris gave him a friendly smile.
"I’m Seris’s classmate."
She pointed toward the girl beside her.
"This is Talia Everwyn."
Talia gave a small wave.
"And I’m Celeste Ardyn."
The third girl smiled politely.
"We’re all in the same second-year class."
Andras nodded.
"Nice to meet you."
Mirelle studied him for a moment.
Then her expression brightened with recognition.
"I’ve heard quite a lot about you from Seris."
Andras raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
He glanced toward his sister.
"Then I’m sure she had plenty of complaints."
His smile became faintly amused.
"She probably told you I’m a terrible person and that she never wanted a brother like me."
Mirelle’s smile disappeared.
She went completely silent.
Talia and Celeste exchanged an awkward glance.
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
Seris’s expression stiffened.
Mirelle opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Andras noticed the reaction.
His smile remained.
"So she did."
Mirelle looked away.
"Well..."
She clearly had no idea how to respond.
Seraphina covered the faintest smile with her hand.
Even she seemed to understand that Andras had deliberately made the situation awkward.
After a brief silence, Andras shifted his attention back to Seris.
"Sister."
Seris looked at him.
"I saw your spar."
His eyes moved toward the wooden sword in her hand.
"You fought well."
Seris gave a small nod.
"Thank you."
Andras studied her for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Would you like to spar with me?"
The words immediately changed Seris’s expression.
She fell silent.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the wooden sword.
A memory surfaced in Seris’s mind.
For a moment, she considered refusing.
But then she remembered the words Andras had spoken during their previous conversation at the Darkmoor mansion.
Her expression gradually hardened.
Perhaps this time, things would be different.
Seris looked at her brother.
Andras noticed her hesitation.
His thoughts shifted.
Perhaps she’s worried that the same thing will happen again.
After all, the last time she fought the previous Andras didn’t end well.
He looked at her.
"Sister?"
Seris remained silent.
Andras repeated himself.
"Will you spar with me?"
Seris finally lifted her eyes.
For a moment, she seemed uncertain.
Then she gave a reluctant nod.
"Okay."
Andras’s smile widened slightly.
"Good."
He glanced around the training grounds.
A rack filled with wooden weapons stood a short distance away.
He walked over and selected a wooden sword.
It was heavier than the training blades he had seen the students using during basic exercises, but still balanced enough for a proper spar.
Andras gave it a brief swing.
The wooden blade cut through the air with a dull whoosh.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Seris stepped into the training area.
Andras followed.
Seraphina and the three second-year students moved closer to the edge of the platform.
Several nearby students noticed the gathering.
The name Darkmoor had already attracted attention around the academy.
Now, seeing Andras prepare to spar against a second-year student made several heads turn.
Mirelle looked at Seris.
"You’re really going to fight your brother?"
Seris nodded.
"Yes."
Mirelle glanced toward Andras.
"You’re not going easy on him?"
Seris’s gaze remained fixed on Andras.
"I’ll treat it as a proper spar."
Andras heard her answer.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
That’s exactly what I wanted.
He didn’t want his sister to hold back.
If anything, he wanted to see how much stronger she had become.
Andras lowered his gaze for a moment.
"System."
The familiar mechanical voice answered inside his mind.
System, show me Seris Darkmoor’s status.
[Ding!]
A translucent interface appeared before his eyes.
[Name — Seris Darkmoor]
[Race — Human]
[Age — 19]
[Class — Warrior]
[Realm — Low Fifth Circle Warrior]
[Talent — Crimson Warheart (A+ Rank)]
Andras’s eyes lingered on the final two lines.
Low Fifth Circle.
A+ Rank talent.
He dismissed the status window.
Seris noticed his expression.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Andras raised his wooden sword.
"Just making sure you’re ready."
Seris adjusted her grip.
"I am."
Before either of them could move, Mirelle stepped forward.
"Wait."
Andras looked toward her.
Mirelle pointed at the wooden swords.
"Since you’re a new student, I’ll explain the rules."
She looked between the two siblings.
"This is a training spar."
Her expression became serious.
"You’re only allowed to use your weapons."
"No mana."
"No talents."
"No techniques that rely on supernatural enhancement."
She paused.
"The first person unable to continue, or the person who yields, loses."
Andras nodded.
"Understood."
Seris gave the same response.
"Understood."
Mirelle stepped backward.
"All right."
She raised one hand.
The nearby students began gathering around the platform.
The atmosphere gradually changed.
The casual chatter disappeared.
Eyes focused on the two Darkmoor siblings.
Seraphina stood near the edge of the training area, watching Andras carefully.
Mirelle looked between them.
"Ready?"
Andras adjusted his stance.
Seris lowered her center of gravity.
Their wooden swords were raised.
For several seconds, neither moved.
The wind swept across the training grounds.
Then—
"Begin."
Both siblings moved at the same instant.
Andras’s foot struck the ground.
Seris surged forward.
Their wooden swords swung toward each other.
Clack!
The first clash rang across the training platform.
Andras’s eyes sharpened.
Seris’s gaze became equally focused.
Neither intended to give the other an easy victory.
The two wooden swords collided again.
Clack!
Andras and Seris immediately separated.
Neither spoke.
Their eyes remained locked on each other.
Then Seris moved.
Her wooden sword swept diagonally toward Andras’s shoulder.
Black Thorn Sword Style — First Form: Iron Fang.
The attack was fast, direct, and precise.
Andras recognized it instantly.
He shifted his body to the side and raised his sword.
Clack!
Instead of meeting the strike head-on, he redirected it past his shoulder.
Seris’s eyes narrowed.
She immediately followed with another slash.
Andras stepped backward.
His wooden sword moved into position.
Black Guard.
He angled his blade against hers, guiding the attack away rather than trying to overpower it.
Seris didn’t stop.
She twisted her wrist and thrust forward.
Third Form — Thorn Pierce.
The wooden sword shot toward the opening beneath Andras’s arm.
Andras quickly rotated his body.
The tip passed beside his ribs.
He countered with an Iron Fang of his own.
Seris raised her sword.
Clack!
Their blades collided.
For a moment, neither gained ground.
The surrounding students watched in silence.
"They’re using the same sword style..."
Someone whispered.
Seraphina’s eyes remained fixed on the fight.
She quickly realized what was happening.
Both siblings were using the Black Thorn Sword Style.
And because they had trained together before, neither could easily surprise the other.
Andras stepped forward.
One slash.
Another.
Then a sudden thrust.
Seris recognized every movement.
She parried the first.
Redirected the second.
And slipped past the third.
She counterattacked immediately.
Iron Fang.
Andras blocked.
Seris followed with another Thorn Pierce.
Andras barely avoided it.
He retreated two steps.
Seris advanced.
Wolf Advance.
The technique was designed to maintain continuous pressure, and although it was normally intended for coordinated group combat, Seris adapted its rhythm to a one-on-one battle.
One attack flowed into another.
Andras blocked.
Redirected.
Retreated.
Then countered.
Their wooden swords repeatedly collided.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Andras’s expression gradually became more serious.
She knows exactly what I’m going to do.
But the same was true for him.
He knew her habits.
Her preferred angles.
Her timing.
Her footwork.
Yet Seris possessed one advantage he couldn’t ignore.
Experience.
She had spent another year training this style.
Her talent was also superior.
Her movements were more refined.
Her transitions were smoother.
Andras suddenly stepped forward and launched Iron Fang toward her neck.
Seris recognized the attack before the blade had fully moved.
She tilted her head aside.
The wooden sword passed harmlessly beside her.
At the same instant, she rotated her body and struck toward Andras’s ribs.
Andras blocked.
But the force pushed him backward.
The crowd reacted.
Seris didn’t give him time to recover.
She advanced again.
Another slash.
Another thrust.
Andras defended against both.
But he was being pushed back.
His eyes narrowed.
So this is the difference.
They knew the same techniques.
They understood the same principles.
They even knew each other’s habits.
But Seris had trained longer.
And right now...
She had the advantage.