Chapter 37 - The First Heroine
"He’s a monster, right?"
Zion asked me as soon as I got back down the arena.
He was leaning against the stone railing near the bottom of the spectator stairs, shaking his head with a wry smile as I dragged my feet over to the bench.
"Yeah, a total monster."
I replied to him.
I let out a long, heavy breath, practically collapsing onto the wooden seat beside him as the adrenaline from the duel completely wore off. I felt my body weak from all the mana I exhausted during the short sparring we had.
My arms were heavy, and even the simple motion of resting my hands on my knees felt like an immense effort after pouring my whole energy pool into that final ice lance.
Not only that, my stomach and my chest are aching as well from the weak hits given to me by the professor earlier.
Even though I had managed to deploy a thick layer of ice armor right before his wooden sword struck my midsection, the raw force behind his casual swing had still seeped straight through the defense and bruised my ribs.
"Sit down before you fall over."
Zion chuckled softly, sliding over to give me more room on the bench.
"I know that feeling. It feels like your muscles are made of lead after trying to force an attack through his guard."
"You’re telling me..."
I mumbled, leaning back against the cool stone wall behind us while taking slow, deliberate breaths to restore my focus.
"I thought I had a decent plan with the ice pillar, but he didn’t even flinch."
"Haha, at least you managed to catch him off guard for a second."
Zion grinned, giving me a light pat on the shoulder.
"When you materialized that ice behind you to stop your momentum, I saw his eyes widen just a tiny bit. That was an awesome move, Vael!"
"It didn’t do much in the end, though,"
I said with a smile, staring at my hands as the last bits of frost melted off my skin.
"He still shut down everything I threw at him without taking a single step back."
"That’s just how ridiculously strong he is."
Zion sighed, looking back toward the arena where the next pair of students was climbing up the steps.
"It just means we both have a long way to go."
I nodded in agreement, closing my eyes for a brief moment to let my mana circuits settle down from the rapid drain.
*****
As the next match began, the ringing sound of practice weapons colliding filled the open training grounds once more.
Zion and I watched the rest of the sparring matches while we rested, as we do we talked about our sparrings with Professor Ulfar; we talked about what we noticed from each other’s match.
We leaned back against the stone bleachers, analyzing every single detail of our respective duels with our homeroom instructor while the rest of Class 1-F took their turns in the ring.
"When you used [Excalibur] for that final thrust--"
I started, looking over at Zion.
"The concentration of mana was incredible, but you shifted too far forward right before you made contact."
"Yeah, Professor Ulfar said the exact same thing,"
Zion replied, scratching his cheek with a sheepish grin.
"I got too focused on putting maximum power into the tip that I forgot to stabilize my stance. The moment he tapped the side of my blade, my own momentum threw me completely off balance."
"It’s crazy how effortless it looked when he redirected it."
I noted, recalling the sudden explosion that had carved a crater into the dirt floor earlier.
"He didn’t even use a named technique. He just applied a tiny amount of mana to the exact point where your force was concentrated and let your own energy destroy the ground."
"What about your ice lance at the end?"
Zion asked, turning his head toward me with a curious look.
"That construct was huge. Did you put all your remaining mana into that single strike?"
"Pretty much."
I admitted with a shrug, feeling a slight twinge in my aching chest as I spoke.
"My standard fencing attacks weren’t working at all. He dodged every linear thrust without even looking, so I tried to force him to block something heavy. But just like with your attack, he stopped it solid with a simple wooden sword."
"His timing is just flawless."
Zion said, his eyes reflecting a quiet fire of determination as he watched another pair of classmates trade blows in the center of the ring.
We kept a close eye on all the sparring matches, we might learn something from watching how the others fight, after all.
We shifted our attention back to the ongoing matches in the arena, observing the different combat styles, weapon choices, and mana applications displayed by our classmates.
Some students relied heavily on heavy greatswords to overpower their opponents, while others used dual daggers or spearmanship to maintain distance and agility.
I especially watched them really hard, I still have a lot to learn, and I know that myself.
Since my current techniques were largely derived from sport fencing adapted with ice magic, observing real combat applications, footwork variations, and defensive counters from other talented individuals was invaluable for my growth.
I paid close attention to how students handled sudden changes in momentum, noting down subtle body cues and foot positions in my mind for future reference.
"Look at how Marcus moves his shoulders before a counter."
Zion pointed out quietly as Marcus easily parried another attack in a later match.
"He doesn’t waste any energy on unnecessary flourishes. Every movement is calculated strictly for efficiency."
"Yeah, he doesn’t let his emotions affect his stance at all."
I observed, taking mental notes on Marcus’ disciplined posture.
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Match after match passed by under Professor Ulfar’s watchful eye.
Whenever a duel became too dangerous or out of hand, the professor would step in with terrifying speed, cleanly separating the two combatants with a single flick of his practice sword before any serious damage could occur.
The class finished after a couple more hours, there are no major injuries, the professor prevented them from happening.
The sun had climbed higher into the sky by the time the final student stepped down from the arena, signaling the end of our practical combat evaluation session.
Professor Ulfar stood near the central podium, holding his digital tablet as he surveyed the tired, bruised group of freshmen gathered before him.
Professor Ulfar announced that he will grade and study the matches of everyone so that he could prepare for the next class.
"I have recorded all of your performances."
Professor Ulfar said, his deep, monotone voice easily carrying across the quiet training grounds.
"I will review the footage and compile a detailed assessment of your strengths, bad habits, and areas that require immediate correction. Expect individual combat menus by next week."
He tapped the glass screen of his device, turning off the blue holographic projection that had hovered over the ring throughout the morning.
"You have a short break before your afternoon theoretical lectures."
And after saying that, he just dismissed everyone, telling them to visit the infirmary before the 2nd class starts.
"If any of you sustained minor contusions or mana strain, report to the campus infirmary immediately. Class dismissed."
Without waiting for a response, Professor Ulfar turned on his heel and strode away toward the faculty building, his long black coat fluttering behind him.
A collective sigh of relief washed over the entire class the moment his imposing figure disappeared around the corner.
"Man, that was intense..."
"My arms are completely numb..."
"I need to lie down..."
Several students groaned, rubbing their sore shoulders and aching limbs as they slowly began dispersing from the training grounds toward the medical hall or their dorms.
Zion and I are feeling fine so they just bought breads and random drinks from the vending machines around, before heading straight back to the classroom.
While we were definitely sore and drained of mana, neither of us had suffered any actual injuries thanks to Professor Ulfar’s precise attcks during our matches.
We stopped by a row of automated refreshment kiosks stationed along the main walkway, grabbing a couple of wrapped sweet rolls and chilled fruit juice cans to replenish our depleted energy.
"Ah, this hits the spot."
Zion said, taking a large bite out of his bread as we walked side-by-side down the quiet stone hallway leading back toward the main academic block.
"I was starving after using up all that mana against the professor."
"Same here,"
I replied, cracking open my juice can and taking a long sip of the cold liquid.
"My mana circuits feel completely dry. It’s going to take at least an hour or two of rest to get back to full capacity."
We were talking about random stuffs as we walked.
But then, before they could even reach the their room—
"WAIT!"
A girl stopped us, blocking their way.
We were casually chatting about our upcoming theoretical schedule, comparing notes on historical mana theory, when a sudden presence stepped directly into the center of the corridor right in front of us.
Her posture was firm and confident, standing squarely in the middle of the hallway with her arms crossed, forcing both Zion and me to come to a sudden halt a few feet away.
Or specifically—she was blocking Zion.
Her sharp gaze was locked directly onto the protagonist, completely ignoring my presence as she stood her ground with an unmistakable air of intensity.
Zion blinked in surprise, stopping mid-bite with his bread still raised near his mouth.
"Uh... hello?"
Zion asked, tilting his head in confusion as he looked at her.
I immediately recognized the girl—she was from the [B-Class], the one almost on par with David and Zion during the physical evaluation. My eyes narrowed slightly, her distinct features and the high-ranking aura she carried.
During the initial physical results broadcast across the freshman department, her name had hovered right near the very top of the leaderboards, securing an elite placement that put her far ahead of almost the entire student body.
It was Crystal Francine—one of the heroines of the game!
She was a prominent main character from the original storyline, a talented, high-spirited noble who possessed exceptional combat skills and played a major role in several upcoming academy arcs.
According to the original game plot, this encounter was supposed to be her formal introduction to Zion, sparked by her pride and curiosity after seeing his absurd ranking on the physical evaluation board.
’I can’t believe I’m seeing the story unfold right in front of my eyes... this should be interesting.’
I thought as I watched Zion and Crystal with a smile on my face.
I took another quiet sip from my juice can, stepping back half a pace to give them space while quietly observing the iconic scene playing out right in front of me.
Crystal took a small step forward, her sharp gaze sweeping over Zion from head to toe before she finally spoke, her voice clear and full of pride.
"You’re Zion Braveheart, right? The one who scored 12th place in the overall freshman physical evaluation?"
"Yeah, that’s me,"
Zion replied, lowering his bread with a friendly, innocent smile.
"Can I help you with something?"
"I am Crystal Francine from Class 1-B,"
She declared, standing up straight as she met his eyes directly.
"I saw your ranking on the official board today. I came here to see for myself what kind of person managed to place higher than me on the physical tests."
Zion rubbed the back of his head, looking completely unbothered by her intense glare.
"Uhh, we were in the same session, you already saw me, right? I even remember seeing you there too."
I leaned lightly against the hallway wall, taking another bite of my bread while keeping my face completely neutral, thoroughly enjoying the live view of the main storyline unfolding in real time.