Chapter 16 – End of the promise

We both stood at the platform, looking at each other. Irel was in full plate armor and I just in my uniform. For some reason, Phantom style does not use armor or more like, there’s no use for it and because it would just hamper me, it’s not used. Irel had normal, two handed sword almost as long as his body.

I took my Phantom sword out of my ring and now that I think about it, calling it Phantom sword sounds strange so let’s just name it Qwiz. Strange name but it suits it for some reason.

As I took it out, I could hear sounds of amazement. This sword is really beautiful so no wonder they are amazed. Thank you, master.

“I hope you know how to handle that decorative sword. Such a piece of junk. Can it even cut?”

Irel told so but I don’t blame him, it really would look so but I guarantee its sharpness.

“It’s sharper than it looks, you should be careful.”

“Ho, than show me.”

We both were grinning from the start. We are the same as master and Michael, friends and rivals. Hostility between us disappeared long ago. I am stronger than Irel in sword fighting but if he would use his elemental magic it wouldn’t be easy for me to win even if I could use strengthening. At least magic isn’t allowed. I say I am stronger in sword fighting but don’t think Irel isn’t good. There is more to sword fighting that just skill.

We both took stance, well Irel took, because I was forbidden from using Phantom style I was just standing in relaxed position, ready to counter at any time. This stance is called flowing stance. You can react to any move of your opponent. I devised it from a book I read once. It cannot compare to phantom style but still better than nothing. We both were looking directly at each other’s eyes and waited for signal.

“Start!”

Irel dashed at me and I thought ‘What tank does that?’ I never saw this move before and I must say with that weight on him that dash is quite fast. When he reached close to me, he swung his sword side way and wanted to send me flying from the arena so I would be disqualified. I just jumped and hit his helmet with my sword or that was supposed to happen but he tilted his body and what’s more, weight of Qwiz changed and so I couldn’t time it right to hit him while he was dodging.

We both took a distance and I started to think about what happened with Qwiz and if Irel did that but I found answer. With the explanation I got from Magic detection I understood that this was what it meant by hampering its user. I quickly looked at Irel and I could feel that he was channeling his mana into his hands and legs. I did not let him though and quickly as an arrow closed the distance. He clicked his tongue and I meanwhile wanted to stab him but he used his gauntlet to change the direction and I just brushed his side and meanwhile he hit me with hilt of his sword but I used my innate ability shock absorption and moved in the same direction as his hit to mitigate the damage.

My hand hurt a little but it wasn’t anything serious.

“You got better it seems.”

“Yeah, but it looks like you are still the same.”

Yeah, Irel is right. I did not train with sword because I was focusing on all tests and was making my trump card. He must have train until he was spewing blood. No lees to expect from my rival.

Time to get a little bit serious.

I focused my presence while I was holding Qwiz in my right hand giving him a dangerous atmosphere. This technique is more to make your opponents lose their fighting spirit but if your soul is strong, it will strengthen your weapon but that goes too far for now. To do that you need to establish your aura and me who can just manipulate presence is not even close.

Irel started to focus more on his defense but that was what I wanted. I dashed with my sword hand straight with my body and my sword’s blade behind me. When I closed the distance I jumped and put my hand up and used gravity to strengthen the hit and like a stone fell directly on him. He blocked it with his sword but it was still part of my plan. I use this momentum to backflip behind him. Because of the hit and his armor, he did not turn fast enough but my position wasn’t good so I just kicked him pushing him a meter and making him stumble.

We both were with our back to each other but it did not matter. I dashed with my back to him with strength in one of my legs stronger than the other so I changed direction in the air and tried to strike his back but weight and balance of the Qwiz changed again and before I could reach him I hit the ground and he charged his sword on me and because I couldn’t get my balance I had to block with Qwiz sideway and was sent flying in the air. I knew I would fall from the arena so I stab Qwiz into the ground and thankfully weight of Qwiz increased and I stopped before the edge.

We both were exhausted and so knew the end of our fight is coming. Red mist started to surround Irel and his mana started to fluctuate strengthening his whole body. Berserk rage, this ability is frightening because of its dual nature. Skill berserk increase your first for battle increasing your regeneration, Rage is skill that strengthen your bodily ability for price of losing your conscious. Berserk rage combines this two and increases both abilities but the biggest plus is you want lose your conscious. He is serious.

It’s time for me to get serious too. Phantom style swordsmanship. This ability is frightening. It has few stances one for each situation. Offense, defense, stamina, support.

I calmed my mind, completely focusing on our last struggle. Irel stepped forward, crushing the ground and in extreme speed started to move, with each step, destroying the ground. I was calm like water, my mind sharper than ever and I was reading his every move. His use of muscles, his eye movement, his breathing. Cold reading, my innate ability. For me it looked like time stopped and then my calmness changed to a raging storm and one quick movement, so fast that you could not perceive it, appeared at the other side of the arena. Irel was standing still and then fell. Everyone did not understand what happened and only master was smiling.

What I did was simple, I read when he will be most vulnerable and when the chance appeared I used phantom movement, erasing my presence and moving with the wind in several straight lines with my every step, increasing my movement speed and flying millimeter from his body in the gap he made slashing him meanwhile and then stopping at the spot I was. This skill is called Phantom line. One of the moves of Phantom swordsmanship. You disappear from your opponent’s sight and with extreme speed go past him, slashing him as side product. This is movement type skill. Offensive skill could kill him if it would be used.

“Winner, Risiel!”

It was announced that I won and I just fell, completely exhausted. To do this isn’t mentally easy, and physically either. Master went to me and started to pat my back, hard. I almost stopped breathing.

“Nice job, Ris. You showed them who’s the best. As is expected from my disciple.”

Don’t shout to my ear, master!

“It was just luck, nothing more.”

Michael came to us.

“What did you say?! Do you want to fight?”

“I can beat you whenever I want.”

“So you do want to fight. Take that thing you call sword and let’s go.”

“Stop it you fools!”

Someone came without us noticing him and hit both of them on their heads.

“That hurt.”x2

“Did you say anything?”

“N-no!”

Who is this man? For those 2 to be so scared of him.

“Student Risiel, you are the winner of this test. Here is your toke and for getting the first place and showing us remarkable swordsmanship, here is a gift from me.”

I received token with sword and shield on it. All token have symbol and the thing I got was, scabbard for my sword. It was definitely made for it. How could this person have it? I thought only Phantom style practitioners could have it? No way, could he be Phantom style practitioner too? And what’s more, even higher than master?

“You truly are worthy to succeed our phantom style. Keep with your hard work.”

As I thought! He is a big shot in phantom style.

As I was thinking that, he disappeared from where he was standing. I did not see anything at all! It was like he was a clone that disappeared like a mist. Scary.

“Ha, master is always like that.”

Master? Did master say master? Is master’s master master?

“Master, who was that?”

“He is the head of Martial arts department, my master and master of phantom style.”

M-master of phantom style? One of few who were able to reach it? Are you kidding me?

“Ris, I’ll give you advice. Don’t piss him off, ever or else you are a goner.”

“Y-yes, master!”

I wasn’t really scared more like excited. Such strong person in my reach. Hope to fight with him once.

“Ha, I need to go see my disciple. Enjoy your bonding, you two. Ha ha ha.”

And Michael went away. What did he meant by bonding?

“That stupid Michael, sigh. Anyway Ris, you did well and treasure that scabbard you got. It may not look like much but it is one of the kind and all apprentices would want it.”

I quickly used magic identification.

Phantom style apprentice scabbardDurability???RankUniqueThis scabbard us one of the kind and is used in pair with its sword counterpart. This scabbard has mind of its own and will learn from its master’s experience and whenever the master will sheat the sword into it, it will change it to suit the master’s needs.

Are you fucking with me? It has its own mind? And what’s more, it will change the sword to suit me? No wonder master said such things. Let’s use it right away.

I sheeted my sword and when I done that, I could feel it sucking immense amount of my mana. It had to suck 90% or so. Thank to my new skill Soul mind I did not have backlash so at least this was nice.

“You sure are stupid, sheating it after your fight. I’m impressed you did not faint.”

“I’m impressed too.”

No kidding, I’m fatigued as hell. Is it thanks to the Soul mind? Is fatigue one of the mental statuses it prevents? If that’s so that it can endanger me. If it forcibly makes me stay awake then it can endanger my health or even kill me. I need to pay attention.

“Master, I have a wish.”

“What is it?”

“Could you teach me Phantom style Close combat?”

“I must sadly say I’m not too good with it. I can teach you basics but that’s all. If you want to master it than I’m no good. Only master could teach you and I fear what he would made you do. Why do you wish to learn it anyway?”

“There are several reasons, first is during one of my trials I had to fight bare handed and almost died because of it so it is needed for me. Second reason is that I believe to master my sword, I must master my body first instead.”

“I see, I see. Those are good reasons. Ok then, I’m in.”

We both looked behind us and the one who stood behind us was, master’s master. You did not think it was master who said that, right?

“M-master, no. I can’t let you do that. What would happen with Ris?”

Master was sweating buckets.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry it’s not like I will break him……..much.”

“So you will break him!”

Master’s master looked sideway.

“Who knows?”

Master went on his knees, dejected.

“And it’s not like it is your choice. This kid here must choose for himself.”

Master looked at me, and even though he was afraid of me, he decided.

“Ris, I can’t force you to anything. I think you are not ready yet but this choice is fully yours. Think about it carefully.”

I did not need to think about it.

“Master, I will go with him but you are still my master and I won’t let you down. I will try as hard as I can and won’t skip your classes, no matter what.”

“Ris. Thank you.”

Huh, was this what Michael meant by bonding?

“Ha ha ha. You chose path that will go through hell. I hope you are ready?”

“I went from hell once, I can do it again.”

“You just scratched surface of hell. I won’t be so kind. Be prepared.”

And he disappeared again.

“Ris, be careful.”

“I’ll be master.”

We sat alone, not speaking anything and just enjoying warm breeze until someone started to call me.

“Ris, where are you?”

It was Irel so I called him to us.

“So here you were. But man, that last attack hurt like hell, but don’t think you’re better than me, next time I will win.”

Irel is Irel, his not a bad guy. The reason why he was acting like that when we met for the first time was because of his family. They always forced him to act like that but in fact, he is good person.

“We shall see. But don’t think I will stay the same.”

“We shall see. We shall see.”

“But next time, let’s fight with everything we have, magic included.”

“Who knows, maybe we will meet at the tournament.”

“It’s not the same.”

“Yeah.”

“I still won so don’t forget our agreement.”

“Guh, yeah.”

I don’t remember what the agreement was anymore and I don’t even care I just wanted to tease him a little. His great friend and I will always help him, you can count on that.

“Youth is really great. To have friend that would go with you to hell and back aren’t many.”

“You’re right, master.”

We talked for a little while longer and without even knowing it, fell asleep.

We woke up close to dusk and cold wind started to blow.

“Don’t forget Ris, next time I will win.”

“Then you should train more and don’t think magic will save you.”

“I will show you how my magic tastes.”

“How can you show me taste?”

“You little.”

We just smiled at each other and bumped our fists.

“Next time, we won’t fight because of our grudge but because we are friends and rivals.”

“You bet.”

Irel went on his way and only master waited patiently for me.

“You really have great friend.”

“Yeah, maybe more than I deserve.”

“Cherish such friends, there aren’t that many people you can call true friends.”

“I know master.”

“It’s late now, go to your dorms. You need to rest.”

“Yes master.”

“Oh and tournament starts in the week but on first day of the week, headmaster will have a speech, don’t forget that.”

“I won’t.”

With 6 badges in my ring, master’s sword and scabbarded, I went to my dorm, walking slowly while enjoying the wind and sun in the distance. Today was really great day, end of one promise and start of the new one. Next time, I will fight for real and won’t hide my true strength. That much I own to him and I will work hard, so I can protect what I care about and to fulfill my promise to Liz.

I smiled a little and went on my way until I heard some sound behind the bushes. I shouted.

“Who’s there?!”

And I could hear ‘ah’ and someone fell from the bush, covered in leaves and teary eyed.

“H-hi, Ris.”

God really loves to play the games, such a good day immediately changed to nightmare. The one who called to me is someone who I did not expect to meet. My worst foe and my greatest nightmare and the worst blunder of my life.

The monster that was smiling, covered on leaves and teary eyed was none other than……..

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Few, so hot, 39°C isn’t little. God how I want to go to pool, if only I could sob sob. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the summer and not just sitting at home doing nothing like me (I don’t have any other choice!)

Oh and I expected Alice to be winning in the poll because she is closest to Ris but what I did not expect was Sylvi to get votes. She appeared only in prologue so that was something nice. Elizabeth and Lili were expected. Sani I thought she’ll get a vote at least. Hope you changed your opinion about Irel thanks to this chapter.

Once more, hope you enjoyed.

Why do you think I called th sword Qwiz? I forgot to mention it in chapter but I want to hear your opinion.