The demon’s head seared off its shoulders, flying away at great speed. The sword that cut it glistened with its dark blood. It was a beautiful blade, black as night, rose thorns curling around its hilt and running up the blade. The thorns twisted on themselves, drinking the demon blood. When satisfied, black, metallic roses budded and bloomed, nurtured from the blood of the fallen.

The man placed the hulking blade over his shoulder, the flowers still twisting and curling.

“I almost thought you’d give me trouble.” He said with a whistle. “Looks like more and more Aberrants are showing up around Eden. Looks like I’m going to have to make a home coming.”

A wolf like demon, four eyes glowing with hunger, pounced from the shadows behind the man, intent on taking him by surprise. But the hunter was faster. Moments before the wolf had its fangs in his flesh, he swung the blade around, sawing the beast in half. The rose buds fed on it as well.

“Thank you, goddess Anastrid, for this bountiful meal.” Koryn prayed, before taking a bit out of her meal. I just rolled my eyes. Anastrid was dead. It’s not like she’s watching over us anymore.

“I wonder what kind of divine weapon I’ll get?” Koryn said, gulping down a piece of meat.

It was lunch time now. We were eating a far classroom.

“A whip probably. You’re always telling me what to do.” I replied.

“Hmm. I guess it would fit my image. Maybe I should get a matching outfit for it too.”

“Wait what kind of outfit are we talking here?” I said, leaning closer, curious at what she had to answer.

“Aidan Crow!” Tsukihi entered, clipboard in hand. And just like that, the mood was ruined.

I tried to put in my earbuds, but she started writing before I did.

“What is it for this time?”

“For punching a fellow student.”

“Aidan!” Koryn said, anger in her eyes.

“He started it.” I said. “Besides, I made sure not to hit his nose.”

“You’re tenacious, I’ll compliment you on that point.” Tsukihi said, handing me my fine. 60 Alms. Expensive. “But that aggression will only kill people, not save them from the demons.”

“We’re fighting them. I don’t see the point in not being aggressive.”

“That’s not the point.” She said. “If you can’t get that, I don’t have the patience to correct you. Good day.” She turned and left.

60 Alms. That’s about a week or so of part time work. My wallet was hurting.

“Hey, Koryn, can you lend me some…”

She put away her food, got up, and left without saying a word. She usually only did that when she was upset with me.

“Koryn, wait!” I called out to her, but she ignored me, leaving me alone in the classroom.

I didn’t see her for the rest of the day. I drifted through my classes, barely paying attention at all. After all, it didn’t matter for a potential-less guy like me. I listened to music; I drew in my notebook. I played on my phone. I did everything but pay attention. I didn’t pay attention to this school at all. Which… is what I’d like to say. There was one aspect of this school, the initial thing that brought me here in the first place.

“Did you hear? The class president and the vice president are dueling today!” I overheard someone saying as they passed by.

The one thing that I always attended. The one thing I paid attention to. The sparring matches in the gym.

This was an important fight. Both the president and vice both had scores of 100. It would be a fight between two elites, and I had to see it. I snuck my way into the audience. They fought on a ring surrounded by bleachers, so finding a seat with a good view was easy enough. Kurahara stood ready, wooden sword forward in a defensive stance. She had changed out of the school uniform, and instead had a traditional swordsman robe. The vice president, sword at the ready, wore the same thing.

“Ready.” The referee said, raising his hand. “Go!”

The vice president bounded forward, closing the distance in a second. His speed was beyond what was humanly possible, without magic at least. He swung hard, intent on finishing the fight with one fatal blow, aiming for her center of mass. Kurahara responded, deflecting his attack, and spinning around behind him with the grace of a dancer. The vice president looped around, delivering three heavy blows. Kurahara used his momentum against him, deflecting the blows to the sides.

It was a beautiful dance, the sound of cracking wood, the graceful movements of Kurahara compared to the vice’s heavy blows. He seemed to realize that Kurahara wasn’t striking back; instead she seemed to be waiting, deflecting the blows with almost casual indifference. The vice swung hard again, using the force of his strength, but Kurahara danced around it, deflecting it as she had the whole fight, dancing lightly on her toes like a cat.

“Kurahara.” The vice president grit his teeth. “Take me seriously.” He said, gasping for air. Kurahara just stood there, staring at him coldly.

“I only take threats seriously.” She said.

Man, she’s cold and arrogant. How can she just say that so aloofly? Does she really think she’s that much stronger than the rest of us?

“Hey dumbass!” I yelled. “Stop throwing your weight into your strikes! She’s just using it to tire you out!” Even an amateur like me could tell his swordsmanship was lacking. Of course, martial arts was the least of the three scores, so you didn’t have to be great at them to have a high score.

“Stop telling me what to do zero!” He yelled, slamming down with a heavy overhead strike. Kurahara, spun out of the way, flipped her sword around, and dug the pommel into the vice president’s stomach. He keeled over, hitting the ground with a thud.

“How unfortunate.” Kurahara sighed.

“Match!” The referee yelled, the crowd erupted into a mixture of cheers and groans.

“She’s so cold! I want her to stare at me like that!” a person next to me said.

“Ugh… She won again.” another scoffed.

“Look at her attitude, all high and mighty.” a girl whispered.

I shook my head, pitying the vice president, who was still writhing in pain on the ground.

“Told you so!” I yelled at him.

“You’re awfully sure of yourself, Aidan Crow.” Tsukihi said, leaping off the arena right in front of where I was sitting.

“Just making an observation. He sucked.”

“Interesting coming from you.” She said.

“I saw what you were doing, I was just trying to help him out.”

“Oh? You saw through my moves?” She asked. If she wasn’t so emotionless and monotone, I would say that she was mocking me. “Why don’t you show me then.” She pointed to the arena with her weapon.

My heart dropped to my stomach. The crowd around me silenced. I could feel their eyes on me.

“I…” And then she did. She gave me that look, a look I knew she gave only to me. My special look. She was looking down on me.

“Fine.” I said, anger seething in me.

“Very well. Go get changed and we’ll start within ten minutes.”

“No need.” I said, jumping onto the ring. “I can fight you in this.”

“I cannot allow that. It’s against regulations.”

“Too bad. This is how I roll.” I walked over to the vice president, who now sitting up.

“I’m taking this.” I said, grabbing his sword and swinging it over my shoulder.

“Good luck. You’re going to need it.” He said, getting up and off the stage.

I walked over to my corner, taking a few practice swings with my sword.

“You understand the rules, correct?” Kurahara asked. She was kneeling, her sword placed neatly before her as she waited for the ready. “The winner is determined when one is unable to fight, or…”

“Is knocked off. I know. Hard blows don’t count. You can get hit multiple times as long as you’re still standing. It only counts if one of us can’t get up.”

“So you actually do know something.” She said, surprised.

“You’re gonna pay for looking down on me.”

“Ready?”

“That’s an interesting stance.” Kurahara said, holding her sword before her ready.

I stood there, sword over my shoulder.

“I don’t have any sword training at all. But it’s still enough to beat you.” I said, pointing my blade definitely.

Her eyes glared in anger.

“Set.”

What am I doing? How did this happen? Well, it’s too late to doubt myself now. All I can do, is try to win.

“Go!”