The instructor led them toward the outdoor training grounds. Several wide arenas stretched out before them, each one occupied by cadets from other classes. Transparent magical barriers surrounded every arena, ensuring that spells and attacks wouldn't harm spectators or cadets in nearby areas.
"We'll start with simple duels," the instructor explained in a firm yet calm voice. "You don't need to go all out. Think of this as a trial session. Watch how your weapon behaves, and learn to anticipate your opponent's movements."
The cadets nodded, adjusting their gloves and gripping their weapons carefully. The air was thick with anticipation; a low murmur spread through the makeshift stands surrounding the field.
"Alright, two at a time. You can volunteer, or I can call you by name," the instructor continued.
"Aiden! I challenge you!" shouted a cadet enthusiastically.
Kain blinked in surprise, frowning as he tried to place the voice.
"Isn't that the one who faced Aiden during the entrance trials… Tailor, right?" he muttered to himself, vaguely recalling his face and the spear he wielded. In that previous encounter, Tailor had been defeated rather quickly.
Aiden smiled confidently.
"Sure, whenever you're ready," he said, stepping forward into the arena.
Tailor snorted and followed. Kain watched from behind the barrier, his fingers brushing the handle of his rifle as he analyzed the situation.
"Sword versus spear… the spear has the range advantage, but the sword's more versatile in close combat. This should be interesting," he said quietly.
"I'm glad to see that enthusiasm," said the instructor, watching closely. "But don't go too far. Begin!"
Tailor moved first, launching a flurry of quick thrusts aimed at Aiden's vital points. With smooth, practiced motions, Aiden blocked and deflected each one, the metallic clashes ringing faintly through the open field.
Tailor changed tactics, spinning on his heel to perform a low sweep. Aiden nimbly jumped back, feeling the air from the spear brush against his legs, then countered by advancing swiftly. With a twist of his wrist, he slashed vertically toward Tailor's head, who raised his spear just in time to parry.
"Interesting… he hasn't lost his speed or aggression," Kain thought, following every movement carefully. Aiden moved with slight discomfort—he still wasn't fully accustomed to his sword—making his patterns a bit more predictable.
Tailor didn't relent. After blocking, he threw a low kick to unbalance Aiden. The latter leapt back, planting the tip of his sword into the ground to spin and regain his footing. Tailor tried to control the distance, using his reach to dictate the pace, while Aiden blocked, dodged, and sought openings with unconventional strikes.
"Come on, Tailor!" shouted a spectator from the stands.
"Don't let your guard down, Aiden!" another replied, just as Tailor unleashed a wide horizontal sweep, forcing Aiden to retreat.
Aiden anticipated the move and sidestepped, rolling across the sand. He rose with agile grace and, twisting his hips, struck the spear with a sharp side slash, knocking it off course and making Tailor stumble.
Taking advantage of the opening, Aiden kicked Tailor in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. The cadet let out a frustrated groan as he fell, his weapon clattering beside him. Aiden leveled his sword at him — one decisive strike could have been fatal.
"That's enough! Aiden wins," the instructor declared, stepping forward to halt the duel.
Aiden nodded, sheathing his sword before leaving the arena and walking over to Kain.
"You did well," Kain said with a grin. "Was it tough?"
"Yeah," Aiden replied. "Last time it only took three moves; this time I had to adjust a lot more."
"Was it fun?" Kain asked.
"Quite a bit," Aiden answered, smiling with quiet satisfaction.
Kain chuckled, thinking back on the intensity of the fight.
The next few matches were far less impressive. Some cadets performed well, others were merely average, and a few surrendered almost immediately.
"Looks like it's your turn," Aiden said, glancing at Kain.
"Yeah, I'm up," Kain replied with a sigh, standing. He grabbed his rifle, checking its weight before stepping into the arena.
His opponent was a young swordsman—quick on his feet and brimming with confidence. Kain flicked the switch to power up the rifle's core, which began to glow faintly blue.
"Let's have a good match," Kain said.
"Likewise," replied the swordsman with a short nod.
"Begin!" the instructor called out.
The opponent rushed forward immediately, swinging in a diagonal slash. Kain fired at once, and the projectile struck the sword, deflecting it and forcing the young man to reset his stance. He fired again, this time aiming for the torso, the shot landing with a dull impact that left faint bruises thanks to the rifle's low power setting.
"I should raise the power," Kain thought. "Good thing I asked Aiden about this before we started."
He adjusted the output to level two and fired again. The shots landed with precise rhythm, forcing his opponent to stay on guard. Still, the swordsman managed to dodge and maintain distance.
"Thirty shots… with five hundred level-two rounds, I'm covered for now," Kain calculated as he kept up the pressure.
Finally, his opponent lunged forward, relying on his speed to close the gap.
Kain smirked. He fired a few more rounds, then switched the rifle to level three, aiming directly at the opponent's head.
Confident that the bullets lacked the power to do real harm, the swordsman slashed to deflect one and counterattack.
But the increased power changed everything—when the shot struck, the force made the sword rebound violently, smashing back into the cadet's head.
He collapsed instantly, unconscious.
The instructor rushed onto the arena and quickly checked the cadet's condition. After confirming there was no serious injury, he raised a hand.
"The winner is Kain. Well done."
Kain nodded and stepped down from the stage.
"Did you like it?" Aiden asked with a knowing smile.
"A bit tiring having to operate the rifle so often," Kain admitted, sitting beside him, "but I think I can get used to it."
"Told you you'd like it."
"I never said I liked it," Kain corrected. "I just said I could get used to it. We'll see once we enter the dungeon—then I'll tell you whether I actually like the weapon or not."
"I'll be waiting for that, then. In the meantime, keep practicing; you're still pretty green with it."
Kain didn't deny it. He knew his performance had been fairly average.
And so, the training matches came to an end.