"What was that?" Simon asked his companions as he sat down.
"We don't have a mirror, so just imagine how terrifying you must look to a normal person." Azriel poked at Simon's horns.
"Do they come off afterward, or do you have to rip them out?" Simon touched the horns himself and couldn't help but notice how firmly they were attached to his head.
"I think I'll have to rip them out… actually, I think I'll win a few more matches first." Simon laughed playfully.
"Lame," Ion said, glancing at Simon's opponent. "He only got scared because of how you looked."
"And because of the opening act," Azriel reminded him of the destruction caused earlier.
"That was nothing!" Ion snorted. "Real men don't run from a fight, no matter what! Right, Simon?" Simon stared at him in shock for a few seconds, then gave an awkward cough.
But then he nodded.
Azriel laughed, knowing exactly what was running through his mind.
"By the way… aren't you going to summon your familiar?" Simon asked Azriel, who only glanced toward Lyna in the distance.
"No… she's fine over there." Lena's group was playing with Lyna, and they all seemed entertained.
"Next fight! Ion Therfin versus Zain Read."
"I surrender!"
Ivan looked at the boy in the crowd and couldn't help but grunt before announcing the next fight.
"Looks like there won't be many more matches…" Azriel sighed deeply.
"There's still ours." Ion looked at Azriel with eagerness to fight. "You're not going to run from it, are you?"
Azriel snorted.
"You're really going to try and face me at what I'm best at?" Azriel flexed his arm and smacked his own bicep hard. "Simon's got better chances."
Ion just laughed, amused.
"Anyway…" Azriel stood up. "We need to see which quests we can take."
His gaze drifted toward the mission board and toward Ivan.
Azriel glanced briefly at the current fight and couldn't help but smile smugly. Two boys were trading normal punches and kicks while their familiars did the same.
Ivan looked almost asleep watching them.
Azriel then sneaked up to him.
"This fight's a drag, isn't it?" Ivan looked at him and couldn't help but smile, but then hardened his face again.
"What do you want, boy?" he said shortly.
"Which quests are the most… 'rewarding' on the board?" Ivan raised an eyebrow for a moment, thinking about the choice of words.
"Well… there are gathering quests, hunting quests, rescue quests, quests…" Ivan then smirked again.
"You mean the most fun ones, don't you?" He coughed, putting on a serious face again.
"The mission for the Ice-Heart Fruit is pretty interesting. They say an adolescent demon guards the tree at the top of one of the mountains."
"What else… well, there's a wolf pack growing quite large to the west. They're ordinary beasts, but the group has several mutants among them and has grown way out of control."
"Also, the forest is crawling with spirits like Igrivild, especially near the northern lake. Since it's part of the path to the academy, there will be lots of dropouts there."
Azriel rested his hand on his chin as he digested the information. Seeing that, Ivan handed him three scrolls.
"Here, the quests. They're all ranked SSS. I hope you're not scared off just because of a few letters." Ivan burst out laughing while Azriel began to smile.
"How long's the journey to the academy?" Ivan was surprised by the question.
"Usually the rookies take anywhere from two weeks to a month." Azriel nodded at that.
"Put up a warning at the lake," Azriel suddenly said, looking at Ivan intently with a grin. "Tell them not to give up when the bears show up, because I'll be there soon."
Ivan burst out laughing, loudly enough to draw everyone's attention.
"Of course! I'll make sure to post it myself and even wait for you there."
Azriel nodded before walking away toward the mission board.
He simply grabbed a handful of leaflets and returned to his group.
"Read these and make a route for us." Azriel handed them to Simon. Simon grew nervous for a moment, but when his eyes met Azriel's, he just smiled.
"Yes." He quickly pulled a notebook from his backpack and began scribbling.
"Next fight! Azriel Twintails versus Eli Palmer."
"I forfeit!"
Ivan growled deeply.
"Next fight! Azriel Twintails versus Simon Conway." Ivan grinned broadly as he read the names.
"..."
"..."
Simon looked at Azriel in silence.
"You're not going to hold back, are you?"
"No."
Azriel stared at him while Ion simply watched the tension building.
Simon slowly rose to one knee and walked toward the arena. His eyes turned black, sharpening.
Azriel calmly walked to the other side of the arena, letting his gaze sweep the place once more.
Lena and her group were glued to the upcoming battle, just like the rest of the crowd.
Lyna sat beside them, watching him intently. Her posture spoke louder than words.
'I'll need you.' He sent the thought, and she immediately ran to his side, taking her position for combat.
'What's the plan?' Lyna asked back with a grin. Her claws weren't made to stay idle for long.
'Split his attention and strike with everything we've got.' Azriel drew his blade once more. 'But for that, I need you to match my pace. Can you do it?'
Lyna chuckled.
'I wonder if you can. I was born a hunter, you're just some country boy.'
Azriel laughed while Simon seemed to be talking with Mono.
Azriel closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath.
His face visibly shifted as his mindset changed, and the blade grew steadier in his grip.
He and the sword were one, and he would cut his target down.
Azriel pictured his blade slicing the target.
He imagined the air parting before the edge.
He imagined the resistance of flesh, the blood staining the steel, and…
However, he smiled in the end and let out a breath.
'You're not good at this.' Lyna added as Azriel shifted his stance.
"No, I'm not."