Chapter 11: Duel
Reston sat back down. Though still sleepy, he reminded himself this was Dragon Country University—he couldn't afford to act too casual. So he forced himself to focus, listening to the theory lecture alongside Jess, hoping it might keep him awake.
Two hours later—
"Finally done with theory class… haaah~" Reston stretched lazily. He couldn't understand how Jess managed to sit through such dry material. By the thirtieth minute, he had almost slammed his head into the desk.
"You look tired too. Should we go back and rest?" Jess asked.
"No… it's fine. The next class should be combat training, right? Maybe moving around will stop me from feeling so sleepy…" Reston replied weakly.
Jess sighed. "Alright, but don't push yourself. I know how much you love sleeping."
---
Combat Training Grounds
"Students! Today's lesson is live combat. Everyone, start warming up. In ten minutes, each of you will have a three-minute spar. During your match, I'll observe your techniques, point out flaws, and demonstrate how to improve. Warm up for ten minutes—class begins soon!"
The instructor was bald and muscular, standing a solid 1.9 meters tall. His military uniform made his broad, battle-hardened frame even more intimidating. The students could feel the pressure just standing near him.
"You there—why aren't you warming up?" he barked, noticing Reston standing idly beside Jess. "Everyone else is moving. What are you doing? And what's with that outfit? This is a combat class, not a fashion show!"
Before the teacher could blow up, Reston silently took out a command token. It was the one Instructor Lin had given him before he left—he'd said if Reston ever ran into trouble, he could show this.
The instructor froze for half a second—then his expression completely changed.
"Commander-in-Chief! Please forgive my disrespect!" he saluted sharply, trembling. To see that token was the same as meeting the Commander-in-Chief himself!
The instructor's booming voice drew the attention of every student nearby. Reston winced, rubbing his ears in embarrassment—his ears had turned bright red.
"Who's that guy? I've never seen him before."
"Idiot, we just had theory class with him!"
"She's so pretty… think I can get her contact info?"
"Wait, why did the teacher salute him? Isn't that something subordinates do to superiors?"
"Teacher! Please don't do that, you're making Reston nervous!" Jess hurried over and whispered into the instructor's ear.
The instructor immediately called out to the nearby students, ordering them to resume their warm-ups and easing the tension a little. Reston finally felt a bit better, though he still couldn't stop rubbing his ears.
"Reston, are you alright? If you're nervous, go back and rest. I'll finish the class fast and come find you," Jess said softly.
"I'm fine… I'll just watch you fight," Reston muttered.
---
Ten minutes later—
"First match! Lin Yue versus Chen Yun! Step up!"
"Lin Yue, Body Tempering Stage Four, spear!"
"Chen Yun, Body Tempering Stage Four, blade!"
"Three! Two! One! Begin!"
Lin Yue lunged first, his spear thrusting forward in a blur, aiming to control the distance. Chen Yun reacted swiftly, sidestepping and swinging horizontally at Lin Yue's arm—but Lin Yue managed to twist the spear and block the strike in time.
"Their technique's close… but Chen Yun's sense for timing is sharper. Lin Yue's only saving grace is how he turns danger into opportunity," the instructor muttered under his breath.
"This fight's dragging on. If it were me, I'd end it in one punch," Jess said confidently.
"You're at Martial Warrior Stage 3. Of course you would," Reston replied, rolling his eyes.
"Three minutes! Next pair! Jess versus—"
Before the instructor could finish, Jess interrupted loudly. "Can I fight… him?" He pointed at Reston.
Reston blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
"You sure?" the instructor asked. Didn't this kid just see the Commander-in-Chief's token?
"I'm sure. You're fine with it, right?" Jess gave Reston a pleading look.
"…Fine," Reston sighed.
"Alright then! Both of you, on stage!"
They walked to opposite ends of the arena.
"You both ready? Three! Two! One! Begin!"
Reston summoned the Skyrend Blade, his expression calm. Since Jess wanted a duel—so be it.
The moment the instructor's shout ended, Jess vanished. His movement was lightning-fast, but Reston turned his body just in time—his blade sweeping sideways with a sharp clang! as it intercepted Jess's strike.
How…? Jess's eyes widened. He predicted my attack?
Reston's War God's Will granted him unmatched battle instincts. Every strike, every feint—he could foresee them before they happened. Still, he knew pure defense wasn't enough.
He shifted into offense. Ten slashes in a flash, each from a different angle. Explosive shockwaves erupted—Jess's every move had been predicted, countered, and shattered. Forced out of his light-speed state, Jess stumbled back several meters, nearly falling off the arena.
Huff… huff… He's grown this strong already? Professor Shen was right… I'm still not working hard enough!
Jess steadied himself and conjured a clone that appeared behind Reston, slashing down. Reston sensed it, but his body couldn't quite keep up. He raised his blade behind him just in time to block. The sheer physical strength behind the swing—enough to rival a Martial Lord—forced the clone back.
Then Reston spun, his blade tracing an arc—cleanly bisecting the clone in half.
But in that same instant, Jess used the distraction to rush forward, charging up energy in his palm—then unleashed a Light Beam Wave directly at Reston!
Reston stood there unharmed.
"Jess, that was a bit much…" Reston said, brushing off some dust. The heat stung, but nothing serious.
"My turn."
Reston vanished. When he reappeared, it was beside Jess—his blade already descending, wreathed in lightning.
Jess's pupils dilated—he couldn't even track Reston's speed. He barely escaped by shifting into light form, dodging the strike by a hair.
But could he dodge forever?
Reston's expression hardened. He infused the Skyrend Blade with pure qi, and roared—
"Thunder Dragon!"
A massive lightning dragon burst forth, ripping through the air. Jess screamed as the strike hit, blasting him clean off the stage.
The instructor stared, stunned. "Excellent! Watching you two was like witnessing a duel between Martial Kings! This student—"
"Reston," he said quickly.
"Right, Reston! Your battle awareness is flawless. Even against Jess's light form, you saw through everything. Aside from that one Light Beam Wave you didn't fully block, your defense was perfect."
"And Jess—your offense was sharp and creative. But you rely too much on your speed. You didn't consider what happens when your opponent's battle sense outclasses yours. That's the one thing you need to fix."
After being treated by the medic, Jess hurried back to Reston's side.
"You hit me way too hard, you know! I got launched off the stage! Luckily I'm still in one piece."
Reston smirked. "You're just too soft. Even Professor Shen said so."
"Hey, that's not fair! How was I supposed to know you could predict every one of my moves when you couldn't even see me?! That's insane!"
"All just training… haaahhhhh~" Reston yawned loudly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Jess noticed how drowsy he looked, quickly excused them from the instructor, and led Reston back to their quarters.