"You've got to be kidding me." I muttered staring at the sole figure standing on the platform.
~Around fifteen minutes earlier~
The first match didn't last long with one of the student surrending. Moving on to the second match, it was Delilah against some no name extra.
It was a brutal excuse of a fight, the student couldn't even get the slightest bit closer to her, and in the first ten seconds of the fight, the girl got riddled with wooden arrows, and had to be taken to the Infirmary by a volunteer.
At least it was better than the first fight, where the two student were only play fighting.
The third fight was between another pair of extras. The fourth fight meanwhile, got everyone all hyped up, after all, a prince was ascending the stage.
"I wonder who he's gonna fight?" I muttered. In the novel, he went up against Delilah, but seeing as my presence had already affected.... no, it wasn't my presence.
I frowned.
In the novel, Damon was also in this class, only that his rank was 120. Yeah, he was the dead last. But that didn't change the fact that he was still in this class.
The one who disrupted everything was... "Her." I muttered, glancing at the redhead who surprisingly was focused on the fight happening on the platform.
"I surrender!" a shrill voice pierced through the air in fright breaking me out of the trance I had not notice I was in.
Turning to the stage, I saw Fabian's opponent crouched at the edge of the platform with one hand raised.
'Seriously?' I thought rolling my eyes. But then again, it wasn't surprising, his opponent was a prince, who was no doubt way stronger than him, and not to mention, almost everyone was rooting for Fabian.
"Tsk, weakling." Fabian clicked his tongue as he got off the platform, with Dion trailing behind him with a sheepish smile.
'What a disgrace to all men in existence, couldn't he at least keep his voice manly as he surrendered?' I mean, I never would have done that, but each to their own I guess.
"Hey dude, not much of a performance was it?" Dion who reached my side asked with an embarrassed smile.
I turned to him with my best expression of genuine confusion.
"Excuse me, do I know you?"
He visibly deflated at my words, but before he could say something, instructor Black yelled.
"The two students with the number five, make your way to the platform."
'Ah that's me.' I turned. But before I could take a single step from where I stood, a figure flickered onto the stage.
I froze.
"You've got to be kidding me."
'Is it too late to take back my words?' I sweat dropped.
'Which one? the one where you said you would have never surrendered, or the one where you said Dion was a disgrace to all men in existence?' Bubbles who had been uncharacteristically silent since the day started said in a derisive tone.
'How about both?' I replied. 'It was simply a slip of the tongue.' In my defence, I did not know I was going to end up paired with Rose, even though I had hoped against that.
Now that I see it, that was a red flag wasn't it?
"The second student with number five, get on the platform." the instructor's voice once again echoed throughout the combat hall.
"Ah...yes." I stammered.
It was then I noticed that everyone had been looking around for the second student with number five, a.k.a, me.
Under the scrutinizing gaze of everyone, I made my way into the platform.
"Uhhh... Hi!" I managed a smile, staring at those familiar cold grey eyes.
I was.... ignored.
"This little shit." I muttered under my breath. It wasn't the first time she'd ignored me, but for some reason, ever since I got those memories, being afraid of, or being ignored by a kid seemed to rub me the wrong way.
"Take your place!" the instructor thundered, not seeming to care about whatever matters we had.
As soon as we both stood about ten meters apart, the instructor yelled.
"Begin!"
Contrary to what I'd expected, Rose didn't rush at me.
"You've gotten stronger." She said. "Not that it matters, but I do wonder, how did you do it?"
"Eh?" I looked to both my sides. Is she... "Are you talking to me?" I pointed at myself eyes widened.
"Nevermind, I'll find out sooner or later." she muttered getting into a familiar stance.
I tensed.
Spiderweb like cracks appeared on the platform beneath her boots as she disappeared from her spot, leaving afterimages behind.
I also responded in kind. Anyone who knew the mirage steps knows that staying still against someone who uses it, was a bad idea.
In less a second, we appeared before each other.
Clank!
A loud metallic ring spread in the air as our swords mer. Sparks flew in the air, and a small pocket of pressurized wind expanded outwardly, fluttering our hairs.
The clash lasted for a brief moment, before our momentum disappeared. Rose took a step back, and as for me, I was sent staggering dozens of steps back.
A big improvement from before, when I would instead completely fly back.
"Not bad." she muttered. "Even your technique has improved." she muttered as her sword started releasing wisps of smoke.
"Shit!" I cursed as a bead of sweat dropped down my brow.
A crimson glow shrouded Rose's sword, as she once again disappeared before my eyes.
'Behind." I twisted my heel on the ground, and shifted my body to the side, barely evading the crimson slash that swerved past my body.
"Second art: Summer blaze." Her voice echoed just as the slash I had evaded struck the ground behind me.
Boom!
The ground shattered, stirring up a cloud of debris that impaired my vision.
Thwack!
A vicious kick connected with my stomach sending me flying straight into the barrier encasing the platform.
But I didn't have time to even process the pain on my stomach, or that of my back hitting the barrier, as I had to evade another crimson slash the moment I regained my bearings.
"Wait, where is she?" my head flicked around me as I didn't see her after evading the slash.
'Above.' I grimaced.
"First art: Blooming spring." My sword shone in a blue light as I swung upwards meeting her crimson shrouded sword.
My body involuntarily shuddered as the force of the impact behind her attack sent horrid tremors coursing through my body.
Apart from the fact that she was stronger than me, summer blaze was also stronger than blooming spring.
This time Rose landed firmly on the ground, and I was the only one sent straggling.
She charged at me once again,
Clang, Clang, Clang—!!
'Ah shit."
I couldn't help but curse in my mind as my sword moved to rapidly defend against her unrelenting assault.
The little shit was toying with me. And it was making me furious.
Then suddenly, she jumped back mid strike.
"Huh? why did she.....?" I began, but was cut off by the terrifying pressure that bore down on the arena.
"Ah shit!" I muttered as the air in the enclosed platform began heating up rapidly.
I didn't hesitate, I pressed my sole firmly on the ground, before I shot towards her in a series of afterimages.
In the novel, if there was one thing known about rose, it was that even if you were a minor rank or two above Rose, you must evade her unique ability. Either that, or you don't let her unleash it in the first place.
She didn't try to move, or even counter even as I reached her, instead, pure golden flames erupted from her body, immolating the very air around us, and the ground on which she stood.
"Fuck!" I jumped back. 'She almost had me.' I thought sweating, both from the thought, and the fact that the air was a literal furnace.
Just as I thought that, a stream of that gold flames raced towards me with baffling speed, scorching the ground black.
The flames caught my figure, but thankfully it was only an afterimage.
"She didn't get me." I muttered, or so I thought.
In my vision, I saw a boot rapidly closing in on my face.
'Oh boy.'
Then I just suddenly felt that I wasn't there anymore.
**********
"Ah... why does my head hurt?" I rubbed my head that was throbbing with a dull ache as I opened my eyes.
"Oh right." I muttered in realization. I was fighting Rose.
"Damn that little shit tricked me." I cursed. There was no way she was going to indiscriminately attack me with her flames as killing wasn't allowed, and instructor Black would have stopped her. In fact I was quite sure she had slowed it down, ensuring I could dodged it.
And the moment I did, she was already waiting at where I would appear. Her foot mercilessly struck my head with dire force.
Then next thing I know, I found myself in the Infirmary.
"Aiiiiish." I found myself pulling at my hair. A part of me wanted to curse her, but a part of me also knew that it was a fight I lost fair and square.
**********
Here's today chapter. Very sorry, It seemed I mis–timed the drop.