TBATE | King Grey

-CHAPTER 12- Testing skills

I stepped inside the practice field following a few steps behind the captain, Jasmine in toe with me. She kept stealing glances at my side as we stopped at the corner of the open field enclosure. "Just do your best, okay? Don't push yourself too much. All the best." Jasmine gave me one last look—her eyes flickering between my wound and to my face, her gaze hard and determined.

She looked like she was the one about to have a duel.

"Thanks." Nodding to her gratefully, I shifted my focus to the inside of the practice field. There were several men drilling in combat and maneuvers, ordered by their sergeants overseeing them. But when they saw their captain walk-in with a sword in hand, they all left quickly to the farther side, giving an ample amount space for our duel to take place.

"Solider, this is my lieutenant, Vanessy Glory. She will be overseeing our bout." The captain said flicking his gaze from me, to a woman who had just entered the field from the other side. She looked well-toned; her dark hair tied back in a ponytail, swayed against the wind erratically. What caught my attention were the twin swords strapped to her back. Noticing my gaze on her, she turned to meet mine. Her face aloof and stoic, a lingering confidence and contained mischievousness hidden beneath her façade. She looked at me with obvious interest, as if sizing me up, and smiled faintly, before turning back to her captain.

"A duel between two augmenters, keep your mana usage to minimum, weapon and body augmenting only. First to yield or otherwise be incapacitated, loses." The lieutenant looked at her captain for confirmation, and when he gave a nod, she did the same to me. I nodded back, turning my focus to my challenger as the lieutenant shouted.

"Begin!"

The captain unsheathed his sword with practiced efficiency. It's metal surface shined beautifully against the morning sun as he positioned it to his front. I followed suit, bringing my sword to my side as I stood in a stance. Without any mana left in my core, I wasn't able to sense what type of elemental mana the captain was attuned with. But if I go by logic, he must have wind just like his niece.

Pushing all of my hovering thoughts to the back of my mind, I focused solely on the man standing in front of me. With that, I sprang forward. Closing the gap between us, I lunged at his left side below his shoulders, the only area that was left unguarded. The captain who was eyeing me with a calm gaze, finally moved. With a swift foot movement, he twisted to his side and brought down his silver sword to my open back.

I jumped back instinctively as the blade hissed right in front of my face. The captain's eyes shone with amusement as he followed it with an angular lunge. I held up my sword, side facing as the clashing sound made a *cling* before I parried it away.

That one exchange was enough to tell me that he was both strong and skilled.

Gritting my teeth, I went on the offensive again, brining down a flurry of sword strikes. With a slash to his left, I moved up, as he countered it with a swift cut aiming for my side. Taking the opening and leaning forward, I cut vertically, which got purchase as my opponent's strands of black hair cut off and floated away in the passing winds. He touched his hair—head—before looking back at me. "That was close." He gave a predatory smile as mana started to fluctuate around his figure.

Heat waves rushed up from the ground, like smoke, coalescing into red visible streaks of light as mana swirled around the silver sword in his hand. Then, his sword was coated with fire, an audible pop resounding across the silent field as everyone watched our battle intently.

Fire? Just great!

"If you can hold your own against my fire, you'll do just fine against the wind magic of the Elves."

Unable to hide my disappointment, I stopped hesitating as I repositioned myself, letting the fire coated blade pass harmlessly. His blade produced a crimson arc against the bright sunlight as it hissed past my head. I countered it with my own, making me cringe as I tried to push his mana reinforced sword strike with my physical strength. A dull ache rose from my insides, once again reminding me of my physical state, the wound on my side starting to seethe. I recovered from the setback by pivoting myself, using the momentum from his attack to whirl my sword in a broad swing.