The Princess of Light and The Knight of Shadow

Year 1: Sixth Month, Part 5

The Intra-School Competition's ranked duels were as much as a contest of strategic skills and physical endurance as it was a contest of the Wielders' swordsmanship and magical prowess. Participants spent hour after hour of grueling fights, with only fifteen minutes of rest between them, until the official matches ended by noon to be resumed on the next day.

It was a stressful and arduous tournament, and frankly, Estella never saw the appeal in it; only those whose grades were failing dared to participate. Her grades had been consistent, however, so she didn't had the misfortune to join. She didn't even watch the matches ever since she had enrolled in the Academy.

Not until Nox had decided to submit his name, at least.

She wasn't worried; if he could defeat Karsos, all the others were easy for him. Still, it had only been a day since he had won. His body was still recovering, and his wounds weren't fully healed yet.

"I'll be fine," he told her before setting off to the waiting area, not ten minutes ago. His gait, though confident, was subdued, almost as if he was conserving his strength.

Just like during his battle with Karsos, Nox had sealed his mind from the Resonance. But despite that, Estella could detect his general thoughts and emotions. Weariness was prominent, but there was firm determination and resolve that kept it at bay.

Good luck, my squire, she sent through their connection, a repeat of her words before they parted. He wouldn't hear it, but it was comforting to know that she had said it again before his first match.

Like yesterday, Aldros wheeled her into the tiered seats that ringed the western training grounds. The scars of yesterday's duel had been repaired throughout the night, and the stage looked as if it hadn't suffered from the vicious duel that had taken place there.

Nox's victory was the talk of the entire school and even the villagers who had witnessed the momentous battle. Most were in awe of it, though there were  few who were already spreading unsavory rumors about the result—loyalists of Karsos and his family.

Even now, these same people were watching the Ranked Duels, no doubt to fabricate more lies about Nox.

Estella ignored them. The Headmaster had been adamant about the authenticity of the duel's result. And Karsos, despite the certainty that he wouldn't graduate this year, had begrudgingly accepted his loss. Nox's victory couldn't be contested, especially by people who merely watched from the sidelines.

So instead of dwelling on potential problems that never existed, Estella focused her attention on her squire's first match.

"Are you sure he's going to be fine?" Aldros asked from the seat next to her. Erian was with him this time.

"He said he's going to be."

"And is he?"

Estella hesitated for a moment. She nodded. "I trust him."

In the end, her worries were unfounded. The first five matches were short, far shorter than she, and perhaps everyone else, had expected. Nox charged at his opponents swiftly and decisively, ending the duels before they could begin to formulate a plan to defeat him. He never spent more than a minute for each one, and he defeated them without a single spell.

Two more matches later, he advanced to the preliminary rounds.

There were over a hundred participants this year, or so Aldros had told her. One hundred Wielders that Nox would have to face in a span of three days. A challenge far more worrisome than his duel with Karsos, and Estella resisted the urge to shudder at the thought of facing one opponent after another.