Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Thirty-Eight ۞ Keelan Versus Brindon

The two made no move to attack at all, yet the tension crackled between them like electricity. Joking in any form were washed away and replaced with pure somberness, Keelan's grip on his spear visibly tightened while Brindon had his hand slowly inching towards one of his arrows.

And in one snap, the pace of the fight rocketed through the roof like a patient under cardiac arrest. Hearts lept to throats as Keelan's spear was thrown forward and Brindon's arrow simultaneously shot off in unbelievable speed. Yet, despite this, both managed to evade the other's attack in time.

Brindon was light on his feet when he vaulted to his right to avoid Keelan's spear, rolling on the ground deftly. He immediately had his ammunition ready the moment he was upright and was firing two to three of them at the same time in three, succeeding moments.

The eleventh-ranker jumped, leaning away from the arrows' course and avoiding them by hair's breath. His long legs carried him forward as Brindon moved to meet him as well, his fingers expertly nocking arrows and shooting them off a split second later.

Keelan was bombarded by a shower of Brindon's attacks, all which he avoided expertly by maneuvering past each one. The first three he got past by throwing himself in the air in a precedented flip and the next two by suddenly pulling himself close to the ground as soon as his foot landed. Keelan then somersaulted and landed way behind his opponent, his hands wounding around the shaft of his spear and pulling the blade free from the ground. In a matter of seconds, he was back to his first stance. The previous atmosphere settled back into the scene. The only difference had been their positions.

They swapped places.

"Holy shiznits." Valeriana found herself clapping at the fast-paced duel and the beautiful way they responded to each other's assaults. She was not alone in that as well. The audience went still with awe.

"This is what I call a Grand Opening!" Tamara exclaimed.

That was not the end, however.

They took a short few seconds to breathe from each other's riposte. Afterwards, Keelan took his moment to run forward once again for his attack.

Brindon responded by setting off the arrow he had been aiming since a while ago, forcing Keelan to wave his spear forward with one hand to cut off the object in motion. He split it in half without much problem, his grass-green eyes narrowing as they made contact with warm, chocolate brown ones void of any emotion.

"Good job!" Keelan yelled to his opponent with his smile as though they were merely playing a game.

"Good." The other agreed.

Not only did the Denovegasian young lord display great flexibility, but his response time was astoundingly impressive. Brindon's agility and speed was inhuman . . . as odd as that sounded. Perhaps it could be invalemnian but Valeriana was unsure about the average speed of any Valemnian. Even then, these two were sure far from the basic level. If they weren't, they wouldn't be a part of the Twelve.

The eleventh brought down the blade of his spear to make a sharp swipe on the twelfth. Brindon was quick to respond by twirling out of the way, his hand magically pulling out a small knife from nowhere to intercept the incoming weapon.

Keelan pulled back only to strike once again using the blunt end. Brindon shut it out using the guard on his left arm while his right hand caught the shaft. The twelfth-ranker maintained this grip and his poker-face as he exchanged glances with his enemy.

The eleventh grinned at him, tugging on his weapon as though saying it was his and not the eleventh's to take.

"My weapon." Keelan mouthed to him before driving his leg down to hit Brindon's shin in an attempt to make him let go.