Honor

⚜️Bitch you going down!⚜️

The big day arrived. Yesterday I excused myself to practice for the duel and  the teachers let me off. I glanced around me. I found a cleared grassy area where I could train right behind building 4. I trained from 8 am to 6 pm.

Amanda was actually very helpful to familiarize me with Nicole's fighting style. From what I gathered she fights with a long green spear. On its end there a sharp blade attached to it. She was trained in the old Japanese Hozoin-ryu spear fighting style. It involves thrusting the spear directly at the enemy, spinning it round and round between one's fingers to create a circle and so forth.

I never fought with someone who used a spear, however; I saw some films and anime which showed me some basic moves and technique a person can do with a spear. I knew from relying only on movies wouldn't get me anywhere, but I still had to keep that in mind.

Nicole could be angered very quickly too, which I thought was a good thing, because she wouldn't be that focused. Well I guess. If anyone looses their temper they are less likely to think through what they do, than normally.

The arena where the duel was being held was actually underground. I was not expecting that, at all. Thought it would be outside somewhere, shaped as a huge football arena or something but this one was an underground- bull-fighting -ring . There was sand covering the ground which I thought could come to my advantage.

The arena seats where filling up with students. I expected some of them to students to gather and watch the duel but I did not expect the HOLE school to watch!! There were two balconies on either side of the arena, where the Head Misstres and teachers watched on the left side while on the right, it was for the Gentry students.

A guard jerked his thumb to the center of the arena, indicating to me that it was time. I took a deep breath and got ready for the worse.

"How convenient is this..." I said sarcastically.

Nicole stopped in the middle too, three steps away from me. She had one hand on her hip and she looked around, a huge grin plastered on her face. "I invited them. I told them they shouldn't miss my graceful fighting skills to kick your ass!" She tried to get under my skin again. She waved at the crowd of students whose cheers erupted. "You can thank me later."

Cheers boomed from the crowd and it became more intense as seconds passed by. I reached behind my back where my two swords were crossed in their sheaths. I yanked them out and held them on either side of me, their ends pointing down to the sandy ground. Unwavering determination rose inside me as we kept looking at each other. She spun her green spear around, which was twice the height as her.

I moved into my stance.

Nicole didn't move an inch.

Somebody from the wings shouted into the microphone. "The fight will start in three—"

I analyzed what was the best way to start off the fight. If I attached first....hmm....

"Two!"

What would my next move be? If she is twice as strong as I am, she could easily push me back.

"One!" As soon as I heard echo through the arena, I didn't notice Nicole move. Nicole was in the air and strike down at me. I crossed both of my blades above me to stop her spear. From the hit I could feel the vibration run through my hands and up my arms. The intensity of the force Nicole was pressing into the spear against my sword was almost terrifying.

Nicole jumped back and grinned. "Not bad for a maggot."

"What did you just call me?"