Arcuied was taken to the infirmary to be checked upon. The wounds he accumulated in the battle had put on a toll on his body and he slept the moment he lay on the infirmary.
After the intense battle of Arcuied and the Rank D Chimera, the students descended into a flurry of discussions and worry.
Worry, because they were afraid that they will face a monster like that. In all areas they had no chance against it, they would've been dead before they can react.
However, Eugene who just recovered from the shock the last match brought, was looking forward to it instead rather than being afraid. He knew he was on a different level compared to those mediocre classmates of his. He wanted to show that he could also do what Arcuied did.
pαпdα Йᴏνê1,сòМ Maybe it was his pride that wanted to prove he was equal to the other person, or maybe it was just his hunger for a battle with an opponent stronger than him. Or maybe it was a mix of both. At this moment while Eugene was lost in his thoughts, the announcement rang out,
"No. 2, Eugene Pendragon, enter the stage and proceed to be examined. Please bring your desired weapon."
It isn't alphabetical…?
Eugene thought, as he was overtaken with puzzlement. He thought the examination was alphabetical and therefore his turn would still be later. But it wasn't the case, if it wasn't alphabetical than it was most likely ranking.
That implied the academy thinks Arcuied was better, or more talented than him. That left a sour feeling in Eugene. The academy that focuses on talent and strength no less, thinks Arcuied was better than him.
Well, no matter. The semester is long, they will change their minds in the future.
Eugene thought as he held his spear beside him, preparing to enter the arena.
"Good luck, Eugene." Amber said at his side as she saw him preparing.
"I don't need it such things like luck," Eugene said with a smile as he shook his head and walked over to the arena. He was ready to fight and prove himself, after all.
"Arrogant as ever." Amber muttered as she looked at his back. She and Eugene met when they were kids. Both of their families had a good relationship, so Eugene often comes to her villa and play with her. As the daughter of a worldwide famous businessman, she had a hard time making friends because of her status. Eugene was the same, as the heir of the duke he too was isolated as a child. Both of them were so similar that they developed a friendship during his stay over at her villa.
—
Rio looked over the paper that he was currently holding. It was the academy's information about Eugene. It seems his guess was correct. The student he met at the library yesterday was indeed Eugene. The aura, mannerism and elegance of a Pendragon couldn't just be replicated at anywhere.
It seems his turn was next, Rio thought as he looked forward to seeing the rumored elegance of his techniques. The novel often described Eugene's way of battling, with supreme elegance and a different realm of art. It stemmed from his lineage technique, that was taught to him at a young age.
No matter the case, Rio was looking forward to this test. Rio looked at the person beside him. The person was Mr. Bourgham. He was undoubtedly excited at the test. No wonder he heard a weird noise coming from his left.
"This is the duke's heir, eh? I'm looking forward to what this lad will show," Bourgham said in interest as he looked at Eugene entering the arena, he continued as he sipped his morning tea, "The duke's legacy was rumored to be the peak of elegance and battle art by its sheer form and beauty."
Rio sighed. It seems Mr. Bourgham beside him was extremely obsessed with beauty and elegance. Well, he was an etiquette teacher for a reason.
—
Eugene waited inside the arena while holding his spear. Now that he had a good hold of the spear, he felt the good craftmanship or technique that made this spear. Whoever made this excelled at making mass produced weapons. The quality was not over the top, but was nothing to scoff at either.
He had some knowledge of craftmanship. Albeit only little. He was not that interested in making weapons anyway, knowing what was a good weapon and a bad one was enough knowledge to him.
After a minute of waiting, Guile finally entered the room again. Only the monstrous chimera was nowhere to be seen. On his hand was a leash, holding back a rather a docile Flaming Ape.
"Where's the Chimera?" Eugene asked with a hint of dissapointment. He was expecting to fight the Chimera. But they gave him this, a Flaming Ape, a Rank E monster. "This isn't a joke from the academy, is it?"
"Hoho! I assure you Mr. Eugene, the academy takes every matter seriously." Guile said with reassurance as he entered the arena holding the ape.
Eugene sighed, restraining his complaints and anger. He got in the arena expecting a half decent battle, but they gave him this. He understood the implications of what the man said. It meant that this was their decision, and he couldn't change it.
They gave Arcuied a Rank D Magical Beast as an opponent, while they gave him a Rank E one. It was obvious they thought nothing of him at all. They really were pushing his limits.
He had enough of the academy underestimating him. Eugene gritted his teeth as he clicked his tongue in annoyance. He looked over the Flaming Ape again. Then he noticed it was bigger than usual. It towered over him. He fought enough of these Ape's to memorize their appearance before the academy.
However, it was not like a simple extra height will make a difference in battle, Eugene thought as he sneered at the Flaming Ape. After placing the Flaming Ape inside, Guile left the arena, leaving some cryptid words.
"Good luck."
"I wouldn't need it," Eugene responded in annoyance as prepared himself, pointing the spear at the Flaming Ape. He wanted this to get over quickly.
Swoosh!
Eugene sped up, his foot blitzing past the arena, arriving front face at the Flaming Ape. He slashed his spear twice, the pointed steel arching over the flesh of the Flaming Ape. Afterwards thrusting the spear into the body of the Flaming Ape. That was what he thought until his instincts kicked in.
Danger, extreme danger, he sensed. He was confused, however, he still trusted his instincts, back flipping quickly as he took a step back at the Flaming Ape. There he noticed, the floor was wrecked by its fist, charred by the heat radiating from The Flaming Ape's body.
The Flaming Ape was undamaged too, not a speck of blood or wound oozed from the tough skin.
He would've been knocked out, or worse, dead. He imagined his body mangled by that heavy fist. Eugene felt his forehead sweating. Maybe it was out of nervousness of nearly being knocked out dead, or because of the intense heat radiating from The Flaming Ape's body being spread to the air.
After recovering from the shock, he confirmed one thing. The Flaming Ape was no ordinary Flaming Ape. He killed countless of them as training. He knew they weren't that strong. Unless they were evolved.
Evolved magical beast are beasts that safely survived metamorphosis which very few beast could survive. After the metamorphosis, the beast will completely change appearance wise and strength wise.
"That's right kiddo! It's an Blazing Flame Ape! A Rank D behemoth." Guile said as observed the arena with interest, he continued with a tone of interest, "Now what will you do?"
"Hmm.." Amber muttered worriedly, she didn't know how will this match progress. However, her trust wasn't so shallow, she knows that Eugene will win this. Only the question is, what will he sacrifice?
—
"Now this is quite a predicament," Bourgham commented as he observed the arena. He looked at Rio and asked, "What are your thoughts on this?"
"Me?" Rio asked as he looked at his back thinking that he wasn't the one questioned.
"Of course you, who else?" Bourgham said in-a-matter-of-fact tone, looking at Rio like there was something wrong with him.
"Ah, I was just surprised," Rio said reassuring the man, as he continued, "As for my thoughts? Well, Eugene will win ten over ten."
"Oh, where's that confidence coming from?" Bourgham said in interest as he quirk his eyebrows, Rio was about to answer however Bourgham was no longer looking at him.
Rio noticed why the match was continuing. Eugene finally recovered from the shock.
—
Eugene heard Guile's words and focused on the battle. He had enough reason to take this seriously. This was a match worthy of a talent such as him. He felt his face smile.
This Blazing Flame Ape may not be as strong as the Chimera Arcuied fought, but it was a genuine Rank D Magical Beast. A rank stronger than his current strength, Rank E.
He longed for battles stronger than him. It was a barbaric motive, unlike the elegance of a Nobel. But so what? History proclaimed that most founders of Nobel families were battle freaks as they destroyed hordes of Magical Beast during the distant era. He figured he had just inherited the trait from them.
Eugene held the spear in one hand as he activates a skill. The skill was one of his family legacy techniques, «The Dragonic Seas Flow», a battle art that uses the elements of water, by creating them from thin air or either using the surrounding water.
Dark blue water aligned with the sharp point of the spear forming an illusion of a dragon, Eugene sped up, holding the spear shaft with both of his hands. The water flowed where the spear moved.
Eugene arrived at the front of The Flaming Ape, his hands tightly holding the spear as he slashed it vertically, the water flowed as the sharp steel head touched the flesh of The Blazing Flame Ape.
Ssshh! Swoosh!
Now he heard it, the sound of the skin tearing apart from the pointed blade. The Blazing Flame Ape also felt it. It felt pain, added by water its opposite element. It felt extreme pain. It retaliated by smashing his two hands to the ground.
Eugene expected this, those Ape's always go for brute force when afflicted with pain. This one was not an exception. He jumped to the air before the fist reaches the ground. He pointed his spear to the head of The Flaming Ape. He thrusted it, hitting the skin.
The head was harder than he thought. With this spear he couldn't hope to damage The Blazing Flame Ape's head. So, knowing that attacking the head results in nothing, he took out the spear from the head as he fell down to the back of the ape. His body arching down while mid-air, he slashed the back of The Blazing Flame Ape vertically.
Ssshh! Swoosh!
Its skin teared apart, blood oozed from the wound at the back. Smoke drifted the air as the water evaporated the fuming flames. The Blazing Flame Ape felt extreme pain.
In agony, it swinged its arm in a circling motion, hoping to blast apart the fiend who inflicted pain to it.
Eugene retreated, expecting the swing. The Blazing Flame Ape was angered. It didn't hit a single thing. It opened its eyes, and it noticed that the fiend was gone.
At that moment, The Blazing Flame Ape felt danger from his back. The fiend was there. It noticed the fiend too late as a flurry of attacks ravaged its back, countless wounds whether vertical or horizontal afflicting it. It didn't help that the pain it felt was amplified by the dark blue water.
However, The Blazing Flame Ape decided to abandon all reason and just go for brute force without regard to its body. Eugene, who noticed this, realized he was too late to dodge the incoming attack. He only had one option: that was to use everything he got to finish off The Blazing Flame Ape before it hit him.
Eugene was decisive, he knew it was his only choice.
He activated the skill, «Swirl of Elements», as a swirl of different kinds of color emerged from the pointed steel head of the spear.
Whether it was the white sharp air, the dark blue water, and the blazing fire. It swirled ontop of the pointed steel head.
«Swirl of Elements» absorbed the elements at where the user is at and converge of them to create a swirl of different kinds of elements. It was a signature move of the Pendragon Family. The sharp air came from The Chimera from the last battle, the dark blue water came from the his spear, the blazing fire came from The Blazing Flame Ape.
Sshhngg! Swoosh!
With all of his will and power, he thrusted the spear. As he thrusted the spear, he felt two things at once. First, he felt his spear touch the flesh of The Blazing Flame Ape. That was good. But want to know what wasn't good? The swing of The Blazing Flame Ape reached him.
It blasted him apart. It blew him to the left side of the arena. He was close to blacking out. However, he saw it with his two eyes before blacking out. The Blazing Flame Ape was knocked out cold. At its body was a swirling mark of a wound.
"Hahahaha…"
Before he descend into unconsciousness, he laughed, his voice echoing inside the arena. Eugene was satisfied. He got a battle worthy of him and defeated it.
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