34 Joint Combat Exams 2


    Bang! Swoosh! Cling! The unmistakable sounds of des colliding filled the air as two skilled swordsmen faced off. Their swords danced in a mesmerizing disy ofbat, with a flurry of dodges, blocks, and strikes. The sheer speed and precision of their movements made it nearly impossible for ordinary onlookers to predict their actions.


    In an explosive moment, the twobatants pushed each other back, creating a brief pause in the battle. Seizing the opportunity, Tristan summoned his sword, which gleamed with a diagonal streak of brilliant blue light. With incredible speed, heunched a shing attack, a crescent-shaped blue aura trailing behind his de. The attack was so swift that an ordinary opponent would find it nearly impossible to evade.


    Alex, realizing the dire situation, quickly adjusted his stance and opted to counter the impending strike. He summoned his fiery powers, invoking the Destructive me Arts to conjure the Twin Inferno technique. "Haah!!"


    With a resounding shout, Alex swung his sword both vertically and horizontally, releasing two oppressive me auras that intersected like a zing cross.


    Boom! The collision of these powerful attacks resulted in a massive explosion, sending shockwaves through the area and illuminating the battle with intense light and heat.


    Dust and smoke erupted in the training grounds, obscuring the vision of the other Combat Department students who had gathered to watch the intense sh. Even the most experienced fighters among them couldn''t help but gulp nervously in response. The first-year students, in particr, were in awe and disbelief that they were in the same generation as these twobat prodigies.


    The senior students, however, watched with a sense of keen interest and even a touch of greed. It was not umon for seniors and juniors to form partnerships or parties to work together during the uing mission exams in the second semester. These exams required all Combat Department students to take on missions that involved eliminating monsters along the borders of the academy. The skills and potential disyed by Tristan and Alex could prove invaluable for such missions, and forming an alliance with them might significantly increase their chances of sess.


    As the dust began to settle, revealing the aftermath of the explosive sh, both Tristan and Alex stood their ground, still prepared for the next exchange.


    Boom! With the ferocity of a zing inferno, Alex initiated the sh by propelling himself forward, leaving a trail of fire in his wake that ignited the ground beneath him.


    Cling! The impact of Alex''s vertical strike reverberated through the training grounds as Tristan swiftly raised his sword to block the attack. Although he managed to block the blow, the sheer speed and momentum of Alex''s assault pushed him backward.


    Not one to let the opportunity slip away, Alex capitalized on his advantage, surging forward once more. mes erupted from his sword with even greater intensity this time, the searing heat causing Tristan to flinch in amazement at the sheer absurdity of the fire.


    "Destructive me Arts! Inferno de Strike!" Alex''s voice thundered as he executed the technique. A horizontal sh of absolute annihtion surged toward Tristan, its fiery path consuming everything in its wake.


    In response, Tristan remained calm and poised, channeling his own aura into his sword. His lips moved, though he spoke the words inwardly, "Celestial Sword, First Form: White Moon"


    Click!


    In a brilliant sh of azure light, his sword moved back into its scabbard with a distinct click.


    Boom! The tremendous force of their strikes shed in a spectacr disy of power and precision. It all happened within the span of half a second, the sheer intensity of the exchange leaving an indelible mark on the ground.


    Tristan was momentarily propelled into the air butnded gracefully, while Alex found himself rolling across the ground before regaining his footing. The two of them locked eyes, shared a smile, and a mutual understanding passed between them.


    The students watching the battle were left in a state of absolute awe as they witnessed this extraordinary disy of skill and camaraderie between two exceptional fighters. Their cheers erupted, filling the training grounds with resounding apuse and admiration for the intense and impressive sh.


    Tristan couldn''t help but wonder how Alex, despite his massive physique, managed to move with such remarkable agility and finesse. During their initial sh, Tristan was in awe of how Alex seemed to gracefully dance through the battlefield, effortlessly blocking and evading his lightning-fast sword strikes.


    In return, Alex had a deep admiration for Tristan''s immense strength. He couldn''t believe how Tristan maintained his vigor and resilience throughout the intense battle. While Alex himself was controlling his breath using his n''s techniques, Tristan seemed as fresh as when they first started their confrontation. Alex couldn''t help but feel a tinge of regret for challenging this seemingly tirelessbatant to a duel first thing in the morning.


    As they continued their personal investigation, both of them attempted to sh once more. However, Tristan immediately halted the duel when he noticed Alex dropping to the ground.


    Alex moved forward, and blood sttered from the hundreds of cuts covering his body as he fell to his knees. He was bewildered by the situation. During their previous sh, he had seen three shining swordsing directly at him, and he believed he had sessfully blocked all three. He recognized that such a formidable attack was entirely usible from a swordmaster''s disciple like Tristan, but in that half-second exchange, he was convinced that he had parried all three strikes.


    "Was it more than three? Seriously, what kind of monster are you?" Alex asked, scrutinizing Tristan as he approached.


    Tristan extended a hand to help Alex up and responded with a yful grin, "The strong one?"


    Laughter erupted from both of them as they acknowledged each other''s skills and strengths. It was a mutual respect forged through their intense battle.


    Cheers erupted from the crowd as they bore witness to one of the most intense and captivating duels they had ever seen. The onlookers, including students and instructors, couldn''t help but be overwhelmed by the sheer skill, speed, and intensity disyed by these two remarkable young swordsmen. The arena was filled with a sense of exhration and awe, and the students felt inspired by the extraordinarybat skills they had just witnessed.


    10:10


    …..


    by the extraordinarybat skills they had just witnessed.


    …..


    "Hah! That hits the spot," Alex eximed in relief as he drank one of Adrian''s potions, his wounds immediately beginning to heal.


    "Haha, don''t waste it, you know. We''re quite privileged to get free high-grade potions like this," Tristan reprimanded Alex as he casually consumed the entire bottle.


    "Hahaha, don''t fret over small stuff. We''re friends with the top alchemist in the entire school. I''m sure Adrian would be willing to give us more for free, hahaha!" Alex replied nonchntly.


    "Do you know how much one of these costs? Haah," Tristan sighed, finding Alex''s attitude somewhat rude. He couldn''t help but consider that they might be taking advantage of their friendship with Adrian. Any normalbat department student would go to great lengths to establish a connection with Adrian, given how much just one low-grade potion could fetch on the market. These potions were incredibly valuable tobat department students, who were constantly getting injured, even during regr sses or training sessions. Tristan couldn''t even fathom how expensive high-grade potions were.


    Currently, the two of them were in the school''s medical ward. Tristan had to help Alex get there; Alex was struggling to walk due to his injuries. He couldn''t help but notice the passing girls, who seemed both excited and embarrassed as they saw Alex and Tristan walking hand in hand. Their faces revealed a mix of emotions, especially when Alex whispered something in Tristan''s ear.


    Even though he heard exmations like "Kyaah!" and "Oh my!" from the girls passing by, Tristan chose to ignore their surprised reactions and the curious, sometimes amused, gazes they cast upon him and Alex. He feared that uncovering the truth behind their reactions might be more awkward than the expressions themselves.


    "By the way, Tristan, who is your opponent for the uing jointbat exams?" Alex inquired, his curiosity piqued.


    Tristan responded nonchntly, "Oh, it''s a senior by the name of William Spearshake."


    Alex''s eyes widened with excitement as he sought confirmation, "What? Senior, your opponent is Senior William?"


    Tristan, seemingly unfazed, asked, "Yes? Do you know him?"


    Alex was taken aback by Tristan''sck of knowledge about Senior William. "Wh-what? You don''t know Senior William?" he asked in surprise.


    Tristan chuckled in embarrassment. "Embarrassingly, no? Haha."


    Alex sighed and continued, "Seriously, you should start learning more about the school''s background instead of training all day, Tristan. Listen well, Senior William is the second-ranked student in thebat department among the second years. He''s nicknamed the ''Sword yer'' because of his profound and exceptional skills in handling the spear. He earned that title by the time he started his second semesterst year, as he defeated countless swordsmen who challenged him. He''s the foremost opponent that every swordsman in the academy wishes to face. The prize of defeating him would be substantial, especially given his title of ''Sword yer.'' Everyone wants to prove that the sword is superior to the spear by defeating him"


    Tristan remained surprisingly nonchnt in the face of the absurd amount of information Alex had just presented. On one hand, he was surprised to hear that his opponent was someone so famous within the school. On the other hand, he didn''t really care about his opponent''s reputation because he was confident that he would win no matter who he faced.


    Seeing Tristan''s nonchnt reaction and apparentck of concern for his opponent''s status, Alex couldn''t help but sigh, though he smiled at his friend''s unwavering confidence. "Well, I guess even if it''s Senior William, I''m sure you would win," Alex said to Tristan.


    Hearing his friend''s words of assurance, Tristan couldn''t resist shing a teasing smile. "I know," he replied, his tone filled with confidence.


    Alex, hearing Tristan''s somewhat arrogant remark, couldn''t help but feel the urge to punch his friend in the face.


    …..


    "Hello," Euphemia greeted cheerfully, a bright smile adorning her face.


    Louise responded with a somewhat reluctant, "…Yes, hello." Her voice had a tinge of disapproval, and the look she gave me seemed to silently question why Euphemia was here.


    Not entirely sure how to navigate this situation, I decided to take a seat and tried to divert the conversation to a different topic. "Is Tristan and Alex not here yet?" I inquired, attempting to shift the focus away from the growing tension.


    "…No, they haven''t arrived yet"


    Louise''s response was curt, and a forced smile crept onto her lips. I couldn''t help but detect traces of irritation in her voice. As I nced into her eyes once more, I felt an unusual heaviness settle upon me. It was as if an invisible weight pressed down on my body, making me feel considerably heavier than usual. It was as though a multitude of rocks had been ced on top of me.


    I couldn''t help but wonder if Louise had summoned her rock spirit to exert some sort of influence on me. Her gaze remained focused on our conversation, seemingly oblivious to my difort.


    Just then, Alex arrived and greeted us with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Adrian, Louise, and... hmm, Euphemia?"


    Tristan, too, seemed puzzled as he asked, "You''re joining us again, Miss Euphemia?"


    Euphemia responded with a friendly smile, "Yes, Adrian was gracious enough to invite me over, you see."


    An ufortable cough escaped my lips as the pressure on me grew even more intense. I cast a nce in Louise''s direction, but she appeared wholly absorbed in her conversation with Tristan and Alex, paying no heed to my difort. It was bing increasingly evident that her rock spirit was indeed having an impact on my physical state.


    As we sat at the table, I couldn''t help but ponder the growing tension between Louise and Euphemia. It seemed like there was an underlying animosity that had developed during my absence. The reasons for their discord remained a mystery to me, and I couldn''t help but wonder what had transpired between the two of them.


    Suddenly, the golem arrived to take our orders. It appeared that Louise had already signaled the golem to approach us.


    "May I take your orders, please?" the golem asked in its monotonous voice.


    In an almost absurd fashion, Louise immediately began ordering the most expensive items on the menu, raising Tristan''s concern. He questioned her, his voice tinged with worry, "Louise, aren''t you ordering the most expensive ones?"


    Louise responded with a seemingly cheerful smile, but I could detect subtle traces of anger within her tone. "Don''t worry. Adrian said lunch is on him this time, you see. Hehe. He mentioned it as a form of apology for not joining us for the past few days."


    Tristan and Alex, sensing an opportunity to tease me, quickly decided to join in on the fun. "Oh, he did? Well then, let''s empty his wallet, shall we?" Alex responded with enthusiasm.


    "Haha, I''m sorry, Adrian, but I guess I''ll be joining in on the indulgence as well," Tristan added, giving me no chance to protest.


    Before I could voice my concerns, they proceeded to order the most expensive items from the menu. I couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. Their extravagance seemed excessive, and I couldn''t help but feel it was a bit much.


    On the other hand, Euphemia, who had maintained herposure throughout, simply ordered a moderately priced menu item. She made eye contact with me and offered a warm smile. Suddenly, the inexplicable pressure on me intensified. I nced at Louise, and she, too, smiled at me.


    It was at that moment that I resolved never to let Louise and Euphemia sit at the same table again.