I straightened instinctively as Rokar and Kal approached, their presence commanding even before they spoke. Conversations in the nearby clearing seemed to soften as they drew closer.
"Morning, Brother Rokar. Morning, Brother Kal," I greeted, lowering my head slightly in respect.
"Morning, Arthur," they replied in return.
Rokar's sharp eyes moved between Sham and me, reading the space, the tension, the intent. "Skra-here?" he asked, voice steady. "Skra-came to train after big time?"
I shook my head. "No, Brother Rokar. I am not here to train today. I came to have a duel with Sham."
Rokar's brows rose just slightly. "Skra-duel?"
"Yes," I confirmed, keeping my voice calm and firm.
Kal stepped a little closer, his gaze settling more intently on me. "Skra-awaken ability?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes." The word carried more weight than I expected.
A brief silence settled between us. Rokar and Kal exchanged a measured look. There was curiosity in it, but also evaluation.
Their gazes then shifted to Sham.
Rokar fixed him with a firm, steady look, one that silently asked whether this duel was a reckless impulse or a deliberate challenge. There was no anger in his expression, but there was expectation.
Sham's confidence faltered just slightly under that stare. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin forming on his face. The gesture made it clear that he had been the one pushing for this from the start, and that he had no intention of backing down now.
After a few more seconds, Rokar gave a small nod.
"Skra-fine," he said at last.
Kal stepped aside alongside Rokar, and together they moved toward the edge of the smaller clearing. They did not say anything further, but their posture changed in a subtle yet unmistakable way. They were no longer instructors guiding students. Now they stood as witnesses, arms folded, eyes sharp and attentive.
Sham and I separated without needing to speak, walking to opposite ends of the open space. The clearing felt smaller now that it was meant for just the two of us. The ground beneath my boots was packed firm from years of training, marked by shallow scars from countless previous duels. A few dry leaves skittered across the earth as a light breeze passed through.
I drew my sword slowly.
The blade caught a sliver of morning light as it left its sheath. The weight of it settled into my palm with reassuring familiarity. I tightened my grip, feeling the leather wrap press against my skin, and raised the sword in front of me. My stance lowered slightly, knees bent, shoulders relaxed but ready.
Across from me, Sham adjusted his footing as well.
The air between us grew still.
Across from me, Sham rolled his shoulders once, loosening the tension in his arms as if preparing for a long fight rather than a brief exchange. He lifted his sword and angled it forward, the blade steady and confident in his grip. There was no hesitation in his stance, only quiet readiness.
"Skra-ready?" he asked, eyes fixed on mine.
I drew in a slow breath and let it out carefully, allowing my heartbeat to settle into a steady rhythm.
"Yes," I replied.
Sham did not wait another second.
He advanced with startling speed. In only a few strides he erased the distance between us, his body leaning forward with controlled aggression. His sword rose and then came down in a clean, decisive arc aimed straight for me.
I lifted my blade just in time.
Steel met steel with a sharp, ringing clash that echoed across the clearing. The force of the strike traveled through my sword and up my arm, sending a jolt into my shoulder. My boots pressed harder into the packed earth, but I did not give ground.
I rotated my wrist and angled his blade off to the side, redirecting the momentum rather than resisting it head-on. Seizing the opening, I drove my sword forward in a quick counter toward his shoulder.
Sham reacted instantly.
He shifted his weight with smooth precision, pivoting on his back foot and slipping just outside the path of my strike. His movement was fluid, economical. Before I could fully recover my stance, his blade flashed upward from a lower angle, targeting my side.
I brought my sword down to intercept it, the second clash louder than the first. Sparks flickered briefly where the edges scraped together. Using the contact point, I shoved forward, forcing his blade away and pushing him back a few steps.
The distance between us opened once more.
My breathing remained steady, but my arms were fully awake now, every muscle alert.
Sham's eyes gleamed with interest.
Sham's eyes gleamed with sharp interest as he studied my stance. "Skra-not use shield?" he asked, his tone almost teasing.
I allowed myself a faint smile despite the tension in my arms. "You are also not using your ability," I replied evenly.
A low chuckle escaped him. He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug, as if acknowledging the fairness of that answer.
Then, without any visible strain, his feet left the ground.
He rose smoothly, hovering roughly a meter above the earth. There was no wild movement, no flailing. His body remained balanced and controlled, as though the air itself supported him. From that elevated position, he drifted forward, closing the distance with a subtle tilt of his body.
The shift in height changed everything.
His sword descended in a sharp, downward strike, using gravity and momentum together as he aimed for me from above.
I felt the now-familiar tightening at my forehead, a subtle pressure gathering behind my eyes as I called upon the connection. The invisible thread between the black dot and the book drew taut, and I shaped the energy outward with a single focused thought.
A small, curved shield formed just in front of my blade.
The translucent barrier shimmered into existence at the last possible moment.
Sham's sword crashed into it with a heavy impact. The sound was sharp and resonant, steel meeting energy instead of flesh. The surface of the shield rippled violently, waves spreading across it like a stone thrown into still water. The force of the strike pressed against me through the barrier, but I held my stance.
The shield did not break.
Sham's smile widened slightly as he hovered above me, clearly registering the difference.
He did not hesitate.
Sham raised his sword once more, this time channeling more strength into the motion. From his elevated position, he drove the blade downward with increased force, aiming to crush through my defense rather than test it.
The impact struck like a hammer.
Cracks splintered across the surface of the shield, thin fractures spreading outward from the point of contact. The translucent barrier trembled violently. At the same instant, a sharp spike of pressure flared behind my eyes, as though something inside my skull had tightened too far.
For a heartbeat, I held. Then the shield shattered.
The barrier broke apart into fragments of fading light, dissolving into the air just as the force overwhelmed it.
I was already moving.
The moment I felt the structure give way, I stepped back sharply, shifting my weight onto my rear foot and sliding out of the strike's path. Sham's sword slammed into the ground where I had stood a second earlier. The impact split the packed earth, sending dirt and small stones scattering outward.
I steadied myself a few paces away, breath controlled, eyes locked on him as the dust settled between us.
The sharp ringing of steel striking the barrier, followed by the brief shimmer of translucent light, did not go unnoticed.
At first, only a few heads turned.
Then, one by one, the trainees in the main clearing slowed their movements. The steady rhythm of wooden weapons colliding faltered. Practice stances were abandoned mid-motion.
Conversations softened and then ceased entirely.
Curiosity spread quickly.
Several young warriors lowered their wooden blades and drifted toward the smaller clearing, drawn by the sight of an actual duel rather than routine drills. Whispers passed between them as they caught sight of the faint residual glow where my shield had shattered moments ago.
Within a short span of time, a loose circle began to form.
Villagers and trainees gathered behind Rokar and Kal, who stood at the edge of the clearing with arms folded, observing in silence. The atmosphere shifted from casual training to focused anticipation.
What had started as a simple duel between two young fighters was now a spectacle.
Sham remained suspended slightly above the ground, the air holding him as naturally as earth would hold anyone else. He glanced at me, eyes bright with interest rather than frustration.
"Skra-shield strong," he said, and this time there was no teasing in his tone. It was simple acknowledgment.
I drew in a slow breath and adjusted my grip on my sword, tightening my fingers around the hilt until it felt steady in my palm. The pressure in my forehead lingered, a dull reminder of the shield that had just shattered, but it was manageable.
I lowered my center of gravity slightly, resetting my stance. The dust between us began to settle, and the murmurs of the gathered villagers faded into a distant hum.
"Let us continue," I said quietly.
My eyes did not leave his as I prepared for whatever he would do next.