CHAPTER 97 TESTING STRENGTH
The first years settled down in their classroom as Sir Wilfred entered.
Wilfred eyes scanned the the classroom and nodded.
"Hmm, this is intriguing. Congratulations to Sylver and Lunar for evolving to the Beast Knight stage"
He smiled.
The class suddenly looked at them, shocked.
"Damn. No surprise there, that's our Sylver!"
Lan exclaimed.
"Wait, seriously!"
Sarah said.
"Yup. You guys better catch up"
Lunar relaxed on the chair.
Billy rolled his eyes and looked at Roman. Roman wasn't even bothered. He was smiling widely as he played with Fury on his laps.
The red squirrel kept trying to grab a piece of cheese from Roman's hands.
"Anyways, I'm sure you all had a good time the last two days. I want a detailed report about what you guys engaged in by the end of today"
Wilfred voice was stern.
"Let's begin with today's lesson"
He suddenly smiled.
After a long time of another history, the first years found their way to their next class.
Miss Amy stood at the podium with two other men who were clad in black leather armor.
"Welcome students. Please be seated"
Miss Amy said.
"So before we begin today, I heard that we have two new Beast Knights. These men behind me are Beast Knights masters from the Phoenix Fire Clan.
As school traditions, when a student evolves, they are to battle with elites of the same stage.
So, Lunar, Sylver, step up"
Miss Amy beaconed at them.
Sylver and Lunar climbed the podium and faced their two opponents.
Ethan and Eric were elites in their ranks.
Both of them clad in black leather with the Clan insignia.
The clan members from the Phoenix Fire Clan weren't weak. Each recruit were given die hard drills.
Ethan and Eric gave off an overwhelming aura.
But Lunar wasn't phased in anyway.
"So, who are you taking, the short one with dark hair or the tall one with dark hair"
Lunar stretched his arms like he was just waking up from a nap.
"I don't know. The tall one looks like he could take a hit"
Sylver shrugged.
Eric and Ethan looked at each other with brows raised.
They were both four star Beast Knights and these two young ones where laxing.
"I'll teach them a..."
Before Ethan could finish, Sylver had appeared right before him with one knee raised.
BAM!
Ethan was quick to cross his arms, but the force made him drift backwards.
"I guess I'll have to play with you then"
Eric eyes widen. Lunar was already standing right beside him with one arm around his shoulder.
"When did he..."
BANG!
A palm strike landed on Eric chest and he flew back. Luckily, he landed on his feet.
"I didn't even see him move"
Eric was stunned, but he quickly regained himself.
His body burst with spirit energy as he eyed his opponent Lunar.
Lunar was a Beast Knight with the spirit energy of a Demi god. He was special in his own way.
Sylver had abnormal amounts of pure spirit energy. Her spirit energy could erase dirt from the smallest scale, if she focus on multiple uses. And her turtle spirit beast was another case, it wasn't just a turtle.
Ethan eyed Sylver. He wasn't going to underestimate her
Ethan attacked immediately.
His feet struck the stone floor as he accelerated toward Sylver.
His hands glowed as he summoned a lance with a bladed edged. He drove his lance toward her chest.
Sylver raised her arm.
SHIIING!
Silver spirit energy erupted around her.
A circular turtle-shell shield materialized before her, its surface covered in intricate silver markings.
CLANG!
Ethan's lance struck the shield.
A powerful shock wave rippled through the hall.
Sylver didn't move an inch.
The students stared.
She blocked that without even stepping back!"
Ethan withdrew his lance and attacked again.
A thrust toward her shoulder.
A sweep toward her legs.
A sudden strike aimed at her side.
Sylver moved her shield with remarkable precision, deflecting every attack.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Silver sparks scattered across the battlefield.
Ethan gritted his teeth.
He was an elite warrior. His weapon technique had been refined through years of training.
Yet every strike met the same impenetrable defense.
He suddenly changed tactics.
Instead of attacking Sylver directly, he slammed the butt of his lance against the floor.
BOOM!
A shock wave burst beneath her feet.
Sylver's footing shifted.
Ethan immediately followed with a sweeping strike toward her shoulder.
This time, she had to move.
She stepped aside and caught the lance against the curved edge of her shield.
Her silver eyes narrowed.
"You're good with that weapon."
She spoke.
Ethan smirked.
"You haven't seen everything yet."
He twisted the lance, attempting to free it from her shield.
Sylver tightened her grip.
Her silver aura exploded.
BOOM!
The force traveled through her shield and slammed into Ethan's weapon.
The lance flew from his hands.
Before it could hit the ground, Sylver released the shield with one hand and struck Ethan squarely in the chest with a concentrated burst of silver energy.
BOOOOM!
Ethan was thrown backward.
He landed on his feet but slid several meters across the stone floor.
The entire class fell silent.
Sylver lowered her arm.
Her breathing remained steady.
Sylver hadn't simply blocked Ethan's attacks.
She had waited for the right opportunity and overwhelmed him with a single counterattack.
But Ethan wasn't finished yet.
---
On the opposite side of the podium, Eric lunged toward Lunar his spirit weapon.
His dagger flashed toward Lunar's abdomen.
Lunar disappeared.
WHOOSH!
Eric's blade cut through empty air.
His eyes widened.
A faint purple trail shimmered behind him.
"Over here."
Eric spun around and slashed.
Nothing.
Lunar had already moved again.
The students struggled to follow his movements.
Every time they thought they had spotted him, he was somewhere else.
Eric gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm.
He stopped swinging wildly and adopted a defensive stance, keeping his dagger close to his body.
"Come on, then!"
Lunar's smile faded.
His body glowed as purple lightning gathered around his legs.
As you wish."
He moved.
Eric barely caught the flash of a blade.
CLANG!
Lunar had drawn his first short sword.
Eric blocked the strike with his dagger.
Before he could counterattack, Lunar drew his second sword. They were both strapped to his legs.
CLANG!
The blades collided again.
Lunar pivoted, attacking from the opposite side.
Eric twisted to defend himself.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Steel rang throughout the hall.
For a brief moment, Eric managed to keep pace through sheer technique and determination.
But Lunar was accelerating.
His purple aura intensified with every movement.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Above his opponent's guard.
Eric couldn't predict his next attack.
Lunar suddenly vanished from his field of vision.
Eric turned too late.
TAP.
The flat of a short sword rested against the back of his neck.
Lunar stood behind him.
Eric froze.
"You're fast enough to defend against an opponent you can see."
Lunar leaned slightly closer.
"Unfortunately, I'm faster than anyone you've fought before."
Eric immediately spun around, attempting one final slash.
Lunar tilted his body aside.
The dagger missed by a hair's breadth.
In the same instant, Lunar struck Eric's wrist with the flat of his second sword.
CLINK!
The dagger flew from Eric's hand.
Lunar caught it before it hit the floor and tossed it away from the fighting area.
He then stepped back, sheathing one short sword while keeping the other lowered at his side.
Eric stood motionless.
He had barely managed to touch his opponent.
And now he was disarmed.
---
Ethan retrieved his lance.
His expression had changed.
He now understood that Sylver's defense wasn't something he could overcome through repeated attacks.
He needed to force her into a position where she couldn't defend herself properly.
He charged again, this time using a series of feints to disguise his real target.
Sylver watched his shoulders.
Not the lance.
When he committed to a powerful thrust, she stepped diagonally forward.
The weapon passed beside her.
Sylver slammed her shield against the shaft.
KRAANG!
The lance bladed edged became trapped against the shield's curved surface.
Ethan tried to pull it free.
Sylver's silver aura surged.
She rotated her shield.
Ethan's stance broke.
She released a controlled pulse of silver energy.
BOOM!
Ethan lost his grip on the lance.
Before he could recover, Sylver closed the distance and struck his torso with her shield.
THUD!
Ethan dropped to one knee.
Sylver stopped immediately.
The edge of her shield hovered beside his shoulder.
She could have continued.
She didn't need to.
"I win."
She said
Ethan looked up at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he exhaled and raised one hand.
"I concede then."
Sylver stepped back and allowed him to stand.
Her shield dissolved into silver particles that drifted around her before disappearing.
Eric was still struggling to understand what had happened.
He retrieved his dagger and charged Lunar again.
"I'm not losing like this!"
Lunar sighed.
"You really should stop doing that."
Eric attacked with a rapid combination of dagger strikes.
Lunar drew both short swords again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
For several seconds, the two warriors exchanged blows.
Eric's technique was excellent. His movements were sharp, and his dagger strikes were precise.
But Lunar continued slipping past his defenses.
Then Lunar suddenly stopped retreating.
Eric thrust forward.
Lunar crossed his short swords against the dagger and twisted his wrists.
KRAANG!
Eric's weapon was forced sideways.
Lunar stepped past him.
A quick strike to the wrist.
A precise movement behind the shoulder.
A final sweep of the leg.
THUD!
Eric hit the ground.
Before he could rise, Lunar placed the flat of one sword against his back.
"Are we done now?"
Lunar was bored.
Eric stared at the floor.
After a moment, he raised his hand.
"I concede."
Lunar removed the sword and offered him a hand.
Eric hesitated before accepting it.
Lunar pulled him to his feet.
Across the podium, Sylver approached them.
She glanced at Lunar.
"You finished quickly."
Lunar sheathed both swords.
Neither appeared exhausted.
Neither had suffered a serious injury.
Yet their opponents had been completely overwhelmed.
"I wonder was the next stage is like"
Lunar thought.
TBC