Dual Essence Revelation

Metal clashed in a symphony of determination, echoing across the field where Class 1-A engaged in sparring matches beneath the protective canopy of a sprawling tree.

Amidst the clashes, Lucian faced off against Adrian, each wielding their chosen weapons—an elegant longsword in Lucian's grip, a spear expertly handled by Adrian.

"Ho!" Lucian, driven by focus, lunged forward with a swift stab, his hair dancing in the wind's embrace.

Adrian, wearing a mad glint in his eyes, countered with a speed that defied measure, the clash of their weapons cutting through the very air around them.

The metallic "ting" of their meeting blades resonated, and as the clash subsided, a confident smile adorned Adrian's face, revealing a row of teeth. Lucian, wide-eyed, sensed impending danger.

In a whirlwind of movement, Adrian unleashed an elbow strike, the subtle crack of Lucian's rib resonating in the field.

Despite the setback, Lucian persisted, tasting the metallic essence of determination as he faced the aftermath of the strike.

As the spar concluded, Alexander, the overseer, declared Adrian the victor, concern etched in his voice as he approached Lucian's side.

"Haa, haa," Lucian panted, "Are you okay?" Alexander asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Haa, haa, I'm fine as I can be," Lucian replied, his gaze on his sword 10 meters away.

"I suggest you drink a potion or go to the nurse," Alexander advised.

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll heal up in a couple of minutes," Lucian explained, attempting to stand but succumbing to the pain.

"Sigh, okay, but if you feel bad, don't hesitate to tell me. Okay?" Alexander said, walking away to oversee another pair of students.

Once Alexander left, Adrian spoke, "You still want me to continue afterward?"

"Yeah, and next time, don't hold back as much," Lucian said, disappointment evident in his voice.

'I'm still weak,' Lucian thought as he gripped the grass.

Adrian, observing this, sighed and sat next to Lucian. "Cheer up, man, you're still pretty strong."

Lucian looked up at Adrian with a tired expression.

"What rank?"

"If we're talking about the whole of year 1, then you're probably somewhere around..."

"No, I meant what rank am I in the whole school ranking," Lucian cut Adrian off to explain.

Adrian's eyes widened. He was surprised at Lucian's competitiveness.

"It's better that I show you," Adrian said, pulling out his phone and checking Lucian's rank on the Nova app.

Name: Lucian Elysia.

Age: 16

Class: Class 1-A

Profession: Magic Swordsman.

Rank: 1008

"Oh…"

"What? Is it bad?" Lucian asked with a bit of worry in his tone.

"No, your rank is pretty good actually, 1008. It's pretty impressive," Adrian reassured.

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"Then what was with that reaction?"

"It's your profession..."

"What about it?"

"Magic swordsman, it's pretty rare," Adrian said bluntly.

"Rare? Why is it rare?"

"Well, Mages don't usually wield weapons. The ones that wield weapons usually aren't that good at wielding them," Adrian explained.

Lucian was confused, and it showed on his face as clear as day.

"The reason for mages not being able to wield weapons as good as aura users is because they lack the ability of aura. Aura is not just used for strengthening weapons; if that's all it did, then it could be compared to the likes of mana," Adrian said while taking a chocolate bar from the pocket of his black pants.

Adrian opened the chocolate bar with grace.

Adrian took a bite of the chocolate and pointed it at Lucian.

"Want some?" He asked.

"No, I'm good," Lucian answered.

"Suit yourself,"

"Anyways, Aura also has the ability to make one feel as if they and their weapon are one and the same. It's a bit complicated to understand; even I don't understand it that well, but all I know is that this ability is what separates mana imbued weapons and aura imbued weapons."

"So, in short, Aura raises one's mastery of a weapon?"

"Yeah, basically. But it also has its side effects," Adrian explained.

Lucian raised his eyebrow.

"Side effects?"

"Yeah, if one imbues a certain weapon with aura for long enough, that person will develop a bond with that weapon. This makes it harder to discard the weapon."

Adrian took another bite of his chocolate bar before continuing.

"It can also be fatal if the weapon breaks in the process of a battle."

A bird landed right beside Adrian. Adrian petted the bird while continuing.

"But then what's so special about magic swordsmen?" Lucian asked, ignoring the bird that was comfortably seated right beside Adrian.

The bird really seemed to like Adrian's petting.

"Well, a magic swordsman can wield both mana and aura," Adrian said nonchalantly.

Lucian's eyes widened in utter disbelief, a surge of shock coursing through him. "What?! How is that even possible?" Lucian exclaimed, leaping to his feet with a scream that could be heard throughout the field.

The bird that Adrian was petting got scared and flew away. Everyone momentarily stopped their duels to see where that sound came from.

Lucian, feeling his cheeks turning red from embarrassment, realized he had caught the attention of the whole class.

"Ah, sorry, everyone. You can go back to your duels," Lucian apologized.

With that, the students returned their focus to their duels. Some even gained the upper hand because of Lucian's scream.

Seeing that the situation was resolved, Lucian returned his attention back to Adrian, who was peacefully eating his chocolate bar.

"How's that possible?! I thought that people who awakened mana and aura had two completely different meridians!!"

Adrian shrugged. "I don't know," Adrian said as he took another bite off of his chocolate bar.

'Damn, this chocolate is really good. I should ask Gabriel for more' Adrian though, not paying attention to the identity crisis Lucian was having right now.

'What? How can a person wield mana and aura? Can I wield it? But how? I've never heard of anyone being able to do it. Is this all just a dream? I never absorbed that stone. Never stole Lucian's identity and killed him?'

"Ahhhhh!!!!"