Combat Assessment 2

The training ground was in a forest, with a flat terrain where students can battle eachother. The combat assessment at the magic academy was well underway, and the anticipation among the students hung thick in the air.

The simple rule was that spells released from your Mana Cube was not permitted. This was an assessment of pure combat skills, a test of tactics, strategy, and resourcefulness.

The arena had witnessed several skirmishes, each showcasing different students abilities and approaches to combat.

Blades of grass and the scent of damp earth filled the arena as spells being released by the students were slowly changing the landscape of the terrain.

Many students were cheering on and watching each battle with intrigue.

Sorin watched intently from the sidelines, fascinated by the dynamics at play. This spectacle was a testament to the students disposition, with some relying on sheer brute force and others displaying intelligence and adaptability by using spells to out maneuver or sneakily lead their enemies into traps.

As he observed the duels that had transpired before Leo's turn, Sorin couldn't help but draw parallels to the novel he had read.

In the story, this part marked the protagonist's first significant challenge, and now, it was Leo's turn to step into the spotlight. The battle was him and Louis.

Leo, lacking an affinity for Mana, was at a clear disadvantage. Although he could learn spells, having no affinity makes it so all spells he used were extremely weak.

It is fortunate this assessment banned the use of Mana Cubes, else any spell used against him would easily overpower him. Yet, he had demonstrated remarkable tactical prowess.

With a calm demeanor and a calculating mind, he wielded his two weak spells with finesse. His first spell, Whirlwind Dart created fast-moving miniature whirlwinds that allowed him to control the pace of the battlefield, making it difficult for Louis to approach.

His second spell, Blooming Fog was a clever concealment spell that reduced the perception of his surroundings. Leo used it to mask his movements, making it challenging for Louis to predict his actions.

The battle unfolded with precision and finesse. Leo danced around the field, using his spells to control space and visibility.

His every move was calculated, a testament to his strategic thinking. It had seemed, instead of moping and being depressed about his lack of affinity, Leo had rekindled his unwavering spirit to be an Arcanist no matter what obstacles he faced.

He probably had used twice the effort to learn those simple spells to that level which was admirable. He hasn't mastered his spells enough to fuse it into his Mana Cube yet, however the progress he made without having 'no magic' affinity was respectable. A classic protagonist!

However, Louis, desperate not to lose to Leo, grew increasingly frustrated. His attempts to break Leo's defenses were met with calculated counters and quick dodges. The tension in the arena mounted as the duel reached its climax.

And then, Louis, with a sneer on his face and a cruel glint in his eye, decided to resort to a forbidden tactic. A malevolent grin twisted his lips as he unleashed a powerful wind spell from his Mana Cube, channeling a sharp blade of wind of devastating force towards Leo.

The attack was overwhelming, a wind blade of raw power struck Leo with unrelenting force causing a deep wound to appear on his chest. Sorin watched with amusement as Leo's defenses crumbled under the assault, giving the protagonist severe injuries.

As the dust settled and Leo lay battered on the ground, Freya, one of the heroines of the story and a friend of Leo, rushed to his side. Her righteous anger was palpable as she turned to Louis.

"Louis! That was utterly disgraceful and against the rules!" Freya's voice quivered with anger as she chastised him. "You should be ashamed of yourself for resorting to such tactics. This is a combat assessment, not a blood feud!"

Louis, his anger simmering beneath the surface, scoffed with disdain. "And what good is a future Arcanist if he can't even predict a simple sneak attack, Freya? Leo's incompetence was laid bare for all to see. As expected of a filthy commoner!"

Freya's eyes flashed with determination as she defended her friend. "Predicting sneak attacks is one thing, but exploiting them is another. We should strive for fairness and honor, not resort to underhanded tactics."

Sorin slightly scoffed at what she said. Fairness and honor? That's an idealistic way of thinking that would get you killed in a world like this one. A world such as this was practically telling you to be greedy, to be ruthless and to show no mercy to your enemies.

Louis, though seething with anger, couldn't help but backdown from Freya's reprimanding.

After her conversation with Louis, Freya turned her attention to Leo, who was still recovering from the brutal assault. "Leo, are you okay? Let's get you some medical attention."

Freya extended her hand toward Leo, offering him support as he lay battered from the powerful wind spell that Louis had unleashed. Her gaze was filled with unwavering support, and she was determined to get him the medical attention he needed.

Leo, though still in pain, managed a grateful nod as he accepted Freya's help. He knew he had a true friend in her and potentially something else, someone who would stand by his side in times of adversity.

Sorin observed this scene from the sidelines, his eyes flashing a dangerous glint. He could guess even without the knowledge of the novel on how Louis would react to Freya's kindness towards the protagonist, especially given their tense exchange earlier.

Louis, on the other hand, stood there with a conflicted expression. He couldn't deny the anger that still simmered within him, directed both at Leo for his tactics and at Freya for her unwavering support.

In his eyes, this was not how things should have played out. With his noble bloodline he thought he could ruthlessly play Leo like a fiddle and show his superiority to Freya.

As Freya and Leo slowly made their way out of the arena to seek medical attention. Sorin didn't fail to notice something amusing. A flash of killing intent crossed Louis's face as he glared at Leo's retreating form. It was a fleeting but unmistakable expression of hostility.

Sorin couldn't help but be amused by this development. It was as if Louis, for all his bluster and arrogance, felt deeply threatened by Leo's presence. Something Sorin could perhaps use for some of his plans.

The professor watching this didn't seem to care about Louis breaking the one and only rule he set for this assessment.

It seems either Louis's backround made it so he couldn't do anything or he simply didn't care about the fight between little teenagers. As long as no one died, the professor probably won't do anything. He probably thought it would be valuable experience for the students on what is to come of this cruel world.

It was finally Sorin's turn to step onto the arena for his combat assessment. The students were watching with curiosity. They weren't expecting too much as he and his opponent aren't really well known in the Academy.

Though, some were interested in Sorin as he had a medium-high affinity in the Aurora Cube which was above average.

Sorin's opponent, Mark, stood across from him. Mark had a single ability, the power to create fireballs. However, he was considered somewhat mediocre compared to some of the more talented students. Despite his slight anxiousness from his cautious nature, Sorin felt a flicker of confidence.

As the signal to begin the duel sounded, Mark wasted no time in summoning a fireball and launching it towards Sorin. Sorin, with his keen reflexes, gracefully sidestepped the projectile, the heat from the fireball brushing against his skin.

With a calm demeanor, Sorin began to channel his Wind Formation magic. He focused on the swirling currents of air around him, manipulating them into tangible shapes. As he did so, a translucent, green dagger of wind formed in his hand. Though it looked crude, it would get it's job done.

With a swift and precise motion, Sorin lunged at Mark. He combined his basic kicks that he briefly tried remembering in his time at kick boxing with his wind dagger. His footwork was rather sloppy but he managed to find his rhythm, allowing him to close the distance between Mark.

Mark, struggling to control his fireballs, attempted to launch another attack, but Sorin's agility and control over the wind proved to be a formidable combination. Sorin used Wind Formation to create a wall to hinder the incoming fireball, allowing him to effortlessly evade.

The audience watched in amazement as Sorin continued to press his advantage. He weaved, a small yet condensed ball of wind at Mark that disrupted his spell he was trying to cast. Spotting an opening, Sorin wanted to bridge the gap between them and send a decisive kick to the opponent's jaw: wanting to quickly incapacitate his opponent.

However, his opponent wanted to put on one final struggle to not embarrass himself. All the fights prior had went on for atleast 3 minutes. Why was this a problem, well, Mark's fight was going to last less than a minute! He would really feel ashamed as an Arcanist if he were to lose this quickly!

Mark seeing how swiftly Sorin was closing the distance, was panicking: sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Dammit! I need to quickly summon a fireball, else I'll be finished!" Mark screamed internally. With that decision, he tried to cast a fireball with haste.

The instructor that was watching the fight showed a displeased expression, "Tch, that idiot. Is he trying to lose an arm!" The instructor spoke internally.

As Arcanists, spells are cast through magical symbols. These symbols are what makes up the world and the very laws that govern our existence. As Arcanists, we carefully learn and make sure to intricately visualise the elemental symbols in order to perfectly cast them, else the spell would fail! 

Failure could range from: nothing happening, the spell deviating from it's original purpose and other less harmful ones. These would be the ideal outcomes. As for the bad outcomes, accidentally getting cut when failing to cast a wind spell would be an example.

As for the tier 1 spell Mark was casting, the instructor knew that the fireball spell is quite a destructive and common spell many students learn. However, he's also seen many harm themselves by using incorrect symbols to cast the spell. He was essentially about to become a human bomb!

The instructor was about to make a move, however, he was surprised when Sorin had managed to intercept the attack before him.

Sorin, seeing how his opponent wanted to cast a fireball, had completely closed the distance on him.

"He's too close! If I cast it now, I'd also be hit by my attack. What do I do!?" Mark panicked internally.

Just that second of hesitation had allowed Sorin to grab his wrist and pulled it as hard as he could: disrupting the spell from finalising. Alongside this move, Sorin delivered a powerful kick to the back of his Knee: causing Mark to kneel to the ground before Mark felt a cold energy by his neck.

"It's your loss." Sorin remarked, whilst the blade of his dagger was by his neck.

Mark was simply quiet as he seemed a little disappointed at this outcome. He had been easily defeated.

With that, Mark was unable to continue the battle.

The arena fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers and applause. Sorin had displayed both skill and creativity in his use of his Wind Formation magic, earning the respect of his peers and the approval of the professor.

As Sorin caught his breath, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. This small victory was a significant step in his journey as an Arcanist.

Making his way out of the arena , Sorin went back to where he had loitered.

Nevery who had watched the fight, couldn't help but be in awe. Despite being rather experienced in combat due to her training from a young age, she had noticed how Sorin probably had little to no combat experience. Yet despite this, he had completely dominated the fight with his instincts and creativity.

"Woah! Sorin I didn't think you'd be so good at close combat!" Nevery spoke with eyes that seem to be sparkling.

"Well, it's good to be proficient in both ranged and close combat. Though the moves and footwork I used were very sloppy," Sorin replied casually.

"That's true. But still, it was amazing how you adapted to your opponent by using your wind magic, whilst closing the distance!" Nevery enthusiastically stated.

"Thanks." Sorin softly chuckled.

After Sorin's fight, the assessment was coming to an end. The professor had noted all the promising students from the assessment, selecting them to participate in the upcoming field training where they would have to fight real magic beasts.