12 Destroyed

As Seraphina's last finger fell, a sudden silence filled the air. Caius and Damien stood poised, staring each other down. Then, with a swift motion, Damien charged forward with his sword at ready.

Caius stood his ground. He waited for just the right moment to strike, his eyes fixed on his opponent. He analyzed every move Damien made with his skill Completionist Insight, which he had honed through countless hours of playing the game.

"First a left swipe," Caius muttered under his breath as Damien's sword came down in a leftward arc. With the agility of a cat, Caius sidestepped it effortlessly, his movements as fluid as water.

"Followed by a thrust to the right," he whispered, and to no surprise, Damien attempted to follow up with a thrust.

But Caius was already one step ahead. In a split second, he had dodged to the left and swung his sword in a wide arc, catching Damien off-guard and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Swash!

"Argg!" Damien grunted in frustration as he scrambled to his feet. But Caius didn't let up, his eyes shining with determination as he anticipated Damien's next move.

"An upward slash," he muttered, and as Damien's sword arced upwards, Caius deftly dodged to the side. With lightning-quick reflexes, he delivered a swift kick to Damien's side.

Thump!

The sound of Caius's boot connecting with Damien's body echoed through the training ground. Damien stumbled backward, his grip on his sword faltering.

Seizing the moment, Caius struck Damien's chest and stomach with a series of well-placed hits with his wooden sword to Damien's chest and stomach. Each one landed with a satisfying thwack, the sound echoing through the room.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Damien struggled to defend himself, but Caius was relentless, his movements as fluid as water. Finally, with a powerful roundhouse kick, Caius sent Damien sprawling to the ground.

Thud!

"How disappointing! You are wasting the students' time that came to watch our Duel, Damien!" Caius said as he turned his gaze toward Seraphina. But he was met with her stunned expression instead.

"Ha-haha, this is good! You are better than I thought, Caius. No wonder you ranked second," Damien said with an excited grin before rushing at Caius again.

"Left, left, right, left," Caius continued to mutter, and each time, Damien's wooden sword came crashing down in the exact pattern Caius had predicted. Caius dodged and parried with ease, never once breaking his cool composure.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

And Damien's wooden sword came down in a powerful overhead strike, but Caius was already moving. Twirling to the side like a dancer, he delivered a swift kick that caught Damien off-guard.

Thump!

With a loud thud, Damien fell to the ground again, his wooden sword clattering beside him. The sound of the impact reverberated through the room.

Thud!

Caius grinned as Damien struggled to get back up, grasping his wooden sword tightly.

"Let's stop here, I don't even need to use my sword to fight you," he said, throwing his sword aside for show.

"...."

The audience watched in awe as Caius stood unarmed, daring Damien to come at him again.

Damien, feeling embarrassed and frustrated, protested, "No! I can still fight!" He charged forward, swinging his wooden sword with all his might.

Swish— Swish— Swish—

The sound of his sword sliced through the air, but each time, Caius dodged the strike effortlessly.

With each dodge, Caius taunted Damien, "Alright, show me what you've got then, Damien Montfort!" The audience watched in awe as Caius moved gracefully, his movements as fluid as a dancer.

Damien gritted his teeth and put twice the force behind his attacks, desperate to land a hit. But Caius was too fast, too skilled.

Caius could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he continued to predict and dodge Damien's attacks. His movements were precise and calculated, each one perfectly timed.

Finally, Caius decided it was time to end the duel. "A thrust," he muttered, and with lightning-fast reflexes, he sidestepped Damien's attack and landed a swift punch to Damien's stomach.

Thud!

Damien gasped for breath as he struggled to get back up, but Caius wasn't finished. He moved in again, his fists flying as he delivered a series of rapid blows to Damien's body.

Thunk — Thwack — Thud —

Each strike was precise and powerful, leaving Damien reeling and struggling to defend himself. Time seemed to slow down as Caius's fists connected with Damien's body, the sound of his blows echoing through the arena.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of relentless attacks, Caius landed his final blow.

Bam!—

The impact was devastating. His fist connected with Damien's midsection, sending him flying out of the arena with incredible force. He soared through the air, his body spinning uncontrollably before slamming into the wall with a sickening thud.

Thud!—

Caius watched with a satisfied smirk as Damien's body slammed against the wall.

The impact echoed through the arena, followed by a collective gasp from the audience. Damien slumped to the ground, his body bruised and battered, his eyes turned white, and his breathing shallow.

"D-Damien! Are you okay?" Seraphina cried out as she ran towards him, her voice filled with concern.

But there was no response from Damien. He lay motionless, and it was clear that he was out of the game.

The crowd murmured in shock, some whispering in disbelief at the sight before them.

"Is he...is he dead?" one student asked in a hushed tone.

"N-No, he's just unconscious," another replied, their voice trembling.

Caius approached Damien's motionless body and stood over him with a self-satisfied expression on his face. "I told you, I didn't even need my sword," he boasted, his voice dripping with smugness.

Seraphina shot him a disdainful look, clearly unimpressed by his arrogance.

But the sound of his words hung in the air, punctuated only by the soft murmurs of the crowd and the distant sound of the wind outside the arena.

With that, Caius strode out of the training ground with a smirk on his face. The other students' eyes were on him, but he didn't care. As he reached the exit, he was met with Adeline, who looked at him with a shocked expression.

!?

Caius paused for a moment, staring at her with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. As he walked past Adeline, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She had never seen him fight so ruthlessly before, and the way he had knocked Damien out of the arena was truly frightening.

"You will be next," Caius said with a cold smirk as he walked past her. Adeline shuddered in fear at his words. She watched as he disappeared out of sight, and then turned her attention to the unconscious Damien. The crowd was still murmuring, shocked at what they had just witnessed.

"...Not even a single hit! He wasn't even able to land a single hit?" Adeline muttered to herself in disbelief, her eyes still fixed on Damien's motionless body.