23 Recovery
Kayn staggered back, as he clutched at the blade embedded in his abdomen. Blood gushed from the wound, staining his clothes and pooling on the ground beneath him.
He knew he wouldn't last much longer. Forcing himself upright, Kayn clenched his teeth and lunged toward Elara. A metallic clang rang through the air as he crashed his sword into hers.
Even with exhaustion tearing Kayn's body apart, he fought with the ferocity of a wounded beast, his movements erratic and unpredictable like a flickering flame in a gusty wind.
A slight shift in Elara's balance immediately animated Kayn's instincts and he prepared to disarm her.
He quickly stepped in, forcing her sword arm up and away from her body. With a swift move, he kicked her leg out from under her, causing her to stumble and lose her grip on the sword.
Kayn's movement caught Elara off guard, as he ripped the weapon from her grasp with ease. In that instant, Elara's sense of control dissipated, leaving her completely vulnerable to Kayn's next move.
With a fierce determination in his eyes, Kayn took aim at Elara's neck, his blade glinting in the light. The threat of decapitation loomed over her, and Elara knew that she was in grave danger.
As Kayn's blade came hurtling towards her, she used the split-second interval to pivot on her foot and swing her leg in a swift and powerful motion.
As Elara's leg made contact with the sword lodged in Kayn's stomach, the impact was so forceful that it caused the blade to shift, tearing at his already injured flesh.
It was a devastating blow.
Nonetheless, Kayn's momentum carried him forward, presenting him with the golden opportunity to finish the fight.
Without hesitation, Kayn drilled the tip of the sword into Elara's neck. However, the moment it pierced through the first layer of her flesh, the sword abruptly stopped as the academy staff interfered.
Both combatants were knocked out cold to prevent them from doing any more harm. Kayn did try to struggle but it was meaningless since he had no energy left anyway.
Quickly, both were removed from the battlefield and the staff tended to their wounds.
"That she was actually still able to still beat us in spite of her condition..."A self-deprecating chuckle escaped my mouth.
The next time won't end like this. I'll make sure of it.
The taste of defeat is bitter in the mouth, but it was also a powerful motivator.
With the last interesting fight over, I watched the boring remaining minutes.
With her gone and the strength of Class B depleted, it did not take long for Class A to clean up the rest.
Compared to them, the lower Classes were practically defenseless. They easily defeated one after another.
As expected, our Class won. Although the circumstances were a bit different, in the end it doesn't matter.
I've seen enough.
Closing the file, I accessed the other one called 'Top-Ten'. It wasn't a video but just a short list of 10 names that will accompany the academy down to the mana rift.
Additionally, the document included a brief explanation as to why each person has been chosen.
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Top-Ten: All participants in the upcoming excursion:
1: Onyx Meadowbleeder: Single-handedly obliterated both C-Class and a good portion of D-Class whilst flawlessly protecting another teammate.
2: Noah Hazecrest: Defeated the strongest fighter of E-Class and managed to seriously injure the leader of B-Class all whilst being a whole Rank beneath them. To add to that, he displayed a terrifying will that allowed him to break through the limits of what his body should be capable to handle.
3: Aurora Skystride: Provided excellent support and first aid whilst fending off other combatants and helped her Class survive the relentless attacks.
4: Elara Starshaper: Showed outstanding strategic thinking and coordination of her Class. Furthermore held off and eliminated a good portion of A-Class and did exceptionally well in combat.
5: Alice Thalvith: Bravery and courage was shown as she fearlessly fought against D-Class with the support of Onyx Meadowbleeder. A fine use of her arsenal allowed her to eliminate D-Class to some extent all while being outnumbered.
6: Isabella Glorydrifter: In combined effort with Noah Hazecrest defeated E-Class without sustaining any serious injury.
7: Kayn Cinderash: Managed to eliminate the momentary leader of B-Class and destroyed their formation for others to exploit. Additionally, showed a strong will and swordsmanship superior to those around him.
8: Saphiria Noxfire: Displayed great ability to adapt to hopeless circumstances and was able to make the best out of undesirable situations that allowed her together with Class C to injure Onyx Meadowbleeder.
9: Roy Emberwing: Possessed remarkable strength and endurance, allowing him to overpower opponents much larger than himself. Furthermore, his decisiveness in helping his teammates helped Class A to victory
10: Luna Emberwing: The selflessness and eagerness to help her team win by stalling time and taking on Class B was an invaluable asset to the class' success and allowed them to first take care of the other Classes.
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"At least this didn't go wrong."
In the novel, Alexander Riverbloom was supposed to be selected but It seems I replaced his spot. Not that he had a significant role in the catastrophe that will unfold in this excursion.
A small smile crept upon my face at the realization that I still managed to achieve my initial goal. Everything else is trivial.
As I looked around my hospital room, I let out a sigh. My body ached from the wounds sustained in the fight, but my mind was already racing toward my next objective.
Trying to make the best out of my time, I played the file showing the battle yet again. This time, however, I made sure to pay closer attention to each individual person.
Every logic behind their movements, every weakness they exhibited, every strategy, it doesn't matter how subtle, they employed and so much more.
No matter how many times I had to rewatch it to ingrain these details in my head, it was worth it.
Once, twice...three times. And repeat it all over again.
Thankfully, I was already used to something like this from prior targets which made the whole process way more efficient.
As I went down the list of contestants, I made notes of their strengths and weaknesses, their personalities and motivations, and any other information that could be of use in the future.
An hour turned into two hours. Then three. Following the same routine, I continued to carefully watch it until I eventually nodded off.
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"Finally I can walk again." I said aloud, trying to get myself accustomed to the sensation of moving once again.
Tearing away the last bandages from my body, I felt a slight tingle as my skin came back to life.
There were still a few remnants of the battle left, like thorns that refused to be plucked away but that didn't hinder me.
It's only been about a day and I'm surprisingly well. Since I have already observed and analyzed all of the important people involved in the fight, there isn't anything else for me to do here.
However, I'm not that keen about using the two days I just gained to attend the lectures earlier than originally planned. So instead, I did what any other normal person would do.
I locked myself in my room. Or rather, I locked the nurse out of it.
To avoid getting caught by the nurse and delaying her discovering I'm healthy again even slightly, I'll take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.
Besides, these doors are partially made out of titanium alloy so I doubt they can break in so easily.
After locking the door, I grabbed something sturdy and used it to smash the window open. Of course, I tried to dampen the noise as much as possible.
The air outside was crisp and refreshing compared to the stale atmosphere inside. Nimbly, I climbed through the opening and onto the ledge.
Taking one deep breath, I let go of the railing and began my descent. Swinging myself along the edges, I soon reached the ground floor with little difficulty.
Treading lightly, I stealthily moved across the academy grounds toward the north wing. The number of people passing by decreased greatly the further I got.
It did not take long before I arrived at my destination.
Climbing over a fence, I once again entered the run-down dojo owned by Professor Mistscribe.
With a loud knock, I announced my arrival. As expected, no one responded. However, the sound of rustling cloth told me someone was indeed present within.
A faint light illuminated the interior, revealing the figure of a man dressed in black who stood motionless against the far wall. His hair was dark and tied up neatly behind his neck while his eyes glimmered in the dim lighting.
He was waiting patiently for my appearance.
"You sure recovered fast." He remarked whilst scrutinizing me with his piercing gaze.
