The group moved behind the school building in a steady procession.

  There were patches of weeds scattered around, but the ground was visible and level. It was spacious enough, so there shouldn't be any issues with the upcoming spar.

  "Right then, let's have Pulker and Seneca face off first. I've brought weapons for the mock battle, so pick one that suits you," came the call.

  At the sound of her name, Seneca stepped forward.

  Simultaneously, Pulker advanced as well.

  Pulker appeared calm, but upon closer inspection, his breath was heavy, and his resolve was evident.

  Seneca surveyed the assortment of weapons id out before her. Various types of swords and shields were avaible. Without hesitation, Pulker grabbed a long spear and began lightly swinging it. Clearly, he was a spear user.

  Among the weapons, there were also wooden mallets and axes. I wonder if anyone here will use those, Seneca thought.

  Selecting a standard straight sword, Seneca felt its weight. It was well-banced for one-handed use. Though there were curved swords as well, their shape didn’t suit her preferences.

  “There are no specific rules, but remember, this is only a mock battle. Please avoid delivering blows that could cause serious injury. The school's healers will take care of any minor wounds, so feel free to fight with full intent.”

  Pulker gripped his spear with both hands, his stance firm and controlled, showing no openings.

  Seneca also took her sword in both hands, readying herself.

  “Begin!” At Attalos's command, Pulker immediately enveloped his spear with magical energy, preparing a magical attack with his spear.

  While the weapons were only for mock battles, they likely had low magical affinity, but a strong attack was inevitable. Seneca steeled herself, considering herself merely a target for his strike and preparing for the incoming assault.

  Pulker exhaled lightly, signalling the start of his move.

  He thrust first.

  Seneca quickly advanced, sidestepping to close the gap and avoid the attack.

  Seeing her move, Pulker instantly adjusted, sweeping the spear horizontally to strike her.

  Seneca considered blocking, but she felt as though she was being baited, so she opted to duck low, sliding underneath the attack instead.

  The spear whizzed over her head with a sharp "crack."

  "Thunder."

  Seneca muttered, attempting to strike Pulker with her sword, but he managed to dodge the attack skillfully.

  “Gotcha.”

  Pulker smirked as he gathered his magical energy, concentrating it near his chest, preparing to release it.

  Anticipating a powerful attack, Seneca swiftly kicked Pulker away, gathering strength in her legs to retreat.

  The moment she distanced herself, a sharp "bang!" echoed as lightning magic exploded around Pulker’s body. Having been kicked, he staggered, momentarily thrown off bance.

  From the exchange, Seneca had understood Pulker's troublesome abilities. If she kept her distance, he could attack with his spear from afar, and if she closed in, his magic would counter. There were a few ways to counter his style, but the quickest method was to overpower him with speed.

  Seneca focused her energy into her legs again, propelling herself forward with explosive force, her speed now far beyond the ordinary. Though not at full speed, she moved with an unnatural quickness, her body almost blurring as she shot forward.

  She closed the gap to Pulker, then spun, changing direction, and approached him from an angle. When he failed to react in time, Seneca pressed the tip of her sword against his neck.

  "That's enough!" Attalos's voice rang out.

  Few could have tracked Seneca’s movements; they were so fast that it felt like she had crossed into another realm.

  “What!?” Pulker's eyes widened in shock.

  Gritting his teeth, veins bulged on his hands as he gripped his spear tightly and clearly stated:

  “I yield.”

  Though it was unnecessary to say, Pulker spoke the words anyway, earning him the respect of many around him.

  “Impressive. Are you perhaps level 2?”

  Seneca tilted her head slightly, then replied.

  “I reached level 2 and moved up to Copper rank.”

  “I became level 2 just before entering the academy, but your movement is nothing like mine. I was completely defeated,” Pulker admitted, extending his hand. He was the type of person who liked to shake hands in any situation.

  Seneca shook his hand and said, “Your technique was remarkable. Let’s spar again sometime.”

  ...

  The crowd was buzzing in shock at Pulker’s unexpected defeat, but there were two who were unperturbed by the outcome.

  “Right, next up we have Maiol and Stroh,” Attalos announced, his voice unruffled as if nothing had happened.

  Maiol, already prepared for the fight, calmly stepped forward, choosing a sword.

  Stroh, on the other hand, was visibly unsettled, trying to compose himself as he selected his weapon.

  Pulker, hailed as the most promising adventurer of the capital’s guild, had been swiftly defeated. He had quickly ascended to Copper rank and, like Stroh, had reached level 2 before entering the academy.

  Just who was this Seneca?

  Stroh turned his attention to Maiol. She had golden-tinted hair, tied short at the back. Her face was attractive, with a slightly tough expression, but there was also a charm about her.

  He had been overjoyed to be pced in the same css as such a beauty. However, right now, Maiol was looking at him with an unbothered, almost teasing smile.

  “I’m not sure if I can win this,” Stroh thought, but he forced himself to calm down, readying his twin swords.

  “Begin!” Attalos called.

  Stroh, a dual-wielder who specialised in earth magic, immediately closed the gap and unched his attack. Using his magic, he raised the earth beneath Maiol’s feet, attempting to destabilise her. But Maiol, anticipating his move, effortlessly sidestepped.

  The twin swords also met with resistance as Maiol parried them with ease. She appeared stronger than expected, possibly due to her level increase.

  Realising that a direct csh might be disadvantageous, Stroh created a series of stone projectiles, hurling them towards Maiol.

  But she dodged them with little effort.

  Stroh repeatedly attempted to destabilise her with magic, but it felt as though she anticipated every move, avoiding each strike as if she had read his mind.

  Feeling cornered, Stroh decided to go all out and unched himself at Maiol with his twin swords.

  "Wait, what?" Stroh thought, as he realised that while Maiol was strong, her swordsmanship was not on par with her other abilities.

  Undeterred, he pressed the attack.

  Gradually, Maiol’s ability to defend began to falter. Though her strength was impressive, she wasn’t accustomed to fighting against dual-wielding opponents.

  Stroh decided to focus entirely on swordpy, unleashing a relentless flurry of strikes. As he cornered her, he swept her feet out from under her, knocking her off bance and then pressing his bde against her neck.

  "That's enough!" Attalos called.

  Maiol sighed, looking up at the sky with a rueful smile, brushing her fringe out of her eyes.

  Stroh, panting heavily, finally managed to catch his breath and asked, “How did my magic fail to affect you?”

  “My skill is [Detection],” Maiol replied with a smile. “I’m good at sensing magical fluctuations.”

  As she met his gaze, her eyes seemed to pierce him, and Stroh felt a surge of emotions he wasn’t expecting.

  ...

  “Next, we have Nina and Fabius,” Attalos called, and Seneca eagerly watched, feeling a thrill of excitement as Nina stepped forward.

  Nina and Fabius appeared to be familiar with each other, chatting casually before their match.

  Fabius chose a sword and small shield, while Nina opted for a rge wooden mallet—something Seneca hadn’t expected anyone to pick, but apparently, it was the weapon for Nina.

  Both fighters took their positions.

  “Begin!” Attalos’s voice rang out, and Nina charged.

  She swung the heavy mallet with surprising ease, unching an attack towards Fabius. Fabius, with his sword and shield, deftly deflected the blows, maintaining perfect control.

  Despite Nina’s attacks being fierce, Fabius responded with impeccable timing, deflecting each strike. But Nina’s skill in sheer volume of blows was overwhelming. The speed and number of her strikes were unrelenting, a near-impossible tactic for most opponents.

  Nina darted and jumped, using her agility to disorient Fabius. Her acrobatics in mid-air were on a level that even Seneca found impressive.

  Fabius’s defensive skills were exceptional, but Seneca couldn’t help but wonder how she would fare in a battle against someone like him, given that she was more of a short-term fighter.

  The fight seemed like it would drag on, but Fabius’s defences eventually faltered, and Nina broke through.

  "That's enough!" Attalos called.

  After the match, Fabius was panting heavily, while Nina barely seemed winded.

  Seneca observed Nina's extraordinary stamina, considering that one day, she might face her in battle.