CHAPTER 24: SPARRING SESSION (1)

Amon couldn’t help but question inwardly,

’What’s wrong with asking for two weapons? It’s not like I’m asking for a kingdom or a dragon egg.’

The academy had racks upon racks of weapons, more than enough to arm a small militia. And most of them? Handed off to commoners anyway. The only problem was... there weren’t many commoners in the academy to begin with.

’Tsk, tsk... More than anything, I’m asking politely. POLITELY,’ Amon thought, carefully arranging his expression into one of perfect respect and good manners as he looked at the professor.

Eliana and Seraphina were staring at him with genuine amazement, their faces saying Is this boy insane? Even the professor seemed caught off guard by Amon’s audacity. Meanwhile, Aisha leaned against the wall, watching the scene with a look that screamed boredom incarnate.

Her eyes flickered every so often, not because she cared, but because she was itching for the real thing: a fight. A spar. Anything more exciting than Amon’s "weapon shopping."

Finally, the professor broke the silence.

"What’s your name, boy? And why do you want two weapons?"

Amon straightened his back, confidence flashing in his eyes as he respectfully answered,

"Professor, my name is Amon Vale, and I wish to use a revolver as my second weapon."

Professor Asher studied him calmly, tapping his chin.

"That doesn’t sound like much of a reason for me to allow two weapons," he said slowly. Then, almost teasingly, he added,

"But I’ll allow it, since it’s a revolver. Technically, there’s no rule against choosing two weapons for themselves from academy. It’s just that I personally advise commoners—especially first-years—to focus on mastering one weapon before juggling two."

Amon’s eyes lit up with relief. Then, to his surprise, Asher smiled.

"Still... I suppose I can make an exception for a special student like you."

A chuckle escaped Asher as he went on. "I’ve heard stories about you from Professor Aria. Quite the character, aren’t you? Let’s see how well you handle yourself with two weapons. Go ahead—choose whatever you like. No one’s stopping you."

The room filled with laughter as some students exchanged jokes at Amon’s expense.

Meanwhile, Amon’s expression didn’t falter, though inside his head he was raging. ’Damn that witch! That old hag! Curse you, Aria, for spreading tales about me!’

Bowing curtly, Amon managed a respectful, "Thank you, Professor Asher," before heading toward the weapon racks.

Despite his grumbling thoughts, he was genuinely happy. A weird sort of happiness, true, but still happiness. He had gotten permission.

He scanned the racks until his eyes fell upon a longsword. Sleek, silver, elegant, with a black hilt—beautiful. Unlike the cheap sword he had bought yesterday, this one looked balanced, refined, and sharp enough to slice the air itself. Amon swung it once, testing the weight, and nodded in satisfaction.It can be used as one handed sword as well because of it’s light weight.

Then his gaze shifted to the firearms. He already knew what he wanted. And sure enough, there it was—the revolver he had practiced with before.

The Ebonfang. Without hesitation, he picked it up and tucked it neatly into the left side of his waistband.

Sword sheathed and revolver secured, Amon returned to the group, grinning with satisfaction.

Professor Asher stepped forward, glancing at the students before beginning to pair them up for sparring.

Almost immediately, a few students started whispering and murmuring to each other, hoping they’d get paired with Amon.

’Tsk! Just because I’m the weakest, everyone suddenly wants to fight me. Shameless.’

The pairings continued. Seraphina was matched against Marcus—an appropriate choice, since they were the academy’s top two students. The air buzzed with anticipation.

One by one, Asher called out names until finally, Amon’s turn came.

’Please let it be someone weak... please, please, please—’He prays to goddess.

But the goddess weren’t in a generous mood.

"Amon Vale will spar against Aisha Darkfang."

The words dropped like a death sentence.

Amon’s soul nearly left his body. The floor beneath him might as well have cracked open and swallowed him whole. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

He hadn’t interacted much with Aisha, but from the way she carried herself, it was obvious—she lived for battle. And battle maniacs? They hated weaklings.

’As much as my luck gives me delightful things, it also knows how to fuck me over in the worst possible ways.’

Professor Asher shot him a mischievous grin. Eliana and Seraphina watched with pity in their eyes. And then... he felt it. That cold gaze.

Turning slightly, Amon caught sight of those piercing ruby-red eyes. Disappointment gleamed in them, chilling him to his core.

He sighed, weary already. "Goddess, save me."

But inside, he was screaming.

"Matches will end when one combatant surrenders or is no longer capable of fighting," Asher announced, his voice echoing across the training arena.

"Don’t worry too much about serious injuries. If things get too dangerous, I’ll step in. Normal injuries, however, are perfectly fine. We have skilled healers, after all."

The huge grin plastered across Ravenshade’s face brought Amon absolutely no comfort.

The sparring began.

One match after another. The outcomes were

predictable.

Seraphina stepped onto the field, her shining longsword in hand, facing Marcus with his flame-red spear. Both wore black training uniforms, standing tall in the center of the arena.

Marcus’s smirk oozed arrogance, while Seraphina’s aloof expression radiated confidence. When they clashed, the sound of steel against steel rang through the hall, sparks dancing in the air like fireflies.

Amon could barely follow their movements. They weren’t just using weapons—their magic flared as well. Golden light against burning flame. It was amazing.

The crowd watched in awe. Everyone knew these two were far above them.

Marcus tried to resist, thrusting his spear against Seraphina’s relentless offense,He deflected the incoming Light Swords with desperate thrusts of his spear, but before he could even realize it, Seraphina’s blade was already at his neck—fast, precise, and utterly decisive.

In a flash, one blade stopped right at his throat. Precise. Absolute.

"Seraphina Luminous is the winner!" Raven’s voice boomed.

Marcus gritted his teeth in frustration, visibly unhappy with the outcome.

Amon muttered to himself, "Monsters. They’re both monsters. Stronger than that hobgoblin I fought... though, not gonna lie, it feels good seeing Marcus lose."

The matches continued, Eliana winning hers with ease.And then, it was Amon’s turn.

He took a deep breath, trying to steel his nerves.

"I’ll end this quickly. Or more accurately... she’ll end this quickly."

Stepping into the arena, he saw Aisha waiting on the opposite side, gauntlets gleaming under the torchlight. Her red eyes locked on him, bored yet hungry for a fight. She was taller than him by a few centimeters, her wolf ears twitching occasionally.

"Cute... but terrifying. Alright, here goes nothing."He muttered.

’She’s using gauntlets.Not greatsword she had used for first lecture’

"Hey, Aisha—please go easy on me, yeah?" Amon said with his best friendly smile.

Aisha snorted and slid into her fighting stance. No words needed.

Exhaling, Amon drew his new longsword and held it firmly with both hands. His eyes met hers with forced determination.

Raven signaled the start.

Aisha moved.

No—she vanished.

In the blink of an eye, she was already in front of him, fist raised. The sheer speed was terrifying.

Amon barely had time to react. He swung his sword, blocking her punch with the flat of the blade.

The sound of impact thundered across the arena.

The force of her strike rattled through Amon’s entire body, numbing his arms.

"Fuck! She’s too strong!"

And that was only the beginning.