Chapter 12 - The Second-Year Combat Class
The silence inside the training hall lasted exactly three seconds after Erix's comment.
Then—
"Well," Seren said lightly, "this atmosphere became aggressive surprisingly fast."
"I'm not the one creating problems," Lyra replied immediately.
Erix looked entirely unimpressed.
"That remains debatable."
Lyra narrowed her eyes.
Oh, she definitely disliked him.
Before the situation could deteriorate further, the massive training hall doors opened once again.
Several instructors entered simultaneously.
And instantly—
the atmosphere changed.
Conversations died throughout the hall while students straightened instinctively.
At the center of the instructors stood Mrs. Bradmore.
Her sharp gaze swept across the enormous hall before landing directly on Lyra.
Naturally.
A few nearby students noticed immediately.
Mrs. Bradmore crossed her arms.
"So you actually came."
"Why does that sound threatening?"
"It was meant to."
Seren already looked entertained.
Mrs. Bradmore continued calmly.
"The administration informed me about the adjustment this morning. Since you insisted on attending two divisions simultaneously, you will now participate in second-year combat practicals."
Several nearby students immediately looked interested.
One muttered quietly,
"She's really doing it..."
Another looked mildly horrified instead.
Mrs. Bradmore's gaze shifted toward the class.
"She will be treated as part of this combat group during training hours."
That immediately triggered reactions.
Curiosity.
Skepticism.
Amusement.
Mrs. Bradmore ignored all of them effortlessly.
"If anyone has complaints," she continued calmly, "you may discuss them personally with the administration."
Absolute silence followed.
No one volunteered.
"Good."
Then her attention returned to Lyra.
"Let's see how long you keep up."
There was that phrase again.
Lyra felt personally attacked.
Seren noticed immediately.
"Seems like you're in trouble."
"I've been in trouble since the moment I entered."
"It's okay. You have me."
"That feels like even more trouble."
"It shouldn't."
Nearby, several second-years were openly staring now.
Mostly evaluating.
Lyra could practically feel the curiosity spreading through the hall.
The dual-affinity student.
The first-year.
Mrs. Bradmore eventually moved toward the central arena.
"Today's practical session focuses on astral reinforcement control during close combat."
Several students already looked exhausted.
Mrs. Bradmore ignored the collective suffering.
"You will spar in rotating pairs. Reinforcement efficiency matters more than brute strength."
At the word spar—
Lyra immediately sensed danger.
Apparently, so did Seren.
He slowly turned toward her with visible interest.
"Oh no."
"What?"
"You have the expression of someone realizing their funeral has been scheduled."
"Is that so...o" Lyra shuttering made her embarassed.
Rivan finally approached from the other side of the hall, carrying his training weapon awkwardly over one shoulder.
"You're dead," he announced confidently.
"Can't you be a bit optimistic"
"It is because of believe in you." After a pause"for messing up. "
Lyra looked offended immediately.
"Didn't expect you were in the same league as Seren."
"That sentence offends me," Seren said.
Lyra stared at him flatly while Rivan looked even more offended.
"You and Amy would make a great pair."
"Is that so..."
Meanwhile—
Erix still looked completely uninterested in the conversation around him.
Which honestly irritated her more.
How does someone look annoyed by existence itself?
Mrs. Bradmore suddenly spoke again.
"Pair assignments will be randomized first."
Several students relaxed slightly.
Then she continued,
"Afterward, advanced students may challenge freely."
The atmosphere inside the hall shifted instantly.
Several students straightened immediately.
Others smiled dangerously.
And Seren—
Seren looked like someone receiving early birthday gifts.
"Oh," he said softly. "Now the real violence begins."
"What do you mean?" Lyra asked.
"It's academy tradition."
"That explains absolutely nothing."
Mrs. Bradmore activated one of the glowing rune formations near the center platform.
Names immediately appeared across the floating board overhead.
Students began moving toward their assigned arenas.
Lyra searched carefully.
Then froze.
"Oh no."
Rivan leaned beside her immediately.
"Oh, that's unfortunate."
Her assigned opponent was:
Darius Vale.
Second-year combat student.
Large.
Very large.
"Why is he built like a fortress?" Lyra muttered quietly.
Nearby, the enormous second-year looked toward her after hearing his name.
Then visibly panicked.
"WAIT," he immediately said toward Mrs. Bradmore. "Why am I fighting a first-year student?!"
The entire hall burst into laughter.
Mrs. Bradmore looked unimpressed.
"You are not fighting a mouse, Darius."
"What if she gets blown away with one of my strike! I will be the one branded as a monster" Darius made it seem like a plead.
Kaelan looked mildly irritated by his statement.
Lyra stared blankly.
"I'm strangely offended."
"You should be," Rivan agreed immediately.
"Don't worry. Just do your best," Kaelan said with a reassuring smile.
"Thank you, Kaelan."
"Wait, you never said thank you to me," Seren complained.
Lyra gave him a questioning look.
"It's said to people who deserve it."
"What—"
Lyra walked toward the arena before he could recover.
Darius looked deeply conflicted while approaching his side.
"I feel like this situation is dangerous for my future."
"For you or me?" Lyra asked.
"...Both I suppose."
Honestly, that felt fair.
The surrounding students gradually gathered near the nearby arenas while conversations spread quietly throughout the hall.
Several were openly watching their platform now.
Not because they expected Lyra to win.
Mostly because they expected something entertaining.
Wonderful.
Mrs. Bradmore raised one hand calmly.
"Begin."
The arena instantly erupted into motion.
Weapons clashed.
Astral energy flashed across multiple platforms simultaneously.
Darius hesitated briefly before raising his training blade awkwardly.
"You're... smaller than I expected."
"That sounds insulting."
"I meant less terrifying."
"That somehow make it more insulting."
Darius looked genuinely distressed now.
Meanwhile, Lyra adjusted her stance carefully.
Her combat fundamentals were still rough compared to second-years.
She already knew that.
But if Erix thought she would collapse immediately—
absolutely not.
Darius moved first.
Fast.
Far faster than any first-year student.
Lyra barely managed to block the incoming strike before the impact shoved her backward across the arena floor.
Oh.
Second-years were ridiculous.
Nearby, several students reacted immediately.
"She blocked that?"
"For a first-year, that wasn't bad."
"Still unstable though."
Lyra steadied herself quickly before instinctively reinforcing astral flow through her arms again.
And immediately—
pain.
Not physical.
Memory.
A flash of shattered light.
Blood.
Screaming.
Her own astral energy spiraling violently out of control.
Lyra's breath caught instantly.
The astral flow destabilized almost immediately afterward.
Her hand shook.
No.
Not here.
Not now.
She stepped backward instinctively and cut the reinforcement entirely.
The energy vanished so suddenly that Darius hesitated mid-step.
"You okay?" he asked awkwardly.
"I'm fine."
Lie.
A dangerous tightness still gripped her chest.
For half a second—
the training hall around her blurred strangely.
Then it disappeared.
The memory shoved itself violently back into silence.
Lyra forced her breathing steady again.
No one noticed.
At least—
that's what she thought.
Unbeknownst to her—
Erix noticed.
From across the hall, his expression shifted slightly.
Not dramatically.
Not obviously.
But focused.
Sharp.
Like he had seen something wrong.
Darius attacked again.
This time Lyra moved faster.
Block.
Step.
Counter.
The exchange remained rough, but manageable.
Somewhere near the edge of the arena, Seren suddenly looked genuinely interested.
"Oh."
Kaelan noticed too.
"She adapts quickly."
Meanwhile—
Rivan was aggressively cheering from the sidelines despite having absolutely no reason to.
"Hit him harder!"
"I'm trying!"
"That was a weak strike!"
"You are deeply unhelpful!"
Darius looked increasingly stressed.
"Why are both of you yelling at me?!"
"Because it is fun," Rivan answered honestly.
"Not for me!"
Several nearby students laughed.
And somehow—
the tension inside Lyra eased slightly.
Just enough.
Darius swung again before stopping abruptly.
"...Why are your reflexes improving mid-fight?"
"I would also like to know," Lyra admitted while breathing harder.
More laughter spread quietly around the arena.
Mrs. Bradmore watched from the central platform without interrupting once.
The pressure inside the hall gradually increased as students fought more seriously around them.
Astral energy flickered violently throughout the room now.
Sweat.
Movement.
Steel.
The atmosphere itself felt alive.
And strangely—
despite everything—
Lyra could feel herself responding to it instinctively.
Her next movement happened automatically.
Darius attacked high.
Lyra redirected the strike sideways before stepping directly into the opening and placing her training blade against his shoulder.
Silence.
The surrounding students blinked.
Darius slowly looked downward.
"...I think I lost."
"You did," Mrs. Bradmore confirmed immediately.
A louder reaction spread through the hall afterward.
Not shock exactly.
But surprise.
Because while the fight hadn't been overwhelming—
Lyra had kept up.
Against a second-year.
Rivan looked personally victorious for some reason.
"I supported this emotionally from the beginning."
"You told me I would be dead."
"I was just encouraging caution."
"How in the world is that the same thing?"
Seren looked delighted.
"Oh, that was absolutely worth watching."
Kaelan simply nodded slightly, like he had expected this outcome already.
And then—
Lyra noticed Erix watching her properly for the first time.
Not dismissive.
Not irritated.
Like he was silently reconsidering something.
For some reason—
that annoyed her even more.
She realized that literally everything he did was irritating.
Mrs. Bradmore spoke again before Lyra could enjoy the victory properly.
"Good," the instructor said calmly. "Now we proceed to free challenges."
The atmosphere inside the hall shifted instantly.
And Seren—
Seren looked like someone personally receiving divine blessings.
"Oh," he said softly. "This is where it gets real."
Lyra suddenly had a terrible feeling.
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Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider voting and sharing your thoughts in the comments.
Lyra survived her first spar against a second-year... but the real challenge is only beginning.
Who do you think will step forward during the free-challenge round?
See you in the next chapter!