Tenebrous Wolf-Chapter 43: Overwhelming Skill Difference

Instructor Kai's voice carried a note of satisfaction as he addressed the class.

"Excellent work. Now, step forward and choose a weapon from the stands. But don't pick carelessly and think. Your weapon is more than just a tool; it's your lifeline. When your abilities fail, when everything else is stripped away, what remains is your skill and your weapon. So choose wisely, because this will be your first companion and your closest ally."

He drew his katana from its sheath and held it up before he continued,

"This is my katana. It's sharp, precise, and deadly. But it is weak for defence. My fighting style is swift, so my weapon complements it. Each of you will have a unique style, and as such, you'll have a unique weapon. Some of you may even master your weapon to a level beyond me. But what I excel at, what I can teach you better than anyone, is how to fight with weapons alone."

Then, he took a step forward, scanning the eager faces before him.

"Combat is like a game of strategy. You analyze your opponent, anticipate their moves, and adapt. Your first lesson begins now. Two at a time. Step forward and show me what you've got. Who wants to go first?"

Silence settled over the training hall.

Then, without hesitation, Seraphim raised her hand and strode toward the center.

In her right hand was a silver longsword that shined brightly. Of course, this was just a practice weapon, so it couldn't cause any lethal damage.

Even so,

The others hesitated. They all knew her reputation as Rank Number One. Even if her physical stats weren't overwhelming, her unknown ability made her an additionally deadly.

Instructor Kai, noticing their reluctance, smirked slightly before adding:

"Oh, and one more thing, abilities are banned during today's sparring. No shortcuts. No tricks. Just you, your weapon, and your skill. Only when you master your weapon can you truly unlock its full potential with your abilities."

"!!"

A shift swept through the room, as if an invisible barrier had been shattered. Then, in an instant, hands shot up like missiles.

Instructor Kai chuckled, clearly amused by their sudden enthusiasm.

Finally, a broad-shouldered aspirant stepped forward, hefting a greatsword. With a single glance, one could tell his build and style revolved completely around brute strength.

The two met at the center, offering each other a respectful bow.

Instructor Kai explained,

"The rules are simple. Make your opponent surrender, disarm or knock them out of the ring. Understood."

"Yes." Both of them replied in unison

"Good. Now, begin."

At the signal, both fighters shifted into their stances, gripping their weapons firmly. And then...

Nothing.

Seconds ticked by. They simply stood there, staring at each other.

'What's going on...' Klaus thought in confusion.

He turned to Adrian, who was seated beside him.

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"Why are they just standing there?"

Adrian glanced at the match, then smiled.

"You don't get it? The flow of a fight is often determined by who makes the first move. It's natural to be cautious."

"I know that much. I'm asking why neither of them is attacking if they could gain the upper hand by striking first."

"It's not that simple." Adrian shrugged. "They're reading each other. The big guy knows if he moves carelessly, he might be outmaneuvered. The same goes for Seraphim, if she miscalculates or make a mistake, she could lose control of the fight in an instant."

'I see. So it's like that...' Klaus thought as he finally understood the full picture.

Then, as if she had grown tired of waiting, Seraphim suddenly lunged.

Like a rock skipping across water, she reduced the distance between them with two steps and slashed horizontally at his midsection.

The greatsword user reacted instantly, raising his weapon to block. Steel clashed against steel, ringing through the training hall. The impact sent a slight tremor up his arms, but he held firmly.

Seraphim didn't hesitate.

The moment her strike was stopped, she pivoted on her heel, shifting her grip as she twisted her body. Her longsword became a blur, cutting upward in a swift arc aimed at his shoulder.

The broad-shouldered aspirant grunted, stepping back as he barely deflected the strike. The force behind it was lighter than his own, but her speed and precision made up for it.

Realizing that staying defensive would only give her more control, he took a deep breath and retaliated.

With an explosive step forward, he swung his greatsword in a diagonal arc, aiming to overpower her with raw strength.

Seraphim's eyes sharpened. Instead of blocking directly, she sidestepped, her footwork fluid like flowing water. The greatsword sliced through the now empty space where she had just stood, missing by inches.

And then, she struck.

The moment his momentum carried him forward, her sword lashed out in a precise thrust toward his unguarded side.

Unable to dodge in time, the large aspirant twisted his body, letting the strike graze past his ribs instead of landing cleanly.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

From an outside perspective, it seemed like she was toying with him. That was the skill difference between the two.

Instructor Kai observed with a keen eye, nodding slightly at Seraphim's footwork.

"Not bad. She's controlling the tempo," he muttered under his breath.

The greatsword user grit his teeth. If he kept playing by her pace, he would lose without even landing a proper hit.

So, he changed his approach.

Instead of chasing her with wild swings, he planted his feet firmly and waited.

Seraphim circled around him, longsword at the ready, but she didn't immediately attack.

The two fighters stared each other down once more.

Klaus watched intently, unable to hide his fascination.

"Now they're both waiting..."

"Yeah. She realizes he won't fall for the same tricks twice. And he knows he can't just rely on brute force. Simply put, It's a game of patience now."

Seconds passed.

Then, Seraphim finally darted forward.

She feinted left before darting right, aiming to strike from an angle he wouldn't expect.

But the greatsword user was ready.

Instead of reacting to her feint, he kept his stance solid. The moment she committed to an attack, he shifted his weight and swung by the brute greatsword.

It was a calculated strike that took advantage of the exact moment she stepped within his range.

However, this was already within Seraphim's calculations.

Before the attack could land, she suddenly increased her speed and ducked under the greatsword. At the same time, an opening was created and slender girl slashed at the back of the man's ankles causing him to stumble.

She then placed her blade inches away from the man's throat.

There was only one decision the male aspirant could make in such a cornered situation.

"I surrender."

Hearing those words, Seraphim removed the tip of her sword from his throat and the male aspirant finally exhaled.

Instructor Kai grinned, clearly satisfied and announced,

"Next!"

What followed next could only be described as a complete wipeout.

One after another, Seraphim dismantled nearly every Awakened who stepped forward. It wasn't that she was faster or stronger than them. Heck, some of her opponents were physically superior, having scored above fifteen in the physical examination. And yet, somehow, the result was always the same. Every challenger who entered the arena was inevitably defeated, disarmed, or sent flying out of the ring with decisive force.

At this point, Klaus began to flow a little uneasy.

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She reminded him of an emotionless killer drone that designed to dominate the battlefield. She didn't need overwhelming strength. Once she had analyzed her opponent's fighting style, the fight was as good as over.

And that was exactly what kept happening.

It didn't matter whether her opponent was poor, rich, or even a Vestige. The moment she identified a weakness, she exploited it ruthlessly.

Throughout the entire process, her composed expression never wavered even once. She reminded Klaus of Yuki, but incomparably fiercer, colder, and more ruthless.

Interesting... Her strategy revolves around targeting weak points in an opponent's defense.

And her fighting style... it's not purely defensive, nor is it purely offensive. Her movements flow smoothly, like water adapting to its surroundings.

Could it be a combination of martial arts footwork and swordplay?

It wasn't unusual for someone to blend martial arts with swordsmanship. In fact, swordsmanship itself could be considered a form of martial arts, a lethal one at that.

Even so, mastering evasion tactics was just as important for Aspirants. After all, if they were attacked by a Shadow Creature, they wouldn't just stand there and block with their face, would they?

That was precisely why footwork had already been incorporated into the academy's curriculum under the Martial Arts course. If he recalled correctly, that class was taught by Instructor Rex.

Thinking about said instructor, he began to smile wryly.

Luckily, he hadn't signed up for martial arts class. Otherwise, he would've been in serious trouble. Instructor Rex was too energetic and passionate about training Aspirants that he sometimes got carried away.

And when that happened, well... injuries were simply inevitable.

Not that he was speaking from bitterness. He had already experienced that firsthand when the instructor accidentally bruised his forearm.

Realizing his thoughts were beginning to drift, Klaus shook his head, snapping himself out of his reverie.

Anyway, these guys aren't bad either. Maybe they were trained by private instructors. I wonder... how many of them could I actually defeat in a fight?

As the fights continued, he took the opportunity to analyze not just Seraphim but everyone else. No one could predict the future and anything could happen.

What if one of them became his enemy?

Sure, some might claim he had the highest striking power among the Aspirants. But that was It.

There were countless ways to win a fight without relying on brute strength. For instance, raw power meant nothing against an opponent who could attack from a distance with flames or one who could simply fly out of reach. And then there were the Vestiges, who had been trained since childhood, while he, on the other hand, had only learned how to fight properly after his awakening.

Inevitably, there was already a massive gap in both skill and technique. This was his reality.

With that in mind, he carefully observed their skills and fighting styles, cataloging them in his memory. If things ever took a turn for the worse, at least he'd be prepared.

And in the worst-case scenario... he could always just run.

Speaking of which, what was that succubus doing in his room right now?

... Perhaps she was probably feeling lonely. He thought about giving her a hug and squeezing her with all his might; after all, her skin was really soft and even used her as a body pillow yesterday.

Well, when he woke up, he noticed he was using her as a body pillow. If she hadn't woken up at that moment, she would have definitely punched him and thrown a tantrum.

Luckily, Briar was a deep sleeper so he got away with that one.

"Argh!!"

With a startled cry, another aspirant was sent flying out of the arena, tumbling across the floor from a single powerful kick. It was a girl who was proficient in the use of firearms. She even gave the silver-haired girl some problem. Unfortunately, she lost because firearms could be easily predicted and dodged.

While the poor girl lay groaning in pain, Seraphim swept her gaze around the room, scanning for her next victim.

Her eyes suddenly locked onto Klaus.

He stiffened and shifted his weight uncomfortably. Was this because of earlier? He could practically feel her intent drilling into him.

How terrifying. There's no way I'm fighting a monster like you!

Luckily, there were still two aspirants left who hadn't fought yet.

One was sitting besides him, nonchalantly, he might as well have been watching a dull weather broadcast.

And the other...

Ah, speak of the devil. Klaus watched as someone calmly made their way toward the arena.

Aspirant Miguel.

Despite witnessing every other aspirant's miserable defeat, he showed no signs of anxiety or nervousness.

With an easy, almost amused smile, he stepped into the arena, gripping his chosen weapon.