Cornellia held her sides as she glared at me, the sharp breaths she took echoing between us.
"Annoying little..." she groaned to herself, her hand dropping from her ribs.
Her eyes darted between both of me. The way she was sizing us up felt like she was trying to determine which one of us was the bigger threat. Then, she raised her hands slightly, palm opening gradually. She began another low, guttural foreign chant.
"Rise from the ground and pierce your foe—"
Another magic casting, she was even trying to be sneaky about it. Judging from where she was looking, she was aiming for Carine's legs.
Not gonna let you do that!
I once again moved in parallel, rushing forward with both bodies. Like last time, she stumbled over her own words, eyes flinching at the sight of me. Her chant died, and I could almost taste the frustration on her silent face.
Instead of jumping back again, she pulled out a dagger and held a defensive stance, ready to intercept us.
She was an instructor, no doubt an experienced combatant on her own, so taking on two examinees like the both of me should've been easy for her. Too bad she wasn't just facing two examinees; she was facing a two-in-one deal.
Alright, let's dance!
The moment she reached my range, I aimed high as Carine, ready to strike down. Cornellia's eyes tracked it, her body and muscles tensing to counter. But that was a feint, and she sensed it as well, as she didn't fully commit to blocking it. I attacked low as Feyt, a sweeping slash at her feet, and she leaped back to avoid it.
She landed, but I noticed she landed slightly off-balance. Immediately, I pressed the advantage.
I rushed forward as Carine, following closely behind as Feyt, as I began to unleash a flurry of attacks.
Starting another strike as Carine, this time she held up a defense, blocking my blade with the hilt of her dagger. But I surged to her sides as Feyt, once again aiming for a sudden hit.
"Tch!" She tracked me with a click of a tongue. She had to abandon her defense against Carine to protect against Feyt, shifting away my blade using her dagger. That was when I made a move as Carine, aiming for her back.
She didn't even look at me as she noticed, and she was forced to jump back once again to avoid both of my attacks.
This time, I was the one who clicked my tongues.
But that didn't matter. I was starting to build up rhythm, and I wasn't going to let it dry up.
Instructor Cornellia breathed deeply from a distance, eyes glaring at the both of me again. Her entire body is both loose yet tensed up, a form meant to anticipate anything. She was reluctant to press an attack, probably out of sheer confusion.
"What in the world are you two..."
The way she fought. The way she moved quickly. It all reminded me of the battle I vowed never to forget.
Against the bastard of a man, 'Sebastian'.
He too was fast and kept dodging everything I had, even when I synergized with myselves. But that time was different. I was exhausted from fighting Mother, I was new to a real fight, and I had little experience fighting along myselves.
Against a similar opponent to him, I could finally fulfill what I could only imagine in my daydreams.
This, this was the chance I had been waiting for—the opportunity to finally fight with both bodies in their maximum condition.
I sprinted in parallel, spreading my positions wide to divide her attention. She couldn't protect both front and back at the same time.
I rushed in to attack her back as Feyt. She seemed to sense it with her Talent, as she gritted her teeth and glared, but not wanting to leave herself open to my other self, who was also approaching, she hesitated.
That one second of hesitation was enough for me to land a hard-hitting attack on her shoulders. Though it was only a wooden sword, I had put all my power and momentum into it, and the effects were instantaneous, as she briefly dropped and winced in pain.
She turned in a fit of frustration, which opened her to my other self for a slash. But she ducked and turned again, shooting her arm forward towards Carine, grabbing her by the cloak, and in one feat of strength, lifted me and threw me against myself.
The weight of my own body deepened the impact the ground had on my back, but I couldn't afford to waste time lying down. I quickly rolled away from myself, the pain already a fleeting memory.
When I finally stood up, Cornellia was standing there, her coat removed and tossed aside, revealing the white training blouse clinging loosely around her. The yellow flags were still attached to the coat, but it seemed to her that this wasn't about the exam anymore.
Seriously, what grudge does she have against me and my family?
Whatever the case, I had to get past her. The three of us stood silent, breathing heavily, each ready to strike at the slightest movement.
Okay, fighting her seemed to be a bad idea. I knew my movements confused her, and I knew she was not that durable against attacks, but I was on a time limit, and so far, this was becoming a war of attrition.
I needed to end things fast. But how? Knock her out with wooden swords?
That was when I noticed a peculiar absence of ground a few paces behind her.
An idea popped into my head.
I lowered my stance, both eyes glaring at her. She remained steadfast in her position, her pose flexible. She no longer held any daggers, clearly aiming to use her punches and kicks to settle the matter. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novᴇlfire.net
I was flattered she finally took me seriously, but also worried she might actually break my bones. But, I had a plan, and I was going to realize it.
I made the first move.
I rushed forward again, sticking close to myselves this time. My rhythm, my footfalls, my breathing, all synchronized. However, Cornellia no longer flinched at the sight, seemingly accepting of it. She instead raised both her arms to deflect my attacks.
My blades once again turned into a harmonious dance. Like a pendulum, the moment one body's attack was blocked, another would spring. Carine feinted high, and though she tracked it and was about to catch it, Feyt was already there with another attack.
She weaved in between my attacks, barely even trying to block. Although her face remained cold, years of being with Leila taught me to read the slightest of expressions, and I was pretty sure she was pissed.
My attacks gave her no room to breathe. It was a perfectly synchronized duet of blades. She tried to weave under a few of my attacks, aiming for a quick grab to put a stop to my rhythm, but after fighting 'Sebastian', I was ready for it. A hard pommel strike was already coming, but she was faster, weaving back with a frustrated grunt.
With a heave of pure anger, she leaped back again, the composure finally cracking. Then, her hands shot forward.
"ROOTS AND STONES! YIELD UNDERNEATH—"
She was trying the spell again, chanting faster and desperately. I reacted fast and split up from myselves, trapping her in between myselves. Once again, she stopped her chant.
A mage was a terrifying opponent, but if you knew where they were aiming and what spell they were going to use, avoiding them was easy.
Now, to put the nail in the coffin.
I charged at her from a distance—Carine from the side, and Feyt head-on. She swiveled her head, gritting her teeth and a bead of sweat dropping down the side, not knowing which one would strike first. She then settled her eyes on Feyt, perhaps putting a gamble on it.
Sadly for her, she bet wrong.
Carine entered her reach first. A low, sharp swing cracked against her knee. It was just a flinch, a single moment of broken posture, but it was all the opening I needed.
My charge as Feyt didn't slow down; I hadn't even raised my blade. Instead, I dropped my shoulders and drove forward with all my strength—
—and slammed right into her.
The air left her lungs in a startled gasp as her feet left the ground. She landed hard on the earth, tumbled once, and then vanished over the edge of the hole she had made. A wet, heavy thud echoed as she landed.
For a single moment, the only sound was my ragged breathing. Both of my chests were heaving, the adrenaline slowly receding.
I actually won against an instructor...
It was a moment of victory, one that I hadn't expected, but hell, was it welcome.
But that victorious moment was shattered by the rustling of leaves and the cracking of twigs behind me. Both bodies spun around, swords raised out of instinct, only to lower them just as quickly.
Eveliana, Kyro, and Clarissa stood there. They were battered and dirty, their uniforms torn and covered in dirt, no doubt from their earlier struggle with Cornellia. Their eyes were wide open as they took in the scene.
But before any greetings could be passed—
—A deep, resonant trumpet blast echoed through the skies and through the forest.
It's the final stretch already?!
I was glad I finished the fight, but there was no time left to celebrate.
"Lady Carine!" Phil popped out from behind a thick tree, the clatterings of the flags' steel beams he carried marking his arrival. His eyes were open wide and mesmerized. "Y-You really beat an instructor?"
"There's no time," I said as Carine, my voice sharp with command despite being nearly out of breath. "You said you have [Wind Compass], right? Can you lead us to the southern edge?"
He was taken aback by the sudden order. His eyes glazed over for a second before he quickly turned around and nodded down, seemingly to focus. Then, with his free hand, he pointed in a direction.
"There! We should be able to cut through to the southern edge from there!"
I nodded. "Good, lead us!" I turned to the others. "Can you all move?"
Eveliana, her hair a mess, nodded with a faint smile. "Y-Yes, but don't worry about us. Just go."
Kyro, who was carrying instructor Cornellia's coat, conccured. "You need to get there to avoid the penalty, right?" He quickly plucked the two yellow instructor flags from the fabric and handed them to me. "Don't forget these!"
The two flags felt heavy. Just these two gave me twenty points. And on that point, Feyt still had zero points right. I decided to give it to myself later. There was no time. I pocketed the flags in my mud-caked pocket.
I stared at the three of them. I could sense their determination. They gave their all to fight off Cornellia, trying to make their way back to me. I owed a lot to them; without their aid, I doubted I would've gotten these many points, let alone survive against Cornellia.
"Thank you..." I said, offering a genuine, tired smile. "For everything. We'll meet outside."
With their nods as my send-off, I turned. Together, Carine, Feyt, and Phil plunged into the forest, the sounds of the others following at a distance a faint comfort.
It took us around five minutes of constant running. Both of my bodies' stamina were starting to run out, but we were on the homestretch, so I couldn't afford to falter here.
Phil's—if I remembered his name right—proved right in choosing the path. Each step we took, the murmurs of crowds grew slightly louder. We were nearing the southern edge and the spectator booth where Father and the others were waiting.
Then, a burst of light hit the three of us as we emerged.
Both of my bodies stumbled to a halt, hands on knees, gasping for air. I had done it. I had survived against an instructor, emerged with a fortune in flags, and made it out in time...
So why wasn't there any cheering?
The moment we had emerged from the forest, the voices I had heard died down. I looked up, sweat stinging my eyes, only to be met with a sea of stunned faces. Nobles stood frozen, their drinks forgotten mid-sip.
Scanning the horizon, my eyes landed on a pair of figures that stood out from the rest in the distance.
Standing there with a proud smirk was a blonde man, wearing a flamboyant outfit, his presence outshining everyone else. The Third Prince. And beside him, a young woman was approaching me at a rapid pace with a worried expression. The Saint Council President herself.
On the other side was another group of figures, standing before a distant tent bearing the academy's mark.
There, standing apart from everyone, was Father with Leila by his side. His arms were crossed as he looked down. Before him, several of the academy instructors were bowing so deeply they were practically folding themselves in half. Their voices were frantic and panicked.
"Our most profound apologies, Your Grace!"
"We will launch a full investigation into this matter immediately!"
"A-A director is rushing here as we speak, Your Grace!"
T-They're apologizing to him? Profusely even? And a director is even involved?
...What in the world happened here?