What Friends Are For.

Michael stood, blade of ice at the ready, waiting for the challenger to make the first move. 

Chase slowly crept forward, until they were nearly at arms distance.

With an instantaneous snap of his wrists, he let his dull-steel sword make the first move, letting the weight of the weapon do the heavy-lifting.

Easily, Michael deflected the blade too the side, and sent a quick, yet lazy thrust in the direction of Chase's chest. 

However, unlike his duel earlier, where every time he would swing his sword, and throw himself off-balance from the awkward form- This time, he quickly snapped his wrist back, and in a diagonal, yet upward angle. 

Deflecting the thrusting ice blade, Chase sent his own swift jab of his blade toward Michael's lower body.

All of this while simultaneously, counting up and down from 10 repeatedly, and studying every single motion that his opponent made. 

Michael was both extremely fast, and had an abnormal amount of power stored in his strikes, yet behind his perfected form that had probably been passed down from generation too generation- there lie a hidden flaw, that could be read perfectly from the way his eyes darted back and forth from the blade too his opponent.

Yes, Barren had given Chase a vital piece of information that probably ninety percent of noble first years did not know. 

The ability too both think, and fight. 

When he was practicing this skill earlier that day, he had pondered a very interesting topic. 

'How am I supposed too see both the actions of the opponent, and the movements of their weapon at the same time?'

He had asked himself several times.

Suddenly, as he sparred with Michael everything had become so much clearer, as he landed a weak hit on Michaels lower-right thigh.

Michael countered, sending a downward strike aimed toward the crown of Chase's head, still with a lazy expression on his face.

The younger boy let his eyes widen, entirely changing his perspective on the fight in front of him. 

It wasn't about seeing all of the different motions at the same time, instead it was about simply observing the entire battlefield as one scene. 

He let his eyes un-focus on everything. At first, it was uncomfortable and blurry, but as the spar went on, the scene became clear.

He could see everything, the way the haze of icy air flowed around the very sword that Michael had formed out of pure magic energy.

The small drops of sweat dripping from the corner of his friend's chin, and the very small twitches his body would make, right before throwing an attack in his direction.

Everything was clear. As if Chase had suddenly, found some sort of hidden clarity.

He went too parry the ice sword, both binding with a loud clang, directly in front of their torsos.

Standing about four meters apart, the two locked eyes, and then a grin curled up from Michael's lips.

Behind a loud gasp for air, he let out a wicked chuckle.

"I knew it."

He whispered.

Chase was going too lose this battle of strength as the two swords pressed against each other, both fighters using the absolute full force of their will. 

Obviously, he knew he wasn't going too win this fight, especially if Michael decided to try, but little did he know that was exactly what Chase was going for. 

He wanted too study his friend's swordsmanship, and the full extent of it at that. 

Chase decided that now was the best time too use a trick he had picked up on, only a couple hours ago.

He disengaged his blade, right before Michael could overpower him, and lowered his body into a slide, just narrowly ducking under the blade of ice.

Chase was now behind his friend, and had an entire fully exposed back, in front of him.

Delivering a powerful strike of the dull-sword too his friend's upper back, a loud smack echoed throughout the courtyard.

'It worked...'

Michael slowly turned, a wide smile resting on his face, and a crazed look in his eyes. 

"You stole my own move..."

Chase's expression never changed, his face remained cold, and emotionless.

His plan was working.

Michael then did exactly as he had hoped.

Quickly delivering a swift upward slash, that was completely un-blockable, instead of throwing himself too the side, Chase rushed forward, releasing one of his hands from the sword, and overlapping it with Michaels dominant hand that rested on the top of the hilt of his own sword.

Chase pulled his arm down, and threw him off-balance. 

Michael used the off-balanced positioning, too let the momentum carry him into a roll.

Now standing on flipped sides of the clearing, he spotted Equan who was now standing up, in front of the wooden bench, with an amazed expression in his blue eyes. 

Chase now understood how too fight stronger opponents. Granted, now he wouldn't be underestimated by this one anymore.

In all honesty, none of these strategies would have worked in a real fight, considering that the objective is too kill your opponent in a real fight, and Michael wasn't even trying at all in this fight.

Now, he was going too go all out on him, and Chase could tell from the look in Michael's eyes, it wasn't the same lazy, and careless gaze. No, it was a look of determination.

Michael shot forward with a blitz of raw speed. 

Chase had to make a gamble, as it was impossible for him too read attack logically. 

He snapped his wrists forward as quickly as he could.

CLANG!

Their blades clashed again; however, this time Chase was instantly being overpowered by the sword made of ice. 

Michael sidestepped him mid-clash, and flipped his blade. A loud scraping sound resounded from the binding of the two blades, as his shot up and across the surface of the dull-training sword. 

Before Chase could even blink, the sword made out of ice was already motionless barely gracing the base of his neck.

"You learn quick, I'll give you that. I'm glad you aren't completely hopeless in combat."

Michael said, grinning ear to ear. 

Chase let out a deep exhale, and let himself fall into a seated position.

"Naga's don't tend too have a skilled mastery in melee combat."

He joked, with a tired smile.