Damien Versus Sara

 The Academy's Training Field

Anna stood before a bunch of sweaty and exhausted students, needless to say it was the students of Damien's class, after the fight she had given them some time to recuperate. Looking at the group of people who were leaning on their weapons, she smiled and began to speak: 

" Apprentice slayers easily tend to become too dependent on your Force Skill. We might have told you that you that you can choose two Force skills at most but two choose your second Force skill you will need to be a rank 8 slayer so you have along way to go, however remember that all the Force skills you acquire are someone's creation, no matter how good you will feel it is , it ultimately doesn't belong to you."

Damien and the rest nodded in understanding. " Even if the Force Skill was good, ultimately it was someone else battle style, you couldn't rely too much on it , everyone had different physiques and body conditions not to talk of different combat opinions.

" So we have to form our own Force skill " a sword wielding student in the class asked.

" Yeah, all slayers have their own Force skill, it is unique to them , also you might not have realized but chosen Force Skills have a fatal flaw, some of your Force skills may not have higher levels, what if you enter higher levels and but you do not have a Force skill that is not up to your strength ? " saying this she threw a casual glance at them, it seemed that everyone had totally agreed with her.

"Will you help us to create a Force skill ?" someone asked hopefully. 

" I cant help you to create a Force skill, only you can help yourself, however to create your own Force skill , you need to know your battle styles and incorporate them into your Force skill when you create them, and that's what iI can do to help you " she replied with a faint smile.

Looking at her smile, everyone Damien included felt a headache coming on.

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Days passed in the academy swiftly in the academy but for the first years it felt like years. For Damien's class, they had a demoness in the form of Miss Anna , however after inquiring from Scott and Sony , other classes he came to know that other classes were not having it any better either. It seemed that the academy was very strict with their training. However perhaps out of all the first year classes ,only Damien's class had an Instructor who enjoyed torturing them to a state of half death. 

However their improvement could be said to be said to be the fastest in the Academy, that is if you considered the class as a whole. Instructor Anna taught them all sort of things, in the Survival class she taught them things like setting traps, finding water and food in desolate areas and horse riding. Everyone chose a horse on the first day of the Survival class, they were no ordinary horses but horses bred in the Academy's stable. They were fed all sorts of magic potions and food and their physiques had reached a terrifying level. 

The horses possessed a speed of around 300m/s, and were the common means of transport for most slayers, on the first day of survival class , Instructor Anna brought them here to choose a horse. The capabilities of these horses were quite similar so there was no competition while they were choosing the horses. 

Damien took a liking to a huge white stallion and approached, the horses possessed some intelligence, after all they had been fed many magical fruits and potions . After feeding the white stallion and petting its head it came closer to Damien and sniffed.

This showed that the horse had recognized you at its master, as your scent would be forever entrenched in its mind. 

" I will call you Daydream, do you like that " the white stallion rubbed its head against Damien's hand to show approval.

"Alright then its settled "

After choosing their horses , they began to get closer to their steeds and learn to ride their steeds. The process was fun and it was the only non torturous part of their training, Miss Anna also had no intention of ruining their fun.

To her she didn't mind whether they thought she was a devil or not, she was doing it for their own future and the future of this land. She didn't like ' torturing ' them as they assumed, they might have strength that did not match their age but they were still kids and letting them have this moment was all she could offer. 

Damien found it to be quite fun and was enjoying himself.

" Mom , if only you were here then my happiness would have been complete " 

However that happiness that they were experiencing was bound to end as the day of the Demon Hunting Expedition drew closer.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Academy's training field ,

The students of Damien's class could be seen, compared to their previous self they seemed to have gone through great change and an indescribable aura flowed around them, as they wielded their weapons against the special iron dummies before them , they exuded a sharpness and elegance they did not possess before. As their weapons swept out leaving cuts in the iron the seemed to be almost one with their weapons. It was hard to imagine that almost a week ago they could not even leave a mark in these iron dummies. 

" Hmm... If i fought against them with thirty percent of my power again, I would be badly beaten this time around " Miss Anna thought while studying them. Apart from weapon mastery and combat power, the third area that had improved was their Force strength , at this moment thirty percent of the class had already arrived in the sixties with Damien and Sara at the top with 68 and 69 points in Force strength respectively, it seemed that for the latter stages it was incredibly hard for 

one to increase their Force strength easily. However one's Force strength did not actually determine your strength. Today was the day before the the Demon hunting expedition so Miss Anna did not tire them out, after training a while with the iron dummies she made them stop, at this moment Sara raised her hand.

" I want a fight with him '' she said pointing towards Damien. Everyone's expression changed when they heard her.

'' Really ? " Miss Anna asked with an amused smile, " Damien you heard her right ? "

Damien was a little bit surprised but he quickly got over it " He was also curious about the strength of this girl from the royal family.

" I also want a duel " he replied and got up.

"Yeah Damien, show her who is the boss " the boys cheered for him , over the few weeks , the greatest change Damien had was not in his strength but in his social skills. With a lot of persuasion from Damien he began talking with the people from class. 

Also they had endured so much torture together from Miss Anna that their friendships had developed quite well, among the boys he and Jason were considered the leaders of the boys in the class.

" Hey man don't take it easy on her because she is a girl okay?" 

" I won't " Damien replied as he approached her.

Miss Anna had everyone step back to create enough space for them to fight. She was also curious about the two students and was looking forward to this duel as well

The air was thick with anticipation as Damien and Sara stood across from each other, their eyes locked in silent determination. Sara held her crossbow steady, her fingers lightly grazing the trigger, while Damien gripped his sword firmly, its edge gleaming under the sunlight.

"Are you both ready?" Miss Anna asked, stepping aside.

"Ready," Sara replied confidently.

"Let's do this," Damien added, his tone calm but resolute.

"Begin!" Anna shouted.

Sara wasted no time, firing a bolt directly at Damien's chest. The Force-reinforced projectile whizzed through the air with deadly speed. Damien sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the shot, and immediately dashed toward her, his sword raised.

But Sara was quick. She rolled to the side, firing another bolt mid-motion. This one grazed Damien's shoulder, leaving a faint burn.

"Not bad," Damien muttered, spinning his sword in a defensive arc. He continued to advance, closing the gap between them.

Sara backpedaled gracefully, her footwork impeccable. With each step, she fired another bolt, forcing Damien to deflect or dodge. The battlefield was a flurry of movement, with Sara keeping her distance and Damien relentlessly pursuing her.

---

Damien swung his sword upward, deflecting another bolt with a metallic clang. Using the momentum, he lunged forward, aiming for Sara's midsection.

She barely evaded, spinning to the side and releasing a rapid succession of bolts. Damien crouched low, allowing the projectiles to soar overhead, then sprang upward, closing the distance in an instant.

This time, Sara wasn't fast enough to evade completely. Damien's sword grazed her arm, leaving a shallow cut.

"Close, but not close enough," Sara said with a smirk, taking aim once more.

"You talk too much," Damien retorted, dashing toward her again.

Sara released a Force-infused bolt, aiming directly for his legs. Damien reacted instinctively, slamming his sword into the ground and vaulting over the shot. He landed just feet away from Sara, his sword flashing downward in a decisive strike.

But Sara was prepared. She dropped to one knee, the edge of his blade missing her by inches. In one fluid motion, she aimed upward and fired point-blank.

Damien twisted his body mid-swing, the bolt grazing his ribs as he narrowly avoided a more serious injury. The crowd gasped at the close exchange.

The fight continued at a blistering pace. Sara's precise aim and quick reflexes were matched by Damien's raw speed and adaptability. Each time Damien closed the distance, Sara found a way to escape, peppering him with bolts as she did.

Damien's persistence, however, began to wear her down. He started predicting her movements, forcing her into corners where her mobility was limited.

"I've got you now," Damien said, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

Sara ducked, but her foot caught on uneven ground, causing her to stumble slightly. Damien seized the opportunity, kicking her crossbow out of her hands and sending it skidding across the field.

Despite the setback, Sara didn't falter. She stepped into Damien's space, using her smaller frame to get inside his guard. Before he could react, she delivered a sharp elbow to his ribs, followed by a spinning kick to his sword hand.

Damien's grip loosened, and his sword clattered to the ground.

"Looks like we're even," Sara said, breathing heavily.

Damien smirked, rubbing his ribs. "Fists it is, then."

The students who had been shocked silly with the level of ability they were seeing roared as the duel shifted into a raw, unarmed battle. Damien and Sara circled each other, their stances low and guarded.

Sara struck first, launching a series of quick jabs aimed at Damien's face. He blocked the first two and dodged the third, countering with a low kick aimed at her legs. Sara jumped back, using the momentum to deliver a spinning backfist that Damien barely avoided.

Damien retaliated with a powerful straight punch aimed at her torso. Sara caught his wrist mid-strike, using his momentum to flip him over her shoulder. Damien hit the ground but rolled back to his feet instantly, a grin spreading across his face.

"You're better at this than I thought," he admitted.

"Thanks," Sara replied. "You're not so bad yourself."

They clashed again, exchanging blows and kicks in a flurry of movement. Damien's strikes were heavy and forceful, while Sara's were quick and precise. Each attack was met with a counter, neither willing to back down.

At one point, Sara landed a sharp kick to Damien's side, causing him to stumble. She followed up with a knee strike, but Damien caught her leg, twisting her off balance. She spun with the motion, delivering a roundhouse kick that Damien barely blocked with his forearm.

Both fighters were breathing heavily now, sweat dripping from their brows. Their classmates watched in stunned silence, captivated by the intensity of the duel.

Damien and Sara charged at each other one last time. Damien feinted a right hook, forcing Sara to raise her guard. He used the opening to sweep her legs out from under her.

But Sara wasn't finished. As she fell, she twisted her body, kicking upward and catching Damien in the chest. He staggered back, giving her just enough time to roll to her feet.

They stood facing each other, panting and bruised.

"Call it a draw?" Damien asked, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Sara smirked. "Fine. But next time, I'm winning."

Miss Anna stepped forward, clapping her hands. "Enough! That was impressive from both of you. You've shown remarkable growth, but don't forget—you're about to face real demons. Save some energy for the expedition."

Damien and Sara nodded, shaking hands as their classmates erupted in cheers. Despite the competitive nature of the duel, there was a newfound respect between them.

---

Aftermath

As the class dispersed, Damien approached Sara.

"Good fight," he said.

"You too," she replied, smirking. "Next time, though, I'm not holding back."

Damien chuckled. "Neither am I."

Authors note : 

Well this seems to be the longest chapter i have written , I am still learning the ropes of this thing very soon , i think i will be able to do two chapters a day while juggling between work and reading , I would like to say a big thank you to those who have added this book to their library and don' t forget to shower me with those powerstones.

Also if you have any thoughts or recommendations about the book you can leave a comment , it really helps me with the artistic and the writing mentality , it certainly isn't because it is too quiet in here...