Chapter 13: Mock Battles

(Silver's POV)

I made my way to class early the next morning. The S-Class had only five students.

I took a seat at a desk in the middle of the classroom. The room was large, capable of accommodating at least twenty students.

Soon after, the others arrived—followed, finally, by the teacher.

"I see everyone is here," a small girl announced as she entered the classroom.

What? Was this small vampire our teacher?

I wasn't the only one questioning it. The disdain on some of the other students' faces was evident.

But unlike them, I could tell—this vampire was dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Just like Victor, I couldn't sense a single trace of magion from her.

Yet her hair wasn't crimson, so she wasn't a Pureblood.

"Hey, little girl, are you lost?" a vampire asked in a mocking tone.

I believe his name was Kent. He was the same vampire I had seen fighting in the hallway with a spear.

"We will be having mock battles to assess how competent you are with your Bloodless Weapon," she said, completely ignoring Kent.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me, little bra—"

Before Kent could finish, he suddenly passed out.

No one understood what had happened. It was as if he had fallen asleep instantly.

Lily found it amusing and started giggling. Emily looked surprised, while Theo simply tapped his finger on the table, staring out the window, uninterested.

"Follow me outside to the training area," she said, paying no mind to Kent lying unconscious on the floor.

She had done something, but what—and how?

"Miss Teacher, what should we do with Kent?" Emily asked.

"You can call me Liz. Just leave him there. Now, follow me," she replied, walking out of the room.

A bit hesitant, we followed her to the training grounds, leaving Kent behind. On the way there, Emily approached me.

"My king, Silver," she whispered.

"Emily... Stop calling me 'my king.' Just call me by my name. And don't sneak up on me like that—you startled me," I said, shaking my head.

"Silver... what do you think of Miss Liz?" she asked.

"I don't really know. I feel nothing from her," I replied as we walked.

This was a lie.

"Me neither... but she seems different from a normal vampire," she said seriously.

"Yes, I had the same feeling," I admitted.

"What if... she's a Fallen sent after me?" Emily asked, her voice barely audible.

"No, that's impossible. Miss Liz doesn't have the mark of a sinner," I replied confidently.

"If you say so, then I trust you," she said as we arrived at the training grounds.

The training grounds were big. There were stands of swords, boxes filled with weapons, and seating areas for onlookers.

"I will now call the two who will be sparring first." Miss Liz announced.

Her voice was that of a child, but her demeanor was that of an adult. Because of that, I couldn't think of her as a child.

"First match: Theo, Silver. Step forward."

I knew that I would fight Theo eventually, but I didn't expect it to be so soon.

We stepped forward and summoned our Bloodless Weapons—both swords.

"State your names and magion limits," Miss Liz instructed.

"Theo Klein, 22,000."

"Silver Lustra, 15,000."

"Begin!" she commanded.

We rushed toward each other, our swords clashing, creating a small shockwave.

Suddenly, I sensed something descending rapidly. Too fast. I dodged using Accelerate, barely avoiding it.

It was a thunderbolt, leaving a small, heat-radiating crater where it landed.

If I hadn't activated [God's Sense] at the start of the match, I would have lost.

"Is something like that even allowed?" I heard Lily whisper, while Emily looked concerned.

But Theo Klein... To cast a spell that quickly, and with lightning—a rare and highly destructive element, second only to fire.

He rushed me again, his sword now coated in lightning. I blocked, but his blade sliced clean through mine.

I quickly used the skill [Compress] to form a small water drop where his sword would strike. His blade shattered. He looked suprised.

[Compress] was a skill I had developed in the cabin. I sacrificed Water Shot and Water Absorption, combining them to create it.

The skill works by constantly creating and absorbing a water drop, reinforcing it with each cycle until it becomes incredibly hard.

I could see Emily and Lily's astonished faces, wondering what had just happened.

***

(Theo's POV)

That move he used—it wasn't magic but a skill.

I leaped back, observing him.

It looked like an ordinary water droplet, but it had shattered my sword. However, it didn't seem capable of being used as a projectile.

I didn't expect him to be this strong. Among the Vampires my age, he's the only one who's lasted this long against me. But it's still not enough.

I, a Klein, cannot lose. I prepared to use my most powerful skill.

I summoned my Bloodless Weapon again, raising it into the air.

[Instant Flash]

I began to swing my sword down, but before it reached the ground, Miss Liz appeared before me, stopping it effortlessly.

"Theo Klein wins," she declared coldly, gripping my arm tightly.

This little girl stopped my most powerful skill?

"Theo! Never use that skill in a spar again!" she scolded, her face showing a hint of anger.

"Go thank your sparring partner," she ordered, releasing me.

I approached the silver-haired boy.

"Thank you for the match," I said, shaking his hand before walking away.

He was smiling, was that his way of hiding his disappointment, not that it mattered, there was no way that he would ever beat me.

***

(Silver's POV)

Theo Klein didn't look me in the eye. Was I that insignificant to him?

That last skill he used... I could tell it was leagues above anything I had. Did he create it, or was it gained during the Skill Selection Test? If he created it, then he truly was a natural prodigy.

How could I defeat a natural prodigy? No. I would defeat him.

This feeling... Was it obsession? Or my true nature? My heart wouldn't stop racing.

I returned to Emily and Lily.

"Silver, are you alright?" Emily asked, her face full of concern.

"Yes. Why?"

"I thought you'd be disappointed," she said.

"No, I'm fine," I replied with a smile, reassuring her.

"You did well, Silvi," Lily said, tapping me on the shoulder and nodding her head.

"Silvi?"

"Was this some sort of nickname she gave me? If so, why?"

"Emily, Lily, step forward," Miss Liz called.

This would be my first time seeing Emily fight. Who would win?

Despite Emily's lower magion limit compared to Lily's, the match would come down to their proficiency with their Bloodless Weapons and skills.

"Emily Bloodsworth, 7,000."

"Lily Drayula, 10,000."

So, Lily was royalty—a descendant of the Drayula family, the Vampire Lords who founded our city.

I guess all sorts of people attended this academy.

"Begin!" Miss Liz commanded.