Chapter 73

After the incident in the storage room, Gale and I found ourselves at a quiet corner of the training yard, still reeling from the earlier chaos. Bell and Emily trailed close behind, their usual mischievous energy now tempered by our watchful glares.

We kept them in check, unwilling to risk another stunt, as we waited for our sparring turn.

"Four of you! Come here, it's time!" Teacher Bargue's booming voice echoed across the training yard.

We exchanged quick glances before rushing to join him.

As planned, Emily and I were on one team, while Gale and Bell formed the other. Bargue pointed to a nearby wooden stand. "Choose a weapon! It's not optional."

"Why do we need weapons?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He crossed his arms and explained, "Even blunt arrows hurt when they hit your hands. You'll need something to block or deflect them. Take your pick."

Without hesitation, Gale grabbed a wooden sword, testing its weight with practiced ease.

I approached the stand, scanning the options. My eyes darted across the selection—swords, staves, axes—but my face fell when I realized something was missing.

"Where's the scythe?" I mumbled, frowning. It was the same back in my world—no one respected the scythe as a weapon except me.

Sighing in resignation, I grabbed the next best thing: a long wooden staff. It was far from ideal, but it would have to do.

Once we were armed, Teacher Ganth stepped forward to explain the rules.

"Listen up! This sparring match has new conditions. First, no harming your opponents. Second, no mind disruption spells. And third, there's no fixed ring this time, so you can move freely within the training yard. However, leaving the yard is strictly forbidden."

We nodded, absorbing the instructions.

"And one more thing," Ganth added, fixing his gaze on Gale and me. "No spells for either of you."

"What?" I asked, my brows shooting up. Gale looked equally puzzled.

Ganth's tone was firm as he explained, "Both of you are too powerful compared to the archers. If you get close and use your spells, Emily and Bell won't stand a chance. You're restricted to using mana for body enhancement only. No offensive magic."

Gale and I exchanged glances but nodded in agreement.

"And, Gale," Ganth continued, "no magic circle papers either."

"Understood," Gale replied curtly.

We took our positions, facing each other across the training yard. Mana surged through our bodies, heightening our reflexes and strength.

Emily, as my team's long-range support, was already backing away, creating distance to line up her shots. Meanwhile, Bell, the quick and relentless short-range archer on Gale's team, hopped from one foot to the other, warming up like a boxer before a match.

"Everyone ready?" Ganth called out.

The four of us locked eyes, muscles tense and grips firm.

"Three!"

Emily nocked an arrow, her focus razor-sharp.

"Two!"

Bell spun her bow in a quick flourish, her expression calm but her movements electric.

"One!"

Our breathing synchronized, the yard falling silent.

"Go!"

---

The Fight

The moment Ganth's command rang out, chaos erupted. Emily and Bell moved like blurs, both taking immediate action.

Emily dashed backward with impressive speed, firing a precision arrow straight toward Gale. He raised his wooden sword, deflecting the arrow mid-air with a sharp crack.

Bell didn't wait for an opening—she was already closing the gap between us. Her movements were unpredictable, zigzagging to throw off my timing. Before I could fully react, she unleashed a volley of rapid, low-range arrows aimed for my legs.

I spun my staff, deflecting the first arrow, then the second, but the third grazed my shin. Gritting my teeth, I lunged toward her, forcing her to retreat.

Meanwhile, Gale was locked in a fierce back-and-forth with Emily. Despite his speed and strength, her accuracy was unrelenting. Every arrow she fired forced him to stay on the defensive, his wooden sword whirling as he deflected shot after shot.

"You're good," Gale admitted, sidestepping another arrow.

Emily smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."

She suddenly switched tactics, aiming at the ground near Gale's feet. The arrow struck the dirt, sending up a small cloud of dust that obscured his vision. Seizing the moment, she fired again, this time grazing his shoulder.

"Nice one, Emily!" I called out, distracted for just a moment—too long.

Bell capitalized on my lapse in focus, launching a blunt arrow directly at my torso. I barely managed to twist away, the arrow grazing my side.

"Pay attention!" Bell taunted, her grin fierce.

I gripped my staff tighter, channeling mana into my movements. With a burst of speed, I closed the distance, swinging the staff in a wide arc. Bell ducked under it effortlessly, firing another arrow upward. The blunt tip caught me on the arm, stinging but not debilitating.

Nearby, Gale had finally regained control, his raw strength forcing Emily to retreat further. But instead of panicking, she fired an arrow at a nearby training dummy. It ricocheted off the wooden surface, curving toward Gale's blind spot.

His eyes widened as he narrowly dodged it. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," Emily replied, already nocking her next arrow.

The match raged on, each archer showcasing their unique skills. Emily's pinpoint accuracy and tactical thinking kept Gale on edge, while Bell's relentless speed and unorthodox angles kept me from gaining any ground.

The fight reached its climax when both Emily and Bell executed a synchronized attack. Bell fired a quick barrage of arrows, forcing me to retreat, while Emily took advantage of the chaos to aim for Gale's legs.

But Gale and I weren't out of tricks. With a nod, we moved in unison. I spun my staff, creating a defensive shield against Bell's arrows, while Gale charged forward, sidestepping Emily's shot and disarming her with a swift strike of his wooden sword.

"Gotcha," Gale said, pointing the tip of his sword at Emily.

At the same time, I used my staff to sweep Bell's legs, sending her toppling to the ground.

"Match over!" Ganth's voice rang out. "Well done, everyone."

Breathing heavily, the four of us regrouped, grins slowly spreading across our faces despite the exhaustion.

"That was intense," Emily said, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Yeah, but fun," Bell added, her eyes still sparkling with adrenaline.

As we walked off the training field, I couldn't help but feel a newfound respect for both archers. They had truly stolen the show, proving that strategy and precision could rival raw power any day.