First member of the team part 1

The next day, the girl arrived. And she takes her seat next to Andrew. There was a calmness about her that was almost unsettling. It didn't matter, though; my brother had decided to handle it, so I didn't need to involve myself.

At lunch, we entered the dining hall, and as expected, my brother headed straight toward her. He was like a storm, I just… can't stop him.

Before I could even say anything, he approached her table, asked if he could sit, and took a seat before she even had a chance to respond. She looked surprised and was about to say something when he cut her off and spoke.

"Hey, we're sitting near each other in class, so I thought, why not get to know each other, right? I'm Andrew, and this is Roy Celgius, we're brothers."

Her silver hair falling softly around her face. Her red eyes, bright and sharp, stood out against her pale skin.

Though she was small, there was something strong in the way she held herself. She didn't need to say much, her calm and focused look said enough.

Even with the hard world around her, her beauty felt untouchable.

I stayed quiet, letting Andrew take the lead. I've never trusted my social skills, and he seemed perfectly cool with this.

"I know who you are," she said, her voice calm and soft. "You're the ones everyone's been talking about around here. I'm Sophia Vila."

Sophia had a soft voice and a good look; her hair is white with a little darkness. At first sight, you wouldn't be able to tell how strong she really is.

"I'll get straight to the point," Andrew began, his tone steady but direct. "We've got the opportunity to choose the members of our team, and we're looking for the most skilled people. We'd like you to join us."

I blinked in surprise, like what? I hadn't expected him to make the offer so soon like this, he'd told me we will just get to know her first. This felt rushed, maybe too much.

Sophia tilted her head slightly. "I see," she said, her voice calm. She closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "Don't you think it's a bit hasty to ask me to join without really knowing me? And why me, specifically?"

Andrew smiled "Simple. You already outperformed most of the people here, and it's not just about skill, I get the sense you will bring balance and strength to our team."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, her calm still intact. "I appreciate you, but I feel like I just can't agree. Team dynamics aren't just about skills, they're about trust and understanding. And sadly, we don't even know each other."

Andrew didn't back down. "You make a good point, but are you sure you'd rather risk being placed with a weaker team? Sometimes opportunities like this don't come twice."

Sophia's face changed because of the way he spoke. "You speak with confidence...and by the way, who is the leader of the team?"

"The leader, you say…" Andrew replied.

Andrew looked at me with a sinister look and continued

"It's Roy, of course. He's incredibly intelligent and experienced. It's true that I'm older than him, but he surpasses me in every way that matters."

I looked at him and the looks of wonder are on my face, I almost can't believe what he's saying, sometimes I wonder if he's doing it just to annoy me, she looked at me with a sharp look and said. "So, you're the leader," she said coolly. "In that case, I'd like to challenge you to a duel. If I win, you'll stop bothering me. If I lose, I'll join your team."

Her proposal caught me off guard. A bold suggestion, but not entirely unreasonable. After all, we suddenly appeared out of nowhere asking her to join us without explanation.

Andrew replied. "Umm, is that really necessary?"

"Of course," Sophia replied. "I want to see the difference in strength between us. Or, I can wait until the team selection period ends and become the captain of my own team instead."

Andrew paused before offering a compromise. "What if you face me instead? My brother is leagues ahead of me. The conditions will stay the same."

Sophia looked at him for a moment before shrugging and turning away. "Do whatever you like," she said simply. As she walked off, she added, "We'll settle this after classes at the training ground. Make sure Yuri knows about this."

And with that, she left.

Andrew turned to me with a curious look. "So?"

"You rushed things," I said, shaking my head.

"And you nearly dragged me into it. But it's fine... so far. Good luck with her."

He said laughing "Sorry sorry," then continued "Will Sophia be a strong opponent in your opinion?"

I replied calmly. "It's hard to say. Just don't underestimate her. People always have their tricks, take care. That's all I'll say."

Andrew smiled. "Don't worry about me brother. I'll make sure she joins us."

When the classes were over, we went towards the training ground. There was in the middle an arena, surrounded by stones and Yuri was with us to supervise the fight.

The reaction of Yuri shocked me when we told him about the fight, he was very excited and started to encourage my brother, I can feel that he really like us.

A few minutes passed before Sophia arrived, carrying a wooden spear. And for my brother, he had chosen a simple wooden sword. Both of them stepped into the arena, facing each other with calm determination.

The teacher entered the centre and said. "The rules are simple; the match ends if one of you surrenders or is unable to continue. Now, get ready...," Yuri paused for a second then said with a loud voice "Fight!

Andrew nodded and said, "Good luck."

Sophia, her expression steady, replied, "You too.".