Arifureta: Dark Lord

Training [3]

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As the dust continued to swirl, the audience grew increasingly rowdy. They hadn't expected Reiji to retaliate in such a manner since he was previously shown to stay on the defense and counter. With the dust obscuring their view, anticipation gnawed at them.

The crowd had split into groups, and the class factions quickly separated. The instructors, led by Captain Meld, formed a tight-knit cluster while Kouki's group, except for Kaori, sat nearby.

"I must say, Captain Meld, this is quite fascinating," remarked one of the female instructors. "Who could have imagined that such a young man would possess such a remarkable move in his arsenal?"

"He truly is a genius, isn't he? I hope he requests to train under me. Although my weapon choice differs from his, experience is something he can't afford to lose," a male instructor added, brandishing his sword.

Another female instructor chimed in, "Right?! He's super cute as well. I wonder if he has a girlfriend." Her dangerous glint didn't go unnoticed, as everyone looked at her funny. Realizing the mood, she saved herself, waving her hands and saying, "It's just a joke, alright? Just a joke!"

'She wasn't joking,' The instructors all thought to themselves. They were unsure of how to react to the inappropriate comment, but before they could say or do anything, Captain Meld stepped in.

"I would advise you not to try anything against the students, Ayame," Captain Meld informed, not shifting his position but giving her a glance that meant this was a warning and not one to be taken lightly.

"My~ my~, Captain Meld, whatever do you mean by that?" Ayame asked in a playful tone. When she received no response, she continued, "Alright, I won't do anything. But if he wants to train under me, you can't stop him, alright?"

Captain Meld's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "I have no intention of stopping any of the students from choosing their path. However, I trust that you will not let your personal interests interfere with their development as heroes."

Ayame's smile remained fixed as she replied, "Of course, Captain. I only have their best interests at heart." But the other instructors could tell that she had ulterior motives, and they exchanged uneasy glances.

...

Meanwhile, Reiji found himself surrounded by a cloud of dust and was short of breath, indicating his exhaustion. "Haah, haaahh," he gasped, the toll from his previous attack catching up with him. As he peered forward, the unmistakable outline of Tatsuya emerged from the dust cloud.

"My, my, Reiji. You look exhausted," Tatsuya taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Simply fatigued, it would seem that you should forfeit this match, right? As you can see, I'm pretty much unscathed from your brilliant counterattack. Simply marvelous, I tell you."

Reiji didn't reply but took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his spear. "You don't seem to understand the situation you put yourself in," he said, twirling his weapon as his mind began to clear and his senses heightened. "You know, for a weapon specialist, you're pretty dumb, aren't you?"

Tatsuya's expression turned sour as he glared at Reiji with disdain. Ignoring Tatsuya's hostility, Reiji continued, "You know, it's quite amusing. 'An adolescent teen holds more skill than the weapon specialist who was recognized by the king himself.' It would make for a funny story, wouldn't you agree?"