"Battle Start!"
As Layla said those words, Drake charged forwards like a raging bull freed from its pen. The greatsword in his hand glistened in the sunlight as he closed the gap between him and his opponent. Est, on the other hand, didn't retreat. Instead, he also charged forward which made the students of the Magic Division Class cry out in alarm.
The clash of steel reverberated inside the Coliseum as both sides collided. Est felt his hand go numb due to his opponent's superior strength. He knew that he would be at a disadvantage if he exchanged blows with Drake, but he didn't back down.
His left hand, which was holding the sheath, slashed towards the side of Drake's body, forcing him to take a step back.
After regaining his footing, Drake held his greatsword with both hands as he counter-attacked with the intention to cleave Est apart.
William raised an eyebrow, when he noticed that Est was planning to trade blows with Drake in close combat.
A humming sound reached everyone's ears as the sword in Est's hand started to glow. Est's unwavering gaze never left his opponent as the sword in his hand buzzed in anticipation.
Rhapsody met Drake's full powered strike and the resounding clash created a shockwave that pushed both combatants away from each other.
As soon as Est regained his footing, he lunged forward with his sheath right in front of him.
Drake took a while to recover from the clash. A part of him couldn't accept that his full powered attack was brushed off so easily, but he knew that he was fighting against a Magic Swordsman, so this was not surprising.
'I guess I have to get serious,' Drake thought as he gripped the greatsword in his hand. Gathering his strength, a burst of red light exploded from his body. He then pressed a hand on the back of his sword before cleaving the space in front of him.
Est's sixth sense screamed of danger as he hurriedly jumped to the side to dodge whatever invisible attack was headed his way.
The ground beside him exploded, sending soil and grass flying in every direction. When the dust cleared up, a six-meter crater appeared where Est stood a while ago. Est didn't bother to look at the scale of Drake's attack for an extended time, because his opponent was not finished yet.
Drake waved the greatsword in his hands like a fly swatter. Est had to concentrate in order to avoid Drake's powerful attacks.
'He can't do this forever,' Est thought as he used his superior speed and flexibility to avoid another invisible strike from the boy who seemed to be using all the strength in his body to maintain his barrage.
"Wow, what a scary kid," Layla praised as she eyed Drake with a smile. "How old is he? How is he able to use the initial stages of Sword Aura and Sword Intent at such a young age?"
"He's 16 this year," Grent answered. "I believe that his Master trained him in the mountains for 2 years, so he was late in enrolling at the academy."
'He didn't use this when fighting against Priscilla,' William thought as he looked at the older boy who was hell bent on winning against Est. 'I guess this is one of his Trump Cards. It seems that Spencer's loss angered him, and he's now going all out.'
Drake wasn't just attacking randomly. He was carefully observing Est's reactions as he continued his barrage of attacks. His sword Aura only lasted for three minutes, so he was preparing to unleash his true strike at the perfect moment.
Est gritted his teeth as he was forced to jump into the air to avoid Drake's latest strike since it gave him no room to maneuver.
Seeing his opponent jump into the air, Drake prepared to unleash the Coup de Grace that would end their battle.
"Sky Shattering Strike!" Drake roared as he unleashed every bit of his strength into this final move.
An image of a five-meter Red Lion appeared in front of him and roared. It then changed into a ray of crimson light that shot towards Est who was still in mid-air.
Ironically, Est was also thinking of the same thing. When he jumped into the air, he was already in the process of unleashing one of his strongest Blade Skills.
A golden aura surrounded Est's Sword as he, too, used his Sword Aura. Rhapsody buzzed in his hand as if telling its owner that it was ready anytime.
"Your future rests on the orders of the divine," Est said firmly as the Sword Aura surrounding Rhapsody grew brighter. "Lay down your life to these hands of mine!"
"Divine Burst!" Est shouted as he thrust his sword forward.
Rhapsody unleashed a blast of golden light that shot out from its tip.
The Sky Shattering Strike and the Divine Burst collided in mid-air. Both sword energies started to push against each other in a battle of supremacy between Sword Intents.
Drake's feet skidded on the ground as he roared to empower his attack. Est, too, roared as his hair fluttered in the wind.
William watched the battle with his arms crossed over his chest. He could tell that Est was very different from the boy he had met in the past. The red-headed-boy understood the message that Est was trying to convey to him in this battle.
Four years ago, Est could only watch helplessly as William fought against the Mountain Troll. During the battle against the Cyclops, it was also William who made the ultimate sacrifice in order to help him clear the trial.
Even though it didn't show in his face, deep down in his heart, Est hated himself for being weak. He hated himself for always being the one to be protected, while others suffered in his place. During the years that he hadn't seen William, he never stopped training.
He did this, so that the next time he met William, he wouldn't have to depend on him to fight his battles. Est wanted to fight his own battles and use his own two hands to overcome any challenges that come his way.
"Break through it! Divine Burst!" Est shouted and the golden beam of light intensified.
The sound of something breaking reverberated in the Coliseum as the Sky Shattering Strike 'shattered' into particles of light.
Est's Divine Burst swallowed Drake's body, and obliterated it completely.
A mighty roar came from the Magic Division Class as they looked at their Head Prefect with star-struck gazes.
Est landed safely on the ground and used his sword and sheath to support his body. The cheers of the Magic Division reached his ears, but he didn't react to it. Instead, his gaze sought out the red-headed boy on the opposite side of the stadium.
Happiness bubbled up in his chest when he saw William clapping his hands together while mouthing something.
Est smiled. He was able to read William's lips, and it made him feel that all of his hard work had paid off.
Following their Head Prefect, the students of the Martial Classes gave a round of applause to both fighters. Seeing the other side's reaction, the Magic Division decided to follow suit. They also applauded Drake's and Est's impressive performance.
Even Grent, Layla, and Andy, were clapping their hands together.
Drake had already materialized beside William and the sixteen-year-old warrior sat on the grass with a dejected expression.
"Can't you hear it?" William asked as he patted Drake's shoulder. "Everyone is applauding you for your performance. Why are you feeling down?"
Drake didn't raise his head and simply answered, "Because I lost."
"Yes. You lost," William answered. "Is this the first time that you've lost?"
"... No."
"Then why are you acting like it's your first time?"
"..."
William crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the Magic Division Class. "I've lost many times as well. However, that didn't stop me from moving forward. As long as you are alive, you will have plenty of opportunities to lose. You will have plenty of opportunities to learn from those losses. Did you know? The boy you fought earlier has also suffered losses in the past. However, despite those losses, he didn't stop moving forward."
William started to walk towards the center of the arena. However, he stopped as if he had forgotten to tell his class something important. He then faced the students of the Martial Class who were looking at him with a serious expression.
"No matter how strong the enemy is, a hero can't choose their opponent," William said in a firm manner. "This is why they are called Heroes."
Est, who was standing in front of the Magic Class Division smiled when he heard William's words. He had said the same thing to him four years ago when they were facing off against the Cyclops in the Trial of Courage.
The students of the Martial Class gazed at their Head Prefect who had resumed walking towards the center of the Coliseum with complicated expressions.
Ella hesitated for a while before running towards her baby. William grinned when his Mama appeared beside him.
"You want to fight with me, Mama?"
"Meeeeeeeh!"
"Okay," William said as he rested his hand on his Mama's back. "Let's show them the power of Lont."
"Meeeeeeh!"