I am Just an Average Tamer

[Don't Buy Priv]

Then—

"Begin."

Professor Lyssena's voice cracked like a whip.

And the tension shattered.

FWOOSH!

Cassian moved first.

His body shot forward like a released spring, drawing his left sword in a fluid motion mid-dash.

The blade came in low, aimed for Lei Mei's side, testing her reflexes right off the bat.

But...

Lei Mei didn't blink.

CLANG!

He skidded back.

Maintaining the distance.

And clenched his teeth a little, arm little number from hitting something harder.

Then he took his second short sword, twisting it into a reverse grip as he settled into a lower stance.

His crimson eyes sharpened, locking onto Lei Mei like a predator gauging the defenses of another apex beast.

No more playful smirks. No more testing strikes. That earlier barrage had cost him.

Lei Mei stood across the ring, frost curling at her boots, the air around her cold enough to fog breath and frost steel.

Her expression hadn't changed, calm and poised.

Behind her, motes of blue light bloomed into ethereal forms.

One took the shape of a crystalline fox, translucent and elegant, its tails glittering with magical runes. The other took of a spectral bird, semi-transparent with wings of shifting light and eyes like twin moons.

Cassian didn't hesitate.

He launched forward.

Lei Mei raised her hand—

The fox leapt, sprinting forward like a blur. It collided with Cassian mid-rush.

BOOM!

Cassian parried the fox's swiping tail with a crossed block of his blades, sparks flying. But the impact sent him sliding backwards.

"Argh!"

He growled and slashed down.

But that was when the bird struck.

From above, it dove like a falling comet, trailing ribbons of light.

Its cry echoed through the arena, sharp, avian, spectral and it slammed its talons into Cassian's shoulder.

He cursed and rolled aside, the hit grazing him but opening his defense.

Lei Mei capitalized it.

She sprinted in, her wind blade drawn, while her spirits orbited around her like twin guardians.

Cassian saw her coming.

He kicked off the ground, backflipping, throwing a short blade mid-air at her.

She spun and teleported to the side, and then the fox took her place.

CRASH!

Cassian's returning blade pierced the fox, but it dispersed into shards of crystals, reforming behind Lei Mei.

Cassian pressed harder, refusing to be pushed back.

He unleashed a flurry of swings, diagonal, vertical, then reverse grip arcs, his blades becoming an inferno around him.

Every move traced heat trails in the air, forcing Lei Mei to stay mobile, shifting her stance again and again.

But she wasn't trying to overpower him.

She was wearing him down.

Crystals formed beneath his feet again. His breath came harder.

The spirits nipped at his sides, coordinated with her strikes, disrupting, distracting and overwhelming.

Cassian ducked under a sweeping blade of hers, only to catch a wing-swipe from the bird to his ribs.

"Urgh!"

He grunted, staggered, and parried the fox's pounce with a desperate upward swing.

Hie gritted his teeth and launched into his strongest technique yet.

His blades ignited and spun, one clockwise, one counter, generating a cyclone of fire around him. The ice hissed and evaporated as heat swallowed the field.

The spirits were forced back.

Even Lei Mei narrowed her eyes and skated backward, holding her wind blade in front of her.

Cassian burst through the flames, a searing blur of red and orange, blades roaring like twin dragons.

He closed the gap, fastly.

But Lei Mei's lips moved.

Now.

The fox and the bird merged, creating a protective shell just as Cassian came crashing down.

His blades struck.

BOOOM!

The frost field shattered.

The mist exploded outward in a burst of white—

And when it cleared...

Lei Mei stood, sword crossed against Cassian's neck.

He was panting, both his blades knocked away.

She hadn't even touched him. Her spirits had forced him to drop them with their combined interference at the last moment.

A perfect defense. A clean counter.

Silence fell.

Cassian's chest rose and fell.

Then he laughed, a dry, winded chuckle.

"Alright... maybe you haven't gotten rusty after all."

Lei Mei didn't smile.

She just pulled her sword back and stepped away.

Professor Lyssena raised a hand. "Match ends. Winner is Lei Mei."

The students erupted in a mix of awe and shock.

Cassian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his breath still ragged from the fight. He gave the blade at his feet a side glance but didn't move to pick it up.

"That… was insane," someone whispered from the audience stands.

"She beat him, clean."

But Lei Mei didn't bask in the glory.

Her hand trembled as she lowered her sword. The spirits began to fade into wisps of glowing light, the strain of holding their forms finally catching up to her.

She'd pushed herself to her current limits and perhaps beyond.

Cassian straightened, rolling his shoulder with a quiet grunt. "I thought I had you with that last strike."

"You almost did," Lei Mei replied, her voice calm but laced with fatigue. "Your momentum was terrifying."

Cassian looked at her again, really looked. Her knees were trembling slightly, barely noticeable to the untrained eye. That bird's dive from earlier? It had pulled too much essence. She might've collapsed if he had lasted another ten seconds longer in that inferno.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "So… we both nearly died trying to prove who's better?"

Lei Mei let out a faint chuckle. "Seems so."

But for Cassian, this wasn't over.

He bent down, picked up both of his short swords, and turned back toward her.

"Wanna have a rematch."

"No," Lei Mei replied, sheathing her own weapon. "But, maybe someday. I'll be stronger by then."

Cassian's grin widened. "Then I'll look forward to that day."

Meanwhile, back to the group...

"Well, she ain't half bad," Corrin muttered, arms folded behind his head as he leaned lazily against one of the stone pillars.

His eyes remained fixed on the now-empty ring.

"Now admitting she's stronger than you? Beat the shit out of you too, didn't she?" Riven smirked, arms crossed, standing beside him with a cocked brow.

Corrin scoffed without missing a beat. "Oh please. She caught me off guard, sneaked behind me cowardly. If she hadn't, I would've flattened her."

Aria just smiled. Liliana crossed her arms over her chest and giggled softly.

"Oh? Then what would've been different?" she asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Lira would've just beaten you down head-on instead of from behind."

Corrin waved a finger dramatically in protest. "Nuh uh. I'd have won."

"Sure you would," Aria said with a small chuckle.

"Come on, I'm telling the truth!" Corrin threw his hands up. "I'm strong!"

Kai, standing nearby, just shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, big guy."

The group laughed again.

Liliana smirked, leaning forward with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Then why don't you go and challenge her for a duel, huh? You said you were stronger, didn't you?"

Corrin opened his mouth, already halfway through a retort, when—

"That concludes today's session."

Professor Lyssena's voice rang out across the training field, instantly silencing the chatter and laughter.

Her tone was crisp, professional but the subtle sigh that followed made a few students exchange curious glances.

"I wanted to make things a bit more interesting," she muttered, brushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear, "but… well, you know how it is. Orders from above."

A few students, especially the ones still nursing their bruises and egos, let out quiet sighs of relief.

Lyssena's sharp gaze swept across the gathered students like a hawk surveying prey.

"Regardless, today's sparring results will serve as your evaluation for the upcoming midterms."

That got everyone's attention.

"You won't be having any kind of written exam this term," she continued, her voice matter-of-fact. "No theory, no papers, no sitting behind desks. Just your performance, what you showed here, today will determine your marks."

A beat passed.

Then the crowd exploded.

Some students whooped in joy, practically jumping in place.

"Yes! No written exams, let's gooo!"

"I knew all that sword training would pay off!"

But others… didn't look so thrilled.

Those who had been knocked out early or who hadn't gotten the chance to participate at all, paled slightly and began whispering in concern.

"Shit… I barely lasted thirty seconds in my match."

"This is bad, I was banking on the written part to make up for it."

"Wait, but I wasn't even called to fight! What now?!"

Professor Lyssena raised one hand, immediately silencing the rising storm.

"For those of you who didn't get to duel, don't worry. There will be another evaluation next week. One more chance to prove your worth."

Relieved murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"But let me be very clear," she added, her tone sharpening. "You're not here to write essays or recite theories. You're here to become warriors, tamers, mages, and you'll be judged on that. Not how many books you can quote."

Then she uncrossed her arms and gestured toward the entrance of the training field."You're dismissed. Go rest, recover, or whatever you want. Some of you need it more than others."

With that, she turned and walked off, her coat flaring slightly with each step.

Back by the pillar, Corrin smirked, looking at wide eyed Riven and Kai.

"Huh. No written exam. Guess I'll take that as a win."

Kai clicked his tongue, and Riven snorted.

"I shouldn't have let you win."

"Hahaha! Yeh, cope now. Looser."

"Tch. Bastard."

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Chapter Ends...

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