This was part of the curriculum, a time for the instructor to gauge the students' skill levels. However, considering the two standing before him—and harboring a separate motive of his own—the instructor made no move to stop them from clashing.
Instead, he offered a few final words of caution.
"This is part of the lesson," he added, addressing the entire class as much as the two girls. "While the goal is to measure your abilities, you must remember that you are within a classroom setting. Causing injury to your opponent is absolutely out of the question."
With that signal, the duel began.
Despite the formal setting, Sera swung her sword as if she had forgotten the meaning of the word restraint. Her lunges and strikes were far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary girl.
"—Ha!"
A pressure that seemed to cleave the air rippled through the training ground. Her body control and the sharpness of her blade possessed a level of mastery that threatened to strip the confidence from every other student watching.
However, the attention directed at Sera soon shifted. In contrast to her vivid, aggressive performance, the sheer prowess of Licia—who was blocking every single blow perfectly—began to take center stage.
"Fufu! How strange! You’ve gotten stronger again, Licia! But what’s wrong? You’re doing nothing but gauging my movements!"
"I'm not looking down on you, Sera. I’m just... testing the waters."
As if to prove her words, Licia’s movements shifted in an instant. Sera’s sword, as fast as the wind, slid harmlessly past the side of the blade Licia had held at the ready. Suddenly finding her stance broken, Sera scrambled to brace herself, but—
"—!?"
Licia’s sword was already closing in. It was several steps faster than Sera's blade, which was supposed to be as swift as the gale. Even though Sera managed to block it, the blow was so heavy that her feet nearly faltered.
Even so, Licia was not using "Enshroud," the unique concept of Strong Sword Arts. Whether or not that counted as an actual Art was a difficult distinction, but she had refrained from using it, feeling it didn't align with the purpose of the lesson.
"Fufu... Licia! You’re going to get even faster, aren’t you!? Show me! Show me your true speed!"
"Yes! Of course, that’s the plan!"
Increasing her speed by one degree, then another, Licia eventually escalated her pace to the level she used when facing Ren. Had she incorporated the strength of Strong Sword Arts into her strikes, she would have been in a league of her own. Her weight and speed would have transformed entirely, showcasing a caliber beyond comparison.
Yet even without that power, Licia proved to be overwhelming. The ground beneath Sera’s feet shook as she blocked the first strike. Her arm, unable to recover its stance in time to meet the second, was forced wide open. By the third strike, Sera could do nothing; the sword in her hand was sent flying.
Before long, Licia’s sword was pointed at Sera’s throat as the other girl fell to one knee.
"...Another complete defeat."
Despite the loss, Sera wore a smile. The frustration of seeing the gap between them widen since their last match was beyond words, but seeing the strength of the girl she aimed to surpass only fueled her resolve.
Applause erupted across the training hall.
"Here, Sera."
Licia offered her a hand.
"Thanks. Phew... the gap in our strength has grown even more. And you can use Strong Sword Arts on top of that, right? I can't even imagine how that would look."
"But you’ll be able to use Holy Sword Arts soon, won't you?"
"And you’ll eventually use Sacred Magic. Even without that, just using Strong Sword Arts makes you a different kind of monster," Sera replied with a mock pout.
She didn't say it out of resentment. The smile on her face confirmed that she had found genuine fulfillment in the bout. In truth, she was grateful. The speed Licia had shown at the end was the fastest she could possibly move without using Enshroud. Sera was happy her friend hadn't held back.
Anything beyond that would have turned into a real fight. This was the limit of what Licia could demonstrate in a classroom. On the other hand, Sera was still frustrated that she had been defeated without being able to touch her opponent.
"One more time! We still have time, right?"
"Fufu, sure. But is Vane okay with that?"
"It’s fine. I already told him I wanted to focus on you today."
Sera stuck her tongue out playfully, her motivation still high. She continued to trade blows with Licia throughout the rest of the session without her spirit wavering once. Inspired by their intensity, the other students grew more spirited as well. Seeing two girls of their own age display such skill made every student in the academy eager to prove themselves.
During the session, several male students called out to Licia, hoping for a chance to spar. Most were clearly attracted to her beauty and used the lesson as an excuse to approach her.
"We also have some skill with the blade. My father is a general in the military, and I’ve studied Holy Sword Arts since I was a child."
"Me as well. Would you please do us the honor of being our partner?"
"Um... I'm sorry. I've already decided to practice with Sera today."
"Then, how about another day!" the boy pressed, desperate to get closer to her. "I-I believe I would make a better training partner than a knight's son...!"
Sera, listening nearby, pressed a hand to her forehead. She wondered what he was thinking, though she understood that they were simply ignorant of Ren's true strength. She glanced at Licia, who was wearing an utterly lovely, yet final, smile.
"Thank you for your concern. But I'm fine, so I'm sorry."
With that, Licia turned back to Sera. "Let's continue."
"Yeah."
The boys were left with no choice but to retreat and watch from the sidelines. When the instructor ordered them to get back to work, they finally gave up and returned to their spots.
"You're surprisingly calm about that, Licia," Sera noted.
"It’s a fact that they don't know Ren's strength, so it would be unreasonable for me to get angry. Besides, weren't those two from the Imperial and Hero Factions?"
"There are quite a few of them lately. Since the incident in the Baldur Mountains, interactions across the factions have increased. Even if the leaders are still fighting, it's different for the younger generation."
"Hmm... I see."
During the first half of the afternoon lesson, Licia and Sera were the center of attention. Vane also drew significant focus, demonstrating his growth to his peers. While his technical sword skills didn't quite match Sera’s yet, his raw physical strength and instincts made him her equal, perhaps even her superior.
Ren finally arrived just as the lesson was nearing its end.
"I'm sorry! I'm late!"
"No, I’ve heard the circumstances," the instructor replied. "Good work with your committee duties."
Soon after, the bell signaled the end of the lesson. Sweaty students began to trickle out of the training ground. Some stayed behind to rest, while about half the class—including the duo who had pestered Licia—stayed to see if Ren would finally show what he could do.
"I'm sorry, Ren. I should have been there to help you," Licia said.
"No, no. Making Lady Riohalde wait any longer would have been a shame."
Since Ren had been the one to volunteer for the committee first, he felt a bit guilty. Licia smiled at his consideration.
"How was the lesson today?"
"The teacher wanted to see everyone's skill, so we’ve been working in pairs. I’ve been with Sera the whole time."
"Ooh, measuring skills for the future, then."
"Yeah. We also did some Imperial Swordsmanship in the second half, so everyone is exhausted. That’s why they’re leaving so quickly."
At that moment, the instructor walked over. "Ashton."
"Forgive me, but could I have a moment of your time? Also... I'd like for Clausel to stay as well."
"I don't mind," Ren said.
"Me neither. Is something wrong?"
"After seeing Clausel's ability, I had a thought. For the sake of future lessons, I want to see Ashton's ability in person. Clausel, I'd like you to serve as his opponent."
"I'm fine with that, but should we spar in a combat format?"
The instructor nodded. He had a specific motive for letting Licia and Sera fight freely earlier, and it was directly related to Ren's presence. The remaining students noticed the shift and gathered around.
"...Is that guy really strong?" one of the boys from earlier whispered.
"I heard he didn't do much during the Final Exam, so who knows."
"Well, we'll see. He'll probably be overwhelmed by the Lady Saint."
Sera, overhearing them from the front row, leaned her chin on her hand with a wry smile. Vane sat beside her, looking equally amused by the ignorance of their classmates.
"Did you hear that, Vane? They think Ren is a fluke because he played support during the exam."
"Yeah. I heard he took down monsters so effortlessly that people couldn't gauge his actual level."
"Exactly. That’s why I’m looking forward to this. I want to see exactly how much he's grown since last summer."
Ren and Licia moved to the center of the Martial Arts Stage. Both looked perfectly relaxed, as if they were back at the Lion Sanctum about to begin their morning routine.
"You'll need a warm-up, Ren," Licia noted.
"Right. If I just loosen up by swinging while we go, I should be fine."
The instructor, Vane, and Sera all widened their eyes. Facing Licia—who had just displayed such terrifying skill—he intended to treat a live duel as a mere warm-up? It sounded arrogant, or as if he expected Licia to go easy on him. The doubt among the other students was palpable.
"Is it okay to go as usual?" Licia asked.
"Yes. I'll leave it to you."
Licia’s opening lunge and the speed of her swing were identical to the peak performance she had shown against Sera. One could easily imagine Ren being overwhelmed before he could even react.
...However.
"No way..."
"What just happened?"
Several girls gasped. They hadn't even seen him move his sword. What they saw was the simple reality: Licia’s blade had been stopped cold. Not only were Ren’s hands steady, but his core hadn't shifted an inch. He stood there with a composed expression, literally using her attacks to loosen his muscles.
Sera and Vane were stunned.
"He’s in a completely different league than last summer," Sera whispered.
"Yeah..."
The two who had seen Ren’s strength before realized that their memories weren't exaggerating. The other students were paralyzed, many forgetting to even blink. The duo who had disparaged him were now utterly speechless.
The speed of Licia’s blade increased, and the ring of steel on steel began to pierce the air. Gradually, Licia’s demeanor shifted.
"I'm almost jealous," Sera murmured. "When she faces Ren, her entire atmosphere changes."
Everyone noticed it. The air around the two felt different, heavier. Licia gripped her sword tighter and took a slow, steady breath. Ren, sensing the change, shifted from a purely defensive posture.
A roar of clashing swords echoed through the hall. From Ren’s hands, an impact was delivered back into Licia’s blade.
"What is that... it's like Ashton is the one in control," someone whispered.
"It’s not 'like' it—he clearly is!"
Despite Licia’s increasing ferocity, Ren handled every strike as if he were merely going through the motions.
"I'm going on the offensive now," Ren declared.
Though Licia had been the aggressor just a moment before, it was she who was forced back. Ren’s sword closed in. He hadn't lunged with any visible explosive force, yet his movements were swifter than her own.
Licia didn't yield. She avoided his blade with nimble footwork, the flash of his steel passing through the space she had occupied a heartbeat before. She countered with a signature, fluid sequence of strikes, faster and sharper than any she had used against Sera. It was a blow no one in the room could imagine parrying.
And yet—
"Hmph!"
Ren swatted the strike aside with a direct, effortless movement. In the same breath, he brought his blade to a halt against Licia’s throat as she lost her balance.
It happened in a fleeting second—a clash that not a single student could fully track. When their eyes caught up, Licia had already lost.
"Sigh... I was actually quite confident in that one."
Licia let go of her sword, allowing it to clatter onto the floor. Ren wore a wry smile, looking slightly apologetic for winning so decisively, and lowered his weapon.
The term "student level" no longer applied. Even without using Enshroud or specific Arts, these two had shown the world just how far beyond ordinary mortals those who trained at the Lion Sanctum could become.
Now, there was no one left who doubted him. The eyes of the class were filled with a mixture of shock and profound admiration.
"Ashton! Clausel!"
The instructor approached them, his expression solemn. He, too, had been lost for words, his mind racing to process the gap in strength.
"I have something to discuss with you. Come this way."
The students watched in silence as the two followed the instructor out of the training hall. It took nearly twenty seconds before the room collectively exhaled, erupting into a cacophony of voices as they struggled to process the sheer scale of the power they had just witnessed.
"I assume you usually perform training of a much higher intensity, don't you?" the instructor asked as they walked down the corridor.
"Yes. That was really just a warm-up," Ren admitted.
"Good grief... at least you're honest."
Ren and Licia exchanged a confused look. The instructor led them to a private preparation room near the training grounds and motioned for them to sit.
"By the way, is this okay, sir?" Ren asked. "I should have had my skills confirmed like everyone else..."
"Don't be foolish. What more would I need to confirm after that? Honestly."
The instructor knew they were Strong Sword Users; everyone knew they frequented the Lion Sanctum. Some thought Ren was just a guard, but that theory had been thoroughly dismantled today. Practitioners of the Strong Sword were rare outside of the Sanctum, and it had been a long time since the instructor had seen two of them clash with such skill.
"I've heard from Clausel that your Imperial Swordsmanship is even better than hers, Ashton. Based on what I just saw... we need to discuss how to handle your training going forward."
He leaned forward, his face etched with a complicated, serious expression.