Chapter 6: Flames and Fury
Class had ended, and the students were beginning to disperse. Rhea and Riley lingered near the practice area, talking casually as they returned their wooden swords to the rack.
"You did well today," Rhea said, her tone lighter than usual. "Though I'm sure you're aware of the areas that still need improvement."
Riley chuckled, leaning the wooden sword against the rack. "Yeah, yeah. I'll work on my footing. Thanks for the tips, though. You're a pretty great teacher."
Rhea gave a faint smile, but before she could respond, Riley's posture stiffened. A prickling sensation ran down his spine. What is that? he thought, turning slightly to glance behind him.
Suddenly, a loud, enraged yell cut through the air. "ZAIN!"
Nigel's voice was filled with fury, and Riley barely had time to react before he saw Nigel dashing toward him with a wooden sword raised high. Nigel leaped into the air, laughing maniacally. "You think you can just walk in here and outshine me?!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the practice hall.
Riley grabbed his own wooden sword in a flash, spinning just in time to block Nigel's overhead strike. The clash of wood on wood resounded loudly as the two locked weapons, glaring at each other.
"What the hell, Nigel?!" Riley exclaimed, straining against Nigel's weight. "What are you doing?!"
Nigel's wide, almost unhinged smile didn't falter. "You think you can just show up and take my spotlight?" he growled. "I'll show you what happens when you mess with me!"
Rhea's sharp voice cut through the tension. "Nigel, stop this immediately!" she shouted, her tone commanding. "This is neither the time nor place for such behavior!"
Nigel ignored her, his focus entirely on Riley. With a shove, Riley pushed Nigel off him, the force sending both of them back a step.
"Fine," Riley said, adjusting his stance. "If you want a fight that badly, let's get it over with."
Nigel's smile widened as he lunged forward, swinging his sword with relentless aggression. Riley met him strike for strike, their wooden blades clashing in a rapid sequence of parries and counterattacks.
"You don't belong here, Zain!" Nigel yelled, his voice dripping with anger. "You're nothing but an upstart, a pretender!"
"You're the one acting like a maniac," Riley shot back, dodging a wide swing and countering with a quick thrust. "Is this how you deal with competition? By throwing tantrums?"
Nigel growled, his strikes becoming more erratic but no less forceful. "You'll regret mocking me, Zain!" he snarled. "Magic Skill: Crimson Dash!"
A fiery aura surrounded Nigel as he dashed toward Riley with blinding speed, his sword raised high and his laughter echoing through the hall. Riley's eyes widened, but he quickly steadied himself. "Skill: Static Barrier!" he called, and a shimmering barrier of crackling energy formed around him just as Nigel's sword came down.
The wooden sword collided with the barrier, sending sparks flying. Nigel's grin widened, his eyes wild as he began striking the barrier repeatedly. "You think this will stop me?!" he yelled, his voice a mix of anger and mania. "You can't hide behind this forever, Zain! Face me like a real fighter!"
Riley stood firm, his barrier holding steady against the onslaught. "What is wrong with you, Nigel?" he asked, his voice calm but edged with irritation. "Why are you so obsessed with proving yourself?"
"Because I'm better than you!" Nigel shouted, his strikes growing more frantic. "I've worked too hard to let some nobody waltz in and overshadow me!"
Around them, the gathered students watched in stunned silence, the tension in the room palpable. Rhea's fists clenched as she stepped forward, her voice cutting through Nigel's rants. "Nigel, you're humiliating yourself! Stand down before you make this worse!"
Nigel didn't waver, his focus entirely on breaking through Riley's barrier. The two remained locked in their battle, the hall filled with the sound of wood striking energy and Nigel's enraged shouts.
Nigel kept swinging his sword against Riley's barrier, his laughter echoing through the hall. "You think this little trick can stop me?" he shouted, his voice dripping with scorn. "You're pathetic, Zain! Hiding behind your magic instead of fighting like a real swordsman!"
Riley's expression hardened. "Fine," he said, his voice steady. "Skill: Thunder Step!"
In an instant, Riley disappeared from within the barrier, leaving behind only a crackle of static electricity. The shimmering shield vanished, and Nigel staggered forward, his sword swinging through empty air.
"What?" Nigel yelled, looking around wildly. "Where are you, Zain? Running already? Figures! Cowards like you always run!"
From across the hall, Riley's voice rang out. "Let's finish this, Nigel."
Nigel turned, his manic grin returning as he spotted Riley standing at the far end of the practice hall. "Oh, you're going to regret saying that," Nigel growled. "I'll show you why I'm the best here!"
"We'll see about that," Riley replied, his grip tightening on his wooden sword.
Nigel's eyes gleamed with determination as he raised his weapon. "Unique Sword Magic Skill: Crimson Inferno Slash!" A fiery aura engulfed his sword, the air around him heating as his energy surged.
Riley's eyes narrowed. "Skill: Wind Blade Fury!" A swirling gust of wind surrounded his sword, the currents crackling with raw power.
The two stared each other down for a tense moment before dashing toward each other, their weapons glowing with their respective magic. The air crackled with raw power, and the sheer intensity of their clash made the students gasp and murmur among themselves.
"This is insane," one student whispered. "I've never seen magic skills like this in a practice match."
"It's like they're trying to destroy each other," another added, their voice tinged with awe and fear.
Rhea stood at the sidelines, her arms crossed as she watched the scene unfold, her expression both worried and contemplative. "They're taking this too far," she said under her breath, her tone sharp. Nigel's anger is completely clouding his judgment, and Riley's feeding into it. How reckless can they be?
Her gaze shifted to Riley, and her thoughts softened slightly. Still... he's holding his own. No, more than that—he's matching Nigel blow for blow. Where does that confidence come from?
Nigel's laughter rang out, breaking her focus. "You're going down, Zain!" he yelled, the flames around his sword surging higher.
Rhea's grip on her arms tightened as she muttered, "Idiots, the both of them." The room filled with the sound of rushing wind and crackling flames as they closed the distance.
But before their blades could collide, a commanding voice boomed through the hall. "That's enough, boys!"
A blur moved between them, and in an instant, their wooden swords were stopped mid-swing. Both Riley and Nigel froze, their eyes widening as they realized someone was holding their swords firmly in each hand.
"What?!" they yelled in unison, stepping back to see who had stopped them.
It was their teacher, his expression a mix of frustration and disappointment. "What is going on here?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the tension.
Nigel and Riley both started talking at once, their words tumbling over each other in a rush of explanations and accusations.
"Save it!" the teacher barked, silencing them. "You want to settle this? Fine. Do it in the tournament—two weeks from now. Until then, you'll focus on training and leave your grudges outside this hall. Am I clear?"
Nigel glared at Riley but nodded. "Fine by me, sir," he said, his tone sharp.
Riley nodded as well. "Understood, sir."
The teacher stepped back, releasing their swords. "Good. Now, both of you, leave."
Nigel shot one last glare at Riley before storming off, his shoulders tense with barely-contained rage.
Riley exhaled slowly, lowering his sword. That was close, he thought. But two weeks isn't a lot of time to prepare.
As he stood there, catching his breath, Rhea approached, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. "Well, that was... dramatic," she said, her tone dry but tinged with amusement.
Riley gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, sorry you had to see that. Nigel's... intense."
Rhea crossed her arms, her gaze steady. "Intense is one word for it. What were you thinking, provoking him like that?"
"I didn't provoke him," Riley said defensively. "He just snapped."
Rhea sighed. "Well, if this is what happens on an ordinary day, I can't imagine what the tournament will bring."
"It'll be fine," Riley said with a small smile. "I'll just have to train harder."
Rhea studied him for a moment before nodding. "See that you do. I'd rather not have to witness another spectacle like this."
Riley laughed lightly. "I'll do my best."
With that, the tension in the room began to dissipate, and the two walked out of the hall, the buzz of the day's events lingering in their minds.