Anput PoV
"She's all yours now puppy~!"
Jahi smirked down at me with not even a bead of sweat trickling down her brow, her pale blue skin still as smooth and unchanged as before.
It was almost like she hadn't just sparred against a skilled sword master, but instead she had taken a leisurely stroll around the grounds.
Smiling up at her, I nodded as I stepped forwards, excitement coursing through my veins.
Getting to fight someone new, someone who could at least keep pace with Jahi in the beginning, was going to be quite fun, and my blood rushed at the thought.
I craved the dance of death that was swordplay, the thrill of displaying your superiority through brutally efficient stabs and cuts, perfecting your technique against a worthy opponent.
That was what I lived for.
So, I took my place opposite Professor Liako, the woman shimmering blue as she brought herself back to 100% before raising her new wooden sword, her eyes narrowed as she stared intently at me.
I mirrored her with a smirk, taking enjoyment in replicating my opponents style to broaden my own, whilst also savoring the narrowed eyes and mild anger that they always had at such a blatantly disrespectful gesture.
Giving me a nod, Liako lunged forwards instantly, her sword snaking towards my throat with immense speed.
Swinging upwards, I flicked her blade towards my side before stepping forwards and jabbed at her jaw.
Ducking under the blow, Liako spun away and reset herself, before swiftly lunging forwards again.
Thrusting towards my throat again, I narrowed my eyes as I waited a moment, anticipating the feint.
As it inched closer, I held back a smirk as she redirected her force downwards, chopping the blade towards my chest, where it would, if real, slice me open from the shoulder to the waist.
Taking a step back, I avoided her feinted slash and delivered a stab of my own, testing her reaction speed and power.
Liako's blue eyes were glued to the sword slicing through the air towards her heart, and she rotated her wrist to bring her own sword up, blocking the thrust.
Following the momentum of the redirected blade, I spun and delivered a swift kick to her stomach, which was the beginning of my onslaught.
Gripping the handle with two hands, I began to slash and stab with greater speed, the flurry of blows hastily, yet expertly defended by Liako's precise defensive style.
We were matched for speed, as even when I pushed myself further and further, she simply sped up just as much, keeping pace as our blades blurred together, the crack of wood against wood echoing around the clearing.
Since both of us were agility based fighters, I needed to hope that I was either stronger or had a more refined technique, but considering her background...
Frowning, I pushed her sword away and jumped back, avoiding a swift riposte that threatened to skewer my left side.
Steadying my breathing, I walked around the snake woman, my eyes searching her guard for a singular chink, but none appeared; at least, ones that were genuine breaks and not traps to lure me forwards.
Narrowing my eyes, I stared at her hard before lunging straight towards her.
So far, we've crossed blades with little use of our other limbs; my kick was the extent of that.
If I needed to change things up, then I needed to take Kat's newfound versatility and incorporate it into my own style, but...
Spinning around Liako's body, I slashed at her side and legs, only for the woman to jump and avoid the blows.
Her leg shot out towards my head, which I pivoted to avoid, before she ducked under a sweeping high kick.
Following it up with a swift jab, I growled as my fist 'hit' air, all while the snake woman rolled away.
This was tricky...
Biting my lip, I grinned as I rushed forwards, giving her a mere moment to get to her feet again before a rain of slashes fell upon her.
Whilst she weathered the storm of swift strikes, I released one hand from my hilt and grabbed her wrist, yanking her forwards.
Letting out a surprised gasp, Liako was silenced as I slammed my head into hers, sending her staggering back.
The pain and spinning I had just gave myself was annoying, but I pushed past it and pressed onwards, my blade pointing at her now bloody face, a thin gash coating her fair skin red.
Her blue eyes were glimmering with annoyance as she stared at the tip of my sword, before she sighed as she dropped her weapon.
"Very well... congratulations, Lady Anput..."
Chuckling, I withdrew my sword and smirked at her before walking away, letting her heal her own wounds.
The woman sighed again as she watched that, and I snuck between Jahi and Leone, who were intently watching Kat's fight.
Leone jumped as I pinched her waist, while Jahi glanced down at me for a moment before returning her gaze to Kat, who was spinning around the clearing.
"She is just so..."
Hearing my mutter, Leone stopped glaring at me as she nodded, her eyes glued to Kat's figure as she fought.
She wasn't as fast as normal, nor as strong, but...
I smiled as I watched her, enjoying the treat before me.
~~~
Kat PoV
Leone's method to win was unconventional but rather smart...
So it fit her to a tee.
She scrambled back towards Jahi and I swiftly, before being pulled into an embrace by the Demoness.
Watching them with a warm heart, I smiled slightly before stepping onto the sandy training grounds, where Professor Thorn stood, his lips pursed.
Hefting his axe, he stared at me for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Whenever you're ready, Miss Kat."
Nodding, I spun the dagger around in my hand for a few moments before settling on a plan, gripping the wooden blade in a reverse grip.
I rushed forwards first, putting more emphasis on my speed instead of power.
Stabbing his axe forwards, Thorn grunted as I stepped past it and spun around him, avoiding the backwards pull that would have skewered my back.
Shifting his grip on the haft of the axe, Thorn blocked my upwards slash before trying to jab the back of the haft at my stomach.
Swaying away from it, I ducked under the next swing before jumping upwards, sending a palm towards his exposed neck.
Thorn shifted slightly to the side, which made me stumble forwards a step.
Being so close to him, I had to quickly slip away from his space lest he began to abandon the heavy axe and switch to his fists.
That would put me in a truly bad spot.
Utilizing the momentum I had, I slammed into his muscled chest and rebounded backwards, away from him.
He grunted slightly as my entire body weight pressed against him, forcing him to plant his feet.
Jumping back a few feet, I narrowed my eyes as I stared at his axe.
Maybe...
Refocusing on the man himself, I shot forwards again and ducked under another swing, slipping out towards his side.
Raising my dagger, I slashed a dozen times at his arm, scoring a few blows against the hairy, muscular forearm and bicep.
Gritting his teeth, the man held onto the axe, before gasping in agony as I slammed my dagger against his knuckles.
Letting it go, he growled as I yanked on the haft, pulling the axe away from his other hand.
Gripping my new weapon, I stared at him for a moment before stabbing the axe forwards.
Forced to dodge, the Bearkin reached out to grab his axe back from my hands, only to widen his eyes as I relinquished it with ease.
Repalming my dagger, I shot forwards and slammed my shoulder into his chest, knocking the air out of him before swinging the dagger towards his body.
With a flurry of cuts, I brought him to his knees, my unorthodox, all over the place attacks causing confusion and putting the Bearkin's more practiced and pattern laden fighting style in disarray; that was something I noticed during his fight with Leone.
So, I stared at him for a moment before bowing, knowing that I had one.
If I had been wielding a steel weapon instead of a wooden one, I would have killed him via dozens of cuts; a painful way to go, that.
Swiftly returning to Jahi's side, I had to try my best to hold in the gleeful beating of my heart as I recalled the gasps he made when I landed each blow.
The gap between the strong, manly outer appearance and those cute little gasps made my heart flutter, and I had grown both equally aroused and frustrated.
I wanted to see his suffering continue further, but I knew I couldn't.
I also had slipped myself into heat again, not that it took a lot these days...
Anput and Jahi smirked at me, and their overwhelming scents made my head spin.
With this new free time we had available...
Grabbing me by the shoulders, Jahi leaned down and whispered "Good job puppy~! Now, let's go home and get you a sufficient... treat, yes~?"
---
Combat finals done, wanted them to actually be fleshed out; when the Magic and History finals take place, it will be a singular chapter from just one characters PoV to make it go by quicker.
Think a time skip, of minor proportions, is in order here; get the girls doing something before we continue forwards!
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