Following Xander, all 50 students entered the Duel Class, which was a huge hall with multiple machines and weapons that could be used. It consisted of everything that people could utilize in duels, but the most important thing was the training rooms. This whole big facility was a gym for awakeners and was used by first-years only. Each year had its own duel hall, which consisted of better facilities to accommodate their greater strength than the first years.
"Vice-Principal Xander!" A man with slightly brown hair and a tall stature greeted Xander.
"Professor Erwin, you may begin with your lecture," Xander replied.
"Where's Asher Greville?" Erwin looked around but could not find Asher.
"He is using one of the training rooms," Xander replied.
"Is there anything the matter?" Xander asked Erwin.
"Oh, I wanted to convince him to drop out of Elemental Theory," Erwin replied with a straight face, but Xander could tell he was lying. He had heard rumors that Erwin was involved with Blood Faction and the World Association, but he could not take action without evidence that went against the rules of the World Academy. A professor could show favoritism, and it was allowed in the World Academy, but depending on their class's performance and results, it would affect their authority. Multiple factors were considered before the professors were given more stars.
"He will not be joining Sword Arts," Xander said with a convinced look on his face.
"Eh?" Erwin got confused why Xander, of all people, would allow such a thing to happen. The most strict individual he had met in his whole life was allowing someone to play around and not focus on the things they were talented in. Wasn't this type the people Xander hated the most?
'Shit, I need to convince this bastard,' Erwin thought to himself.
"But don't you think it's a waste of talent, Vice-Principal Xander?" Erwin said, pointing at the students.
"What if we have a duel with the students here, and if he wins, we will allow him to do whatever he wants?"
"I know I can't teach him better than Sir Nathaniel Greville, but we should not casually allow such things to happen," Erwin said, with a smile on his face.
"Do you think any of them can defeat Asher?" Xander said, but his words frustrated everyone except Damian, who knew that Asher was better than him. Even Vanessa wanted to say something, but she kept her mouth shut, fearing Xander's punishments.
"I know. I have seen the Year Representative tournament, but what if all of them attacked him together?" Erwin said, but it made Xander frown.
"How is that fair?" Xander asked with a stern look on his face.
"I heard he had reached D-Rank, so he can fight all these students here, right?"
"Well, life is not fair as well, and if he wants to venture into the mage's path, then he should prove that his weapon arts talent is high enough to defeat all first years," Erwin said while shrugging his shoulders.
"There is no need for all this. Students can choose whatever path they want to choose." Xander denied Erwin's request, making Erwin a bit restless.
At that moment, Asher came out of the training room, and his gaze was even colder than before. Erwin saw a chance, so he decided to act on it.
"Vice-Principal, why don't we ask the person in question if he will agree to the duel or not?" Erwin asked Xander with a respectful tone.
"What do you want?" Asher asked Erwin with no respect.
Erwin was an S-Rank Hunter and a reputable person, but Asher's words made him frown further, although he kept it in. He remembered the order he had received from a certain person, so he carried on with his acting.
"Asher Greville, if you don't want to participate in the sword art class, why don't you defeat everyone here and prove that you are better than all the first years?" Erwin challenged Asher.
Other students were confused by Erwin's action. Each student could decide the subject they wanted to study, and nobody could deny them until they failed that class. Asher could simply refuse, and Erwin would not be able to do anything.
"Sure, why not?" Asher said with an indifferent look, which made Xander raise his eyebrows for a bit.
This time it was different. Nobody knew about Asher's capabilities back then, and he was against 50 students together.
"I will drop out of this," Damian spoke out, bringing attention to him.
Erwin got annoyed as Damian was one of the candidates who had the most skill in close combat, but because he wanted to become a tanker, he had decided not to train close combat as his main profession.
Following Damian, many students dropped out, and only 20 students, including Kevin, Sam, Alan, Matthew, and Venessa, remained standing. The majority of these students were those that disliked Asher's attitude and his arrogance that he could take on all of them alone and wanted to crush him for once.
Xander was not a person to interfere now that Asher had given him his approval, so he decided to watch the match.
"You see, this guy doesn't like to team up like smart people, so why don't we attack him together?" Sam asked Venessa while mocking Kevin.
"Hoh, a young master wants a commoner's help?" Venessa made a surprised face.
"Why not? You had formed aura at the same speed as us, right?" Sam shrugged his shoulders.
He was the type to use every resource he had to reach his goals.
"I will cooperate," Kevin said, which surprised Sam, but he just smirked as he had another variable to crush Asher.
Sam didn't hate Asher like others, but he wanted to give back the beating he received back to Asher for once.
"Okay, we have three rules to follow," said Erwin as 20 students started to form a circle around Asher, who was standing alone in the center of that circle.
"All of you will use practice weapons but you cannot target vital spots, nor inflinct a lethal injury."
"No use of mana."
"You cannot attack an opponent who is on the ground."
"This is purely a physical spar," Erwin said and brought out some bracelets from his spatial ring.
Erwin made everyone wear a mana-restricting bracelet, which made it impossible for them to use mana in this duel. Each of them chose a weapon they liked, and nobody was worried about getting any lethal injury as an S-Rank hunter like Erwin could stop the duel any second he wanted.
| Mana Restricting Bracelets |
| Rank C - Restricts mana for mana core less than Rank C- |
Asher saw the information about the bracelets due to his system,
"Beat them all up!!!" Damian cheered Asher loudly.
In this duel where only physical strength mattered, all of them thought they could defeat Asher by just tiring him out.
Asher was moving the sword in his arms around to get adjusted to the weight of the weapon.
"Three... two... one... START!!" Erwin shouted, and Kevin was the first one to dash towards Asher.
It was not only Kevin but Sam, Matthew and Venessa rushed at him from all directions.
"It was you who wanted this fight, not me," Sam smirked, as he and Kevin were the first ones to strike their spears towards Asher's torso.
Despite his mana being restricted, Asher's base stats were much higher than all of them. Before their spears could connect with his body, Asher immediately ducked down and spun around as he kicked both of their feet.
"Shit," Sam cursed as he lost his footing.
And so did Kevin, but unlike Sam who just fell to the ground, Asher grabbed Kevin's hand and threw him towards Matthew who was creeping behind him.
*Slash*
Venessa struck Asher, thinking that she was in his blind spot, but she was utterly wrong when she saw the blade in Asher's hand tilt and strike near the hilt of her sword.
Asher's strength was enough to make Venessa lose her grip over the sword.
'Too good,' Xander was watching Asher's movements and his quick judgment, and he could not find a single flaw in his decisions.
Asher had an indifferent look the whole time, which made others hesitate in rushing him, but Kevin's shout made them move.
"Go attack him! Don't stand there like idiots," Kevin shouted, which was unlike him, but it was successful as over four students rushed at Asher.
Asher dodged the first three strikes and blocked the fourth one. Most of these students were only doing basic attacks that Erwin had taught them yesterday. Weapon Arts were not something they could master in a day or so.
Asher took his sword and he could see the nodes present on everyone's body, but all of them were vital spots. If he hit them there, it was instant disqualification for him, but he didn't need to do that.
All of them were wearing special clothes for duel class that reduced the chances of them getting cut a lot.
*Bam*
Asher's sword slashed and made an impact on the ribs of one of the students, and the sheer force was enough to knock them out on the ground.
*Cling* *Cling*
He parried two other students while pushing them back and dodging the attack from a student that came from behind.
But before he could counter-attack, he saw Matthew, who had closed the distance between them, and Kevin, who was ready to attack him as he countered Matthew.
'Weak,' Asher thought in his mind, and his gaze was becoming colder.
The effect of Rune of Eirdin was still fresh, and he didn't have total control over his madness. His quick glance with his crimson red eyes intimidated Matthew, and he made an error in his timing, and Asher spun his sword into a large slash which Matthew could not block, but the impact made him fall to the ground meters away from Asher.
Kevin, who was about to connect his spear towards Asher's back, saw Asher turning his hand behind his back as his sword diverted the spear to his left.
Asher turned quickly and raised his left foot and kicked Kevin's jaw, knocking him out on the ground.
"What the hell is this monster?" Venessa saw Kevin getting knocked out in a single attack and stopped in her tracks.
All of them were fighting without mana, and Asher had a clear advantage as long as they could not protect themselves using mana to strengthen themselves internally.
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