Arifureta: Dark Lord

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As the dust continued to swirl, the audience grew increasingly rowdy. They hadn't expected Reiji to retaliate in such a manner since he was previously shown to stay on the defense and counter. With the dust obscuring their view, anticipation gnawed at them.

The crowd had split into groups, and the class factions quickly separated. The instructors, led by Captain Meld, formed a tight-knit cluster while Kouki's group, except for Kaori, sat nearby.

"I must say, Captain Meld, this is quite fascinating," remarked one of the female instructors. "Who could have imagined that such a young man would possess such a remarkable move in his arsenal?"

"He truly is a genius, isn't he? I hope he requests to train under me. Although my weapon choice differs from his, experience is something he can't afford to lose," a male instructor added, brandishing his sword.

Another female instructor chimed in, "Right?! He's super cute as well. I wonder if he has a girlfriend." Her dangerous glint didn't go unnoticed, as everyone looked at her funny. Realizing the mood, she saved herself, waving her hands and saying, "It's just a joke, alright? Just a joke!"

‘She wasn't joking,’ The instructors all thought to themselves. They were unsure of how to react to the inappropriate comment, but before they could say or do anything, Captain Meld stepped in.

"I would advise you not to try anything against the students, Ayame," Captain Meld informed, not shifting his position but giving her a glance that meant this was a warning and not one to be taken lightly.

"My~ my~, Captain Meld, whatever do you mean by that?" Ayame asked in a playful tone. When she received no response, she continued, "Alright, I won't do anything. But if he wants to train under me, you can't stop him, alright?"

Captain Meld's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "I have no intention of stopping any of the students from choosing their path. However, I trust that you will not let your personal interests interfere with their development as heroes."

Ayame's smile remained fixed as she replied, "Of course, Captain. I only have their best interests at heart." But the other instructors could tell that she had ulterior motives, and they exchanged uneasy glances.

…

Meanwhile, Reiji found himself surrounded by a cloud of dust and was short of breath, indicating his exhaustion. "Haah, haaahh," he gasped, the toll from his previous attack catching up with him. As he peered forward, the unmistakable outline of Tatsuya emerged from the dust cloud.

"My, my, Reiji. You look exhausted," Tatsuya taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Simply fatigued, it would seem that you should forfeit this match, right? As you can see, I'm pretty much unscathed from your brilliant counterattack. Simply marvelous, I tell you."

Reiji didn't reply but took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his spear. "You don't seem to understand the situation you put yourself in," he said, twirling his weapon as his mind began to clear and his senses heightened. "You know, for a weapon specialist, you're pretty dumb, aren't you?"

Tatsuya's expression turned sour as he glared at Reiji with disdain. Ignoring Tatsuya's hostility, Reiji continued, "You know, it's quite amusing. 'An adolescent teen holds more skill than the weapon specialist who was recognized by the king himself.' It would make for a funny story, wouldn't you agree?"

Dodging Tatsuya's sudden strike, Reiji continued his provocations, “Wow, is this the best you can do? If I were the King, I would’ve taken away your title in a heartbeat.”

As Tatsuya picked up speed, his attacks became more ferocious but lost their technique. The force behind his strikes began to fan the dust, revealing the grounds once more.

The two continued to exchange blows, with Reiji deftly pivoting to the side and angling his spear, using the shaft to redirect the force of Tatsuya's sword away from his body and using the force to throw it off course. However, each blow from Tatsuya's sword sent shockwaves through Reiji's arms and shoulders, threatening to jar his grip on his spear loose, leaving him with little choice but to dodge and parry.

Seizing an opportunity, Reiji added his own force to Tatsuya's swing, slamming it to the side and causing Tatsuya's body to follow before quickly unleashing a powerful kick that sent Tatsuya flying into the distance. The blow wafted away some of the dust.

Contorting his body quickly, Tatsuya landed on his feet before glaring at Reiji. "Quit running away and come face me, you coward!" he bellowed, his face seething with resentment. "You're nothing but a fake; a phony warrior. A scared boy afraid of facing me head-on. Have some honor and fight me!"

Reiji stood still, gazing at Tatsuya, unnerved by his hostility. "Although I've said it once, I'll say it again so that it sticks. You're pretty dumb for a weapon specialist. If you thought your tantrum was going to magically change my mind, then you're sorely mistaken."

As Reiji spoke, Tatsuya grew increasingly frustrated, his mana unconsciously leaking in minuscule amounts, unbeknownst to himself. Unaware of this, Reiji continued, "Why should I have to face you head-on like a hothead? There's no such thing as fair or unfair in battle. There is only victory or, in your case, defeat."

"What are you talking about?!" Tatsuya growled, his fists clenching and his grip tightening on his sword.

"Even now, you can't comprehend it," Reiji commented, shaking his head. "Look down from where you're standing." Begrudgingly following Reiji's instructions, Tatsuya's eyes widened, threatening to pop out of his sockets as a mixture of shock, confusion, and anger overwhelmed him.

"You see it now, don't you?" Reiji asked sarcastically, watching as Tatsuya looked down and saw that he was standing outside the boundary line. "And since you're finally aware of your status, you should realize by now that the dust cloud cleared up just recently. The whole crowd is aware of this very moment, so saving yourself is impossible. In other words, you lost."

Tatsuya's face twisted into a mask of fury at Reiji's words, his rage palpable. Without a second thought, his mana exploded, and he moved faster than Reiji could see, closing the distance between them in an instant.

Tatsuya raised his sword, preparing to strike with all his might, but before he could land a blow, Captain Meld appeared between them, intervening before things could turn dangerous. "That’s enough, Tatsuya!" Captain Meld ordered sternly.

Tatsuya hesitated for a moment, his sword still raised, before slowly lowering it. His mana slowly dissipated, and he took a step back, still glaring at Reiji. Fixing Reiji with a stern look, Captain Meld addressed him in a no-nonsense tone.

"Reiji, you were aware that Tatsuya had stepped outside the boundary line, yet you still provoked him. That was a reckless move and could have resulted in serious harm," Captain Meld reprimanded.

Reiji shrugged with indifference. "He needed to learn his place. I'm not one of his toys he could humiliate to gain clout. Besides, he wouldn't have been able to hurt me anyway. I knew you would intervene if it got too hectic. Your gaze isn't exactly hard to catch onto, you know?"

"Anyway, could you call over a healer before I go and sit down? Tatsuya's kick may have broken a rib or two." Captain Meld nodded in agreement. "I'll cash in those favors at a later date. So if you'll excuse me, I'll go sit down before my adrenaline wears off and I fatigue."

As Reiji departed to the sidelines, Tatsuya was left seething with anger. Captain Meld turned to him and said, "Tatsuya, you should know better than to let your emotions get the best of you. You're an instructor here, so you need to present yourself accordingly."

"With how you acted today, the students here won’t take you seriously. It’s up to you to fix that. Do you understand?"

Tatsuya gritted his teeth, still glaring at Reiji's retreating figure. "I know, Captain. I'll try." With a deep breath, Tatsuya took a step back, trying to calm himself down. He knew that Reiji's words were meant to provoke him, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow.

As the healer arrived to tend to Reiji's injuries, he leaned back against the wall in a mixture of satisfaction and exhaustion. There were several reasons why Reiji had emerged victorious in the fight, but he was too tired to articulate them at the moment.

As he drifted into a state of light sleep, he felt the cool touch of the healer's hand hovering around his abdomen.