"Well?!" the Yuncandel shouted, pointing his wooden sword at Yushin.
Yushin didn't flinch. He simply stared back. A quiet sigh escaped him as he bent down and picked up the sword that had been thrown at his feet. He raised it with one hand, the blade limp in his grip. His posture lacked aggression, even looking half-hearted.
But that alone was enough to provoke the Yuncandel further.
Behind the anger brewing on the knight's face was a grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. This was the perfect chance. Beating an otherworlder in front of the entire batch—there was no better way to cement himself at the top of the food chain.
He lunged forward, like a cheetah. He had no intention of waiting for Yushin to strike first.
Wind brushed across Yushin's face as the wooden blade sped toward him. He tilted his head, dodging the thrust by a narrow margin. There was a moment to retaliate, but he didn't take it. He shifted back and raised his guard, blocking and sidestepping with smooth, deliberate motion.
The Yuncandel pressed on. He moved with strength and practiced ease, not wasting energy. Despite the flurry of attacks, he barely seemed to exert himself. His lineage was evident in every move, and the watching students were quick to decide the victor.
From their view, Yushin was barely hanging on and he didn't strike back. The Yuncandel looked like the superior fighter in every way and that was exactly what the he wanted them to believe.
He pushed in, getting uncomfortably close to Yushin. Close enough to see the fine details of Yushin's crimson eyes. Then, he swung again.
Yushin raised his sword to block, but mid-swing, the Yuncandel twisted his whole body, redirecting the momentum of the swing into another brutal thrust.
A sound that can only be created by hitting your bone with a hard object was created for everyone to hear.
The wooden tip of the Yuncandel's sword buckled under the sheer force of striking Yushin directly at the center of his ribcage.
Yushin dropped his sword as he stepped backwards like a drunk, holding his chest in pain, his breathing was struggling to pull in air let alone breathe air out. He took a knee, his hands now catching the blood that dripped from his mouth.
In front of him, he saw the Yuncandel throwing his sword away, his face satisfied from the victory. He turned his back at Yushin before speaking.
"Janos Yuncandel, remember that..."
In the distance, a pair of faces managed to push through the tight crowd, Nuriel was distraught at the sight, as for Vivienne, she didn't seem much surprised at his sorry state. In fact, she was more surprised about the exotic appearance of Yushin.
The crowd began dispersing as there was no longer anything exciting to look at. Not a single one bothered to help Yushin who was coughing up even more blood, staining the floor in tiny splashes.
Nuriel ran towards him trough the parting crowd, extending his hand. "Are you alright?—
Yushin shrugged him off, while wiping his bloodied mouth.
"It's fine, you were the one that helped me pick out books right? I didn't thank you properly" he said, his voice was hoarse from the injury.
He stood up, patting the dirt off his trousers, he began speaking once more but this time it sounded normal. "I have my classes in the afternoon, so I'll be going now."
Yushin bowed and said his thanks then ran off as if he had never even been injured. Nuriel was awestruck by his attitude, deciding on whether to chase after him or leave him be.
'Is he trying to act cool?' Nuriel thought, his face was twitching in a mix of surprise and confusion. Before long he decided to just leave him be.
This was part of the curriculum of students in this academy however, it's unknown if a student that came from another academy would be exempted from it.
Nuriel stopped thinking about it, deciding it was best for Yaromech to deal with since he was now the legal guardian of Yushin.
He turned to Vivienne. "Should we leave?"
Vivienne shook her head, he wasn't surprised, even if she snooped around the academy, she'd find nothing but screaming students, blood, and sweat.
'Well... maybe when we're at the College of Magic'
***
The two walked home together, however, Vivienne took a hard turn into a different direction and Nuriel was hesitant at following her.
"I'm getting groceries, go clean the apartment." She instructed.
. . .
She continued walking into the darkness before disappearing completely, leaving Nuriel in the dust.
'Sure... "groceries"...' he thought, but hearing that other line caught him off guard completely. But then again, only she knew how to cook so he was under her palms.
He could buy takeout but that would slowly eat away at his salary and allowance, especially food from Owhen University. Since there were aristocrats present, they were not deterred from spending money at only the most luxurious restaurants and cafes.
On the other hand, common students and faculty alike flocked to the university-sponsored market that was always open.
Walking home, he spent time cleaning the apartment, wiping the floor with a mop. His stomach grumbled during the cleaning, and he stared at the kitchen which was connected with the living room, his eyes locking upon a fridge-like contraption.
It was tiny, its height only reached his hips. Opening the fridge, he didn't see much ingredients.
When she broke away from him from before, he thought she went to do some of her needed spy work, but.
'Did she actually go out to buy ingredients—'
Bang.
The door was kicked open, Nuriel jumped at the sound and he turned to see Vivienne holding two bags filled to the brim with various vegetables, meat, condiments, and spices.
Nuriel remembered the fact that he did give her a golden eagle bill, wishing that she didn't buy too much and clog the tiny fridge, leaving the rest to spoil.
Vivienne observed the room for any dirt before walking towards the kitchen. Nuriel watched her every move like a hawk, seeing if she snuck unknown condiments like poison into the pot while he wasn't looking.
After the meal, the two washed up before going to their separate rooms.
Nuriel refrained from sleeping to give himself some moment to think of other things. He hugged his other pillow tightly as he buried himself deeper inside his blanket.
'I wonder when she'll take the chance to head out and investigate, if I was her...'
He imagined himself in the position of Vivienne. The job of a librarian was mundane, sitting all day long managing and helping students, but since it was the daytime shift, she's allowed to sneak out at night where it's the most quiet and least busiest.
Given that it was the opening, the security would've been stretched to its limit as they were still adjusting to the presence of high-profile students, usually aristocrats or children of conglomerates, and getting used to the new schedule and needs.
He delved in deeper into thought, and without realizing, he drifted into sleep, under the warm embrace of his thick blanket.
***
Vivienne stepped out of her bed, a couple of hours was enough to get her energized. Looking at the clock, it was an hour past midnight.
She opened her drawers and took out a briefcase, laying it on the floor and quietly opening it to take out its contents.
A dark full-body suit, strapped with holders for knives and various gadgets along with a single pistol that carried eight rounds and some extra on her suit.
Quietly, she undressed her nightgown and wore the new clothing. She stretched her body around in front of the mirror, seeing if the suit hugged her properly and didn't tear if she ever did anything too crazy.
She admired her sculpted body, the suit showing her defined yet tightly packed muscles. She remembered the many instances of people staring at her, but she was used to it.
She then wore a dark face plate that hid her identity before pulling a hood stitched into her suit to cover her head entirely.
After that, she locked the door and went straight to her window. She slowly swung it wide open and went outside. Careful not to fall, she grabbed the small crevices of the building using only her fingers, making her way to Nuriel's window.
Pulling herself up, she only let a bit of her head poke through the window.
She saw him huddled up in his bed, sleeping like a baby.
Nuriel was an unexpected variable in her mission. He was ordinary and normal enough and didn't seem to suspect her.
She continued staring at his face before jumping down from the second floor, silently cushioning the impact as she landed.