Shattered Sanity

(Inside Dueling Arena Number One, Riven’s POV)

After breakfast, the first class that the students had this morning was Dueling and Practical Combat under Professor Jude, as nearly four hundred first-years gathered inside Dueling Arena Number One.

Professor Jude was already waiting for them when they arrived, standing at the center of the enormous arena alongside several assistants while racks containing Academy-issued weapons had been positioned around the battleground.

Once the last few students hurried inside and joined their friends, Jude stepped forward before sweeping his gaze across the gathered first-years.

”Morning, students. I’m Professor Jude, and I’ll be teaching you Dueling and Practical Combat throughout this year,” he introduced, as the conversations around the arena quickly disappeared.

”Here at the Academy, we have broken combat down into two essential parts. The first is one-on-one fighting, or what we commonly call dueling, while the second is practical combat, where you’ll learn how to fight alongside allies and survive against multiple opponents.”

Jude slowly began pacing across the battleground as hundreds of eyes followed him.

”For the first semester, our focus is going to remain entirely on dueling. We’re going to sharpen whatever foundations you currently possess, identify the weaknesses within your fighting styles and teach you how to properly face another trained Ascendant.”

”Once the first semester ends, we’re going to move towards group battles and various practical war scenarios, where you’ll learn how to command a battlefield and how to survive a real war.”

Several students nodded thoughtfully.

”But that’s for later.”

Jude stopped.

”For now, what you need to understand is the essence of dueling.”

His tone became considerably more serious as he looked across the students standing before him.

”There is a fundamental difference between a duel and some street fight or death brawl, because a duel, most importantly, is fought with honor.”

Riven listened quietly from amongst the Argent students, although something about the tone Jude used in his explanation warned him that he was about to be attacked.

”When this great Empire was still being formed three hundred years ago, our First Emperor found his advancing armies opposed by King Harold and the warriors who controlled much of what we now recognize as the northern territories.”

Jude clasped his hands behind his back.

”Thousands of soldiers stood ready to fight that day, and thousands of powerful Ascendants were potentially going to die over which ruler had the right to claim those lands.”

”However, instead of throwing away the lives of their soldiers, the First Emperor and King Harold agreed to settle the matter themselves.”

Several students immediately became more attentive.

”They fought one-on-one before both armies, with the agreement that the victor was going to claim the disputed territory while the defeated ruler retreated alongside his forces.”

Jude paused for a moment.

”Our Emperor won.”

A few proud smiles appeared amongst the students.

”But what matters for today’s lesson isn’t simply the fact that he won. What matters is how those two men fought.”

Jude’s gaze passed across the crowd.

”There was no poison. There were no hidden assassins waiting to interfere. Neither man had soldiers positioned nearby to stab the other in the back the moment the duel began turning against him.”

”They fought face-to-face as warriors, and when one man proved himself superior, the battle ended.”

Jude raised one hand towards the students.

”Both men walked away with their heads held high that day, and King Harold’s family eventually became the Northern Ducal House, serving the very Empire their ancestor had once opposed.”

”For King Harold’s men, his defeat did not make them think less of him. If anything, his willingness to place his own life on the line rather than sacrifice theirs proved that their king was a man prepared to die for those who followed him.”

Riven found himself listening more carefully as Jude continued.

”That tradition remains amongst the nobility even today.”

”Disputes between noble families involving borders, assets, businesses, insults to honor and countless other matters can still be settled through formal duels. Sometimes the nobles involved fight personally, while other times they appoint champions to represent them.”

”However, regardless of who enters the battleground, the essence remains the same.”

Jude stopped pacing.

”A duel is supposed to be a cut above basic barbarism.”

His gaze settled directly upon Riven.

”It is a contest intended to determine who possesses the greater skill, discipline and mastery over their abilities, rather than who is more willing to abandon every shred of dignity and chase victory through whatever savage means happen to be available.”

The atmosphere around Riven immediately became uncomfortable.

Several students glanced in his direction, as though disgusted by how he fought yesterday, however, Riven ignored them all.

”We are warriors, not animals.”

Jude continued, as he refused to break eye contact with Riven.

”And while winning is important, I expect every single student who passes through my class to understand that there are things considerably more important than achieving victory at any cost.”

Riven’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”I expect honorable warriors to leave this Academy, rather than morally bankrupt fools who believe that the result of a fight excuses everything they did to achieve it.”

Jude declared before finally looking away, however, the damage was already done.

Riven did not need Circuit sitting beside him to explain what had just happened, as judging by the number of students currently sneaking glances in his direction, practically everyone understood that ninety percent of Jude’s speech had been aimed specifically at him.

’So he really does hate the way I fought yesterday.’

Riven thought, as his gaze remained fixed upon the professor.

He had already noticed Jude’s disapproval after the exhibition match.

Even while Cedric was pulling him away from the arena, Riven remembered Professor Jude staring towards him as though he had committed some terrible crime rather than winning a perfectly legal duel.

Still, Riven refused to lower his gaze whenever Jude looked towards him.

As far as Riven was concerned, there was one rather significant detail the professor did not understand.

’I didn’t have another choice.’

Gary had been considerably more skilled than him.

Riven possessed greater raw physical ability, an exceptional weapon and a body capable of enduring punishment that most people could not tolerate, but none of those advantages changed how thoroughly Gary had dominated him whenever their weapons actually clashed.

If Riven had attempted to fight according to the honorable standards Jude was currently praising, the exhibition was going to end with Gary’s sword resting against his throat.

So Riven adapted.

He fought the only way he could, and he did so to protect the honor of his surname.

Perhaps Professor Jude considered that barbaric, but Riven had entered the arena intending to win, and until someone taught him enough to defeat Gary through skill alone, he could hardly use abilities he did not possess.

”Anyway,” Jude said, breaking Riven away from his thoughts.

”Since today is your first class, there isn’t much point in burying you beneath theory before I’ve even seen most of you fight.”

Jude gestured towards the open battleground.

”So let me demonstrate what this course is actually going to involve.”

He smiled.

”Anyone brave enough to face me?”

Several students looked between one another, although one hand rose almost immediately from amongst House Sable.

”Me, Professor! Pick me!”

Jude looked towards the volunteer before nodding approvingly.

”Good. Come forward. Tell us your name and what weapon you use?”

”I’m Fredrick, sir, I come from military division six, and my weapon of choice is longsword.”

The young man replied, as he entered the center of the arena.

”I want the rest of you to observe carefully,” Jude explained, as one of his assistants brought forward two standard Academy longswords.

”I’m going to allow him to attack me for two minutes without deliberately returning a single offensive strike.”

Jude accepted one sword before tossing the other towards Fredrick.

”Afterward, I’m going to tell him exactly what I noticed, what he’s doing correctly and, more importantly, what needs improvement.”

The student caught the sword before quickly assuming his stance.

Jude casually raised his own.

”Come.”

The boy charged.

CLANK!

His opening slash crashed against Jude’s sword before immediately transitioning into another.

CLANK! CLANK!

The Sable student attacked aggressively, moving forward with considerable ferocity as his sword repeatedly came towards Jude from different angles.

Yet Professor Jude barely seemed inconvenienced.

CLANK!

He intercepted another attack with the smallest movement necessary before shifting half a step sideways, causing the boy’s next swing to cut through empty air.

The student immediately recovered.

CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

Three more attacks followed.

Jude blocked two before simply moving his head away from the third.

Riven watched carefully.

The difference between them was enormous.

Jude never seemed to waste a movement.

Whenever the student swung too widely, the professor simply moved outside the blade’s path, while every block seemed positioned precisely enough to redirect the attack without requiring unnecessary strength.

At one point, Jude deliberately left his shoulder exposed.

The Sable student immediately attacked it.

However, the instant he committed his weight forward, Jude stepped aside and lightly touched the student’s wrist with the flat of his sword.

The small interruption was enough to ruin his balance.

The boy stumbled forward before barely preventing himself from falling.

A few students laughed.

”Keep going,” Jude encouraged.

The boy gritted his teeth and attacked again.

For nearly two minutes, the pattern continued until the Sable student was breathing heavily while Jude looked as though he had barely taken an unnecessary breath.

Eventually, Jude raised his hand.

”Enough.”

The boy immediately stopped.

”Your core isn’t strong enough,” Jude said.

The Sable student’s expression tightened.

”Your swings are too wide, especially whenever you become frustrated, and your feet aren’t properly balanced beneath you when you’re attacking at full strength.”

Jude pointed towards the student’s legs.

”That’s why I managed to throw you off balance repeatedly without actually attacking you. You’re committing more weight than your lower body can properly support.”

The student nodded seriously.

”You need considerably more physical conditioning before you’re going to become a proper swordsman.”

Jude paused before smiling.

”But your understanding of spacing is good, and I like your ferocity. You weren’t intimidated by the difference between us, and you kept searching for another opening every time the previous one disappeared.”

The boy’s disappointment immediately softened.

”Don’t worry. I’ll make a warrior out of you.”

The Sable student smiled before rubbing the back of his head.

”Thank you, Professor.”

”Good. Since you were bold enough to accept my challenge in front of everyone, I’m going to give you a small privilege.”

Jude gestured towards the gathered students.

”You can choose any opponent you want for another spar.”

Excited murmurs immediately spread across the arena.

”After that, my assistants and I are going to divide everyone into partners, and all of you are going to spar while we move between your fights and observe.”

Jude returned his sword towards the weapon rack.

”It’s probably going to take me around a week to properly understand everyone’s fighting style, strengths and weaknesses before I can begin putting together training regimens designed to improve each of you individually.”

He looked back towards the Sable student.

”But that’s for later.”

Jude smiled.

”For now, who do you want?”

The boy barely needed to think.

His gaze moved across the gathered students before settling upon House Argent.

More specifically, upon Riven.

A grin spread across his face.

”I want Riven Dawnriver, of course.”

The arena immediately became considerably quieter.

Riven stared back towards him.

The Sable student raised his sword before resting it comfortably against his shoulder.

”That is, if he’s man enough to accept my challenge.”

Several students immediately turned towards Riven.

Riven’s jaw tightened.

’What the fuck does he mean, if I’m man enough?’

He had not intended to fight anyone today.

His palm was still recovering from the sword that had pierced straight through it yesterday, his body had already endured Professor Mike’s morning conditioning, and another unnecessary confrontation was the last thing he needed after everything that had happened.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Not after the bastard had phrased his challenge like that.

Riven slowly stepped away from the Argent students.

’Well, now I have no choice but to accept.’