Shattered Sanity

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

Riven slowly walked away from the Argent students and entered the arena, as Professor Jude watched his approach with considerably more caution than he had shown towards Fredrick moments earlier.

Behind him, the silence lasted only a few seconds before voices began raining down from amongst the gathered first-years.

”Whoop his ass, Fredrick!”

”Do it for all of us!”

”Show him what real honor looks like!”

”Don’t be intimidated by his surname! Show him what you’re made of!”

The loudest support came from Fredrick’s companions from the military, although members of House Sable and Aureate quickly joined them, as the hostility Riven had accumulated over the previous few hours gave almost everyone a reason to support his opponent.

However, Riven continued to walk unfazed, despite there not being a single public cheer for him.

”Would you like an Academy-issued weapon, or are you going to fight with your own?”

Professor Jude asked once Riven reached the center.

Riven did not immediately answer.

Instead, he reached towards the compact form of Sky-Cleaver resting beside his waist before pumping Aether into the ancient weapon.

CLICK!

The mechanisms hidden throughout Sky-Cleaver immediately responded.

Its shortened shaft extended rapidly through Riven’s hand as its metallic sections locked together, while the curved blade unfolded from the opposite end until the compact weapon transformed into a full-sized halberd.

Several students instinctively quietened.

Professor Jude looked towards Sky-Cleaver before returning his attention towards Riven.

”All right.”

His expression remained stern, although his voice became noticeably softer.

”I expect you to fight with honor today, Dawnriver.”

Riven looked directly towards him.

”You are one of the more promising students I have this year, and I’m willing to forget what happened yesterday if you show me that you can change your ways.....

We might have started this year on the wrong foot, but this is your chance to make amends.”

Jude paused.

”Do you understand?”

Jude asked, as Riven felt mildly surprised by his tone.

After publicly admonishing him just minutes ago, the professor was now offering him an off ramp, as he accepted it almost instantly.

”I understand, Professor.”

He said, as he lowered his head in a courteous bow.

”And yes, I’ll try fighting with honor today.”

Jude studied him for another moment before nodding.

”Good.”

Riven walked towards his starting position as Fredrick collected his sword and moved opposite him, while the students surrounding the arena eagerly waited for another spectacle.

Fredrick raised his longsword.

”You’re dead meat, Dawnriver.”

The boy said, as Riven’s eyes settled upon him.

”Gary wasn’t expecting you to fight like a savage yesterday, but I’ve fought opponents much worse than you in the military.

You won’t be blocking my sword with your bare palm.

Because if you try that shit against me, then to hell with them dueling rules, I’ll chop your hand off for sure.”

The boy warned, as several cheers immediately erupted from behind him.

”That’s right!”

”Teach him a lesson, chop his hand off!”

”Show him, Fredrick!”

The crowd cheered, as Riven almost found the situation amusing.

Professor Jude had spent several minutes lecturing everyone about the refinement and dignity expected from honorable duelists, yet the man currently receiving everyone’s support had just threatened to chop his hand off before the duel had even begun.

Still, Riven did not complain.

Instead, the corner of his lips curled upward.

”Arrogance suits those with the ability to back it up.”

He began, as Fredrick’s smile weakened.

”Proclamations made without the skill to make them true are merely a fool’s words.”

He said as the cheering around the arena noticeably diminished.

The difference between the way the two of them spoke was almost comical.

Fredrick had threatened to chop his hand off while boasting about the opponents he had fought in the military, whereas Riven had answered him with the refined mannerisms expected from the heir of one of the Four Great Ducal Houses.

Yet the contempt within Riven’s response was unmistakable.

Fredrick’s expression hardened.

”All right.”

He lowered himself into his fighting stance.

”I’ll back them up, then.”

He said, as Riven widened his own footing in response before positioning Sky-Cleaver diagonally across his body, as his hands naturally settled into the placements he had memorized from the Basic Halberd Fundamentals.

Professor Jude stepped away from them, his eyes moving between both contestants as he declared—

”Begin.”

Fredrick moved first, charging straight towards Riven before bringing his longsword against the curved blade of Sky-Cleaver, seemingly intending to overpower the halberd and force his way through its reach.

CLANG!

The moment their weapons collided, Riven felt an immediate sense of relief, as instead of trying to evade Sky-Cleaver and exploit his lack of experience at close range, Fredrick had chosen to challenge him directly.

’Fool....’

Riven thought, as this was exactly the kind of fight he wanted, as while he lacked Fredrick’s years of combat experience, there was absolutely no comparison between their physical strength.

More importantly, amongst the Basic Halberd Fundamentals Riven had memorized was a simple disarming maneuver designed specifically for situations where an opponent attempted to lock their weapon against the curved head of a halberd.

And so, rather than pushing back against Fredrick’s sword, Riven loosened his forward hand and twisted Sky-Cleaver beneath it, allowing the longsword to slide deeper along the curve of the halberd’s blade.

Fredrick responded by pressing down harder, believing he was overpowering Riven, although that only allowed the longsword to become trapped more firmly between Sky-Cleaver’s curved blade and the hook behind it.

’Yep, you’re screwed now....’

Riven thought, as seeing his opportunity, he suddenly pulled the shaft backward while twisting Sky-Cleaver with both hands, as he used the length of the halberd as leverage against Fredrick’s grip.

CLANG!

Fredrick’s wrist twisted violently as the longsword was ripped straight from his hand, flying several meters through the air before clattering against the arena floor.

His face immediately went pale with shock, although before Fredrick could even understand what had happened, Riven had already stepped forward and brought Sky-Cleaver’s sharpened tip against his throat.

Everything fell silent.

Barely five seconds had passed since the duel began, yet Fredrick now stood completely disarmed with a halberd resting against his neck, while the confidence he displayed moments earlier had disappeared entirely.

”Huh?” Fredrick muttered, as his eyes briefly moved towards the longsword lying several meters away before returning towards Riven.

Professor Jude appeared equally surprised by how quickly the duel had ended, although with Fredrick disarmed and Sky-Cleaver already resting against his throat, there was nothing left for him to judge.

”Winner, Riven Dawnriver,” Jude declared, as the announcement echoed across an arena that had suddenly become completely silent.

Riven immediately withdrew Sky-Cleaver without leaving so much as a scratch upon Fredrick, having neither injured his opponent nor prolonged the fight after victory had already been secured.

By every standard Professor Jude had spent the morning explaining, Riven had fought with honor and ended the duel precisely when he was supposed to.

With the fight over, Riven pulled his Aether away from Sky-Cleaver as its long shaft rapidly collapsed and the curved blade folded inward, transforming the massive halberd back into its compact form before he calmly tucked it beside his waist.

Only then did he look towards Fredrick.

”I appreciate your courage to challenge me today. However, let me tell you that it was nothing but stupid arrogance that made you take this decision.

Perhaps you watched Gary overwhelm me yesterday and somehow mistook his skill for my weakness....

But that was just stupidity on your part.

Gary earned the right to look down on my abilities because he proved himself better than me, while you, and most others in that crowd have done nothing except borrow confidence from another man’s performance.

So before another one of you decides that challenging me is an easy way to make a name for yourself, ask yourself whether you’re actually better than Gary, because if the answer is no, then I would suggest that you keep your arrogance within the limits of your ability.”

Riven advised, before turning away, as whistles and cheers erupted from the crowd.

”YOU TELL THEM BOSS!”

”HAHAHA! FILTHY COMMONER TRIED TO CHALLENGE LORD DAWNRIVER.

HAHAHAHA! LOOK AT HIS STUPID FACE NOW!”

”Look at those Aureate cunts, they got face-slapped during a hate watch!”

Orton, Batista and Flair cheered from the crowd, as their laughter rubbed many the wrong way.

Some looked irritated.

Others embarrassed.

But several were simply watching Riven more cautiously than before, as they were forced to change their evaluation of him yet again.

Riven never expected one duel to make them like him.

He did not particularly care if they ever did.

However, what he did need was for them to understand that challenging him came with consequences, and that yesterday’s victory against Gary had not been some fortunate accident created solely by his willingness to endure pain.

Perhaps someone else was going to challenge him again eventually.

Afterall, in an Academy filled with talented young nobles desperate to prove themselves, another confrontation was practically inevitable.

However, after what everyone had just witnessed, Riven doubted that challenge was coming anytime soon.

As for at least a couple weeks, he expected some breathing room to follow.