Theo Stone was a petite boy roughly 1.6 meters tall. He had a childish face and a slim body. He seemed no older than twelve.

However, his mana was a different story. I could feel the abundant mana circling around his body, a sign that he was at the peak of the natal realm, just a step away from forming his core and becoming a pawn.

“Hello.” He greeted me with a shy face while holding a practice sword he grabbed for the duel. “My name is Theo, a guardian candidate. Fifteen years old.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Linsley. I’m a guardian candidate too.”

Theo’s eyes lit up. “Really? What weapon do you use?” 

I showed him the short sword I picked.

Theo tilted his head confused.

“A short sword? Are you really a guardian candidate and not a martial artist?”

I shrugged indifferently.

“I have my circumstances.”

Advancing to pawn means forming your core, and at the same time, choosing a profession.

Professions vary according to the place where the core is formed, the style of battle, and the attributes of the mana.

One of the most popular professions is guardian.

Guardians form their core in the heart, and the heart pumps mana through the blood to every part of the body. Guardians had little mana compared to most professions, but their mana is dense and spread throughout the body, granting the practitioner heightened physical abilities, mainly strength.

Due to it, guardians usually wield heavy and powerful weapons, or light weapons accompanied by a shield. A case like mine where I wield just a short sword was unusual.

Of course, we had not formed our core yet, so we could be considered guardian candidates at most.

“I understand.” Theo nodded and took a stance. “I won’t hold back. I hope you give your all too.”

I smiled and nodded.

But before starting our duel, I asked something I was curious about.

“The bracelet on your wrist. It’s a cursed object, right?”

Theo was shocked.

“You noticed.”

I nodded.

Most people could have missed the ominous aura coming from it, but I was too familiar with curses to fail to notice it.

It doesn’t look that powerful, though. But I’m curious about its effects.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to use it in our duel.”

“Oh no, you can use it if you want. I don’t mind.”

Theo tilted his head with a confused look.

“Well, if that is what you want.”

“Hey, you two. Stop flirting and start the fight.” Instructor Melissa shouted with an exasperated look. “We have a lot of duels today. Hurry up.”

Theo took a deep breath.

“Please take care of me.”

“Likewise.”

In the next instant, Theo charged toward me.

His petite body kicked the ground, propelling himself in my direction as he swung his longsword downwards.

I decided to receive the blow to get an idea of his level.

Bad idea.

“Ugh!”

Unlike what his petite body could suggest, Theo was surprisingly strong. The blow from his longsword made my wrist ache, almost making me let go of my sword.

Fortunately, I reacted quickly and twisted my sword slightly, parrying his sword skillfully.

But Theo just stepped on the ground, twisting his body to the right as he delivered a second slash.

This time, I did not dare to receive his attack directly. I took a step back, widening the distance just enough for his attack to miss.

Next, I stepped forward again, closing the distance between us as I trusted my sword to his chest.

Theo’s eyes narrowed. He pulled his sword back, putting it in front of his chest and blocking my attack.

But I was expecting that reaction. When he was blocking my attack, my right leg swept down, hitting his feet and causing him to fall.

Under his astonished gaze, my sword cut toward his neck.

‘Done.’ I thought to myself.

But in the next instant, I was stunned.

Clang!

The blade of my sword clashed against a translucid barrier.

My gaze immediately fell to his wrist.

“So that is the effect of the cursed object, huh.”

Theo took advantage of this opportunity to stand up and jump back, widening the distance between us while panting softly.

"Strong.” He muttered.

I shrugged calmly.

The truth is, Theo is stronger than me.

His mana reserves are larger, his physical strength is greater, and his speed is faster.

However, my technique and battle experience are much superior to his.

That is enough for me to bridge the difference between our abilities and even gain an advantage.

“If my guess is not wrong, you should not be able to use the cursed object again for a short while, right?” I asked.

Theo did not reply, but his nervous look was enough of an answer.

“That means that you won’t be able to block my next attack. Think carefully about your next move.”

Theo took a deep breath and put on a focused expression.

An instant later, he charged again.

“Haah!”

This time, he was even faster than before.

His petite body flew like a projectile, closing the distance between us as the tip of his sword aimed at my neck.

But one second before it could reach me, my sword clashed with it, pushing his sword aside as I took a step forward.

My parry disrupted his stance, forcing Theo to stop his charge and retreat.

But I moved faster, closing the distance between us completely as my elbow hit his chest.

The impact made Theo gasp. He swung his sword again with a flustered look, but at this distance, the length of his sword became an obstacle.

On the other hand, my short sword was much easier to handle.

I hit the blade of his sword with the pommel of mine, pushing it away as my left hand grabbed his shoulder.

Then, I turned around and threw his body over my shoulder.

Bang!

Theo’s back hit the ground, expelling all the air from his lungs.

Then, I kneeled on his chest and stabbed my sword on his neck.

My sword stopped just before piercing his skin, and at the same time, a thin barrier appeared around him glowing red.

“It looks like we have a winner for our first duel.” Came the excited voice of instructor Melissa. “Well done, Linsley. You advance to the next round.”

Theo coughed softly and looked at me with a disappointed expression.

I smiled and stood up, extending my hand toward him.

“It was a good fight.”

He smiled reluctantly and nodded.

 

***

What do you think of the battle sequence? Was it well-narrated?