Max furrowed his brows, confused by the statement.

“I was quick to judge and perhaps… in the depths of my heart, I still had some doubts.” August elaborated, “Some part of me just didn’t believe that there was one more person in this Empire who I could give my all against. Maybe it was my pride. I’m not really sure, but for that… I’m sorry.”

“I’m not good with your type.” Max inwardly muttered as he looked at August in exasperation. ‘The stupidly honest are sometimes the most annoying ones. Sam was kinda like that too.’

“That’s why, as a sign of respect, I’ll be coming at you with everything I’ve got. I only hope you’ll do the same.”

“Please don’t! I’m not nearly as powerful as you think I am.” Max finally responded with a trace of worry in his voice. Damn it! Any more spotlight and I’m sure I’ll attract trouble! His response left August at a momentary loss for words which turned into an eventual grin. “As long as a battle has brought me at least a step closer to the apex of swordsmanship, I’ve never cared about things like winning and losing, but it’s different for you.”

“Huh?” Max frowned. I don’t care either!

“If you don’t care you should.” August continued, almost like he’d read his mind. “After all, you’re her familiar. With everyone watching, are you really going to fight in a way that disgraces your master?”

For the first time since the start of their match, Max observed August with a hint of solemnity. The swordsman’s words struck a chord. The three words ‘you’re her familiar’ produced emotional ripples on a scale he just couldn’t ignore. Remembering the time he had spent with Liliana, he glanced at the girl who had begun another round of attrition with her counterpart. A single thought bloomed in the depths of his heart and began to resonate with the core of his being. Am I the type of person to repay sincerity with halfheartedness? Most! Definitely! Not!

“Even though I know I’ll end up regretting this…” Max clicked his tongue and lazily stretched his limbs. The subtle changes in his demeanor sent shivers through August. He trembled form excitement, but like everyone else failed to notice a strange red glow flash past Max’s eyes. “There’s no going back now August.” Max cracked his fingers and let a hint of his arrogance show. “My hundred percent… even I don’t know where it lies.”

August tightened his grip around his sword. “Show me what you’ve got.”

Liliana had begun to feel frustrations pile up. Despite unleashing almost everything in her arsenal, her spells hadn’t managed to make a dent in Evangeline’s defences. Even her rare attempts at assisting Max in his battle had been easily thwarted. As she fought, she amplified the occasional attack by mixing in elements of wind magic, but it seemed to make no difference.

On the other hand, though trying her best to not let it show, Evangeline was starting to feel pressured. The Induction had originally been created as a tool to give the freshmen a taste of a real battle. To make it worth her while and give Liliana the battle experience she needed, Evangeline had been countering Liliana’s spells by using a similar level of magic. However, she had sporadically been forced to employ high tier spells to overpower the latter in combat. Evangeline was certain that she would have been at a definite disadvantage if she hadn’t recently become a High Mage.

Fighting against fatigue, Liliana knew she had entered the final stages of her battle. Ready with their next barrage of spells, the two girls faltered at the sound of a loud explosion. Taken aback, they stood with their wands in the air and their mouths agape as they watched sword clash against gauntlet in a battle for supremacy.

Max and August viciously traded blows without the slightest care.

The spectators had been stunned into silence. They were shocked and mesmerized by the two knights desperately seeking an opportunity to eclipse the other. By rivaling August at his best, Max had unintentionally suppressed all the doubters and haters. Combined with Liliana’s skill as an outstanding Intermediate Mage, the two had left the skeptics and the envious with nothing to complain about.

Among the stands, Amy sat gawking. She surreptitiously looked around to confirm that she wasn’t the only one surprised. Remembering the prior disdain for Max’s status as a human familiar, she smirked. Do you see that? That’s the guy you were insulting!

As he observed the battle, Julius gleefully nodded, his eyes sparkling with joy and excitement. “The Headmaster was right. He really is an unpolished gem! They both are.”

“This idiot!” Evangeline sighed in resignation. “Even though I said I would support you, this is a bit much!”

She glanced at Max before turning to Liliana with a wry smile. “Your familiar is really something. In the present age, there are only a handful of people in the Empire who’ve reached the realm of Superior Knight before the age of twenty. He’s even beaten August by two years!”

“Superior Knight?!” Liliana, who had been staring absentmindedly, instinctively jerked her head. The contest before her had long surpassed the realm of Premier Knights. She could understand that with a glance, but reality hadn’t really sunk in until Evangeline said it out loud. The corners of her lips involuntarily twitched as she watched Max in action. Is this what you meant by ‘dealing with Premier Knights isn’t an issue’?!

“How about we call it a day?” Evangeline asked while she edged closer to the arena’s edge. “I don’t think there is anything more you’ll gain even if we go at it for a while longer, but more importantly… it doesn’t look like these two idiots plan to stop any time soon. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to get caught in the middle when they truly decide to go berserk.”

“Sounds good.” Liliana agreed and stepped off the stage alongside Evangeline. As she bore witness to the slug-fest, she observed Max, conflicted and feeling like she was being left behind. She silently swore to increase her practice in a bid to catch up.

Noticing that they had the entire platform to themselves, August and Max stepped up their game to their absolute limits. With more room for movement, their attack patterns evolved, resulting in occasional shock-waves from their powered up collisions.

With eyes glued to the stage, the spectators hoped the fight would never end. But soon a decisive moment changed the flow of the battle.

During an exchange with August, Max slipped up. August immediately grasped the opportunity, driving his sword towards the latter. Dodging in time wasn’t a possibility. Max understood in an instant and gritted his teeth, drawing upon his otherworldly ability for the first time in a long while. The air around his fists coagulated. It throbbed and resisted before instantly getting compressed, an act which luckily went unnoticed by one and all.

Blood splashed, the tip of the blade dyed red.  The sword dug into Max’s flesh before its body met his enhanced fist. With a light crack, it snapped and was sent flying away. August was left stunned as Max quickly retreated while breathing heavily. The sanguine warmth dampened his shirt as it slowly trickled down his arm. The large gash on his chest, the numerous cuts along his body, they all made for a pitiful picture. Numb from pain, Max could barely feel his arms. He knew he was on his last leg.

August calmly wiped the blood from his mouth. The sword hilt, now sporting only two-thirds of its blade, lay strewn some distance away. The simple act of reaching for it made him wince. Broken ribs and a severely bruised upper torso, his left eye swollen shut, that was the extent of his wounds, and yet his expression was one of euphoria.

In the stands, unlike the students, the professors weren’t nearly as excited anymore and were instead on edge as they eyed the two young men. They intermittently shot glances at the senile Grand Master hovering a few feet over them. Knowing that they couldn’t interfere, they nervously sighed and hoped that their Vice-Principal would act in time to prevent any unforeseen mishaps.

“I haven’t been able to push myself like this for almost a year.” August suddenly laughed and pointed his broken sword at Max. “You’re really the best!”

Max forced a smile, appearing a little pale from the loss of blood. He had finally understood why he had found his opponent both annoying and amiable at the same time. August shared many traits with Sam, his best friend on Earth. Coincidentally, it was under similar circumstances that Max and Sam had befriended each other. Back then, the duo had also traded blow for blow until they had collapsed with no energy to spare.

“It’s time!” August said as the remaining mana in his body galloped like a wild horse free from reins. “Let’s end this.”

Tilting his head, Max looked at August, exhausted. He could just call it quits now. Perhaps that was the best move, but a part of him desired to meet his hot-blooded rival head on. Max bitterly smiled at the thought. “I didn’t realize it before… but maybe idiocy is contagious.”

Liliana and Evangeline stood outside the platform while watching their partners with worry. Above the stage, Julius had also begun to wonder if it was time to stop the fight. He secretly smiled and tightened his grip around his staff.

With a loud roar, the pair of knights shot towards each other. At the instant they met, a thunderous explosion resounded through the arena as a cloud of dust filled the platform. Two figures flew out from its epicenter and collided violently with the arena’s reinforced barrier.

Lying on the floor, Max groaned. He was feeling light-headed and was certain that he had just broken his right hand. Seeing his sorry state, Liliana rushed to his side. The sight of so much blood left her rather panicky.

August wasn’t any better off as he lay extremely still. Having drained almost all of his mana, his body felt heavy and was near paralyzed. Evangeline sat beside him, with her expression constantly fluctuating between concern and admonishment.

As the dust cloud settled, it revealed Julius standing serenely at the center of a newly formed crater. He glanced at Max and August before saying, “With my authority as judge, I declare this match a draw!”

A group of paramedics were already tending to the injured parties. The young men were quickly placed on stretchers, but not before the stands exploded with a round of applause. The stentorian approbations echoed throughout the academy grounds even after the duo were carried out.

 “Damn! Who was it who said that that freshman didn’t stand a chance against August?!”

Amidst the brouhaha, only the professors and a few seniors were clapping without the same level of excitement. They were among the handful who had noticed Julius act and were rather relieved by his decision.

Stopping at the corridor entrance, Liliana and Evangeline exchanged glances. They apologetically smiled and nodded to each other before hurrying after the stretchers.