A Chromatic World

"Good. When you're ready just attack whenever. To make it fair, I would not use any of my class arts. Whenever you're ready." Instructor Campbell said with his stern looks.

Arthur took a fighting stance with the dagger in his hands. He changed his calm face into a serious one, and manage his breathing. He saw Instructor Campbell stood away from him with a sword in his hands. Arthur scrutinizes every little movement the Instructor made as if to predict what action he would take.

Instructor Campbell on the other hand just stood still on his place. He took a deep breath and made his stance while grabbing the sword with his two hands. Arthur saw that the Instructor was ready and launch his body to make the first attack. His motion was swift with no waste action at all, closing in, his dagger slashed towards the body of Instructor Campbell in a diagonal fashion.

Slash

Instructor Campbell was surprised by the swift action, but for someone of his caliber, this was only a child's play. He moved his body to dodge at the last second, but just as he was to counter, he saw the dagger moved again and with its tip aimed at his head. It was an eye-opener for him, left with no choice he jumped back to avoid the attack.

'What an interesting kid.' He thought in his head. His interest piqued and said sternly, "Ready! Here I come!" He dashed after.

Arthur saw the dash and sweat formed on his face. Instructor Campbell was getting closer and closer, but he can't move his body. 'T-this!' He felt suffocated, fear crept up to gnaw at his mind, and his face becomes pale. He gritted his teeth and urged his body to move, while Instructor Campbell was getting closer by the second.

Swish

A vertical sword slash was unleashed towards his body, thankfully he managed to force his body to move at the last seconds. He managed to dodge to the side but just a second after the sword tip was already in front of his throat. The sweat that was formed from before now rolled to his cheeks, he gulped and froze with his eyes glued to the sword.

Gasp

The students were shocked by the fast-paced actions of the two, even though the fight only lasted about one minute. They also felt the same fear and suffocating feeling that Arthur felt. They wonder if they could escape from it, forget about the second move, they were lucky if they can even dodge the first move Instructor Campbell made.

Finally, he saw the sword in front of him were being withdrawn. He also saw Instructor Campbell face that usually makes a stern expression smiled. The suffocating feeling he felt before was gone now, and his stiff body returned to its original state. His felt worn out and thought, 'That feeling...It was the same when we fought uncle Reis...It should be the battle intents or killing intents...' He adjusts his breath at the same time.

"You fought well. Not just in magic but at a close quarter combat too, no wonder you're a genius." He said with a little smile on his stern face, and continued, "Mr. Arthur here, was the perfect example for the importance of battle instincts and combat techniques. If I didn't have an evolved body and a class, I would have lost at the first encounter. As you saw before, he slashed diagonally but he predicted that I would dodge it without the smallest intention to parry it, this can be seen when he scrutinizes my every movement even my breathing. So he trusts his battle instinct and thrust his dagger to the place where I would move, without wasting any time to think about it. But, this only applies if he had the combat technique, and he did have it, with that, he can control his attack swiftly and fluidly at the same time."

The class was amazed by Arthur feat, at first they didn't know anything about it. They thought that his movements were solely by reflex, but, to their surprise, there were so much thought put into just one action. Do mind that the fight between masters of martial arts, would end in just a couple of seconds, the battle would start in their minds first, calculating and predicting each and every move, when they found the perfect route, that would mean one of them have died.

"And also, I admit, I cheated a little. I leak out my Aura to release my battle intent because I was curious if Mr. Arthur here can dodge my attack with my battle intent out, and so he did, I should applaud you for that but time is short. Instead, I would explain what battle intent is since I brought it up." Instructor Campbell said while looking at Arthur with a smile on his face.

Done with Arthur, Instructor Campbell then paced back and forth in front of the students, while at the same time he said, "Battle Intent was like your invisible hands, it would influence your opponents state of mind. It would hinder their bodies with feelings like fear, suffocation, and it could even make them faints. Battle intent also can be used to defend your mind from the opponents battle intents, but, it only works if the opponents were equal in power or lower and if you take on higher power opponents and that would only help a little or even none at all."

Murmurs filled the arena, the students felt amazed, and some even felt envy but alas there's nothing they can do to fill the gap between them and Arthur. They discussed about the powerful battle intents and so on, but Arthur just stood there in his place, trying to process what he heard and memorized it.

"Okay Mr. Arthur, you can go back to your partner now." Instructor Campbell nodded at him, and continued, "From now you will spar until this class ends! I would watch and give instructions on how to fix your stance and your combat techniques! You will have a five-minute break and after that your training will officially begin! Your five-minute start now!"

----

Arthur walked back to stand beside Charlotte, his eyes still look dazed, trying to digest all the information he just got.

"You're not normal aren't you??" Charlotte asked with her cute voice.

Still dazed, he was startled by her question and automatically responded, "Huh?" While turning his head towards her.

Thump!

"OUCH! WHAT NOW!!" He yelled, two times already his toes being the victim of Charlotte actions.

"Hmph! I don't know! Figure it out yourself!" She said with a pouted lips.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL WOMAN!!" Not only his toes were hurt, his rational minds were also hurt, he grumbled, "Thank god you're a girl if you're-"

Her ears perked and heard the grumble, "I'm a girl so what will you do huh? Punch me in the face? Go? Go for it? Will it hurt your conscience? Coward!" She snapped and cut Arthur sentences.

Arthur was startled and annoyed at the same time, "Wh- You got a serious mental attitude!" He retorted.

"Not your problem is it" She responded.

"You're not backing out are you!" He replied, if his head could explode with extreme blood pressure, the time would be now.

"I'm not!" She countered, with her signature arms on her little h.i.p.s.

"Fine! Have it your way then!" Arthur declared with the intent to end the verbal fight.

"My way it is then!" Charlotte insinuated. She, on the other hand, didn't have the slightest intention to end it any time soon.

"WHA-YOU- WHATEVER! Whatever! You won! I lose! End of story! Don't talk to me!" He bellowed and turned his back to face her away.

"Of course I won! Who do you think you are!" Charlotte, with a smile plastered on her beautiful face, declared her victory and at the same time adding salt to the injury.

"UGH!!!!!!" He shouted to release his pent-up anger.

Some of the students were watching the two verbal combat, but they just shook their heads and ignored their useless banter, and do something useful for themselves instead.

----

Five minutes passed away in a blink of an eye. All of the students filled the arena making gaps not to interrupt one another. Arthur and Charlotte was no exception and took the right corner of the arena.

Arthur took a breath to calm his mind and took his stance. He saw Charlotte do the same, but something caught his eyes. It was her stance. You would think a cute and beautiful lady as herself would have a graceful fighting stance, like some royal family stance. But, in this case, her stance was nothing sort of the like or even close to it. She put her left hand on the ground to support her weight and lower his upper body closer to the ground. It looked like a tiger that was ready to pounce on its prey.

He saw the stance but not her weapon. In actuality, her weapon was nowhere to be found before either. But, just as he thought about that her right-hand makes a grabbing motion. A small portal appeared just the size of her hands. She reached through it and yanked her weapons out of it. A giant broadsword, that she got from the weapons rack.

'NO WAY!! She's got a spatial container! Even I haven't got one! She must be from rich families or some sort of royalties.' Arthur gawked in his thought. He also saw her weapons of choice, and got shocked again, he thought, 'She can lift that, with ease too! What kinds of sorcery is this! I'm not believing this!' His pride once again was hurt by the thought that Charlotte has more strength in status than him.

Instructor Campbell saw that all of the students were ready and evenly spaced out. Satisfied, "Begin!" He said.

Arthur back to his calmed state examined Charlotte every movement.

Charlotte smiled and yelled at the same time, "READY OR NOT HERE I COME!!" And launched his body like a missile, her movements were like a wild beast, agile and unpredictable.

His face became serious and tried not to lose sight of her. 'She's coming!' Arthur saw the broadsword comes straight at him in a horizontal manner, his eyes shined and his body was ready, waiting for opportunities.

Screeee

The broadsword slashed at him with its initial trajectory. Arthur reacted fast, he lifted his body and on the surface of the broadsword, he slid with his left hands. The acrobatic feats didn't last long, as he planned to counter, but Charlotte just passed him by and managed to grab some distance.

Seconds after, Charlotte charged at him again, but now with more ferocities than before. Arthur kept dodging the relentless attack and found himself in a situation where he didn't find an opening or even opportunities to attack. He gritted his teeth and said to himself in his mind, 'Why-Beautiful-Girls-Tend's-To-Be-This-Barbaric!' He also thought that if this fight would prolong like this, then it would be a battle of attrition. Where the one who got more stamina, would be the winner.

He hated the idea, if he had access to his magic, maybe he can do a thing or two, but in this situation, he can't do anything. He can't overpower her or even outrun her, can only dodge her and with that, he hated her even more.

Sounds of clashing metal filled the colosseum that evening and ragged breathing as the aftermath.

Hufh

Hufh

Hufh

Arthur and Charlotte were exhausted by their little game of cat and mouse. She's a monster he thought, he saw that she was in a worse condition than him. On his last straw Arthur forced his body to move, intending to deliver the final blow.

Charlotte saw it coming but her petite body can no longer listen to the instruction in her minds, she just gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to brace the impact.

Ding

Ding

Ding

Ding

"ENOUGH!" Instructor Campbell heard the bell and ended their trainings.

Arthur froze on his spot, with his dagger in front of her neck. His heavy breathing merged with her, and sweat rolled to his cheeks.

Charlotte opened her eyes, and her long eyelashes flutter as she opened it. Arthur was dazed by the sudden sight, and can't think about anything else besides admiring her. A flash of insight comes through his mind, and thought, 'Huh! Isn't she...No way!... I Watched her disappear...But she also said to take care of her...There's no way it's her...Her hair and eyes are different..."

Confusion filled his mind. But, Charlotte, on the other hand, got her face flushed red by how close they are. Arthur back from his contemplation finally saw her reaction, his ignorance played its part and said, "You're okay? You look sick." And withdrew his weapon after.

She just dropped her head, after hearing Arthur response. But, on her face, a slight smile can be seen and she mumbled to herself, "Your stupidity knows no bound...I need to train you..."

She never felt this way before. This was because nobody of the opposite gender would dare to approach her like Arthur did. Usually, she would be treated like a precious doll or a princess, but in Arthur case, he just doesn't care. He was used to a beautiful appearance. His sister-like friends, Annie and Elizabeth, his aunt Phiria, his aide Aileen, and even Robert grandma was still a beautiful woman with a face that looks like in her thirties. So seeing Charlotte appearance was like a daily occurrence for him, so he treated her like a normal person, unlike the others.

Instructor Campbell saw the students were either on their knees or dropped completely to the floor, and said, "Five l.a.p.s around the arena then you can go take dinner! Begin!"

All of the students gritted his teeth and complied, "YES! INSTRUCTOR!"