Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Leon Pendragon.
The result of the match has been shown. Lin Fan, with his knitted face and immobilized, was displeased with the outcome. However, as a Martial Artist, he must accept his lack of strength to defeat his opponent, teacher Lee, who smiles wryly and releases Lin Fan's hand.
Lin Fan twists his right shoulder, then turns to face the teacher, Lee, before cupping his hand and giving Lee his bow as a Martial Artist. While looking down, Lin Fan grits his teeth, trying to endure the frustrating feeling in his heart. The disparity between their strength was different, like the sky and earth. So, for now, he could only swallow his regret and strive to be the best.
Teacher Lee also understood what was inside Lin Fan's mind. He cupped his palms, replying to his bow. After his business was done, Lin Fan turned his back. Teacher Lee, who lifted his lips, opened his mouth.
"That was a good fight. I want to spar with you again sometimes".
"Thank you for your generosity".
Soma already knew the result would be like this. However, his mind was stirred right now. Soma, who observed the match earlier, follows Lin Fan's movement as if trying to ingrain in his mind. He had a huge respect for his dedication to martial arts, and at the same time, a swirling slight of envy sprouted inside him.
From the movement Lin Fan showed, Soma could feel that Lin Fan in front of him had superior technique in terms of Martial Arts.
Unknowingly to others. Soma clenched his fists as he kept his gaze on Lin Fan, who already finished with his bow, and turned his back to walk to the outside of Arena. Feeling a gaze directed at him, Lin Fan turned his glance at Soma, and their eyes met briefly.
They didn't utter a single word and just gazed at each other's faces before simultaneously turning their head and focusing on their own interest.
Hina and Xiao Lian beside him simultaneously feel something has changed in Soma's demeanor. They turn their glance to look at him and find Soma's eyes burned with fighting spirit. The two of them chuckled while silently smiling before their eyes met.
The time turned still as the two pairs of clear eyes gazed at each other, having a welfare they could only understand. The two of them start to recall the match earlier, and they manage to defeat the teacher in the practical exam.
They respect each other's strength and power, but at the same time, it also awakens their competitive feeling toward each other. Both of them turned their head simultaneously to the arena, where the blonde-haired boy walked up and now stood in front of the teacher.
"Number ninety-nine, My name is Leon Pendragon. I am fairly good with a sword and a bit of light magic".
The blonde-haired boy named Leon Pendragon stood upward in the middle of Arena while facing teacher Lee. He had a tidy appearance while having 170 cm in height with short blonde hair. His handsome face had a sharp and gentle pair of eyes with blue pupils reminiscent of the sky. He wore a brown blazer buttoned and a white shirt with a red tie around his collar.
For the lower part, he wears dark green long pants and a pair of brown leather shoes.
"Hou light magic, pretty rare magic you have, kid".
"Thank you, teacher".
Leon scratched his cheeks while flashing his white teeth in embarrassment. Teacher Lee also loosened his facial muscles, looking at his gentle nature.
"Let's start the match, shall we?".
"Yes".
Teacher Lee and Leon prepare their stance. From empty air, Leon grabbed a brown wooden sword that he took from the storage ring. He grips the hilt tightly with his hands before doing a couple of swings to ascertain the feeling of the wooden sword.
Leon stood upright with a straight spine, bent his knee a bit, and pointed the tip of his weapon forward straight with his gaze, ready to engage in battle anytime.
After seeing the teacher, Lee fights those two candidates who have a good grasp and understanding of their strengths. It blows his mind away while also pondering how can the two of them maintain that level of spirit despite fighting a strong opponent like the teacher, Lee, who stands in front of him.
Leon shook his head as his head began to wander uncontrollably. "Focus!!". He muttered those words to focus on the match before him. Shifting his stance for a bit, Leon once more gripped the hilt of his wooden sword to prepare for battle, lowering it to the side.
Teacher Lee, as if understanding his stance, began to start the first move. Lee, who slowed down his speed, arrives at Leon's sword range and starts to act, raising his left fist.
Leon opened his eyes wide, for he didn't think that the teacher would charge at him like this. He saw the incoming left fist that closed its distance with his face. Reflexively, he jerked his head to the right and started to counterattack by swinging his wooden sword from the bottom and aiming at the teacher's left armpit that opened.
Teacher Lee disappears from Leon's sight, leaving an afterimage, and reappears from Leon's right. After that, the match became one-sided, where teacher Lee relentlessly approached Leon in any direction while Leon desperately tried to break free from the waves.
"Kuh".
Leon saw a fist fly toward his face, blocking his sight. He ducked down and swung his sword sideways. Teacher Lee took a step back to avoid the sword range. Leon saw that as a change recalled from the fight earlier. He put strength in his legs before lunging forward while thrusting his sword.
"Got you, what?!".
Lee tilted his body to avoid the sword and slid past him, entering deeper into Leon's range. Leon's sight was blocked by a huge shadow from teacher Lee's palm, ready to blow away his consciousness.
"I lost".
"No, you did great, Leon. Good Job finishing your practical test".
"... Thank you, teacher".
"However...".
"Yes?".
Teacher Lee crossed his hands on his chest while tilting his head, having a troubled look. He turned his gaze to Leon, whose eyebrows were raised.
"...Next time in the battle, focus on the opponent before you. Don't try to wander your thoughts over something else".
Hearing the words from the teacher gives him a good punch in the gut. He was seeing the downcast look on Leon's face. Teacher Lee's face softened, and then he extended his hand to brush Leon's soft hair.
"...I am sorry. It is as you said. I am failure as a swordsman".
"Hahaha, don't worry too much, Leon. All you need to do is train your swordsmanship further so that you won't be left behind by the other. You can do it".
Leon turned his gaze up, and he saw teacher Lee look at him tenderly with a smile. His downcast expression showed a bit of change as he lifted his lips to smile.
"..Thank you, teacher Lee".