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Rylan gripped a sword in his hands, his posture steady and calm.

Xander, on the other hand, stood with fists clenched, his stance firm, ready to strike with nothing but his bare hands and legs.

The air around them was thick with tension.

Both of them had been sparring for quite some time, their muscles aching but their determination unwavering.

Xander moved first.

He charged forward, his fists flying in quick succession, aiming straight for Rylan\'s chest.

Rylan raised his sword, blocking the blows with practiced precision.

His feet shifted in the dirt, barely managing to keep up with Xander\'s relentless attacks.

The clash of fist against steel echoed through the grounds.

Xander\'s movements were fast and unpredictable, his strikes coming from different angles.

Rylan deflected each one, but he could feel the force behind every punch.

He wasn\'t just defending himself from an ordinary fighter; Xander\'s strength was formidable.

Xander swung his leg, aiming for Rylan\'s side, but Rylan ducked just in time, his sword coming up to block again.

The impact jarred him, the force of Xander\'s kick sending vibrations through the blade.

They continued like this, the sparring session a dance of strikes, blocks, and counters.

Rylan\'s sword flicked out every so often, but Xander dodged or deflected the attacks with his arms, using his fists to push the sword away.

Neither seemed to have the upper hand, though Rylan\'s skill with the sword kept him on the defensive.

Xander\'s sheer physical prowess was hard to combat, even with a weapon in hand.

Finally, they both stepped back, panting heavily, drenched in sweat from the exertion.

Their chests rose and fell rapidly, muscles taut from the strain.

Xander walked over to the side of the training grounds, grabbing a bottle of water.

He twisted the cap off and poured the cool liquid over his head, letting it cascade down his body.

The water glistened on his skin in the sunlight, his hair sticking to his forehead.

He wiped his face, blinking the water out of his blue eyes, which seemed to glow under the sun\'s rays.

With a nervous smile, Xander turned to Rylan.

"How\'d I do this time?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"Hope I wasn\'t too rough."

Rylan chuckled, catching his breath, his sword resting at his side.

"As always, Xander, you did great," Rylan replied, still winded.

"Though, I wonder... why not try swordsmanship?"

Xander shook his head, running a hand through his wet hair.

"I wasn\'t blessed by the god of swords, so it\'s unlikely."

He said, his tone light, but the words carried weight.

Rylan frowned slightly, studying Xander.

"Even so, you resonate well with swords. You just don\'t realize it yet."

Xander looked thoughtful but didn\'t reply.

Rylan, meanwhile, couldn\'t help but think of another who resonated with swords yet didn\'t follow that path.

His mind drifted back to Noah.

That time at the Starlight Manor Incident when he had to face off Noah.

Even without using a sword, Noah\'s body had somehow synced with Rylan\'s movements.

Rylan remembered the way Noah had absorbed the kinetic impact of his strikes, his body naturally adapting to the rhythm of the fight.

It was almost supernatural, and eventually, Noah had shattered Rylan\'s sword, not through brute force but through sheer precision.

Rylan clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword.

If Noah had chosen to wield a sword, the outcome would have been entirely different.

It was that raw potential that drove Rylan to push himself harder.

If Noah could reach those heights, then surely Rylan could, too.

His dream of becoming the best magic swordsman wasn\'t impossible.

It was just within reach—if he trained harder.

Xander broke the silence, snapping Rylan out of his thoughts.

"Why haven\'t you been studying for the placement exams, Rylan?" he asked, his tone curious.

"All you\'ve been doing is training nonstop."

Rylan shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow.

"I study in the dead of night when it\'s quiet."

Xander raised an eyebrow.

"Isn\'t that just over-exhausting your body?"

Rylan knew Xander was right.

Deep down, he felt the strain on his body.

The late-night study sessions and grueling training regimens were taking their toll.

But he didn\'t care.

His goal was what mattered most.

If he let himself relax for even a moment, it would all be for nothing.

He couldn\'t afford to slow down, not when he was so close to reaching his dream.

Xander looked at him, concern flickering across his face, but he didn\'t push the matter further.

They both knew how stubborn Rylan could be when it came to his goals.

After a moment of silence, Xander sat down on the ground, leaning back on his hands, his breathing finally steadying.

Rylan did the same, placing his sword beside him as they stared out at the training grounds, the sun still blazing overhead.

Neither spoke for a while, the sounds of their own breaths and the distant chatter of other students filling the air.

Despite the silence, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

They both had their own paths to walk, their own battles to fight.

But in that moment, under the scorching sun, with sweat dripping from their bodies, they were just two friends, resting after a hard-fought sparring session.

Xander let out a tired sigh, closing his eyes as he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin.

Rylan, on the other hand, stared down at his sword, the weight of his ambitions heavy on his mind.

He would keep pushing.

He had to.

Because one day, he would stand at the top as the greatest magic swordsman the academy had ever seen.

And no amount of exhaustion would stop him from getting there.

***

Ariana cleared her throat, a little embarrassed as she glanced at Noah.

"This is my friend," she said, gesturing to the orange-haired girl beside her.

The girl beamed, stepping forward with an energetic smile.

"Hi! I\'m Livia!" she chirped, extending her hand eagerly.

Noah hesitated for a second before taking her hand in a quick shake.

"Nice to meet you," he replied, trying to sound polite.

Livia didn\'t seem to notice his lack of enthusiasm and immediately tried to strike up a conversation.

"So, Noah, Ariana\'s been talking nonstop about you lately."

Noah didn\'t reply, simply nodding slightly, his attention already shifting back to his books.

Livia leaned in a little closer, her happy expression unwavering.

"She said you\'re really smart, and that you helped her understand Professor Sharon\'s lessons."

Noah nodded again, just enough to appear friendly, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

\'Why is she faking her expressions?\' Noah wondered, narrowing his eyes slightly.

He\'d learned to recognize fake smiles and forced friendliness, especially after years of playing nice with others.

\'Does she think I can\'t tell?\' he thought, but decided it wasn\'t worth addressing.

Livia kept talking, undeterred by Noah\'s lack of response.

"She also said you\'re always studying or training and that you barely get any sleep. Isn\'t that cute?"

Ariana\'s face immediately turned red, her hands flying up to her cheeks.

"L-Livia, stop it!" she squeaked, clearly mortified.

Livia laughed, clearly enjoying Ariana\'s reaction.

"She even said you were her \'study hero\'—"

"LIVIA!" Ariana grabbed Livia\'s arm, trying to stop her from talking.

Livia grinned wider, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she continued.

"And she said—"

Suddenly, a small, white-and-yellow bear spirit materialized next to Ariana.

It looked at Livia, then at Ariana, and seemed to understand what was happening.

Without hesitation, the bear grabbed Livia by the collar of her shirt, lifting her slightly off the ground.

"Hey, wait—what\'s going on?" Livia yelped, struggling as the bear dragged her backward.

A few students in the room looked up from their own conversations.

Some of them, those who could see spirits, stared with wide eyes as Livia was pulled away.

One student leaned over to their friend, whispering, "Don\'t get involved."

Livia flailed her arms, trying to break free from the bear\'s grasp.

"Come on, it was just a joke! I wasn\'t going to say anything else embarrassing!" she protested.

Ariana\'s face was still red, but she stammered an apology to Noah.

"Uh, I-I\'m really sorry, Noah! I\'ll… I\'ll go now! I\'m going to the cafeteria to get some chocolate ice pops!"

Noah, watching the chaos unfold, nodded slightly.

"Goodbye," he said, his voice flat but polite.

Ariana hurried toward the door, following the bear and Livia as they made their way out.

Before she exited, Ariana smacked the back of Livia\'s head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Livia shrieked, still being dragged along by the spirit bear.

"For saying too much!" Ariana snapped, her voice filled with embarrassment.

As the two disappeared down the hallway, Livia\'s voice echoed back into the room.

"But it\'s true! He\'s your \'study hero!\' Admit it!"

"LIVIA!" Ariana\'s voice faded as she chased after her friend.

Noah, left alone, couldn\'t help but smile a little.

\'What a mess,\' he thought.