Warrior Training System

Chapter 102: First Friendly dual

Cassian stood in the training yard, trying to keep his cool as Julius's lecture on reducing unnecessary movements echoed in his mind. He focused on steadying his breathing and centering his stance. But his thoughts kept drifting back to the taunts Lumine had been throwing at him. Initially, he'd challenged her to this duel for a simple task, a mere formality that didn't matter if he won or lost.

Yet now, the stakes felt different. Lumine's jabs, her constant teasing about him being gay, were getting under his skin—not because she did it when they were alone, but because she kept bringing it up in front of others.

He could handle being teased, but now some of the onlookers, who didn't know him well, were taking her words to heart. Among them were a few burly types who were actually gay, and the way they eyed him, sizing him up like a potential partner, sent a chill down his spine. Cassian's jaw clenched. He couldn't let this continue.

He had to win, if only to reclaim a piece of his dignity that Lumine had been chipping away at.

He glanced over at Lumine, who was stretching and loosening up, her smile carrying a smug confidence that made his blood boil. She caught his gaze and shot him a wink, clearly enjoying the effect her words had on him.

Cassian took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes. It wasn't just about proving something to Lumine anymore. It was about proving something to himself, too—that he wouldn't let anyone define him or make him feel small. As the signal to start the duel approached, he tightened his grip on his practice sword. If Lumine thought he'd be thrown off balance, she was in for a surprise.

"Ready to lose?" Lumine called out, her voice dripping with mockery.

Cassian smirked, raising his weapon. "We'll see about that."

The clash of steel filled the air as Cassian and Lumine engaged in their duel, the crowd gathered around the training yard watching with keen interest. Lumine's technique was as precise as ever, her long sword flashing with rapid stabs and slashes that seemed to blur with speed. Her strikes aimed at Cassian's shoulders, torso, legs—always looking for an opening to exploit.

But Cassian had spent countless hours fighting her shadow in his mind, memorizing her patterns and movements, studying the rhythm of her attacks. It didn't mean he could dodge them all—her speed was still overwhelming—but it did mean he knew how to respond.

He danced around her attacks, not blocking directly but deflecting her strikes with subtle shifts of his sword. Each time Lumine's blade lunged toward him, he angled his own weapon just right, guiding her strikes away from his body, redirecting their force to the side. Cassian could see the frustration building in Lumine's eyes as she failed to land a single solid hit.

"You know," she said through gritted teeth, smirking despite her irritation, "once you're done dancing around, you should just admit it. Tell everyone you're into dicks. I'm sure those guys over there would love to help you find a nice boyfriend with a big cock." Her gaze flicked over to the group of men who had been eyeing Cassian earlier, and she chuckled maliciously.

Cassian's jaw tightened, but he forced a grin, meeting her eyes with a mocking look of his own. "Maybe you need a dick, just so desperate for it, that you've started imagining losing your virginity to one of those imaginary boyfriends of yours, miss virgin," he shot back. With a quick twist of his wrist, he deflected another of her strikes, sending her blade off course.

He taunted her, but he didn't really understand what was so bad about being a virgin. He was one too, and it's not like they were at an age where they had to lose it. Lumine still had time, and he'd even heard that some people preferred to wait until their wedding night. Not that he planned on waiting that long, but he just couldn't grasp why Lumine would get so angry by getting called a virgin.

The clash of wooden swords rang out in the training yard as Cassian and Lumine circled each other, their practice swords slicing through the air. Cassian's muscles tensed with every movement, but he kept his expression cool, trying to mask the effort it took to keep up with Lumine's relentless attacks.

She was quick, quicker than he'd given her credit for, but his mind worked just as fast, analyzing every shift of her weight, every change in her stance.

'She's trying to throw me off,' he thought, his eyes narrowing. Lumine had realized that her earlier attacks were too predictable—simple, repetitive moves that Cassian had been able to read like an open book. So now she'd adjusted her strategy, becoming less structured, more fluid. Her strikes came from unexpected angles, forcing Cassian to stay on his toes.

As he parried her strikes, sweat trickled down his forehead, but he managed to keep his grip steady. Cassian knew he couldn't afford to get careless, especially with how close she was pressing him. He deflected one of her downward strikes, stepping back and angling his blade just enough to guide her sword away from his side.

He used the opening to launch a quick jab toward her midsection, but she spun out of the way, her footwork carrying her effortlessly around his strike.

She smirked, taunting him. "You're slowing down, Cassian. Afraid of a little pain?"

He gritted his teeth but didn't take the bait. He knew better than to let her words distract him. His focus remained on the way she moved, on how her feet shifted before each strike. She lunged in with a sudden thrust aimed at his shoulder, but he twisted his body, letting the blade graze past him. Instead of countering immediately, he stepped back, forcing her to advance.

Cassian was doing his best to stay defensive, analyzing every moment. He wasn't attacking much, only a few calculated strikes here and there, hoping to bait her into making a mistake. But for now, his priority was dodging, keeping his distance as he studied her rhythm.

Lumine's strikes were faster now, and she pressed him with a flurry of blows. Cassian's arm ached from blocking and redirecting her attacks, his muscles burning with the strain. She managed to catch him off guard a few times—a sting across his forearm where her practice blade nicked him, a sharp impact against his thigh that made him bite down a hiss of pain.

Each successful hit she landed brought a flash of satisfaction to her eyes. Read chapters at m_v-l'e|-NovelBin.net

He could feel his frustration building, but he forced himself to stay calm, to keep reading her. Cassian was trying to think like a strategist, the way Julius had taught them—to anticipate, to predict the flow of a fight rather than react to each moment. He noticed that when Lumine shifted her weight slightly forward before a swing, it meant she was going for a powerful but slower strike.

When she kept her balance more centered, she'd dart in with quick, light jabs.

'She thinks she's wearing me down,' he thought, and he almost smirked. He allowed her to push him back a few steps, letting her think she was gaining the upper hand. His mind kept racing through possibilities, wondering when to switch from defense to offense.

Suddenly, she shifted her stance, lunging in with a sweeping strike aimed at his ribs. Cassian saw the move coming just in time, ducking low and stepping to the side, her blade cutting through empty air where he'd been a moment before. He took the opportunity to press forward, driving his shoulder into her to push her off balance. She stumbled, her footing faltering for just a second.

But Lumine recovered quickly, spinning back with a retaliatory strike that forced Cassian to jump back. Her blade came dangerously close to his side, slicing the air with a sharp whistle. His heart pounded in his chest, but he stayed focused, eyes locked on her every move.

Their swords clashed again, ringing out with each collision. Cassian felt the vibration of each impact travel up his arm, testing his grip and his patience. He kept to his defensive strategy, watching for the perfect moment to strike back. But Lumine's unpredictable attacks kept him on edge, and he had to give her credit—she was more skilled than he had assumed.

She landed another hit, this time across his shoulder, and he winced at the impact, but kept his feet steady. He couldn't afford to let her get too confident. Even if she was landing hits now, he was learning with every swing she took, every step she made.

'Come on, Lumine,' he thought, his mind racing as he dodged another quick thrust, barely avoiding a hit to his side. 'Show me something I can use.' He was waiting for a mistake, a tell, something he could exploit to turn the tide of the duel. But for now, he stayed on the defensive, content to let her think she had him cornered.