The rise of the unorthodox

Daniel walked to the center of the room, his stance relaxed but focused. His eyes were sharp, scanning his opponent as he approached the sparring ring. He was dressed in gray shorts and a simple white T-shirt, his brown wavy hair bouncing lightly as he moved. His blue eyes were full of energy, gleaming with confidence. His opponent—well, he wasn't as easily readable.

The other student was tall, with dark tan skin and black curly hair tied neatly in a bun. His deep brown eyes remained calm and measured, his movements almost silent as he walked to the center. The pin on his chest marked him as an Alpha—signifying his exceptional strength and skill. This wasn't someone who could be taken lightly.

Madame Evergreen, standing at the side of the room with a devilish grin, raised her hand and called out, "Alright, now that both fighters are here, let the battle begin, darlings!"

Daniel didn't waste any time. He flicked his wrist, and his energy whip materialized in his left hand with a soft blue glow. Without a second of hesitation, he lashed it out toward his opponent, its speed so intense I barely saw it move. But his opponent, with a swift pivot of his feet, dodged the whip with an agility that surprised me. The only sound was the rush of air as Daniel's attack missed its target.

I couldn't help but watch in awe as the fight unfolded. "Who do you think is going to win this one?" I asked Devin, who was standing beside me, his eyes fixed on the match.

Devin flashed a confident grin, but his tone was more calculated than cocky. "Oh? So now you believe in my predictions? I can't say for sure. Both of them are good. But this one's anyone's game. They're both exceptional."

I rolled my eyes. "Great, so you're still useless."

Devin chuckled, unphased by my teasing. The fight between Daniel and his opponent was already proving to be something special. The other student hadn't even made a move yet, but I could tell he was calculating his options, waiting for an opening.

Daniel, however, was moving on instinct. His eyes darted from one place to the next, reading his opponent's every shift. With a slight frown, he quickly realized his first attack had missed. Instead of charging blindly into another strike, he backed up, spinning his physical whip in a defensive circle while summoning his energy whip to hover just over his shoulder. He was playing it smart.

Suddenly, the other student lunged forward, his movements swift and precise. His hands outstretched toward Daniel, fingers flexing as if ready to grab him. His style was erratic, unpredictable. Every move seemed like it could have come from a different martial art altogether. Daniel tried to anticipate his next move, but his opponent was already behind him. He had to react fast.

Daniel spun around, his whips flashing through the air. But the other student was already moving again, too fast, too unpredictable. Daniel was backing up, his feet shuffling desperately, trying to create some space. I could see the sweat on his forehead now, and I knew the situation was getting critical.

The opponent stopped suddenly, his calm demeanor never wavering. He reached into his side pocket and produced a small, circular disc. He tapped it, and almost immediately, the room seemed to hum with energy. Out of the disc, a massive Claymore sword materialized, as if summoned by sheer force of will. The blade was pure white, but it had streaks of red running through it, like a work of art—no, a weapon forged for battle.

The crowd around us murmured in surprise. This wasn't something a first-year student should have access to. I looked at Devin, who had a tight smile on his face. "Now this is getting interesting."

Daniel's expression shifted, becoming more focused. He was on high alert now. His opponent's strength had just been revealed in full. He deactivated his energy whip and gripped it tightly, morphing it into a sword, while his physical whip remained in the air, spinning rapidly to form a defensive perimeter.

But then, something strange happened. The room began to fill with smoke. It rolled in thick and fast, and for a moment, everything was obscured. A low murmur rippled through the students.

"What's happening?" I whispered to Devin, my eyes darting around, trying to see through the smoke.

"Stay calm," Devin replied. "This is part of the fight."

I watched as the smoke began to dissipate, revealing not one, but five copies of Daniel's opponent, all armed with Claymores. The real question now was whether these were illusions or actual duplicates. I looked closer. The copies moved in perfect synchronization, all striking at once. This was real—he had somehow duplicated himself.

"How's Daniel going to handle this?" I muttered under my breath, worried.

Devin's eyes were fixed on the match. "He's good, but this is a tough one. He needs to figure out which one is real."

Daniel was already moving, whipping his sword around in an effort to defend himself. He struck at one of the copies, but it dissipated into smoke just as quickly as it had appeared. But that wasn't enough—there were still four others closing in.

The clones began to attack, each Claymore swinging down with overwhelming force. Daniel blocked and parried as best as he could, but the sheer number of strikes was too much. The room was filled with the sounds of metal clashing against metal as Daniel struggled to keep up. His breaths were coming in quick, labored gasps now, sweat dripping from his brow.

I could see him beginning to falter. His stamina was running low, his muscles tiring from the effort of spinning the whips and sword so fast for so long.

"Come on, Daniel," I whispered under my breath, "You can do this."

The clones surrounded him now, each attacking with swift, deadly strikes. Daniel was cornered, his back pressed against the wall. But just when it seemed like the fight was slipping away, Daniel managed to create a bit of distance. He jumped backward, landing several feet away from the clones. With a swift motion, he drew his sword across the air in front of him.

A massive aura wave exploded from his sword, cutting through the air with a powerful roar. It collided with the remaining copies, four of them vanishing into puffs of smoke as the attack tore through them. The last copy was left standing, blood oozing from a deep cut that ran across its chest.

The clone staggered, struggling to stand, but it was clear its strength was almost gone. Without warning, it hurled its Claymore at Daniel. The massive sword flew through the air with astonishing speed, but Daniel, despite his exhaustion, managed to sidestep just in time. The Claymore crashed into the iron door behind him, embedding itself deep into the wall with a loud clang. The blade missed another student by mere inches.

Daniel grinned now, his confidence returning. His morph ability deactivated, and he held both whips tightly in his hands. With a flick of his wrists, they lashed out toward the last standing opponent, wrapping tightly around the clone's neck.

The clone struggled, hands grasping at the whips as they squeezed tighter. His efforts were futile. Soon, with a final tap, he surrendered, tapping out from the pain.

The room went silent for a moment before erupting into applause. Madame Evergreen clapped, her smile wide. "Oh, that was glorious! The strength and wit of both students were on full display. Truly remarkable!" She walked over to the defeated student. "You fought bravely, darling. Go see the nurse. And you too," she pointed to Daniel, who waved her off.

"I'm fine," he said, still grinning. "Just a few scratches. I'll watch the rest."

Devin leaned over to me, a smug smirk plastered across his face. "That Daniel's powerful. Can't wait to beat his guts out. No one's stronger than me in here."

"Yeah, sure," I replied, rolling my eyes. "We'll see about that."

I glanced over at Mathew, who was standing near the side of the room. If he ever fought Devin, I knew exactly how that would go down. Mathew was one of the strongest students in this class, and Devin's bravado wouldn't be enough to take him on.

Madame Evergreen raised her hand again, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Alright, darlings, let's keep this energy going! The next fight is about to begin. You two, to the center, take your stances!"

I looked up and saw who she had pointed to. I couldn't believe it. Madame Evergreen had pointed directly at Devin—and Mathew.

This was going to be fun.