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Chapter 17: Silas vs Tiffany

Murmurs rippled through the room as the other students backed away, forming a circle around Silas and Tiffany, but leaving them enough room to maneuver. Silas adjusted his stance, the war hammer feeling heavier in his hands as he face his unarmed opponent.

[Combat initiated: Defeat enemy combatant]

Tiffany moved with a fluid grace, her steps light and quick. She circled Silas, her eyes assessing his every move. Silas swung the hammer, but Tiffany dodged effortlessly, twisting her body away from the blow.

She countered with a series of rapid strikes, Silas dodged one, but then he took one to the face and two to the body. He stumbled back, surprised by how powerful her punches were.

Tiffany was faster, stronger, and more agile than he had anticipated. He had seen her stats, but he thought the armor would slow her down. She looked like she was wearing gym clothes because of the ease with which she moved.

Silas adjusted his strategy, using the hammer's weight to his advantage. He feinted an overhand strike, but turned it into a horizontal swing at about chest level. Tiffany ducked beneath the blow, putting her at a disadvantage.

She was crouched on the ground and he was above her. Silas took this opportunity to perform an overhand strike. It was especially hard for Tiffany to dodge in this position, so she was only able to get her head out of the way, sacrificing her shoulder.

The hammer smashed into her shoulder pauldron, causing severe damage as it compressed that section of her armor. This trapped her right arm in a downward position.

All she could use now was her left arm. Tiffany grinned, "Not bad, Silas. You're stronger than you look."

They continued to trade blows, Silas's hammer against Tiffany's bare hands. Despite her lack of weapons, Tiffany held the upper hand in the fight. Her experience and skill was evident in every movement.

As the match wore on, Silas's breath came in ragged gasps and his muscles burned with exertion. Tiffany, on the other hand, seemed barely winded. Her movements were as fluid and precise as ever.

With a final, decisive upper cut, Tiffany disarmed Silas, punching the war hammer out of his hands, sending it clattering to the floor. She held up her hand, signaling the end of the fight. "Well fought, Silas. I'm impressed. You certainly have potential."

Silas nodded. His chest heaved as he caught his breath. "Thank you, Professor Umbercrowe. I clearly have a lot to learn."

Tiffany clapped him on the shoulder, her grip firm and reassuring. "Keep training, Silas. Something I learned while I was on earth. Don't just practice fighting. Train your body as well. Lift weights, hit the track, go for runs. Swim. Do anything you can to build up your body and experience. Then come find me. I'll be waiting."

Silas grinned. "I'll do that. Count on it. I'm not used to getting good advice, but it seems like everyone is full of it here."

Silas watched as Tiffany went back to addressing the class as a whole. "Alright. It's time to take your training to the next level. From now on, you'll be incorporating your magical affinities into your sparring sessions. Keep in mind that you can channel most affinities through your weapons. Experiment. I'll be keeping an eye on your progress."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the room as the students exchanged glances, their expressions full of anticipation. Silas was just as excited. There was something he wanted to try.

Tiffany continued, "Next week, we'll be venturing out into the field to hunt magical beasts around Arcanium. While these creatures will be lower tier than what you face in the future, they are no less deadly. You must be as prepared as possible, both physically and mentally. I won't lose a student out there. I refuse."

Silas's grip on his war hammer tightened. He knew the stakes were high, and that every moment of training could mean the difference between life and death in the field.

He was determined to make it out of here alive, so he would do everything within his power to make that happen. He had plans for when he graduated, and he wasn't going to let them go.

"I strongly advise all of you to make use of the training rooms for additional practice," Tiffany said. "Hone your skills, refine your techniques, and learn to work in concert with your magical affinities. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of survival."

"In addition to the main training room used for sparring classes, we have several specialized chambers designed to simulate various environments and scenarios," Tiffany said.

"These rooms are equipped with advanced magical technology that allows for a more immersive and realistic training experience. You'll face challenges that will test your abilities to adapt and think on your feet."

"But that's not all," she said. "Our training rooms are also connected to those of other magical universities through a complex network of teleportation magic."

"This means," she continued, "that you'll have the opportunity to spar with students from other institutions, giving you a chance to test your skills against a wider range of opponents and magical affinities."

"These inter-university training sessions will be scheduled regularly, giving you ample opportunity to hone your skills and learn from your peers," Tiffany explained.

"Consider yourselves lucky. Up until a few years ago, this technology didn't exist. The higher ups in the grand council have relaxed their views on the expansion of technology due to the war effort. Years ago, if you even uttered the word 'technology,' you'd be brought in for questioning and reeducation."

As the class dispersed, Silas approached Jace and Rowan. "Hey, do you want to hit the training room together? We can work on combining our affinities with our weapons and come up with team strategies."

Jace grinned, twirling his daggers. "Count me in. I've been itching to what I can do with these babies and my duplication affinity."

Rowan nodded. "I'm game. I'm curious how I can make my fighting work with my summoning."

"Is it ok if I invite Lyra and Nadia?" Silas asked.

"Yes." Jace and Rowan said at the same time for different reasons.

Silas went over to introduce the idea of training together to Lyra and Nadia.

"Yes! I was gonna ask you the same thing," Lyra said.

"Sure. If you can keep up," Nadia said.

"Great!" Silas said.

Silas approached Tiffany, now that class had ended. There was something he had been meaning to ask her. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, where is your sister now? Does she live on campus or in a town somewhere nearby? I figured you'd want to stay together given how close you were."

Tiffany's eyes clouded with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia. "My sister, Selene, my twin, you may be surprised to hear, wasn't a knight like me. She was a gentle soul. She was a weaver. People would come for miles and miles to buy her cloth."

"After I made the deal with the Fae, they said they couldn't bring her back in her original body. They had to give her a new body. Which I think was a lie, because why wouldn't they just give her another human body then? Instead, they turned her into a horse. Just more Fae trickery. She was a black horse with a line of unicorn horns on her head and wings."

"I think they did it just so they could give me a competent and loyal stead. Nothing more. After I failed to protect the king and queen, and the Seelie court fell, Selene and I were separated. All I have left are a few horns in a box to remember her by."

"We have this connection. We can hear each other's thoughts. Every so often, I think I can hear her calling out to me, but then it fades."

"I'm so sorry, Professor. That's terrible. I really hope you can find her someday." A well of sympathy was building up inside Silas. The best he could think to do, though, was pat the shoulder of her armor.

"I hope I do too. At least I know she's alive," Tiffany said.

As Tiffany spoke, Silas noticed Rowan's face contort in surprise and recognition. It seemed as though the description of Tiffany's sister had struck a chord with him, but Silas couldn't imagine why.

Silas was curious about this odd behavior, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't his place to pry. Instead, he focused on Tiffany. "If there's anything I can do to help, Professor, please don't hesitate to ask. I know what it's like to have a loved one taken from you, and I want you to know you're not alone."

"Thank you, Silas. Your words mean more than you know. And remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open. And just call me Tiffany. No more of this professor non-sense please," Tiffany said.

"Will do, Tiffany," Silas said. He walked back to his friends, leaving Tiffany alone with her thoughts.