Creation Of All Things-Chapter 31: Sparring 2

Dean Wren's voice cut through the murmurs in the arena.

"You and you—come here."

The two students who had been sparring froze mid-motion before quickly running over. They bowed respectfully to the president, who gave them a lazy wave, signaling them to stand straight.

"I called you here because I want you to spar against them," Wren said, motioning toward Alfred and Aria.

The crowd immediately perked up. A spar? Against the newcomers? This was going to be interesting.

The two students turned to face their opponents, a mix of nervousness and determination in their eyes. They were clearly younger—first-years, maybe second-years at best.

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Aria took one look at them and frowned.

"...Seriously?" She crossed her arms. "I get that it's just a spar, but aren't they a little too weak? You can do better than this, right?"

The arena fell into absolute silence.

Then—

"Did she just—?"

"She called them weak… in front of everyone?"

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some students looked at each other in shock, while others stared at Aria like she had just declared war. The two chosen students stiffened, their hands clenching into fists.

Even Alfred let out a low whistle. "Damn, Aria. You're savage."

Gloria raised an amused eyebrow, while Dean Wren let out a slow sigh.

"You really don't hold back, do you?" the dean muttered.

Aria shrugged. "I'm just being honest."

The two students, now visibly frustrated, stepped forward, their previous nervousness replaced with something else.

"We're not weak," one of them snapped.

"Yeah," the other added, eyes burning with resolve. "We'll prove it to you."

A smirk tugged at the corner of Aria's lips.

"That's more like it," she said, stepping into the ring.

Alfred grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Alright then, let's have some fun."

The energy in the arena shifted.

This wasn't just a simple spar anymore.

This was a challenge.

The arena buzzed with anticipation as Aria and Alfred stepped into the ring. The two students—one boy and one girl—followed, their eyes locked on Aria.

Alfred rolled his shoulders, ready to fight, but before he could take a stance, Aria raised a hand.

"Sit this one out," she said, glancing at him. "I got this."

Alfred blinked, then smirked. "Confident, huh? Alright, I'll just enjoy the show." He leaned back against the edge of the ring, hands in his pockets.

The two students looked at each other, then back at Aria.

"You're fighting both of us alone?" the boy asked.

Aria stretched her arms, completely relaxed. "Yeah. No abilities either. Just pure strength."

That sent another wave of murmurs through the crowd.

"No abilities?"

"Is she crazy?"

"Does she think she can just overpower them?"

The girl scoffed. "Fine. If that's how you wanna play it."

The two students rushed forward at the same time. The boy lunged low, aiming for Aria's legs, while the girl went high, trying to land a punch to her face.

But Aria didn't even flinch.

With a single step to the side, she avoided the boy's tackle entirely. Then, without even looking, she grabbed the girl's wrist mid-air and slammed her into the ground.

Boom!

A cloud of dust exploded as the girl crashed, coughing in shock.

The boy barely had time to react before Aria turned and kicked him in the chest—not even at full strength, but hard enough to send him skidding across the ring.

The crowd gasped.

"What the hell…?"

"She's that strong without abilities?"

The girl groaned, getting up and wiping the dirt off her face. The boy clutched his ribs, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Okay, screw this," the girl muttered. "We're using our abilities."

The boy nodded, gritting his teeth. "Yeah. No way we're fighting fair against that."

Aria cracked her knuckles, a lazy grin on her face. "Oh? Changing the rules already?"

The air around the two students shifted.

The girl stepped forward, her hands glowing a deep violet as thin, razor-sharp wires extended from her fingertips, shimmering in the light. "Hope you like being cut to pieces," she said, flicking her wrist.

The boy stomped the ground, and immediately, spikes of earth shot up from beneath Aria, aiming to impale her.

The crowd exploded with cheers.

"Here we go!"

"They're using their real skills now!"

But Aria?

She just grinned.

"Oh, now we are talking."

The ground beneath Aria cracked as jagged spikes of earth shot toward her. At the same time, the girl's razor-thin wires lashed through the air, slicing toward her like whips.

The arena held its breath.

But Aria?

She vanished.

A blur of movement—then suddenly, she was behind them.

BANG!

Before the boy could react, Aria slammed her fist into his gut. His eyes widened as all the air in his lungs was forced out in an instant. He barely had time to gag before he was launched backward, tumbling across the arena.

The girl's eyes widened in shock, but she gritted her teeth and flicked her fingers, her wires shifting direction mid-air. They coiled around Aria's limbs, tightening like steel restraints.

"Got you," she smirked.

The crowd leaned forward.

But Aria just glanced down at the wires wrapped around her arms and legs. Then—

SNAP!

She flexed.

The wires shattered.

The girl barely had time to register what happened before Aria closed the distance.

CRACK!

A brutal roundhouse kick caught her in the ribs. Her body twisted mid-air before she crashed to the ground, coughing violently.

The crowd erupted.

"Holy shit—!"

"She's a monster!"

The boy groaned as he struggled to stand, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His expression was no longer just determination—there was real fear in his eyes.

The girl gritted her teeth, pushing herself up on shaky arms. "Damn it…"

Aria tilted her head, still completely relaxed. "So, what now?" she asked, voice filled with amusement. "Gonna keep going, or have you had enough?"

The two students looked at each other.

Then—

They both lunged forward, together.

The boy's hands glowed brown as the earth beneath him cracked apart, shifting unnaturally. Then, in an instant—

A giant rock golem burst from the ground, towering over Aria.

At the same time, the girl's violet aura surged as her wires turned into blades, dozens of them hovering in the air, all aimed at Aria.

The crowd went wild.

"They're going all out!"

"That's a Tier-3 Earth Construct—!"

"They might actually push her back!"

But Aria just exhaled, rolling her shoulders.

"Alright," she muttered. "Guess I'll put in a little effort now."

And then—

She disappeared.