Melch wasted no time setting the report down on his desk and opening his notebook. He dipped his quill in ink and began copying sections that he found particularly important. However, Leif leaned back in his chair flipping through the pages lazily before tearing a blank sheet from his notebook and starting to scribble his own notes in a much messier, less structured manner.
“This guy writes too much.” Leif muttered tapping his quill against the paper. “I get that it’s a report but come on, he could’ve cut down half of this and still said the same thing.”
Melch, who had been meticulously copying a paragraph didn’t even look up. “That’s what makes it very detailed. If it was summarized too much, we wouldn’t get the full picture.”
Leif groaned dramatically throwing his arms over his head. “Yeah, yeah but it’s not like we’re gonna remember every little detail. Half of this will probably fly out of my head in a week.”
“Then maybe you should actually read it properly.”
“Just, so you know, I am reading it selectively.”
Melch shook his head but didn’t press the issue. The two spent the next few hours copying the report, though at very different paces. By the time they were halfway through, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up to them and they decided to rest for the night.
The next morning, they were woken up by an unexpected announcement. The academy had declared that there would be no classes today. At first, Melch felt relieved thinking they could finish the report in peace. But that relief was short-lived when the second part of the announcement was made: the arena fight against the senior students was scheduled to take place in five days.
Melch sat up in bed rubbing his temples. “This isn’t good.”
On the other hand, Leif was grinning from ear to ear. “Are you kidding me? This is as amazing as it could get. We finally get to fight the seniors. I’ve been waiting for something exciting to happen.”
Melch sighed. “You do realize they’re stronger than us, right? More experienced, more skilled and they’ve been here longer.”
“That’s exactly why it’s fun” Leif said stretching. “Besides, we won’t know how much we can do unless we test ourselves against them. And hey, at least we don’t have classes today. That’s a win in my book.”
Unlike Leif, Edwin and Elissa were more cautious. They met later in the day to discuss their strategy, and Melch quickly realized that there were still many things unclear about the fight. They didn’t know how the teams would be divided or how many people would be on each side.
Elissa being the top student among the first years, leaned forward with a thoughtful expression. “The biggest problem is experience. The seniors will be more proficient in both mana control and combat techniques. If we go in without a plan, we’ll be destroyed.”
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Melch nodded. “We need to figure out what kind of magic and weapons they specialize in. If we can predict their strengths, we can prepare countermeasures.”
Edwin adjusted his eyes on them. “True, but we might also need to consider our own weaknesses. We’re not going to match them in sheer strength, so we should focus on strategy.”
Leif waved a hand dismissively. “Come on, you guys are overthinking it. Just hit them before they hit you. Simple.”
Elissa shot him an unimpressed look. “That’s not a strategy.”
“It’s my strategy.”
“Well, that's terrible.”
“Hey, it’s worked so far” Leif said with a grin. “Besides, I bet we’ll get paired up in teams, so we just have to figure out how to cover for each other’s weaknesses.”
“That’s exactly what we’re discussing,” Melch said.
“Alright, alright. I’ll listen but only because I don’t want you guys blaming me if we lose.”
The discussion went on and eventually, Leif brought up something that had been on his mind. “Hey, Edwin, do you think that math guy we met during the entrance exam will be in this battle?”
Edwin furrowed his brows. “You mean the one who was hanging out as a volunteer and helping conduct the exam?”
“Yeah, that guy. He was kinda weird but he seemed like he knew what he was doing.”
“If he is, that might actually be a bad thing for us” Melch said. “If he’s on their side, his calculations could give them an advantage.”
“And if he’s on our side?” Leif asked.
Melch exhaled slowly. “Then they will have a problem.”
The rest of the day was spent in preparation. While Melch stayed back to finish copying the report, Leif went off to train and hold informal meetings with other students about strategies. It was clear that some students were taking this fight far more seriously than others.
By nightfall, Melch finally finished copying the report and stretched his stiff fingers. He had spent the majority of the day sitting at his desk, his mind split between the report and the upcoming battle. He wasn’t sure how they were going to handle the seniors, but one thing was certain he needed to be ready.
Leif returned later looking exhausted but satisfied. “Man, today was great. I sparred with three different guys and I only lost twice!”
Melch raised an eyebrow. “That means you won once.”
“Hey, that’s still a win.”
Shaking his head, Melch closed his notebook and leaned back in his chair. “We need to be serious about this fight, Leif.”
“I know, I know. But stressing out won’t help either. Just trust me on this once we step into that arena, instincts take over.”
Melch sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
“Of course I am.” Leif said throwing an arm around Melch’s shoulder. “Now come on, let’s eat. If we’re gonna take on seniors, we need a proper meal first.”
Melch couldn’t argue with that. They still had five days to prepare but for now, they needed food and rest.
The team battle was approaching and no matter how much planning they did, once they stepped into that arena, everything would come down to how well they fought.
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