Return of the Runebound Professor Chapter 941: Alexandra's Battle

Alexandra blocked out the roaring crowd overhead. She felt the wind against her skin, her gaze cast up through Baun’s rather displeasurable features into the sky above. To the clouds floating freely overhead. She drew in a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the air filling her lungs.

Then she let it out slowly.

A small smile pulled across her lips.

She didn’t truly care about this tournament. The crowds didn’t matter. She wasn’t bothered by the gazes boring down into her. Eyes alone could never hope to pin her down. This place was completely stuffed full of stress and tension and fear… and none of it touched her.

Those emotions belonged to those who desperately needed to prove themselves. They were the worries of the competitors who were here for the tournament. There would have been a time where the pressure would have gotten to her.

But Alexandra wasn’t here for the tournament at all.

She was here for her friends.

She was here for Yulin, who watched from their room. She was here for Isabel and Todd and Aylin and every other one of Noah’s students — and she was here for Noah himself. Him and every other one of her teachers. Because they were here, somewhere. Alexandrea was confident they were.

And she suspected they were watching.

That meant she had to put on a good show.

Who knew how many of the others would be watching her fight. She suspected there would be at least one or two of them in this arena. And if there were, Alexandra couldn’t let them down. They hadn’t seen each other in months. It would be incredibly embarrassing if her first showing didn’t match up to how much she was certain the others had grown.

It wasn’t even about winning or losing. She didn’t quite care how her fight went at all, so long as she learned from it and made sure she proved that all the training she’d gone through had been worth the effort. Honing her skill and finding her allies were the only two things that mattered.

Alexandra felt no fear at all as her opponent appeared on the stage across from her. She just held her plain, unadorned sword at her side in a loose grip.

It felt right in her hands.

Free.

Her opponent raised their hand in greeting.

It was a man about her age. He had straight blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. His clothes were plain but clearly of good make, and there was a slender rapier in his left hand. The confidence in his stance made it immediately clear that he knew exactly how to use the weapon.

Baun started to say something. Alexandra mentally blocked him out immediately. She had no interest in wasting attention on the announcer. Instead, she raised her own hand in response to her opponent. They were only opponents for the duration of the tournament. There was no need to be rude when someone showed courtesy.

“I see you have a sword,” the man called, flashing her a grin. “Do you know how to use it?”

There wasn’t any arrogance in his voice, but there was so much confidence that it would have been easy to conflate the two.

Alexandra smiled in response. “Yes.”

The countdown appeared over their heads. It seemed that Baun was getting the round started.

“Shall we see which of us knows it better?” Alexandra’s opponent called. “At the start, at least? No magic. Just blades.”

Alexandra’s eyebrows rose slightly. There was a chance he was trying to bait her into leaving herself open so he could get an easy win. But it was an interesting offer. She hadn’t had a chance to really go up against another swordsman in quite some time.

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“As you wish,” Alexandra said, watching the counter slip down toward zero. “No runes.”

“Fantastic,” the man said. His grin grew wider and he raised his sleek weapon. “Come at me with all you’ve got!”

“I never do anything less,” Alexandra replied. She kept her runes at the ready, not quite calling on them but not letting them recede into the back of her mind either. It was one thing to accept a challenge. It was an entirely separate one to be a fool.

If the man tried anything, then she would be prepared.

The timer hit zero.

And, as one, the two of them exploded into motion.

Alexandra’s blade flicked through the air where he’d been a moment before, but it found nothing but air. Her opponent danced past her. His rapier darted toward her side in a blur of silver.

A clang echoed through the air as Alexandra caught it with the flat of her blade and flicked the blow harmlessly out of the way. In the same motion, she drove her foot into the man’s chest and sent him stumbling a step back. She then lunged, driving her sword forward before he could regain his balance.

Her opponent spun, somehow bringing the rapier around diagonally. His blade rang as hers ran along it, just barely falling to meet flesh. Then his foot flicked out, driving into her leg in an attempt to sweep it.

It collided with a loud thunk.

Alexandra didn’t even budge.

“Ow,” he said.

Alexandra thrust her sword for his chest.

He spun out of the way like a dancer, the blow missing him by mere inches once more, then sent his rapier darting out for her once more. Alexandra knocked the strike away and advanced toward him with a flurry of blows. Each one missed the man by mere inches, but his return strikes were equally as ineffective.

Her sword turned every single one of them away.

The ring of their weapons filled the arena as each of them hunted for a gap in the other’s skill.

Neither of them found it.

“You’re good,” the man said, slipping away from yet another one of Alexandra’s attacks. “Who taught you?”

“Too many people to name,” Alexandra replied with an overhead swing. “You?”

“My family,” the man replied, vaulting away from the strike and flipping through the air to land several feet away from her, a grin on his lips. “Is this all you have? If so, we might as well start using runes. You haven’t landed a blow yet.”

Alexandra’s eyes narrowed. Now he was just showing off.

“Nor have you,” Alexandra said, taking her sword in both hands and letting out a slow breath. “Let’s see that family of yours taught you anything else. Ready your blade.”

And then she sank into her pattern.

She didn’t let any magic into it. There was no need to break the terms of their duel.

Alexandra stepped forward once more.

But this time, her foot fell heavier. The ground trembled slightly beneath her. It was as if she’d suddenly grown ten times heavier. Her opponents eyes widened slightly, but he barely had time to react before her sword was crashing down toward him. The distance between them had evaporated in an instant.

He leapt back, narrowly dodging the strike. But a second one was on its way before the first had even finished, every scrap of momentum harvested and re-invested. He jumped back a second time. Alexandra’s sword fell again, twice, three more times.

Each one came harder and faster than the previous.

A clang echoed out as the man was forced to block one of her strikes. The force of the blow sent him skidding back across the ground. His eyes went wide.

“You’re not using runes. What is this?” He leapt back to dodge the next of Alexandra’s attacks, but she sprinted after him, refusing to allow space to build.

She wasn’t about to let him outrun her avalanche.

Every one of her attacks came faster and faster. But, to her surprise, her opponent still managed to stay just ahead of her. His speed was seriously impressive, and the skill it took to have not yet been cut was nothing to laugh at. He was definitely a master swordsman.

“Find me after the tournament and I might tell you,” Alexandra replied with a grin, spinning and bringing her sword down like a hammer.

Her opponent threw himself back.

Alexandra’s blade slammed into the ground with a deafening crunch. A shockwave exploded out from where it landed, driving into his chest and sending him stumbling several steps back.

“Gods,” he said with a disbelieving laugh. “There were no runes behind that?”

“None,” Alexandra replied. She raised her blade again. “But there could be.”

“There might have to be,” he admitted with an easygoing smile. “I fear you’re quite a bit stronger than I am. How embarrassing. And I was the one that issued the challenge. Would you mind? I do believe that you’re going to trounce me quite thoroughly if I don’t request we drop our earlier agreement.”

Alexandra shrugged. “I’m here for a fight. Not a victory. But if you think that my runes are weaker than my sword-work, then you’re going to be disappointed.”

“Disappointed?” the man asked with a wide smile. “Oh, no. Never. Not by a good fight. I am Vincent Lionsheart. I am never disappointed by a challenge.”

“Alexandra,” Alexandra said, drawing on her runes and letting their power start to trickle into her mind. She felt the world all around her. The limits that the universe imposed upon all those within it. Alexandra felt the power in herself. The power inherent to the very existence of every single stone beneath her feet.

She smiled.

And then she freed the full strength of her Pattern.