"System," I subvocalized, "analyze her combat style."
[Combat Analysis: Seraphina Cross]
[Fighting Style: Integrated Magic-Swordplay, Emphasis on Speed and Precision]
[Primary Weaknesses: Overconfidence in superior positioning, relies heavily on predictive combat]
[Recommended Counter: Unpredictable movement patterns, sudden power escalation]
[Note: Target expects host to fight according to original Marcus Vale's limitations]
That last note was the key. She was fighting someone she thought she knew, someone whose capabilities were limited and predictable. But I wasn't that person anymore.
I shifted my stance and went on the offensive.
My first attack was a simple thrust, but delivered with speed and precision that made her eyes widen in surprise. She barely managed to deflect it. My second attack was a diagonal slash that forced her to retreat a step. My third was a combination that pushed her back to the edge of the practice circle.
"How are you doing this?" she said, breathing harder now.
"Doing what?" I replied, pressing my advantage with another series of attacks.
"You're fighting like someone with years of advanced training. That's impossible."
I could have explained about the system, about the instant skill acquisition, but that would have raised questions I wasn't ready to answer. Instead, I just smiled and launched into a more complex attack pattern.
The watching students were no longer murmuring. They were staring in shocked silence as Marcus Vale, the forgettable extra from Class 2-B, drove one of the academy's top students across the practice circle.
Seraphina's expression shifted from confidence to concern to something approaching panic. She was a regressor, someone with memories of a future timeline, and nothing in those memories had prepared her for this.
That was her mistake. She was so focused on what should happen that she couldn't adapt to what was happening.
I feinted left, then struck right, landing my first clean hit on her shoulder. The protective barriers flashed, registering the point.
"One point to Mr. Vale," Professor Aldric announced, his voice filled with disbelief.
Seraphina backed off, reassessing. I could see her mind working, trying to understand how this was possible. In her timeline, Marcus Vale was supposed to be weak. He was supposed to die in two days. He definitely wasn't supposed to be capable of matching her in combat.
"Impossible," she whispered.
"What's impossible?" I asked, advancing steadily. "That someone might be better than you expected?"
She raised her sword again, but I could see the doubt in her eyes now. Doubt was a dangerous thing in combat. It made you hesitate, made you second-guess your instincts.
I pressed my advantage, launching into a complex attack sequence that combined all five basic stances in a flowing pattern that forced her to retreat again. She managed to deflect most of my strikes, but not all of them. My sword touched her arm, then her side.
"Two points to Mr. Vale," Professor Aldric said, his voice barely above a whisper.
The watching students were completely silent now. Even Ace had stopped smiling, staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
Seraphina was breathing hard, sweat beading on her forehead. "This isn't possible," she said again. "You're not supposed to be able to do this."
"Supposed to according to who?" I asked.
She didn't answer, but I could see the desperation in her eyes. This match had become about more than just combat skills. It was about her understanding of how the world was supposed to work, about the timeline she was trying to preserve.
I could have ended it quickly, but something made me hesitate. Maybe it was the way she looked at me, like I was some kind of monster that had crawled out of her nightmares. Or maybe it was the realization that winning this match would change everything, would announce to the world that Marcus Vale was no longer the person they thought he was.
But I'd already come this far. There was no going back now.
I launched my final attack, a straightforward thrust that she almost managed to parry. Almost. My practice sword touched her chest, right over her heart.
"Three points to Mr. Vale," Professor Aldric announced. "Match concluded."
The training room erupted in shocked chatter. Students were staring at me, at Seraphina, at each other, trying to process what they'd just witnessed. Ace looked like someone had just told him the sky was falling.
Seraphina lowered her sword, her face pale. "How?" she whispered.
I leaned closer, speaking so only she could hear. "Maybe your information isn't as reliable as you thought."
Her violet eyes widened, and I realized I'd made a mistake. That comment revealed too much, suggested knowledge I shouldn't have.
But it was too late now. The damage was done.
"Class dismissed," Professor Aldric said weakly. "We'll... we'll discuss today's events next session."
As the students filed out, chattering excitedly about what they'd witnessed, Seraphina caught my arm.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "What are you?"
I looked down at her hand on my arm, then back at her face. "I'm Marcus Vale. Student ID 2-B-47. Is there some reason I should be someone else?"
"Don't play games with me," she hissed. "I know things. I've seen how this story is supposed to go. You're not part of it."
"Maybe the story needs to change," I said, gently removing her hand from my arm.
I started to walk away, but her voice stopped me.
"The Crimson Wolf attack is tomorrow," she said. "In the original timeline, you died. Horribly. If you really are who you claim to be, you should be afraid."
I turned back to her and smiled. "Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind."
As I left the training room, I could feel her staring after me, her mind probably racing with implications and possibilities.
[Quest Complete: Make your presence known]
[Reward: Advanced combat skills unlocked]
[New Quest Available: Survive the Crimson Wolf Attack - Modified Parameters]
[Warning: Timeline deviation accelerating]
[Multiple individuals now aware that host is not following expected patterns]
I dismissed the system notifications and headed back to my dorm room. Tomorrow would bring the Crimson Wolf attack, the event that was supposed to kill Marcus Vale and set the rest of the story in motion.
But I had a feeling things weren't going to go according to the original script.
In fact, I was counting on it.