Kai finally found the classroom (A) "The Hall Of Blades". Which only reserve for only 10% of the Sword combat student, which they can enter from the combat skill- evaluation and dueling results.
Kai enter the class room it was average size classroom big enough for 40 student. Old painting of famous swordmaster lined up in the wall.
As the Kai stepped inside the classroom every other student were shock to see the "scholar-fool" in the "Elite" classroom.
And the room grew quite.
Whispers started.
"Isn't that scholarship guy?" "With no gift and family?", "He doesn't even have magic, what can he do in this sword class?" "what can a fool do with a sword?"
Kai heard it all, but kept walking and sat at the last row near the window. Where he can see the clock tower, which is in between the academy.
He had a thought before entering the academy.
Just because he can't cast any magic spell, people thought he is weak. How can he can enter this prestigious academy. They don't know just how hard he had trained or what can he do.
Just as he sat and looked at the "clock Tower."
"The bell Rang"
The instructor enter "a middle-aged man with scare across his cheek. "Isn't it the famous swordsman Vale." One student said. And gossiping started about the teacher that how famous and strong he is.
Instructor Vale pick the wooden sword from his desk and tapped in the board.
"Settle down," he said, his voice was cold but edged like a drawn blade. The rustle of uniforms stilled. "Today, we are addressing some thing too many of you overestimate-Your sword skill level,"
Kai sitting in the back beside the window, opened notebook, thought this lecture than would be more about surviving then mastering swordplay.
"Those who were though this lecture would be more about surviving "you were soo wrong" you are in this class mean you have enough skill for survival." Instructor said in loud and cold voice by looking towards the Kai Relven.
Kai met the instructor's gaze without blinking, through a tightness crept into his jaw. The cold edge in the man's voice pressed against him like steel, but he refused to look away.
Just as saying that, instructor vale picked up the chalk and moved his face to the board, Kai eyes turn "RED" and he heard a voice. A different voice, "Do it kai," "Not...Now...," Said by controlling himself. After that his eyes turn normal.
Instructor drew a vertical scale on the board mentioning.
"Five core rank exist," he began, writing them in bold strokes:
Novice->Adept->Expert->Master ->Grandmaster.
"There are also two ranks which is impossible to achieve." "About one Rank," "in the history of the Aethervil's Academy, only one person from the S Rank class get the rank by defeating the current title holder of the "SWORD SAINT." To reached it is not simply the matter of skill - it demands of relentless training, battles that push the body to the edged of death, and an unshakable bond with the sword." "And the other don't ever dream of that no one can get that title for centuries the title of "SWORD GOD." "You all can read about that person at the library." Instructor said.
"Let's start with the lesson."
"As you know each of you in class Rank-A has been at Adept or at least near Expert level of skill." "Only 10% or lower of you are in near Expert rank. "That Impressive but don't think too highly of yourself." "But today we talk about the Adept Rank." "Let start, it means you can swing a sword without embarrassing yourself, not that you can win a real fight with a person which is intent to kill you or who have a bigger gap of experience."
They were laughing softly through one after another the room, But Instructor Vale's stare silenced them instantly.
Instructor starts again' "At Expert level, your strikes are not just become faster but also become precise. A Master? They command the battlefield, bending the rhythm of combat to their will. As for Grandmaster." "They are rare, even at the S rank classman they just stop at the peak of Master rank level and..."
He stopped mid sentence and said.
"Just "RUN" if you see one, or unless you wish to test the sharpness of the afterlife, because some say they can split the air itself.
Several student sifted uncomfortably, and Kai's pen stop's mid air between his hand.
Because the time has been "STOP."
And the clock in the class above the board, stop ticking.
His gaze goes towards the "clock tower" is also stop.
The sky start glitching, cracked, cloud was hanging like it was stitched together between the veins of faint purple light.
Kai didn't dare to move because it was not his doing because he can control it not because of the hard training.
He sense someone is watching from somewhere specially in his class. And that someone is coming near the classroom, just as he thought he see's "SHADOW" standing in the middle of his desk and another student desk.
At first his gaze goes towards the Kai and then goes to that student, and then start examine all the other student. After that the "SHADOW" vanish mid air like nothing was their.
And the time "RESUME" Kai's Pen fell in desk.
He was shivering in fear because what he just saw, he can't calculate the power level of that "shadow." Just as he picked pen it slip down from his finger and dropped in the floor.
Vale's gaze swept towards the Kai.
"When two equally skilled swords man clashed between, one wields a heavier greatest sword and other use lighter rapier, how can you use momentum controlling and timing windows to win without relying brute strength? Describe your answer as if the opponent can reads your every movement a second above. Instructor asked that to Kai.
Kai was shocked not because for question but the line "every movement a secondago."
Just as the Kai stand and was about to answer the time stopped again.
Again, Kai froze but "some one elsemove."
The "Shadow" figure again appears standing between him and start gazing the other student beside the Kai.
"I know you MOVE." Shadow said.
That student trying to flee, the academy froze again but this time even Kai can't move.
"Calm down Kai, don't let go of your emotion or you will be next." in Kai's thought. Kai controlling himself or he will stop the time and caught by that shadow.
The air was thicken, dragging against his moments. His footstep barely left the ground before everything froze.
The dust motes in the sunlight stopped mid air. The fluttering curtains hung motionless. Even his sound of his breath cut off, leaving behind a suffocating silence.
Then It Began.
Starting from his fingertips of his finger, his body seemed to unravel not in a gory or a physical way, but as through some one peeling away his existence. Colors bled from away from his body first than start draining into nothingness.
His eyes widened as the rest of him followed-his chest, his legs, his shadow-all collapsing into a single vanishing point. There is no pop, no scream, no trace left behind. It was like universe single decided:
He Had Never Been Here At All.
Where he stood, there was now only empty air.
Then suddenly timed rewind, to the point where Kai was going to pick up his pen.
But this time he didn't pick up this time.
Every thing goes normal. Kai start listening to the Instructor.
And then instructor gaze swept over them and said. "Skill level isn't just talent. It's discipline. Training. Strategy. Some of you think you are the next sword saint I drought some you can't even reach Master rank by cutting some practice dummy in half. That's not Mastery-That's decoration."
He slammed the chalk down. "By the end of the term I expect three of you advance to the Expert. Fail, and I personally reassign you to lower class. Consider that motivation."
The room went silent.
Kai was shivering in fear, not because of what instructor said but for that shadow, who not can only stop time whenever he want but longer if he desire or rewind the time to whichever point he want and starts from it, most scaring part he can erased you from the existence.
Some of the elite student exchange puzzled glanced, wondering if they can even advance to the Expert rank, or not scared to be reassigned to lower class.
Some elite student gaze lingered on Kai with quiet unease. "No skill in swordsmanship, no skill in element affinity... yet he is sitting in A-Rank class. And now this.." someone shout we don't about ourselves but we someone definitely going t reassigned to lower class.
That was loud enough for the Kai to hear.
Now, did he become a question marks.
"Silence," we can judge a person tooquickly." Instructor said.
"Tomorrow will be you physical sword training class be ready. Now the class is over."
"Up Coming"
"People like you, Shouldn't exist in here"