The next duel was between two non-Aetherbound students.
Ryan Cole stepped forward first and chose a medium-sized sword as his weapon.
His opponent, Ethan Vale, selected a dagger.
Before the match began, the teacher quickly demonstrated a few basic combat tips to both of them.
Harry wasn't a fan of this treatment.
The Aetherbound students had started training their abilities long before this day, while the non-Aetherbound were only receiving a few minutes of instruction just before their fights. The difference in preparation was obvious.
Still, the duel began.
Ryan remembered the teacher's advice: attack head-on and don't give your opponent an opening.
The moment the signal was given, Ryan rushed straight toward Ethan and swung his sword.
Ethan was ready.
He swiftly dodged the attack and jumped forward to launch a counterattack.
Ryan immediately panicked. He tried to swing his sword again, but he was too slow.
For a moment, everyone thought the match was already over.
But luck intervened.
As Ethan struck, his dagger accidentally hit the handle of Ryan's sword, throwing his attack slightly off.
Ryan stumbled but didn't fall.
He had almost lost—but now he had a chance.
Quickly regaining his footing, Ryan lunged forward and thrust his sword toward Ethan's chest.
Ethan didn't have enough time to dodge.
Instead, he chose to deflect.
As the sword came toward him, Ethan struck the blade with his dagger from the right side, slightly changing its direction.
That small movement created the opening Ryan had been warned about.
The teacher had told him clearly—never leave an opening.
But Ryan did.
Because Ethan had also remembered his own instructions.
A dagger was meant for close-range combat. The teacher had advised him to move in small circles around his opponent, using the dagger's speed and control to exploit weaknesses.
Ryan's sword struck the ground after being deflected.
Before he could recover, Ethan stepped in.
In a single swift motion, he pressed the dagger against Ryan's neck.
The duel was over.
Ethan Vale was the winner.
Since this was a non-Aetherbound match, the rules were slightly different. Without abilities or enhanced endurance, students couldn't rely on fainting or overwhelming power. Their fights depended mostly on basic combat skill and quick thinking.
The teacher nodded with clear approval.
Ethan had shown patience and discipline. Unlike Ryan, he hadn't rushed recklessly into the fight.
Ryan had understood how to use the sword offensively, but he had completely forgotten about defense.
Ethan, on the other hand, had focused entirely on counterattacks.
After the duel, the teacher called Ethan forward.
"You should join the combat training class with the Aetherbound," he said. "You have potential."
Hearing this surprised many students.
From the sidelines, Harry and his classmates watched in admiration.
This fight proved something important.
Being non-Aetherbound didn't necessarily make someone weak.
What truly mattered…
was willpower.