The Unbreakable Bow

The impact made him lose balance. Aefrine was still trying to understand what happened but not before he shot an arrow to save himself from falling. As he did, Rudolf threw his shield in the air and again pointed his weaponless hand's palm towards Aefrine. It heated the surrounding air at such a rapid speed, that it created a shock wave. Aefrine was again avoiding his teacher's attack by the teeth of his skin. But Rudolf was not making it easy. He took the shield back and threw it with full strength at the boy's face. Aefrine could swear his arm definitely extended a bit. The attempt failed but not completely, there was now a clear small cut on Aefrine's cheek. The ice safeguard merely passed his face and smashed into the ground, shattering into many pieces.

However, Aefrine soon realised that was just a distraction. Rudolf had jumped again and took him by surprise. He tried shooting but he missed the angle. As always the bow blocked the enemy weapon. They were now in mid-air. Aefrine took action and made his missed arrow into a rope that attached to the dome and turned them around. Rudolf was not expecting this and Aefrine now had the upper hand. Holding firm on both enemy arms he threw as hard as he could into the iron bars, hoping afterwards that the Duke's armour would protect him from any serious damage.

As he did, Rudolf still had the last laugh. A very chilling sensation went through his left arm. He could feel something latching onto his arm. He looked. His skin had been frozen and some blocks of ice had even appeared on it. Pain quickly followed. His skin and muscles were stringing hard. Not only that, but he could also feel the blood in his veins boiling. It wasn't heat though. It was like the blood was moving in such a violent way, it was boiling. Thinking of it, this feeling had always been present in this fight as well as in some moments of his previous training days. It was just that the feeling began too strong to ignore. Was this perhaps an effect of using mana?

He tried his best to focus on returning safely. He needed to find a landing before Rudolf made another move. Speaking of who, his body made a big impact on the iron bars. Yet, it wasn't long enough until he got back on his feet. As he jumped again at Aefrine who was making his landing on the ground. Alma who jumped, intercepted him mid-air, clearing a way for Aefrine who was still trying to get his arm back to functioning properly. It felt very numb. He couldn't aim well or even move well with a frozen arm.

Just what happened? First, where did he get that shield from and how did he freeze his arm? Enchanted tools aren't allowed, right? So, was that temperature magic? As far, as he remembered it could be used to make the temperature drop rapidly or increase rapidly thus creating ice and heat. Rudolf did say that he is a master at phys and temperature magic. Till now, he had frozen his arm by touching him. And for that ice shield did he freeze the air itself? That would make sense, right? What about that shock wave? I could feel its warmth even though he avoided it. It must be the heat effect. So, basically, Rudolf can cold down or warm up anything he touches? It would be hard to avoid getting frozen with him jumping all over the place ...

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Alma had landed a decisive blow on Rudolf sending him away.

"USE PHYS MAGIC! FOCUS ON REDUCING THE ICE EFFECT AND USE PHYS MAGIC !"

"What ?!"

Aefrine tried to ask before Alma went back to jumping to Rudolf.

There wasn't anything would lose, he just tried to do the short process she had described. He used phys magic, feeling like he was forcing the blood to enter his arm's veins. Slowly but surely, he could feel the numbness going away. Finally when he could aim properly again. He went to join the battle before the battle joined him. It seemed too late. He heard another explosive sound that was caused by a shock wave. And Alma landed right next to him. She had managed to make a good attack on her enemy's waist before he blew her away.

"Listen, we need a plan ."

"I am listening, quick before the old man comes back."

"He is better than us in almost everything-. "

"Listen, he is getting slower, you know...it is only a matter of time until he runs out of mana. Those ice and heat attacks are no joke."

"Me too, the blood in my arm has never felt this ...dull. I think I am running out of mana ..."

"I suppose... so what ?"

"Listen, he knows everything we could do except for my bow. That is why he was focused on me when I used it ."

"He is still fast. Do you think you can make use of it ?"

"I will think of a way. Just stall him OK..."

"Ok, sad truth, I ain't lasting much longer .."

"I think I have an idea, just stay on the right ."

"Of who ?.. oh god, he is coming "

As Rudolf jumped towards them, Aefrine hopped backwards and Alma hopped forward. The two swordsmen started clashing, steel collating with steel. Aefrine went to a safe distance and pulled out the axe put it in his mouth and aimed with his bow and as soon he shot, his hands retook the axe into their matters and swang it to the left. At the same time, the arrows split into two. Rudolf who focused on Alma took notice and made a shield from ice that blocked the offence while he stood his ground against Alma whose signs of exhaustion began to appear. Aefrine then attacked with his axe, swinging to the right. The axe made a deep cut in the ice but other than that it didn't do much. However, that was the plan. Rudolf quickly realised that.

A string wrapped around him and his arm that held the shield. Aefrine had shot two arrows, one of which he redirected circularly while swinging his axe the first time and made it return to the target the second time he swung his axe. The second arrow split into two on its return making a rope or string. Aefrine was hoping that Rudolf wouldn't focus on more than the two people in front of him. Seeing the plan worked, both of the teens backed away. Rudolf not understanding the thing that kept his arm from losing contact with his thigh, didn't move from his place. Aefrine unitised this to make another shot. This time totally tying up the Duke. However, preparing to make his aim, Rudolf attacked not by jumping but by extending his arm very far. It was double its original length with the skin of the orc appearing out of the armour that didn't change alongside the wearer's arm. He completely took the archer off guard. The sword was now right about to cut off Aefrine's fingers.

"Owwwwwww"

Just before the sword could make contact, Alma jumped and smashed the exposed part of the arm into the ground making its owner scream in pain. As a result, the sword had finally left the stubborn hands of Rudolf whose arm went back to its normal length. Rudolf was now hopping, shaking his arm trying to deduce the pain. Aefrine took one look at him and his sword took it and hit the ground running. His blood was beyond boiling now. He was sweating more than any time in his life. But this all wouldn't mean anything if the Duke simply retook his weapon. He had to keep running until it was over.

"It is over, human. Give me my damn sword already! Oh, never mind..."

He took the axe that was left on the ground and cut open the rope. He had thrown his helmet away.

"I hope you realise that you almost broke my damn arm, you-"

"I don't care, you almost killed us on numerous- haha occasions, old man haha..." Replied Alma who also thrown her helmet off and as well as herself on the grass.

"I could have killed you if I wanted to. Do you really think that freezing your skin off or burning you alive is harder than freezing the air itself? You are lucky that I decided to show you some superior phys magic or else you wouldn't dream of getting the sword."

"Yeah, yeah. Haha 'Your arrogance will be your downfall' that is what you told me on my first day, iconic right,"

"You disrespectful piece of-"

"Sir, are you okay? This is your sword. Sorry, I thought it still wasn't over. "

"Whatever, just put it there. Why are you shaking?"

"Well-"

He fell to the ground back flat. His body suddenly became heavy and his blood was begging to be released. He never felt this numb.

"Well done, you killed him, happy now.?"

"This is good for you, the more you exercise your mana cells, the more efficient they will become in the future...good job, using phys magic to speed up your healing process from that ice attack. Always remember to use that method.....I should have banned soul magic..."

"Yeah, looks like you couldn't handle a simple bow. To think haha an experienced warrior like you can't manage that."

"Oh, shut up, spirits are very confusing. Unless you already know everything about the enemy spirits then anyone would find a difficulty in fighting them. Finding the small fragile physical spot is very difficult. It is always better to just target the user since they use too much mana. It is not like I could cut through the arrows like they were ordinary arrows."

This made Aefrine alert.

"But...Ryuji did cut them down with no difficulty.."

"What ?"

"He slashed through them like ordinary arrows ."

"What? "

"Don't worry, old man. Nobody will blame you for being a child compared to Shogun Ryuji. "

"Aefrine, stand up."

"No, sir. I can't. I-"

"STAND UP."

"Ok, sir!"

He pulled himself up...barely.

"Shoot me ."

"What?"

"Shoot me !"

"Old man, I am sorry. No need to prove anything. "

"Just do it."

"Ok.."

He pulled an arrow and shot. It was targeted to his belly. Rudolf slashed the arrow but the steel went through it like it was a ghost. The arrow landed on its target and Rudolf took two steps back while holding on to his belly.

Owwww.

"Arrows hurt, big surprise.."

"Tell me, Aefrine, are you sure that he cut through them?"

"Yes, I literally saw the arrows get shattered like real ones ."

"Ok,... this is very interesting. "

"Ok-"

And he fell to the ground again as the Duke turned his back.

Alma walked towards him on her knees. Aefrine whose eyes were closed, did not notice.

"So, Aefrine...if you don't mind, could come to the northern tower after dinner ."

Aefrine immediately opened his eyes and got up to his chest.

"Er, yeah, sure, of course. Why?"

"Oh, nothing special, it is just there are some things that I wanted to talk about stuff.."

Oh. For some reason, his face, specifically his cheeks was hot. It was because of his exhaustion, definitely...

"Ahahaha, well done. Excellent, Alma you were amazing. "

Shouted a distant voice. It was the king himself.

"I was watching you from the Eastern tower. You all had me worried honestly. "

"It's fine, Dad..." Said Alma as she walked towards him.

"Worried for poor Rudolf, you had him by the neck!"

Were you really watching us, dad?

"Oh, please, I could have easily won. Of course, I had to go easily on them. The fact that needed to keep the sword in my hand was actually a disadvantage for me ."

"Well, then, how well do you think they performed?"

"For her, she has done well, especially in keeping her phys magic efficient throughout the fight. I must say she has at least made good progress in that area. She has good stamina. However, she is still relying too much on a standard fighting strategy. I might even say she is still using well-known duelling techniques found in books..."

"Htmp."

"As for him, he seems a fast learner. He easily adapts to dire situations. However, his phys magic is still unreliable in long battles and he relies too much on his bow. And now you see the results, your majesty. "

"Well, if I had that good of a trick, I would use a lot wouldn't, I?"

"Soul magic takes more mana than phys magic. That is why he got mana exhaustion. "

Well, he never had a problem using his bow before ... It was always like a part of his body...It was definitely phys magic that made this tired....

"But that is good. If keeps training like this, he will have more stamina like Alma."

"Hey, old man-"

"Alma, manners!"

"Sir Rudolf, don't you think that the spell that allows you to extend your arm is a bit useless on the battlefield?"

"What? Of course not, it allows you to make ranged attacks ."

"But don't the risks outweigh the benefits?"

"Well..with an enchanted tool that allows regeneration, it is a deadly combo!"

"Do you have a regeneration tool ?"

"..."

"Oh, well.."

"Hey, Aefrine, are you OK?Do you want to see a medic or something?"

"No, thank you, your majesty. I am fine really. "

"Well, if you say so. Haha. I will make sure that eat well tonight. Let's hope that you don't faint from the food. Hahaha"

"Haha..." Everyone laughed faintly...