Page 41 of Trivium

“I’m next.” Loveleena stepped into the ring. All eyes were on her as she pulled her dagger from her thigh—the only weapon she carried on her at all times—and faced Ren.

“A first year!?” someone said from behind her.

Ren’s icy stare dissected her. “Bold of you, Alva.”

“What’s wrong, Elmerian? You afraid?”

Ren’s face held no emotion as he answered, “Not at all. Just wouldn’t want to hurt an Alva.” He stepped toward her, his dagger still in his hand. “But I guess in here we’re all the same, aren’t we?”

Here, respect, popularity, friendship depended on how skilled one was as a Defender, not on family status. And by bringing it up, Ren was humiliating her. He knew very well that at the Academy, they weren’t all the same. Not really. Their history, class, and training mattered.

“We won’t be the same when I beat you.” It was bold of her to say, but fuck it. If he wanted to play with fire, then she would bring a match.

“Go on then,” he said, unbothered by her threat.

Loveleena waited for Ren to attack but instead, he stood with his arms crossed, eyes locked on hers. If he wasn’t going to move, she had to, so she swung for his head. If she didn’t start strong, this fight would be over before it even started, and she wanted to wipe that stupid look off his face. Ren stepped back casually, as if he were fighting a child. Her blood boiled and she attacked again, this time clipping his forearm with her blade, but it didn’t even make a scratch. Ren was precise. Calculated.

Still, he hadn’t unleashed his full power on her. Instead, he simply put out his foot at the exact moment she stepped forward, causing her to lose her balance and stumble.

She was sloppy. She knew it. Ren knew it. Probably everyone watching knew it. But her frustration, pain, and grief about Park and his disappearance fueled her. She didn’t think about what she was doing; her body moved of its own free will. She simply let it burn.

Move after move, Ren met her attacks with flawless precision. But somewhere mid-spar, he must have grown tired of going easy on her, because suddenly, she was flying toward the ground. She managed to twist her body on her way down, colliding with Ren’s ankle, and he faltered. The force of it knocked the wind out of her. Breathlessly, she used the moment to get back up, and with her feet planted, she threw all her weight into a lunge, her head spinning as she attacked. Ren anticipated her movement, crashing into her at the same time, wrapping her in a headlock from behind. Using his other hand to guide her wrist, her own dagger in hand, he positioned it against her throat.

“Is that all you got?” he growled in her ear. She kicked her leg back, digging her heel into his shin, and he released her. “You’re pathetic.”

She heaved a breath. Pathetic?

“That’s what happens when you try and fight the best Slayer the Academy has seen,” someone called from the crowd.

“At least this decade.” Ren shrugged, arrogantly.

Loveleena wasn’t going to win. She knew that. But she wanted a moment with Ren, one where he was forced to talk to her. Fighting him was just a satisfying bonus. And since it seemed impossible to catch him alone, she took the next best opportunity.

She ran at him, throwing all her strength into the sword she scraped off the ground. He slipped her attack, slamming into her chest. Bodies entangled, they fell to the ground. He wrapped his arms around hers, restricting her movement. By a stroke of luck, she was straddling him, giving her a slight advantage. She squeezed her thighs, tightening her grip to hold him in place. He laughed, locking both of her hands behind her lower back. Their chests pressed together, both heaving from exertion.

“Why are you acting like this?” she hissed into his ear.

“You challenged me, remember?” His voice was a controlled whisper.

“I don’t mean sparring. I thought you wanted to help me find my friend. You conveniently forget to mention that he was a student here last year.”

“I said I would get you into the Academy. I didn’t promise anything to do with your friend.”

Annoyed, she pressed further. “You should have told me.”

“Alva.” Ren sighed. “Is this really the time for this conversation?”

“There seems to be no other time that you’re available. Understandably so, given that you’re the most prestigious Slayer in the history of all time.” Mockery dripped off her tongue and it tasted delicious.

“Glad you finally recognize one of my many talents.”

She gritted her teeth as she twisted to get a better grip on him. “Why don’t you use those so-called talents to help me get in with the Slayers.”

While she strained to hold Ren down, he seemed to be enjoying her struggle. “I’m not helping you with anything. You wanted to come here. Regardless of the reason, you have to prove yourself like everyone else. And honestly, you’re doing a wretched job of it. Just look at you now, embarrassing yourself.”

“The little princess thought she could spar with a graduate Defender!” someone called from the crowd. Loveleena glanced up to try and spot who it was, but all the faces blended together, laughing at her incompetence. Sure, in her class of first years she was pretty good because she was surrounding by a bunch of novices. Here in the Bloodring, she looked like a fool.

“Arrrghhh,” she groaned as she fought against his strength to shift her weight, placing her right knee in between Ren’s thighs, and he squeezed his together in response, making her leg immobile.