Chapter 11: You are weak (2/2)

”I understand you're crazy about swordsmanship but you sure are weaker then I thought.”

”What do you mean?”

”My brother might be an expectation but it took you thirty minutes to beat that kid at the internet Cafe.”

Novis didn't say much but he was disappointed in Arthur, someone who had dedicated their life to the sword found it difficult to beat a fifteen-year-old, it was very hard to believe.

As the class began a worksheet was handed around the classroom. The current subject was Maths, and Novis hated Maths.

”Hey Arthur, you're an adult, do you think you could help me out with this?”

Arthur looked at the sheet. Arthur had been raised in a good family in the past so he had a high education level compared to other people in his time but he could still just barely complete what Novis was doing.

”If I help you out will you let me play VSW this weekend?”

Novis was starting to find it embarrassing that every time he let Arthur fight he wouldn't perform so well. At the internet cafe he had even said that he was probably pretty good, then went on to just beat a school kid. It was embarrassing for him.

So he didn't feel like returning to the internet cafe anytime soon. The training centre was pointless for Arthur because Arthur wasn't really a beginner. So Novis would take the time to actually play.

Novis then remembered something, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the leaflet that was given to him by Sophie.

”How about this, I know it's only a children's VSW tournament but we can always just watch instead?”

Arthur thought for a while, surely he wanted to be interested in fighting children but the last opponent he had thought was impressive. He couldn't believe a kid of that age had mastered the sword already.

”Okay, it's a deal,” Arthur said.

The teacher had walked around the room and noticed that Novis still hadn't filled in a single answer on his worksheet.

”Novis, why is your worksheet blank?”

”Oh, I promise I'll start it right away.”

That Sunday the two of them had arrived at the VSW tournament. It was a huge hall packed with Children and parents. The children were between the ages of 10 - 18. It was an amazing sight to see so many people fit in one room.

Novis and Arthur jaws nearly hit the floor at what they were seeing. The tournament was a one on one battle style. Many pro's had come to the event to scout a new member for their team. But what had amazed the both of them was in the hall they weren't using the standard VR headset gear.

They were eight arenas the size of a boxing ring placed around the hall. On each side near the boxing ring were the capsules Novis had seen in the internet cafe, but unlike the internet cafe, there was no TV screen displaying the fight. The fight was being projected into the boxing ring like a hologram. The characters were so detailed it was as if they were actually there in the ring fighting.

Two people would select their characters then their holograms would appear in the ring. A countdown timer would start and the two would go at it with each other. It was a true one on one fight just demonstrating their sword skills.

The sight of this, the atmosphere of the crowd surrounding the ring and cheering, it all gave Novis goosebumps.