Help! I'm just an extra yet the Heroines and Villainesses want me!-Chapter 44

Today was Monday and William didn’t feel like getting out of bed in the least. The atmosphere was cold and perfect for sleep, his blanket providing exactly the kind of warmth that made the idea of morning training seem unreasonable.

"Are you planning on cuddling with your pillow the whole day?"

William turned to see Kai dressed in the academy uniform for the first time, making him raise a brow in shock. Kai rarely attended classes and for that reason William had never seen him in the uniform, so seeing him awake early and ready to go was genuinely surprising.

"If that was an option I would honestly agree," William said while sighing. "But this is a surprise. What’s with the get up?"

Kai looked confused for a moment, then glanced down at himself and suddenly understood. "Oh this? The midterm exams are approaching. I don’t want to fall behind."

"You’re worried about falling behind?" William asked with obvious skepticism. "You read more than anyone I know."

"Reading and taking exams are different things," Kai said while gathering his books. "Besides, showing up occasionally keeps the faculty from questioning whether I actually attend this academy."

William sat up and rubbed his eyes, accepting that sleep was no longer an option. "Fair point."

"You have that Inter-Academy training today, right?" Kai asked.

"Yeah. Starts at dawn at the specialized facility on the eastern grounds."

"Sounds exhausting. Have fun with that." Kai headed for the door, then paused. "Try not to die or whatever. The last thing I need is a new roommate who actually wants to socialize."

He left before William could respond. William got out of bed and dressed in his training clothes, grabbed his weapon, and headed toward the eastern training facility as the first hints of dawn started breaking through the grey morning sky.

The facility was significantly larger than the standard academy training grounds. Multiple platforms of varying sizes were arranged around a central building that housed cultivation chambers and tactical simulation equipment. Everything looked newer and better maintained than the regular student facilities, clearly designed for advanced training rather than basic instruction.

William arrived only to find out that he wasn’t the first person there. Liam was already there running through warm-up exercises, with his usual smooth movement which he had practiced a lot. Seraphina arrived some moments later with her silver hair tied back in a practical style and a focused expression.

The others filtered in over the next few minutes. Lyanna also appeared with her usual composed demeanor, carrying a notebook she had immediately started writing in the moment she entered. Claire arrived looking more stable than she had during the competition, though William noticed she kept her distance from everyone, specifically him. Adrian and Patricia came together, discussing something William couldn’t quite figure out. The remaining three team members—Marcus Reid from Arcturus, Devon Marsh from Luminara, and Kira Stone from Valoris—arrived and formed a small group separate from the others.

Once all ten were present, a tall man in instructor’s robes stepped out from the central building. He had grey hair, sharp features, and the kind of presence that suggested he had a considerable amount of combat experience.

"I’m Instructor Reylan," he announced without preamble. "For the next six weeks, I’ll be overseeing your preparation for the Inter-Academy competition. This training will be significantly more demanding than what you’re accustomed to. The competition itself will test you thoroughly, which is harder than even the inter-house tournament."

He gestured toward the facility around them. "You’ll all train here six days a week from morning until mid-afternoon. The main focus will be threefold—coordinated team tactics, individual skill refinement, and strategic preparation for known opponents from the other academies."

Instructor Reylan’s eyes swept across the group as he continued to speak."The Inter-Academy competition isn’t a friendly exhibition. It’s where the four major academies in the region prove their superiority. Students have been seriously injured in past competitions. Some have had their cultivation permanently damaged. This isn’t a game, and I expect you to treat it with appropriate seriousness."

The mood among the ten students shifted noticeably. The casual atmosphere from earlier evaporated, replaced by focused attention.

"Today we will start with assessment," Reylan continued. "I need to evaluate your individual capabilities and identify weaknesses that require correction. We’ll begin with one-on-one combat evaluation. Liam Hemsworth and Seraphina Ashenheart, take platform one."

The two top-ranked students moved to the largest platform while the rest gathered around to observe. William watched with interest, he was curious to see how a proper assessment match would differ from the competition finals. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"This isn’t a tournament match," Reylan explained. "Fight until I call a stop. I want to see your actual combat ability without holding back for safety regulations."

Liam and Seraphina faced each other across the platform, both settling into ready stances. There was no referee countdown or formal beginning; it started with Reylan simply saying, "Start," and both moved immediately.

Seraphina enhanced her sword as she aimed at Liam who met the assault with his sword in a defensive technique.

His essence flowed smoothly through the blade as he brought it up to block Seraphina’s opening strike. The impact sent sparks flying, as the clash of metal and essence created a sharp crack that echoed across the facility.

Seraphina didn’t pause. Her sword came down in a vertical slash aimed at Liam’s left shoulder. He sidestepped, his blade sweeping up to deflect the strike past his body. Before her sword had fully passed, Seraphina reversed her grip and thrust backward toward his midsection.

Liam twisted, the point of her blade missing his ribs by inches. His own counter came immediately—a horizontal slash toward her exposed side. Seraphina pulled her sword back and blocked, the force of his strike pushing her back half a step.

She recovered instantly and pressed forward with three rapid strikes. The first strike came high toward his head, forcing Liam to raise his guard. The second strike came low toward his legs, making him drop his blade to intercept. The third strike came from the side while he was still recovering his position, aimed at his ribs.

Liam shifted his weight and brought his sword across his body, catching her blade on the flat of his own. The impact jarred his arms but he held the hilt firmly, then pushed her sword away and created distance with a quick backstep.

"Ashenheart, your opening combination leaves your left side exposed for a quarter-second," Reylan called out without stopping the match. "Hemsworth, you’re compensating for a slight weakness in your right shoulder. Address that or opponents will exploit it."

Seraphina adjusted immediately, tightening her guard on the left during her transitions. She attacked again, this time leading with a feint toward Liam’s right side before redirecting mid-swing toward his left. Her blade came in fast, enhanced with a burst of essence that made the air hiss.

Liam read the feint and didn’t commit to blocking the initial strike. When her blade redirected, he was already moving, his sword intercepting hers before it could build full momentum. He deflected it downward and stepped inside her reach, his shoulder driving toward her center mass.

Seraphina released one hand from her sword grip and shoved against his chest, creating just enough space to swing her blade in a tight arc toward his neck. Liam ducked under the swing, his own blade sweeping toward her legs in a low cut.

She jumped backward, avoiding the strike, then immediately closed distance again with a thrust aimed at his chest. Liam twisted to the side, letting the thrust pass by his ribs, and grabbed her sword arm with his free hand.

For a brief moment they were locked together, Seraphina trying to pull her arm free while Liam attempted to control her weapon. Then Seraphina’s knee came up toward his midsection leaving Liam with no choice but to release her arm and block with his forearm, the impact stung him but it was not devastating.

They separated and circled each other. Seraphina’s breathing was slightly heavier now, her essence reserves depleting from the sustained aggression. Liam’s right shoulder showed a barely noticeable tightness in his movements, exactly what Reylan had pointed out.

Seraphina attacked again, her sword coming down in an overhead strike with significant force behind it. Liam raised his blade to block, and the impact drove him back a step. She followed immediately with a horizontal slash from the left, then another from the right, each strike forcing him to give ground.

Her fourth strike came as a thrust toward his center. Liam sidestepped and let it pass, then countered with a downward slash toward her extended sword arm. Seraphina pulled back just in time, his blade missing her wrist by a hair.

Liam pressed forward now, reversing the momentum. His strikes came precisely placed—a thrust toward her shoulder, a slash toward her side, a sweeping cut toward her legs. Each attack forced Seraphina to defend rather than attack, breaking her aggressive rhythm.

She blocked his thrust with a sharp parry, deflected his slash with a circular motion that redirected his blade’s path, then jumped over his leg sweep and landed with her sword already moving toward his head.

Liam brought his sword up and caught hers, but the angle was awkward and his right shoulder tightened visibly from the strain. Seraphina saw it and immediately followed with another overhead strike targeting that same shoulder.

Liam adjusted his stance, taking the block with his left side instead of his right, but the compensation made his defense less stable. Seraphina’s next strike came low, forcing him to shift his blade downward quickly. The movement pulled at his shoulder and his enhancement flickered for just a fraction of a second.

"Enough," Reylan called.

Both students lowered their weapons immediately. Seraphina was breathing hard, sweat visible on her forehead. Liam’s breathing was more controlled but his right shoulder showed subtle signs of strain from the extended engagement.

"Good baseline," Reylan said while making notes. "Ashenheart, work on essence efficiency. Your raw power is excellent but you’re wasting energy on excessive force. Hemsworth, that shoulder issue needs physical therapy and targeted cultivation to fully heal. Next pair—Adrian Thorne and Lyanna Stormweaver, platform two."