Unmade Chapter 35: Chapter 35: a metallic colosus

Read chapter 35 of Unmade by churro on NovelPedia.

As Vale, Rose, and Evelyn continued down the hall, another long stretch of windows came into view. Rose must have noticed the way Vale’s gaze drifted toward them, because a bright, almost too-cheerful smile appeared on her face, polished and deliberate. “Would you like to watch the sparring matches of our combat class, Vale?” she asked, her tone light but her eyes still carrying the weight of the story she had just told. Vale could tell her enthusiasm was forced. If she truly was over five hundred years old, as she had claimed, then she had lived through the destruction Dagon unleashed. She had probably seen cities burn… watched people she knew vanish into ash and lightning. Putting on a smile after revisiting that past must have been difficult. Still, Vale’s curiosity stirred. He had no memories, no context for this world, but something in him, the part that reacted to danger, to motion and battle, wanted to see these students test their strength. So he nodded silently, eyes brightening with interest. When they reached the windows, Vale found himself overlooking a massive open-air stadium. Hundreds of students filled the seats, shouting, cheering, jeering. Six tall banners hung from both sides of the arena walls, each marked with bold black lettering: 10E 10D 10C 10B 10A … and 10X. Vale tilted his head. “Ten X?” he murmured, puzzled. A sly, knowing grin touched Rose’s lips. “The X-Class,” she said. “Our strongest class by far… but also our most troublesome. Every student in it has some sort of issue, behavioral, emotional, or related to their abilities. Put bluntly, it’s a special education class for… volatile talents.” Vales curiosity deepened. He opened his mouth to ask more, but the stadium suddenly erupted in unison. “ESKAR! ESKAR! ESKAR!” “And that,” Rose said with a chuckle, “would be the Academy’s favorite show-off.” “A cocky brat,” another student near the window muttered to a friend. Vale shifted his focus to the right side of the arena. A tall, muscular boy with bright red hair emerged from the tunnel, waving at the crowd. His smile was warm, confident, almost hero-like. Evelyn snickered, her grin sharp and amused. “They’ll stop cheering soon,” she said under her breath. “He’s facing her today.” Vale glanced at Evelyn. Her tone told him she wasn’t just teasing, she was anticipating something. “Don’t worry,” she added when she saw his questioning look. “The students are limited to second-rank abilities during official spars. But even with restrictions… some people shine above the rest.” Vale nodded slowly. That only piqued his interest further. He never got the chance to respond, because the crowd suddenly shifted, boos erupting like thunder. From the opposite gate, a tall girl stepped out. She moved with an irritated sort of confidence, her short black hair chopped unevenly except for vivid yellow streaks. Her build was athletic, honed, every line of her body suggesting hard training and sharper discipline. She didn’t carry a weapon. Eskar, however, had already grabbed a wooden sword from the rack. The boy pointed it at her, speaking with animated gestures, clearly telling her to choose one of her own. The girl merely lifted her head, her pale face lit with a cocky smile that stretched into a wicked grin. She didn’t bother looking at the swords. She simply raised her fists and slid into a combat stance. “Who is that?” Vale asked quietly. “That,” Evelyn said, “is Nym. The Academy’s resident menace. Cocky, arrogant and sharp-tongued, and unfortunately for Eskar, extremely gifted.” The match began before Vale could comment. Eskar lunged forward in a flash, quicker than Vale expected. His swordsmanship was polished, disciplined, impressive for someone his age. But Vale could see every opening, every flaw in his footwork, every moment where the boy hesitated or overcommitted. Nym saw them too. She weaved around each strike with casual ease, her grin widening as Eskar grew more frustrated. Then Eskar shifted tactics, pull