Ch 1.35: Ranking

Carline was already taking her jacket off as Elaina watched in horror, realizing the situation she’d gotten herself in. Gods though, Carline looked great in just her uniform shirt and skirt. No, focus, damnit!

“Are you alright?” Carline asked, hanging her jacket up and grabbing one of the swords. “Oh, wait, you don’t have any experience with rapiers probably, right?”

“Ha, yeah, uhm, that’s true. But—”

“The tournament will be standard rules, ranking style,” Professor Ranlit continued. “You’ll be paired randomly with someone that has the same record as you in each round, and I’ll use your final record and my observations to pair you up in the future. Come collect your round one pairings once you have your equipment.”

“Huh,” Carline said. “Been a while since I’ve been in a ranking-style tournament. Not since I was a kid, I think but it makes sense for this.” Elaina was staring at the sword next to her, the sword hanging from the same post that her jacket would soon be hanging from. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate and unbuttoning it. She could feel the wind through the thin shirt, and the bright sun peeked out from behind dark clouds to illuminate the fabric at the exact moment she shrugged her jacket off her shoulders, hanging it up as she took a training rapier in hand.

“Anyway, since you’re new to this, I’ll explain—”

Carline stopped speaking the moment Elaina turned around. “Honest, how bad is it?”

Carline’s wide-eyed stare was enough of an answer on its own. “I— Uhm… It’s not that bad. Did you— did you forget a bra? I hardly noticed.”

“Uhm— yeah. The one I wore was dirty, and I didn’t think that I’d be taking off my jacket today. I guess it makes sense, since I took it off for the duel earlier too…”

“Yeah, well, you know?” Carline’s eyes were glued to Elaina’ chest, and a small grin was beginning to form on her face. “It looks nice! And I’m just so used to seeing you, so maybe I noticed and others won’t?’

“Yeah, right,” Elaina said, crossing her arms over her breasts. “Let’s go get our pairings, I guess.”

Carline led the way, Elaina walking behind her through the crowd, trying to hide behind her friend. It was futile, but no one was looking at her right now regardless. Why would they be, after all? She was just another student, dressed basically the same as everyone else. She built up a little bravery and put her hands down, walking normally, braless boobs bouncing away with each step, nipples hard from the cold clearly peaking out in her peripheral vision, some amount of their color visible to anyone who would spare a look.

Gods, she was wet already, and without underwear it was dripping down her leg. I’m such an idiot, she thought, face burning red, far more red than it should have been possible to be on such a mild day. I’m such an idiot that I let this happen, and enough of an idiot to get turned on by it too. She couldn’t help but imagining what could have happened if Tira had forgotten about her clothes though. Gods, what if I had to be here naked?

“So,” Carline said once they reached the line that snaked off from the side of he professor’s table, looking back again at Elaina, “standard rules are first to three points. Any touch with the tip or the blade is a point. Uhm, I’m not really a sword specialist, but the best advice I can give you is to keep your body turned sideways, and try and use reach to get hits.” Elaina nodded, unable to keep her eyes off of Carline’s. Gods bless her friend if she was trying not to stare, because if she was she was doing a terrible job. I wish I could show her more.

The two eventually reached Ranlit, who was sitting at a table holding an open box that people were reaching into and pulling lots from. “Next!” the woman called, over and over as each successive student went up to get their own number. Carline finally got hers, and Elaina approached after the following “Next!”

Elaina stepped up, the professor writing on a piece of parchment next to the box. “Go ahead and grab a lot. Your number is…” Ranlit’s voice trailed off as she looked up, eyes stopping on Elaina’s chest. And gods if she wasn’t hot too. It was a plainer type of attractiveness than some of the other girls Elaina had seen in her time at Endrin, simple, shoulder length brown hair and large green eyes, but possessing a maturity the students obviously lacked. Up close though, it was obvious she was even younger than Elaina thought too, mid to late twenties at best. How’d someone so young start teaching here?

“Uhm, my number is what?” Elaina asked, crossing her arms over her tits again. Gods, this was such a bad idea. What if I get in trouble?

Ranlit blinked, meeting Elaina’s gaze as she opened her eyes again. “Your number is the ring you will compete at in round one. At the end of your match, come back here and I’ll give you your new assignment.” Her words were nonchalant, almost as if nothing was amiss.

“Okay,” Elaina said, reaching into the box and pulling out a slip with the number one printed on it.

“Ah,” Ranlit said. “In that case, if you win your first round, just stay in that ring, you won’t have to move if you do win.” She placed a fist to her mouth, coughing. “I understand you are Miss Weaver, correct? A commoner?”

“Ah, yes ma’am!” Elaina said, fixing her posture and throwing her hands down. It was an automatic reaction at hearing that name, “Weaver,” that had been forced on her due to her lack of an actual surname, but it also uncovered her tits and threw them upward, bouncing them around as she straightened her back and pushed them out. She heard giggles and snickers from off to the side, her situation finally being realized by other students as well.

“Well, I’ve heard that you already had one duel. Please keep in mind that there are no aspects allowed in fencing. Do you have any other questions?”

“Uhm, no, my friend explained.” Elaina was still standing at attention, breasts thrust out directly into her teacher’s face, thighs growing more wet every second. Fuck me, it’s going to start dripping below my skirt if I can’t get this under control. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the crowd to her right; that just might do it if enough people were staring. I hope they all are.

“Good. I’ll call out the start of the round to everyone. You may go now, but do keep in mind that not wearing proper undergarments can affect your performance. Next!”

Elaina’s mouth gaped as she tried to sputter out a response, failing. She covered herself again, storming off in search of her numbered circle. Gods, getting in trouble would’ve been better than that! Ranlit had just been so casual about seeing the state Elaina was in. Still ruminating about her teacher’s response, she reached ring one.

The boy standing across from her was about her height, and already practicing swings and thrusts in the air as she arrived. He glanced up at her and nodded. “Brink,” he said, focusing on his sword again.

“Uhm, Elaina?” she replied, hoping that he had been offering his name and not some other greeting she was unfamiliar with. He nodded again, so she thought she’d answered appropriately enough and started looking around. Other students were likewise focused on themselves, giving her a quick reprieve from the attention from earlier. She wondered what she should do, and realized stretching was probably not the worst idea. She took a deep breath and leaned over to reach for her feet, painfully aware of her skirt riding up in the back as she did. She close her eyes and pushed her arms back, sticking out her shoulders as she imagined the whole class looking her way. She went through the stretches she knew, ending by reaching her arms as high up as she could, pushing them up with her eyes closed. Gods, what if I really did have to do this naked?

She opened her eyes. The entire field wasn’t looking at her, of course, but Brink was, staring at her tits with wide eyes. “Uhm, sorry,” she said, turning to the side and blushing. It seemed strange to her, that she should be worried what a guy thought of her body when she didn’t care for theirs at all, but it had always been that way. She knew they’d like leering attractive women just as much as she did, and that drove her crazy just as much as a pretty girl actually being the one looking. “I wasn’t expecting to take off my jacket today.” Brink just nodded again, eyes never moving.

“Alright,” a shout came from Ranlit. “Round one: begin!”

Brinks gaze jumped to the sword in Elaina’s hands as he fell into some stance, side-facing, just like Carline had said. Elaina did the same, forcing herself to uncover her chest, but now Brink’s eyes were glued to the tip of her rapier. “Start?” he asked.

“Sure,” Elaina said, and he was moving towards her before she closed her mouth, sword tip thrusting at her torso. She swiped her own blade to the side in reaction, connecting with his, but he twisted his wrist, swiveling his blade around hers and striking her in the thigh.

“Point.” He backed to where he was, leaving Elaina stunned in her original position. It had happened so fast, far more quickly than she could even process. I hit his sword though. Her body had just moved, the same as when she’d blocked that first swing from Waine. No, faster, even. She looked down at the hand holding the unfamiliar tool. Is this what having a class does to you?

“Start?” Brink asked again.

Elaina looked up, planting her feet more firmly and sticking her sword out further, mimicking his stance again. She’d be ready this time. “Start,” she replied.

Brink moved first again, striking in the same way he did the first time. That won’t work again! She caught his blade from underneath this time, and when he went to strike her again ran his sword down hers until it caught the handguard at the bottom. She pushed it away and jumped forward, heart racing as she stabbed him square in the chest, her own chest jiggling with the movement. Holy shit!

Brink coughed, stumbling back to his original position. “Point?” he asked.

“Oh, point!” she replied, blushing, both at her own lack of call and her breasts’ movement as she shuffled back. Gods this is so fun!

Brink nodded. “Your point; you initiate start.”

“Right,” Elaina said, nodding back and stepping into her starting position as well. She’d got a point, an actual point! Wait, is this cheating? Nothing she could do, really. Using [Restraint] was obviously not allowed, but she couldn’t control how fast her reaction time was. I can only do my best. “Start?”

“Start.” Brink moved again, but Elaina had got the start first first this time. She could afford to take a risk, so she tried copying the thrust Brink had done at the start. He sidestepped the attack, ignoring her blade and rapping her on the wrist.

“Ow,” she said at the same time he called, “Point!”

Okay, so your feet are important too, not just your sword. She should have realized that before, but it was better now than never. “Start,” Ranlit said.

“Start,” she was moving again, hanging back a little compared to the previous time. Brink swung at her from below, and she swatted his weapon away while stepping back. Brink’s sword flew towards to ground, burying itself in the sand as Elaina jumped forward and stabbed at his leg.

“Point!” she yelled as she hit, beaming. This is fucking awesome! She could do this, actually do this. And every move I make causes my tits to bounce everywhere! Gods, she wasn’t going to stop wearing bras, was she?Brink was staring at her in astonishment. She realized she’d done something strange, but he wasn’t calling her out for breaking the rules, just staring at her arm. “Start,” she said.

“Start.” Brink backed up as he said it, hopping away while keeping his stance as Elaina charged, stepping forward one foot in front of the other. She swung down at her opponent, and he brought his blade up to catch hers just in time. Her blade carried through though, pushing his down until both weapons came down on his head.

“Point!”

Brink was the one stunned now, staring at the two blades still pressing into his forehead. “How did you—”

“Move over, Brink.” Both he and Elaina turned to the side, seeing another student standing there: Prisma Fireguard.

“Ranlit says we can start whenever our round ends,” she said, looking directly at Elaina. “It’s you and me next.”