I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 78: Friendly Sparring

A thunderous crash echoed through the chamber, followed by the soft clatter of bricks tumbling from the shattered wall.

Dain groaned as he pushed himself up from the rubble, eyes wide with disbelief.

"So fast..." he muttered, still trying to grasp when Vale had moved—let alone how he’d been sent flying across the room.

Without hesitation, Dain surged forward again, his silver gauntlet catching the dim light as he closed the distance.

But Vale was already moving. He sidestepped with fluid grace, his blade whispering across Dain’s torso—just deep enough to let him know that he could’ve ended it.

Dain’s expression darkened, his brow furrowing as he faced Vale. The student stood calmly, as if the clash meant nothing.

"As I thought," Vale thought, his gaze studying the massive student. Ranking up created a difference too big for the student to overcome.

He lowered his weapon and turned slightly toward the rest of the group. "Join him."

"What?" Ayla blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "You can’t seriously think you can fight all three of us alone?"

Vale didn’t answer. Instead, he raised one hand—and with a ripple of dark energy, the Knight appeared behind him, silent and poised, longsword gleaming and ready.

Ayla hesitated only a moment before summoning her daggers. Just as she did, a sudden heaviness pressed down on Vale. He felt the sharp tug of energy—Klein’s debuff layered with Ayla’s ability. Both abilities weighed on him simultaneously.

As if on cue, Dain charged again.

The dark Knight stepped in, intercepting the blow from the hulking student, steel clashing with a bone-shaking ring. Meanwhile, Vale shifted his focus to Ayla.

Her dagger met the blade of Hellfire in a flash of sparks.

With a swift twist of her body, Ayla spun low and fast, sending her second dagger in a wide arc toward Vale’s torso.

"If this were months ago, that would’ve ended it," Vale noted as he slipped just out of reach. The strike was fast—terrifyingly so—but still not enough to catch him.

He countered in a flash, and Ayla shifted to defence, barely managing to parry the weight behind his strikes. Sparks flew with each clash, illuminating the dim chamber in brief bursts of light.

Across the room, the sound of metal clashing echoed as Dain continued his relentless assault against the Knight. He seemed to be faring better than Ayla, matching the spirit blow for blow.

"Let’s switch things up," Vale thought, leaping backwards after a tense exchange. At the same moment, the Knight disengaged and mirrored his retreat. With a silent command, Vale redirected the spirit toward Ayla.

Caught off guard by the sudden change, Dain barely had time to raise his guard before Vale’s blade whistled through the air, forcing him onto the defensive.

Victory was within reach. Vale could end the fight at any moment—but he hesitated. Wanting to learned more from this sparring, he summoned his relic.

His vision expanded, stretching across the entire chamber. In that heightened state, he used the moment to refine his new combat style, splitting his focus between both opponents. With Frostpiercer aiding the Knight in battling Ayla, he continued the duel against Dain without losing momentum.

The rest of the sparring didn’t take long.

Backed into a corner, both Ayla and Dain stood panting, weapons trembling in their hands, completely at Vale’s mercy. He stopped his final strike inches from Dain’s throat.

The fight was over.

All three students had lost.

"Impressive," Dain said between ragged breaths. "Maybe we should all start training with that Demon."

Vale offered a faint smile as he dismissed his weapon. His eyes drifted to Ayla, checking on her just as the Knight vanished in a shimmer of light.

She was breathing heavily, shoulders rising and falling with effort.

"Maybe it was too soon to put her in a spar," Vale thought, his gaze falling on the spot where she’d recently been wounded. It was healed—but he could tell it was still affecting her movements.

Before long, the group left the chamber to replenish their strength with food.

As Vale walked through the narrow, torch-lit corridors of the Dark Castle, he noticed the familiar variety of looks thrown his way—some in awe, others marked by fear or quiet disgust.

A few winding turns later, they arrived at a vast hall with tables scattered across the stone floor. It was the canteen—or at least, that’s what everyone here called it.

Vale and Ayla took their seats while Dain and Klein moved toward the far side of the room, where a crude grill connected to a chimney awaited. The two began preparing food over the flames.

As Vale waited, he let his eyes wander around the chamber. For a place like this, the canteen was surprisingly well-kept. His gaze drifted back to the table—just in time to catch Ayla watching him with a strange, puzzled expression.

She looked away the moment their eyes met.

He arched an eyebrow, silently questioning her, but seeing her reaction he chose not to press.

Silence fell inside the canteen.

"I’m glad you’re alive," Ayla said suddenly, breaking the quiet. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. The sudden words caught Vale off guard.

"Me too," he replied instinctively. Then, after a pause, he frowned slightly. "Me too?" The phrase echoed oddly in his mind. It didn’t sound right, he started to question why he said that before noticing Ayla’s puzzled expression and shaking the thoughts away.

"Thanks," he added. "I’m glad I got here in time."

The silence returned, but it felt different now. Not cold or awkward—just quiet and calm.

A few minutes later, Dain and Klein returned, carrying four plates stacked with steaming chunks of meat. They sat down, handing plates to Vale and Ayla before the group began to eat.

The food was simple and rough. Monster meat was grilled more out of necessity than for flavour. It was bland and chewy—nothing like the dishes Aamon used to prepare. Surprisingly, the Demon had been an excellent cook—not something Vale would ever admit to his face.

Still, the warmth was enough. It filled their stomachs, dulled their aches, and—for now—satisfied all their needs.

The group spent the next hour resting and eating, letting the tension of the sparring fade into the background.

Eventually, they called it a day.

Vale was offered a small tent with a makeshift bed of furs. After thanking them, he stepped inside while the others quietly disappeared into their own tents.

There is a long week ahead of them, and each would need their strengths.