Chapter 85: The duel
Adrian’s horrified expression hadn’t even fully formed before I reached into my utility belt again.
His attention remained completely fixed on the rifle.
Good.
That was exactly where I wanted it.
Keeping the shield between us, I slipped a hand beneath my cloak and pulled out another small pouch. The custom lighter hidden in my left hand clicked briefly before I tossed the object at my own feet.
A second later it burst apart.
A thick cloud of white smoke erupted around me.
The crowd immediately exploded into noise.
"What was that?!"
"Another one!"
"How is he doing that?"
Inside the arena Adrian looked around in confusion before swinging his sword in a massive horizontal arc
A blade of mana tore through the smoke cloud, splitting it cleanly in half and sending the white haze rolling away in opposite directions.
Unfortunately for me, the attack kept going.
I luckily managed to get my shield up in time.
CLANG!
The impact shoved me backwards several steps.
My arm immediately ached.
Even so, I couldn’t help appreciating the shield. It had endured attacks that should have reduced ordinary equipment to scrap metal and somehow remained intact.
As the smoke cleared Adrian spotted me again.
I quickly worked the rifle’s lever. A brass casing flew from the side and clattered onto the arena floor.
The entire audience watched it.
Students.
Teachers.
Academy staff.
Everyone’s attention remained fixed on the strange weapon.
I raised the rifle again.
The shield remained planted in front of me while the rifle rested across the top.
Then I pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The shot slammed directly into Adrian’s left arm again.
Blood sprayed across his sleeve.
A scream escaped his mouth as he stumbled backwards clutching the wound.
The audience erupted.
Several students stood up.
Others looked horrified as even some teachers appeared visibly shaken.
Adrian stared down at the blood covering his hand before slowly looking back at me.
The rage in his eyes had only grown stronger.
Another mana blade shot toward me as I dove aside.
The attack smashed into the arena wall behind me.
As I took my position so I could fire again, Adrian recognised it and suddenly thrust his wounded hand forward.
A translucent barrier appeared between us.
I immediately aimed.
BANG!
The projectile struck the barrier.
And bounced away.
The crowd gasped as Adrian laughed.
A loud, ugly, laugh.
"I’ve figured it out!"
He pointed his sword toward me.
"I’ve conquered your trick!"
Some Students immediately began cheering.
Most of them actually believed the fight was over.
Then Adrian planted his sword into the arena floor.
Mana flooded through the stone.
Cracks spread outward from his position.
A second later massive spikes of earth erupted from beneath the arena and surged toward me.
I threw myself aside.
The spikes continued growing.
And growing.
And growing.
Until they curved around me from every direction and I was in a giant cage of stone which surrounded me.
The walls continued rising higher and higher until they started bending inward toward the center.
The opening above slowly became smaller.
Sunlight disappeared piece by piece.
Adrian’s laughter echoed throughout the arena.
"You should’ve stayed in your backwater barony!"
The stone walls continued closing.
"I hope you enjoy the miserable life you’ve built for yourself!"
The gap above grew smaller.
Several students looked convinced the duel was over.
Even some teachers had started relaxing.
Then—
BOOOOM!
The front of the earth prison exploded outward.
Stone fragments shot across the arena.
A cloud of black smoke poured from the opening.
Adrian physically stumbled backwards in shock.
The crowd erupted.
"What happened?!"
"Did it explode?!"
"How?!"
Nobody could see inside.
The black smoke continued spreading across the arena floor.
Then a familiar sound rang out.
BANG!
Adrian screamed.
His leg suddenly gave out beneath him.
The shot had punched directly through his calf.
He crashed onto one knee while clutching the wound.
The arena went silent watching the smoke begin to clear.
And there I stood.
The shield remained planted firmly in the ground.
The rifle rested across the top.
Thin wisps of smoke drifted from the barrel.
And over my eyes sat a pair of dark tinted goggles.
Every student and teacher stared.
Adrian looked up from the ground.
His face had gone pale.
I couldn’t help but to smile as I them tilted my head slightly.
"Tell me, Adrian."
My voice carried across the now silent arena.
"You said you conquered my weapon."
The grin on my face widened.
"Did you?"
I reached into my utility belt again.
Three small poutches appeared in my hand.
Adrian’s eyes immediately narrowed.
He clearly recognized them now.
Unfortunately for him, recognizing them and understanding them were two very different things.
Without giving him time to react, I lit all three fuses and launched them high into the air. The entire audience followed them instinctively as they scattered across different sections of the arena.
A moment later they detonated.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Huge clouds of smoke rapidly spread outward until nearly the entire battlefield disappeared beneath a sea of white.
One second the arena had been completely visible. The next it looked like somebody had dropped a cloud directly into the middle of the colosseum.
The audience immediately erupted into confusion.
"What is all that?"
"I can’t see anything!"
"Where did he go?"
Several teachers stood from their seats while students craned their necks trying to see through the smoke.
Even the supervising staff looked increasingly uncomfortable. Nobody could sense mana from Leon, yet strange things kept appearing throughout the duel.
Up in the stands Clara stared at the arena in disbelief.
"What is he doing?"
Beside her, Lillith simply rested her chin in her hand and smiled.
Her expression looked almost smug.
Clara turned toward her.
"You aren’t worried at all?"
"No."
"He’s fighting an a mage with a A rank mana capacity."
"I know."
"Then why are you smiling?"
Lillith’s smile widened.
"Because he’s going to win."
Meanwhile Adrian’s face twisted with fury.
"STOP HIDING!"
Mana exploded around him as he spun in a complete circle.
A massive wave of force erupted from his sword and blasted through the smoke, creating a huge clearing around his position.
The centre of the arena floor became visible again.
Adrian immediately looked around.
Nothing.
No Leon.
Nothing but drifting smoke covering the outer areas near the wall.
"COME OUT!"
Then a voice echoed from somewhere inside the fog.
"Think fast."
Adrian barely had time to turn.
A strange metal object that had holes in it flew from the smoke and landed directly in the center of the clearing.
For a split second he simply stared at it.
Then—
FLASH.
The arena exploded with brilliant white light.
Students cried out.
Several teachers shielded their eyes.
Even spectators sitting high in the stands instinctively looked away.
For a brief moment it looked as though somebody had brought a second sun into the arena.
The crowd erupted immediately.
"What was THAT?!"
"That wasn’t magic!"
"How is he doing this?!"
Clara covered her eyes before looking back toward the battlefield.
"What in the world is Leon using?"
Lillith shrugged.
"It has something to do with the ’Mg’ powder."
Clara blinked.
"The what?"
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know?"
"No."
"Then why do you keep saying that?"
Lillith ignored her entirely.
Her eyes never left the arena.
Meanwhile, the moment the flash erupted, I emerged from the smoke and dropped into position.
Shield planted.
Rifle resting across the top.
I fired.
BANG!
The shot echoed throughout the academy.
Every student jumped.
The projectile slammed directly into Adrian’s right arm this time.
Blood sprayed.
A scream escaped him as he staggered backwards.
The audience froze.
Several students physically stood from their seats.
One teacher nearly dropped the notebook he had been holding.
Nobody understood the weapon.
Nobody understood how it worked.
All they understood was that every time it made that sound—
Adrian started bleeding.
Princess Amelia sat completely frozen.
Her expression had vanished entirely.
She wasn’t cheering.
Wasn’t speaking.
Wasn’t even blinking.
She simply stared in horror.
Everybody she knew told her Adrian should be winning.
He had more mana.
More talent.
More training.
More power.
Yet somehow he was losing.
And she couldn’t understand why.
Back in the arena Adrian roared in fury and unleashed another torrent of compressed mana blades.
I barely managed to dive aside before they carved through the arena wall behind me sending stone flying everywhere.
Then I disappeared back into the smoke.
"COWARD!"
The crowd remained tense.
Nobody knew where I was.
Nobody knew where the next attack would come from.
Even the teachers looked increasingly uncomfortable.
This wasn’t how duels were supposed to work.
Normally they could understand what they were watching.
This time they couldn’t.
Adrian stood in the center of the battlefield while blood dripped from both arms and one leg.
His breathing had become ragged as suddenly he stopped moving.
Mana began gathering around his sword.
A lot of mana.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Students felt it.
Teachers noticed it.
Even people high in the stands looked nervous.
Flames appeared around Adrian before swirling inward toward the tip of his blade.
The growing sphere became brighter and brighter until it resembled a miniature sun.
The heat reached the audience.
Clara stared.
"...That’s terrifying."
Lillith nodded.
"He’s trying desperately."
Adrian smiled.
The confidence returned to his face.
He was waiting as the next time I attacked—
He intended to erase everything in front of him.
Several tense seconds passed.
Then—
BANG.
A gunshot echoed from somewhere inside the smoke.
"There!"
Adrian moved instantly.
The blazing sphere erupted.
A tidal wave of fire exploded across the arena.
It flowed as if it was lava, engulfing the smoke and other bits of scattered debris.
Students screamed.
Teachers stood.
The inferno surged through the smoke and slammed into the far side of the colosseum.
Stone blackened and sections of the wall cracked from the heat.
The smoke vanished.
Silence followed.
Then Adrian started laughing.
"I GOT HIM!"
Blood dripped from his wounds while he pointed toward the scorched battlefield.
"HE’S DEAD!"
Several students looked horrified.
Others simply stared.
The attack had been absurd.
Surely nothing could survive that.
Clara gasped in horror.
Then immediately turned toward Lillith.
Then paused.
Because Lillith was smiling.
Not worried or nervous, but smiling.
Back in the arena Adrian continued laughing.
Then—
Clink.
The sound came from directly behind him.
His laughter stopped.
Slowly he turned around.
The same metal canister with holes rested on the ground.
Right behind him.
His eyes widened, big mistake.
Then another brilliant flash erupted.
The audience cried out again.
Adrian screamed and covered his eyes.
At that exact moment I burst from the remaining smoke.
No retreat.
No hiding.
No rifle in my hands.
Just a sprint directly toward him.
The crowd collectively leaned forward.
Students who had spent the entire duel talking suddenly fell silent.
Teachers stared.
Nobody wanted to miss what happened next.
Adrian’s vision partially recovered just in time to see me charging.
Mana surged around his body and condensed into a solid blue barrier that covered his body like armor.
His final line of defense.
His safest technique.
I knew that it probably drained his mana quite a lot hence he must be desperate.
I kept running.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Adrian raised his sword and enhanced his body with mana.
Then he swung.
The blade cut through empty air as I had stopped just outside his range.
His sword smashed into the ground completely crushing the earth below.
For a moment Adrian smirked.
He still trusted the barrier.
Then I reached into my belt, and pulled out another canister.
"Pepper spray!"
The moment the spray hit his face—
Everything changed.
His barrier vanished.
His concentration shattered.
His sword then slipped from his fingers as he collapsed onto his knees screaming.
The entire stadium froze.
The academy’s greatest prodigy had gone from overwhelming confidence to complete panic in a matter of seconds.
I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up slowly.
Tears, snot and blood all collectively streamed down his face onto the floor below.
"I’m going to enjoy this."
Then I drove my forehead into his.
THUD.
The audience gasped in shock.
THUD.
Again.
Blood splashed.
THUD.
Again.
Princess Amelia physically stood from her seat as she covered her mouth gaging at the site in front of her.
Her face had gone pale at the brutal barbarism she was watching.
Clara looked horrified.
Several students covered their mouths.
One teacher muttered something under his breath.
Nobody moved.
Nobody intervened.
Because this was an official duel recognised by the crown.
And Adrian had agreed to the terms.
The most prestigious student in the academy was now sobbing on the arena floor.
A mana-less cripple stood over him.
The image felt impossible.
"PLEAS—"
THUD.
"STO—"
THUD.
His words dissolved into cries.
Blood ran down both our faces.
Then finally—
"ENOUGH!"
The supervising teacher’s voice thundered across the colosseum.
"The duel is over!"
The arena fell silent.
"Leon Aldric is the victor!"
Nobody reacted.
It was as though the entire academy needed a moment to process what they had just witnessed.
Leon Aldric had won.
The mana-less cripple had won.
The academy prodigy had lost.
I looked down at Adrian.
Then gave him one final headbutt with all my strength, splattering blood everywhere.
THUD.
His body immediately went limp.
Only then did I release him.
Adrian collapsed unconscious onto the arena floor.
I turned around and started walking away.
The silence was deafening as hundreds of eyes followed me.
Students looked horrified.
Teachers looked stunned.
Academy staff looked confused.
Princess Amelia remained frozen.
Even now she couldn’t understand how Adrian had lost.
Then from somewhere in the stands—
"THAT’S MY DARLING!"
Lillith’s voice echoed across the entire arena.
Every head turned.
The silence shattered.
Several students nearly jumped out of their seats as teachers flinched as well.
A few looked like they had just witnessed the end of the world.
Meanwhile Lillith sat proudly in her seat wearing the most smug expression imaginable.
I was already halfway back toward the greenhouse construction site when I glanced up at the academy clock tower.
Seven minutes.
I had gone seven minutes over the workers’ allocated break.
I sighed and continued walking.
Then I heard rapid footsteps behind me.
Before I could even turn around—
I was tackled to the ground.
"DARLING!"
I immediately knew who it was.
Lillith wrapped both arms around me and squeezed tightly while burying her face against my chest.
"I knew you would win!"
I groaned.
"You almost broke my ribs."
"No I didn’t."
"You definitely did."
Lillith ignored that completely.
Instead she smiled brightly while continuing to cling to me.
"I told everyone you would win."
I looked at her suspiciously.
"Really?"
"Yes."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What about yesterday when you wanted to murder Adrian before the duel even started?"
Lillith blinked innocently.
"I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about."
"Lillith."
"No idea."
The fact she couldn’t even keep a straight face wasn’t helping her case.
Before I could continue, another figure finally caught up with us.
Clara.
The girl stopped several feet away while bent over and panting heavily.
"H-How..."
She pointed at Lillith.
"...how do you run so fast?"
Lillith looked genuinely confused.
"I’m not running fast."
I could practically see Clara deciding not to continue that argument.
After finally catching her breath, Clara straightened and immediately pointed a finger at me.
"What."
The finger remained pointed.
"What the heck was all of that?"
I blinked.
"The duel?"
"YES THE DUEL!"
I swung the rifle around from my back and brought it into view.
All eyes locked onto the weapon.
I casually removed the magazine before pulling back the lever.
A round flew free.
I caught it midair.
Then handed the rifle toward Clara.
"Here."
She froze.
"...What?"
"You wanted to know."
Slowly she accepted the weapon.
A surrounding crowd that recently formed immediately leaned forward.
I noticed several teachers doing exactly the same thing as well.
Nobody even attempted to hide their curiosity anymore.
Clara carefully turned the rifle over in her hands.
"It doesn’t look magical."
"It isn’t."
"Then how does it work?"
I pointed at it.
"You aim it."
Clara nodded.
"Then what?"
"You pull the trigger."
One teacher looked offended by the simplicity.
Clara stared at me.
"That’s your explanation?"
"That’s pretty much what you have to do."
While she examined the rifle, I noticed an increasingly large crowd forming behind us.
Students continued gathering while even some teachers wandered closer.
Most of them weren’t looking at me.
They were looking at the rifle.
Or more specifically—
The thing that had somehow defeated Adrian their star student.
Clara eventually pointed the barrel in the same direction she had seen me use earlier.
"Okay."
She looked at me.
"What now?"
I pointed toward the trigger.
"You press that."
Clara did.
Click.
Nothing happened.
The crowd collectively deflated.
Clara also looked disappointed.
"That’s it?"
"That’s it."
"There wasn’t a bang."
"There usually is."
"Then where was the bang?"
I held up the cartridge between two fingers.
"You need one of these."
Understanding immediately appeared on Clara’s face.
"Oh."
Then curiosity replaced it.
"Can I try?"
"No."
"What?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it’s dangerous."
Clara opened her mouth to argue.
Then remembered Adrian.
Then slowly closed it again.
I took the rifle back.
"I don’t mind teaching you later though."
Clara blinked.
"Really?"
"Sure."
Immediately her eyes lit up.
Beside me, Lillith’s eyes lit up too.
"I’ll learn too."
I looked at her.
"I thought you said you didn’t care about the rifle."
"I don’t."
"You literally just volunteered."
Lillith nodded.
"Because it sounds like a romantic night."
Clara looked completely lost.
I wasn’t much better.
Eventually I just accepted it.
Then I looked toward Lillith.
"Is it alright if Clara comes to the Nightbane residence later?"
"Sure."
Clara immediately smiled.
"Thank you!"
Lillith shrugged.
"You’re mine and leons friend."
That seemed to make Clara unexpectedly happy.
Then suddenly she remembered something.
Her eyes narrowed.
She pointed at me again.
"You still haven’t explained how you appeared behind Adrian."
I sighed.
Then reached into my utility belt.
A small metal canister appeared in my hand.
White paint on the side formed a single letter.
D.
Clara leaned closer.
"What’s that?"
"A decoy."
That explanation somehow confused her even more.
Before anyone could ask another question, I pulled the pin.
Several teachers immediately took a step backward.
Then I gently tossed the canister several meters away.
Everyone watched.
Nothing happened.
Five seconds passed.
Ten seconds passed.
The crowd began exchanging confused looks.
Then—
BANG!
The sudden explosion echoed through the academy grounds almost identical to a gunshot.
Students jumped.
Several teachers flinched.
One girl actually screamed.
Even Clara physically jumped into the air.
"What was THAT?!"
The crowd immediately erupted into noise.
Meanwhile I simply smiled.
Lillith slipped her hand into mine.
Then happily locked her fingers around my own.
"Let’s go, darling."
The moment she said that, several nearby students visibly twitched.
Apparently they still hadn’t recovered from hearing the future heir of the Nightbane Duchy who was well known for being cold and ruthless, call someone that in public.
I couldn’t blame them.
Ignoring the increasingly chaotic crowd behind us, I let Lillith drag me toward the greenhouse construction site.
The workers had probably already noticed I was late.
And after everything that had happened today—
Explaining the duel to them was somehow going to be even more exhausting than actually fighting it.
