The morning of the duel arrived with perfect weather.
It was Sunny, clear skies with gentle breeze, the kind of day designed for a hero's triumphant victory.
And the arena was packed for it.
Students filled every seat and Professors occupied a special observation box. Even some academy administrators had shown up to watch. Everyone wanted to see a known petty villain get destroyed.
All the while I stood in the preparation room, checking my equipment one final time.
[DUEL BEGINS IN 10 MINUTES]
[FINAL CHANCE TO RUN AWAY]
"Not running," I murmured.
[DIDN'T THINK SO]
[GOOD LUCK, VILLAIN]
Damian appeared at the door. "It's time, Young Master."
I nodded and stood.
"Remember," he said quietly. "You don't have to win. You just have to survive with dignity."
"I know."
I walked down the corridor toward the arena entrance. The roar of the crowd grew louder with each step. The announcer's voice boomed across the arena: "Ladies and gentlemen! The moment you've all been waiting for! The duel between Adrian Celestius and Hadeon Ravana!"
I stepped out into the sunlight.
The crowd's reaction was immediate. Boos, jeers, a few scattered cheers from students I didn't even know and across the arena, Adrian emerged from the opposite entrance.
The crowd erupted in applause.
He walked with confident grace, waving to the crowd, every inch the beloved hero. His uniform was immaculate and smile was perfect. Too perfect. And the way he looked! He looked like he'd already won!
We met in the center of the arena. The referee was a stern-looking professor that stood between us.
"Standard academy duel rules," she announced. "No lethal force. No permanent injury. Duel ends on yield, unconsciousness, or my call. Understood?"
"Understood," Adrian said pleasantly.
"Understood," I echoed.
The referee looked between us. "Fighters, take your positions."
We walked to opposite ends of the arena. Fifty meters apart. I drew my sword in my right hand, held my focus in my left. The three enchanted crystals were hidden in my coat. Adrian simply stood there with a relaxed and confident posture, Holy light already beginning to gather around his hands.
"BEGIN!" the referee shouted.
Adrian moved first.
Holy light erupted around him as he launched forward, SSS-rank speed that covered twenty meters in a heartbeat. His hand blazed with radiant magic of a stunning spell that would end the fight in one hit.
The crowd gasped at his explosive power.
I didn't try to match his speed and I couldn't even if I wanted to. Instead, I threw a smoke pellet at the ground.
Dark purple smoke exploded between us, one of Marcus's special blends and it does not just visual obstruction, but magic-dampening particles that would disrupt targeting spells.
"Cheap tricks!" someone in the crowd shouted.
Adrian's holy blast cut through the smoke, but I'd already moved. Shadow Step! A basic technique original Hadeon knew. I materialized fifteen meters to the left.
Adrian pivoted instantly, tracking me with no hesitation, his body moving with no wasted movement and the difference in our combat experience was immediately obvious.
He launched three rapid-fire holy bolts.
I raised a shadow barrier. His bolts shattered it like paper, but they'd lost enough momentum that I could dodge the fragments.
"Stand still!" Adrian called out, his voice carrying that heroic confidence. "Let's have a fair fight!"
"Fair?" I shouted back. "You're SSS-rank. I'm A-rank. Nothing about this is fair."
The crowd laughed. Some jeered. But I noticed a few students nodding in acknowledgement to my words.
Adrian charged again, closing the distance. His sword, a beautiful weapon that gleamed with holy enchantments, came down in a perfect overhead strike.
I raised my sword in parry but barely did anything. The impact sent shockwaves through my arms. My boots scraped backward across the arena floor three meters.
[WARNING: STRENGTH DIFFERENCE TOO GREAT]
[RECOMMENDATION: DON'T BLOCK DIRECTLY]
I gritted my teeth. I fucking know that!
Adrian pressed his advantage, unleashing a combination of sword strikes and holy magic. Each blow I blocked cost me ground. Each spell I dodged took me closer to the arena wall. He was herding me. Controlling the fight's flow, while making it look easy as if he was taking candy from a child.
"Is this the best you can do, Hadeon?" Adrian asked, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I expected more from someone who threatened me."
The crowd loved it and they ate it up with cheers. The perfect image of the hero calmly dominating his opponent.
I needed to change the momentum.
As Adrian wound up for another heavy strike, I deliberately dropped my guard on the left side.
He took the bait.
His sword came in fast, aiming for what looked like an opening. At the last second, I activated the first enchanted crystal.
The crystal shattered and released its magic with a roar.
For exactly three seconds, holy-attribute magic within five meters was disrupted.
Adrian's sword that was blazing with holy enhancement suddenly dimmed. His next strike came in with only physical force and even though it was still dangerous, it was manageable. I deflected it and countered with a shadow-blade technique aimed at his shoulder.
He dodged, his eyes widening in surprise.
The crowd went silent.
"What....." Adrian started.
The three seconds ended. His holy magic snapped back on.
But the damage was done, the crowd had seen it, that the invincible Adrian had been surprised, had been forced to dodge.
"Clever," Adrian said, his smile tightening. "Disruption enchantment? That won't work twice."
"Good thing I have two more."
His expression flickered then with a flash of annoyance before the hero's mask returned.
[PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE: SUCCESSFUL]
[ADRIAN IS NOW TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY]
[WARNING: THIS MAKES HIM MORE DANGEROUS]
Just as expected, Adrian stopped playing around.
He launched into a serious offensive, a flurry of techniques that showcased why he was SSS-rank. Holy magic woven into every sword strike,feints that turned into real attacks. Footwork that would make professional duelists jealous.
And I couldn't match him.
All I could do was survive.
Shadow Step to dodge. Barriers to block. Smoke pellets to create distance. Every dirty trick Professor Helena had taught me. The crowd's jeers had turned to murmurs. This wasn't the one-sided humiliation they'd expected and their confusion was mounting.
Shouldn't Adrian be domination the arena?
"You're good at running away," Adrian said, breathing only slightly harder. "But you can't run forever."
"Don't need forever. Just need to last long enough."
"Long enough for what?"
"To prove a point."
I activated the second crystal.
Again, his holy magic disrupted for three seconds. I used the opening to land a shallow cut on his arm, barely more than a scratch, but it managed in drawing first blood.
The crowd gasped.
Adrian looked at the small wound, then at me. His friendly expression had vanished completely.
"You're starting to really annoy me, Hadeon"
"Good. That's the plan."
He exploded forward with pure speed, no longer holding back. His attacks came faster, harder, more aggressive.
I couldn't dodge them all.
His holy bolt caught my shoulder. Pain exploded through my arm as the magic seared flesh. My sword nearly dropped from numb fingers.
[HEALTH: 83%]
[LEFT ARM FUNCTION: REDUCED]
Another strike got through my defense, slamming into my ribs. I felt something crack and blood filled my mouth.
[HEALTH: 61%]
[POSSIBLE RIB FRACTURE]
The crowd was on their feet now. Some cheering Adrian on. Others surprisingly shouting encouragement at me.
"Stay down," Adrian said as I struggled to my feet. "You've proven your point. You've lasted longer than anyone expected. Now yield before I really hurt you."
I spat blood. "Not yet."
"Then you're a fool."
He raised his hand, gathering power for a finishing move. Holy light condensed into a brilliant sphere as he formed a Celestial Strike. His signature technique.
The attack that, in the novel, could punch through stone walls as if it was paper.
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
Are you going to give this poor author some power stones?? Pleaseeeee