With each step, Reinhardt's boots made loud clicks on the stone ground to show his authority. As he got closer, his smile grew bigger. William could almost feel the smugness coming off this guy in waves, like it was the kind of arrogance that came from never having been challenged by someone important.
"I see now... so there are dicks here too. I'm not even surprised." William knew that humans can be a dick even in different worlds.
Reinhardt stopped a few feet away with his arms crossed like a disappointed parent and said, "I asked you a question, Wade."
"Are you allowed to train students on your own? Or are you crossing the line like the loser instructor you are?"
William's face stayed calm, even though he was already coming up with three different ways to make this dick eat shit. "I was just helping a student who asked for some basic things."
"That's what my job says I should do, so I checked."
"Basic things?" Reinhardt laughed as loudly as a three-dollar bill. "How about yourself?"
"Let me ask you, who is the academy's biggest failure of an instructor?"
"Yeah, I bet I didn't even need to say it once." Reinhardt's smile made a vein pop up on William's forehead.
"One of our best students you try to teach basic things is Miss Valestria. She doesn't need to be taught by someone who probably can't even hold a sword the right way."
William saw Lia's hands turn into fists and her jaw tighten. She appeared to want to speak, but she was likely restraining herself as she considered whether defending a Zero-Class instructor against someone like Reinhardt was worth the risk of social suicide.
William said in a calm voice, which was impressive because he wanted to kick this guy in the dick, "With all due respect, Instructor Ashford, I think Miss Valestria can choose who she wants help from."
Reinhardt's fake smile went away faster than free food at a college party, and in its place was the kind of cold anger that made the air feel heavier. "Are you doubting my authority?"
"Not really. I'm questioning your strange idea that students can't ask for help outside of your classes," William said without missing a beat. "Unless there are new rules that I somehow missed during my terrible orientation."
It was so tense that you could probably cut it with anything sharp. Students had started to gather around the edges of the training grounds like vultures sensing a meal. They were whispering to each other and probably already making bets on how badly this was going to end for William.
Reinhardt got even closer and spoke in that scary whisper that bad guys always use in movies. "Hey, Wade, do you know what? I've been looking for a reason to put you back in your place."
"What do you think we should do? A duel between instructors sounded nice right here, right now."
William raised an eyebrow in real surprise at how small this was getting. "Do you want to fight me over a five-minute talk?"
"Really?"
"I want to remind you and everyone else here of your place in this academy," Reinhardt said more loudly this time, making sure that everyone in the growing crowd could hear every word.
"A Zero-Class teacher shouldn't mess with students who are already advanced. If you really believe you have the right to teach someone like Miss Valestria, show it."
"If you beat me in a fight, I'll stop bothering you. If you lose, you can't be around any advanced class students forever."
"So you really noticed that you are bothering someone innocent. What a joke." William sighed.
The students who were watching started to whisper and talk excitedly. William could see the sick excitement in the students' eyes, a reaction people often have when they believe they are about to witness someone being completely destroyed.
Lia even looked worried now. She had been sure before, but now she was really worried that William was about to get his ass handed to him on a silver platter.
William looked at his hands, opened them, and closed them a few times to see how they felt. The system's stat boost wasn't that great because it only gave him two extra points in strength and one in stamina. Those numbers should have been as useful as a chocolate teapot when fighting someone like Reinhardt, who was the head of the Combat Department.
But William wasn't just a loser in the Zero Class anymore. He had spent his whole life getting really, really good at kicking ass in his previous life. He was someone who had taught warriors how to defeat entire armies. And most importantly, he was someone who really hated arrogant dicks who thought their rank made them untouchable.
"Okay then," William said slowly, and a small smile came to his face. Let's do this."
"But don't come to me crying when I make you look bad in front of all these kids." William taunts him with a smug smile.
Reinhardt's grin came back full force, probably because he thought William was lying or had lost his mind. "Perfect. We will use regular training swords from the academy."
"The first person to give up or get disarmed loses. Does that sound fair?"
William said, "Sounds great to me," and then he walked over to the weapon rack to grab his training sword. "Let's get this show on the road."
"I have better things to do than watch you show off."
The crowd had grown to at least forty or fifty students by now, and they were all standing in a circle around what was quickly becoming the most fun thing to happen at this school in weeks. William could see that some of them were already taking out their phones or those cool recording devices like they were probably going to tell everyone at school about this fight before dinner.
"They had technology that advanced in this world, like a phone...? Wow..."
Reinhardt stood on the other side of their makeshift arena, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck like a boxer. His body language said he was an experienced warrior who had fought and won hundreds of duels.
William stood there looking calm, holding his sword like it was a heavy stick he had found on the ground. To everyone watching, he probably looked like he wasn't ready at all or maybe even scared out of his mind.
"Just right. Let them believe whatever they wanted."
"Ready when you are, hotshot," William yelled, waving his hand in a way that was definitely meant to be annoying.
Someone in the crowd yelled, "Start!" and Reinhardt shot forward like a rocket.
William had to admit that the guy was quick. His sword came at William's stomach in a horizontal motion, which is the kind of opening move that tests reflexes and forces someone to go on the defensive right away.
William easily dodged it, letting the blade get close enough to his stomach that he could feel the air moving. Reinhardt's eyes got a little wider when he saw how easy that dodge looked, but he got back on track quickly and followed up with a big overhead chop.
William didn't even try to dodge this time. He just raised his sword and easily blocked the attack, sending all that force to the side like he was swatting away a fly. The sound of metal hitting metal was so loud that it made some students jump.
"Not bad," Reinhardt said, but his voice still sounded very condescending even though he looked shocked.
"But playing defense won't save your life."
"We'll see about that, Reinsoft!"