Chapter 132: The Fight for Bronze
"Dear viewers! Something like this hasn't happened in a long time, a very long time, but the absolute champion of the children's age groups at the international tournament has challenged a representative of the adult group!"
The commentator was shouting himself hoarse while my opponent and I stood opposite each other. While I was tense, my opponent stood across from me, relaxed. He wasn't looking at me as an opponent at all, but rather as something amusing. It was irritating.
No, I understood perfectly well that adult wizards who never stopped developing would be significantly stronger and more experienced than me, but to look at an opponent that way...
"Our young champion has clearly set himself the goal of doing what is considered impossible! More precisely, what last occurred almost five hundred years ago! The victory of the children's tournament champion over representatives of the adult group! However, the last time, the winner was from the senior group, and now... now our young champion is only from the second group!"
*Inhale... exhale...*
I began to immerse myself in a combat trance.
"Will he be able to show something incredible? Will he be able to defeat today's opponent?!"
*Inhale... Exhale...*
I had seen his duels. He always began the same way, with a Stunning Spell brimming with energy. It wasn't just the spell's strength, but also its speed, since it flew almost twice as fast as a standard spell. Most likely, the spell required some unnoticeable preparation; otherwise, he would simply hammer all opponents with it. As it was, he used it at most a couple of times per fight.
*Inhale... exhale...*
*Continue appearing nervous in my entire appearance.*
*Inhale... exhale...*
My Semblance had already highlighted red zones on my opponent's body, indicating that I could not reach him. However, I wasn't going to give up.
"So, let us allow the judge to begin this fight!"
"So, a fair fight, movement no more than one step to the side. Area spells are forbidden. Is everything understood?"
"Yes."
I agreed with the judge.
Everything is clear. We can begin...
My opponent waved his hand with a patronizing air, as if to say it was nonsense and there was no need to repeat himself. Damn, how I wanted to wipe that irritating smirk off his face.
"Good... you will begin in three, two, one... Begin."
The judge waved his wand, and an overpowered Stunning Spell was already flying at me, while my opponent watched with a smirk, not even bothering to cast a second spell. The world froze for me, but only in my perception. My body couldn't keep up with that speed of perception, so I had to carefully calculate exactly how to move.
So, it had to end quickly, because if I dragged out the duel, I'd most likely lose.
The first spell that shot from my wand wasn't a shield. It was a counterspell to the Stunning Spell, and it was slightly overcharged as well, so when they collided, I saw a beautiful explosion, but that wasn't all.
With a wave of my wand, all that energy from the explosion, or more precisely, the strong gusts of wind, formed into an air dragon that took a breath and prepared to exhale a stream of fire at my opponent. At least, that's how it appeared, since a small red sphere began gathering in the dragon's transparent throat.
My opponent panicked and, forgetting about me, cast the next spell into the dragon's open mouth, but the spell simply passed through, and in the next second, a Disarming Spell struck his chest and tore the wand from his hands.
"End!"
The judge ended the duel.
"Incredible! Our young champion has done the unimaginable and defeated the bronze medalist of the adult group!"
The commentator was shouting himself hoarse, trying to find the words, while I used all my strength to keep from collapsing right there on the platform. No, I still had about a third of my reserves left, but to channel that much magic through myself in just three spells and five seconds!
That was certainly not something for everyday repetition.
"Fuck, kid, well done!"
The Russian wizard, who was my opponent, took his wand from my hands as we met at the center of the platform and gave me a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"To pull off a feint like that! I didn't expect it! You tricked me brilliantly!"
The man was filled with sincere delight, and that made me smile as I accepted his, admittedly deserved, praise for my inventiveness.
"Mr. Black?"
I sighed, and silence fell over the stadium. Everyone was waiting to hear what I would say now.
"Every person should know their limits..."
I began speaking extremely slowly, considering whether I should continue.
...and I know my capabilities, and I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve. So I want to continue and challenge the silver medalist in the adult age group.
"Yes!"
The commentator could barely contain his excitement.
"Draco Black has issued another challenge! He's not content with being the first children's tournament champion in five hundred years to defeat a top-three adult tournament representative; he wants to go even further! What a boy!"
*What a boy, what a boy...*
I wanted to grimace at the commentator's words, or better yet, find him and make him understand that, in my position, it was better to lose to a stronger opponent than to refuse the challenge. If I lost, everyone would remember me as the one who used a trick to defeat the adult group's bronze medalist and then challenged the silver medalist. But if I refused...
If I refused, I would be remembered as a coward.
No, no one would say it to my face, but in whispers, after a few beers, the topic would come up. If I were an ordinary person, I wouldn't give a damn, but I was a future Lord, damn it, and that would damage my reputation. In short, I had no choice but to issue this damned challenge.
"No, just look at his unshakable composure! He clearly believes he can take down the silver medalist too!"
*Damn commentator.* I'd have to deal with him after this tournament... so that he wouldn't be invited to host even kindergarten contests.
"Kid, Alar's left leg is slightly injured, and he's not great with long chains. It might look like he's a master at them, but if you push him to use a chain of more than seven spells, he starts making mistakes."
"Thank you."
I nodded gratefully to Maxim. Even though I already knew this, he was clearly trying to help, even if it wasn't much, but still...
"Just don't even think of leaving dueling. Such talent..."
My opponent shook his head, and after a firm handshake, we left the platform.
"That was... fast..."
Blake said hesitantly, but there was so much respect and even admiration in her eyes.
"My student simply had no other choice, Miss..."
Flitwick apparently decided to explain after all. Evidently, it hadn't been necessary before.
"...either he takes a risk and wins quickly, or the duel drags on and he loses."
"He had no chance at all?"
To my surprise, Yang was serious and not trying to mock me with that question. She was genuinely interested.
"There are always chances..."
I sighed.
"...the other thing is that a five to seven percent chance of victory, and even that only if the opponent makes a critical mistake, isn't something one should count on in such situations."
"Precisely."
Flitwick nodded in agreement with my words.
"But if the chances are that small, why issue the challenge?"
Ruby tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"It's all about gaining experience... that's exactly what this is. It's a tournament, not a fight to the death, and it's one of the safer ways to gain combat experience. Draco certainly wants to win, but even more than that, he wants to gain invaluable experience that will allow him to achieve his goals."
"Goals?"
Ruby looked at Summer, then shifted her gaze to me.
"What goals does he have?"
"Right now, I have only one goal: to finish the Quarter and keep the sentients who trusted me safe."
I shrugged.
"But... what do duels have to do with that?"
"Reputation, dummy..."
Weiss answered her partner's question with slight irritation.
"...Mr. Black is building a reputation. If he simply starts managing the Quarter, then he'll merely be a noble who received everything owed to him by inheritance. No, there will be those who know the truth, but there won't be many of them. But if he gains a reputation, people will obey him as a leader, not as someone who had everything handed to him."
"That's about right..."
I nodded in agreement.
"...correct. But that's not the only thing. These fights also prepare me well for future clashes with Grimm. Yes, there won't be any one-on-one fights there, but at the same time, Grimm haven't been observed using tactics, strategy, or truly complex techniques. So testing my capabilities against a much more complex opponent is invaluable."
"Hm..."
Weiss looked at me but said nothing, as did her other friends.
"What?"
"No... it's just... aren't you taking the confrontation too seriously? More precisely..."
"Listen, you're supposed to be a big shot in the future!"
Yang continued on Weiss's behalf, since she wasn't about to be embarrassed or soften her words.
"...why the hell do you even..."
"Yang, language."
Summer said only two words, and Yang had already gone pale. Not deathly pale, but it was clear that her mother's tone frightened her.
"...sorry..."
She even looked guilty, which I hadn't expected. In the time I'd known her, I'd come to see her as an impenetrable girl.
"...so, why do you need to get into battle at all?"
"Yang, you're right. I don't need to get into battle, and neither does my family, but..."
I raised a finger.
"...if necessary, I must stand on the walls of my district and lead by example, showing that Grimm can and must be destroyed. And I must die defending my family and my subjects. Naturally, I'm in no hurry to die, but this is my duty as a noble: to ensure the survival of my people."
"I-I-I-I see..."
"All right, I think we can go."
I looked over at my companions, and they nodded. We headed to the room with the fireplaces, transferred to the Quarter from there, and once we arrived, the house wasn't far away.
That evening, when I was sitting beneath the night sky once again, watching the stars light up above me, Blake appeared beside me.
"Shall we continue?"
I gave her a quick glance. She'd come prepared, with a blanket draped over her shoulders and a cup of something warm in her hands.
"We can continue, though I've already told you almost everything about our world, at least if you count the short version of our history."
"Well... at least now I understand why you behave the way you do..."
Blake smiled at me and, sitting down nearby, took a short sip from her mug. I noticed a trace left on her lips, like milk, though it was only there for a few seconds before her tongue swept over her upper lip and removed every trace.
"Milk?"
"Uh-huh..."
She became very embarrassed.
"I see."
"Um..."
Blake was clearly caught off guard by my reaction.
"What?"
Well? Aren't you going to react at all?
"You're a kitty... cats love milk..."
I shrugged.
"...it's natural, so I won't react to that, somehow. Except..."
"Kreacher..."
The house-elf appeared beside me.
"Kreacher is here, Master."
"Bring cookies to my friend, and bring cookies with chocolate chips behind that tree."
Behind the tree I mentioned, a gust of wind scattered rose petals, but Ruby remained in place. More precisely, she returned when she realized what I had asked for.
"I hope you made sure she wouldn't catch a cold?"
"Of course..."
Blake twitched her ear amusedly.
"Very good, let's continue our story. I believe we stopped when the Lords decided to step back from direct rule of the state and created the Ministry?"
"Yes."
"Then listen..."
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