Chapter 56 - Let's Duel

The one plus of fighting against Jiayin was that her were slow when they were projectiles. It was only the qi blades she sent with her limbs that were somewhat fast. She also packed a rather strong punch and kicks but those were predictable.

She killed Rosettia easily most likely by sneak attacking her or because Rosettia did not seem the type to know how to deal with physical violence.

I didn't like to fight but it did not mean I couldn't protect myself. Life was rough as a minority and I was no exception; there are always morons that hate on something they do not want to understand. I've also gotten into a few scuffles throughout the years, not helped that my brat sister's way of bonding with me was wrestling with me until I'm crying "uncle."

The slower travel speed of the energy blast gave me time I wouldn't have had if it were one of my improved

Ignoring the locals around me since I had time but not enough to actually say anything to them in warning, I formed a three times the diameter of the blast ten meters above the roofs.

Then, recalling how I wasn't sure what was wrong with my HP shield and the fact the spell was based on the forcefield always around me, I quickly looked around.

I was running out of time.

Raising my free arm, I reached a clawed hand and grabbed all the metal in sight with my magic. The air was suddenly filled with sounds of harsh sounds as metal was torn out of mortar and brick, the loudest being one of the decorative towers in the City, when

Screeching and ringing were all that can be heard, drowning out the panicking crowd as they realized something was wrong and magic was involved, as I reshaped the metal into an impromptu shield.

And it was in the nick of time. The impact went straight through the —I stopped feeding the spell as soon as I realized—and hit the metal, shattering the physical shield.

I took the energy I had been using for the and kept the falling metal debris from hitting anyone. The physical one might have broken apart at impact but it did its job.

I saw most of the people were gone, and the street was now empty and looked like a mess, before letting the mana bleed away.

*CRASH!*

Okay, I was annoyed now.

My patience has also seemed to be used up.

I blinked back up into the air, "I just wanted some answers, you know?"

Wong Jiayin looked a bit pale. She was silent for a moment, observing me.

Probably reconsidering my threat level considering what I did down below was not exactly novice work. Especially not at the speed which I put two shields up. Dual-casting was also somewhat intermediate-level for a magic-user; the other Partner was probably not at the level to be able to pull it off yet since she also put some effort into her physical abilities.

Finally, she said, "I will tell you if you win a duel against me."

Blinking owlishly, I tilted my head. "What's the catch?"

"The loser's property doesn't go directly to the Bazaar in an official match," she replied before a somewhat familiar parasol appeared in her free hand. "I was only able to keep this weapon since I took it from Forty-Two to kill her."

…

Girls were scary.

Was the Bazaar filled with items of Partners? Well, I guess that phaser gun now made more sense.

Now I couldn't stop the grim image of the Bazaar being a memorial for Partners. The only things that remained of the Partner went there once they were gone.

So, Wong Jiayin basically asked me to a duel so she can grab everything I had on me when she killed me.

She still wanted to kill me.

I sighed. What kind of crazy situation did I walk into?

She wanted me to accept a duel on uneven terms. The other Partner had more to gain with a duel than I did. And with her bravado, it felt like Jiayin was sure she would not lose.

Was this bullheadedness? Determination?

Or did she have a trick up her sleeve? Something that made her confident she would not lose.

Level 54.

If we went by purely mathematical calculations, I was superior. In reality, Levels are just an indication of how evolved Partners were. There were also a lot more factors involved when it came to a clash between two people.

I doubt I would survive an instantly fatal injury.

Causality in real life always caused me headaches. I was good at cold reading but it was always that uncertainty that had me never try to make predictions about events of importance.

Unlike Victoria, I was more like Misaki-nee in leaving things up to "Luck"—even if it were more out of apathy than my older sister's optimism.

But, honestly, this wasn't factoring into my decision other than reminding myself to keep up my guard despite the "disparity." The only reason I've got a cut across my abdomen was since I expected the forcefield to work as usual; a miscalculation.

Nope. I was going to agree mostly because Wong Jiayin was going to hunt us down either way and at least I'd get a guarantee of her talking if I assented to a duel.

"Okay," I stated.

The eighteen-year-old Partner straightened up and pointed the parasol, a focus, at my sternum. "I, Partner Zero-One 'Spider-Lily' Wong Jiayin, challenge you to a Duel!"

Ritualistic words?

[This doesn't feel right, Nori.]

'What other choice do we have? And that "feeling" is the sensation of walking into a trap, Thirty-Seven.'

I understood the mechanics a little more now that I realized it required formal lines. It was a Pact. The only problem is that for her to simply issue a challenge without mentioning our terms, it meant the aspect of "to the Victor Goes the Spoils" was coded into our bonded AIs.

[!]

"I accept."