"I, Feng Mian, challenge thee, to a duel!"
...Uh...what?
I stared at her face blankly (along with everyone else in the classroom). The hell she means, duel? Well, I mean, I knew what duels were, but where did her proposal even come from? Her cheeks slowly began to redden, but didn't back down, finger still pointed at me. Awkward silence ensued. Then, thinking I hadn't understood what she meant, she began to repeat what she had just said.
"I, Feng Mian-"
"Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time," I hastily stopped her before she could make a fool out of herself (she probably already had). "Come with me."
I grabbed her hand and practically dragged her out the classroom.
"H-Hey! What are you d-doing! Let me go!"
Ignoring her protests, I held tightly on to her until we were clear out of sight from the other students, in a remote section of the hallway.
"What's the meaning of this?" I asked impatiently after letting go of her hand.
"That's...I want something from you!" she declared after a slight hesitation.
"...Something from me...that could be misinterpreted in many ways," I replied. "...But what do you want from me that could make you initiate a duel?"
Duels were no casual competition. Established by the IMF and utilized in all schools, they were an official fight between two students that came with wages. The entire process was overseen by The Dueling Committee, a special student body to which you submitted your applications for duels after both parties had agreed to the wagers.
There were three ways to win duels, as stated by the IMF.
1. Knock your opponent unconscious.
2. Touch their school crest, either with your magic or physical body. (every magic school had their own, and every student was required to wear one on their uniform at all times - though I didn't have a uniform in the first place, I still had a crest. But I didn't wear it, and no one seemed to care either). The school crest would transmit a signal when it senses it has been touched by anything not the wielder him/herself, and announce the opponent's victory.
3. Opponent forfeits.
The main reason duels took place was a placement system, also created by the IMF - each school's list of their strongest fighters, The Magus Rankings. Top ranked students were able to receive special rewards and privileges that were extremely beneficial to their training, such as high-tier spell scrolls, elixirs, and exclusive access to a remote cultivation area especially rich in mana. Thus, there's not one student in any school that doesn't want to reach the top of The Magus Rankings.
But I wasn't ranked at all. I mean, how could I be? I had nothing to fight with except my physical body, which wasn't going to do much against magic. I had only awoken my powers yesterday, and as of right now, my mana is completely drained too. So why did Feng Mian challenge me?
After looking around nervously, she began with a flushed face. "Um...b-bring your face closer!"
Huh? I ask you a simple question and you answer with 'bring your face closer'? I didn't understand, but I complied anyway. I leaned in close, and her face reddened even more.
"N-Not that way, baka!" she whispered harshly while averting her gaze. "T-Tilt your head sideways!"
Ah...so she needed to tell me in secret. We were in a fairly isolated area of the school, but that didn't mean it was completely deserted. I mean, if she hadn't attracted so much attention with yelling at the top of her lungs, she wouldn't have had to do this. But whatever. I did as she asked. Feng Mian then leaned even closer to me, and I could feel her warm breath on my ears. My heart began pounding against my will.
"...The stone pendant." she whispered softly.
...I see.
I had completely forgotten her true objective in joining this school. Memories of the conversation I overheard began flowing back to me as well. Immediately, all the gears clicked into place. She had found out about the stone pendant's whereabouts yesterday, since my shirt had been completely incinerated, leaving the stone pendant in clear view.
But that left one mystery: why hadn't she stolen it already?
After all, I had completely let my guard down. If she had just took it while I was unconscious in the infirmary and escaped, I would've had no way of finding her. She had various other opportunities too, yet out of all the choices she had, she decided to fight me square-on - even after seeing my true power just a few hours earlier.
As I pondered this question in my head, I found myself slowly beginning to admire her. Of course, I had always applauded her beauty and strength. But this time, it was something deep within, something that was part of her inner self.
Soon, I had arrived at my answer:
If a fair duel was what she wanted, then a fair duel was what she was going to get.
*****
- 6 PM, After School -
Under the bright spotlight illuminating the entire vicinity, two figures stood on a large platform, surrounded by cheers and applause from all around. Feng Mian and I were the two fighters on stage. We were currently in the Arena, a room specifically designed to host duels and tournaments.
Earlier today, Feng Mian had rushed to submit a duel application to The Dueling Committee while I hurriedly explained things to Qing Yue. She had been quite confused, but after some explaining she understood, and promised to watch the match (though to be honest, I didn't really care). Feng Mian had bolted out of the classroom as soon as I answered yes along with my own wager, and had apparently gotten approved quite quickly.
Duels almost always took place after school, and were a huge highlight, especially when top-ranked fighters are competing. In this case, neither of us was a top-ranked fighter, so instead of coming to learn, most of the audience was here to catch a lucky glimpse at what's underneath Feng Mian's skirt. That much was pretty obvious, seeing as how all of the onlookers were males (except for Qing Yue), and currently gazing intently at our campus belle, holding phones and cameras alike in their hands. Well, that, and seeing how in the world a person with no magic was going to fight back.
"Crush him, Feng Mian!"
"Xuan Kai, you're done for now!"
"Hahaha! What was he thinking, accepting a duel when he can't even use magic?"
Loud jeers filled the crowd, who still had no idea that I could in fact use magic. But I, having been used to them for a long time now, have already perfected the art of ignoring.
Feng Mian, who also seemed to have achieved mastery in shutting her eyes (ears in this case) selectively, spoke first. "Are you ready, Xuan Kai?"
"...Yes," I replied.
"Alright. Then...here I come!" she yelled, preparing to unleash her devastating ice magic on me.
I still didn't have mana at the time - it just happened that none of the classes today were practical magic training classes, so no real magic was to be used. But I merely smiled.
If I didn't have mana, then all I had to do, was GET SOME.
Then, in the next moment, Feng Mian snapped open her eyes. "Level One Ice Magic: Blizzard!"
Immediately, a raging flurry of snow coated the stage. It was, however, captured by the invisible magic barrier surrounding the arena, which was always in place during duels to ensure the audience's safety.
I grinned. A smokescreen (snowscreen?) as her first move, huh? I see. It seems this wouldn't be as easy as I thought. She probably predicted the stone pendant's power and flaws based on recent events, and devised a strategy based on that. Or, someone had told her - maybe that mysterious man threatening her? Even if my stone pendant had the ability to suck in mana, I still had to be able to predict where the attack was going to come from. However.
...Why not just suck in the entire smokescreen?
A devious smile painted on my face, I relaxed as I felt the stone pendant absorbing the energy around. I could feel the cold blizzard being converted to warm mana and flowing into my Dantian. After about 10 seconds, my Dantian was stirring powerfully once more - the same feeling, albeit not as strong, that I had experienced yesterday and in the Magic Training Room. It was one that symbolizes power, the mark of strength. This, was where the battle truly began.
To the audience, it seemed as if the entire white landscape unleashed by Feng Mian had just completely disappeared, and were extremely confused. But Feng Mian herself was the most shocked of all.
"What..." she murmured to herself.
But I wasn't about to give her the pleasure of relaxing. I concentrated my mana and let it flow all around my body. Things were going exactly I had expected. "Kuku...let's begin."
Not leaving a second to spare, I began my incantation. "I will end this quickly...Potentia Excitant: Celeritas!"
The adrenaline rush of the speed boost spell (albeit only Level One) was something I could never get used to. I grinned devilishly and lowered my body, preparing to dash directly at her. I still couldn't control the speed very well, but I could at least turn my body to hit the opposite wall with my leg, then use it as a platform to leap off of, changing my direction in the process.
Meanwhile, the crowd was going wild.
"H-Hey...did he just use magic?!"
"S-Since when...?!"
"How is that possible?!"
Feng Mian shook her head, seeming to have finally snapped back to her senses, and quickly prepared a defense. "Glacier Form: Wall!"
A giant wall of ice rose up in front of her, blocking my path. But she didn't stop there. She cast three more Glacier Form: Wall spells that surrounded her completely, leaving me no opening to attack from...
...Is what she thought, but I merely smirked. I leapt back from the ice wall, twisted my body, hit the magic barrier behind me, then shifted at an angle so that I could use the momentum to spring myself all the way to the top of the arena, hitting the ceiling. I then kept going, facing straight down, aiming for directly above Feng Mian while turning so that I could land safely on my feet.
Unfortunately, she wasn't just your average mage either. She noticed me coming from above, and desperately tried to block me off with another ice wall. But realizing that there wouldn't be enough time, she quickly tried to think of another option.
But by the time, I was already directly above her. It was a sure victory - all I had to do was touch her school crest-
And at that moment, she VANISHED.
Completely gone from my vision, I landed right where she had just been standing moments ago.
I was confused at first, but slowly my frown twisted into a devious leer.
Shadow Magic.
Ah...how could I have forgotten? She had reminded me just earlier today (though she didn't know) of that conversation I overheard, between her and the cloaked man. She was a Dual-Element Awakener, Shadow and Ice. She got me good there. But y'know...everything has a weakness. Still...this was troublesome. At first, I wanted to only use one element to defeat Feng Mian in order to not show my true power to everyone watching, but she leaves me no choice...
"Kukuku. Nice one, Feng Mian," I mused. "However, that isn't going to stop me."
I'll say it again. Everything has a weakness. That's why...
"Level One Light Magic: Illumination."
At my calling, a bright but harmless flash exploded in the arena, and at the same time, so did the crowd.
"WHAT?! LIGHT MAGIC?!"
"F-FEI WU KAI CAN USE TWO ELEMENTS?!"
"What in the world..."
I ignored these comments. I had a job to finish. I looked around at the ice walls surrounding me, and cursed inwardly. Feng Mian...why did you have to make it so tough for me? I can't break through these thick ice walls without hurting you accidentally unless I use Fire Magic to melt them away...
I sighed and gave up on hiding my strength.
"Level One Fire Magic: Ring of Embers."
"FIRE MAGIC TOO?!"
"T-TRI-ELEMENT AWAKENER?!"
Immediately, the ice walls around me melted away to nothingness. What was left behind was a beautiful blonde girl with deep amethyst eyes, lying on the cold arena floor. She was tired and derived of any mana left. I walked up to her gorgeous figure, stopping the ring of fire around me just in time. Bending down, a gently reached out and touched her school crest. I then twisted my hand into a handshake posture, and held it out to her.
"...You okay?" I asked.
"...Hehehe...you got me." Feng Mian beamed as she warmly took the hand I offered.
A mechanical voice from above us cut through the silent arena.
"Duel End: Victor - Xuan Kai!"