"So, Ranata, which one you will choose to fight? Me or her?" Smiling lightly, Kiseki challenged Ranata to a Duel.
"Surely, you will pick me, right? I promise I won't beat you too hard." With the words which sounds like a hidden threat, Chikane also issue her challenge to Ranata.
Make no mistake, it's clear those girls still wants to beat him. After all, he has used [Appraisal] which is like peering into their secrets without their permission. Even though they have talked together for quite a moment....
(Well..., this is this, that is that. Hm, that should be it....) Thinking like that, Ranata can only resign to his fate and accept a challenge.
Well, if he doesn't take respobility for his own action, then who else? As a man, he is up to every challenge the world has to offer to him. Although, if things go south, he will also be the first one to run, fast.
"Well, I will take responsibility for the both of you..." Saying such words that can easily cause misunderstanding for everyone who heard it, and it did, as it can be seen and heard from all the whispers and swears that comes from the roused crowd. Ranata quickly realize the fault in his words and quickly resume what he is about to say, ignoring all the boy's envy and the girl's gossips.
"I will fight both of you, if I can survive the first, then I will the fight second. Now, why don't you decide who come first with rock – paper – scissor?" Ranata quickly said his thing while thinking hard about what will come in his future.
(Man..., it's only the first day and the rumor about me having an affair with the top beauties in our grade already spread.... And looking at it, it will spread fast and wide like a wildfire....)
"Oh? You want to fight both of us? You sure are confident. Hm hm, I like it! That's my man!" Like adding oil to the fire, Kiseki said such a bomb in akimbo, with pleased face, right in front of everyone.
(That's my man!) (That's my man!) (That's my man!)
Such words echoes greatly like a nuclear explosion in the mind of everyone presents.
The boy's killing intents are increased by several pitches and the girl's gossips got even hotter in the background.
Damn, this vixen! She is truly a country toppling beauty who can kill people with just words. Not like Ranata hate it, though. He is even getting more interested in her, instead. XD
"Less talk, do more. Let's get going, anyway" With no further ado, Chikane challenge Kiseki on three rounds of rock – paper – scissor. She win the first round, while Kiseki win the second and the third round.
"Yey, I goes first!" Cheerfully, Kiseki jumped to the test arena where Ranata already waiting for her.
"Please be gentle with me...." Ranata said so to her.
"Hah, I don't want to hear that from someone with a level higher than us."
"So you also know...."
"Heh, when the you look into the abyss, the abyss are also looking on you."
"Quess we are on impasse now? Why would you still challenge me now?"
"Because it's fun! It's rare for us to get someone who can spar with us."
(So, I am just your sand bag!) Retorting in his mind, Ranata took a stance with his mock weapon of choice, a wooden pole that is carved to resemble a glaive, with dull edge. Kiseki unsurprisingly also uses one.
After the senior student who act as a referee give the start signal, both Ranata and Kiseki immediately rushes to each other and locked in a fierce combat.
The fight goes for quite a long time. At first, the girl who already have a proficiency with her weapon easily press the boy hard with each smack of her pole which are fast and vicious.
But is our MC are just some cabbage to be squashed without mercy? He fight back with all he can. At first, he can only took the defensive stance and parry all the attacks aimed at his vitals, while trying to read the enemy movement and tecnique.
Being one level higher sure has quite an advantage. At least now he can fare well against a girl from the renowned Dragon Clan, despite her clearly has a greater strength and higher proficiency in using her weapon.
But that is not enough. If he wants to win, he must strike!
So after parrying a blow from the lower left, a swipe from the right, an uppercut right on the middle, which is then followed by a hard strike from above, Ranata choose this exact moment when all the girl's charged momentum are released in this one unblockable attack to quickly evade to his right while swiping his pole to her waist. The attack doesn't connect, though, as the girl quickly jumped back using the recoil of her own attack that is strong enough to cause shockwave the moment her pole strike the ground.
("Is it a martial skill? Then I will also use my trick.") The shockwave are strong enough to stagger Ranata, but he is still fast enough to be able to roll out from Kiseki's relentless attacks which comes to follow.
"Oi! Beating the opponent when he is down is dirty!��� Ranata shout out a protest after he can find the time to stand up after rolling non stop to evade all the attacks aimed at him right after he fall to his knee due to the shockwave.
"In a Battle, everything goes. It's your own fault to fall down, anyway."
"Oh, everything goes? You said it yourself, [Burrow] !"
Casting a half done [Burrow] Spell on Kiseki, Ranata trapped her legs under the ground. Surprised by the sudden change of situation, Kiseki quickly tries to parry a flurry of attacks rained on her body right from above.
Alas, as her legs are buried under the ground, she can't move from her spot, making her maneuver and choice of movement limited. As the attacks showering her with stabs and swipes also doesn't give her the time to cast any spell, she can't get out from this predicament. Finally, after the time it takes to boil water to make a cup of tea, Ranata attacks hit both her shoulder. And thus, end the mock battle as the referee announce his win.
Casting another [Burrow] Spell to release the girl from his trap, Ranata held out his hand to help her stand up again. Which the girl took with smile.
"Aiyah, Unexpectedly I lose.... Tee – hee~" Making a cute gesture, she wipe off her lose and leave the arena with smile and dignity, Her fanboys and girls are fawning over her with praise.