A harsh silence pervaded the room as three individuals stared at each other in a three-way deadlock.
Number 01 was staring at Matt, and Matt alone, with a cold, unfeeling gaze.
Matt was glaring at the former with a boiling rage that seemed about to erupt.
Violet was nervously watching the two—unsure whether or not to intervene. After conscientiously thinking things through, she made her choice!
'Things are getting interesting now. Let's watch and see where this leads!'
She chose to stay out of the whole thing.
Matt noticed Violet was taking a few steps back, her facial expression indicated she had no intention of getting involved in the confrontation. When he saw this, he realized he was now on his own.
'Violet, you—!'
"You look upset. Did I say something wrong?" Number 01 asked cooly, raising an eyebrow, causing Matt to look away nervously.
Despite the fact that he was irritated by the guy and had basically challenged him, Matt's intentions were not to provoke a physical confrontation. Someone like him, who still held on to his 'normie' values, didn't really care much for violence.
As a result, his actions up to this point—even his current pissed off expression—were mostly for show. Impulsive, at best.
'I just wanted to let him know that what he was doing was wrong. Did I go overboard?' He thought to himself.
The worst part was how Violet subtly stepped out of the whole thing. Did she abandon him to deal with Number 01 himself? How could she?!
'Still, I can't leave things as they are. Yeah, I gotta take my stand!' Clenching his fist and steeling his nerves, Matt cleared his throat and maintained his unflinching stance.
"Yes, you did. Besides, you are yet to answer my question." So far, he was doing well—at least, that was what Matt thought.
"Oh? What question?"
"Tch! Who are you calling inferior, you—"
"Her." Number 01 pointed at Violet without hesitation. His gray eyes remained on Matt, even as he pointed at her.
"I was referring to her. Not you."
Matt was stunned by Number 01's response. Didn't he feel weird for being so openly arrogant?
"L-like that makes a difference!" He retorted hotly, gritting his teeth.
"Oh, but it does. You see, while I consider her inferior, I don't see you in the same way" At this point, Number 01 stepped forward slowly.
He returned both his hands to his coat pockets, and he took slow, measured steps.
"W-what are you talking about?" Matt broke into a nervous sweat, as Number 01 continued to advance.
He really wasn't a fan of violence. During the exams, he had gotten swept up in all the excitement, but now that he had some semblance of his old rationality back, he couldn't afford a fight.
It was too dangerous!
"She's inferior because she's weak. Weaker than me, anyway. She ran out of Magia too quickly, all for a trump card that wasn't very impressive."
"H-HEY!" Violet protested, but she was completely ignored by Number 01.
"I have no idea why the audience cheered for such mediocrity. She's merely a bit more skilled than the others who failed. If that idiot official had just used his head a little, instead of diving headfirst to attack her, she would have lost the match."
Violet fell silent, looking affronted, and Matt replayed the scene of the fight in his mind, analyzing it objectively and without bias this time. Honestly, if the official had managed to avoid being crushed by Violet's teddy bear, it would have been over for her.
"She's sloppy. A one-trick pony whose trick isn't very impressive."
"That's enough! Don't talk about her like tha—!"
"But you and I, we're different." Number 01 was now right in front of Matt, having traversed the little distance between the both of them.
"Our Imagi abilities are special—and our Magia capacity is quite high." He smiled, causing Matt's body to quiver a little.
It was his first time seeing this dude smile—or even display any other emotion, for that matter. His face was usually stoic, after all.
"Although I have no idea why you acted like an idiot during the first half of your battle with Miss Rose, your comeback was quite impressive. Those black flames of yours caught my attention."
'Y-you didn't have to say that first part, you know?' Matt felt blood rush to his head, he was flushed with embarrassment from the praise, but he knew he had to keep himself in check.
He really did embarrass himself back then, didn't he?
"It's actually quite curious because I have never heard of you before today. You surprised everyone, and also gained my notice."
The more Matt listened, the more mesmerized he was. There was something he was learning as the white-haired boy kept speaking to him. It was something he couldn't have known before now.
'This guy sure talks a lot!'
He just wouldn't shut up about talent, and the flames, and how he too was considered a genius, and how they were somewhat similar. At some point, Matt lost the 'cool guy' perception he had of the white-haired guy.
To be frank, the guy seemed like a spoiled elitist brat who thought he was cool, gifted, and all that. Matt genuinely couldn't wait for him to shut up.
'Why did I even speak, to begin wi—?'
"I am curious, Number 07. I wonder which will prevail, my ice or your flames."
The moment Matt heard this part, his heartbeat skyrocketed into the stratosphere. His face couldn't hide his shocked state, and for the first time since the boy started speaking, Matt agreed with him.
'I… I'm also curious!'
They both wanted to know which was more powerful. That thought alone made Matt feel a strange conflict within him. Just how similar were he and the boy?
"Which of us is stronger? I look forward to the day we find out." At this point, Matt could not disagree.
He despised violence, but staring into the gray eyes of the boy in front of him, he could feel the hunger rise. It soared to the point where the desire ravaged him, nearly consuming the tiny bit of self-control he had.
He could feel the excitement in his bones. The very thought caused his heart to race uncontrollably.
'I… I…'
"But that time is yet to come. Prepare yourself, Number 07." Number 01 smirked confidently. "Because when we fight, I will destroy you."