"I sense anger in your tone. Did I unintentionally say something that upset you?"
"Don't screw with me, Marcus. You know precisely what you said that provoked me."
It seemed that Marcus was well-versed in pushing Leon's buttons, and Leon was aware that Marcus was intentionally trying to do so.
"I understand your intentions, but I strongly advise you not to cross certain lines. Otherwise, there could be consequences," warned Leon with a hint of danger in his voice.
Marcus responded with a smile, "And what might those consequences be?"
Leon's tone turned serious, "I might even kill you." There was a dangerous edge to his voice, indicating that he meant what he said.
"Kill me?" Marcus laughed off the threat. "Please, let's not say such scary things. But if you truly intend to kill me, then by all means, go ahead and try. However, I hope you won't blame me if I defend myself and end up killing you in the process, right?"
As Sirius sensed that something dangerous was about to happen, he quickly interjected, "Wait! What are you two talking about?! You're brothers, for goodness sake!"
Marcus Asura and Leon Asura were both born into the Asura family, but their shared lineage did not make them true brothers.
When they gazed at Sirius, their eyes were filled with intense bloodlust, conveying a message that they were not bound by brotherhood despite their shared lineage.
Despite this, Sirius wasn't deterred and intervened again, "If you're really serious about this, then I have no choice but to put a stop to this duel!"
Marcus looked at Sirius and reassured him, "Relax. We're just joking around. Now then, Leon, shall we continue with the duel?"
Without even uttering a word, Leon kicked off the ground and put all of his weight onto his sword.
This time, instead of evading it, Marcus blocked the attack by raising his sword, resulting in a loud sound of wood colliding in the courtyard.
Marcus noticed a translucent light coating on both his and Leon's swords and couldn't help but smirk. He then asked Leon, "Is it allowed to coat your wooden sword with aura during the duel?"
"Yes, it is. It was never forbidden in the first place, was it?" Leon replied.
Upon closer observation, it became clear that their swords weren't making physical contact, but were being blocked by the energy radiating from their bodies. It was their auras that were preventing their swords from touching.
Aura, also known as spiritual energy, is a type of life force that exists as an invisible, etheric phenomenon or emanation surrounding a person or object. The manipulation of aura can enhance natural abilities, attract or repel another person's aura, sense it, and even project it.
In a spar or a duel that wasn't intended to be lethal, it was naturally forbidden to coat your weapon with an aura. However, it seems that this rule didn't apply in this particular situation.
"Stop this! The duel is over! Since both of you failed to adhere to the rule of making non-lethal attacks, I declare that you both have lost!" exclaimed Sirius, unable to bear the intense battle any longer.
However, Leon and Marcus were still engaged in a fierce fight, locked in combat and pushing each other off.
"It seems the rule is irrelevant now," remarked Marcus.
"You're right. This duel will continue without rules, and the stakes have changed too, haven't they?" replied Leon.
"Heh. You catch on quick, Leon. The stakes are now life and death," said Marcus with a smirk.
The duel had escalated into a deadly battle, far beyond what one would expect from mere students. It was a highly dangerous situation, and it seemed like neither participant was willing to back down.
Their gazes were locked in an intense stare, and it was clear that they were both fighting for their lives. It was a grim sight, and it appeared that no one could stop them from killing each other.
Sirius attempted to intervene once again, pleading with them to reconsider. "Do you seriously plan to harm each other to this extent?! Would our grandfather approve of such behavior?!"
Despite his efforts, however, it was clear that nothing could stop them now.
"Fufu."
As I stood there, watching the two of them battle it out with wooden swords, a soft chuckle caught my attention. I glanced at the girl next to me once more.
"Two children locked in a battle to the death," she said with a smile that didn't seem to fit the occasion. "If I hadn't witnessed it firsthand, I wouldn't believe it if someone had told me. I suppose this memory of yours is worth seeing."
Something about that didn't seem right with me. What she said just now...was that directed to me?
Suddenly, the sound of wooden swords being struck together jolted me out of my daydream. I looked up to see Marcus and Leon engaged in a fierce clash, with both of their swords emitting a translucent aura.
"Stop this, both of you!" Sirius pleaded, noticing that neither Leon nor Marcus were paying attention to anyone else. He turned to one of the nearby students and called out, "Hey, you!"
The student hesitated before stammering, "M-me?"
"Yes, you!" Sirius urged, "Go and fetch an instructor! If these two keep going at it without intervention, they'll end up killing each other!"
"But I want to watch!" The student protested, seemingly engrossed in the intense fight between Leon and Marcus.
"This isn't something that should be watching! Hurry and fetch an instructor before things get worse," Sirius exclaimed, gathering mana in the palm of his hand. "Unless you want to experience a flying fireball firsthand."
The student quickly responded, "Y-Yes! I'll go get someone now, so please don't aim that at me!"
As the student's figure dwindled into the distance, Sirius turned his attention back to the duel and muttered, "Are these...two serious?"
Despite the surrounding noise, I was able to hear him clearly, even though he was mumbling. What's more surprising is that even though the duel was far away, I could still hear them. It wasn't like I was hearing them through my ears; their words seemed to be directly transmitted into my mind.
As I looked at the girl again, she was simply watching the duel with a smile on her face. It seemed clear that I wouldn't find any answers just by staring at her, so I shifted my focus back to the ongoing duel.
Leon was now heavily panting, with one knee touching the ground, relying on his wooden sword to keep himself upright. Marcus, on the other hand, stood tall, his sword mere fingers away from Leon's nose. [1]
"Is that all you've got?" Marcus taunted.
"I haven't given up yet!" Leon retorted.
"Your state says otherwise," Marcus remarked with a sigh.
"I'm fine. I can still continue," Leon insisted.
"If you insist on making a fool of yourself, then go ahead. I'll wait for you to recover and catch your breath. It's no fun killing someone who can't even put up a decent fight," Marcus replied with a smirk.
"Do you really think you can beat me that easily?" Leon asked, glaring at him.
"Of course, I could. I could even defeat you with my eyes closed."
Leon glared intensely at Marcus, feeling the sting of being underestimated.
"You're really full of yourself, Marcus," he said with a hint of frustration in his voice.
In response, Marcus asked a question that was laced with a hint of amusement. "Let me ask you something, Leon. Are you absolutely sure about this?"
"What do you mean? About the duel? Are you saying I wasn't serious enough?" Leon asked, his frustration mounting.
"No, that's not what I meant. I just want to know if you're fully committed to this, without any regrets," Marcus clarified.
"Of course I am," Leon replied with conviction. "I won't let what you said about my parents go unpunished. I won't stop until I get the apology I deserve, even if it means putting my life on the line."
"In that case," Marcus said coldly, "I won't hold back. I'll kill you without mercy."
It was the first time Marcus had made the first move in the duel. Leon was taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure and held out his hand.
"From the depths of the inferno, unleash a fiery ball to strike my foe!" Leon exclaimed, summoning a ball of flame in his hands and launching it at Marcus.
Marcus smirked and swung his sword, slicing the fireball in half. "Is that all, you little trash?!" Marcus taunted.
Undeterred, Leon summoned crackling energy in his hand and shouted, "Lightning, heed my call, unleash a bolt to shock them all!"
With that, a bolt of lightning shot from Leon's hand, and he cried out, "Die!"
The air crackled with electricity as the lightning bolt streaked towards him. However, Marcus was quick to react and sliced the spell in half with his sword.
"You think that's going to work?!" Marcus taunted.
"How about this, then? By the power of frost and winter's breath, let these ice spears pierce and cause a frozen death!"
Undeterred, Leon then unleashed another spell, this time summoning three ice spears that appeared behind him.
"Three? That's the weakest ice attack I've seen so far," he taunted. "Do you really think those flimsy icicles can kill me?"
"Go!" Leon exclaimed. With a swift motion of his hand, the ice spears flew towards Marcus. But Marcus easily sliced through all three with a smirk.
"Is that it?"
"Not even close! I'm far from finished!" Leon replied.
With a determined expression, Leon began chanting and unleashing a barrage of spells at Marcus. He summoned water balls, ice spikes, fireballs, wind slashes, and thunderbolts, hurling them relentlessly at his opponent. But it was apparent that these were all rudimentary spells and there was no chance they would work on Marcus.
"You're a joke in both swordsmanship and magic! Are you really an Asura?"
Marcus taunted Leon, questioning whether he truly was an Asura since he appeared to be a laughable failure in both swordsmanship and magic. But instead of responding, Leon simply continued unleashing a barrage of spells upon Marcus.
...Several minutes passed, and Leon was left panting on the ground, his head hanging low while his hand and elbow supported him. Marcus hadn't even approached him, but Leon was already defeated.
As Marcus sneered down at Leon, he scoffed, "Is that all? Is that really all you have to offer? You dared to challenge me to a duel, yet you're nothing but a disappointment. It appears that the son is just as incompetent as his father."
Leon struggled to remain standing, feeling small and defeated in Marcus's presence. But then, Marcus's words hit a nerve, and Leon's demeanor changed instantly.
His eyes narrowed, and an intense feeling of anger and hatred surged through him, creating a palpable aura of bloodlust that permeated the entire courtyard.
"What...did you just say?" Leon growled, his voice low and dangerous.
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[1] Fingers is equivalent to inches.
So, I was trying to figure out the best way to measure something, and I was thinking about using inches, but then I had an epiphany: why not use fingers instead? After all, you can measure the width of a blade pretty easily using your trusty digits! For instance, you might have a three-fingered sword, or maybe a four-fingered sword. See what I mean?
On an unrelated note, guess what happened to me after school? I had a close call with my own two feet and almost tripped in front of a bunch of people. Can you believe it? But, hooray for me, I managed to stay on my feet and avoid a total wipeout!
Anyways, if you think my story is worth telling, why not add it to your library of wild and wacky tales? I'd be thrilled if you did! Alrighty then, catch ya later!