The air was thick with crimson mana, seemingly a physical manifestation of Leon's anger.
Despite the dangerous atmosphere, Marcus seemed oblivious and continued to taunt, "You heard me. I said the son is as incompetent as his father. Is something wrong with your hearing?"
"You...!"
This provoked a strong reaction from Leon. The crimson mana surrounding him intensified, pulsating with his rising fury.
The onlookers, who were previously laughing at Leon's losing position in the fight and his inability to accept it, suddenly fell silent. Even Sirius, who was about to intervene in the duel, took a step back due to the intense bloodlust radiating from Leon. It seemed like Leon was on the brink of committing a heinous crime—not just any crime, but murder.
As I stood there observing the scene, the girl beside me murmured, "What a powerful and beautiful mana he possesses." But I paid her no attention, my focus solely on Leon.
"I made myself clear, didn't I? Don't cross any lines that are not meant to be crossed, or face severe repercussions. And yet, here we are..."
Leon's anger surged through the courtyard, unleashing waves of crimson mana. The intensity of his rage was so palpable that even the birds stopped mid-flight and plummeted to the ground.
"I had planned to let you off the hook if you apologized, Marcus. But that's no longer an option. You've pushed me too far. I will kill you."
The look in his eyes left no doubt that he was serious about his words.
"Ha Ha Ha Ha! The situation has become quite intriguing now, hasn't it?! You have finally revealed your true nature as a beast pretending to be human!"
"GO TO HELL!!!"
Leon charged recklessly at Marcus, throwing all technique out the window and relying solely on his emotions to guide his attacks. His wooden sword glinted ominously with a coat of deep crimson, capable of inflicting significant harm if it made contact with its target.
As Leon swung his sword down towards Marcus, the latter sidestepped it with a smirk. Marcus then imbued his wooden sword with his aura and mixed it with his own mana, preparing to strike back.
Sensing Marcus's newfound aggression, Leon took a step back, but this proved to be a fatal mistake. I thought for sure that Marcus would take advantage of the opening to attack, but to my surprise, he did nothing.
In fact, Marcus didn't even move, and he lowered his sword as if he had no intention of attacking Leon. It was almost as if he had changed his mind at the last moment and decided not to pursue a violent course of action.
"What are you doing?!" Leon exclaimed. "Don't you understand how serious this is?!"
"Considering that it's you I'm fighting against, I don't see any reason why I should take things seriously."
The words only served to infuriate Leon further, causing him to chant a spell for a fireball and hurl it at Marcus as soon as it appeared in his hand.
Marcus coated his fist with his aura and waved it in the direction of the fireball. The flames dissipated as if he had punched them out of existence.
"Impressive," he remarked with a sly grin. "You certainly have a fiery spirit. But then again, you are a monster, so I suppose it's only natural for you to be a bit...untamed."
Leon's response was silence, his glare becoming increasingly piercing as the crimson mana surrounding him intensified. Marcus, however, remained entirely unaffected. He didn't seem bothered by Leon's anger or the intimidating aura he was emitting. In fact, he appeared almost bored with the entire situation.
"You know," Marcus began, sounding almost exasperated. "Releasing your mana like that without any regard for others is simply bad manners."
Despite Leon's overwhelming pressure, Marcus remained composed and unphased. Even as Leon's anger continued to grow, Marcus didn't appear intimidated in the slightest. His hair may have been tousled, but he maintained his composure, as if he faced no real threat at all.
Leon's frustration was evident in his expression, but Marcus simply smiled in response, seemingly finding Leon's anger amusing.
"That angry expression looks good on you by the way. It's cute," Marcus remarked, seemingly finding Leon's anger amusing.
However, his comment proved to be the tipping point for Leon. He lost control and lunged forward, putting all his weight behind his sword as he aimed for Marcus.
But Marcus didn't flinch. He didn't even bother to take a defensive stance. Instead, he stood there with his sword dangling downward, calmly watching as Leon charged towards him.
Leon brandished his sword and moved towards Marcus, who appeared calm and relaxed with a slight grin on his lips. Despite the gravity of the situation, Marcus seemed unfazed by the danger that lay ahead.
As Leon swung his sword, Marcus effortlessly dodged the attack, his smile still intact. His carefree attitude only added to Leon's growing frustration.
In a fit of anger, Leon growled, "Why are you smiling?! Don't you realize the seriousness of this situation?!"
With each passing moment, Leon's frustration grew, and his desperation to land a hit increased. But, despite his best efforts, he couldn't seem to land a single blow on Marcus, leaving Leon feeling powerless and demotivated. Marcus, on the other hand, seemed to anticipate each of Leon's moves even before he could make them, always one step ahead of him.
As the battle continued, Leon's movements became more erratic and uncoordinated, his strikes becoming more desperate with each passing moment. However, all his attempts were in vain as Marcus continued to dodge and parry with ease, leaving Leon feeling defeated and utterly exhausted.
Exhaustion had started to set in, and Leon's energy levels were rapidly depleting. His breathing became labored, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled to catch his breath. Realizing that he needed a moment to gather himself, Leon ceased his attack and took a step back.
Observing that Leon was struggling to catch his breath, Marcus opted to lower his sword in response to the situation. In a tone that conveyed his lack of interest, he asked, "Is this all?"
Despite Marcus' dismissive remark, Leon refused to give up and showed his unwavering determination.
"I'm not finished yet," he responded, trying to motivate himself and gather the strength he had left. "I can keep going!"
It was evident that he was not willing to concede defeat just yet, despite his apparent exhaustion.
Summoning his last reserves of energy, Leon drew in a deep breath and gathered his courage to continue the fight.
"Raaaaaaah!"
With a loud and fierce cry, he charged towards Marcus, his wooden sword flailing in all directions, resembling the actions of a child throwing a tantrum.
"Your swings are too wild," Marcus said, his voice tinged with disdain. "Do you really think you can land a lucky hit by flailing around like a child throwing a tantrum?"
As the duel progressed, Leon's swings grew increasingly sloppy. He unleashed a flurry of irrational strikes driven purely by his emotions, abandoning any semblance of proper swordsmanship technique. His wild swings were nothing short of reckless, devoid of any strategy or finesse. Predictably, none of his attacks found their mark, as each one was deftly sidestepped, parried, or blocked by Marcus.
The difference between Leon and Marcus was akin to that of an untrained novice and a seasoned expert. Their duel unfolded as if Marcus was amusing himself by toying with a child. In terms of skill and talent, Leon was visibly outmatched, and it was apparent that Marcus was holding back too. The gap in strength was palpable, and the outcome of the bout was predictable, even to a casual observer like myself.
"Why...why can't I hit you?!" Leon's shoulders rose and fell with each breath as he exclaimed in frustration.
"Is that all you have?" Marcus taunted. "Calling you a disappointment would be an understatement. You claim to be a son of House Asura, yet you are nothing but a pathetic excuse for a swordsman. Do try to make this at least somewhat interesting for me, won't you?"
Leon took a deep breath and gathered his last bit of strength to charge at Marcus once again. However, his movements were now sluggish, and it was evident that he could barely hold his sword due to exhaustion.
Marcus effortlessly parried all of Leon's attacks with minimal movement, indicating that he wasn't even exerting himself. "Your inability to defeat me even when I'm not giving my all demonstrates your incompetence," he taunted.
The insult was like a slap in the face, and Leon felt his anger flare up once again.
"Are you mocking me?!" he shouted.
"No, I'm simply stating the truth. It's time to face reality and give up. You can't win."
"But I can win!" Leon protested.
"Can you really?" Marcus asked skeptically. "Let's be realistic here. The fact that you haven't even landed a single hit is evidence enough that your chances of winning are slim to none."
"I'm not going to lose. I can't lose!"
Marcus let out a small sigh. "Have you not realized it yet? You should know by now that defeating me is not something you will be able to accomplish."
Leon swung his sword sideways and shouted, "Stop it!" But Marcus skillfully evaded the attack, wearing a smug smile on his lips.
"Give up, Leon. It's pointless to keep trying. You can't win," taunted Marcus.
Leon's frustration boiled over, and he bellowed, "I told you to stop, didn't I?!" He relentlessly swung his sword, but it only cut through the air, missing its target every time.
Marcus snorted derisively and shook his head in disbelief. "Is this really all you've got?" he taunted, his tone laced with disdain. "As the third son of our esteemed house, your performance is nothing short of disappointing. No wonder our Grandfather chose me as his successor instead of you. Leon, you're a failure."
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
It seemed that Leon's patience had run out, as he couldn't bear to listen to any more of what Marcus had to say. With a sudden outburst, he lunged towards Marcus while letting out a scream.
Marcus gazed back at Leon with a disappointed expression, his body language exuding a sense of exasperation. He let out a deep, audible sigh, one that could be heard from a considerable distance away, almost as if he was exasperated with the situation.
"You're such a disappointment, I've completely lost interest."
Marcus's sword moved with such speed that it became a blur. In a flash, Leon's wooden sword was knocked out of his hands and sent spinning through the air, before crashing onto the ground.
With a loud thud, Leon staggered backward, and fell hard on his rear end.
"Huh?"