Leon looked up, his expression one of confusion and bewilderment. As his gaze rose, he suddenly found himself staring down the sharp, wooden edge of a sword, perilously close to his jugular.
Despite the danger, it seemed that Leon hadn't even noticed the sword's presence. He remained in a state of confusion, unsure of what had just happened.
This confusion wasn't unique to him, though.
As I looked around, I noticed that the onlookers, including Sirius, shared the same confusion and bewilderment. It was understandable given the circumstances. How was it possible for Marcus to disarm Leon without even lifting his sword? The question was evident on everyone's face, adding to the general air of perplexity.
To the untrained eye, it may have appeared that Marcus disarmed Leon effortlessly, without even moving his wooden sword. However, I could see that there was more to it than met the eye.
The truth was that Marcus had used magic to achieve this feat. He had imbued his sword with his aura and mana, and then employed wind magic without the need for a chant to increase the speed of his swing. This caused his sword to move with such velocity that it became imperceptible to the human eye.
"Leon, I must say, I am disappointed. Your swordsmanship is below even mediocre. It's hard to believe that we share the same bloodline," Marcus said as he looked down at Leon with a hint of disappointment.
The blue glow emanating from Marcus' sword cast an ominous light as he raised it above his shoulder, preparing to strike Leon. His aim seemed to be to behead him, as he spoke in a cold and emotionless tone. "If I am to have no incompetent cousin like you, then there is only one thing to do, isn't it? I must kill you."
Without any hesitation, Marcus swung his wooden sword, still imbued with aura and mana, at the bewildered Leon.
Leon's mind finally snapped back to reality as the sword was brought down towards him. He scrambled to gather his senses and block the attack, but his reactions were slow. The blade inched closer and closer until it was mere blade's breadth away from piercing his skin.
However, at the very last moment, something unexpected happened. An unknown force suddenly stopped the sword in its tracks, preventing it from landing the fatal blow on Leon.
"Why did you stop me, Sirius?" Marcus asked as he looked at Sirius, who had cast a wind barrier to prevent Marcus from killing Leon.
"You were really going to kill him, weren't you, Marcus?"
"What if I was?" Marcus replied, his eyes lacking any emotion.
"You can't go that far! He's your brother, you can't kill him!"
"This is a battle where we've staked our lives, so it's only natural for me to kill him, isn't it?" Marcus retorted, still cold and emotionless.
"Do you truly intend to kill him? Leon has clearly lost the duel, so why not end it there?"
"What do you mean 'end it like this'? Do you really think I would be satisfied with that?"
"Isn't Leon withdrawing from school enough for you?"
"I proposed that he leave the school if he lost to make him disappear from my sight in the first place. Therefore, why not just kill him and be done with it? That way, he will be gone from my sight forever."
Marcus lifted his sword once again and aimed it towards Leon's neck, but the wind barrier continued to prevent it from making contact.
"Enough, Marcus. Put an end to this now. If you persist in your intentions, I will be forced to intervene."
As Sirius's right hand expertly controlled the wind barrier, his left hand began to gather mana, and magic started to form at the tips of his fingertips, fiery sparks coalescing into a brilliant flame. Within seconds, he had crafted a blazing fireball in his hand.
"Do you believe you can stop me?" asked Marcus.
Without hesitation, Sirius retorted, "Do you believe I cannot?"
Marcus and Sirius locked eyes for a brief moment, but after a few seconds, Marcus averted his gaze. He knew he couldn't outmatch Sirius, who was renowned as a prodigy in the art of magic.
"Tch, I guess luck saved you this time, Leon. But make no mistake, you've lost the duel and have no choice but to leave this school. Don't let me see your face ever again," Marcus sneered as he turned away, ready to leave.
As I watched the scene unfold, it appeared that the duel was over, with Marcus emerging as the victor and Leon as the defeated. But then, to my surprise, Leon spoke up.
"You're turning your back on me? Do you really think I've accepted defeat so easily?!"
Leon stood up, chanting the incantation for a fireball, and hurled it towards Marcus. The fiery projectile flew towards Marcus until it was mere inches away from him. However, the fireball exploded just short of its target. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Marcus had erected a wind barrier to block the attack.
With a stern expression, Marcus peered over his shoulder to look at Leon. "Haven't you heard what I said?" he asked. "I explicitly warned you not to show your face to me again. I even gave you ample time to flee. So, why are you still here?"
"You keep telling me that I lost the duel, but can you clarify when exactly that happened?" Leon asked.
In response, Marcus asked incredulously, "So, are you saying you haven't lost yet?" He faced Leon directly, meeting his gaze.
Without flinching, Leon rose from his crouching position and picked up the wooden sword lying nearby, declaring confidently, "I haven't lost yet."
Sirius was stunned by Leon's determination and managed to speak up, "Leon, please stop this! There's no reason for you to continue this duel, and you know very well that your chances of winning against Marcus are slim."
Leon looked at Sirius with irritation and replied, "Don't assume that I can't win against him, Sirius. Even though my chances of winning are low, they're not exactly zero. I'm willing to take that risk and fight for the victory."
Leon turned his gaze back to Marcus and spoke with determination, "I cannot let you get away with what you said about my parents. You will face the consequences for your words. Do not assume that this duel has concluded without my say."
Sirius turned to Marcus and implored, "Marcus, why can't you apologize for what you said? If you apologize, we can put an end to this match right now."
But Marcus remained defiant and retorted, "Do you really think I would stoop so low, Sirius? I refuse to apologize to someone who is beneath me."
Leon refused to back down, insisting that Marcus apologize for the hurtful things he had said to Leon's parents. Marcus, however, was adamant and refused to offer an apology. The duel that had been presumed to have ended was now reignited.
"This is getting us nowhere, Marcus. Let's pick up where we left off."
"You mean when I was about to cleave your head from your shoulders?" Marcus retorted.
In that moment, both of them released their auras simultaneously, causing a gust of wind to whip around them. With perfect timing, they both charged towards each other.
Leon made the first move, swinging his sword towards Marcus. However, Marcus easily dodged the attack with a quick evasion, and then retaliated with a swift swing of his own.
Leon quickly lifted his sword to block the incoming attack, but the sheer force of Marcus's swing was too much for Leon to handle, causing him to slide backwards. This was likely due to Leon's smaller stature compared to Marcus's, making it harder for him to withstand the impact of the attack.
"Gh...!"
Marcus taunted Leon, "Come on, is this really what you've amounted to?"
Leon responded by charging towards Marcus, determined to prove himself.
Despite his efforts, Marcus calmly blocked all of Leon's swings with ease. It was clear that up until this point, he had been holding back. While Leon gave it his all, he couldn't seem to make any progress against Marcus's skill.
After a minute of one-sided dueling, Marcus let out a bored sigh. "Watching you flail that sword around is making me even more bored. I suppose this is the extent of your abilities," he taunted.
With a sudden surge of power, Marcus covered his wooden sword with an aura of energy and then imbued it with mana. He swung the sword at Leon with incredible force, causing the young swordsman to raise his own weapon in an attempt to block the attack. However, Leon's efforts were in vain as the swing was so powerful that he was instantly blown away by the impact.
Leon was sent flying a few sword-lengths away before he slammed into the courtyard wall. The wooden sword he had been clutching slipped from his grasp as he crumpled to the ground.
Leon struggled to regain his senses after being struck by Marcus's powerful punch. He pressed his palms against the floor, attempting to push himself up onto his feet. But, suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over him, casting a pall over the scene. As Leon glanced up, he saw Marcus standing over him, his eyes filled with a mixture of disappointment and disdain.
"Do you finally understand your place? Someone as weak as you could never hope to match me." Marcus's voice dripped with contempt as he looked down at Leon.
He regarded him with a look of utter contempt and disdain, as if he were nothing more than a lowly insect. The way he stared at him made it clear that he considered Leon to be insignificant and utterly beneath him, not even worth acknowledging.
Marcus crouched down and grabbed a handful of his hair, jerking his head upwards. "This is your defeat," he stated firmly. "You are to leave the school immediately."
He then released his hair and stood up, towering over Leon who remained lying on the ground.
Sirius declared the winner, "That's it! The battle is over! Marcus is the victor!"
Just then, the sound of applause echoed through the courtyard, drawing everyone's attention. As a lone figure made their way into the crowd, a hush fell over the onlookers. The sudden appearance of this person caused a palpable pause, and everyone held their breath, afraid to make a sound.
The only sound that could be discerned amidst the complete silence was the measured and rhythmic tapping of the man's cane against the unyielding surface of the floor.
The tapping of the cane seemed to grow louder with each passing second, creating a sense of foreboding that lingered in the air. The man's measured gait and the steady rhythm of his cane only served to heighten the tension and unease that had settled upon the courtyard.
Despite the deafening silence, it was apparent that the man commanded attention and respect. His very presence seemed to demand it, as everyone present remained rooted in their positions, not daring to move an inch in the face of his formidable presence.
As the tapping of the cane continued to reverberate around the courtyard, the man's imposing figure seemed to grow in size, casting a shadow that loomed over everyone present.
The tranquility of the surroundings was eventually disrupted by the deep, resonant voice of a man. The power and authority in his tone sent a chill down the spine of everyone who heard it.
"Absolutely magnificent!"