"Alright. I accept," I replied calmly, despite the uneasy tension radiating from the crowd.
As whispers and murmurs circulated through the onlookers, I couldn't shake the feeling that all eyes were on me, and not in a positive light.
"Tsk, I wanted to beat him first," grumbled one student, his frustration evident in his tone.
"Lucky bastard. I would have made him beg for mercy if it was me," added another, his resentment palpable.
"I will challenge him next time," declared a third, determination gleaming in his eyes.
'Ah, man. Still don't know what was wrong about my question.'
"A duel, is it?" Mr. Luke interjected. "Why don't you gentlemen come to the fighting ring here? It would be a good experience for everyone."
"Sure, Mr. Luke. I will gladly do so," Rank 1014 replied, shooting me a challenging glance.
With the glares of hundreds of students at my back, I stepped into the ring, feeling a palpable hostility in the air.
"Alright, so this is a duel between Rank 1014 and Rank 2897," announced Mr. Luke.
"Beat him up."
"Break his legs."
"Show him his place."
Okay, they really want me dead.
"We have emergency healing items and a healer standby," Mr. Luke continued, pointing to a figure in an Academy healer uniform. "So you don't have to worry about injuries. Since the battle was challenged by Rank 1014, do you have any conditions, Rank 2897?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you still haven't accepted the duel on your watch."
I didn't know we had to do that.
"Cough* the watch is not showing much information. So I have some questions first."
"Ask away. The duel is in default mode. That's why it didn't show much information."
"Is ability allowed?" I asked.
"Yes," Mr. Luke replied.
"Are skills allowed?"
"Yes."
"Any hidden weapons or items?"
"No, that's cheating."
"Okay, last question. Is killing allowed?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew heavy. All the students around the ring seemed to turn menacing, their stares piercing.
"Ahem ahem *cough*, why is the atmosphere so chilly here?"
"If willingly or unwillingly you kill someone, you have to take responsibility," Mr. Luke explained.
"Okay, I get it. I am ready," I said, trying to mask my unease. "But I have one condition. If I win, I will also be taking your weapon."
"Yeah, whatever," Rank 1014 replied confidently.
{The duel has been accepted.}
"Both sides ready?"
"Ready," we both replied.
"START!"
The boy decided to observe first, not making a move yet. He unsheathed his katana and assumed a samurai pose.
'So it's my move first, I guess. Because of my plan, I also didn't want him to rush toward me.'
I took a step forward, neither too fast nor too slow. Then another. And another. I kept moving toward him, still not unsheathing my sword. The crowd looked surprised, and most were still shouting for me to be beaten up.
The distance between us closed. Two meters. One meter. I still hadn't unsheathed my sword, but the boy seemed hesitant, unsure if I was using some tricky ability since I was moving forward without fear. He took a step back. I took another step forward without changing my pace. Everyone was shocked.
"What's going on?"
"Why aren't they fighting?"
"Why hasn't he taken out his sword yet?"
"I betted on you, damn it."
"Fight, you cowards!"
The boy kept retreating until he realized he was at the edge of the ring. One more step and he would fall. He didn't wait any longer and stabbed his katana.
The crowd gasped as the sword pierced through my torso and came out the other side. Everyone expected something flashy, but what happened was entirely ordinary. Still, everyone was surprised.
"What?... That was just too easy? You were making a fool of me?" Rank 1014 said.
"No, no, no, it was the wrong choice," I replied, grabbing the blade of the katana with my right hand. My palm bled, but I refused to let go. The boy tried to pull it out, but my strength was greater than his.
"You should have slashed me instead," I continued. With my left hand, I pulled out my sword. In the same motion, I cut off both of his hands from the elbow. One severed hand still clutched the katana, while the other flew through the air, leaving a trail of blood.
The boy fell onto his back, screaming and painting the floor of the ring red.
At the beginning of the duel when I stood facing my opponent, a surge of realization swept over me—I was inhabiting a body that didn't belong to me, a body trained in the art of swordsmanship. But the truth was, I had no knowledge of swordplay. Panic threatened to consume me as I grappled with this unsettling reality.
In that moment of uncertainty, I made a split-second decision. I couldn't afford to reveal my lack of swordsmanship, it would be tantamount to exposing my true identity. So instead, I chose to rely on the one advantage I did possess: my intellect.
My opponent, though skilled with the blade, was just a boy, lacking the strategic acumen and mental fortitude that I have builded up by existing for a much longer time. With a plan forming in my mind, I steeled myself and adopted a composed demeanor, masking the turmoil raging within.
As the duel commenced, I refrained from engaging in a traditional sword fight. Instead, I focused on outsmarting my opponent, utilizing psychological manipulation and strategic movement to gain the upper hand. Every action I took was calculated, every step deliberate, as I played upon the boy's fears and insecurities.
With each passing moment, I could sense the tide of the battle shifting in my favor. My opponent's confidence wavered, his movements betraying uncertainty and doubt. And then, in a moment of opportunity, I seized control of the situation, turning the tables on my unsuspecting adversary.
Utilizing my ability, "Soul Sense," which allowed me to predict the path of the sword within a range of less than 0.5 meters, I took a calculated risk. I intentionally positioned myself to take the hit in the lower left quadrant of my abdomen, aiming for the lower flank. This area, I knew, housed the intestines and was less likely to result in fatal damage. As the blade pierced my flesh, my focus shifted to outmaneuvering my opponent mentally rather than physically. Leveraging psychological tactics and strategic movement, I exploited the boy's vulnerabilities.
Now, as I stood before him, blood dripping from my wounded torso with a katana piercing it .But behind my outward calmness lay a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, a silent acknowledgment of the cunning strategy that had led me to this moment of triumph.
Ignoring the pain of the katana piercing my torso , I uttered, "Death or surrender?"