After an intense training session, Alex found himself parched and starving.
It had been over 5-6 hours since he had last eaten, so he decided to buy some food from the vending machine near the cafeteria.
"Well, so this is where the pipsqueak was. You've been avoiding me a lot lately." As he was leaving, an enraged, mocking voice came from behind, halting Alex in his tracks.
The voice belonged to none other than Marcus, the bully who had been making Alex's life difficult. Alex had been trying to avoid Marcus, but now he was confronted by him.
"I'm in a hurry, Marcus. I don't have time to entertain your petty whims and wishes." Alex retorted, standing firm in front of his bully, who had an unfriendly smile on his face.
Nearby students observed the confrontation with a mixture of amusement and interest, as it promised to be an intriguing spectacle.
Marcus had a bad reputation for bullying weaker students, and his wealth and physical strength often shielded him from consequences.
Despite being a bully, Marcus's privileged background and strength protected him from repercussions.
He had developed a habit of tormenting weaker students, and his victims were too terrified to report him or take action.
"How long have you been hiding, pipsqueak?" Marcus sneered. "You're nothing but a weak bastard."
"Damn you and your bullshit, Marcus. I'm leaving, and don't try to stop me; I have important matters to attend to."
Alex showed no sign of fear, unlike his former self. He had undergone a transformation, both physically and mentally, after a near-death experience just the day before.
This newfound courage surprised everyone, including Marcus, who was growing increasingly furious as his authority was challenged in front of a crowd of students.
The onlookers grew more interested in the scene, as it wasn't the first time someone had opposed Marcus. However, previous challengers had always been beaten badly by him and his lackeys.
What made this situation intriguing was that many had witnessed Alex being bullied by Marcus in the past.
The crowd of spectators grew, and although some may have wanted to intervene, the deeply ingrained belief that the stronger party always prevailed held them back.
Marcus, unable to bear the humiliation, decided he couldn't let Alex's defiance go unanswered. He attempted to grab Alex's collar, but something felt different this time.
'Why can't I lift him? Let me use more strength.' Marcus thought, struggling to raise Alex. Although he managed to lift him a few centimeters, he felt resistance that hadn't been there before.
Alex had become heavier, and the increase in strength had taken Marcus by surprise. His training and hard work had paid off, elevating him to an F+ rank and significantly boosting his strength.
Though he may not have looked outwardly powerful at that moment, he was growing rapidly and gaining strength at an astonishing rate.
Fueled by his anger at Marcus's constant harassment, Alex pushed Marcus away with all his might, causing him to stagger and himself fall to the ground.
As Alex got up and dusted himself off, he decided it was time to end this once and for all. He hadn't personally experienced the torment of his past self, but he was determined to put an end to it.
Marcus, who was now furious and about to punch Alex, was stopped by Alex's next words.
"Let's decide it out by a duel and end this once and for all."
'I haven't forgotten the previous beatings you and your lackeys gave me on my first day at the academy.' Alex thought, his resolve firm as he confronted Marcus.
The spectators, who had been enjoying the show, fell silent, and then they started cheering for a duel.
Marcus wanted to fight right there, but Alex was clearly tired and starving from all the training and was not in his best condition for a fight.
"You're all bark and no bite. Already afraid of fighting me, are you?" Marcus taunted Alex when he asked for the fight to be scheduled for later.
"You clearly don't want to fight me when I'm not in my best state, do you? Or do you fear I might win and even beat the shit out of you." Alex's provocation worked, in his favor.
"Hahaha, that's the best joke I've ever heard. A top intermediate class student like me fearing a weak bastard from the failure class like you? Nice one."
The crowd also became quite noisy as they now heard what Marcus said. Not many had known of this before, but now it was known by all and became a hot topic.
This news soon became viral: a failure class student challenging a student from the top of the intermediate class. This piece of news was bound to be a hot topic, irrespective of the outcome of the match.
Marcus, observing his surroundings, decided to make the most of this situation. "Let's do it your way and even have an official match, what do you say?"
Alex frowned at this suggestion but agreed to it anyway, as things had come this far.
Duels in the academy between students for even small matters were quite common. The academy even organized and facilitated them.
There were two ways to officially apply for a duel: the first was when both parties agreed to the fight, or when a lower-ranked student challenged a higher-ranked student, and they accepted the challenge.
The vice-versa was not allowed, giving weaker students the encouragement and motivation to rise and the stronger ones to maintain their title of being the strongest.
So, the duel was decided and scheduled to be held tomorrow afternoon after classes in the arena.
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The following morning, Alex woke up early and completed his daily workout routine.
In addition to that, he devoted extra time to training with his sword, preparing for the duel that was scheduled for today.
The news of the duel had spread farther than Alex had expected. Not only the students, but even a few faculty members were now aware of the impending match between Marcus and Alex.
The failure class had the worst reputation for a reason. Students rarely advanced from this class, and many ended up leaving in despair.
Now, with Alex openly challenging Marcus, the third-ranked student of the intermediate class, there were various reactions.
Some encouraged Alex, such as his class teacher, Sam, and a few students who believed in the underdog.
Some others made fun of him, calling him a fool for attempting the seemingly impossible. The rest were simply spectators, eager to witness the spectacle.
Although most people had already anticipated the outcome, there were a few who hoped for a miracle.
"Alex, you can do it! Even if no one else is supporting you, I'll always be cheering for you from the front seats." Aurora said with genuine enthusiasm, being the only one wholeheartedly rooting for Alex.
Now, Alex stood in front of the arena where the duel would soon commence. The arena was filled with spectators, and the atmosphere was charged with anticipation.
The arena was a massive, open stadium-like structure, reminiscent of gladiatorial arenas from ancient times. It had spacious seating arrangements that could easily accommodate thousands of students.
The arena was also visible from the windows of nearby buildings, allowing students to watch from different vantage points.
The duel began, and soon Alex and Marcus were facing each other. However, the match didn't last long before the inevitable outcome was clear.
The result was as everyone had expected.
'I lost?'
That was the thought echoing in Alex's mind as he lay on the arena floor, his body battered and bruised.
He had known his chances of winning were slim, but he had held a glimmer of hope for a better outcome, which now seemed shattered.