Stare observed the pale, black-haired boy with blue eyes. For the first time, Xel wore a small smile, looking genuinely amused by something, as his blue eyes bore into Stare's figure with disdain.
In response, Stare returned the smile, his body poised in a fighting stance, feet firmly planted, fists clenched.
Xel couldn't help but scoff at the sight of Stare's smile. He, too, assumed a fighting stance.
The two adversaries stared each other down, neither willing to make the first move. Stare had a plan to lose this duel deliberately, so he held back.
Xel's reluctance, however, was a mystery to Stare. But judging from the derisive look on Xel's face, it was probably his way of taunting Stare – like a predator toying with its prey. Xel saw Stare as a minor challenge, relishing the chance to taunt him.
Sadly, Stare, on the other hand, had no interest in prolonging the duel. He wanted it over as soon as possible.
After a tense standoff, Xel did something that left everyone in shock. He abandoned his battle stance and started walking leisurely towards Stare, a smile that had started small now twisting into a sinister grin.
His body seemed to vibrate intensely, and he became hazy, leaving behind a blue, vibrating silhouette crackling with bolts of energy. The eerie blue silhouette vanished from its original position and reappeared behind Stare, who seemed oblivious to the bizarre turn of events.
In his vibrating, blue-silhouette form, Xel wore a smirk of satisfaction as everything around him appeared to move in slow motion.
He regarded the defenseless Stare with scorn. "So much for faggot who loves the spotlight," Xel spat with distaste.
To Xel, Stare had already lost the duel by allowing him to get so close without resisting.
Not like he expected much from some nobody.
'Although I could only keep this form for a minute, for someone like this, that has to be enough time.' Xel thought in amusement.
As Xel moved in to incapacitate Stare, with his plan to target Stare's knees first, he suddenly felt a hand gripping his own. Surprised, he looked up at Stare, whose smile was gradually widening.
'How...?'
'How was this possible?'
'How could he keep up with my movements? Does he have a fief related to speed or something connected to foresight?'
'Sh*t... I was so immersed in beating him that I didn't even consider the possibility of him possessing a fief that counters my speed. But then again, how can someone who isn't an Elite or has any sort of sponsor be capable of using his fief this early?'
Xel found himself in a profound dilemma, so much so that he hadn't even noticed Stare forcefully dragging his hand toward his own forehead.
His dilemma shattered when he saw Stare slowly falling to the ground after the impact of the hit to his forehead.
He could swear he heard the words 'thank you' as he descended to the floor.
The blue silhouette ceased vibrating, and the sparks surrounding it faded, revealing a pale boy with black hair and blue eyes filled with confusion and anger.
Xel wasn't the only one bewildered by the outcome of the duel; the majority of the students shared the same expressions.
It was as if almost everyone had lost track of what happened after Xel casually approached Stare.
Some with keen observation managed to spot Xel's body starting to vibrate. A few Elites with fiefs that heightened their senses caught glimpses of how Xel appeared behind Stare, but after that, it was a perplexing blur.
It felt like a lot had occurred in a short duration.
The only one who seemed to have completely grasped how Xel had knocked Stare off balance was Teacher Lagertha. Instead of confusion like the rest, she wore an unsatisfied frown on her face.
Stare slowly descended to the floor.
For some reason, time seemed to slow down.
He could feel himself gradually losing consciousness.