Lami and Elliot pressed the red button in each section's middle. Channeling their mana into the button, a protective mana barrier traced across their skin without leaving any vulnerable points.
His katana was also coated with the barrier, rendering it non-lethal to prevent any injuries during and after the duel.
'What a technology,' Lami thought, amazed. Since he could see mana, the protective barrier was visible to him.
"Fight! There's a fight going on!" an excited student shouted, drawing a crowd since duels this early in the academic year were rare.
A large holographic display appeared overhead.
"Does anyone know who Lami is?"
"..No, but he looks cold."
Lami's sharp eyes and near-perfect features made for a striking sight. But not everyone was impressed.
"Another halfling. They shouldn't have a place in this school!" a deep voice snarled.
"Shut it—likes of you are the ones who don't belong," Cyan from Lami's class said.
"Ha? You've got a problem with me?"
The green-haired, tall boy started toward Cyan, but his friends restrained him.
"Stop, Ryan!"
"Let me go, damn it!"
'Whatever,' Lami thought, dismissing the altercation. He turned his attention back to Elliot. He doubted anything significant would come of the argument.
'Now, how do I finish this quickly?'
"Three!"
The countdown echoed through the training grounds.
"Two!"
'Huuu...'
"One!"
"Let's get this done with," Lami muttered.
"Go!"
Elliot struck first. Multiple magic circles materialized around Lami.
'Shit.'
The abruptness caught Lami off guard, disrupting his calculations. Mana waves—visible to him—raced toward him.
Lami remembered from his spar with Calista that Elliot utilized sound aspects. He needed to avoid sonic explosions.
He envisioned the mana's trajectory and sent a burst of energy to his legs, propelling himself closer to Elliot. However, he was still out of range to strike.
Two more magic circles appeared on either side of Lami, their mana fully concentrated. They hummed ominously and exploded with a loud bang. Disoriented, Lami barely was able to stand. His ears buzzed, and he felt extremely dizzy. He swayed for a short while.
Lami noticed a disgusting grin spread across Elliot's face—he was ready to do victory laps.
His ears still buzzing, Lami started to pace toward Elliot as more magic circles encircled him. Lami's loss seemed inevitable—he had nowhere to run.
The daunting realization only sharpened Lami's focus as his mind worked at full throttle.
'I just need a split second.'
Pushing mana from his core, he targeted Elliot with full intensity. He emptied almost all his mana for a brief disruption.
His goal wasn't to fully ensnare Elliot's mind—Awakened were too resilient for that without physical contact—but a momentary disruption was possible.
As Elliot's eyes twitched, the magic circles faltered slightly. In that instant, Lami ran through the magic circles. He felt intense pain as he passed through the circles; however, in the end, it was worth it.
Just as Elliot realized what was happening, Lami closed the distance.
Whoosh!
Lami's blade hurtled toward Elliot at a breakneck speed, aiming a strike at Elliot's neck. The sword met the protective barrier. It was as if Lami's attack struck nothing at all, completely nullified by the barrier.
"He won!" someone exclaimed.
"...?"
The crowd erupted in surprise. Few had expected this outcome, given his Initiate ranking.
Crack!
The barrier dissipated smoothly, yet the coating still stood around Lami's katana. He also felt a disconnect with his mana core. He couldn't rotate any mana around.
Lami noticed the barriers somehow messing with the cores as he stared at Elliot's flushed, contorted face. He already knew that, but experiencing it first-hand felt weird.
"Wh- What petty tricks did you play on me!?" Elliot shouted, his body shaking with fury. "...You nobody!"
"...Nobody, huh? Then what does that make you, losing to one?" Lami replied cynically. "Now, piss off."
His indifference only fueled Elliot's rage. Elliot clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his palm. Lami approached Elliot.
[Winner: Lami Stern!]
The robotic announcement cut through the tension.
Lami shook his head, noticing Elliot's trembling hands. "You're going to attack me? With all these witnesses?" he asked, giving Elliot's shoulder a slight shove.
"...!"
Elliot hesitated, then turned away.
"I'll make your life a living hell, I swear on my Anders name," he spat before storming off, followed by his henchmen. Lami thought he noticed an annoying smile on him.
'At least he's sane enough not to attack.'
Attacking now would almost certainly result in disciplinary action—a risk Elliot wasn't willing to take.
'Still, he's such a petty bastard. What did I even do to him?'
Shrugging, Lami turned his attention to the screen. His profile lit up, displaying a score of 1-0. The crowd's confused murmurs didn't escape him.
'This might cause some headache.'
The screen also showed that the fight had lasted only 11 seconds.
"Did he cheat?"
"...Cheat? How? He was just better."
Ignoring the heated discussions, Lami headed for the exit, weaving through a crowd of students. He paused briefly, noticing Cyan already immersed in training. With an unwavering focused gaze, Cyan struck at a practice dummy using a double-edged training sword. he was striking at a dummy with a double-edged training sword.
He didn't spare a glance at anyone. His determined demeanor caught Lami's attention.
'He's something else,' Lami acknowledged.
Lami silently wished Cyan well, though he knew their world was cruel and unforgiving. Even the strongest could disappear with a single misstep.
'Even Father... I can't remember our time together. It's been too long.'
And truth be told, Lami didn't believe Cyan had the talent to survive the harsh reality.
After meeting individuals like Lucian, Mateo, Vinny, Seren, and Eleanor, Lami also came to realize how little talent he truly possessed.
Sure, for now, he could catch his targets off guard, but once the truth behind his specialization became known, Lami wasn't sure how he would handle the challenges that followed.
He had to prepare for every scenario—perhaps it would give him a slight edge. Regardless, giving up wasn't an option.
With a solemn expression, Lami left Hermes Hall. As he did, many eyes followed him. Unbeknownst to him, he became a topic of discussion—once again. But this time, it was on a greater scope.