"It's just the second day, and the grand banquet hasn't even started yet… but your eyes tell me you've had a girl's contact details." Yuridika teased, seeing Aeon intently looking and tapping on his academy-manufactured phone.
'Who could it be though? Is it perhaps Alina?' She thought of the only possibility.
"What can I say? You can blame it on my charming appearance." Aeon shrugged his shoulders without sparing her a glance.
"Fucking gross." Yuridika snorted; his words snapped her back to reality.
"I'm glad that you seem to be 'genuinely' friendly right now, but I have to go." Aeon stood up from his seat, and, without checking or waiting for Yuridika's presumably piercing response, hurriedly ran as though he was chasing something… or someone.
Seated alone, with her azure eyes seeming to bore a hole at the back of Aeon's fading figure, Yuridika mumbled, "Ice Princess…?"
After a minute or two, as if they were waiting for Aeon's presence to disappear, several girls approached her.
"…Yuridika, do you two have a thing?"
It was a crimson-eyed girl, whose fragrant and smooth cascading long hair was as white as snow; her fair-skinned body was as alluring as it could be—perfect in every way and indeed every man's dream.
Even Yuridika, whose appearance wasn't to scoff at, was momentarily awestruck seeing the famous idol up close. Relationship-wise, they weren't particularly close, especially their expertise was as the difference between heaven and earth.
"Airi…?" Glancing up, she saw the world idol, who was under the jurisdiction of the Eurasia Grand Agency.
After all, as prosperous and impactful as it could be in the world economy, the Eurasia Grand Agency also grasped the matters of 'world entertainment.'
"I have a favor to ask…" Somewhat embarrassingly, Airi asked as she took Aeon's seat before clasping her tender hands. On the other hand, two girls from the same Class 3-A were following her as if her graceful presence was enough to have their hunger filled.
'A favor all of a sudden? Are we even close to talk about such a thing?' Of course, unlike in front of Aeon, who seemed to neglect whatever sharp words came out of her mouth, Yuridika didn't blurt out what was on her mind.
"A favor… let's hear it-"
"Tell me how to get close to Aeon!" Even before Yuridika could finish her words, Airi leaned forward, accentuating her chest, and her expression was as mischievous as it could get.
Knowing Airi's status, though not similar to an heir or royal student, it's possible that she wanted to get Aeon in her grasp.
'I feel like I know what this is about…' Yuridika intently gazed at her.
"Is this because he's the only man not paying attention to you?"
"T-that…!" Seeing her instantly flustered face, Yuridika's guess was right on the mark.
As someone who loved to be the center of attention, and considering how famous she was, the eccentric Airi Winter found it peculiar that such a man in the same class as her wouldn't even spare her a glance.
Meanwhile, the two considerably attractive girls standing by her side looked at each other, their expressions momentarily confused. Yet, seeing Airi's adorable demeanor was enough to stop their mouths from questioning her—not that they had any rights to begin with.
'Is she fucking nuts? What does that have to do with me?' Yuridika cursed.
However, even before she could politely respond, a loud voice echoed throughout the spacious cafeteria… No, the lively vast academy.
[ Announcement: ]
[ The Summit Rule Book 8th Edition, Noble Section, Chivalry Code of Godent Duel, Clause II has been triggered! ]
[ Spending 100,000 Summit Credits, a godent student (challenger) can formally request an indeclinable duel to the desired opponent. ]
[ Challenger: Cain Argos of Class 3-A]
[ Opponent: Airi Winter of Class 3-A ]
[ Duel Schedule: 6 P.M. after the class. ]
It was then that Yuridika forgot what she was about to say. Airi, on the other hand, looked at her with utter bafflement. Not only the two of them but even the students in the cafeteria and others somewhere doing their own business appeared perplexed.
"Wh-what…? Wh-who?"
Despite having the attention all by herself, Airi couldn't remember every man's name.
Ironically so, Cain was in the same class as her.
On a different note, Yuridika couldn't help but wonder what was happening.
'What's going on right now…?'
For some reason, a certain student crossed her mind.
But she didn't know why.
***
Celestial Gymnasium of Eastern Peak.
Including the Alpha Gymnasium, where the Welcoming Ceremony to mark the beginning of the new academic year was held; this gymnasium was one of the four gymnasiums located at one of the four cardinal directions of the Summit Academy, which purpose was either for physical education or in this case, godent duels.
As the post-lunch classes ended, and the sun began to set, the interested students gradually gathered in the gymnasium. It was designed similarly to the Old World's Roman Colosseum, where the bloody gladiators fought to death for the sake of entertainment for the masses or, among other reasons, punishment and execution.
Seated on a high and lofty place, several members of the Student Council, surprisingly so, had gathered. They looked like kings and queens, princesses and princes, gazing down the arena of the unworthy.
In their presence, murmurs started to echo.
"Woah! I-I didn't expect they'd spare some time to watch this duel."
"Look at Yura… she's damn gorgeous as hell!"
"Kyah! Yura! B-but where's Yuri!? Look here!"
The noises continued.
"You idiots! There's no way they wouldn't be here! After all, one of the members of the Student Council, Airi Winter, will be this duel's participant!"
"R-right! It slipped off my mind. That damn Cain, who the fuck was that, anyway?!"
"Curse that bastard!"
Meanwhile, the rampant noises caused Yuridika's hearing to feel as though it was about to burst.
"You'll get used to it." A soft voice from a girl with long cascading auburn strands reached Yuridika's ears. Looking behind at the one who just arrived, she saw the girl's glimmering amber eyes, whose seemingly innocent face was as cunning as a fox – It was the heir of the Belserion Intelligence, Yuri Belserion.
Before the participants of the duel were called, the audiences near them saw the stack of high-profile individuals; they were breathless, to say the least.
"That's the Yu Heirs…"
"R-Right… Aside from Welcoming Ceremony… I-I didn't think we'd see them together like this, at least before the Summit Banquet."
"I guess there's an undeniable bond with them…"
Even before Yuridika was admitted to the Summit Academy, the three of them were already known in the whole world as the Yu Heirs. Not because they were in any way blood-related, but rather because the first syllable of their names, [Yu]ra, [Yu]ri, [Yu]ridika, was "Yu" that the society decided to label them as such.
After some time, the duel's referee, one of the members of the Student Council, a man with lofty stature and a well-built body, with black eyes and short hair of the same hue, announced the beginning of the godent duel.
It was then that the spectators' thunderous roar reverberated throughout the gymnasium.
***
"What's going on…?"
However, after Cain received all sorts of mockery for challenging the innocent world idol, confusion painted the audience's countenance.
After all…
"Isn't that the scholar belonging to the same class as the Yu Heirs? Why's he the one fighting, though?"
The source of that remark was slapped at the back of his head.
"You motherfucker, so you want Airi to get hurt?! I don't know what's happening, but this is better!"
To clear the questioning murmurs, at least by those who didn't know the rules or were yet adapting to them like the new batch of first-year students, the master of ceremony's voice interjected.
Seated on the other end of the gymnasium, facing the Yu Heirs and other notable figures on their lofty throne, the girl spoke, "Now, now! Listen to what happened…"
The thing about the Summit Rules, Noble Section, Chivalry Code of Godent Duels, Clause II, despite being indeclinable, was that it could be overridden by another challenger using the same amount of Summit Credits.
But, unless you wanted to save someone from being humiliated or, in some cases, from dying, spending the monthly student allowance to overtake the position of the dueling participant was outright impractical.
'There's no way he's right in his goddamn mind…' Yuridika refrained from voicing out her thoughts, seeing the male student that was bothering her since yesterday.
Being focused on her seatmate, Yuridika didn't notice the subtle changes in Yura's and Yuri's faces, who were staring at the arena with their fingers gently fidgeting.
And with the absence of Alina, who was considered to be the busiest of all as the Head Judge of the Summit Grand Court handling the Judicial Branch of the academy, she couldn't tell whether this act of Aeon was on his whim or under someone else's order.
'But why Airi…?'
Yuridika took a deep breath, with her mind seemingly occupied by unnecessary things, her thoughts trailed.
'I have to focus on one thing that matters… the M-Rev File.'
***
"I should have started with you instead of that trash Leo. I never thought you'd save Airi from my grasp. Ah. I wanted to feel her skin at least once, and this is the only way I could come up with." Cain smirked, his arrogance was usual, though his words seemed more straightforward.
"Were you that jealous that I took interest in him first?"
Aeon didn't respond to Cain's provocation. Instead, he looked at the referee, showing that he was ready at any moment.
Then, with the right signal…
"Duel begins!"
Cain activated his godent power.
Bathed in starlight, his body vanished.
As tranquil as the undisturbed seas, without causing the air in the surroundings to stir, he arrived mid-air with a fatal kick aimed at Aeon's vital spot—the neck!
Such a heavy strike could potentially kill him!
Bang!
It was quick…
That seemed no one saw why Cain was lying on the ground, unconscious!
Looking down at him whilst blowing his fist as fiery smoke emanated on it, Aeon casually muttered,
"Why are you people so talkative?"