That day started with a buzz louder than usual at the academy. Every corner of the dorm was filled with rumors about a duel that was set to take place in the training arena this afternoon.
As usual, I had no idea what was going on until Lilliana dragged me out of the dining hall, saying.
"You have to see this, Adrian!"
"What now?" I asked, still chewing the last bite of bread in my hand.
"Leon challenged one of the Class B students to a duel!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Leon, that drama-loving idiot, challenged someone to a duel? I couldn't help but laugh. "What's he done this time?"
"He said that guy from Class B insulted his honor. You know Leon; he can't just let something like that slide," Lilliana replied.
We arrived at the training arena, which was already packed with students from different classes. The arena was a massive circle with a sand-covered floor designed to absorb magical energy to keep duels safe.
In the middle of the crowd, I spotted Leon standing confidently, sword already drawn.
Leon's opponent was a huge guy with tan skin and short black hair. Judging from his uniform, he was definitely from Class B, but with that size, he looked more like a gatekeeper.
"Who's that?" I asked Lilliana.
"His name's Felix. He's famous for his insane strength. They say he can crush a boulder with his bare hands!"
"Ah, a battle between brute force and a drama king. This should be fun."
The duel began with Felix dashing toward Leon, moving surprisingly fast for someone of his size.
"Earth Shatter!"
Felix shouted as he slammed his fist into the ground.
Boom!
The ground around Leon cracked, sending sand flying everywhere. But Leon nimbly jumped back, avoiding the attack.
"That's all you've got?" Leon taunted as he swung his sword forward.
"Flash Strike!"
A flash of light shot from his blade, streaking straight toward Felix. His opponent quickly raised both hands, summoning a stone shield from the ground.
Clang!
The light collided with the stone shield, chipping away a small piece but not enough to break through Felix's defenses.
Meanwhile, I stood at the edge of the arena, watching the spectacle while taking a bite out of the apple I had just bought from the cafeteria.
"Aren't they taking this a bit too seriously for something so trivial?" I muttered to Lilliana.
"This is about honor, Adrian!" she replied, her tone deadly serious.
"I know, but still..." I shook my head, smiling.
In the arena, the duel grew more intense. Leon continued to attack with a mix of swordsmanship and light magic, while Felix held his ground with raw strength and earth-element magic.
The audience cheered every time one of them came close to landing a hit.
It didn't take long before Leon found an opening in Felix's defenses.
"Radiant Slash!"
Leon yelled his final move, his sword glowing brightly as he leaped high into the air, delivering a vertical strike straight at Felix.
Blaarrr!
A blinding light filled the arena, forcing most of the audience to shield their eyes. When the light finally faded, Felix was on the ground, unable to continue the fight.
"The winner is Leon from Class A!" one of the instructors announced.
The crowd erupted into cheers, while Leon stood in the middle of the arena with a smug grin. I could only shake my head, feeling like the whole thing was a scene out of a cheap drama.
"He really loves the attention, huh?" I said to Lilliana.
"At least he won. That's what matters," she replied with a smile.
Before I could respond, one of the instructors made an announcement that caught me off guard.
"As part of the academy's duel tradition, the winner is allowed to choose their next opponent."
I immediately felt something was off. Sure enough, Leon looked straight at me with a wide grin.
"Adrian! I challenge you to the next duel!" he shouted in front of everyone.
The audience, who had just started to disperse, roared back to life, excitement spreading through the crowd.
I just stood there, staring at him with a blank expression.
"You're serious, Leon?"
"Of course! I want a rematch for what happened during practice the other day," he said, pointing straight at me.
The crowd around the arena grew even louder, the cheers mingling with whispers of curiosity. All eyes were on the two of us, waiting for what seemed to be the highlight of the day.
"So, are you accepting my challenge or not?" Leon stood in the center of the arena, a confident grin on his face, his sword gleaming under the sunlight.
I stood just outside the ring of sand, letting out a long sigh.
"Fine, fine. But if I win, don't blame me if your pride takes a hit."
Leon chuckled as if I had just told him the funniest joke.
"Don't get cocky, Adrian. I won't lose to the grandson of a hero, even if legendary blood runs through your veins."
I shrugged and walked into the arena with an easy stride.
"Let's see about that."
The arena was quickly reset by the overseers. The sandy circle now felt like a stage where every gaze anticipated the show to begin.
I stood on one side, hands casually in my pockets, while Leon was already poised with his sword at the ready on the other.
"Listen," I said, trying to sound serious. "I'm not a fan of violence, so you can back out now."
Leon snorted.
"Back out? From what? A slacker who doesn't even bother picking up a weapon?"
"This is your last warning," I said, raising a hand. "I won't be responsible if you end up hurt."
"Whatever," he shot back, taking an aggressive stance.
One of the overseers stepped between us, ensuring both sides were ready.
"The duel will proceed under academy rules. No lethal attacks are permitted, and the duel ends when one party surrenders or is unable to continue. Understood?"
We both nodded.
"Good. Begin!"
Leon moved immediately, attacking with impressive speed. He shot toward me like an arrow, swinging his sword horizontally, energy radiating from the blade.
"Slash of Light!" he yelled.
The sword emitted a bright light that hurtled straight at me.
I waited until the attack was just about to hit, then casually sidestepped. The light struck the ground behind me, causing a small explosion.
Boom!
Sand flew into the air, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Not bad," Leon commented, unfazed. "But you can't keep dodging forever."
He launched his next attack, a series of rapid and aggressive sword swings. I weaved to the left, right, and occasionally stepped back, all with a relaxed demeanor.
"Stop running, you coward!" Leon barked, frustration creeping into his voice.
I smirked, hopping back to create some distance.
"If I stay still, I won't get to see how bad your technique really is."
Leon growled in anger. He stabbed his sword into the ground, gathering magical energy around him.
"Fine then, take this!"
"Blade Storm!"
Winds swirled around his sword, creating a vortex of sharp energy that shot toward me.
I jumped into the air, letting the vortex pass harmlessly below me and slam into the arena wall with a deafening crash.
Crash!
Sand, rocks, and debris flew everywhere, drawing gasps from the audience.
"Impressive, huh?" I remarked as I landed lightly on the ground.
"This is just the beginning!" Leon shouted, his eyes blazing with determination. He leaped into the air, aiming a downward strike with his now-glowing sword.
"Skybreaker Slash!"
I raised my left hand and snapped my fingers.
Snap!
A powerful gust of wind burst forth from me, halting Leon's mid-air strike and throwing him backward. He tumbled across the sand but quickly scrambled to his feet.
"You think that's enough to stop me?" he said, though his breaths were labored now.
The crowd cheered louder, impressed by Leon's persistence. But I could see it he was wearing down.
"Enough?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've used three of your best moves, and I haven't even started. Still want to keep going?"
He growled, raising his sword once more.
"I'm not losing to a slacker like you!"
With a loud yell, he charged again, unleashing a flurry of strikes even faster and stronger than before.
I decided to end it. Just as his sword came close, I caught the blade between two fingers.
The crowd went silent.
"What?" Leon's eyes widened in disbelief.
With a gentle tug, I pulled the sword from his grip, causing him to stumble and fall onto the sand.
"Are we done?" I asked.
One of the overseers stepped forward, raising a hand to signal the end of the duel.
"The winner is Adrian from Class A!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, some even standing to give a round of applause. Leon lowered his head, his face red with embarrassment.
Lilliana approached me at the edge of the arena, her grin wide.
"You were amazing! You didn't even break a sweat."
I gave a small smile.
"Maybe I just got lucky."
Leon walked off the arena without a word. But from the look in his eyes, I knew he wasn't giving up yet.
I sighed, stepping off the sandy ring. It seemed my days here were going to be a lot busier than I had expected.
Afternoons at the academy were relatively calm. After my duel with Leon, I decided to spend some time in the library.
The place was quiet, with only a few students reading or jotting down notes.
I picked a table in the corner, stacking a few books on magic theory and world history. Not because I needed to study, but I had to look busy so no one would bother me.
Just as I opened the first page, the sound of footsteps approached. I looked up to see Lilliana standing in front of me, her face full of curiosity.
"You really like studying, huh?" she asked, pulling out a chair without waiting for an answer.
"Not really," I replied, closing the book. "This is just my way of avoiding too much attention."
She chuckled.
"Ironic. After that duel, you've become the center of attention."
I sighed.
"That wasn't part of the plan."
"But you enjoyed it, didn't you?" She grinned, like she already knew the answer.
I chose not to respond and reopened my book. But before I could read further, the library doors burst open.
Bam!
Everyone turned, including me.
Standing at the entrance was a tall guy with neatly combed blonde hair. His face exuded calm, but his eyes carried a commanding aura.
He wore a modified academy uniform with a black cloak trimmed in gold marking him as one of the senior students.
"Does anyone know where Adrian is?" he asked in a serious tone.
I raised my hand without looking up from my book.
"I'm here. What's up?"
The guy walked over, his gaze sharp.
"I'm Marcus, head of the student council. We need to talk."
Lilliana glanced at me, confused.
"What did you do to make the student council president come looking for you?"
I shrugged.
"No idea. Maybe he's got the wrong person."
Marcus stood in front of me, arms crossed.
"No mistake. You're Adrian, right? The grandson of a legendary hero?"
"That's me," I replied nonchalantly.
He nodded.
"Come with me. There's something you need to see."
I stared at him lazily.
"Can this wait? I'm busy studying."
Lilliana stifled a laugh while Marcus maintained his deadpan expression.
"This isn't a request."
"Fine, fine." I closed my book and got up. "Lead the way."
Marcus led me out of the library to a large hall rarely used. Inside, I saw several senior students standing in a circle formation.
In the middle of the circle was a large crystal glowing faintly.
"What's this?" I asked, eyeing the crystal.
"The Potential Detector Crystal," Marcus explained. "Every new Class A student is tested with this. We want to make sure everything aligns with academy regulations."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Regulations? You think I'm some kind of threat?"
Marcus didn't respond, instead gesturing toward the crystal.
"Put your hand on it."
I approached the crystal lazily.
"So, it's like a power meter?"
"Something like that," he replied curtly.
I placed my hand on the crystal, and immediately, the faint glow intensified.
Whoosh!
The room was filled with a steady blue light bright but not blinding.
Marcus studied the crystal intently.
"Your magical power is pretty high for a new student."
I smirked, deliberately holding back most of my power. If I showed it all, they'd probably freak out.
The crystal continued glowing calmly, showing no signs of going overboard. One of the senior students nodded.
"Looks like there's no issue."
Marcus observed the crystal for a few more seconds before giving a slow nod.
"You pass."
I pulled my hand away from the crystal and looked at Marcus.
"Done? Can I go back to studying now?"
He stared at me sharply, as if trying to read my mind. Finally, he nodded.
"You're free to go. But remember, we'll be keeping an eye on you."
I shrugged casually.
"Go ahead. I've got nothing to hide."
As I left the hall, Lilliana was waiting for me outside.
"What happened in there?" she asked.
I gave a small smile.
"Just a formality. Nothing interesting."
She frowned but didn't press further.
In my mind, I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Looks like this is just the start of the chaos to come.