80 A Duel Challenge (Pt 2)
>WHOOOSH<
Edward's hand descended in a rush. No one tried to stop him, no, soone did. However, Anabelle was too slow and too far away to stop the motion of his quick and powerful arm.
I didn't move from where I sat and observed the trajectory of his arm. My lips curled up in a smile when I realized… his hand was never targeted at my face— or any part of my body for that matter.
>WHAM!<
His hand slapped the desk in front of , creating a loud sound that reverberated across the classroom. Everyone displayed shock at the intentional miss of Edward since they were already convinced that he would assault .
"Smart move. I thought you would actually hit …" I whispered with a smile, enough for him to make out my words.
"I'm not stupid. I know the repercussions of that. I have no intention of facing a penalty this soon."
He replied calmly, though I could tell that the boy was a little unhinged by my calm reaction to his table slam. I didn't try avoiding his hit or blocking. My body didn't even show any sign of reflex, and that was because I knew he wasn't going to hit from the start.
"So? Are you done?"
"Apologize…" Edward's teeth clenched together in annoyance.
"No."
"Apologize!" He demanded more violently, smacking his second hand on the desk.
Which didn't faze as well.
I was certain that he felt like the good guy with all that he was doing. Fighting for the feelings of everyone, especially the girl behind him. However, all of that was a mirage within his mind. In actuality, his actions so far were akin to bullying.
If one was to neglect the smile I had on my face and my calm disposition, it would appear as though Edward was a bully who was forcefully infringing on my territory.
I had technically done nothing wrong. Even the teacher didn't complain, but his crusader personality made him feel responsible for my supposed 'mockery' and he was attempting to correct that. My interest in the boy was already waning.
"If you don't apologize, then…"
Placing his hand on his chest and touching the school's crest with his index finger, Edward resorted to sothing no one had expected him to.
"Jared Leonard Alphonse Sereth, I challenge you to a duel!"
Everyone was stunned. 'Ahhs' and 'Oohs' poured out of their mouths as their interests were peaked even more. Which went to show how significant his challenge was.
A Duel within Ainzlark was what regulated and permitted acts of violence between two students. It was impossible to entirely ban clashes between students in a learning environnt where skirmishes were inevitable.
So, this system was made to ensure a safer, more organized, clash. In simpler terms, the two parties would select the location and ti of their fight. They were also privileged to choose what kind of battle they wanted to engage in. For so, it would be swordfights or magic battles— Scholars preferred quizzes and problem-solving.
In essence, what Edward had just done was to declare his intention to 'fight' with legally.
Anabelle quickly approached Edward, closing the distance in monts, then held him by the arm.
"Stop this, Ed!"
Her voice was shrill, with a bit of desperation in it. She clearly cared about the conceited boy and didn't want him to create unnecessary trouble for himself. However… as expected, Edward ignored her concern and clung selfishly to his ideal.
"I have to do it! This guy won't learn until soone puts him in his place."
While it was boorish to proceed any further and to allow the Martial Artist make a bigger fool of himself, I realized that this could be a good opportunity for . My eyes darted to the clock and I realized that it was barely two minutes remaining before Neron reentered the hall.
'Ah, this guy wasted my ti…'
Dueling him would also eat up more ti, but I soon weighed the rits and concluded that it would clicked his tongue while returning to his seat alongside Anabelle.
In a situation whereby the disadvantaged one ended up achieving victory, it would only further be worth it.
"Fine, I accept your challenge. Pick the ti and place, I'll pick the kind of match we'll be having."
My response shocked most of the students. The Magic Departnt students looked excited since they had already witnessed a fraction of my power. As for the others, they seed to be feeling a little confident about Edward's victory.
'Well, they probably know his skills as a Martial Artist'
It didn't matter, though. I was never one to choose a losing battle. There was only one possible conclusion concerning the proposed match… my overwhelming victory!
"F-fine…" Edward was also flustered by my sudden acceptance, as well as my conditions.
It was fair and well balanced in my opinion. Allowing him to set the ti and location, while I chose how we would fight was the most reasonable approach.
Still, he may have felt that I would resort to cheap tricks by forcing him into a Duel involving magic proficiency rather than the combat he was good at. His fears were misplaced though… I planned on playing fair— no, I could even give myself a handicap.
"Let's do it at the back of the classroom, by the yard! After classes end today!"
'Fair enough…' I nodded in agreent.
"As for the type of battle we'll be having…?" Edward's eyes narrowed at with suspicion.
I couldn't care less about his perception of at this point, but it would prove to be a waste if the uncertainty of my choice made him run away.
"Don't worry, it won't be detrintal to you…"
After all, the true purpose of a duel was to asure the strength of both parties and judge who was superior. That would be defeated if one was at a disadvantage instead of on equal grounds.
'Of course, this only applies where the disadvantaged party loses…' My grin grew broader as Edward clicked his tongue while returning to his seat alongside Anabelle.
In a situation whereby the disadvantaged one ended up achieving victory, it would only further establish their superiority.
Overwhelming and unquestionable victory… that was my goal!
This should be fun...
Reviews
All reviews (0)