Duel Day

It was the day of the duel between Alex and Marcus, an event the students dubbed "the underdog challenging the top dog."

Exactly an hour after the classes ended, Alex arrived at the entrance of the arena. Upon entering, he immediately noticed that roughly one-third of the seats were already occupied.

In the teacher's section, there were one or two faculty members present, but the majority of the audience consisted of students from the failure and intermediate classes, with the occasional attendee from the advanced class.

The students in presence were mostly there to witness what they expected would be a one-sided match, where the top student defeated the bottom student. However, there were others who attended in the hopes of seeing something unexpected.

Alex sighed, thinking, 'I didn't expect it to be this crowded, even with all the rumors hyping it up.'

"Look, Alex, you're becoming famous. See how many people came to watch your duel." Aurora teased Alex from the side as she entered the massive arena.

Alex was the first to arrive, but he didn't have to wait long before Marcus, along with his entourage, appeared.

Marcus gave Alex a condescending smirk and walked past him. As if on cue, his group hurled mocking and discouraging words at Alex before taking their seats.

"I'll be by the seating stands, cheering for you. Best of luck! Win this, Alex. You can beat that puny human!" Aurora shouted enthusiastically as she took a seat in the front row.

Alex and Marcus stood opposite each other as the referee arrived and began announcing the rules of the duel.

"The rules are as follows: You will be fighting with academy-provided training equipment only, and the use of any magic artifacts is prohibited. The use of any potions or performance-enhancing spells during the match is also not allowed. You must not be under the influence of any substances during the match. The last and final rule is that you are not allowed to deliberately strike any vital areas of your opponent, which would result in immediate disqualification. Now, both participants, come forward for inspection."

Both of them were scanned by a hand-ray machine to check for magic artifacts or any prohibited items. A small blood sample was also taken from each for verification that they weren't using any prohibited substances.

Once they cleared the inspection, they were given an assortment of weapons to choose from. Alex naturally chose a sword, and to his surprise, Marcus also selected a sword – a broadsword, longer and broader than Alex's choice.

Alex and Marcus finally took their stances opposite each other, with a distance of 10 meters between them. The referee created a bang sound with a fire spell, signaling the start of the match: "Begin!"

The duel between Alex and Marcus began with a surprising display of speed and power from Marcus, who charged at Alex with his broadsword at a breathtaking pace.

The audience was equally amazed by the powerful move, and the cheering began, although it was still relatively subdued in the massive arena.

Alex, momentarily taken aback by the sudden assault, raised his own sword and managed to block Marcus's initial attack, much to the audience's astonishment.

Marcus then swiftly switched his stance, launching a series of attacks from various angles. However, Alex continued to defend effectively against the onslaught, proving to be more adept at swordsmanship than many had anticipated.

Alex decided to maintain some distance between himself and Marcus to strategize better.

"Now I understand why you were getting cocky recently. Let's see if you can do something other than blocking my attacks." Marcus taunted frustrated by Alex's resilience.

As the duel continued, Marcus's relentless strikes began to take a toll on Alex's arms. His hands started to numb, and he realized that he couldn't sustain continuous blocking.

Alex needed to make a move of his own. Alex seized an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

He parried one of Marcus's strikes and aimed for Marcus's left side. However, Marcus quickly bent backward, evading the attack, and counterattacked, landing a powerful blow on Alex.

With the momentum clearly in Marcus's favor, he bombarded Alex with a barrage of attacks.

Although Alex managed to block some of them, a few strikes landed on his thighs and shoulder. His confidence began to wane as he struggled to defend against Marcus's relentless assault.

'Instead of blocking his heavy attacks I should just dodge it and look for the right time to strike.'

Understanding that he couldn't overpower Marcus in sheer strength, Alex focused on evading his opponent's heavy attacks and searching for the right moment to counterattack and turn the tide of the battle.

The duel's dynamic shifted as Alex moved skillfully around the arena, avoiding Marcus's strikes and launching counterattacks of his own.

"Don't run, you bastard! Come and face me head-on if you have the guts." Marcus taunted, his anger flaring as the match stretched longer than he had anticipated.

"And why would I do that?" Alex finally responded to Marcus's provocations, his voice filled with determination.

The audience grew even more excited, amazed by Alex's performance. He no longer looked like a weakling from the failure class.

"Fuck it! Don't regret it, but you've forced me to finally get serious."

'What! You're not serious now?' Alex was taken aback, realizing that Marcus hadn't been fighting at his full strength.

Marcus wasn't bluffing; he had doubled his speed, and his attacks were now deadly serious, capable of causing significant damage.

He wasn't at the top of his class for mere show – he had the strength to back up his reputation. Alex realized he was never a match for Marcus if he fought at full strength.

As Marcus unleashed his relentless barrage of attacks, Alex struggled to keep up with the overwhelming speed and intensity. He was fully bruised and battered, barely able to remain standing. 

"Stop the match!" The referee finally decided to intervene and put an end to the match.

The outcome was as clear as day and night, with Marcus declared the winner, but there were still cheers here and there for Alex.

He hadn't won the match, but his display of skill and determination couldn't be dismissed.

The teachers present noted that if Marcus hadn't been his opponent, Alex might have won.

Today in the duel, Alex was nothing short of that of an average intermediate class student. His performance demonstrated that with time and the right training, he could achieve success.

'I lost?'

That was the thought echoing in Alex's mind as he lay on the arena floor, his body battered and bruised.

He had known his chances of winning were slim, but he had held a glimmer of hope for a better outcome, which now seemed shattered.

'While I lost the duel, Marcus would now think twice before trying to pick on me again in the future. I just need to be more stronger so that he never entertain the thought of it even.'

This match served as a reminder for Alex to keep growing stronger, as he was still weak and vulnerable to those who might try to trample on him.

Indeed, Alex's loss in the duel was just the beginning of his journey to grow and become much stronger.

He now had a newfound determination to strive and face adversaries who were far stronger than him. The defeat served as a stepping stone for his future progress and development.