Ready, Duel

Amid the tension, the professor interjected with a matter-of-fact tone, "Actually, you can decline, but 100 points will be deducted from your student account. This rule is set to keep new students competitive and to maintain a lively atmosphere within the school grounds."

Sidius let out a silent sigh of frustration. The academy's policies were as vexing as ever.

Realizing there was no other way, Sidius questioned the professor further. "Then, will my items be put on hold even if I decline?"

"Of course—" Vince attempted to interrupt again, but a cold glare from Sidius shut him down. 'Did I really found the same person?' the student thought.

"Unfortunately, yes. This matter will be investigated, and until then, the items will be put on hold," the professor explained, adhering to the rules.

Seeing no other option but to accept, Sidius reluctantly decided to play along the student's challenge.

"Alright, let's do this," he said, turning to Vince. "Where's the way to the battle arena?"

Vince's grin widened, and he eagerly lead the way to the venue of their duel.

Before following him, Sidius carefully placed all the required items on the professor's desk and left a brief note. "Keep my items, Professor. I'll be back in a minute."

...

As Sidius walked through his way to the grand stadium, he noticed the growing crowd of students gathering there. His upcoming honorary duel with Vince had attracted quite a lot of attention.

While they walked, Vince kept talking but Sidius ignored his chatter.

Vince, his opponent, was a well-known and talented berserker in the academy. He had awakened his abilities at the young age of 12 and had been trained in a privileged environment by his wealthy family.

'What happened to my plan of staying lowkey? I should've known problems keep on trailing me,' Sidius sighed inwardly.

The grand stadium was an impressive sight, with towering stands filled with eager onlookers from different sections of the academy. At the center of it was a battle arena, where students showcased their combat prowess in various challenges and competitions.

Upon entering, the two approached the professor in charge and stated their purpose.

"Hello, professor. You see, this friend of mine here wanted to have an honorary duel with me," Vince said playfully.

The professor, dressed in a trainer suit, nodded and pointed to a tablet device hanging on the wall behind the entrance to the arena. "Register first there," he instructed.

Vince and Sidius followed the command of the professor and made their way to the tablet.

As they reached the rectangular device, Sidius didn't immediately register. He observed the functions on the tablet. He noticed the words like name, section, type of challenge, and points at stake.

'So we can bet on each other?' Sidius thought. 'This academy promotes gambling, huh? Interesting,' he mused inwardly before turning to Vince.

"How about we make a bet?" he suggested to Vince who was about to register. "I don't want this duel to be a waste of time for me, you know?" he added with a playful smile on his face.

Vince quickly concealed his initial surprise, but the glimmer in his eyes betrayed his excitement. "Sure, how much?" he asked, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.

"Two hundred points," Sidius exclaimed boldly.

"What!?" Vince's composure wavered, but his eagerness quickly overtook any hesitation. "I accept," he said, quickly typing "200" in the points stake section of the tablet.

'Look at you being too happy. Wait for me to milk you dry,' Sidius inwardly smirked. Every new student can have 50 points just by entering the academy, but now the bet was four times higher.

After they registered, both walked partway at the opposite entrances of the arena.

—

"Hey, did you hear? Vince from A section will be dueling a chosen from C section?"

"What's the rank of the chosen he'll be fighting?"

"I heard he was an E- rank."

"He's doomned then, Vince was already at the peak stage of E rank, he is just waiting for a breakthrough."

"Then isn't he just bullying?"

"We'll see once we watch the duel."

"Right! The duel is starting soon. Let's hurry!"

—

While Sidius continued to walk, he passed an array of weapons displayed along the way. Each weapon was designated for different classes, and all of them were of the same grade to maintain fairness.

However, he hesitated when faced with a choice between a staff and a dagger. The decision weighed on him, contemplating whether to reveal that his battle style was not truly of a mage.

Finally, he picked the dagger and put it in his back, concealing it carefully.

With the dagger secured, he proceeded towards a marked circle right before the entrance to the arena. The circle emitted a soft glow as it scanned Sidius, ensuring no form of cheating would take place.

After a moment, the big screen up in the middle of the arena resounded.

[Vince Dalton Sidius Ashcroft

Rank: E+ -vs- Rank: E-

Section: A Section: C ]

- START!

As the signal sounded, the opposite entrances to the arena swung open, welcoming the two students prepared to battle.

Vince, who was holding a great axe, looked at Sidius with confusion. "Why aren't you holding your staff?" he asked.

Sidius simply shrugged, extending both hands in response.

Annoyed by Sidius's silence, Vince activated his berserk skill. His blond hair turned to red and his muscles bulged.

With a burst of energy, he lunged towards Sidius, shouting, "The first one to attack first is the winner!"

Sidius remained calm and focused, waiting for the right moment. He was observing Vince closely even before the battle began.

- GRAAAAAAAAAAH!

As Vince approached with tremendous momentum, Sidius utilized his increased movement speed to skillfully evade, causing Vince's great axe to strike the ground instead.

Seizing the opportunity, Sidius attempted to strike Vince's neck, trying to end the battle quickly. But the berserker swiftly struck again with another wild axe swing, directly aimed at his sides.

'Tch,' Sidius grimaced, 'He's got good reflexes.' He commented as he swiftly leaped backwards, narrowly avoiding the strike.

However, what happened next surprised Sidius.

Vince already regained his combat stance and pursued him, axe ready to strike again.

With no choice but to defend, Sidius retrieved the two daggers hidden on his back and crossed them in front to block Vince's powerful attack.

After brieftly locking their weapons, Sidius pushed back with force and swiftly ran to the other side of the arena.

Vince remained in position while grinning at Sidius.

"You blocked that, huh? You've got some strong muscles," he said, casually resting his great axe on his shoulder. "But don't get too cocky, my strikes keep getting stronger as we fight."