Chapter 13 : Kids grow up fighting, after all

Unlike the cartoonish depictions in mass media, the duel was incredibly silent.

There was no fancy or grand background music.

No tumbleweeds rolling around like in a Western movie.

All I could see was my opponent standing before me.

All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing.

The scents were those of grass and earth, maybe even a hint of lavender.

I didn’t make any shonen manga-esque shouts like, ‘Hyaaah!’

Because of that, it was surprisingly still until our fists collided.

‘Until our fists collided,’ that is.

– Thwack!

“Wh-what the!”

Everyone shouted in surprise, staring at the center of the dueling arena.

Dust billowed up, obscuring the view.

Professor Heitz alone shouted, “I said it was a swordsmanship spar!” to no one in particular.

‘Where is she?’

I infused my hand with mana and responded to the attack, but I didn’t inflict any significant damage.

The rising dust made it impossible to see Amitel’s location.

I could sense her presence.

She was hiding her presence, aiming for a surprise attack.

“You think I can’t find you like that?”

I spread the mana I had concentrated in my fist in all directions.

It was a magic I had used for the first time at this school.

– Whoosh!

“Is that a shield being used by a student our age?”

Someone muttered from the audience.

Even Professor Heitz watched the spar in silence.

Mana enveloped my entire body, creating a shield.

As before, a fierce wind swirled around me, centered on my body.

The dust cleared, revealing a silhouette.

“Found you, you little puppy!”

I fired mana towards where the doll was revealed.

It was a basic magic commonly called Magic Missile.

I had simply twisted the mana threads to create it.

– Swoosh!

The three Magic Missiles I fired pierced through the opponent as if skewering them with skewers.

The students watching this from afar cheered and screamed, but I frowned.

‘A decoy.’

I had controlled my strength, so my attacks would have stuck into the body if they hit, not pierced through it.

There was no way a beastman would have lower defense than a human.

Soon, the dust completely settled, and the object hit by my attack was revealed.

It was the outer jacket of her school uniform.

‘Then where’s the real one?’

I looked around, searching for her.

Usually, in manga, when this kind of development happens, the enemies are always… behind you.

Sure enough, yellow eyes popped out from empty space.

“Slow.”

Amitel emerged from my blind spot and aimed for my side with a fist.

I admit it. It’s frustrating, but I am slower than that girl.

“You’re weak, though.”

However, her punch also failed to penetrate my shield and reach my body.

Amitel, confirming that I was unharmed, quickly leaped back.

She frowned, looking at her fist.

“Well, staring at it won’t change anything, you know?”

Come on, let’s get hit a little.

In this open space, I have the advantage no matter what.

The only thing a swordsman can do against a mage is charge, but I’m not stupid enough to let that happen, am I?

Even if you’re fast, I can react to this much as long as I can see it.

The tricks were okay, but this is the end.

“You said I was slow, let’s see how fast you are.”

I’m going to shove what I couldn’t hit earlier into your gut this time.

I created Magic Missiles with mana threads as before and fired them at her.

However, there were a few more than before.

– Swoosh!

Arrows of mana surrounded Amitel from all directions.

As I flicked my hand again, the mana arrows flew towards her one by one.

Amitel nimbly dodged the arrows by flinging her body.

It didn’t matter much. There were many arrows, and her stamina wasn’t infinite.

She was moving her body this way and that in the small prison I created.

“S-she’s pitiful…”

“Is this a swordsmanship class demonstration?”

The students watching the duel murmured.

That’s right. This isn’t magic used to finish off an opponent.

It’s just a low-quality magic cast to trap and tease the opponent.

I didn’t even use mana threads.

That was just a common Magic Missile.

Even if you were hit by those arrows, it would only end with a scratch.

‘It’s the perfect villainous magic for a villainous young lady to use.’

It was a swordsmanship spar, but you couldn’t find anything even remotely resembling a sword even if you opened your eyes wide.

Actually, it’s obvious. In the first place, if she and I fought fairly with swordsmanship skills, I would definitely lose.

Professor Heitz said that the opponent wouldn’t show any mercy in a real battle, and I’m just using what I can use in a real battle.

He knows that, so he probably doesn’t say anything to me.

“The way you’re moving is funny.”

Amitel was definitely dodging my magic quickly.

However, she couldn’t dodge all the arrows that were pouring down, and there were scratches here and there.

However, her recovery ability was better than I thought, and the wounds were already healing.

I couldn’t understand why beastmen, who have tough skin and good recovery, were being discriminated against.

‘But, if my neighbor is a possibility that is having s*x with animals, I might look at them with those eyes.’

While I was having useless thoughts, the mana arrows I had created ran out.

Amitel was panting, looking exhausted.

“Your antics were fun. The sight of you jumping around was worth watching. Why don’t you try going to the circus?”

I’ve enjoyed it enough.

I pondered what magic to end with as the finale, but decided to end with arrows after all.

“Then goodbye.”

I created one Magic Missile.

However, it was much larger than before.

If I had to compare, it was about the same size as Professor Aram, the Imoogi.

Ugh, I remembered it again.

“You…”

Amitel was breathing heavily, her arms hanging down.

She pointed at me with her chin and said.

“Don’t think you’ll get out of this unscathed.”

“I’m going to walk out on two feet, perfectly fine. See you later.”

I lightly moved my hand and shot the giant arrow.

The giant arrow rotated and flew quickly and heavily, like a siege ram hitting the castle gate.

With the sound of something breaking, dust billowed up once again.

But what was broken wasn’t Amitel.

“I told you, you wouldn’t get out of this unscathed.”

Amitel’s hands had sharp claws like those of a beast, grown out like claws.

Before the dust rose, I saw those claws cut my mana arrow into two pieces.

She crouched like a beast and rushed towards me. She looked like a wolf.

Despite the not-so-close distance, she closed the gap between us in an instant.

I hastily deployed a shield.

“It’s useless.”

I don’t know who muttered it.

Amitel? The students watching? Or me?

My shield was torn by her claws.

“Sh*t…”

I bit my lip, trying to avoid it, but Amitel didn’t miss the moment like a skilled hunter.

She continued to pile on the additional hits, tearing apart the barrier.

“…Claw.”

In the end, the barrier was torn apart, and I got hit in the head.

My head spun from the impact, which I hadn’t felt in a long time.

It was the first time I had been hit directly like this since completing the shield’s defense formula.

My school uniform was stained with dirt and dirtier.

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, and blood came off.

How long has it been since I bled like this?

I didn’t go through all that trouble just to get hit by someone my age.

Suddenly, I started laughing.

I must be the only person in the world who gets hit and flies away and then suddenly laughs.

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

Some people looked at me with worried eyes, others looked at me strangely. There were also faces that looked like they had no thoughts at all.

My laughter gradually subsided, and soon I had a blank face.

Then suddenly, I smiled brightly.

I guess I’m angry.

I laugh when I’m angry.

“…You’re really like a dog today.”

Flinch!

Amitel’s shoulders twitched.

I know the reason why.

Animals are said to be able to sense danger earlier than humans.

Mana was gathering around me.

“Don’t look down on me.”

Float, my body suddenly floated into the air from the ground.

I hate it the most when someone looks down on me.

-Flight…? Is that the Fly magic?

-To use that kind of magic at that age?

No. This isn’t such an advanced magic.

It’s just a crude method of floating the body with mana and fixing it in the air.

It’s an inconvenient method with the disadvantage that the body is fixed and cannot move.

“Come to think of it, this was a swordsmanship class.”

I had forgotten, but this was a swordsmanship spar.

I looked around.

Soon, I saw the greatsword that I had thrown to the ground as soon as it started.

I stretched out mana threads and wrapped them around the sword’s handle as if I were holding it.

“Still, it’s a bit lacking, isn’t it?”

I cast a few simple spells on the sword.

I’m a cripple who can’t even enchant with attributes, so I only cast very simple basic magic.

Haste, Sharpness, Steadfast, Edge, Giant, Repair, Will.

“Goodness…”

Professor Heitz, who had been groaning inwardly, opened his mouth wide.

No one in the academy right now would be able to imitate what they are seeing now.

“Come on, you b*tch.”