Ludenberg's Next Opponent: Leb Heinz
Ludenberg Lavante's next opponent was Leb Heinz. Leb stood before him with a dazed, vacant expression laced with despair. He couldn't help wondering if some twisted karma was at play—why did he always end up tangled with Ludenberg no matter what he did?
'Damn it. What did I do to deserve this? Why is it always me? Gawin and Marvin never run into him.'
He chewed on his lower lip, glaring at Ludenberg. The sight of Ludenberg chatting casually with Ashytara, a rare smile flickering across his face, grated on Leb's nerves. While one guy was here sweating in fear of getting pummeled, the other was flirting away carefree—it looked downright infuriating to Leb.
'Fine. Let's just get this over with. No way this bastard won't let me swing my sword at least once.'
It wasn't like he'd only ever taken beatings from Ludenberg; truth be told, Leb was fairly skilled. Not as good as Gawin in their little group, but definitely better than Marvin, and among the Ador ranks just below Innocence, he was upper-tier. His brash attitude and loose tongue made him seem lesser, but his sword arm was the real deal.
Unfortunately... that was only by student standards.
Ludenberg had already surpassed the realm of students, leaving no one in his peer group who could match him. There was no way Leb could even scratch him. Talk about rotten luck—Leb's skill was precisely why he'd drawn this matchup.
"Poor bastard. How'd you keep getting stuck with that guy?"
"Right? Weren't they in the same dispatch team last time too?"
"Shut up, you idiots. No, seriously—why me? Huh? You're the best in Ador, Gawin! So why not you?"
"How should I know? The professors decided it. Face reality, Leb."
"This fucking... "
Worse still, Gawin and Marvin snickering at him from the sidelines only fueled Leb's irritation.
"What did I do to deserve this shit...?"
"Beats me. Hey, that guy's way stronger than last time. You're screwed. Unlike with Cletta, he might smash every bone in your body."
"Might not stop at one spot, though."
"Yeah, could be. Mess up, and he might snap your limbs clean off."
"Think the executioners can stop him?"
"Doubt it. How do you block a guy who sliced through an upper erosion beast? He'd break you before any imperial knights step in."
"Oh ho, really? Then chin up, Leb. If you get one spot busted, we'll visit you in the infirmary ourselves!"
The most unnerving part was the uncertainty of whether the executioners could even protect him if Ludenberg went too far. After all the incidents they'd witnessed, the trio knew Ludenberg was stronger than most imperial knights—and no mere executioner could rein him in.
"These assholes... act like it's not their problem..."
As Leb lamented his fate to Marvin and Gawin, the call finally came.
"Ludenberg Lavante. Leb Heinz. Step forward."
It was time for their duel.
Ludenberg eyed the Leb standing before him. Leb looked back with a hint of trepidation. The guy who'd always been bold and fearless, charging in without a second thought, now wore that expression—it was enough to give even Ludenberg pause.
'Well, he has taken quite a few beatings from me.'
Ludenberg had been letting it slide lately since Leb had toned down his antics, but looking back at all the crap he'd pulled, twisting one of his limbs would be letting him off easy.
Still, this was an official evaluation, with eyes on them from all sides. Go too far, and his improving reputation would tank again.
'But I won't let him off unscathed. Just one solid hit.'
With his mind made up, Ludenberg gripped his sword. To Leb, it was grim news indeed.
At Professor Hainkel Hereis's shout to begin, Ludenberg stomped the ground.
Boom!
The duel arena's floor cracked and shattered, but before the sound even reached Leb, Ludenberg was in front of him.
"Gah!"
Leb screamed like he'd seen the world's worst nightmare, and in the next instant, Ludenberg's sword slammed down on his raised blade.
Clang!
Leb's sword shattered cleanly. No chance for a first strike like Cletta got—Leb felt utterly wronged by the relentless assault.
"You prick! Give me a break!"
"..."
Ludenberg ignored the shout, grabbed Leb by the collar, and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
"Kuh!"
Even an imperial knight with awakened Celioum divine power couldn't move that fast, Leb thought amid the daze, cursing inwardly.
'Fucking bastard... You gave Cletta a shot at first strike, so why not me...'
Maybe because it was an evaluation, Ludenberg had held back some—enough that Leb didn't black out. If it weren't official, he wouldn't even have the wits to curse.
"Winner: Ludenberg Lavante."
Professor Hainkel announced flatly.
"Phew. Glad I didn't draw that guy."
"Yeah. Lucky break. Poor Leb—it's an evaluation, not a skill check. That'll tank his score."
"Guess I got lucky drawing him during skill verification."
"Who're you up against?"
"Me? Probably... Mion, one from Frigus, one from Abyss. You?"
"Uh... Ashytara, and like you, one from Frigus—Leila Satin, I think?"
"Hold up. Aren't you screwed too?"
"Why? Ashytara seems nice enough."
Marvin asked Gawin innocently. Gawin shot back with a grim look.
"Who's the one chatting all buddy-buddy with Ludenberg right now?"
"Huh? Ashytara."
"If she's Ludenberg's friend, she won't have good feelings toward us, right?"
"But Ashytara's kind. Never snaps, always smiles at everyone, answers questions nicely."
"Believe that if you want... But mark my words—you'll get it worse than Leb."
"No way. Worse than Ludenberg?"
"Didn't you see her dorm duel with Ashytara and Mion? She's as bad or worse..."
"R-Really?"
Marvin recalled the scene: Ashytara wreathed in Solem's terrifying holy flames, beating Mion like a ragdoll. His face paled, lips trembling.
"...Rest in peace."
Gawin could only offer condolences.
Ashytara eyed Marvin before her. As one of the trio who'd backstabbed Ludenberg, Marvin Ashus was someone she'd been itching to face. Her eyes sharpened, grip tightening on her cross greatsword. As long as she didn't kill him or sever limbs, there was no hesitation.
Marvin broke into a cold sweat under her intense gaze.
'I'm done for.'
Usually so aloof yet kindly, never harsh, always helpful with questions—enduring her feral glare was torture for Marvin.
And now, even the slow-on-uptake Marvin realized: to her, Ludenberg was her reverse scale.
'No point begging for mercy. Best to dodge as much as possible...'
At least his awakened Mare divine power meant no risk of burning to a crisp from Solem flames. But that was wishful thinking.
The duel began, and fierce flames erupted from Ashytara, coiling around her greatsword.
"What the...?"
Marvin couldn't even finish his sentence in shock. Ashytara charged like a bull.
After two weeks of Duke Leonard Lavante's special training, her physical prowess had surged, and the recent ambush had boosted her divine power reserves too. Stronger than when she'd flattened Mion before, even Eden couldn't guarantee victory now—let alone Marvin finding a counter.
But Marvin wasn't going down without a fight. He maxed his divine power, twisting aside to evade the flaming assault.
Crash!
"Hiiik!"
He yelped at the greatsword embedded where he'd rolled, scrambling up into stance. But as he rose, the blade was at his nose.
He had no choice.
"I-I surrender!"
A beat too late—his neatly trimmed golden bangs went up in flames, leaving him teary-eyed.
"Winner: Ashytara Solenute."
Professor Hainkel's voice remained impassive.
"You."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Don't pull any dirty tricks on Ludenberg again. Got it?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Marvin nodded frantically at her killing intent, making Gawin—up against Mion—feel like the luckiest guy alive.
"Damn. He just loses his bangs? I nearly died."
Leb, freshly thrashed by Ludenberg, was straight-up jealous.
"Call it even now—we each got ours. Me in verification, you now."
"You call that even?"
"My hair... It grows back, right?"
"Whining over singed hair? Pathetic."
"Pathetic? Hey! You got plenty of hair, but mine's thinning!"
Gawin and Leb just sighed at Marvin's furious roar.