The Duel Request
"What the hell is this bastard saying right now—"
"I asked if you needed a knife in your gut. Why?"
To a mad dog, a club was the best medicine. No need to dangle any carrots. Kang Sian looked down at him with an expression that said Who the hell are you? Naturally, the opponent reacted like he'd been gravely insulted.
"Does it look like I need one?"
"A dung-blood elf acting this full of himself?"
"Why? Is that not allowed? You're the same, and everyone behind you looks overflowing with confidence too. Can't I have some?"
Thud. Robin's body was shoved. He nearly fell but caught his balance at the last second.
What the hell is this guy so confident about?
He never imagined a freshman would come out like this. It even crossed his mind that the guy might be seriously trying to get himself beaten. Could he actually be insane?
There were rumors that elves made up a high percentage of the mentally ill. Maybe this was a completely crazy elf. In that case, he'd picked a fight and gotten tangled up with a truly unlucky bastard. Perhaps backing off now was the wiser choice. After all, addicts and lunatics were capable of anything. That was common sense even among racists.
What the hell is he thinking, not saying a word? If you're going to let us leave, just do it already.
Of course, Kang Sian was neither an addict nor insane. Aside from the stress he received from a certain woman behind him, he was perfectly sane. That was why he turned his gaze away from Robin, who was now sweating coldly. By the time he slowly scanned the surrounding club members...
Whoosh— The scenery of a city that averaged over two hundred rainy days a year. It was as if the land and sky supporting the academy were watching as they poured down rain. The ground grew wet. Moisture rose with the spreading vapor. Dark clouds gathered, making the world subtly darker. The sound of passing vehicles took on a peculiar quality.
Robin and his gang gradually got soaked in the tropical rain. Fortunately the awning kept the water off Kang Sian and his group. However, it seemed an unavoidable fate still waited for them.
Neither group had a single umbrella.
In the cooling air, someone yawned.
"Ugh, I thought they'd put on a show and make it interesting, but they're just wasting time."
Cheon Mari spat the words out like she was bored. She immediately stretched her stiff body this way and that. Her attitude was far too casual, as if she hadn't even considered that she was in trouble.
"M-Mari! In this kind of situation...!"
Shannon was greatly flustered by Cheon Mari's behavior. She was worried they might actually get beaten half to death if things continued like this. She quickly lowered her head to apologize, ready to beg them not to hit anyone. It was a servile gesture, and her long hair was promptly grabbed.
"Ah!"
"If you bastards are going to keep up this bullshit, we'll just leave?"
Cheon Mari stopped her from bowing. She answered with even greater confidence. Interestingly, aside from the murmuring there was no real change, so she could slowly start moving. She grabbed the wrist of Kang Sian—who was still locked in a staring contest with Robin—and tried to push through the encircling club members.
"...?!"
"Hey, you gonna move or not?"
They blocked the way, but Cheon Mari's eyes looked ready to tear people apart, so they slowly backed off. It was an utterly embarrassing sight—upperclassmen completely cowed despite their higher year.
Just when it seemed Cheon Mari's bold move would succeed, Robin grabbed Kang Sian's shoulder as if to stop him from leaving.
"Huh?"
"Where do you think you're going?"
"You lot were just standing there, so I was going to leave."
"With whose permission?"
"Obviously our own."
It was such an obvious fact that the question felt ridiculous. Rather than holding them here or watching them get rained on, ending things amicably seemed better for everyone. Unfortunately, Robin lacked the ability to negotiate. What could a guy who had only farmed his whole life inside a broken public education system possibly know? Even if he wanted to let them go, his numerous followers would oppose it.
So he didn't bother with any fancy packaging.
"Everyone, stop these bastards from leaving. I tried to handle this nicely, but this is how they act?"
A nice atmosphere? Apparently what they considered a truly bad atmosphere required something on the level of a unicorn and bicorn fighting to the death.
Cheon Mari openly showed her displeasure at the path being blocked again, and Kang Sian frowned the same way. He wanted to punch them immediately, but since it was the start of the school year he held back as much as possible.
"Then state your business from the beginning."
"I can't just stand by and watch lowly-blooded bastards like you wandering around the academy."
"Stop the nonsense and summarize."
"Let's have a match. An academy-style duel."
A very concise main point. To the other side, however, it was an out-of-nowhere demand. Kang Sian twitched as if doubting his own ears.
"Have you lost your mind from all the discrimination?"
"No, I'm perfectly sane. Unlike a mongrel like you."
"Sane...? Ha, what kind of luxury was I expecting by coming to the academy..."
Whether they dueled or not, it was a problem. Even if he somehow defeated this guy, the standoff probably wouldn't end. There were far too many club members. Regardless of the duel result, they could simply continue the confrontation. That might lead to having to defeat everyone else without the safety net of a formal duel.
It would be a difficult fight, but not to the point that he lacked confidence. After all, he had Cheon Mari with him. A lot of people might die or get expelled, but they could still win. So Kang Sian quickly thought through his options—how to escape this situation with the least damage.
Get a big demerit, lightly beat up a few of them, then run to the police station?
Wait, no. There was a more pacifistic method.
He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed 911, then proudly showed the screen to his opponent.
"Get lost before I call the cops."
Wooeeeeng. The police siren—one of the few safety devices the weak could rely on, no matter how much trash talk there was.
"Inferior scum. Scared?"
"No, you're just wasting time with nonsense that won't work."
"That means you're scared. Everyone agrees, right!"
"Yes!"
Beating their own drums while getting soaked. Going this far just to discriminate a little. Impressive. Truly impressive.
He was about to calmly report them when a familiar breath tickled Kang Sian's ear.
"Hey, Sian. I don't like that bastard. Can't we just confidently accept the duel, beat them up a bit, then report?"
The demon who was far from mild-mannered had spoken. He gave her a look that asked if she was serious, but Cheon Mari's eyes sparkled with earnest desire.
A clash of opinions between childhood friends. In cases like this, one side usually had to yield completely rather than compromise.
"Hm? Can't we?"
"Sigh..."
Cheon Mari usually yielded a lot anyway. This wasn't particularly important. And since she wanted it this badly, yielding felt like the better choice.
Kang Sian swallowed his rationality, annoyance, and irritation.
"Fine. Let's duel."
"Oh? Suddenly?"
"With conditions."
"What conditions?"
"One-on-one duels, but two separate rounds with different participants each time."
Kang Sian versus one of their people. Cheon Mari versus another. Two duels total.
"If we win both consecutively, you let us go without another word."
"Sure. If you win, of course. Not that it'll happen."
"And one more thing."
He pointed back and forth between the sword at the guy's waist and the hunter watch on his wrist.
"I don't have a hunter watch or weapon right now. Let's keep it fair."
"What, you want to borrow a hunter watch?"
"No. Let's duel without wearing them. The academy duel rules don't say you must wear a hunter watch, right?"
No shield. They'd draw blood openly.
"Until the opponent is unconscious or surrenders? You confident?"
"Of course. Though... if you're worried, lending me some old weapon wouldn't hurt."
"Good! Excellent!"
Robin smiled widely, as if things had gone perfectly. In a situation that felt like the goddess of victory was smiling on him, he stepped back. He moved to the middle of the rain-soaked road, then gestured for his opponent to come forward.
"Could I borrow the laptop for a moment?"
"Yes? You're really doing this?"
"It's the method that satisfies everyone the most."
Kang Sian handed Shannon the laptop bag he'd been carrying, then walked out under the dark rain clouds. Rain soaked his shirt. His vision became subtly uncomfortable. The number of onlookers secretly watching the duel atmosphere slowly grew.
Robin calmly spoke into the hunter watch he'd removed from his arm.
"Duel request."
It seemed like a simple declaration. Yet shortly after the words left his mouth, a duel drone descended from the sky.
Duel request confirmed. Would the duel participants please raise your hands.
Kang Sian and Robin calmly raised their hands.
Third-year candidate, Robin Hawkins. Do you consent to the duel?
"Yeah."
First-year candidate, Kang Sian. Do you consent to the duel?
"I consent."
One-on-one duel without protective shields. Correct?
Both sides nodded. Soon an object was tossed from the club members' side.
Any objections to the duel conditions or circumstances?
Kang Sian picked up the weapon that had been thrown at his feet—an old, rusted dagger with a dull edge.
...Are these guys idiots? They're actually giving me this?
Considering the opponent had a shiny longsword, it was clearly a disadvantageous condition. Yet he took a light stance as if it didn't matter—in fact, as if he liked it.
Objections will be considered absent.
The duel drone reconfirmed everything and explained the precautions and surrender method. You must not kill your opponent during the duel. If the opponent requests surrender, you must stop immediately. External interference is prohibited. Tension rose with every sentence. When even that explanation ended, the whole world seemed to freeze.
The one-on-one duel guaranteed by Palaestra Academy will now begin.
The drone spoke indifferently. A ten-second timer that felt both long and short began to count down.
This duel, which was little more than mutual venting, was about to begin.
3......
2......
1......
Robin charged forward the moment the signal sounded. Kang Sian calmly adjusted his grip on the old dagger deliberately coated with rainwater.