An Unthinkable Challenge
"...What?" Bellard doubted his own ears. It was understandable. No, it was inevitable. The words that had just left Kyle's mouth were beyond anything he could have imagined, even in his dreams. For a split second he even wondered if he was hearing things.
But then—
"How about you take some hits?"
It wasn't a dream. This was harsh, undeniable reality. Bellard stared at the man standing before him—Kyle—with eyes brimming with disbelief. Even though he knew it was real. No, precisely because he knew it was real, he could not comprehend it at all.
That was the heart of it. Who was the opponent? It was that Kyle Berwen. The troublemaker of Berwen. The family's shame. A man whose talent could only be called utterly ordinary, trash that could not even be compared to himself—a genius who had lived his entire life bathed in praise. And that Kyle was saying such things? To him?
If he had spoken like this a few years earlier, perhaps Bellard could have understood. Before the successor had been decided, it would have been a believable statement. However, Kyle had done no such thing. He had recognized his place and given up on fighting.
Yet now, of all times, he was spouting this nonsense. It was only natural that Bellard's eyes widened in shock.
But.
"...You've lost your mind."
The fact that he could not understand it did not mean he was not angry. No—on the contrary, it only fueled his rage even more.
"Have you gone insane after being driven out of the family?"
The bewilderment that had filled Bellard's eyes vanished without a trace, replaced entirely by fury. His mood had already been foul because of Elion. In that state, for Kyle of all people to come picking a fight, the flames in Bellard's heart blazed up as though oil had been poured on them.
That glare, that aura—they were more than enough to crush the person facing him.
"Your tongue is awfully long."
Kyle spoke as if the matter were trivial.
"...Ha."
Bellard let out a hollow laugh.
"...Fine. Very well. If you want to get beaten that badly, I'll grant your wish."
Until now, Bellard had never once used force directly against Kyle. Kyle had always acknowledged the gap between them and tucked his tail on his own, and above all, Bellard himself had never seen any value in doing so.
But if Kyle was coming out like this, the story changed. Bellard resolved to unleash the anger boiling inside him.
"Follow me."
Bellard decided to change locations. This spot was already secluded enough, yet eyes were still watching. They shared only half their blood, and even that connection had now been severed, but they were still brothers, at least in name. The younger brother unilaterally beating the elder was not a pleasant sight for others.
The pair moved to a new place and soon found a suitable location. The Academy grounds were so vast that finding a spot beyond prying eyes was easier than expected.
"No need for spectators."
He decided against having witnesses for the duel. There was no point. The difference in their levels was too obvious. The fight would end in an instant, without any need to worry about accidents. Or so Bellard believed.
"I'll fight as I am. You... use a weapon or don't, as you please."
Bellard was perfectly relaxed. He was that certain. No matter what Kyle tried, there was no chance he would lose. Even if he remained bare-handed while Kyle wielded a legendary blade unmatched in the world, the result would not change. If the conditions were equal the match would end too anticlimactically, so this was Bellard's version of mercy and leisure.
However.
"Why would I use a weapon against you?"
Kyle calmly rejected Bellard's mercy.
At that, Bellard's eyebrow twitched visibly before settling again. He had regained his composure. He did not know where Kyle's confidence came from, but it no longer mattered. Rather than engaging in meaningless verbal sparring, it would be far simpler to teach him with his body.
The brothers faced each other at a suitable distance.
"Then let's begin."
Bellard declared calmly.
Yet neither of them moved.
"Are you planning to just stand there?"
Bellard spoke first. He intended to yield the first move. In duels like this, it was customary to give the weaker party the initiative.
But.
"How can the older brother make the first move?"
Kyle refused even that, and his tone caused Bellard's mood to sink even lower.
"...Your skill at running your mouth is first-rate."
Bellard admitted it readily. If Kyle's goal had been to upset him, he had succeeded completely. He wielded his tongue like a sword, striking at Bellard's nerves with every word.
Swallowing his anger, Bellard nodded.
"Then I'll move first."
He had no intention of dragging this out. Although he had let anger get the better of him and accepted the ridiculous provocation, he did not plan to waste much time on this duel. To be honest, it was a waste of time. He did not have any to spare on a fight whose outcome was already decided.
Therefore, Bellard moved first.
Tap—
He kicked lightly off the ground. Even without using full strength, his body accelerated in an instant and closed the distance to Kyle. Bellard raised his fist. His target was the abdomen. He did not even draw on his mana.
It was not out of underestimation. It was a rational choice. The gap between them was so vast that if Bellard used mana, Kyle would undoubtedly suffer fatal injuries.
Still, this would be enough. Bellard was certain this single strike would end the duel.
However.
Smack—
"......!"
Bellard's prediction missed its mark. Kyle had blocked his fist.
It was an unexpected result. Although no mana had been used, their physical abilities were on entirely different levels. He had thought it could not be blocked, and that even reacting to it would be difficult. Yet Kyle had stopped the punch without any apparent effort.
"...So you can at least block this much."
It seemed he had not completely neglected his training. Thinking so, Bellard drew on his mana.
What Bellard summoned was merely a handful, but even that small amount granted his body superhuman power.
Whoosh!
Bellard's fist sliced through the air once more, rushing toward Kyle. Its speed and momentum were on a completely different level from the previous attack. This time Bellard was certain his strike would land, but—
Smack—
"......!!"
Once again, the prediction missed. The fist was blocked yet again. In exactly the same way.
"Do it properly. Don't regret it after you lose."
Kyle's calm voice reached the ears of the shaken Bellard.
"...You bastard."
At that, Bellard finally lost his composure.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
If that was what he wanted, Bellard would give it to him. He unleashed his full power. Overflowing mana enveloped his entire body, filling him with superhuman strength.
Boom!
A fist carrying power beyond comparison to anything before surged toward Kyle. His target was Kyle's arm. No matter how angry he was, he could not kill him. He only meant to break one arm. That much could be healed by a priest and would not cause any major problems.
The punch, laden with enough force to shatter stone, flew forward to crush Kyle's arm—and Kyle lightly shifted his body, evading the strike.
"Wha—"
He could not even finish the short word. For some reason, the next instant he found himself flying through the air.
Before his mind could process what had happened—
"Urk...!!"
Excruciating pain slammed into his abdomen. The agony was so intense it nearly severed his consciousness.
When he came to his senses, Bellard realized he was lying face-down on the ground. Groaning from the violent pain in his stomach, he tried to rise, but it was impossible. His body refused to obey. Despite his desperate efforts, all he could manage was to barely lift his head.
The sight that greeted him as he struggled to look up was Kyle gazing down at him.
"Wh-what in the world......"
What kind of situation was this? Something incomprehensible had occurred. He had not even seen the attack. But he could at least guess the cause and effect. He had been struck in the abdomen. At a speed almost impossible to perceive. And the one who had delivered that blow was undoubtedly the Kyle standing before him.
...This is impossible.
The thought that flashed through his mind was immediately rejected by Bellard's reason. It was absurd. Him—being bested by that Kyle? It was something that could never happen. It was an event that would not occur even if the heavens and earth were flipped. It would be more believable to assume Kyle had prepared an accomplice who had done the deed.
But Bellard's rationality knew that explanation was even less plausible.
"...What are you?"
Such words escaped Bellard's lips.
"Just what... what are you? Are you really Kyle?"
Bellard knew Kyle's skill well. There was no way he would not. He had watched him for years. That was why he could not accept this situation.
"Were you hiding your true strength...?"
If he assumed that, then it made sense. However, that only raised further questions. Why? Why would he do such a thing? Because of it his position had grown precarious, to the point that he had even lost the right to be the successor.
If he had revealed that strength earlier, none of that would have happened. Far from losing the successor position, the role of next family head would have been his.
...No. What if it's something else?
If his talent had bloomed late, that would explain it. The timing of talent awakening differed from person to person, so if Kyle's talent had only just flowered, it was plausible. And the reason he was revealing it now was...
"Are you aiming for the position of family head?!"
He must have judged that he was ready. Ready to reclaim the position that had been stolen from him. That interpretation fit perfectly.
Just as Bellard was growing convinced by his own reasoning—
"I wondered what kind of nonsense you were spouting."
In a casual tone. With an utterly indifferent expression, Kyle said.
"I'm not interested in any of that."