Duel at Sun and Hill
I ordered Ilsuhwe's lackeys to investigate that guy named Jekki. I didn't have the slightest doubt that this extra, who barely even appeared in the original story, could pose a threat—but it never hurt to be cautious.
Besides, this was an official duel. With so many eyes watching, the process mattered just as much as the outcome. A ordinary victory wouldn't cut it. I needed to crush him so thoroughly he couldn't even whimper.
"Here's the intel on Jekki."
The foxkin senior bowed low, handing over a scroll like he was offering tribute to a king. He'd recently broken through to a new realm thanks to the elixir I'd given him.
Not just him—most of Ilsuhwe's members had leveled up thanks to my elixirs. You couldn't mass-produce quality underlings with violence alone. The right carrot was essential, not optional. That's how I'd taken over Ilsuhwe: by handing out elixirs like candy.
I had my free elixir farm, Land's Sanctuary. The stuff you could farm there was ridiculously overpowered for "free" items. The only downside? Not much worked well on humans.
"This Jekki guy. Famous?"
I casually ground my bare foot into the foxkin senior's fluffy hair.
We were in a small office tucked into one corner of the student council room—the former office of Ilsuhwe's old leader, that bear beastkin punk. Now it was mine, of course. Among the first-years, I was probably the only one with a private office, even in the student council.
The foxkin senior didn't flinch as his golden locks splayed out like a rug beneath my foot. True to his half-beast nature, he knew the law of the jungle inside out.
"Our investigation shows he's a famous rookie in the Magic Division. There've been a lot of standout freshmen this year, so plenty are getting called rookies, but..."
I unrolled the scroll while listening to his report. It had Jekki's face sketched on it, along with a brief profile. Magic Division, Combat Magic track. No wonder he'd so boldly challenged me to a duel.
Combat mages were exactly what they sounded like: mages specialized for battle. Sure, mages had a reputation for sucking in close quarters, but that didn't apply to combat mages. Depending on their spells, they could outduel most martial artists.
Of course, that was rare. Specializing solely in duel-focused magic tanked your overall efficiency. That's why so few existed in the first place.
But some idiots shoulder that inefficiency anyway and charge down that path.
Jekki was one of them.
"He wowed the examiners with his elemental magic during entrance exams. And right after enrolling, he built a rep with his duel skills."
"Hmm. Never heard those rumors."
"They're overshadowed by your fame, President. No one's ever dominated academy chatter like you—not in history."
The foxkin senior rubbed his face against my foot like a puppy begging for affection.
"Gotta piss. Open wide."
"Yes, sir~!"
I used his mouth as a urinal and let loose. I'd been confident from the start, but gathering intel only swelled that confidence further.
Victory wasn't the issue anymore. The real question was how to stage the perfect show.
*-*-*
The duel was now one day away. After his evening training, Jekki skipped his room and headed to the dorm courtyard instead. He gazed up at the starry sky, jewels twinkling against the black canvas, pondering tomorrow's duel.
Johann.
The academy's one and only human, trailing a wake of bizarre rumors. The tales around him were so outlandish, it was hard to separate fact from fiction.
The big one: a freshman taking down Sun and Hill executives one after another.
It had spread like wildfire among freshmen, even reaching the Magic Division. But it fizzled out before anyone could verify it. Some said upperclassmen suppressed the media out of shame, but who knew? Maybe it never happened.
No way I'm losing to some punk riding unearned hype.
Martial Division meatheads who underestimated mages? Easy meals. Jekki had crushed plenty in early-semester duels.
A chill evening breeze tugged at his uniform collar, making him think of bed. As he turned toward the dorm entrance, a suspiciously shady voice caught his ear.
"Hey, you."
"Huh? Me?"
"Heh. Yeah, you. Who else is here?"
The tone screamed provocation. Jekki's brow furrowed instinctively.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Self-intros can wait. Bigger things first. You're dueling tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. But what's with the creepy robe? You're not from Tempesta dorm... Isn't curfew soon?"
"Heh! Obsess over trivia and you miss the big picture. Point is, you're dueling tomorrow—and you're gonna lose big."
"What!?"
Jekki bristled at the black-robed stranger's words. The outfit, the attitude—everything pissed him off.
"Spouting bullshit in that shady getup! I'm telling the dorm supervisor—"
"Cool it. I'm just here to deliver a gift."
The robed figure didn't seem interested in letting him talk. He pulled a small vial from inside his robe and tossed it to Jekki.
"You'll thank me tomorrow. Heh!"
"What's this!? Who the hell are you!?"
"Catch you later."
The robed man melted into thin air like a ghost.
"What the...? Invisibility spell?"
No mana fluctuation at all—not magic, then. Two possibilities: not magic, or a master way beyond his detection.
"What is this...?"
Jekki stared at the vial. A finger-sized bottle sloshing with green liquid. No instructions, no explanation—just gone.
"Gotta tell the supervisor."
The academy had been rife with creepy incidents lately. Jekki knocked on the dorm supervisor's door without hesitation. But the robed man had vanished without a trace—no shadow left behind.
"A man in a black robe...? With all the weird shit going on, can't ignore this. Did he drop any hints about his identity? Even something tiny."
Riggle Framework, Tempesta's dorm supervisor, pressed him. Jekki gripped the vial in his pocket.
Logically, he should show it now. But the man's words echoed in his head.
You'll thank me tomorrow. Heh!
"N-nope. Nothing."
*-*-*
The duel venue was set. With the academy festival approaching, things moved fast—no time to waste.
"Sun and Hill as the duel spot? Unexpected."
Scratching my cheek, I headed over. A grand mansion loomed, its presence alone intimidating onlookers.
A gleaming sun emblem hung from the roof's edge, perfectly matching the nameplate.
Sun and Hill.
One of the academy's most famed sword circles. That's where the duel was set. Plenty of duel