Amidst the bustling crowd of students…
A teacher with red hair, Calvin, spoke in a booming voice.
“I’ll give each class 5 minutes to find a dueling partner from another class.”
At his words, the students began to look around, flustered.
“Wasn’t a dueling partner supposed to be assigned to us?”
“Um?”
“I mean, we’re seeing these new kids for the first time. It might be hard to pick a suitable opponent, right?”
“Assessing your opponent’s skills is an essential ability for combat. Stop talking nonsense and hurry up to find a partner.”
One disgruntled student cautiously tried to voice an opinion but was firmly rejected.
Calvin then smiled eerily at the students.
“If any student can’t find a partner… know that I will personally take on the role myself.”
With his words, the students began to bustled around like fire had been lit under them.
I, too, felt a growing sense of panic.
I had no idea that I would have to find a partner myself, given that this wasn’t detailed in the novel.
‘…Who should I approach?’
Back in university group projects, I was the one who always relied on the professor to pair me up with someone.
There was no way I could ask someone else for a duel first.
As I looked around in confusion, I felt someone staring at me.
Just as I was about to turn my head towards the source of the intense gaze—
“Did you manage to find a dueling partner?”
Another person approached me, breaking my train of thought.
As I turned to see who it was, my eyes widened in surprise.
Crimson red hair, golden eyes.
And a striking appearance.
I didn’t even need to ask who it was.
‘…Robin.’
The protagonist of the Indomitable Hero novel and the one who was supposed to be the rightful owner of the Sacred Sword.
He asked me for a duel.
…Why?
“Me…?”
I pointed at myself, questioning him, and Robin confidently nodded.
“Yes. I heard that you entered the academy on the chairman’s recommendation. I thought you must be extraordinary, so I wanted to test myself against you.”
His words sounded quite arrogant.
Just like the Robin from the novel.
A character who didn’t fear fighting strong opponents and always strived for growth.
‘…Even if he wasn’t chosen as a hero, he remains a protagonist.’
Indeed, the reason Robin could keep getting stronger in the novel wasn’t that he was chosen as a hero but because he had an unwavering determination to never give up.
And I believed that spirit would still be within him despite him not having the Sacred Sword.
By the way, he wants to duel with me.
It would probably be a better match for him to duel with someone like Ariel instead.
But when I turned to find Ariel, I noticed she was already challenging Lily to a duel.
‘…Is Ariel trying to stick with heroes?’
As I hesitated to answer, Robin asked me once more.
“So? Will you accept my duel?”
“….Um.”
Well, I suppose there’s no harm in it.
I didn’t think I could find another dueling partner anyway, and I definitely didn’t want to face Calvin.
In the novel, he was an excellent yet terrifyingly strict instructor who never held back on discipline. He would probably push the limits on me.
Honestly, I was grateful that Robin approached me first.
I nodded at him.
“Alright.”
“Great! My name is Robin.”
He extended his hand for a handshake.
For a moment, a shiver ran through me, but I managed to conceal it and accepted his handshake.
“My name is Sera. Nice to meet you.”
*
“Lily! Let’s have a duel!”
“….Ah.”
Lily paused, turning her head towards me as she was about to move somewhere.
For some reason, she hesitated, and I pouted in response to her face.
“What’s wrong? You think I’m a weak opponent?”
“….No, Ariel.”
“Then you’ll duel with me?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and then smiled as she answered.
Her response made my heart race.
A duel with a hero.
Although it would mean fighting against my friend, I couldn’t help but feel excited.
This wouldn’t be an easily available experience.
This would surely be an opportunity for me to hone my skills.
“Alright! Five minutes are up! Students who have chosen their partners, come over here! Those who haven’t chosen should come to me!”
At the professor’s command, Lily and I moved towards the designated spot.
Afterwards, the professor divided us into pairs, and Lily and I were assigned to be the first pair to duel.
“Students in group 1, step forward to the training ground!”
Along with more than ten students, Lily and I made our way to the center of the training ground.
The duel with her came faster than I expected.
We faced each other, wielding our training weapons.
“Ready! Let the duel begin!”
My heart raced even faster!
‘How far will my magic go against a hero?’
Even though it was just a training staff, it didn’t seem like there would be any issue with the output of my magic.
I should be able to cast a spell strong enough to affect Lily.
So what should my first spell be?
Binding? Or a quick lightning strike? Or maybe a powerful fire spell?
While I was lost in thought, Lily spoke up.
“Hey, Ariel. Who’s that over there?”
“Huh?”
Looking at Lily, I realized she was staring intensely at one spot.
Following her gaze, I saw Sera and Iris observing us with sparkling eyes.
‘Who exactly is she talking about?’
Iris was my friend, so it couldn’t be her. Was she asking about Sera?
“Are you talking about Sera?”
“Sera?”
“Yeah. She transferred here two days ago. I thought the news had spread pretty well?”
“….A transfer student.”
After that, Lily seemed to fall into deep thought, gazing at Sera for a while.
The duel must have already started.
“…..Should I head in first?”
I felt a slight irritation at her disregard for me.
I was also considered a promising student in the academy, you know?
Looks like I had to instill a little sense of urgency in her.
‘Just a little, to deter her.’
Lily continued to stare intently at Sera.
I raised my staff and recited my spell.
“Raiden!”
Suddenly, bright sparks flickered from my staff, sending multiple bolts of lightning racing toward Lily.
After a moment…
“….Ah.”
Only when the lightning came near her did she finally look away from Sera.
But it was already too late.
There was no way she could dodge the lightning heading straight for her.
‘This is her punishment for ignoring me.’
I smirked slightly as I spoke.
“I toned down the power, so it’ll just be a little sting—”
*
Scrape—
“What the—?”
Suddenly, I felt something pass barely by my side.
As I slowly turned my head, I noticed a shallow cut on my neck and a massive scar left on the ground where Robin’s sword had struck.
Gulp.
Instinctively, I swallowed hard.
As I looked fearfully at the girl before me, I locked eyes with Lily, who was looking at me with a chilling gaze.
“Sorry, Ariel. My mind was too scattered, so I couldn’t focus.”
“Hick—”
A rush of fear welled up within me due to her overwhelming strength.
I knew Lily was strong.
After all, she was a hero and I had heard various tales of her accomplishments at the academy.
But I also wasn’t just an ordinary person.
Among numerous magicians called geniuses, I had earned the reputation of the next Magic Tower Master at a young age.
The youngest of the Great Sage and Hero line, I was famed for reaching the 6th circle first.
I had always been thought of that way by everyone.
So I assumed I would stand a chance.
Even if I didn’t win, I believed I could exchange a few blows with her.
Even heroes were still students of the same age.
I didn’t expect a massive gap in our strengths.
But…
In front of the crushing might before me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wouldn’t be able to do anything.
“I’m coming in.”
As she raised her wooden sword and stared at me, I felt a shiver run down my spine.
It was just a wooden sword, yet the ominous sensation hit me as if my life was on the line.
This wasn’t how I saw my friend.
The cold intent in her eyes and the overwhelming presence by her sword was almost angelic.
“Great Wall!!”
Instinctively, I built multiple layers of defenses in front of me.
Sturdy barriers that could easily resist a wyvern’s breath.
Boom—
But those barriers crumbled with one swing of Lily’s sword.
Through the collapsing barriers, I saw Lily barreling toward me.
“Ah!”
I unleashed every spell that came to mind at her.
Even though they were spells powerful enough to injure, I couldn’t hold back my instinctive fear.
But despite the barrage of magic flying her way, Lily breezed through, effortlessly dividing my lightning with her sword. Characters swirled off into the air as flames from her movements spiraled aimlessly.
And finally…
Clang—
In the blink of an eye, a wooden sword was held against my neck.
“…I lost.”
In the end, I had no choice but to declare my surrender.
Lily slowly lowered her sword to the ground and extended her hand for a handshake.
“Well done, Ariel. If it weren’t for the Goddess’s blessing, I might have lost.”
That was a lie, I could tell instinctively.
Lily had defeated me effortlessly with her sheer strength, not relying on any divine power.
She probably said that to comfort me.
As the duel finished, the fear I had towards Lily was quickly replaced by a new emotion rising to the surface.
I was frustrated.
I wanted to have a good match with Lily.
But it was so infuriating that I couldn’t do anything.
I was ashamed.
I had asked Sera for support, but now I felt embarrassed to have lost so impotently.
‘……Just you wait.’
Someday, I will surpass you.
*
“…..Huh?”
I could only gaze blankly at Lily, who had a wooden sword at Ariel’s neck.
….What did I just see?
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