>WHOOOSH< Edward's hand descended in a rush. No one tried to stop him, no, someone did. However, Anabelle was too slow and too far away to stop the motion of his quick and powerful arm. I didn't move from where I sat and observed the trajectory of his arm. My lips curled up in a smile when I realized... his hand was never targeted at my face— or any part of my body for that matter. >WHAM!< His hand slapped the desk in front of me, creating a loud sound that reverberated across the classroom. Everyone displayed shock at the intentional miss of Edward since they were all already convinced that he would assault me. "Smart move. I thought you would actually hit me..." I whispered with a smile, enough for him to make out my words. "I'm not stupid. I know the repercussions of that. I have no intention of facing a penalty this soon." He replied calmly, though I could tell that the boy was a little unhinged by my calm reaction to his table slam. I didn't try avoiding his hit or blocking. My body didn't even show any sign of reflex, and that was because I knew he wasn't going to hit me from the start. "So? Are you done?" "Apologize..." Edward's teeth clenched together in annoyance. "No." "Apologize!" He demanded more violently, smacking his second hand on the desk. That didn't faze me as well. I was certain that he felt like the good guy with all that he was doing. Fighting for the feelings of everyone, especially the girl behind him. However, all of that was a mirage within his mind. In actuality, his actions so far were akin to bullying. If one was to neglect the smile I had on my face and my calm disposition, it would appear as though Edward was a bully who was forcefully infringing on my territory. I had technically done nothing wrong. Even the teacher didn't complain, but his crusader personality made him feel responsible for my supposed 'mockery' and he attempted to correct that. My interest in the boy was already waning. "If you don't apologize, then..." Placing his hand on his chest and touching the school's crest with his index finger, Edward resorted to something no one expected him to. "Jared Leonard Alphonse Sereth, I challenge you to a duel!" Everyone was stunned. 'Ahhs' and 'Oohs' poured out of their mouths as their interests peaked even more. That went to show how significant his challenge was. A Duel within Ainzlark was what regulated and permitted acts of violence between two students. It was impossible to entirely ban clashes between students in a learning environment where skirmishes were inevitable. So, this system was made to ensure a safer, more organized, clash. In simple terms, the two parties would select the location and time for their fight. They were also privileged to choose what kind of battle they wanted to engage in. For some, it would be swordfights or magic battles— Scholars preferred quizzes and problem-solving. In essence, what Edward had just done was to declare his intention to 'fight' with me legally. Anabelle quickly approached Edward, transversing her distance in moments, and held him by the arm. "Stop this, Ed!" Her voice was shrill, having a bit of desperation in it. She clearly cared about the conceited boy and didn't want him to create unnecessary trouble for himself. However... as expected, Edward ignored her concern and clung selfishly to his ideal. "I have to do it! This guy won't learn until someone puts him in his place." While it was boorish to proceed any further and the Martial Artist was a bigger fool of himself, I realized that this could be a good opportunity for me. My eyes darted at the clock and realized it was barely two minutes remaining before Neron reentered the hall. 'Ah, this guy wasted my time...' Dueling him would also eat up more time, but I soon weighed the merits and concluded that it would be worth it. "Fine, I accept your challenge. Pick the time and place, I'll pick the kind of match we'll be having." My response shocked most of the students. The Magic coursemates looked excited since they had already witnessed a fraction of my power. As for the others, they seemed to be feeling a little confident about Edward's victory. 'Well, they probably know his skills as a Martial Artist' It didn't matter, though. I was never one to choose a losing battle. There was only one possible conclusion concerning the proposed match... my overwhelming victory! "F-fine..." Edward was also flustered by my sudden acceptance, as well as my conditions. It was fair and well balanced in my opinion, though. Allowing him to set the time and location, while I chose how we would fight was the most reasonable response. Still, he may have felt that I would resort to cheap tricks by forcing him into a Duel involving magic proficiency rather than the combat he was good at. His fears were misplaced though... I planned on playing fair— no, I could even give myself a handicap. "Let's do it at the back of the classroom, by the yard! After classes end today!" 'Fair enough...' I nodded in agreement. "As for the type of battle we'll be having...?" Edward's eyes narrowed at me with suspicion. I couldn't care less about his perception of me at this point, but it would prove to be a waste if the uncertainty of my choice made him run away. "Don't worry, it won't be detrimental to you..." After all, the true purpose of a duel was to measure the strength of both parties and judge who was superior. That would be defeated if one was at a disadvantage instead of on equal grounds. 'Of course, this only applies where the disadvantaged party loses...' My grin grew broader as Edward clicked his tongue while returning to his seat alongside Anabelle. In the situation where the disadvantaged one ended up achieving victory, it would only further establish their superiority. Overwhelming and unquestionable victory... that was my goal!
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