The next morning I woke up early. The bed had been enchanted to ensure that we always woke up on time and didn't arrive late for classes.

«Those dark circles! Did you have trouble sleeping?» exclaimed Amy when we met to go have breakfast together.

I shook my head, yawning.

«Come on! Just need to bite the bullet,» Amy urged me on, giving me small pats on the shoulder as encouragement.

But when we arrived in front of the dining hall, we encountered something unusual.

A crowd of students blocked the entrance. Usually there was never such a long line.

Male screams could be heard echoeing through the hallway.

We approached the scene.

I immediately noticed that Sophia was also in the group, staring at something beyond the other students, frowning.

Tiptoeing, I tried to see what was causing all the commotion. I managed to catch a glimpse of two boys engaged in a violent quarrel. Or rather, one of them was leaning against the doorframe, looking bored, while the other was shouting at him.

I didn't know all my classmates' names yet, but I knew who those two were.

The bored-looking boy was Igor Valentine. With his dirty blond hair tied in a messy ponytail, his uniform untucked, and his tie loosely knotted, he gave the impression of a sloppy and undisciplined boy at first glance. And in this case, that first impression was extremely accurate.

Since the second day, he had attracted negative attention from all other students.
During classes, he lounged on the bench, paying no attention to what the teacher said. So far, no problem. If he didn't want to learn anything, that was his business. But it was during practice hours that things had escalated.

He had accidentally hit his training partner several times with some kind of strange spells, which had caused disgusting violet-colored pustules to appear on his skin. The unfortunate victim had to run to the infirmary to have them removed.

During a sword practice, he had accidentally let go of his sword, which had flown towards another student. Things could have ended very badly if the protective spell hadn't been active.

During meals and other free time, he had repeatedly annoyed other students, especially girls, with less than pleasant comments.

In short, he was the epitome of the classic bully. The black sheep in a class that otherwise seemed rather peaceful.

Despite his actions, the teachers didn't seem particularly interested in punishing him. They simply continued their lessons as if nothing had happened and ignored the other students’ complaints.

That’s when the other boy, Carl Stuart, came into play.

With his shaved cut and square glasses covering two usually stern eyes, he couldn't have looked more different from Valentine.

There were rumors that he was the son of one of the most important generals in the royal army. He certainly had a militaristic air about him.

He seemed extremely dutiful and respectful of the rules. I had heard him snap at some of the more talkative students during lessons several times.

Faced with the lack of action from the teachers regarding Igor Valentine's behavior, he had taken the situation into his own hands.

During dinner, last night, he had gone to his table and given him a scolding that had lasted about ten minutes. His deep voice echoed throughout the dining hall.

Although Stuart was about ten centimeters taller than him and had impressive muscles for someone our age, Valentine didn't seem particularly intimidated. However, he left without making a scene.

Many probably hoped that would be the end of it and Valentine would start behaving decently. Or at least stop bothering the other students. But given the scene in front of me, it was evidently a vain hope. And this time Valentine must have really messed up. Carl Stuart seemed beside himself with anger.

Leaning further forward, I managed to see what was behind Carl Stuart. A student was crouched on the ground, holding his face. I could see blood spilling through his fingers.

«What the fuck..?»

Impulsively, I turned to the only person I knew in between all those students.

«Do you know what happened?» I asked Sophia in a whisper.

«Valentine slammed that guy against the doorframe. It seems he broke his nose,» she whispered back in response.

Like me, she seemed too focused on what was happening to pay attention to the bad blood flowing between us.

"Violence between students is prohibited outside of duels."

Valentine wouldn't get away with it this time. He would be punished.

"Unless Carl doesn't tear him apart first."

I focused on what the boy was shouting.

«Have you lived in a pigsty until now?! That's not how humans behave. The mess you've caused in class, bothering our classmates... I could still take it as the nonsense of an undisciplined kid. But this… this is too much...»

«I've already told you he was blocking the door while I had to go through. It's not my fault if he was in the way,» Valentine retorted, maintaining the same bored expression.

«This brute doesn't seem to feel even a bit of remorse. Someone go call the headmaster, while I make sure he stays here,» Carl ordered the crowd. I saw a couple of boys leave the scene, presumably in search of professor Skylark.

«Someone go call the headmaster,» Valentine mimicked him, «As big and tough as you are, do you need to hide behind Skylark?»

«Believe me, if I could kick your butt, I would've already done it... But you gave me an idea. I challenge you to a duel. Since you're such a tough guy, you won't refuse, right? After I teach you a lesson, I want you to apologize on your knees in front of the whole school,» Carl replied, succumbing to the provocation.

«I accept,» said Valentine, with a smirk.

«Your conditions?» Carl asked.

«None,» his opponent replied. A murmur spread among the onlookers.

"No conditions..."

I had a bad feeling. Valentine didn't seem to be scared of Carl in the least, despite his massive build.

It didn't seem like that bully was particularly skilled in magic. And from a physical point of view, there was obviously no comparison.

But then… why did he seem so confident?

And why didn't he impose any conditions on the duel? He gave the impression of someone who would make his opponent do something terribly humiliating.

Was he bluffing to put pressure on Stuart?

In the meantime, as I pondered this possibility, the now familiar semi-transparent barrier had formed around the two challengers. The other students were forced to step back, widening the circle and finally allowing me to observe the scene without having to stand on tiptoe. The poor victim lying on the ground had been pushed out of the duel's airspace.

Two students lifted him and, supporting him, escorted him to the infirmary, his nose dripping blood leaving a trail on the ground to mark their path.

Meanwhile, Stuart had drawn his sword and positioned himself. Valentine had also unsheathed his blade, but his arm was lazily resting at his right side.

This time, after Sophia's duel, I didn't want to take anything for granted. But after the countdown, things seemed to go just as expected.

Carl lunged forward, wielding the sword with two hands and delivering a powerful blow. Valentine barely managed to intercept it, raising his sword at the last moment, but the force of the blow bent his arms, causing Carl's blade to surpass his block and wound his left forearm. Carl continued the assault mercilessly, striking the off-balance Valentine with a left uppercut to the stomach, doubling him over in pain.

At this point, Stuart stepped back.

«You'd better surrender now,» he declared to his opponent, who was bent over on his knees with his back turned, «as despicable as you are, I take no pleasure in fighting an inferior opponent.»

«You wish!» yelled Valentine. He had seized the moment of respite to discreetly draw his wand. Turning around, he hurled a violet-colored dart towards Carl.

The latter, however, was on alert for a trick like that and dodged the attack by ducking. He then charged at Valentine, hitting him with a shoulder check and sending him sprawling to the ground.

In the next few minutes, what we witnessed wasn't so much a duel as it was a massacre. Punches, kicks, multiple sword strikes, headbutts, and some spells were exchanged unilaterally.

Carl, repeatedly shouting "SURRENDER!", was battering his opponent's body.

There was no contest. Valentine didn't seem capable of defending himself, let alone attacking.

I saw some of the students present avert their eyes in disgust from this one-sided beating, while others left the scene as if the duel were already over.

But…

Something wasn't right.

I glanced briefly at Sophia. She had a furrowed brow. She must have noticed it too.

Despite enduring that severe beating, Valentine kept getting back up. Even if he had an incredible tolerance for pain, his strength should have left him long ago after his body had been battered in that manner.

Furthermore, I noticed how his injuries seemed strangely superficial. The wounds caused by Stuart's sword were mostly surface cuts, and he didn't even seem to have suffered serious damage from the bare-handed blows his opponent had delivered.

By now, he should have been in a pitiful state and drenched in blood.

The one-sided clash continued for a few more minutes. Then Carl stepped back again.

«You're as resilient as a cockroach,» he pointed out to his opponent. He didn't seem tired at all, despite his assault having lasted about ten minutes by now.

«But I warn you, if you continue to refuse to surrender, I'll be forced to go all out,» he continued.

"Oh, because until now you weren't being serious?" I thought.

Physically, he was an incredible fighter. If I were his opponent, he probably would have knocked me out with a single punch.

Fortunately, I had magic on my side. I'm sure I could have defeated him easily before he got close. From what I had seen, he wasn't that skilled with spells. Not that it would help Valentine, who didn't seem to be much of a powerful wizard himself.
I didn't know what those strange violet curses he was casting were, but they didn't seem particularly threatening. Carl easily dodged or blocked them with a simple defensive spell.

Valentine took advantage of the respite to get back up. He was smiling.

«No no, I'd say that's enough. Despite everything, you still think you have the victory in the bag, huh?» As he spoke, he moved his hand to one of the cuts on his right arm.

«Time to teach you something before finishing the duel.»

With a mocking laugh, Valentine pulled a crimson blade from the wound.

"Is that... blood?"

There was no other explanation. That sword had been created with his coagulated blood.

But how was that possible?

He hadn't cast any spells.

I had a sense of déjà vu. It was exactly what had happened in the first duel I had witnessed. Like Sophia, Valentine had just done something inexplicable.

One thing was certain: the outcome of the duel was no longer so set in stone...