Chapter 16: Chapter 15

“Ishitake Yuuji. Duel me.”

The morning chatter of the classroom fell silent as everyone turned to face the back.

Yuuji blinked twice as he stared at the girl in front of him who was grinning fiercely without a shred of doubt. He had barely even sat down in her chair as she’d pounced on him with a ridiculous request.

“...Why?”
“Because I want to fight you.”

Leona leaned down over his desk, her sharp amber eyes watching him like a lamb ready for the slaughter. Behind her glossy lips, her teeth seemed abnormally sharp, which sent a chill down his spine as she may sooner eat him than battle him.

“That doesn’t seem like a very good reason?”
“Who needs a good reason? A little spar would be beneficial for both of us.”
“...This seems interesting. I’ll allow it.”

Entering the room with a slight grin, Mr Pierce shot down any of Yuuji’s hopes to have the duel dismissed before he even had the chance to refuse.

“To trust your teammates, you need to understand what they’re capable of. I was planning on running some combat exercises today anyway - you two will make a great case study.”

Yuuji groaned as the room bubbled with excitement at his expense, but he knew it was too late to get out of it now.

His quiet morning was about to get a lot more intense.

******

“The duel will end when one person leaves the arena, admits defeat, or is decided loser by judge ruling. Any sign of intentional harm outside of the fair contest of the duel will result in immediate disqualification, but otherwise, we have Dr Natsumi here to tend to any wounds after the battle.”

Mr Pierce gestured to the side where Dr Natsumi lounged comfortably in a leather-bound chair, and gave an affable wave to Yuuji with a foxy smile. He quickly turned away, cursing his luck to be in this situation, as the rest of the class watched eagerly from the safety of the spectator stands.

“The arena is designed to be sturdy, and you will not be held accountable for any damage caused to it. Use of spirits here is fully permitted, but at the end of the day, keep in mind this is only a spar. You aren’t fighting to kill.”

Mr Pierce finished reciting the rules to both of them, as they nodded in agreement, and prepared to fight.

Yuuji had donned his trusty battle garb - a thick black overcoat, with leather padded armour protecting his vitals. Tiny golden threads coursed through the fabric like shimmering veins and seemed to twinkle slightly when they caught the light.

Leona however, had also changed from her academy uniform and stood ready in her combat gear.

It drew heavy themes from a nun habit, but her coif and veil were loose, only covering the top of her head like a hood, and her hair hung gently over her shoulders. The tunic was thickly padded for protection around the upper body, yet was cut low around the waist, leaving only the cloth scapular which swung in front and behind her legs.

It looked as though she was wearing a Chinese cheongsam that had been modified to resemble a habit, as glimpses of her well-toned legs could be seen when she moved.

What made Yuuji most curious however, was that even on the stone slabs of the arena she didn’t wear shoes on her feet, and proudly stood barefoot with an unflinching savage grin.

“Contestants… ready! Fight!”

The instant Mr Pierce barked out from beyond the edges of the circular ring, Leona dashed forward.

“Uriel!”
“Tsk… Perseus! Aegis!”

Yuuji clicked his tongue in annoyance as his opponent began her reckless assault without hesitation. He pushed his left arm forward as a gleaming shield of gold formed around it, with a shiny surface like a mirror.

For a split second, Leona’s brow furrowed, before flames burst out from both of her hands - and her feet.

*BANG*

Like a flaming rocket, she arrived with a powerful spinning kick, maintaining the momentum of her sprint as it crashed into the shield with tremendous force. Without delay, the fire billowed from the impact, engulfing Yuuji’s figure in an inferno.

“..!”
“Stay there!”

Some of the students felt themselves twitch to their feet at the sight, but Mr Pierce’s booming voice commanded them back into their seats. Biting their tongues, they watched on with dread, powerless to intervene.

Suddenly, a rush of wind launched Leona backwards as she somersaulted through the air, gracefully landing on her feet with a ferocious laugh. The blazing flames whirled for a moment before dissipating to reveal Yuuji holding his shield stoically, untouched by the fire surrounding him.

He gritted his teeth at the residual heat which gnawed away at his flesh - his hand donning the shield already red raw and aching. This wasn’t like any of his previous sparring sessions, and he chastised himself for thinking it would be so easy.

“I’m disappointed! I didn’t pin you as someone interested in ancient Greece!”

She leapt at him once more with a shout, unleashing a wheel of kicks while spinning like a gymnast. Each burst into fire on impact, but Yuuji steadily stepped backwards, parrying each blow with skill and composure.

“Is defence all you’re good for!?”

Just as she cried out in frustration, he stepped forward into her blows, swiftly knocking her heel aside and grabbing her ankle in the air. Swivelling on one foot, he directed all of her strength and momentum straight downwards in a lightning-fast toss.

“Damn-!”

She barely avoided clattering hard onto the concrete, thrusting a flaming palm onto the ground below her to cushion the blow before whirling her lower body around again to continue the attack.

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She gnashed her teeth together in a fury, with her renewed assault now incorporating punches and jabs alongside heavy kicks and heel spins. Yuuji had hoped to end it with a single move, but now his defence was failing, and the occasional blow struck his arms and chest leaving black scorch marks and searing his skin.

He broke away with a shove; his golden shield expanding to a glimmering translucent barrier a few metres in diameter. Panting roughly, he grimaced at his creaking bones and fresh burns, glaring at his attacker.

“I had high hopes of you being another follower from the church! Too bad you’re just another stooge obsessed with a dead history.”

His feet now bordered the edge of the arena, and despite Leona’s continued barrage she only seemed lightly fatigued and kept her wild smile as she stared at him.

“I guess there’s no choice.”
“Oh? You finally found your voice.”

With a swing of his arm, his shield was dismissed, vanishing into bright specks in the air that quickly faded.

The others looked at this with confusion, before Mr Pierce finally chimed up.

“...Yuuji. Do you admit defeat?”
“No.”

His eyes were determined as he remained steadfast, even while unarmed.

“Are you shitting me? Is this a joke?”

Leona, seeing the challenge as an insult, flared up as the flames on her body began to creep up towards her chest. Her hair itself began to glow as if aflame as the tips danced like licks of a roaring flame.

“I’m gonna hit you real hard. Admit defeat, or prepare to defend yourself properly, otherwise I can’t guarantee your safety.”

She stepped forward as wrath filled her words, a raging storm that boiled with raw power.

Yuuji simply looked on unfazed.

“Come.”
“HAAAH!”

She burst forwards as fire incarnate, a blazing heel kick like a comet directed straight at Yuuji’s face.

“Damn it-! Aoi!”
“Yes!”

The two teachers leapt to their feet to try and prevent the disaster before them from turning into a tragedy - but as they watched Leona’s attack, they were too slow to see what had really happened.

“Roland, Durandal!”

A single step forward, and a swing that made the surrounding air creak beneath its weight.

*SMASH*

An ear-splitting explosion erupted from the battle, as the spectators watched in awe at what had just occurred. Both students remained standing as the dust cleared, but the entire arena had a giant gash through its centre and was firmly split in two.

Held firmly in Yuuji’s grip was a colossal sword nearing two metres in length. The radiant blade hummed inches away from Leona’s neck, as she remained frozen in shock.

With a single move, he had brought forth a towering greatsword and swung it with the might to shatter concrete: the sheer force enough to drown Leona’s flames as if they never existed.

Silence.

Only one person could break the stillness in the room - the one who created it.

“...Do you yield?”

Leona nodded softly, her mouth still agape.

Yuuji sighed and released his spirit, causing his greatsword to vanish as if it had only been a mirage. Everyone else remained quiet, exchanging looks of confusion, but without making a sound. Almost everyone.

*Clap* *clap* *clap*

Hibiki stood from the crowd with a bright smile, clapping cheerfully at the two contestants who had just finished their intense clash. With this, the dam burst, and the rest of the students leapt to their feet, with the two faculty members breathing a sigh of relief.

“That was incredible!!”
“Two spirits!? Is that even possible!?”
“Serves you right for mocking the power of ancient Greece!”
“Verily, a sight to behold! One worthy to be commemorated in writing!”

The crowd buzzed with excitement as they digested the incredible display, while Yuuji turned to leave the stage, providing Leona with a few parting words.

“I hope you got what you were looking for. You were strong.”

She didn’t move to look at him, but he knew she heard everything.

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