Silas shook hands with Cecil, signaling the agreement for the duel.
The three delinquents looked proud and ready, seemingly unfazed by the display Silas had shown back in the Forest of Trials.
Is this arrogance? Or do they have an ace up their sleeves?
The four of them stepped out, deliberately choosing a spot in the center of the courtyard, immediately drawing the attention of nearby students.
Cecil drew a rune in the air—a combination of space and reflection.
"Dueling Grounds."
He chanted, a massive circle forming around them. The arena had been set.
Silas grinned at the display, mentally noting the combination.
I haven't really been paying attention to rune combinations until now. I should change that.
"Big circle. Compensating, Cecil?"
Silas mocked, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders.
Students nearby began to gather, intrigued by the rare sight of a three-on-one duel.
"That one guy's gonna get beaten up, isn't he?"
A student mused.
"I feel bad for him."
Another replied. Guess these three are more popular than I thought, Silas realized. In the game, they weren't this fleshed out.
He chuckled before fixing his eyes on the trio, the center of his dark pupils glinting once more—this time, brighter than before.
"Come at me."
Vael laughed, stepping forward as he passed Cecil, hands already crackling with magic.
"Lightning Bolt!"
He chanted, sending a bolt surging toward Silas. While it mimicked true lightning, its speed was still manageable.
Silas moved to dodge but stumbled as the ground beneath him suddenly shifted—an obscure rock appearing beneath his foot.
He laughed, glancing down to identify the source. Lucas knelt with his hands on the ground, grinning smugly.
Cecil followed up with a spell of his own.
Guess they want to end this quickly to embarrass me.
"Speed Boost!"
He chanted, the lightning bolt accelerating dangerously.
Still mid-stumble, Silas twisted his body and regained his footing, thrusting his hands forward.
"Necrotic Rune!"
He shouted, crimson energy surging through his palms.
"Let's try this out, shall we?"
He laughed as the air ahead shimmered with a glowing crimson mark. The lightning bolt collided with it a moment later.
"Touch of Death."
Silas murmured, stepping back as the lightning bolt struck the crimson rune. On contact, it vanished—disintegrating into dust alongside the fading mark. A wave of gasps swept through the crowd, stunned by the effortless deflection.
Didn't expect that to work. Good thing this isn't actual necrosis—or I'd be severely limited.
The trio stared in disbelief, but their grins remained. What kind of academy students would they be if one spell knocked them down?
Vael cracked his knuckles, now holding two lightning bolts—one in each hand.
"Let's see who runs out of mana first, eh?"
He taunted, readying another volley.
The onlookers watched with a mix of awe and concern. Turning a lightning bolt to dust without a forcefield? That wasn't something you saw every day.
Yet doubt lingered—could Silas really withstand the trio's onslaught?
Silas simply sighed, then burst into laughter, running a hand through his hair.
"Fight me like a man!"
He roared.
"Combustion Rune! Explosive Fists!"
His arms surged with pressure, spheres of condensed air forming around his fists as he lunged forward.
Lightning bolts streaked toward him from both sides.
Silas tried to weave—but his feet were trapped. The earth clung to his boots like quicksand.
"Annoying brat!"
He growled, unable to dodge. He jabbed his fists into the incoming bolts.
The impact triggered two explosive bursts. The compressed air detonated violently, but not before the lightning surged through it—briefly electrocuting him.
Cecil watched with a smirk.
"Is that really the best you've got? With all that bragging, I expected more."
Silas laughed darkly.
Oh boy, I'm gonna make a mess of him.
"Think I showed all my cards back then?"
Silas mocked, then shook his head with a grin.
"Hell no!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath his boots exploded—detonating the earth that clung to them. The blast propelled him toward the trio like a missile.
"Explosive Jets!"
Two more lightning bolts streaked toward him, but Silas moved faster. The pressure spheres in his hands compressed inward, pulling energy into his palms.
"Twin Dynamite!"
He roared, unleashing two concentrated bursts of air that collided with the incoming lightning, obliterating both spells mid-air.
Then a large rock jutted up ahead—Lucas's trap to make him crash headfirst and disorient him.
Silas chuckled darkly, surging more power into his explosive jet and stretching his arm toward the wall of stone.
"Necrotic Rune!"
He shouted. The moment his hand touched the rock, it crumbled into blackened ash—clearing the path. Silas now stood within melee range of all three.
"I'm gonna make your mothers not recognize you!"
He shouted smugly, landing directly in front of Cecil, arms drawn back to deliver a faceful of Twin Dynamite.
I can't keep burning mana like this… but screw it—let's make some noise.
But Cecil remained calm—still wearing that same irritating confidence, despite doing the least in the entire duel.
What's his game?