Chapter 10. One-on-One Duel
1 PM. The Class A freshmen stood in three rows inside the training ground.
One-on-one duels. Also known as interpersonal combat training.
It's a simple class: cadets pair up and fight.
"The matchups will be assigned randomly, right here, right now. No regard for personal strengths or weaknesses. You won't always get to fight opponents who are easy for you. Consider this a rare opportunity to safely fight someone you're disadvantaged against."
"Yes, sir!"
They might be freshmen, but when it counts, they're disciplined.
"However, I'll give the first volunteer the right to choose their opponent."
I could step up and try to establish connections with key characters, but I'm still unsure how well I'll handle dueling. Better to lay low today.
"May I choose someone?!"
"Sure, Lucy. Go ahead."
Lucy stepped beside the instructor and scanned the group with narrowed eyes, looking for someone. When she couldn't find them, she turned—and locked eyes with me.
"I choose Lee Hoyun!"
Wait… me?
"Lee Hoyun? Why him?"
"He looked decent in the morning class, though."
"Didn't Professor Im Sol compliment him too?"
"Maybe it's a public confession. Gonna confess and humiliate him at the same time."
"Damn, Lucy's more aggressive than I thought."
Public confession, my ass.
"Both of you, get to the arena. Grab your weapons if you need them."
Lucy and I are both mages. Grabbing a weapon I don't know how to use would just weigh me down.
I almost went in empty-handed but noticed a lightweight dagger and grabbed it. Never know when it might come in handy.
Across the circular arena, Lucy locked eyes with me, smiling like a predator.
She was cute—but those eyes were as predatory as a jungle cat's.
Two good-looking people facing off in the arena? The audience went wild.
Their eyes were glued to us.
I'd always known I'd fight Lucy someday, given how often Victoria Academy holds sparring classes.
Just didn't expect it to happen this soon.
Lucy's one of the heroines—and a natural genius.
Her younger sister, Lumi, specializes in defensive magic. Lucy excels at offensive magic.
Later in the story, she turns into a fire-slinging, battlefield-wrecking beast—her adorable appearance hiding a savage core.
At this stage, though, she's just an exceptionally talented cadet.
Even so, someone like me—who's never fought a real duel—doesn't stand much of a chance.
'I was hoping to fight some disposable extra first… sigh.'
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
- [ Affection: 20 ]
- [ Lust: 5 ]
- [ Appetite: 40 ]
- [ Fatigue: 20 ]
Her affection jumped from 2 to 20 after yesterday's apology.
I don't get it. She doesn't seem angry. Why'd she pick me?
"Ready to apologize?"
Lucy spoke first.
"Is apologizing in the arena a new trend or something?"
"Honestly, I'm not even that mad. I saw how messed up you were that day, and you did sound genuinely sorry yesterday."
"Thanks for understanding."
Her lips curled into a smirk.
"But if you're really sorry, you gotta pay the price. I'll accept your apology after the duel."
So she's planning to let me apologize… after kicking my ass for copping a feel? Fair enough.
The arena's mana field ensures no lasting injuries.
But the pain? The pain is real. It's meant to simulate real combat stress.
I really don't want to get hit. It's going to hurt like hell.
"Mana field's active. Both sides ready?"
----------------------
『Sub-Quest Unlocked!』
[Time to Conquer the Big Sister!]
Just because you're close to Lumi doesn't mean you can let your guard down!
Lucy won't raise her affection just from friendly chit-chat. Why not become a bad boy and crush her in the duel?
- Reward: Small affection boost from Lucy
----------------------
I was just relaxing for the duel when the quest window popped up.
Wait, so dominating her makes me a "bad boy"? That doesn't sound right.
"Lee Hoyun! If you're ready, answer!"
"Oh, uh, yes!"
The instructor's shout snapped me out of my thoughts. Well, there's no penalty for failing the quest. Might as well give it a shot.
I stretched my arms and legs a bit, even though it probably wouldn't help.
The dagger at my belt tapped against my thigh with every step.
Annoying. I probably won't even use it.
"Three, two, one… start!"
Bang!
The barrier between us shattered, signaling the duel's start.
The moment I heard the signal, I cast my magic.
Lucy uses fire mana, same as me—so it's an even matchup.
I can use other elements too; tried it in the training center and it worked fine.
But showing off multiple elements this early would draw too much attention.
'No need to get flashy.'
Lucy conjured fire into arrow shapes. Later on, she can create thousands of those without breaking a sweat.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ten fiery arrows shot toward me.
I raised the firewall I'd been preparing.
The arrows smashed into the flames and fizzled out.
A light skirmish to test each other.
"Not bad. Thought you switched to magic just to land some cushy office job."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Judging by that exchange, our casting speeds were similar.
But I'd gone all-out to block those arrows. Lucy hadn't even started trying yet.
She was calmer and more skilled. If I had more experience, I'd have used fire orbs to intercept the arrows efficiently. But splitting my focus across multiple spells is still too hard.
"Let's wrap this up. Lots of people waiting."
Fwoosh—!
Above Lucy's head, dozens of fire arrows formed.
There was no way to block that. She was going all-out this time.
The sheer number of arrows, combined with the oppressive aura of imminent danger, hit me like a freight train.
For a moment, I considered just taking the hit. But I couldn't.
If taking a few hits would somehow improve my relationship with Lucy, I'd gladly do it. But I doubt getting blasted and apologizing afterward would help much.
Maybe—just maybe—the system's right. Maybe becoming a "bad boy" would work.
Fuck it. Let's go for it.
Thump.
The moment I committed to the decision, my heartbeat accelerated. My body responded instinctively, as if it wouldn't let the "main character" of this world slack off.
Thump.
My heart pumped faster, sending energy surging through me.
My latent power, [Combat Sense], stirred.
I'd never used it like this before, but adapting was surprisingly easy.
The sensation sharpened my senses and primed my body with just the right level of tension.
My mind cleared as [Steadfast Willpower] erased all thoughts of retreat and locked onto a winning strategy.
[Mana Sensitivity] analyzed the fire arrows hurtling toward me, breaking them down into recognizable patterns.
My whole body tingled with excitement. I felt more energized now than when the fight started.
'I can win. No—I *have* to win.'
In the game, [Combat Sense] alone created absurd turnarounds. Now I had that *plus* the perks [Mana Sensitivity] and [Steadfast Willpower].
This convergence of abilities triggered something new.
『A unique skill is awakening.』
『Unique Skill: [Clairvoyance] has been acquired.』
--------『 Clairvoyance 』--------------------
▶ Unique Skill
▶ Focuses mana into the eyes, maximizing visual acuity.
Capable of distinguishing and analyzing mana-based entities and phenomena.
------------------------------------------------
"[Clairvoyance]…?"
"Did you give up? Thought you had guts, but you're just pathetic."
Lucy tilted her head, watching me stand still. When I didn't respond, she shrugged and launched her fire arrows.
As the fiery projectiles flew toward me, I activated [Clairvoyance].
The mana focused in my eyes brought a sharp, stinging sensation.
"Ugh."
The pain grew more intense. I squeezed my eyes shut, then reopened them.
Bzzz—
Suddenly, I saw it.
My field of vision expanded unnaturally, as if eyes had sprouted from the sides of my head. I could now *see* the mana around me.
The disorienting shift almost overwhelmed me, but I had more immediate concerns: the incoming arrows.
The arrows flew straight at me.
Bzzz—
As I focused on them, my vision warped. The structure and mechanics of the spell became *obvious*. I instinctively understood the trajectory, range, and impact power.
Casting a counter-spell now was impossible. I'd have to dodge.
But how?
As soon as I posed the question, the solution appeared in my mind.
I saw the paths the fire arrows followed.
Whoosh—
I counted about thirty red lines, like glowing threads guiding the arrows. Fifteen would pass through my body, while the other fifteen blocked potential escape routes.
But since I could see the pattern, dodging was easy.
I lunged forward, aiming for the direction with the fewest lines.
Most of the arrows whizzed past me. Three remained.
I conjured two small mana orbs and used them to intercept two arrows, then twisted my head to avoid the third.
"Lucky bastard!"
Lucy conjured more arrows above her.
This time, she fired fewer arrows but adjusted their paths for better control.
But that didn't matter. I could still see the gaps.
I bent slightly to the left, dodging an arrow, and funneled mana into my legs.
'There's the gap…!'
Another wave of twenty arrows launched, with the gaps between them tighter than before—meant to trap me.
From her angle, the arrows formed an impenetrable wall.
But from my perspective, a space just wider than my shoulders appeared like a blinking target.
I burst mana through my feet, propelling myself through the gap.
Fwoosh—
Lucy's eyes widened in shock. She bit her lip and launched another attack.
But I kept moving forward, effortlessly dodging each spell with minimal movement.
"What… what the fuck?!"
When I was nearly close enough to touch her, she conjured a barrier.
But before she could finish the chant, I was there.
Swoosh.
I raised the dagger to her throat.
I could've cast a spell, but hurting Lucy wasn't the goal.
Besides, an overwhelming win calls for a bit of flair.
Thump.
Lucy's legs gave out, and she collapsed.
Outside the arena, the cadets stared in disbelief.
Even the stern instructor was gaping.
"Instructor, please confirm the winner."
"Uh… oh, right. Winner: Lee Hoyun. Both cadets, step down."
Not a single clap. What shitty spectators.
Lucy sat there, dazed.
『Quest complete! Lucy's Affection increased by 3.』
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
- [ Affection: 28 ]
- [ Lust: 5 ]
- [ Appetite: 40 ]
- [ Fatigue: 20 ]
Her affection rose by 3… but the display now showed 28. Wasn't it 20 earlier? That's an 8-point jump.
Did dominating her actually work? Seriously?
I approached Lucy and extended a hand.
"Lucy, you okay?"
"Ugh… I wanted to get payback, but you turned it around on me."
"I know I won, but that was dangerous as hell."
She took my hand, stood, and brushed herself off.
"Sigh. So… what the hell was with your eyes?"
My eyes? What about them?
I checked my smartwatch's mirror function.
My irises glowed with a soft, golden light.