Please Stop

As Ray sent the duel request to Sebastian, he couldn't help but smile. Now that he was standing in front of everyone, there was nowhere for him to run. There was no way he would turn down the fight now—not with all these eyes watching.

"You think you can beat me just because you defeated Eric? There's a big difference between rank nine and rank two, and I'm going to show you that now."

Ray said nothing, simply standing there, waiting.

One of Sebastian's friends began the countdown. "Three… two…" But before he could reach one, Sebastian was already moving.

He was playing dirty from the start, but Ray didn't care. Sebastian charged forward, his strike fast enough that most students wouldn't have been able to react. Ray simply spun his body to the side, letting the attack pass harmlessly before countering in the same motion. The tip of his wooden sword barely grazed Sebastian's cheek, leaving a thin cut.

Jumping back, Ray positioned himself again.

"Lucky hit," Sebastian scoffed, wiping the scratch with the back of his hand. "But too shallow. You'll never win like that."

He lunged forward again, putting even more force into his attack. But it was just a repeat of last time. Once again, Ray dodged at the last second, and once again, his sword left another shallow cut on Sebastian's face.

"You'll never win with weak attacks like this," Sebastian spat, his irritation growing.

With a growl, he attacked furiously, his wooden sword swinging relentlessly. Every strike was met with an effortless dodge, every missed attack punished by a small, stinging scratch. To the students watching, it must have seemed like Ray was on the defensive, barely able to keep up and landing lucky counters whenever he could.

"He's doing well to dodge, but he's going to get caught sooner or later. Why doesn't he go for a stronger attack?" Kyle asked.

"I think you're seeing this all wrong," Sylvia replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look."

The fight had gone on for ten minutes, with Sebastian attacking nonstop. Suddenly, he stopped. Blood dripped from his brow, running into his eye, forcing him to blink rapidly. The students gasped as they took in the full picture—Sebastian's clothes were stained red, his face covered in thin cuts. He looked as though he had been mauled by a wild animal.

This had been Ray's plan from the start. If he had defeated Sebastian too quickly, the ranking system would have simply declared him the winner. That was too light of a punishment. He needed Sebastian to feel pain—the same pain Monk had felt. But unlike what happened in the forest, he couldn't attack him after the match had ended.

These shallow wounds stung, burning with every movement. The ranking system simulated real combat, meaning that if he inflicted a wound that would have been fatal in a real battle, the match would end immediately. But light wounds? They would linger.

Ray stepped forward, his voice calm. "It's my turn now."

Sebastian, exhausted and bleeding, raised his sword to defend himself. Ray swung his weapon upward toward his face. Sebastian lifted his own sword to block, but just as the two weapons were about to collide, something impossible happened.

Sebastian's eyes widened as Ray's sword disappeared—or at least, that's what it looked like. The blade seemed to phase through his weapon, reappearing behind it and slashing his lip.

A thin line of red appeared, then split, leaving his mouth torn in two.

"You bashtard… jush wait unhil my dad hes abouh this."

Sebastian's lips had been torn apart, making it hard to understand his words. But Ray didn't need to hear clearly. He already knew what was coming—a threat.

"That's impossible. How did he learn that?" Monk muttered.

He had woken up in his room and rushed to the training field after hearing about the duel. But by the time he arrived, the fight had already started. And now, he had just witnessed something unbelievable.

The Phantom Strike.

The other Black Sash knights were in just as much shock. It was a technique they had been shown, but never taught. Sir K had demonstrated it once during their first lessons, showing them a glimpse of the skills a true Black Knight could wield.

Yet here Ray was, using it in an actual fight.

"He's gotten even stronger in such a short time," Gary murmured, watching the scene unfold. He didn't know whether to be happy for Ray or frustrated. His rival was getting further and further ahead, leaving him behind.

It was clear to everyone who the winner was, but Ray wasn't stopping. He kept attacking, hitting Sebastian over and over with the tip of his wooden sword.

Sebastian wanted to give up. He wanted to say the words. But every time he opened his mouth to surrender, Ray struck him in the face. As if he could read his thoughts, preventing him from speaking.

The students watching felt something shift. This wasn't a duel anymore. This was a massacre. They stared in silence, all thinking the same thing. Ray was a monster in human skin.

More.

More.

Sebastian needed to suffer.

Every time Ray struck him, images flashed in his mind—the past, the cruelty, the pain. Looking at Sebastian's bloody face, he felt nothing. No sympathy. No hesitation.

This was justice.

Sebastian and Monk had been in the same school, fought for the same reasons, even belonged to the same race.

So why? Why did he deserve that kind of cruelty? Ray's grip tightened. He raised his sword again. Then, a voice shouted from the crowd—one he recognized instantly.

"That's enough, Ray… Please… stop."

Monk's voice trembled, his eyes filled with tears. Ray paused, looking at him. Why was he crying? Wasn't this what he wanted?

Revenge?

Who cared what happened to this waste of space? His hands trembled slightly, his thoughts a tangled mess. The moment he hesitated, Sebastian gasped out the words.

"I giveve uppp… plelsw… noooo more… no moRe!"

The fight was over.

Ray's communicator blinked, updating his rank.

#2.