Combat and Complications

"SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST DAY OF COMBAT CLASS, WE WON'T BE DOING ANYTHING TOO DIFFICULT. A SIMPLE SPAR SHOULD SUFFICE. NOW YOU ALL GO GET YOURSELF A SPARRING PARTNER—DUEL OR BET, OR JUST A FRIENDLY MATCH, I DON'T CARE. BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PARTNER IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES, YOU WILL RUN FIFTY LAPS AROUND THIS STADIUM. AND TAKE IT FROM ME, YOU WILL COMPLETE THOSE LAPS."

That was all he needed to say. The next moment brought chaos.

Everyone was running around frantically, shouting and waving their arms to catch potential partners' attention.

"Selena!" I caught sight of her again, but this time she was actually glaring at me.

What the hell did I even do?

"What's wrong? I already apologized for not coming earlier, so why are you still mad?" I placed a hand on her shoulder, but she grabbed it and stared into my eyes.

"Are you seriously telling me you don't know what you did?" she asked, giving me that 'I know you cheated on me' look.

This only burned brighter the flame of my curiosity.

"Just tell me already," I said, with a hint of resignation.

"You... Don't talk to me," she said and threw my hand off. I could see a hint of tears in her eyes.

Ah.

I am so lost.

'Are you really so dense...,' laughed that bitch Nelia in my head.

'So you know the problem?'

'It's so obvious, why wouldn't I?'

'Tell me then.'

'It's the earring, idiot. Don't you know purple diamonds on accessories are a mark of lovers' bond? You having one only means a lover—someone else has the other.'

'AND HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?!'

Come to think of it, when Lucas had the earring on, it was golden in color.

Wait.

Could she really be mad just because of that?!

I turned in the direction she walked off to, and I could see her glare at me from afar before turning and walking away.

"Hey, you're Ryan, right?" I heard, then turned to see a young man with dark brown hair and slightly green eyes.

"Yeah?" I said.

"How about a spar?" He flashed a kind smile.

"No, I got here before him! Spar with me instead—I'll give you some points if you win," another voice interrupted.

"What?" I blurted in confusion.

"No, fight me instead! Don't I look like an easy opponent?" said someone else.

Okay, what the fuck is happening here?!

'Your level,' Nelia chimed in, and I frowned.

Oh.

"You all move away from him. I would like to have a spar." I turned and, yep, it was some bastard—but the thing was that I knew this bastard.

He wasn't really a main character. He was actually a minor villain, leaning more toward a side character.

"Molly," I grinned, and his face contorted in rage.

I know this fucker, of course. Not only from the novel but from my childhood.

Molten Feinal.

One of the nobles who attended the pre-academy. In fact, it was he and his goons who were supposed to be beating me up before I got saved by Eliosa and Ariana.

But that didn't happen. However, we did have our clashes—just that... I was the one doing the bullying.

"Good, it seems you still remember me," he said, flexing his now-toned muscles.

Back then he was a fat ass, which is why I nicknamed him Molly.

But it seems he took my words to heart.

"Let's fight." Seeing him, every other person vying to fight with me took a hike.

After all, this bastard was infamous for being a bully who was also affiliated with bullies from second and third years.

"N—" I was about to, of course, say no when a silky soft voice reached my ears.

"That won't work though. I already asked the instructor specifically for a duel with him." I heard the voice and frowned.

Damn it.

"Ariana," I muttered, turning around to find a platinum-haired girl with blue tips at the ends and blue eyes staring intently at me.

'That's a lie... probably,' Nelia commented.

"No. Molly and I have some unfinished business. I don't have time for kids," I said.

"Is that true, Molten?" she asked, her voice gentle yet I could sense the undercurrent of menace.

"N-No," stammered the good-for-nothing idiot.

"Molly, don't tell me you're chickening out just because of a girl—and a bitch no less! Aren't you a man anymore?!" I asked, but the idiot looked like someone who had seen a ghost.

Just what did she do to him?

"Molten~" Ariana's voice took on a sickeningly sweet tone. "I heard the Feinal family has some troubles. Don't you think it wouldn't be nice if things got... worse?" She smiled, and even I, who wasn't even the target of the threat, felt a chill run down my spine.

When did she become this... evil?

'It seems a good number of people despise you,' Nelia observed.

'So?'

'It seems you won't live a long life.' She smiled, not saying anything further, but that smile on her face, for some reason, mirrored the one Ariana carried now.

Haah.

"Molly... You can't—" I tried to admonish, but realized he had already fled.

Fucking prick.

That douchebag was a typical villain—strong to the weak and weak to the strong—but I still couldn't help but think: What exactly did she do to traumatize him so much?

"I knew you were a bitch, but I never took you for a hypocrite," I said in spite.

"Oh, that? I realized with time that one can never hope to get their revenge on you if they don't become shameless," she laughed.

"Well, good luck with that," I said and was about to leave but she held my hand.

Too tightly.

"We. Will. Fight." There was no smile on her face. It seems she wants to kill me today.