The Worst

Calling what happened between Axel and me a "duel" would be generous.

In reality, all I did was struggle to keep him from beating me into the ground.

The weight of his attacks, the precision and speed behind each strike—every movement was overwhelming. His coordination was on an entirely different level. Even without any real combat experience, I could see just how vast the gap between us was.

All thanks to Analyze—which I activated at the start of the duel, hoping it would help me grasp the basics of fighting quickly. But it didn't quite work the way I expected.

The first few rounds of the duel were just me running around, stumbling over my own feet and drawing a few laughs from the students watching. I fumbled with the sword, holding it wrong more times than I could count. 

It took a while—too long, actually—but eventually, thanks to Analyze, I started to pick up on the basics of how to fight amidst the duel.

But even with that, it still didn't make a difference.

"To your left," Axel warned, his blade already cutting through the air toward that exact spot.

I was already moving toward his warning, and still, I just barely managed to raise my sword in time to block, but the sheer force of the impact knocked me off balance. That slight stagger was all it took to create an opening.

"In front of you," he said, and his sword was already descending toward my face.

I threw myself to the side at the last second, narrowly avoiding the strike. But Axel didn't give me even a moment to recover—he was already on top of me.

"Your right."

A kick came fast and hard. I raised my arm to block, but the impact sent a shockwave through my body, forcing me to roll away. My vision spun for a moment before settling on the sight of Axel, his sword pointed at me.

The duel was over.

Panting, I deactivated my Rune, feeling the strain and headache from using Analyze, then I looked up at his face, his deep scowl making it clear he wasn't impressed.

"You're possibly the worst student I've ever seen," he said flatly.

I let out a small, breathless chuckle and shrugged. "Anyone would be, fighting against you."

He shook his head. "No, I meant it. From what I've seen, it's like you've never held a blade before—or been in a real fight."

That's because I haven't.

Feigning an apologetic smile, I said, "Sorry for being that bad."

He extended a hand, and I took it as he spoke. "That's what I thought at first. But by the end, you weren't terrible. Not qualified, of course, but definitely better than when the duel started."

I gave an awkward chuckle and shrugged. "Thanks for the compliment. I've always been a quick learner."

Analyze isn't as overpowered as it seems. Sure, it helps me learn faster, but that only works if I can make sense of what I'm analyzing. For example, if someone's hitting me, I can analyze the punch—calculate its speed, power, distance, and precision—but that information is only useful if I know how to act on it.

At the start of the duel, I struggled to put all the data the Rune provided into practice because Axel was just far too strong. Even though I could predict his attacks, I couldn't do a thing to stop them.

So instead of focusing on the fight itself, I started analyzing other things: his movements, how he gripped the sword, where his eyes and feet were, the way his body rotated. I mirrored his actions, and slowly, I started to get it.

Like Axel said, I'm still an amateur. But considering I'd never even picked up a sword before, I think I did pretty well.

"Where are you from?" Axel asked, his tone still cold.

"The Underground," I replied simply.

He nodded, thinking for a moment before adding, "You're smart, but that's not enough. Train your body."

I gave a small nod, acknowledging his words. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

He quietly turned and walked toward the noisiest part of the arena, where two students were locked in an intense duel.

It was a fight between Mikhail and Lin Dukian.

The rest of the students gathered, watching the fight. The atmosphere was charged with excitement, as Mikhail and Lin clashed with precision and power. 

It looked like a battle between two seasoned warriors, each move executed with deadly intent. The students who had finished practicing were now standing in awe, clearly impressed by the skill on display.

Lin Dukian moved graciously, his strikes coming at Mikhail like a relentless storm. Each motion was calculated, precise, and aggressive, aimed to exploit any opening in Mikhail's defense. 

On the other hand, Mikhail was relying on his superior strength and the reach of his sword, using the longer blade to his advantage as he countered with calculated, heavy swings. 

Despite their differing styles, both fought with an intensity that showcased their technical prowess, each using only their weapon, technique and physical power to try to get the upper hand.

Different from me who cheated using my Rune against Axel.

The intensity of the match escalated quickly, with each strike landing harder and faster. Blood began to spill across the arena floor as their bodies bore the many cuts throughout the battle. It was clear to everyone watching that this was no longer just a friendly sparring match.

Lin, with his unmatched precision, aimed a deadly thrust directly toward Mikhail's eyes. But Mikhail, determined, ignored the incoming threat, his focus solely on delivering his own strike. With a swift movement, he used his shorter sword to drive into Lin's side.

Before either blow could land, Axel appeared between them, his grip strong as he seized both boys' wrists with his hands.

"Enough! This is just a friendly duel," he barked, his voice sharp with authority. "What were you thinking?"

Mikhail averted his gaze, a faint flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck. "I... I just got caught up in the moment."

Axel shot a pointed glance at Lin, waiting for some sort of response. But Lin only bit his lip, his eyes fixed on the ground, refusing to say anything. The silence lingered for a moment before Axel let out an exasperated sigh. He shoved his hand into his pocket, searched briefly, and then clicked his tongue in frustration.

"You two will clean up the arena for the next month!" he said.

Mikhail and Lin both nodded, their expressions a mix of defeat and resignation. A few students snickered, amused by the turn of events.

Axel's gaze snapped toward them, his annoyance palpable.

"All who laughed, 1,000 push-ups, now!" he commanded, his tone brokering no argument.

The laughter died instantly as those students scrambled to the ground, the weight of Axel's punishment sinking in.

"Everyone else, you can return now. Class is dismissed," Axel said, his voice softening just slightly as he turned to leave.

With that, a loud bell echoed across the campus, signaling the end of mandatory classes and the beginning of lunch. Instantly, most students—except for Mikhail, Lin, and the ones who had laughed at them—left the arena, making their way toward the cafeteria.

I left the arena, my mind still occupied by the fight between Lin and Mikhail. It was hard to believe they were the same age as me. But then again, that made sense—they were characters from the game, both with incredible potential.

…

I need to catch up to them quickly. The story won't wait for me. The first incident is already here. I walked with purpose toward the cafeteria, where the first 'event' of the game will happen.