My Cute Lovely Duel

When the teacher entered the classroom, I slowly removed my earphones and hid them. Because of my seating position, I usually stood out quite a bit, and unfortunately, even the teachers were influenced by the status-based hierarchy. Most of them didn't treat me well, but who cared?

Our class was called "Introduction to Armed Combat Techniques," a subject generally taught in scientific institutes that weren't tied to private training. There were over twenty different weapons in this course, and we would study almost all of them at certain times of the year. Since I was a bit frail, I had chosen the rapier, which was probably the best choice for me.

Compared to most of the "Chosen" students, I was extremely weak, which reflected directly on my one-on-one combat abilities.

Our teacher entered the class and placed the Instructor Module tablet on her desk before transitioning into the lesson.

Minerva Scootfield: "Alright, kids, today we will do some practical exercises on approaching animals with a united will. As I told you before, I hope you've practiced your reflexes at home."

The class responded in unison: "Yesssss, teacher!"

It was actually amusing because a bunch of teenagers were acting like little kids. Without realizing it, I smirked slightly, and that must have caught the teacher's attention.

Minerva S.: "Well, Esteban, since you're smiling, you must be feeling quite confident. Alright, everyone, let's get straight into it. Our first volunteer will be… Esteban, of course!"

Shit.

Yeah, I had drawn some attention to myself, but how bad could it be?

"Yes, ma'am," I responded.

I slowly pushed my chair back and got up. As I walked between the desks, I made eye contact with Alice as always. Alice was like a dream to me. At the beginning, when no one knew each other, she had been a bit friendly to me, but later, she distanced herself. I wasn't sure why, but I assumed she was hesitant.

Alice had distinct pink hair. I wasn't sure if it reflected her personality, but it gave off a delicate impression. Her slightly slanted eyes added an interesting allure, and her waist-to-chest ratio was perfect. She would often smile at me during lessons, but I tried not to look at her too much to avoid drawing attention.

Because someone else—Augustus—was madly in love with her. Once, he had cornered me in the bathroom, so we had to put a temporary pause on our little smiles.

As I walked past Alice, my arm brushed against her red-and-gray institute uniform. She giggled. I felt a bit strange, maybe even excited, and quickly moved forward.

Just as I reached the front row, some idiot stuck out his foot and tripped me.

I stumbled forward, barely catching myself, and the classroom erupted into laughter. I ignored it. Keeping my posture awkwardly straight, I cleared my throat as I stood beside the teacher.

"Ahem… Ahem… So, what exactly are we doing, ma'am?"

The teacher looked at me with mild contempt and spoke without answering my question:

"Dx-200-12, initiate basic will-possessing creature simulation."

I was honestly a little nervous. Creatures known as Will Forms were classified according to their intelligence level, which also reflected their level of evolution. Some creatures didn't fit this rule, but we followed general classifications.

Basic Will Creatures were comparable to large dogs. Their body structure resembled that of a lion, but they weren't as vicious. In fact, they could even be domesticated.

During the era of the Old High Cultivation, humans hunted, tamed, and even bred humanoid variations of these creatures. However, in modern times, they were rarely seen.

Humanoid Will Beasts were officially classified as a species in A.R. 2000. Although they looked down on humans now, they were once our slaves. Oh well.

Through my research, I had found three general types of these creatures, though I was sure there were more:

Half-Humanoids: These creatures were the result of humans and animals breeding. They possessed human intelligence and animal strength. Examples included cat-humanoids, dog-humanoids, and many others.

Evolved Humanoids: These were animals that had spent long periods mimicking humans until they started behaving like them. (Public access to examples is restricted.)

Quarter-Humanoids: These were the offspring of weaker humans and hybrid animal species. They were essentially weaker versions of the half-humanoids.

In short, the creature I would be fighting was a basic, unevolved Will-possessing form.

The classroom podium began to transform, shifting into a terrain that resembled an open field. Trees and bushes were strategically placed, most likely as obstacles.

The teacher handed me a nano-attack replicator—a device that would simulate pain by sending signals to my nervous system whenever the hologram attacked me.

I slowly injected it into my bloodstream. It didn't feel like much; I had gotten used to this technology. We had been using it for a long time in various training scenarios, with different opponents and different arenas.

Holograms were created using neutrino-sized particles, meaning everything I stepped on felt completely real—even the smells were simulated.

Suddenly, a beast appeared before me.

It was the size of a bear, resembling a wild boar. I couldn't recall its exact name from the creature compendium, but that didn't matter—I still remembered some of its attack patterns.

All my senses were now being manipulated by the neurobot. The battlefield looked somewhat odd, considering my classmates were still sitting in their seats, creating a strange contradiction in the setting.

The pungent smell of the beast reached my nose.

At that moment, the teacher tossed me a rapier made of wood and other alloys—not sharp, but enough to simulate real combat.

As soon as I grabbed it, a familiar sensation filled my hand. After spending one to two years training daily with the same sword, it had practically molded to my grip.

I pointed the rapier straight at the beast's head, my battle plan set:

Hit and run. Hit and run. Repeat until the enemy falls.

I knew it sounded dull, but for someone as weak as me, this was the best possible strategy.

The teacher gave her usual warning:

"If your heart rate drops below a certain level or if your synchronization fails, the simulation will be terminated. Now, begin."

The beast locked onto me immediately.

I tensed every muscle in my body, as if I actually had a well-built physique.

Seconds later, it lunged forward at full speed.

I instantly pushed off with my hands and sidestepped.

Rolling in this situation would have been a deadly mistake—it would limit my field of vision.

The beast failed to stop itself and skidded forward before gradually slowing down.

I didn't waste the opportunity. Without hesitating, I dashed toward it and drove my rapier into its kidney area.

I had a few seconds before the beast would shake me off, so I twisted the blade, forcing it deeper.

Suddenly, it used a burst of strength to fling me into a tree.

Pain shot through my spine as my back slammed against the bark. I spat out blood and quickly distanced myself by rolling away.

The beast staggered but managed to get up.

Its breathing was ragged.

Most likely, it had entered a fight-or-flight state, triggered by adrenaline.

This time, it pounced forward with blazing speed, its claws slashing downward at me.

I dashed to the left—toward the wound I had already inflicted.

Turning would be painful for it, forcing a delay in its movements.

Just as it twisted in agony, I drove my rapier into its eye.

And then—

BAM.The spar was ended

Since I had been experiencing arcade-style fights constantly, these battles had started to feel monotonous. However, I still hadn't fought against Willed Forms that often. The teacher briefly congratulated me, dismissing my efforts with a simple remark, and sent me back to my seat. My sword remained with me for training purposes, and I once again disappeared among the rows of desks.

Just as I was about to return to my seat, Augustus, the loudmouth from the back row, threw a remark at me.

Augustus: "So, even commoners can wield a sword, huh? My ancestors would have been ashamed. Who would want the son of a sex slave holding a blade?"

His words didn't anger me much, but his desperate attempt to see himself as superior to me was infuriating. The idiot would be nothing without the treasures his family had provided for him. And that ridiculous axe of his? It was the perfect weapon for a brute like him.

Still, I wasn't about to leave him unanswered.

"At least I don't have erectile dysfunction, you fool," I shot back.

Augustus' face instantly twisted in anger. His ex-girlfriend had left him precisely because of that issue. The girl had been a gold digger anyway, but still. When Augustus confronted her, she had exposed him on our school's confession page.

If I loved someone like Alice, I would at least put my desires aside and focus on her. But this idiot? He couldn't get the girl he wanted, so he kept resorting to temporary fixes.

His so-called friends burst into laughter, mocking him mercilessly. Augustus turned toward me, his face red with rage.

Augustus: "Don't disappear after class."

I smirked. "Sí, sí, señora," I said mockingly.

Then, I sat down in my seat.