Duels 2

Hazel's win had pumped up Class-D's morale as they celebrated her and showered her with praise. 

"Way to go Hazel!" Joshua cheered with reddened cheeks.

Ignoring the slight commotion from the group, Colonel Miguel cleared his throat, successfully quietening all discussions.

"Next, Taylor Swift from Class-B and Layla Benson from Class-A"

A boy with blood red hair and black eyes stepped up the stage as he smiled confidently. Even though he had a very menacing body, his expression was gentle.

"Taylor Swift from Class-B." He announced.

A girl with brown hair and yellow eyes stepped up to face him, not the least being intimidated.

"Layla Benson from Class-A" She said.

"Alright, Same rules—no dirty tricks." Colonel Miguel said as he nodded.

Taylor took a fighting stance, his face hardened slightly. 

"Please take care of me." He said politely—probably a Buddhist.

"Tch." He only received a snort and a kick as a reply as Layla attacked.

Taylor blocked the blow, arms crossed in defense. He immediately grabbed at her slender leg — but Layla twisted mid-air, slipping from his grip with ease.

She flipped back several times, creating distance—but Taylor was already closing in at a fast pace.

Without hesitation, she activated her ability—[Veil]—and vanished from his sight. The ability was simple but effective: it rendered her invisible to a single target, though others could still see her.

Taylor slowed, switching to a defensive stance as his eyes darted around.

"I can't sense her... Stay calm."

Suddenly—

Bang!

A sharp kick struck his ribs—he blocked instinctively but staggered a step.

Another moment—nothing.

Pak!

He unexpectedly received a kick to the temple which effectively shook his brain and knocked him out.

His giant body crashed on the stage as Layla silently appeared beside him.

"Winner—Layla Benson, Class-A."

The whole place was quiet as Class-B students' gaze rippled.

Taylor was one of the strongest in their class and he had just been outmaneuvered by pure wits without being able to even use his ability. Life in the academy was truly unpredictable—several unexpected abilities lurking behind each student.

The violet haired girl from Class-A smiled slightly as she silently nodded at Iruca, Class-B's supposed leader.

"Kukukuku, what a splendid show. Though that was very disappointing." Apollo laughed as he stood up from the chair brought by his mates. 

"Now..." He grinned and said with slight suspense.

"Next up. Apollo Silverstar, Class-C.Song Tian Yi, Class-A."

The purple haired boy from Class-C stepped up with a big grin while the other boy with long white hair from Class-A faced him.

Before starting, Apollo turned to look at Weng Lan, the violet haired girl from Class-A and winked.

"Same rules, Start!"

Before the words could even settle, Apollo had shot forward at inhuman speed, throwing a smashing kick from above which Tian Yi blocked by crossing his arms. The ground under their feet cracked as his thigh muscles clenched.

He immediately went for a counter-attack by throwing an upper cut only for Apollo to slap away the arm and deliver a series of heavy punches to his unprotected torso.

"Ugh-!"

Grunting, Tian Yi stumbled backwards before regaining his footing. A second later, they both clashed again—this time, with more fervor. Blow after blow, they appeared to be in a stalemate until Tian Yi noticed he was being pushed back.

"Haaah!" With a deep exhale, he exploded forward as fire coated his fists.

"Getting serious ain't ya?" 

Apollo only grinned more as he suddenly lowered his stance to the point where his torso was resting on a folded thigh, while his other leg was stretched behind him.

[First Storm: Thunderclap]

Time seemed to slow down—though it was just an illusion.

Purple lightening cackled around his legs and arms as his muscles tensed.

Boom!

A cloud of dust rose up from their collision, obscuring the students' view. When the dust settled, Tian Yi was shown kneeling on one knee his hand clutching his chest with a pained expression.

Apollo stood before him, blood rolling down the side of his head.

"Ah, Very refreshing." With a wide smirk, he ran his hand through his hair, staining it with blood.

"Winner—Apollo, Class-C."

...

As the arena floor was cleared and the crowd buzzed with post-battle chatter, the 15-minute break gave space for politics to take the stage.

Weng Lan, the violet haired girl from Class-A strode towards Class-B's group with purposeful steps.

"Ah, how has your day been, Miss Sanders?" She questioned with a seemingly harmless smile. Her voice was as soft as silk, complementing her delicate figure—yet her eyes remained sharp.

"Weng Lan? It's rare seeing you. And I'm going fine."

Iruca replied with a purely innocent smile..

Weng Lan's eyes narrowed as her fingers traced her lips "Although I don't like opposition, I d be more than willing to indulge you and that purple boy till I find someone worthy." 

"Oh? And do you mean... me?" A voice was heard as the so-called purple boy appeared with Victoria and Alexander tailing behind him.

"Yes if you wish." She answered slyly—not the least bit intimidated.

"Haa? Aren't you overestimating yourself? You haven't even united your class yet." He asked as he cocked his head towards Tian Yi who was surrounded by several members of the class.

"Fufufufu." Weng Lan laughed softly. "Pardon? I'll handle that minor issue on my own."

Hearing her blatant disregard for Tian Yi and seemingly unwavering confidence, Apollo sneered. His fingers flicked almost unnoticeably as he shot a small stone towards her head.

Amanda's hand shot up just in time as she perfectly held the stone between her fingers. With a growl, she turned her sharp glare at Apollo.

What an audacity to attack her leader! She wanted to kill him immediately.

"Stop."

Weng Lan's voice caused her to stop as she snorted and turned away.

"That's quite a feisty pet you've got yourself, Weng Lan."

Apollo smirked, stepping forward with his eyes narrowed.

"At least they are better than harmless goats." The girl commented gracefully as she glanced at Victoria who had a vein bulging on her head at the statement.

"Anyways, I'm done here."

Dusting his hands, Apollo smiled, then glanced at Iruca for a brief moment before he walked away with the same energy he arrived with. 

"See you soon, Miss Sanders." Weng Lan smiled pleasantly as her eyes turned into cresents—like a captivating butterfly.