Bringing Muscles to a Magic Duel

It didn't take long for them to arrive in the courtyard, the area designated for dueling between students. The morning air carried a faint chill, and the open circle was framed by trimmed hedges and old stone benches worn smooth from years of use.

Only a handful of students bothered to watch, leaning lazily against the walls or sitting on the edge of the fountain. Their eyes were half-interested at best, like they'd already decided the outcome.

Because, well…

What would be the point?

'You know… I'm starting to think some of the students in Bluetide have brain damage…' Christopher thought dryly, his gaze locking on the smug face of the boy who had just challenged him.

[That seems harsh]

'It's the truth.'

[Fair]

"I guess this is what happens when people get too spoiled in life." Christopher shrugged, sighing and shaking his head slowly.

The words weren't said out of malice—more like someone pointing out an obvious flaw. Truth be told, he was in no position to judge. He had been a spoiled child himself, sheltered from hardship until recently. Only in the past weeks had he truly experienced what it meant to be poor, hungry, and scrambling for survival. The system had noticed that change in him too.

[You truly have no shame]

"Enough waiting around!" the student on the other side barked, his voice echoing across the courtyard.

[Wind Slash]

A crescent-shaped blade of wind shot forward, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. Christopher's eyes tracked its approach.

Dodging wasn't even on the table. Not with how bloated and heavy his stomach still felt from his earlier meal. His body wouldn't respond fast enough.

But that didn't bother him.

"You'll be a fun guinea pig…" Christopher muttered, lips curling into a grin that edged on villainous.

[Devour]

He extended his arm, palm open. The rushing wind broke apart the moment it neared him, dissolving into threads of light that disappeared into his skin. Almost instantly, the sluggish weight in his body faded as the system burned through his meal for fuel.

'Great!'

[Using consumed magic for enhancement]

The system didn't wait for orders; it acted on its own, channeling the mana he'd taken earlier into fortifying his body.

'Quick thinking, system!'

[Thank you]

[Using consumed magic for enhancement]

This time, the mana freshly devoured from the Wind Slash surged through him, sharpening his movements, tightening his muscles. His limbs felt springy, his stance lighter, and his reflexes sharper—as if his body had been finely tuned for combat.

He had the sudden urge to punch a brick wall just to see what would happen.

Of course, that would still break his hand.

But a man could dream.

"How the hell did that not hurt you?!" the student shouted, disbelief etched on his face.

"You just missed, dumbass!" Christopher shot back without missing a beat, repeating the insult because he couldn't be bothered to come up with anything new.

"Y-you! I'll break your bones!" The boy's face twisted in anger as he channeled more mana.

[Wind Slash – 2x]

Two more blades of wind roared toward him. Christopher's grin widened. Now that he felt light on his feet again, he could afford to play this differently.

He sidestepped the first, raising a hand as it passed.

[Devour]

[Using consumed magic for enhancement]

The second came in fast, but his body flowed into motion smoothly—another side step, another palm raised, another spell swallowed whole.

"What's wrong? Didn't take aiming lessons with your magic?!" Christopher taunted, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

'Woah… I feel so light!'

"S-shut up!" The boy's temper snapped. Mana flared violently around him as he raised his arm.

[Wind Severance]

The air warped as the A-Rank spell took shape—razor-sharp wind condensed into the form of a translucent blade.

"Don't you dare run away!" The boy lunged, swinging down with lethal intent.

'Isn't that overkill!?' Sweat prickled Christopher's forehead. The sheer pressure from the attack made it clear—this wasn't something to casually block.

More importantly, why the hell was a student this sloppy allowed access to a spell like that?

He barely twisted aside as the blade came down, the edge passing where his head had been an instant ago.

'Shit! That was close!'

The blade faded into air… only for the boy to snarl and form another one instantly.

"I'm not done!"

[Wind Severance]

'That bastard can cast it multiple times!?'

SLASH.

Another downward strike came for his head, forcing Christopher into a retreating step. He couldn't devour something that close without giving away his secret to the entire crowd.

"Stop dodging!" the boy barked, swinging again.

[Wind Severance]

'How much mana has he got?!' Christopher's mind raced. He'd been lucky so far, but even with his enhanced body, taking an A-Rank head-on without a plan was suicide.

'Fuck it, let's ball!'

The moment the boy committed to his next strike, Christopher surged forward instead of back.

[Devour]

The wind blade disintegrated on contact with his hands, vanishing into streams of mana. The challenger froze mid-swing, eyes going wide.

"WHAT!?"

Christopher didn't give him time to think. He grabbed the boy by the head, his grip surprisingly firm from the enhancements.

"Hmpf!" He grunted, still not quite used to his newfound strength.

"And stay down!"

BANG.

The boy's head met the grassy courtyard floor with enough force to knock him out cold.

[Using consumed magic for enhancement]

[Storage Granted: +1]

[Arcane Points Granted: +15]

'Another storage slot?'

[Your ingenuitive tactic of taking the student down and high usage of devour was the cause of this]

"Good to know…" Christopher exhaled, rolling his shoulders before standing upright. He'd come out of it without a scratch, and that was enough.

As expected, the majority of the spectators had already lost interest and drifted away. Only one figure seemed genuinely amused.

"Woah! He got his ass handed to him!"

The voice came from a crimson-haired girl in the standard school uniform, her green eyes bright with mischief. Everything about her energy screamed extrovert.

Hannah Fey Cromwell—firstborn daughter of Viscount Cromwell.