"Where is Ezra Miller?"
Ezra was unnerved, wondering what the problem was, but then he saw the one speaking-Valentine Kreel.
"Yes?!" Ezra hollered.
"Huh?" ran through simultaneously across everyone's mouth as they turned to see a tall dude draped in black clothes with silver hair.
The adequate response came forth.
"Who are you?"
Ezra locked eyes with Theron. "You haven't told them?"
"I was about to…" he stared at Valentine. "…when she came along"
"What do you want?" Ezra asked.
Valentine stared for a long minute. "I know that voice, but…is that you Ezra?"
"Of course not, my name is Micheal"
Valentine narrowed her eyes. "I'm not stupid you know"
"Huh? I actually didn't know"
She clenched her fists, quietly looking over Ezra's new figure. "Last time, you ignored my request for a duel. I'm here officially to reissue it"
Ezra stared with dead eyes.
His mind was still a mess hearing the possibility that he was unable to advance, so now he was just annoyed.
"I already told you," he said. Waving his hands lazily, "It's a waste of time and energy"
"Why? Because you defeated others doesn't mean you'll be able to defeat me"
Ezra stared, before bursting into laughter. "Sure. In fact, I'm so afraid of losing I refuse to fight you-is what you wanted to hear, right?"
"Well it's true, why else wouldn't you fight me?"
"My head" Ezra rubbed his head. He just answered this question.
After a long sigh, he turns around. "You know what?"
Valentine looked expectant. While the drafted students awaited his answers as well.
Ezra raised his hands. "I surrender"
"W-What?" Valentine was flustered.
"I said I surrender" he said, walking away.
Valentine had to get a hold of herself. "T-Then you have to give me your crest"
Ezra stopped. "You seem to be a master at pushing things" he said. "Do you want to lose that badly?"
"Hah, just accept the duel and stop making a fool of yourself"
All the while, Ezra's thoughts whirred. 'Should I just give it to her? This is frustrating'
But then…
'Maybe I should give her what she wants?'
Ezra nodded. He had a feeling that if he didn't settle things here, the annoyance would only grow.
Moreover, he'd been looking for an outlet to destress.
'I have to be careful though, killing her would really complicate matters' he thought. '…But I should end things quickly. So…about thirty percent?'
Thirty percent of his strength that is.
He got into stance. He was going to fight barehanded. 'Shouldn't take longer than a minute'
"You win" he says after a lot of thought. He turns to the thousands of students around them. "Move back"
Instantly, the top ten comply-because they knew what he was capable of.
Others were flustered by how fast the top brass responded and quickly backed away as well.
"I accept the duel" Ezra says, the crest on his pocket lit up.
"Are duels to be conducted like this? shouldn't we head to the arena?" Valentine asked.
"The arena is to make sure you have enough witnesses for the duel" he points to the thousands of students around. "As you can see, we have more than enough witnesses"
She gathered her purple hair and tied it with rubber, before unsheathing a katana strapped to her side.
Its hilt was red while the blade was gleaming black.
"That's a good blade. Can I have it after I win?" asked Ezra.
"Only if you can give me something equal in value if I win" she replied.
"Sure" he nodded.
"Where's your weapon?" she asked, puzzled.
"I don't need it to defeat you"
"I won't attack an armless person"
"Wow, so full of chivalry, are we? It'll get you killed" he stretched.
"Suit yourself" she replied with a heavy tone. "Don't blame me for what happens next"
"Get on with it"
"Huu" she inhaled.
Her presence enlarging as her body lights up with purple lightning.
"Oh" Ezra was pleasantly surprised.
The lightning then converged onto her katana, and then, she locked eyes with Ezra, and suddenly…vanished.
"What the-
He didn't finish before his sense warned him of an incoming attack and immediately, he turned clockwise and raised his guard.
Before he could even settle in the position, Valentine appeared, cleaving down with her lightning blade.
Cha!
The ground cave in a bit with Ezra guarding the sword with his hands, the sword couldn't even go in completely, only taking trickles of blood.
"That's a new trick" Ezra commented. Realising the folly.
'The daughter of the academy head, I guess using space magic wasn't out of possibilities'
"Ugh!" Valentine grunted. She did expect that her blade might not cut off his arm in one go, but it didn't even budge.
"What kind of skin do you have?" she grunted out.
"A lightning resistant one"
THUM
His arms lit up with white lightning, "I can do this too" and he punched out.
Immediately, Valentine warps her way out of danger, arriving a few meters away.
"So now you're running?" Ezra taunted.
"Damn you" she growled, her lightning flaring, before warping.
'She's coming'
Immediately, he seemingly punched the air for no reason-when Valentine appeared in the direction of his punch.
Craaan!
The fist and katana hit one another, with Valentine blasted backwards and warping before she touched the ground.
Kang!
Ezra intercepted her strike. She immediately warped again.
Kang!
And again.
Kriian!
And again.
Kiiin!
And again.
She was constantly warping, reappearing around him attacking in all the ways that she could.
Ezra guarded calmly at first, but as she sped up, he sped up.
Kang!Kang!Kang!Kang!Kang!
"Interesting" Ezra spoke, a grin on his face. "Let's see how far you can go" Ezra laughed
Like so, his plan changed from a fast win with overwhelming to testing Valentine's limit.
Most couldn't make out anything, Valentine and Ezra had turned into afterimages, only the colour of purple and white were distinguishable, as they clashed so much it looked like they were in symphony.
It was beautiful.
For the strongest few, it looked like a mirage in space was constantly moving around Ezra-who's hands seemed to have turned in bright white due to how fast it was moving-causing sparks of purple and white to fly about.
'What is this?!'
Valentine was alarmed, she had reached her limits, but all she attained were shallow slashes that healed faster than she could think.
For most part, Ezra dodged or blocked, he wasn't attacking for some reason-even though Valentine knew he could-and he didn't look like he was getting fatigued in the least, rather, excitement flushed his face as he grinned like mad man, exposing the white teeth in full and his nature as a beast.
On the other hand, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes mirrored the fatigue her body was feeling.
Once Ezra registered that her attacks had gotten weaker and the intervals between her warps got longer, he went into attack mode.
She was at her limits, he'd gotten the information needed, now…
'Let's end this'
He froze for a few seconds, his eyes closed with his hands raised in front of him.
He was trying to pinpoint Valentine's next warp point.
Then… 'Found it'
He huffed, in one smooth motion, rotated and punched out with right arm garbed in white lightning.
Valentine appeared right in front of his punch.
'Gotcha'
'Oh no!'
Valentine hurriedly placed her katana in the direction of the punch.
But…
POW!
It mattered not.
Valentine indirectly puked water the moment the punch connected, before being blown afar.
She smashed through trees before bouncing on the ground thrice and then kissing dirt.
In all accounts, she was KNOCKED out, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
The onlookers had their mouths agape, moving their gaze from Valentine to Ezra, whose stance mirrored the gait of a Boss, while his clothes were ruined.
The perceptive one registered something.
'Wait, he didn't have armour on to take all those strikes…yet I don't see any injuries…'
They gulped. Carving into their skulls never to offend Ezra.
Particularly the top brass.
"What?" Ezra suddenly asked, wondering why all the students were staring at him like an exotic beast.
Johan answered, scratching his head awkwardly, "We're wondering if you couldn't have been, you know, a bit gentler…considering that she's a girl and all that"
Ezra raised a brow, not properly comprehending such stupidity.
"When you get to real battlefields. Being either gentle or merciful is the first that's going to get you killed"
They shut their mouths, when Ezra added "Besides, I practice equality" in a matter-of-factly tone.
The boys raised eyebrows, rubbing their chins, seemingly enlightened on a matter they did not previously understand.
Ezra picked up her katana, she had dropped it when he punched her.
Feeling the smooth surface, he muttered "It's a fine blade" before sucking it into his space ring. "And now it's mine"
He looked at his clothes, cut to tatters.
"Let's get changed"
He heads to the dormitory, leaving Theron a message.
"Theron, once she awakes, take her crest"
Theron nodded.
Heading back, Ezra rubbed his head. "What a hectic day"
He suddenly stops, a few seconds pass and he turns sideways, seemingly looking at nothing before saying. "You're still hiding?"
A pleasant tone rang. "Ohoho. To think you'd actually notice"
Elisa came into view, smiling as always.
Ezra just stared. "Why are you here?"
"Tsk, you're too boring"
"You're not here to take revenge, are you?"
Elisa giggled, waving her hand lazily, "Of course not. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't let my daughter grow?"
Ezra simply nodded. "So. What is it?"
"My daughter," she said. "What's your impression of her?"
"Huh?"
