༺ Territorial Fight (2) ༻
“I wasn’t really picking a fight.”
The veins on Verga Rayphelt’s forehead pulsed in anger.
Verga threw a handkerchief in my direction.
It was a handkerchief with the emblem of Märchen Academy, it was a symbol of a grimoire, and sword sewn on.
The purpose behind his throw was clear. ‘Come and Face me’.
I caught the handkerchief that fluttered towards me.
“I challenge you to a duel. Fight me like a man, boy.”
Fighting and brawling within the academy could lead to disciplinary action.
However, dueling in the designated arena was legal. Not only that, it was actually encouraged.
The reason was obvious.
‘Duels help enhance the practical skills that were needed in an actual fight.”
Just like any other academy, this place was no different in its teaching philosophy.
Verga’s voice growled like a wild tiger. His demeanor looked entirely like a wild beast.
If a situation like this happened in Korea over a study room seat, I might’ve said something like ‘Why is this your seat?’ and proceeded to get into an argument.
However, since my purpose here was the sub-event, there was no real need to engage in a verbal bout.
“If I win, you won’t talk shit later, right?”
The students around were further bewildered, with many letting out exclamations of shock. Their reactions honestly deserved an Oscar for Best Performance.
“Hmph! Your spirit is to my liking, boy. I enjoy educating juniors like you who are lacking in respect.”
Verga lowered his voice with a fierce expression on his face.
“Hey, you.”
“Ugh!”
Verga’s gaze shifted to a male student in an adjacent area.
Seeing as a red brooch hung from his tie, it seemed like he was a student in the same year as me. He seemed startled by Verga’s call.
“Be the referee.”
“Ah, yes, yes!”
He was threatened with a glare that dared him to refuse.
My fellow schoolmate had no choice but to accept with a fearful expression.
At least three people were needed for a duel: two duel participants and one referee who would mediate.
“Follow me.”
With that, Verga and I headed towards the arena.
For some reason… Many students began to follow us as if they were bewitched by some mob mentality.
‘I’m not some kind of Pied Piper, you know…’
We gradually arrived at our destination. It was close to the training ground, so it didn’t even take that long.
The arena had three sections in total. Among them, we were going to Duke Hall, the dedicated arena for Magic Department freshmen.
Inside the grand building itself, it was further divided into four quarters. In one of these quarters was an arena where Verga and I stood facing each other from a distance.
Just like ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, spectators for this Verga sub-event were interspersed among the second-floor stands.
I estimated there were around 30 of them.
Although it was far from filling the entire stands, considering the fact that there were usually very few people at the arena, it was a decently large number of spectators.
Presumably, this was because my opponent was an elite member of a faction within the Four Constellations.
Watching others fight was already entertaining enough, but it was much more exciting when one of the duelists was a well-known individual as well.
‘Oh, Tristan and Isaac’s older sister are here too.’
I noticed Tristan Humphrey and Eve Ropenheim as I scanned the stands.
Were they at the training grounds as well…? Whatever, it’s not something I should concern myself with, anyway.
‘Let’s forget about that for now and pay attention to the current situation… It seems as if some rumors may spread after this.’
Whether I won or lost against Verga, it was likely that the news of our showdown would spread among the students.
Eh, it should be okay. Alice won’t get suspicious over something as trivial as this anyway.
“Your name?”
“It’s Isaac. I don’t have a last name.”
“I am Verga Rayphelt. Since this is a hassle, let’s do this in a manly manner.”
“A manly manner?”
I already knew what it meant, however, I had to pretend I was unaware of his conditions.
“We take turns exchanging one blow each. The one who loses consciousness first loses. A normal duel is also fine, but wouldn’t it be too pitiful for you if you’re knocked out without a fight?”
Of course, it would, my good sir.
After all, I couldn’t easily defeat Verga in a fair duel.
‘Although, if I have to fight him in one, I should be able to use my wits to resist him a bit.’
Verga boasted a strength befitting his physique and a speed unexpected from someone of his size. The probability of me losing was fairly high in a normal fight.
However, with Verga’s specialized rules of engagement, I had a chance to accurately strike him with all my might for my first blow.
‘With my current abilities, it’s worth giving it a try.’
I put strength into my right index finger and wiggled it to relax my tense muscles.
There was also something I wanted to experiment with. Verga would make a great punchi- test subject.
“Alright, who goes first?”
“I’ll give you the initiative. If you can’t knock me down with a single hit, you will definitely regret it.”
…Let’s avoid the conclusion where I wake up in the infirmary at all costs.
“Referee! Announce the start of the duel!”
“Ugh! Y-yes! V-verga Rayphelt versus Isaac! Begin duel!”
My fellow classmate raised his right arm to declare the start of the duel.
Verga glared at me as his bulging muscles twitched with anticipation. He adjusted his posture and prepared to take my attack.
His strength was his formidable defense, a shocking culmination of strong basic protection magic, high elemental resistance, and a sturdy physique.
To clear this sub-event, I had to land a decisive blow that would be able to pierce through all of these defenses at once.
‘I can’t just grab him by the balls or strike his throat.’
Vulnerable spots such as these were a trap.
This was because Verga’s basic protection magic was the strongest around such areas.
During my first playthrough of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, I naturally went for any man’s weakness, his groin. However, it was impossible to deal damage to those balls of steel.
At the same time, however, some areas were relatively less protected by his basic protection magic.
And out of those areas, one of them also happened to be one of his weaknesses.
‘But that’s just because the damage can be dealt more deeply compared to other areas.’
Of course, if one had not surpassed a certain standard, striking this weakness would still be ineffective.
Additionally, considering Verga’s high elemental resistance, it would not be a good idea for someone of my level to cast an elemental spell, even at max power.
So then, how did our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, defeat him?
He possessed an outstanding ability that was rare among the Magic Department students. With that, he defeated Verga.
It was the one thing that a Magic Department student should never use to directly compete against a Knight Department student.
‘Physical prowess.’
The strategy for this sub-event was to powerfully strike at Verga’s weakness.
In other words, to achieve victory against Verga, it was necessary to completely overturn common sense.
Do not ever aim for the weak spots.
Even as a Magic Department student, win against a Knight Department student using pure physical strength.
As such, I prepared a spell that would increase my physical prowess. Although there would be a reduction in power due to Verga’s elemental resistance, it would still be better than hitting him with just my normal strength.
I placed Zhonya’s Staff on the ground and muttered solemnly.
“Eden, I’m counting on you.”
* * *
“A mere commoner competing for supremacy with an elite member of Black Tiger? Hah! What a laughable situation!”
Tristan Humphrey, a conceited and vain blond noble, sat with his legs crossed in the stands, as he observed the confrontation between Isaac and Verga.
His surrounding subordinates responded in agreement to Tristan’s words.
“Is there even a point in watching? Isaac is going to get thrashed anyway!”
“Senior Verga Rayphelt of the Four Constellation’s Black Tiger… I heard that every single Magic Department student who dueled with him was defeated. His innate elemental resistance is so high that most elemental spells are meaningless… As a result, since dueling with Magic Department students was boring, Senior Verga personally created the rule of striking in turns.”
“He dares to boast without knowing his place in front of such a person… How pathetic, Isaac.”
Tristan chuckled as his subordinates chattered excitedly around him.
“It’ll be quite the spectacle. Hurry and give me some entertainment with your pitiful appearance, commoner.”
Tristan’s tone was arrogant as he chuckled to himself.
Considering the humiliation he had suffered against Isaac until now, it would be an amusing and satisfying sight to see him get demolished by Senior Verga.
‘Isaac…’
Eve Ropenheim, who sat in the nearby seats, clenched her lips tightly.
She never expected Isaac to actually accept Verga’s challenge.
He could have just refused… He could have just given away the spot…
‘He had too much unnecessary pride… That person’s strength is too much for Isaac.’
She chewed on her thumbnail anxiously. Eve was fervently praying for Isaac’s safety.
Before long, the referee declared the start of the duel.
However, for some reason, Isaac placed Zhonya’s Staff on the arena floor.
He discarded his weapon!? Was he at least trying to surrender before it was too late?
‘No, the look on his eyes…?’
He was not planning on surrendering. Isaac’s usual gentle expression had turned incredibly cold with determination.
In a split second.
Whoosh—!
“…!”
With tremendous speed, Isaac leaped forward as if bouncing off a spring.
It was a movement that was unbelievably agile for a Magic Department student.
His athletic capability was far beyond anyone’s expectations. Naturally, Verga was also caught off guard.
Isaac accelerated towards Verga.
All of a sudden, a circular ring of rocks was partially conjured. A portion of it floated behind Isaac’s back.
「Rock Armor (Rock Element, ★4)」
Rock skin formed in the air as it attached itself to his right arm.
[Synchronization] with Eden was at its max. This allowed him to access some of Eden’s traits.
It’s a partial summon.
A gauntlet made of rock formed on Isaac’s right arm as it glowed a shade of light brown.
On the gauntlet, lines of golden rock mana glowed as it flowed like blood in veins.
[Rock Armor].
The partially summoned power of Eden was perfectly synchronized with Isaac’s strength. Thus, since it was equipment made from his own mana, he barely felt its weight at all.
It was only meant to add solidity and power to Isaac’s punch.
‘He’s in the Magic Department, yet he’s planning to win with brute strength…? Is he out of his damn mind?’
Typically, a wizard would keep the farthest possible distance from their enemy and unleash spells from afar.
The closer the wizard was to the enemy, the higher their probability of losing would grow. As such, a wizard was greatly vulnerable when it came to close combat.
Because of this, when Verga usually dealt with Magic Department students, they usually scrambled to bombard him with long-ranged spells.
Verga showed mercy by allowing him to take the initiative to pour out a full-powered spell.
However, Isaac, despite being a Magic Department student, was rushing at high speeds towards a Knight Department student like him.
Seeing as he equipped [Rock Armor] on his right arm, he must have intended to settle the battle through physical strength.
It was unthinkable, yet…
‘Foolish.’
In the end, Isaac was just a student from the Magic Department.
Choosing to fight with brute strength instead of unleashing magic was akin to discarding a sword and attacking with a wooden stick.
“Try me, you dumbass!”
Verga’s basic protection magic and endurance were top-notch. His muscles rippled as he prepared himself.
Isaac’s rock fist forcefully slammed itself into Verga’s upper body.
Boom—!
“Ugh…!”
A shockwave spread. The noise from the impact was reminiscent of a firing cannon.
The fist struck Verga’s left rib directly and caved inwards.
Verga’s heavy body momentarily flew in the air.
Blood flowed from his esophagus as it spurted out of his mouth.
Compared to Isaac’s current punch, even a heavy boulder shot from a catapult would have felt like a small pebble hitting him softly.
The shock was that intense.
“Ughh…”
Verga groaned in pain as he clutched his abdomen with both arms. In the end, he collapsed while kneeling down.
Isaac stood still as he looked down at Verga.
His gaze was cold as he observed Verga writhing in agony.
Before, everyone had collectively imagined another scene. A scene where Verga stood over and terrifyingly glared at a destroyed Isaac after absorbing attacks like it was nothing.
However, the scene unfolding in the arena was the complete opposite of what everyone had imagined.
The arena was silent.
The students stared in astonishment with frozen expressions.
Collapse–.
Verga was drenched in cold sweat while struggling to maintain consciousness. However, he eventually lost in the end as he fell unconscious on the ground.
Only then did Isaac close his eyes and dismiss the partial summon of Eden, [Rock Armor]. Only then did the floating ring of rocks behind him fade away.
‘How…?’
Eve’s eyes were trembling in shock. Tristan and the other students were in a similar state as well.
Isaac looked towards the referee.
The referee, who had been looking at the unconscious Verga with disbelief, exclaimed in surprise before raising his left arm.
“D-duel concluded! Isaac wins!”
No one cheered for him. Only heavy silence permeated throughout the arena.
A system window that only Isaac could see appeared before his eyes.
[Level Up!! Your level has increased to 83!] [You have gained 2 stat points!] [You have unlocked the achievement ❰One Punch Man❱! You have gained an additional 15 stat points!]
Isaac lightly dismissed the system window with a flick of his wrists.
His eyes once again turned gentle as he looked down at Verga and bowed slightly.
“Thank you for the duel, senior.”
The phrase ‘EXP’ was conspicuously missing from the system message.
Soon after, Isaac quietly left the arena.
The unexpected result overturned everyone’s predictions.
The fact that an elite member of the Four Constellation’s Black Tiger had been defeated by a Magic Department freshman who wasn’t even in Class A was an incomprehensible shock to the students sitting in the stands.
