Damn Academy - Chapter 180

[Episode 180] Suspicion (10)

The bell heralding the start of the duel rang out.

The buzz from the circular arena’s stands hushed in an instant. Though it was a familiar sight, Haley clenched her fists, emotionally invested in Damian’s involvement.

Honestly, even Haley couldn’t assure herself of Damian’s certain victory. Objectively, Ruskeus had the upper hand, but it was a gut feeling that led her to believe in Damian’s potential.

Murmuring a spell to himself, Ruskeus readied for the first strike.

In a duel between a mage and a swordsman, the closing distance usually spelled disadvantage for the mage. Thus, managing the gap between them often determined victory or defeat.

The mage would aim to secure time and space to cast spells, whereas the swordsman would strive to close in, disrupting the mage’s focus.

The problem was that Ruskeus was proficient in both swordsmanship and magic.

If distance was allowed, he would unleash a barrage of spells from afar; if it came to close combat, his superior swordsmanship would be waiting.

As Ruskeus chanted, a dozen ice spheres, condensed from the air’s moisture, levitated around him.

The sight of a Combat Department student adeptly casting magic drew exclamations of awe from the crowd.

Without delay, the ice spheres hurtled towards Damian, who cautiously approached, nimbly evading and deflecting them with his sword.

“Defending against that with no armor, barehanded? Hmm, but that’s reckless.”

There were many ice spheres. It seemed reckless to dodge what seemed like hail with just his senses, yet Damian surprisingly managed with ease.

The ice, hard enough to embed in the ground, would have shattered bones upon impact.
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Neria stroked her chin, bemused by Damian’s unexpectedly good performance.

“Hmm…”

His response was more than just quick reflexes; Damian moved as if he had read the intent behind each trajectory with precision.

However, a brief display wasn’t enough to gauge full capability.

As Damian attempted to close in, more ice spheres materialized, bombarding him like rain, preventing him from advancing easily.

Ruskeus hadn’t taken a single step from his position. And he continued to chant without pause.

Haley commented,

“It seems Ruskeus is preparing something big.”

Neria nodded in agreement,

“A magical trap, a mid-level spell. He must have honed his skills during the vacation.”

It was a spell that required time and concentration to cast. Normally, one should close the distance and disrupt the casting, but Damian didn’t seem to notice.

“Your junior seems quite preoccupied with the ice.”

As Ruskeus’s spell progressed, moisture gathered in the air and the ground began to dampen, changing the dirt’s color.

When the casting completed, it would instantly freeze.

With no other options against the magic trap, Damian, if caught, would spell the end of the duel.

And Damian, oblivious to the trap, made no move to counter.

Haley bit her lip anxiously,

“The rookie…”

Neria shook her head as if she had already anticipated the outcome.

Damian seemed limited to evading, unable to make a decisive move.

Minutes passed, and Damian showed no significant counter, merely toyed with by the ice spheres.

Ruskeus’s lack of movement also starkly displayed the power imbalance.

Eventually, as Ruskeus finished casting his spell, he pressed his lips together, smirking slightly at Damian.

He taunted,

“How did you gain Lady Vivi’s favor with such skills?”

Stretching his palm toward the sky, Ruskeus took a deep breath and clenched his fist.

Then, the ground that Damian had wet in his evasions began to freeze rapidly.

Damian’s feet also started to bind to the ground as the ice spread.
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“…!”

Damian glared at Ruskeus, a mix of panic and frustration in his eyes.

Ruskeus shook his head pitifully at him,

“Consider the events in the Duchy a fleeting dream.”

Ice walls erupted from the ground, encasing Damian layer by layer.

Damian was sealed within like a caged beast.

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Haley sighed,

“Ah…”

The ice was too solid and thick to break through with a sword. Damian was effectively incapacitated. It was Ruskeus’s victory, clean and clear.

And the students in the stands poured out their amazement.

“Wowww!”

Despite the significant drain of his magic, Ruskeus’s face was pale, but he did not lose his smile, waving to the cheering crowd and even offering a casual salute to the ambassador from Ulyssia, ensuring his acknowledgment.

Convinced the duel had ended, Ruskeus turned towards the waiting tent. However, he soon felt a strange sense of unease, causing him to stop and turn back.

The audience hadn’t stirred, and the instructor hadn’t come out for cleanup because there was no bell to signal the end of the duel.

Sensing something was amiss, Ruskeus glanced back at the ice prison he had created.

A gleam permeated the walls of the ice, shining like a lantern made of crystal, a crimson light beautifully illuminating the surroundings.

“……?”

Puzzled, Ruskeus approached the ice prison and, upon touching the wall,

A crimson sword blade burst through the ice, stopping just short of Ruskeus’s forehead.

“Uh, ahh!”

Startled, he staggered backwards and drew his sword.

As the blade retracted into the wall, a fierce blaze erupted through the opening.

Ruskeus instinctively cast a reinforcement spell, summoning an ice sheet to wrap around the prison.

But the ice couldn’t keep up with the melting pace. Ruskeus stuttered,

“Wh-what is this?”

Soon after, Damian, having easily sliced through the ice like butter, kicked aside the shattered wall and emerged.

Holding his red-hot sword, Damian swept back his drenched hair.

A murmur of shock spread through the stands. Haley clenched her fist and stood up, shouting,

“Yes! That’s it! Go for it, rookie!”

Trying to contain her embarrassment, Neria tugged at Haley’s clothes, pulling her down, and said,

“It’s not over yet. If Ruskeus’s magic is drained but Damian doesn’t overpower him with swordsmanship, it’s meaningless.”

Now that Damian had deflected Ruskeus’s final move, it was time for a direct confrontation.

Damian charged at Ruskeus, brandishing his sword.

Clang!

The two swords collided fiercely.

Neria watched closely, wondering how Damian would proceed. But there was no opportunity to observe his swordsmanship.

Clang! Clang! Clang!
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After just three exchanges, Ruskeus’s sword was sent flying by Damian’s overwhelming force.

Neria doubted her own eyes.

Despite being weakened from the strain of his magic, Ruskeus was overpowered far too easily.

Ruskeus quickly conjured snow powder in his hand and tossed it at Damian, retreating to regain his sword.

Damian extended his arm and flicked his hand in a signal, and from the ice prison, a fist-sized bird burst out.

“Peep!”

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The bird flapped excitedly, scattering flames in all directions, heating the arena, and causing the accumulated ice spheres to melt into billowing steam.

Seeing this, the students in the stands began chattering,

“A spirit? Was he a spirit summoner?”

“Isn’t he a disciple of Professor Silveryn? There was definitely something special about him.”

Neria pulled out her notebook and revisited the first-year candidates for the exchange. Damian’s name hadn’t been there before.

After some contemplation, she crossed out every other name except Sion and Gale’s and added Damian’s.

Looking down at the arena again, the magic barrier around the field had quickly filled with steam, creating a dense fog.

While Magic Swordsmen were rare, a swordsman who also commanded spirits was even rarer.

Unlike spells that took time to cast, spirits could manipulate elemental magic instantly and without preparation, making them far more valuable.

The control of the battle had shifted to Damian. However, the purpose behind creating the disadvantageous fog was unclear.

Ruskeus seized the chance and dove into the misty area, effectively vanishing from sight.

***

Ruskeus lay hidden. His overuse of a mid-level spell left him unable to engage in direct combat for the time being.

Ever since clashing swords with Damian, his wrist had been throbbing painfully.

“This… lunatic.”

The man had monstrous strength, disproportionate to his size. Such details were never shared by Olivia, adding to his shock.

Collecting his wits, Ruskeus steadied his breathing, drawing upon his remaining magic.

While Ruskeus was hurriedly casting another spell, Damian’s voice echoed,

“Ah, the favor of Lady Vivi wasn’t given lightly.”

“… Acting so nonchalant as if it’s all over.”

Ruskeus summoned ice spikes in the air and hurled them where Damian’s voice had come from.

But there was no reaction.

In the midst of reciting another spell,

Swoosh!

Something whizzed through the air like a counterattack, embedding straight into Ruskeus’s chest.

“Argh!!”

Startled, he toppled over. Clutching his chest in panic, he found a wooden dagger embedded in his leather armor.

Panting heavily, he realized Damian had pinpointed his vitals through the obscured vision. No normal human could sense that.

Ruskeus got up, grasped his sword tightly, and yelled,

“Show yourself! Fight me face to face!”

Suddenly, Damian emerged from the steam, delivering a punch to Ruskeus’s face.

Ruskeus tumbled to the ground, unable to defend himself.

Damian mounted him and rained down punches mercilessly.

The brutal sound of impact echoed continuously.
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Ruskeus flailed his arms, crying out,

“Stop, stop!”

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Damian then grabbed the bleeding Ruskeus by the collar and said,

“Do you covet my achievements?”

…

It was as if Damian knew Ruskeus was after his achievements.

“If you can prove you’re worthy of protecting Lady Vivi, I might just hand over all my roles to you.”

…
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“And if you’re not, stay away from Lady Vivi. Understood?”

“Cough, I am a ‘Child of the Stars’ by birth. Your recognition has… nothing to do with my qualifications. Bastard.”

Amidst it all, Ruskeus managed to cast a spell, cooling the surroundings.

But soon, he felt a crushing pressure around his heart.

“Cough!”

An immense gravity seemed to press down on him.

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A tremendous magical pressure erupted from around Damian. It was not emanating from Damian himself; something formless in the air was radiating a powerful presence.

“Ga, gasp, gasp, what, what have you…”

Writhing in pain, just as he felt his breath might fail him,

The bell signaling the end of the duel resounded, and the immense pressure vanished instantly.

Damian shook his head at Ruskeus, then rose to his feet,

“Child of the Stars my foot.”

***

Trisha and her Art Department seniors descended into the arena, making a fuss as if Damian had just won a tournament.

Luna, who had watched the entire fight from the sidelines of the waiting tent, silently cheered upon confirming Damian’s victory. She wanted to join the celebration, but too many eyes prevented it, which she found regrettable.

While admiring Damian, Luna noticed someone across the waiting tent, gazing at him with fondness.

“…?”

Pale blue hair.

It was the woman she had encountered in front of the Guardian Tree.

The affection in her gaze gave Luna an uncomfortable feeling. What was her relationship with Damian? Combined with the connection to Peep, the woman was suspicious.

As Damian was about to leave the arena, he glanced back at the waiting tent where Luna was hiding.

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Unseen by others, he waved at Luna. Startled, she concealed herself.

After calming her heart, Luna peeked out again and waved back shyly.

Damian saw her gesture and left the arena.

Checking the opposite side again, the pale-haired woman was nowhere to be seen.

Was Ruskeus’s ice still lingering somewhere? A chill breeze blew into the tent.