Chapter 235

The day after the duel was confirmed, I was sitting in the school meeting room.

The atmosphere was extremely uncomfortable due to the heated arguments taking place.

It turned out that discussing the duel in such detail was a first even at Aegis Academy.

I muttered as I looked at Sebastian, who was sitting across from me.

“It’s all that guy’s fault that we’re suffering like this.”

Around me were the academy faculty and Sister Adela, while on the opposite side sat various people including the Secretary General of the Restraid Family and the Commander of the Guard.

At least, it was fortunate that the academy was actively supporting us.

“Why are they helping us?”

“Well, if they want to be on our side, there’s no reason to refuse, right?”

Initially, we discussed both sides’ demands, but the Restraid side started throwing in unreasonable conditions right from the get-go.

“We’ll state our conditions first. If that arrogant brat loses, he must kneel and apologize immediately. And since this incident also reflects the academy’s failure to properly guide the students, they must provide internships under the Restraid Clan and cooperate with various projects we propose in the future!”

“That’s absurd!”

“Absurd? We’ve been openly humiliated. You expect us to just let that slide?”

“By saying that, we have plenty to say as well. It’s true that your side made unpleasant demands of the academy students in the first place, isn’t it? I heard you did similar things in other academies too. What happened to the previous promise not to interfere with southern academies?”

“That’s a different matter!”

Ultimately, the quarrel continued for quite some time, and the faculty decided to ask both of us directly about the conditions for winning.

“Alright then, how should the duel be decided? Miss Violet, Mr. Sebastian, do you have personal opinions?”

I answered immediately.

“They should publicly apologize to me and my friends and promise that such an incident won’t happen again. A token of sincerity in the form of some compensation would be nice too. That’s all.”

Inside, I thought, “Since those Restraid folks have plenty of money, I might as well ask for it.”

Unexpectedly, it seemed Sebastian agreed with my suggestion.

“…I don’t need any other compensation. Just having him kneel and apologize publicly is enough.”

The Restraid side, looking momentarily taken aback by Sebastian’s words, suddenly changed their attitude after contacting somewhere.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought this through deeply. I got overly excited demanding unreasonable things from the academy over a trivial matter.”

However, the Commander of the Guard still looked down on us with arrogance.

“Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this!”

Sure enough, as soon as the conditions were agreed upon, another issue arose regarding the duel method.

“Let’s have both sides compete based on fair conditions.”

Professor Masus proposed.

For safety and fairness in the duel, the suggestion was to only use swordsmanship, magic, and abilities by mutual agreement.

“I agree. It helps avoid disputes over unfairness caused by equipment or external factors.”

Sister Adela and other professors approved, but the Restraid side seemed dissatisfied.

“What kind of duel is that? This isn’t a children’s game. It’s a fight for honor. Shouldn’t we do our best?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Lord Sebastian will fight with all he has at stake!”

“With all you have? What does that even mean…”

“I see you don’t understand. I’m saying let’s have a duel using everything we have! First, my lord will wear armored gear in the duel.”

Suppressing my rising irritation, I looked at Sebastian. He was whispering something to the Secretary General, looking flustered.

“This is ridiculous. Didn’t we agree to follow my way before? This isn’t an honorable duel!”

“It’s the commander’s order.”

Hearing what the Commander of the Guard and the Secretary said, Sebastian’s face twisted in humiliation.

The academy side immediately protested.

“Are you seriously going to use combat gear for a student duel?”

“That student’s ability is the Clone Technique, right? It’ll obviously be one against many. Isn’t that a cowardly act? If you really want an even match, it’s only fair to allow our equipment as well.”

“I don’t have armored gear! Hey, what kind of fairness is that? It’s just flaunting wealth!”

Despite my complaints, the Commander of the Guard remained shameless.

“Fairness? Nonsense. Wealth and background are part of ability.”

Sister Adela sharply retorted.

“Ah? Commander of the Guard, if you’re going to allow armored gear, then Violet should also be allowed to use her equipment freely.”

“Exactly! That way I can fight with all my power!”

One of the Restraid side members sneered.

“If you wish, go ahead and do that. Only, if Miss Adela or the academy provides equipment or armament directly, I would be very disappointed.”

These guys are being unreasonable.

“What did you just say?”

“It’s fine, senpai! I don’t mind at all. You don’t have to support me!”

In the end, after a long negotiation, we had no choice but to agree to fight with everything at stake.

However, there still remained details to be coordinated, such as the specific equipment and duel location.

‘What kind of equipment should I prepare…’

But there was no need to worry.

They claimed they’d try to block assistance from the academy and the Cascadia Family, but I had a variable that those fools hadn’t considered.

“Friendship, courage, love!”

But then I became curious. Why was the academy trying so hard to help us?

Even if Sister Adela or the Headmaster was one thing, it was a bit strange that even the professors were being actively involved in my duel.

So, in Room 712, I later went to find the Headmaster to ask.

“Headmaster, why are you supporting me like this?”

“Recently, the Restraid Family has been frequently interfering with the southern region academies.”

“Interfering?”

“They’ve been making unreasonable demands under the pretense of scholarship support or safety. In fact, it has come to light through you, Miss Violet, but they’ve even gone so far as to ask for introductions to students of good lineage.”

These guys have been doing this for a long time.

“So there are many professors who are dissatisfied with the Restraid side’s behavior.”

“And so this time…”

“Exactly. Helping you is seen as a prime opportunity to chastise the arrogance of the Restraid. Don’t worry too much, Miss Violet. You have a legitimate cause since your friends have been insulted. You can face this with confidence.”

“I understand. I will definitely win!”

After hearing the Headmaster’s explanation, I realized that those standing on my side had their own causes too. It seemed the professors at Aegis Academy had their grievances with the arrogance of the Restraid as well.

And the rightful candidate to stand up against that injustice was none other than this Violet.

I was able to prepare for the duel with even more confidence.

“However, Violet. It may sound strange, but don’t hate Sebastian too much. He’s just a foolish and pitiful student.”

“Pitiful?”

“Yeah.”

I left, reflecting on the Headmaster’s last words.

After the agreement on the duel was made, Sebastian was engulfed in deep disappointment.

“Changing the conditions like this? No, this isn’t right…”

Not long after, he met with his father and immediately spoke up.

“Father, what’s the meaning of this? Telling me to fight while wearing armored gear… This just looks like a cowardly act. It’s not fair!”

Cordo surveyed his son with a cold gaze. His voice was laced with anger and disappointment.

“Is this really the time to discuss fairness? You pathetic fool.”

He slowly rose and walked over to the window to gaze outside.

“Violet, that arrogant orphan child has stained our family’s honor. In front of countless people, no less. Can this just be brushed off with an apology and cooperation? That’s ridiculous.”

Sebastian, intimidated by his father’s fury, mustered the courage to reply.

“Then let’s have a duel. There’s a lot of discontent at Aegis Academy as well. We can’t just push this through without reason, can we?”

Sebastian almost added more to his words.

“And… forcing a first-year student into matchmaking is not a good thing, is it?”

Cordo turned sharply, glaring at his son.

“Don’t you dare fight for your own little satisfaction. You have a rare opportunity to crush your enemy; why would you spare your opponent?”

“No! I simply want to win fairly…”

“Stop with the childish nonsense!”

Sebastian bowed his head under his father’s thunderous shout.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t think it through.”

There was no way out. He had no choice but to follow his father’s wishes.

A heavy silence filled the room. Even after Cordo left, Sebastian stood there dazed for a long time.

Yet, the shame deeply embedded within him did not easily fade.

‘Is this… really a duel for honor?’

Sebastian asked himself, but he could not come up with a clear answer.

After the duel agreement, I was most concerned about my friends’ reactions.

“What should I do? They might yell at me out of anger!”

The Violets were engulfed in anxiety.

However, my friends’ reactions were different from what I expected.

Two days after deciding to duel Sebastian, the friends reached out with sudden contact.

When I arrived at the designated location, it was prepared with snacks and meeting arrangements.

“Aren’t you mad?”

Daphne greeted me with a gentle smile and hugged me tightly.

“In the end, we’re fighting because of us.”

Irene spoke in a warm voice.

“I believe your decision. We’ll do anything we can to help.”

A sigh of relief escaped me.

However, the real problem was the duel itself.

How could I defeat an upperclassman wearing Restraid’s special armored gear?

“We have two major obstacles to face.”

As soon as the meeting began, Irene pinpointed the key issues.

“The first is your opponent’s skill, and the second is the gear. Honestly, your opponent is not to be underestimated.”

Irene began her prepared presentation. On the screen appeared Sebastian’s profile.

“Sebastian Restraid is a considerably seasoned warrior. While he doesn’t handle magic well, he’s quite adept at swordsmanship. The materials presented here were provided by Helios.”

“Wow… Isn’t that manipulation? Even if he is a senior, it seems too much to expect a student to accomplish this…”

“It’s a bit exaggerated, but the content itself is true. He has won dozens of matches across both official and unofficial duels. During his time off, he also made remarkable contributions in various operations and expeditions with the Restraid. But the bigger issue is…”

Irene opened her laptop and modified the screen. There were rows of both large and small armored suits displayed.

“The armored gear? What’s that for?”

“With your current power, you won’t be able to defeat that gear directly. Even if we were to use anti-tank missiles or bombs in the duel, breaking it would be impossible. Those armored suits can withstand a direct hit from a self-propelled cannon. You’d need to bring a light tank at the very least to have an even match.”

“That’s not a light tank; that’s Rugilinn’s Iron Fist!”

“Alright, Rugilinn’s Iron Fist. Anyway, with firepower like that, it’s necessary.”

Kalia asked with a curious tone.

“Really? I thought it was just an expensive power exoskeleton. Can it not be pierced by a crossbow or sword?”

“The core material of the Awakened’s enhanced powered armor is Carbonite. It’s a rare carbon-based substance mined in specific dungeons, and only the Restraid Clan has the refinement technology. Carbonite possesses strong resistance against most physical attacks and ether. Not only that, but the armor also has an embedded magic protection system, blocking projectiles with a quasi-high-speed motion barrier. It’s inferior to the original monsters but boasts superior defense against ordinary thermal weaponry.”

“How does it compare to the Magnavis Vanguard?”

“While they serve different functions, the difference in defense between the Vanguard and the Armored Knight is like being naked versus wearing a bulletproof vest.”

Suddenly, the memory of the enemies I had fought before flashed through my mind. Those foes were hard enough that I had to give it my all and rain bombs upon them just to take them down, and this was sturdier?

“What about magic? If I used my Destruction Ray…!”

“You’re not in the Vanguard.”

Unable to come to terms with it, I rattled off all the equipment and magic I knew. Irene, who had been listening intently, began typing on her laptop and organized my words to send to Helios.

After a moment, when she received a reply, she shook her head.

“Oh no! Our Violet’s proud arsenal!”

“The best magic factory is rendered useless!”

“Regardless of what’s being said, there’s a reason they claim to be invincible knights. It’s said their defensive capabilities excel in all aspects, both physical and magical. Madmen. How can they bring that to an academy duel?”

“Exactly! Such evil bourgeois!”

Kalia spat with an angry face. I agreed with my friend’s sentiment. To bring this kind of equipment to a sacred duel is infuriating.

“Unfortunately, the Restraid Armored Gear amplifies not just the wearer’s defense but also their strength and efficiency of magical power. Among the people we know, there are only a handful capable of breaching that armor. Maybe the Scholarship Officer or our fathers? If someone like Levi or Granite were to remain still, they might be able to pull it off somehow, but…”

In short, there was no hope.

I fell silent and stared blankly at Irene, as if urging her for an answer.

“Still, you called us together because there must be a solution, right, Irene? Do you have any clever plans?”

Kalia and Daphne’s gazes were also focused on Irene. She, who had been sitting expressionlessly, soon broke into a smile and spoke up.

“As I mentioned earlier, I don’t have a clear solution. But there are ways to respond.”

The screen filled with various armament and large-caliber weapons.

Irene, wearing a rare confident expression, expertly flipped through the screens like a skillful salesman.

“What you’re looking at are the special Helios Frontier service gear. These are designed for subduing mid-level monsters. They’re mostly focusing on large armament, including machine gun bullets and large bolts. While we can’t destroy them, we might be able to use them for pressure.”

“Wow! Are you giving all that to me?”

“Correct. Originally intended as a surprise gift, I decided to expedite it. Since there’s still time until the duel, let’s practice with this. Do you need any other equipment? Just say the word.”

At that moment, an interesting thought came to my mind. If I could acquire this, I’d be sure to deal a proper blow.

“Then how about this…”

“That thing? You used it in Vittorio Dungeon, right? Got it.”

Thus, the first means to counter the armored gear was more or less secured.

Now, the remaining question was how to face Sebastian’s swordsmanship…

“Everyone, is the meeting going smoothly?”

Suddenly, Sister Adela opened the door and walked in.

“Oh, Sister Adela? What brings you here…”

“Just came to help our cute junior. By the way, could you call me Student Council President, Irene junior? This isn’t a business place; it’s a meeting to discuss tactics against that Sebastian brat.”

Sister Adela chuckled leisurely and handed over a memory chip.

Irene accepting it looked puzzled.

“Check it out. It’ll be useful.”

Prompted by Sister Adela, Irene plugged the memory chip into her laptop. Inside were an array of video files.

“Please don’t tell me this is Sister Adela’s secret collection?”

To my surprise, the footage contained various scenes of Sebastian wielding a sword.

There were scenes inside dungeons, duels, and training extensively included.

“…How on earth did you acquire such videos?”

“We have our own ways in our family. So, what do you think?”

Finding an unexpected method, the second problem was also finding a hint of a solution.

“This should allow me to consult with the instructor for advice!”

The Violets began to formulate strategies based on the materials provided.

“Alright, first…”

After all agreements were concluded, a week later, Violet made her way to the duel location.

Taking a deep breath, her steps toward the outdoor training ground felt heavy.

With the academy’s unspoken support, many practices and training had been conducted.

Already, students’ gazes upon her felt out of the ordinary.

Violet slowly reached the entrance to the duel arena. She was already fully equipped from head to toe.

“Violet, are you ready?”

Worried, Adela asked her.

“Don’t worry, Sister. I have everything prepared.”

Violet answered with a smile. Turning her gaze, she saw the Student Council President and friends. Everyone had a mix of concern and faith in their expressions.

124 raised a thumb and gave a bright smile.

Everyone was supporting her. The realization that she wasn’t alone filled her with relief.

Suddenly, she recalled the day when all this began,

The sight of her friends feeling upset flashed before her.

Recalling the humiliation and shame from that day, a fiery anger surged within her.

“Restraid, you better be ready!”

Violet took a breath and strode toward the meeting place. The determination to win burned brightly in her crimson eyes.

The location was the immense indoor research building of Aegis Academy.

Originally set up for various experiments and indoor activities, it had now been temporarily modified into a duel arena with various magical and protective systems added.

The ceiling was surrounded by numerous sensors and cameras meant to observe the match.

With just a bit of tension, one could feel the presence of the cameras.

Violet wasn’t the only one consumed by the desire to win;

Mixed with self-loathing and pride, Sebastian exhaled.

The weight of the armored gear felt heavier that day.

‘Since it has come to this… I must win!’

Though he struggled with the question of whether it wasn’t a bit cowardly to fight against someone who disgraced his family, he forced himself to ignore it.

‘That guy did wrong first. This is…’

Yet, in the corner of his mind lingered a bitter aftertaste. On considering it, this had been a mistake from his family, who insulted the opponent first.

‘No. That’s not it.’

His father’s orders flickered in his mind. He swallowed his hesitations, fuelling his rage against the public humiliation.

Amidst the dim lights, the broad arena lit up slowly.

Into the arena walked a girl. It was Violet.

As the countdown paused and the signal dropped, the girl charged fiercely.

“Die!”

Sebastian reflexively swung his sword.

-Scrape

As Sebastian swung, the bravely charging girl momentarily froze.

Then came the scream.

“Ughyaaaak!”

Violet’s upper body was cleaved in half, and she fell to the ground. Blood soaked the floor.

Sebastian paused, shocked by the unexpected scene.

‘No way. With protective artifacts, how did this happen so easily?’

At the moment he gasped at the horror he had caused, his reason noticed the duel device using safety measures. He then watched the scoreboard.

“No, the suppression device is still active. This is a clone!”

Indeed, the cut-up girl’s corpse morphed into red particles and gradually vanished.

From the corridor, countless footsteps drew closer.

Only then did he lift his head to gaze straight ahead.

‘What’s that…?’

A wave of countless girls surged forward.

“One, two! One, two!”

Dozens of Violet clones poured into the duel arena.

“Where’s the main body?”

The Violets called out.

“Just figure it out!”

Diving headlong toward the armored knight, the Violet Squad charged in one wave.

Sebastian activated the armored gear immediately.

The small reactor infused the armored suit with fierce life, amplifying the magic spilling from his body.

‘I’m going in!’

The suit’s back panels opened with a clang.

As ether particles burst from the thrusters, the armored gear shot across the arena like a meteor.

-Kwooom!

The knight charges. He penetrates the enemy formation.

And the Violets caught every detail of that deadly scene in their red eyes.

“Violet Command Headquarters here. All Violet observers, begin scanning!”

The assigned Violets activated simultaneously.

Like the gears of a precise clock, like circuits in a central processor.

“Imitation team, observation team, tactical support team, commence operation!”

The Violets of the Command Center issued another command.

“Violet tactical map, deploy!”

A small tactical map developed within the Violet Network.

The duel had begun.

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