Chapter 5: Chapter 1 — The Prelude to the Prelude (5)
A few muffled laughter broke out behind me. As I looked around, I could see that the spectators were all quietly laughing at Leon. It was apparent that they found Leon's boldness amusing, given the vast difference in sword-fighting abilities between him and Marcus.
Marcus was widely admired as a natural swordplay talent, with no one his age capable of rivaling him. He was not merely exceptional but a cut above the rest. The Asura house had appointed Marcus as its heir due to his extraordinary skills in sword fighting, which made him the talk of the whole republic. At only eight years old, he was already a cut above the rest, a once-in-a-century genius with no equal in his age group.
In contrast, Leon had zero aptitude for the sword. In fact, he was outright incompetent in this area. It was clear that he would not stand a chance against Marcus, and the spectators' laughter was not unexpected.
The disparity between Marcus and Leon was immense, akin to the contrast between heaven and earth. Marcus was a once-in-a-century genius, while Leon was deemed incompetent and devoid of talent. The discrepancy between their abilities was as vast as that between an adult and a newborn baby. It was fair to conclude that when comparing their respective skills, they were worlds apart.
It was a battle between a prodigy and a talentless individual, which hardly seemed like a competition at all. The vast difference in their abilities was undeniable, and it was clear that Marcus had a significant advantage over Leon in terms of natural talent and ability. Their contest would be nothing short of a complete mismatch, with Marcus destined for victory and Leon facing an inevitable defeat.
It was, therefore, no surprise that the onlookers found his challenge to Marcus somewhat ridiculous.
At this moment, I was reminded of a piece of advice that I had heard before—that it was unwise to enter into a fight against someone who possesses greater strength. The wise course of action would be to focus on battling adversaries who are within one's abilities to overcome. Victory lies not in brute strength alone, but in making wise choices and employing strategic tactics. In essence, the key to victory lies in choosing one's battles wisely.
Unfortunately, Leon seemed to be making the exact opposite choice. Not only was he making an unwise decision by challenging someone who possessed greater strength, he also accepted the bet in which he had a disadvantage. It was almost as if he was setting himself up for failure. The fact that he had even agreed to the duel with Marcus was seen as foolish by some of the spectators.
"I'll be the umpire," Sirius announced, employing his potent red mana to quell the raucous and unruly behavior of the crowd. "And I'll make sure that the rules are followed.
He positioned himself between the two dueling opponents, scrutinizing them alternatively to ensure that they were ready to begin.
"Now both of you, take your positions," he ordered, indicating for them to stand at the designated spots. Leon and Marcus distanced themselves and faced each other in the courtyard.
Leon tried to calm himself down by taking a deep breath before assuming a peculiar fighting stance. However, calling it a stance would be an exaggeration as it was so awful that even the term "bad" wouldn't be enough to describe it.
"...Pft. Ha ha ha! His posture is completely off!"
The spectators couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it. They seemed to find it so comical that they couldn't control their mirth.
However, despite the mockery and laughter, Leon simply ignored them, focusing instead on his opponent.
Sirius, who was watching Leon's movements with trepidation, could barely suppress a groan at the sight of Leon's awkward posture. Marcus, on the other hand, held the wooden sword loosely in his hand, letting it dangle at his side.
"A victory will be decided by disarming your opponent," Sirius said. "If I deem the match too dangerous, I will suspend it immediately. Now then, are the two of you ready?"
As he looked over at Leon and Marcus, Sirius sought to gauge their readiness for the upcoming battle. Leon responded with a firm nod, indicating that he was prepared to do battle. In contrast, Marcus appeared nonchalant, his sword held loosely at his side as he let out a bored yawn.
"...On my mark—" Sirius raised his right hand high into the air.
As the commencement of the battle approached, Leon and Marcus stood facing each other. Despite Leon's feminine appearance, his gaze was that of a fierce beast, while Marcus appeared uninterested in the situation.
"Let the duel begin!"
With a dramatic gesture, Sirius brought his hand down, signaling the start of the duel. However, much to the surprise of the onlookers, neither Leon nor Marcus moved. For what seemed like an eternity, the two simply stood there, their gazes locked in a fierce and unyielding stare
As the silence dragged on, Marcus finally broke the stillness, his voice laced with an air of smugness. "What's wrong? You're not going to come at me?" he taunted, tilting his head to the side. He seemed utterly confident in his abilities, assuming no stance whatsoever and looking almost dismissive of the challenge before him.
Sensing that Marcus was not taking the duel seriously, Leon spoke up, his voice firm and commanding. "Take your stance," he said sternly, "if you don't take up a stance, you will get hurt."
"Huh? What?"
"...I said be serious, or you might get hurt."
As Leon spoke up and warned Marcus to take up a stance, the onlookers were left amused by his words. Some of them whispered amongst themselves, wondering if Leon truly believed he could win against Marcus. Others openly laughed, mocking Leon for his awkward posture and seemingly weak demeanor.
"Did you just hear that?"
"What audacity! Does he really think he stands a chance?"
"Does he think he was even worth taking seriously?"
The words of the onlookers rang out, their laughter cutting through the tense atmosphere that had settled over the courtyard. It seemed that many of them were underestimating Leon's abilities, scoffing at the idea that he could hold his own against Marcus. Despite this, Leon remained determined and steadfast in his resolve, refusing to back down in the face of overwhelming odds.
Marcus chuckled at Leon's insistence that he take the duel seriously, finding it funny that someone like him would even suggest such a thing. "That's a funny thing to say. Hilarious!"
"Are you going to take this seriously or not?" he demanded, his voice low and seething with anger.
But Marcus merely laughed in response, seemingly unfazed by Leon's anger. "Just come at me," he taunted, "you won't be able to lay a finger on me, anyway. Besides, fighting like this is enough to defeat you."
His words only served to further incense Leon, who felt his anger mounting with every passing moment. "Are you underestimating me?" he spat, his eyes blazing with fury.
"If anything, I'm making a fool out of you," replied Marcus.
Despite Leon's fierce glare, Marcus remained unfazed and even found it amusing. It was as if he was taking Leon's anger as a form of entertainment, rather than a serious threat. His demeanor did not change even as Leon's expression grew more intense, and he continued to stand in the same relaxed manner, holding his sword limply at his side.
Leon exuded even more anger at Marcus's carefree attitude.
"Hey, don't glare like that," Marcus quipped, his tone mocking. "It ruins your cute face.
In that moment, something inside Leon snapped, as if a switch had been flipped inside him.
He stood before Marcus, attempting to maintain his composure despite the repeated provocations and insults hurled his way. He knew Marcus was deliberately attempting to get under his skin, but Leon refused to let his emotions get the better of him.
Despite being called weak multiple times, Leon remained steadfast in his composure, determined not to give Marcus the satisfaction of seeing him break. It was evident that Leon was trying his best to remain calm and composed in the face of the continued insults.
However, there were two things that Leon refused to let slide. The first was any insult directed towards his parents. The second was any insult directed at his feminine appearance. It was a sore spot for him, and he found it deeply hurtful and offensive.
At that moment, Leon could no longer control the anger that was bubbling up inside him.
"Raaaaaah!" he bellowed and kicked off from the ground.
Leon was not particularly graceful in his movements and had a rather peculiar posture. However, even with his awkward gait, he closed the distance between them steadily and without hesitation, demonstrating his persistence and unwavering focus.
With Marcus now within striking distance, Leon quickly brought his wooden sword down towards him. Marcus, however, made no move to defend himself, and instead stood motionless with his sword at his side, seemingly not even bothered by Leon's attack. He was just standing there, not even reacting, not even bothering to put up a defense. Anyone looking at him could see that he didn't intend to move an inch from where he was standing.
It was almost certain that Marcus would be unable to dodge the attack in time. However—
"Your movements are commonplace. I can dodge you even with my eyes closed."
Marcus closed his eyes and used the minimum amount of movement to shift his body and evade it.
Leon's sword hit nothing but air, and he was caught off-guard by Marcus's swift movements. Leon was left standing there, vulnerable and exposed, as Marcus slowly opened his eyes.
Leon tried again, attacking from a different angle, but to no avail. Each time he tried to land a hit, Marcus effortlessly blocked or dodged the strike, his movements smooth and effortless.
As the duel continued, it became clear that Leon was no match for Marcus. The difference in skill and ability was too great, and no matter how hard Leon tried, he was unable to land a single blow.
"Is that all you have?" Marcus asked, his tone dripping with condescension.
Leon readjusted his grip on his wooden sword and glared at Marcus. With a loud yell, he charged towards Marcus, swinging his sword with all his might. But Marcus remained unfazed, stepping aside with ease and dodging the attack once again. Leon stumbled forward, his momentum carrying him past Marcus, who was now standing behind him.
"You're too predictable," Marcus said, shaking his head in disappointment.
Leon attacked with a sideways slash, but his wooden sword failed to make contact with Marcus, who had somehow managed to evade the attack by a hair's breadth.
"You swing that sword every day like a fool, yet this is all you have to offer?" Marcus taunted him, mocking his inability to land a hit.
"Kuh…! I-I'm not done yet!"
Leon swung his sword with all his might, trying to land a hit on his opponent, but to no avail. Marcus's movements were swift and fluid, evading each of Leon's strikes with ease. It was almost painful to watch as Leon flailed about, trying desperately to keep up with Marcus.
Gritting his teeth, Leon refused to admit defeat. He continued to swing his sword relentlessly, hoping to catch Marcus off-guard and finally land a hit. But no matter how hard he tried, his blade always missed its target. Marcus stood still, not even lifting his sword, yet he still managed to evade all of Leon's attacks through movement alone.
"Why can't I land a hit?" Leon exclaimed in frustration, his shoulders heaving with every labored breath.
Leon's frustration was palpable as he realized that his attacks were completely ineffective against Marcus. Despite swinging his wooden sword with all his might, he could not land a single hit on his opponent. Marcus, on the other hand, stood calmly and evaded each of Leon's attacks with ease, using only his movements to dodge. It was as if Marcus was a ghost, intangible and untouchable.
"Tch…!" A frustrated expression flashed across Leon's face, and he widened his distance between them. "How about this, then? O ball of raging flame, I bid thou forth to confound and burn away aught that hinders mine true will—Fireball!" chanted Leon, conjuring an orb of flame in the palm of his hand.
The ball of flame rushed toward Marcus, but it was child's play for him to avoid such an obvious attack. Leon seemed to know that too, as he chanted right away to create another fireball.
"O ball of raging flame, I bid thou forth to confound and burn away aught that hinders mine true will—Fireball!"
Despite his frustration, Leon refused to give up. He chanted the spell again and again, trying to come up with a way to land a hit on his elusive opponent. However, each attempt was met with failure, and he found himself out of breath and at the end of his rope.
Every strike he made with his wooden sword was swiftly dodged, and his spells seemed to have no effect. The physical and mental strain of constant spellcasting was beginning to weigh heavily on him, and his frustration only grew with every failed attempt.
After a period of time, Leon ceased his assault and retreated a step, his breathing becoming labored as his shoulders rose and fell.
"What's the matter? Already at your limit? You still haven't landed a single hit, you know?"
"Haaah... Haaah... Shut... your mouth!"
As Leon had been continuously moving around and expending energy to attack from different angles, his stamina was quickly depleted. He remained unable to breach Marcus's seemingly impenetrable defenses, leaving him feeling both physically and emotionally drained. Despite Leon's constant movement and attempts to attack from various angles, Marcus had remained stationary and had not taken a single step.
Having taken a moment to regain his composure and catch his breath, Leon resumed his offensive tactics. He closed the distance between himself and Marcus before attempting to lunge at him with his wooden sword.
"You really want to keep up this little duel?" Marcus let out a sigh, appearing both uninterested and disappointed with the ongoing duel.
As the match progressed, Leon became increasingly agitated, his movements more erratic and his strikes more desperate.
It became increasingly apparent that Leon lacked proficiency with the sword as his awkward posture and childish swings were exposed. Despite his efforts, he was unable to successfully strike Marcus, further demonstrating his inadequacy with the weapon. Leon's frustration mounted as he failed to make contact with his opponent, and tears began to well up in his eyes.
"Waaaaahhhh!!! Why!!! Why can't I hit you?!!!
Leon's outburst of frustration only served to amuse the spectators further, as he wailed and cried in anguish. Meanwhile, Sirius, who had been overseeing the match as the umpire, recognized the potential danger of the situation and decided to intervene before it escalated any further.
"Stop! This duel is—"
But as he took a step forward to halt the duel, Marcus made a remark that only served to fuel Leon's already raging emotions.
"Nothing much, as expected. It seems the son is just as trashy as the father," he sneered.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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