Chương 99: Fencing Tournament II
"Thanks, Wednesday," said Eugene, scratching his head with a bit of embarrassment.
"Don't thank me. You're pathetic too. You need to train more and not just rely on your psychic powers. Lose that belly a little," said Wednesday without a hint of mercy.
"I-I will!" said Eugene, as he walked away to get some water and cool off.
"Why do you defend him?" Luke asked.
"He reminds me of my brother. Though without the constant urge to strangle him," Wednesday replied.
Luke already knew that Wednesday had joined the beekeeping club, and the only other member was Eugene. The three people closest to her at Nevermore were: Luke, Enid, and Eugene.
In the second round, Luke and Wednesday advanced without difficulty. The surprise for Luke was that Enid lost to one of the werewolf students who had mocked Eugene.
"Are you okay?" Luke asked, approaching Enid as she took off her helmet and rubbed her shoulder in discomfort.
"Yeah... just a little sore," Enid said with a smile to show that nothing was wrong.
"Are you sure?" Luke asked. He noticed dark circles under Enid's eyes, and her complexion seemed paler than usual.
"Yeah, it's nothing," Enid said, losing consciousness for a few seconds. Luckily, Luke was nearby and caught her.
"Enid! Are you okay?" Yoko asked, noticing her friend losing consciousness.
"I just feel a little dizzy," said Enid, leaning on Luke and touching her head.
"Your expression doesn't look good. Go to the infirmary," said Professor Vlad, approaching them.
"I'll take her," said Divina, who had lost her match. Professor Vlad nodded, and the two girls left the gym.
"She's been coming to the dorm late these last few days," said Wednesday, noticing Luke's worried expression.
'Coming in late?' Luke thought, concerned. Maybe Enid was pushing herself too hard with training, and that wasn't good.
The third round began. From this point on, there was one fight at a time, observed by the whole class.
There were eight participants left. Wednesday had to face one of the werewolves who had mocked Eugene. Not the one who beat Enid, the other one.
"Your boyfriend can't protect you here," the werewolf whispered to Wednesday as he passed her on his way to the far end of the track.
'Boyfriend?' thought Wednesday, raising an eyebrow as she made her way to the other end of the track.
The only person who could fit that category would be Luke. He was the first guy that came to her mind. What she didn't like at all was that he said she needed protection. She should teach this werewolf that she doesn't need anyone's protection.
"En garde," said Professor Vlad, and both participants put on their helmets and took their stances.
"Begin!"
Wednesday launched herself into the attack. This time, she was much more aggressive than in her previous fights. Her opponent was shocked by her ferocity and barely managed to defend himself.
Even though, as a werewolf, his physical strength was superior, Wednesday's technique was flawless. The werewolf couldn't do anything; Wednesday was reading his moves, and in less than two minutes, the fight was over.
"Winner: Wednesday Addams!" announced Professor Vlad.
"I don't need Luke's protection to defeat someone so weak and pathetic," said Wednesday, taking off her helmet and looking at the werewolf with disdain. Without another word, she turned and walked back to Luke's side.
'Wait. Why didn't I deny his false statement?' Wednesday thought, staring at the wooden floor with confusion on her face.
"Next up: Luke Poe vs. Evan Smith!" said Professor Vlad, and both students headed to the track.
Luke glanced at Evan with an icy stare. This was the guy who beat Enid and left her shoulder hurting. He should teach him a lesson.
Evan felt a chill run down his spine as he noticed Luke's gaze. Should he surrender? He considered it, but that would make him look like a coward. A werewolf afraid of a psychic who can't even use his telekinesis.
'He's angry,' thought Wednesday, noticing Luke's expression as he put on his helmet. She had seen that same look the day they fought with the normies at Pilgrim World.
This time, however, she could understand the reason for Luke's anger, as the person he was facing had hurt his ex-girlfriend. In Pilgrim World, she hadn't understood Luke's sudden change during the fight with the normies.
At first, Luke had laughed at the normies and seemed relaxed, but when she regained consciousness, his relaxed attitude had shifted to one of true rage. Why? She didn't know.
"Begin!" Professor Vlad exclaimed.
Luke launched himself at his opponent. He dominated Evan with perfect precision. It didn't matter what attack Evan made; it was as if Luke knew exactly how he would strike. He could dodge or block effortlessly, thanks to his observation haki. The fight felt like child's play to Luke. In just two minutes, he scored enough points for victory.
Professor Vlad raised his hand to declare the end of the match, but Luke didn't stop. He advanced toward Evan and began attacking him with numerous quick and powerful thrusts, all aimed at the weak points of the body—points he knew very well thanks to Natasha.
Evan staggered backward, dazed and confused. Luke's second thrust struck the hand holding his sword, leaving him defenseless. He fell to the ground as Luke continued to strike him.
Luke's brutality toward Evan unfolded in a matter of seconds. The students watched the beating in shock, frozen as Evan's anguished screams echoed through the gym.
"Where's your superior strength now, huh? Werewolf!" shouted Luke, increasing the intensity of his blows. He must have pulled out the tip of his sword to cause more damage, but he couldn't turn back time now.
"Stop, Luke!" yelled Professor Vlad, running to separate him.
The professor had to physically pull Luke away to make him stop. As Luke returned to a calm state, he removed his helmet and looked at Evan with satisfaction.
"Your behavior is unacceptable! You are disqualified," Professor Vlad exclaimed, his voice booming through the large hall.
"Go back with the others. You will observe the rest of the matches in silence," he added, and Luke nodded without saying a word. The fact that the professor hadn't punished him further was good, so Luke didn't argue about his disqualification.
Luke returned to Wednesday's side, feeling the eyes of the entire class on him. They stopped watching him discreetly when the next match began: Bianca vs. Yoko.
"You should learn to control your anger better," Wednesday commented while watching Bianca and Yoko's fight.
"In this case, there was no need. I don't care about the tournament," Luke replied with a calm expression.
"What if you face a stronger opponent? Your anger will only cloud your judgment and make you prone to mistakes," said Wednesday.
"You're confusing something," Luke said.
"What?"
"It's not anger. It's ferocity," Luke responded, leaving Wednesday silent.
Ferocity wasn't the same as anger. Ferocity was brutality, a quality that implied controlled aggression, and a relentless focus. A fierce fighter could use every opening in their opponent's defense to strike mercilessly but with a clear goal and control over their actions. Very different from anger.
Recalling Luke's fight, Wednesday concluded that his moves had always been calculated, never impulsive. To the observer, it might have seemed that Luke was angry—and it wasn't entirely false. He was angry, but he didn't let that anger control him. Instead, he transformed it into ferocity, crushing his opponent in a relentless and controlled manner.
Bianca won the match against Yoko, though it had been a very close battle. The final match was Nick (a green-aura psychic) versus a vampire from Yoko's group. Vampires also had bodies superior to those of psychics, not to mention green-aura psychics.
Nick won against the vampire with ease. Even though he didn't use his green aura actively, it had already enhanced his physical abilities, and that enhancement was permanent. As a result, he could compete with a werewolf in strength and win—as long as the werewolf didn't transform. He wasn't at a high enough level yet to match the strength of a transformed werewolf.
The first semifinal would be Wednesday Addams vs. Bianca Barclay. The second would be Nick vs. Evan. But in Evan's current state, he couldn't win. He would only receive another beating and a bit more suffering.
'Wednesday versus Bianca...' thought Luke, remembering that this fight had happened in the series, although the circumstances were different. The result had been Bianca's victory.
"Hey, psycho. I wonder if you're as crazy as Luke. Both of you are equally psychotic. You make a cute couple, don't you?" said Bianca with a mocking smile, watching Wednesday's blank expression.
'This again,' thought Wednesday. Why did everyone keep calling her and Luke a couple?
"Let me remind you that psycho saved your life. If you ask me, I would have let that Hyde rip your head off," said Wednesday with a cold expression. She wouldn't have been so kind as to save Bianca and the others, even if she could have.
'I know who's crazier,' thought Bianca with a grimace. She didn't like to remember that night when she had been paralyzed with fear as the Hyde ran towards their group.
"En garde... Begin!" shouted Professor Vlad.
The match started, and so far, it was the most evenly matched and competitive of all. Bianca had flawless technique, just like Wednesday. The problem was that Wednesday was at a clear disadvantage. She was facing a siren.
Siren tissue and bones are superior to those of a psychic. Essentially, all outcasts have better physical capabilities than psychics. Only a green-aura psychic can enhance their physical abilities to surpass the other outcasts, yet they remain the most powerful due to the incredible abilities their auras grant them.
Just like in the series, both earned a point. At the decisive moment, Wednesday suggested a military challenge: no helmets, no tips. Professor Vlad left the decision to Bianca, who ultimately agreed.
'That's a reckless move,' Luke thought, surprised by Wednesday's behavior. The goth girl should know that her fencing skills are on par with Bianca's, but her physical abilities, inferior to those of a siren, put her at a clear disadvantage.
With their technical skills being equal, the fight would be decided by two things: experience and physical capabilities (strength, speed, etc.). For Luke, the latter remained the most important, since this was a school tournament, not a fight to the death.
Wednesday might have more experience in life-or-death battles using her powers, but not in fencing matches. It was likely that Bianca had spent more time honing her fencing skills, given that Wednesday, being a multifaceted genius, probably devoted less time to this discipline.
In the end, it all played out like in the series. Bianca managed to land a cut on Wednesday's forehead, winning the match and advancing to the final.
"Oh, your blood is red. I thought it'd be black and white," Bianca said with a wide grin. Wednesday didn't say anything; she merely touched her forehead and observed her blood. It had been a long time since she last saw her blood.
"Winner: Bianca Barclay. Head to the infirmary, Addams," Professor Vlad instructed.
"Please, don't kill my ex-girlfriend, Luke," Xavier said with a strange smile.
"Why do you say that?" Luke asked, stopping his intense gaze at Bianca.
"You had the same expression as when you were watching the werewolf guy who beat and hurt Enid," Xavier replied, and Ajax nodded.
'Really?' Luke thought, surprised. He hadn't noticed that. It was odd... He was in love with Enid. As for Wednesday... Before he could continue thinking about it, he saw Wednesday grab her bag and leave the gym, so he decided to follow her.
"I told you," Ajax said, watching Luke chase after Wednesday.
"What?" Xavier asked, confused.
"That Luke would like a girl like Wednesday," Ajax explained, and Xavier recalled his old conversation with Ajax about the girls Luke liked.
The fencing tournament ended for Luke and Wednesday. To almost everyone's surprise, neither of them made it to the final.
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