Free Web NovelChapter 17: Before the Duel (2)
"Did you hear?"
"Yeah."
"Aurelion against Kael."
"Who do you think will win?"
"The cat."
"What if Aurelion wins?"
"Then the world explodes."
"Fair point."
Kael had just entered the main academy building and was already regretting his existence.
He hadn’t even reached his classroom.
He hadn’t even had breakfast.
And he was already hearing conversations about himself in every hallway.
"They say Aurelion challenged him because he wants to see if the cat is real."
"They say Kael accepted because he wants to move up in the rankings."
"They say he bet that Seraphina will go with the winner."
"What?"
"I don’t know, I just made it up."
"Sounds believable."
"WHY DOES THAT SOUND BELIEVABLE?"
Kael put a hand to his face.
Luna walked beside him with a huge smile.
"Big brother, you’re famous."
"Little sister, I want to go back to being poor and unknown."
"Well, only unknown — because I’m still poor. Boo hoo."
"Too late."
"Damn it."
Behind them walked the Little Fat King.
Very slowly.
Very annoyed.
Because no one was carrying him.
"Meow."
"No."
"Meow."
"I’m not carrying you."
The cat looked at him with disappointment.
As if it had just discovered that Kael was a bad person.
"Doesn’t work on me."
"Meow."
"Still no."
Luna let out a laugh.
"I think it’s offended."
"It needs to learn how to walk."
The cat lay down in the middle of the hallway.
Refusing to move.
Kael watched it for a few seconds.
Then sighed.
Then picked it up.
"I knew that would work."
"Don’t speak for the cat."
"Meow."
"Don’t speak for Luna!"
---
When they finally arrived at the classroom...
The conversation was still exactly the same.
Everyone was talking about the duel.
Even before class started.
"I heard it’ll be in the Arcadia Arena."
"Really?"
"That means it’ll be official."
"How lucky!"
"I want to see it!"
"Me too!"
Kael slumped onto his desk.
"Can I disappear?"
"No."
"Thanks for the support."
"You’re welcome."
The teacher walked in a few seconds later.
And surprisingly...
He looked excited.
That was already a bad sign.
"Alright, students."
Everyone fell silent.
"I have an important announcement."
Kael felt a chill.
"Due to student interest..."
The chill got worse.
"The duel between Kael Veyron and Aurelion Voss has been officially approved."
Kael lifted his head.
"What?"
"It will be held in the Arcadia Arena."
"What?"
"And it will be broadcast to the entire academy."
"WHAT?"
The entire class exploded.
"YES!!"
"LET’S GO!!"
"THIS IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE!!"
Kael seemed to be going through the five stages of emotional grief.
"Why? Can’t you just focus on giving classes? Since the school year started, we haven’t seen anything."
The teacher smiled.
"Of course we have — we’ve covered many important topics."
One of the students spoke up.
"Well, I don’t remember anything. It’s like someone applied a time skip during class."
Another followed.
"You’re right — all my memories of class are blurry."
The teacher laughed nervously and changed the subject.
"The request was submitted by Aurelion."
Silence.
Kael slowly stood up.
"I’m going to kill him."
---
The Arcadia Arena was one of the most impressive places in the entire academy.
Or at least that’s what Kael discovered when the teacher began explaining it.
It was a gigantic facility built specifically for summoners.
It wasn’t just a coliseum.
It was much more.
Thanks to ancient magic circles, the arena could completely modify the terrain.
One day it could be a desert.
Another day a mountain.
Another a lake.
Another a forest.
Another a swamp.
Everything changed.
Everything adapted.
All to ensure that no creature had an unfair advantage.
When the teacher finished the explanation...
The whole class seemed excited.
Except Kael.
Because he had just realized something horrible.
Very horrible.
Extremely horrible.
He had no idea how the cat fought.
Not even a little.
So far...
Everything had worked out.
Darius — accident.
Abyssal Beast — accident.
Slimes — accident.
Destroyed mountain — accident.
B-rank monster eliminated from kilometers away — accident.
His entire life seemed like a chain of accidents.
But now...
He had to fight deliberately.
And that was a problem.
Because he didn’t know:
what the cat did,
how it fought,
what abilities it had,
if it obeyed,
if it was awake,
if it felt like it.
Or if it would simply decide to ignore him for the entire match.
Kael rested his head on the desk.
"I’m finished."
"Meow."
"I don’t even know if that was support."
---
That same day, he tried to train.
It was a disaster.
"Hit that rock."
The cat slept.
"Hit that tree."
The cat kept sleeping.
"Hit that post."
Sleeping.
"Hit that wall."
Sleeping.
"Hit Darius."
The cat opened one eye.
Kael froze.
"Interesting."
The cat closed it again.
"Not that interesting," said a female voice behind Kael.
---
"How do you do that!?"
Kael jumped.
Because Seraphina had just appeared behind him.
Literally behind him.
Like a ghost.
As always.
"I walk."
"That doesn’t answer anything."
"Mhm."
"Don’t say ’mhm’!"
Seraphina simply ignored the complaint.
Her attention was already fixed on the cat.
Naturally.
---
A few minutes later, Luna appeared from behind a wall.
And then something very strange happened.
Very strange.
---
Flashback.
Luna had an extremely serious expression.
In front of her stood Seraphina.
"Alright."
"Mhm."
"We need to cheer up my brother."
"Mhm."
"Put more energy into it."
"Mhm."
"No, that doesn’t count."
"Mhm."
"THAT DOESN’T COUNT EITHER!"
Luna raised both fists.
"Watch."
" ’Let’s go, Kael!’ "
" ’You can do it!’ "
" ’Defeat your rival!’ "
" ’I believe in you!’ "
Seraphina watched.
Nodded.
And then responded exactly the same.
With the same flat tone as always.
"Let’s go, Kael."
"You can do it."
"Defeat your rival."
"I believe in you."
Luna blinked.
"It was exactly the same."
"Thank you."
End of flashback.
---
Now.
In the present.
Seraphina stood in front of Kael.
She looked at him for a few seconds.
And then executed the cheer perfectly.
No emotion.
No changes.
No raised voice.
Nothing.
"Let’s go, Kael."
"You can do it."
"Defeat Aurelion."
"I believe in the Little Fat King... and in you."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Kael froze.
Because...
It was probably the first time in his entire life that someone had genuinely cheered him on.
Not because they expected something.
Not because they wanted something.
Simply because they believed in him.
And that hit him harder than any cat slap.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Luna raised both thumbs.
"It worked."
"I DON’T KNOW IF IT WORKED!"
---
After that, they sat watching the training fields.
For a few minutes, no one spoke.
Until Kael broke the silence.
"I’m scared of losing."
Luna blinked.
Seraphina did too.
Because normally Kael never said anything like that.
"Not because of the ranking."
"Not because of fame."
"Not because of the duel."
He looked at the cat.
"But because...
What if it was all luck?"
Silence.
"What if the cat is strong, but I’m not yet...?"
"What if everyone was right?"
"What if I’m just being carried by a broken creature?"
His voice sounded lower.
More honest.
More human.
Because it was a real fear.
Not a heroic one.
Not an epic one.
Just the fear of a kid who had spent his whole life trying to prove he was worth something.
And now wasn’t sure if he really was.
Luna lowered her gaze slightly.
But before she could say anything...
Seraphina spoke.
"No."
"People don’t think that — they don’t say it because they’re afraid of the Little Fat King."
Kael looked up.
"Hm?"
"If you were useless, the Little Fat King wouldn’t put up with you."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Very much so."
"I think I need a translator."
---
Then Kael remembered something.
"By the way."
"What do you think Aurelion summons?"
Seraphina looked at the arena in the distance.
Thinking.
Analyzing.
Finally, she answered.
"I don’t know."
"That doesn’t help."
"No one knows."
"That helps even less."
"Not even the teachers."
Kael felt a chill.
"Is it that rare?"
"Yes."
"Great."
"No."
"I meant it sarcastically."
"I didn’t."
Kael sighed.
---
But then Seraphina added something.
Something that completely caught his attention.
"Aurelion always wins."
"I know."
"But he never wins the same way."
Silence.
Kael frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"That his creature can adapt."
"Or that it has multiple forms."
"Or that it has never shown everything."
Kael felt his soul temporarily leave his body.
"That helps even less."
"I know." freёweɓnovel.com
"Then stop helping."
---
Hours later...
The time for the draw arrived.
And when Kael got to the Arcadia Arena...
He froze.
Because there were people.
Lots of people.
Too many people.
Thousands of students.
Teachers.
Guild members.
Summoners.
Adventurers.
All gathered.
All waiting.
All watching.
"I’m going to die."
"Meow."
"Thanks."
---
Then Aurelion appeared.
Hands behind his head.
Relaxed smile.
As if he were out for a walk.
As if he wasn’t about to participate in the most anticipated duel in the academy.
"Hi, Kael."
"Hi."
"Nervous?"
"Very."
Aurelion smiled wider.
"Great."
"Why would that be great?"
"Because it means you’re taking it seriously."
Kael fell silent.
And for some reason...
That made him feel a little better.
Just a little.
---
Then the enormous magic circles of the arena began to glow.
The entire crowd fell silent.
The ground shook.
The earth moved.
Trees started sprouting from the ground.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
An entire forest appeared before them.
And a voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Terrain selected: Forest of a Thousand Beasts."
The crowd exploded with excitement.
Kael looked at the enormous forest.
Then at Aurelion.
Then at the cat.
Which was trying to chase a butterfly.
"Perfect."
He put a hand to his face.
"Now I have to worry about Aurelion..."
The cat jumped after another insect.
"...and about this idiot getting lost chasing bugs."
