Chapter 24 Fighting A Lunatic

"Hey you!"

I heard a deep voice calling out to me and lifted my eyes from my phone. I was surprised to see a burly guy with glasses standing over my desk, his eyes fixed on me. Glancing around, I noticed that there were still a few people lingering in the office, and I sighed inwardly.

"Can I help you with something?"

I asked, clearing my throat and forcing a smile. The lecture had just ended, and the sound of rustling papers and shuffling feet filled the room. Some students looked my way, curious to see what was going on.

The man in front of me had a red face and angry eyes, and I could tell that he was barely controlling his anger. I could roughly guess that he was F Rank Awakener, one of the stronger people in the class.

I knew the guy - he was one of those Lunatics who worshiped Rose and the one who irked me a week ago. If I recall correctly I heard that his name was Theo.

"Yeah, you can help me..."

Theo said, his voice low and menacing. He glared at me for a moment, his eyes intense and probing, as if trying to read my thoughts.

"Meet me in the arena in 15 minutes..."

He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, gripping it with a strength that almost made me wince, but I managed to keep my expression straight.

"And don't be late..."

As Theo walked out of the classroom, I couldn't help but feel annoyed. I massaged my shoulder, still sore from his tight grip, and glared at his retreating back.

Observing his expression, I gritted my teeth but managed to control my inner anger. Even though I felt irritated, that didn't mean I would jump him. I had to be smart about this, especially if I wanted to solve this quietly.

'This is annoying...'

I muttered under my breath, feeling some glances aimed at me from my classmates. They probably knew what was going on, but didn't want to get involved.

Slowly, I stood up and picked up my stuff before making my way towards the arena. I entered the building, the familiar scent of sweat and adrenaline filling my nostrils. As I walked towards the arena, I saw a few dozen students already standing around the empty circle.

When I approached the arena, their eyes turned towards me - some scornful, some with curiosity. I immediately knew that most of the people gathered here were the Lunatics who worshiped Rose.

"So he invited an audience..."

I muttered to myself, looking at the burly guy on the other side of the arena. Theo had brought his supporters with him, eager to watch him beat me down. It wasn't surprising - these Lunatics were always looking for an opportunity to show their devotion to Rose.

It was frustrating, though, to see so many Awakeners wasting their time on their obsession with female protagonists. If only they would use the time for training instead of simping, this world would be a safer place.

"Do you want to make a bet?"

Finally, the words I had been waiting for escaped from Theo's mouth. I almost smiled. This was what I had been hoping for from the start.

"If I win, you will never ever approach Rose!"

Theo declared, summoning a greatsword into his hands. The weapon was massive, with a handle made of some grey material and a blade crafted from pure steel. Strange red veins spread across its surface like human blood vessels.

"And what if I win?"

I also unsheathed my katana, a much smaller weapon than Theo's greatsword, but I was confident that I could use it to parry and deflect his attacks without leaving a scratch on its blade.

My question made Theo hesitate for a moment, since he clearly didn't expect me to win, but then he smirked.

"If you win... then we'll allow you to approach Rose!"

He declared, as if he were giving me the biggest reward. But inside, I almost threw up blood. All I wanted was Arcons, not some ridiculous permission to approach a girl.

Feeling annoyed, I gripped my katana tightly and abandoned all my useless thoughts. I focused on the fight, my muscles tensing under the pressure and my mind growing calm in preparation.

Theo noticed the change in my aura and lowered his body, also getting ready to fight.

"Start!"

Someone from the crowd shouted and without hesitation, we both lunged at each other, our weapons clashing in a shower of sparks. Theo swung his greatsword with all his strength, but I parried it, using my katana's small size to my advantage.

We moved around each other in a deadly dance, each trying to find an opening in the other's defense. Theo was strong, but he was also predictable, relying too heavily on his brute force. I was quick and agile, using my katana to deflect and parry his attacks with some difficulty.

As I studied his movements, I began to understand his patterns and footwork. However, I knew that I couldn't win this fight simply by blocking his hits and wearing him down. My hands would give out before I could tire him out, especially after withstanding over a dozen attacks from his greatsword.

Already, I could feel my fingers numbing under the relentless pressure of his strikes.

I needed to change the pace and surprise him.

As he swung his sword from above, I dodged to the side and slid under his arm, avoiding his blade by mere inches. I quickly regained my stance and struck at his unprotected side.

Theo managed to block my attack, but I felt a slight tremble in his sword arm. My plan was working. I continued to attack, forcing him to defend while trying to find an opening.

But Theo was no pushover. He retaliated with a fierce swing, forcing me to jump back to avoid being hit. The force of his attack caused the ground to tremble and some of the spectators to step back.

I used this moment to regain my balance and analyze his movements once more. I noticed that he had a habit of leaving his left side slightly exposed when attacking from the right. I decided to take advantage of this weakness and went on the offensive again.

This time, as he swung from the right, I parried his sword with my Katana and quickly changed direction, thrusting my blade towards his exposed side.

Theo was caught off guard and his eyes widened in surprise as my blade pierced his skin. He stumbled back, holding his side as he realized what had happened.

"I've won..."

I sheathed my Katana and stepped away from the arena, disappearing into the crowd of students.