460. Quick Duel

460. Quick Duel

“I challenge you to a duel!”

Salvos’s words echoed in the vast courtyard. The susurration that gripped the crowd instantly vanished. The brimming excitement slowly faded away. A few heads turned to each other. Students, teachers, and the myriad of folks living in Mavos Academy exchanged confused glances. Valda’s jaw dropped. Jonas blinked a few times.

It took a full second for the crowd to process what was said. And when they realized that Salvos was being entirely serious, they all had the same question in mind.

“What is she doing?!”

Valda stepped forward, wide-eyed. She glanced towards Jonas, before returning her gaze back to the silver-haired woman standing at the first steps leading up to the Tower of Truth. Headmaster Clayton Skyshredder stared down at her from an elevated position— at least fifty steps up above. And it seemed like he had the same question in mind.

“What is the meaning of this, Salvos? If this is meant to be another one of your practical jokes, then I suggest you should put a stop to it this instant.”

“Oh, it isn’t a practical joke.”

Salvos smirked, starting up the stairs. Clayton’s brows snapped together. Valda gasped, inhaling sharply. She turned to her friend.

“Jonas— we need to stop her!”

“But that’s…”

Jonas bit his lower lip. Valda saw the look on his face. And she knew what he wanted to say.

But that’s crazy— we’re just kids! Deep in her heart, the young prodigy knew that her friend was right. But she felt the need to act regardless.

Clayton didn’t move, even as Salvos continued to slowly approach him. The Headmaster of Mavos Academy simply bore his gaze into her with his arms crossed.

“And why, pray tell, do you wish to challenge me to a duel?”

Salvos shrugged simply as she came to a halt at the top of the stairs. She was now standing face-to-face with the elderly man. Holding his gaze, she spoke simply for all to hear.

“Because out there— beyond the safe confines of Mavos Academy— the entirety of the Human lands is banding together to put a halt to the Demon King’s invasion of the Mortal Realm. And while the fate of all Humankind is at stake, you’re still sitting here doing absolutely nothing.”

She gestured vaguely in the direction of the Inoria Empire. Valda paused. The watching crowd hesitated. Once again, they all shared the same thought: Salvos is right.

Everyone wished that Headmaster Clayton Skyshredder would participate in the impending battle. After all, he was the highest-leveled [Mage] in all of the Human Lands. He was said to be on the fringe of Level 170. Only the Watcher himself was higher-leveled than the man. And the Watcher was a once in a millennia talent who was the first Human to reach Level 180 in over a thousand years.

Salvos unsheathed the Sword of Alexander, grinning as she bared her teeth to the Headmaster of Mavos Academy.

“So, I challenge you. And if I win, let me become the Headmaster of Mavos Academy. Then you can stop being a coward hiding behind your Title and finally go out there to fight with everyone else.”

It was a bold challenge. One which seemed asinine, even to Valda. There was no way that Salvos was going to win this fight. She wasn’t even Level 150 yet. Of course, Valda believed that the silver-haired woman was at least on par with a newly-fledged Elite Ranked adventurer thanks to her [Hero] Skills. But Clayton Skyshredder was at the very pinnacle of the Elites,

Yet, when the young girl saw the confidence in Salvos’s eyes— when she saw the glimmer in not just the Sword of Alexander, but the boots that the silver-haired girl wore— Valda somehow believed.

“I suggest everyone get back.”

Salvos took on a battle-ready stance. She raised the Sword of Alexander and clinked the iridescent boots on her feet together. The crowd shifted back as Clayton Skyshredder closed his eyes.

The Headmaster of Mavos Academy spoke simply— in a warning tone.

“You do not wish to do this, Salvos.”

“But I do.”

She eyed him dangerously. She was entirely serious. And Valda felt a bit of trepidation at what could happen next. Jonas tugged her arm, pulling her back to give space for the battle that was to come.

“I see.”

Clayton Skyshredder sighed. He crossed his arms as Salvos edged around him. The silver-haired girl was waiting for him to do something— say anything. To confirm that he agreed to her terms. There was a tense moment of silence as the audience watched with bated breath. Valda could only hear the pounding of her heart in her chest.

Is this really going to happen? the young girl asked herself. The crowd had given both Salvos and Clayton a wide berth out of fear of the battle that was to come. But it wasn’t enough.

A battle between two individuals at their levels would’ve surely decimated a large chunk of Mavos Academy. Perhaps the only reason why they didn’t disperse was out of disbelief. The very same one Valda held.

This can’t be happening. This—

“Very well, then.”

The Headmaster of Mavos Academy acquiesced, standing at parade rest. He nodded at Salvos with an expectant look.

“You may give it your best shot.”

The silver-haired girl narrowed her eyes. For a moment, she held her ground. Like she was waiting for Clayton Skyshredder to do something. She glanced back towards the bystanders.

“What about them?”

“No harm will befall the people of Mavos Academy, Salvos. I assure you of it.”

“That’s… fine, I guess.”

She shrugged. And as soon as that brief exchange ended, she vanished. Valda blinked. Salvos was gone. Only Clayton Skyshredder remained standing before the Tower of Truth. The crowd broke into murmurs.

“What just happened? Where did she go?”

“Is she dead?”

“That can’t be… I didn’t even see anything!”

“But she clearly got pulverized into dust, right?”

Valda ignored their whispers. She leaned forward, her brows furrowed. Jonas tapped her on the shoulder.

“Valda—”

“Wait, I see her.”

“You do?”

The young prodigy strained her eyes. It was difficult to see. But Valda did see Salvos. Just brief, quick glimpses of the silver-haired girl.

“There.”

Valda raised a hand, pointing past Clayton Skyshredder.

“She’s moving so fast, I can barely keep up with her.”

“What? That’s not possible…”

Jonas gaped. But more and more people in the crowd saw it. Salvos was just a blur. Invisible to the naked eye of those who were too low-leveled to notice. She sped around Clayton, moving rapidly in circles to confuse the Headmaster of Mavos Academy.

But Clayton Skyshredder didn’t react. He stood there with his hands behind his back, waiting for the silver-haired girl to strike. Salvos frowned, realizing that he wasn’t going to do anything. Finally, she leapt forward, swinging down with the glistening blade.

“Take this—”

The Sword of Alexander flashed with all the colors of the rainbow at once. Valda covered her eyes, bracing for the shockwave that was to come next. But the ground didn’t ripple. The earth didn’t shatter.

Salvos blinked as her swing was stopped right before Clayton Skyshredder’s eyes. He met her gaze as a semi sphere of golden energy enveloped him. A barrier that crackled with electricity, holding up against the Sword of Alexander’s might.

No— it did beyond just that. It absorbed the energy from the Sword of Alexander. The ground didn’t break. There was no impact or dispersion of energy. Somehow, Clayton Skyshredder’s barrier completely stopped the attack.

Salvos leapt back, narrowing her eyes as the barrier seemingly dissipated.

“What is that?”

“[Concave Aura Reflector]. A barrier that absorbs all non-magical attacks and converts it to mana. While the Sword of Alexander exudes Divine Essence, it does not use mana.”

He explained simply as the silver-haired girl stared.

“Huh.”

“Seriously?”

Valda watched in disbelief. Jonas nodded, placing a hand on his chin.

“I’ve heard of that before. Headmaster Skyshredder is supposedly the only man alive who currently has that Skill.”

Salvos smirked as she raised the blade once again.

“Oh yeah? Well how about this—”

She vanished, appearing next to Clayton Skyshredder. She swung her blade up, but the same barrier as before appeared. Again, the attack was stopped. But the silver-haired girl didn’t let up there this time. She disappeared once more, reappearing only behind the man. A second strike— blocked once more by the [Concave Aura Reflector].

Salvos assailed him from all sides, moving so quickly that it was all just a blur in Valda’s eyes. But her attacks were fruitless against Clayton’s barrier.

So what is Salvos doing? Valda asked herself. The silver-haired girl already knew that this wouldn’t work. So why—

And when Salvos reappeared the last time, the Sword of Alexander was wreathed in flames. Black fire. One that brimmed with an intense aura. Created from mana.

She grinned as Clayton’s eyes flickered.

“Divine Radiant—”

But before she could follow through with the swing, he shook his head.

“That is enough.”

Valda froze. The entire crowd stopped before. Salvos herself flinched for a moment, still mid-swing as she was gripped in a moment of fear. Clayton Skyshredder took a step forward as the barrier of golden energy shifted, and he raised a hand. A crimson sword appeared in his hand as the golden energy wreathed around the blade.

And Salvos began to move once again. She finally broke free from whatever brief curse effect that was, only for the Headmaster of Mavos Academy to swing up with his own sword at the Sword of Alexander.

The golden light clashed with the black and iridescent light. For an instant, the flash engulfed Valda’s vision. A shockwave rippled out as the ground cracked. Valda closed her eyes, staggering back until the shaking stopped. And when she opened her eyes, she heard a clang.

The Sword of Alexander went flying, clattering on the ground a dozen feet away from Valda. The young girl’s eyes went wide as she stumbled back.

“W-what…?”

She stared at the iridescent blade, realizing how close she could’ve been to death. Jonas grabbed her and pulled her even further back from the fighting.

Meanwhile, Salvos was stumbling away from Clayton Skyshredder. The silver-haired girl tried to move for the Sword of Alexander, but something stopped her. A blue chain caught her by the legs, impeding her movements. She stared down at the magical manacles tying her down, only to look back up as a crimson blade was thrust at her face.

She flinched, but the sword stopped just a single inch from her eyes.

“Have you had enough, Sentinel of Secely?”

Clayton Skyshredder spoke with his sword raised as he stood just before Salvos. She cast a sidelong glance to the Sword of Alexander, but the man raised his other hand, and the Mythical Grade artifact came flying to him. He pointed both swords at the silver-haired girl, continuing.

“Or do you wish for this to be a duel to the death?”

Salvos stared with wide eyes for a moment. Valda held her breath, looking on as her hero was cornered. Is this it? the young girl wondered.

Slowly, the silver-haired girl raised her hands as if she were giving up.

“I… don’t.”

She laughed, and Clayton narrowed his eyes. There was a glimmer coming from his sleeves. He looked down to see a red sigil burned into the back of his right hand. Salvos nodded at the Headmaster of Mavos Academy.

“[—Mark]! Try and dodge that!”

And she vanished. This time, she truly disappeared into a flash of warped space. She reappeared next to Valda as the symbol at Clayton’s hand only grew brighter. Then she raised her arms, and the space surrounding the Tower of Truth grew darker— like it was encased in a different dimension.

“[Fragmented Pocket Dimension]. I win.”

Salvos whispered. Valda gaped.

“No way…”

The light grew brighter and brighter as Clayton Skyshredder looked up at the barrier of space forming around him to stop him from escaping. Perhaps it was to protect the audience as well for what was to come. The Headmaster of Mavos Academy just waved his right hand dismissively.

“[Dispel Magic].”

And all at once, the box of fractal space and the symbol burned into his right hand vanished. All the magical lamp posts lining the courtyard around the Tower of Truth flickered out. Valda blinked as her Ring of Lesser Protection lost its magic for just a moment.

Then the magic returned. The lights turned back on. All the enchantment artifacts in the area that had momentarily gone out were filled with mana once again.

Salvos blinked, looking at Clayton Skyshredder as he walked forward, completely unharmed. Untouched, even. She stared at him as he came to a halt, looming over the silver-haired girl. Valda shrank back, even as the Headmaster of Mavos Academy asked a simple question in a calm voice.

“Do you yield now, Salvos?”

“That’s…”

Salvos sighed. She looked at the Sword of Alexander in Clayton’s right hand, then at the crimson blade in his left hand. Her shoulders sagged in resignation as Valda continued to watch on in awe.

“So this is the strength of the highest-leveled [Mage] in the world…”

Valda mumbled. And Salvos raised her hands, nodding.

“I give up.”