"What a coincidence, haha. Bonzo was just asking me if I'd seen you."
Bonzo?
Suddenly a student near Cedric took a step forward. It was a male student with a bird's nest for hair and dark circles under his eyes.
He pointed accusingly at Cyril, his eyes narrowed. "Cyril Thorne, I challenge you to a duel!"
"I must avenge myself! Last time you embarrassed me, but now I come prepared!"
What?
Cyril's first reaction was confusion. He didn't seem to remember doing anything to this student.
"He must be referring to the moment when Atheris paralyzed him with his own poison."
I see.
Atheris, hanging off Tigris's neck, hissed threateningly at the mage. Her golden eyes were soon filled with ferocity.
"Do you mind if my monsters participate as well?" Cyril said, able to feel the snake's desire.
"I do!" Bonzo immediately exclaimed.
"There is no way. Your snake is a direct counter to me! Fight me one on one, like a man!"
Not a shred of shame was on Bonzo's face.
The corner of Cyril's eye twitched as he grabbed Atheris to prevent her from lunging.
Maybe don't put all your effort into one spell then...
...
In the end he agreed to the duel, much to the excitement of the other first-years.
No matter the reason, if someone had enough confidence to challenge him, Cyril would accept it. He was even beginning to look forward to what made Bonzo think he could win.
"Delusions, probably."
So, Myra's mouth opened in shock when Cyril came to the training field with a small crowd in tow.
"What's happening?" she said, a red butterfly on her shoulder twitching her antennae in confusion.
"I am having a duel."
"Oh."
Cyril silently grabbed the tiger off his shoulder and put him on the ground.
"Stay with Myra for now."
Tigris reliably nodded, while Atheris hissed with reluctance.
Taking Cyril's monsters, Myra then went to join the crowd, blending in among the spectators.
Soon a student came in from the castle with a professor to conduct the duel.
Cyril and Bonzo were given the bracelet with the barrier spell and assumed their positions in the arena.
On the way Cyril grabbed a spear from the weapons rack.
The professor then cast a spell, and a transparent dome covered the two of them, ensuring everyone's safety.
"Ready?"
"..."
"Begin!"
Cyril didn't move from place, instead calmly observing what Bonzo had in mind.
The class II student waved his hands, and four small needles flew out from his back.
They were small and narrow, barely visible to the human eye. But the poison coating them was enough to end a fight in a single poke.
The four needles flew out in, closing in on Cyril from different directions. They moved fast too, Bonzo deliberately moving them in a manner most confusing.
Though human eyes were not comparable to Cyril's eyes. To him, these small needles were as clear as they could be.
He smoothly twirled his spear, bouncing the needles away with four rhythmic thuds.
The small needles fell to the ground, having failed to meet their target.
"Is that all?" Cyril muttered, lazily staring at Bonzo.
This student's face didn't seem panicked. In fact, a smirk soon emerged on his face.
Then, suddenly, a vision flashed in Cyril's mind. The four needles on the ground would explode, emitting green gas.
Cyril flinched in place but then prevented himself from moving.
This vision was a result of Atheris's ability. The snake was closely observing the duel, treating this fight as if it were her own.
But she wasn't supposed to participate.
Tell Atheris to stop!
Cyril remained in place while tightening the grip on his spear. Soon, even though he knew about it, he let the needles around explode in green smoke, covering him.
"Hahaha! Take it!" Bonzo laughed with glee as Cyril's body disappeared from sight.
Cyril held his breath as soon as the smoke appeared and dashed out at his full speed.
Soon, he emerged from it, throwing a confident look at Bonzo.
However, this student's smirk soon grew even wider.
Cyril looked all around him, wary of any possible traps. That's when he noticed the smoke move.
It continued to expand, slowly filling everything in the transparent dome. There was no escaping it, and Cyril was soon in smoke once again.
Even Bonzo's smirking face was enveloped as well.
"Cyril Thorne," Bonzo said, his voice excited, "you know what? I've been struggling recently. I wasn't sure how to properly poison my opponent."
It was clear that he was trying to stall for time while the poison took effect.
"Needles can be easily blocked by a barrier spell, something I don't yet know how to counter. And any projectiles I cast are easily avoided by more athletic students."
Bonzo's voice suddenly melted into the surroundings, seemingly coming from many places at once.
"That's when I had a stroke of genius! If I fill everything around with poison, then I'll definitely hit my opponent! All I have to do now is wait while it takes effect!"
"When I defeat you, they will finally know the greatness of my path!" Bonzo's voice held the expectations of the whole world within it.
Even if Cyril couldn't see him, he could imagine his face was twisted with glee at this moment.
He sure is passionate...
"Now, let me see you struggle from paralysis!"
Then a finger snap rang out somewhere in the smoke. In a moment the air cleared, letting the arena come into full view.
"What?!" Bonzo's eyes widened so much they seemed ready to jump out.
Exclamations of surprise similarly went through the crowd, as everyone discussed what happened now that they can finally see.
Cyril stood in place, spear securely in his hand. His face looked the same as ever, maybe now even a bit bored.
"How are you fine?! I increased the dosage! Are you secretly using a spell?!"
Bonzo unwillingly flailed his hands around, his face reddening.
Cyril calmly walked towards him, not in a hurry.
"I'm resistant to poisons," he flatly said.
It wasn't a lie. Rhamn didn't even have to do anything. The level of this poison couldn't affect him at all.
"Weak!'
Bonzo's face soon paled, colored now by despair. He stood shakily in place, his eyes wandering about.
As Cyril was about to arrive in front of him, Bonzo dropped on his knees, muttering something under his breath.
"I give up..."
He is quite emotional... It's only a duel.
The professor, catching the surrender, quickly waved his arm.
"The duel is over! Cyril Thorne won!"
No one cheered at the fight's end, nor was anyone too excited about it. This was the conclusion they expected to see.
Too bad it didn't happen as explosively as they thought. All they could do now is analyze the fight and the reason for Bonzo's loss.
"Of course Thorne won. I told you Bonzo was mad."
"He is resistant to poisons? Is that what he said?"
"How is that? ...Oh! Could it be?"
One girl's voice stood out from the crowd. It wasn't Myra. The auburn-haired girl was just cheering as she jumped in place, the butterfly on her shoulder bobbing up and down with her.
The same girl Cyril helped when she was about to fall whispered among her friends while peeking at the arena.
"I know! I know! I've heard rumors that some assassin families use a horrifying method. To build immunity in their kids, they expose them to all kinds of poisons and venoms from an early age!"
"You think Thorne's father...?"
"I know it! How else do you explain this? Poor Cyril... He probably had it rough."
Poor Cyril...?
Perhaps misunderstanding the boredom in his words earlier for something else, they quickly composed a whole story, filled with twists and turns. Now he was becoming a tragic figure, forced into his role by an overbearing parent.
Starting from that girl, the gossip spread like a plague across the crowd. The speed of it left Cyril in shock, only one thought in his mind.
That girl has a rich imagination...
While Cyril found the rumor perplexing, something in it appealed to him. The crowd's words when discussing him no longer were in a completely negative light.
So he tried his hardest not to glare in their direction, only offering a rebuttal in his mind.
My father never poisoned me. He did nothing at all.
"Don't tell them that! It's perfect!"