Thud!!
His back slams against the wall, sharp bolts of pain coursing through his spine as his vision blurs and his legs give out. "What the hell?" He murmurs, rubbing his head as blistering pain eats away at his vision.
"Lux Maxwell. Rat of the noble society and weakest of the magic academy." Voices taunt, but Lux stifles them out. He couldn't comprehend his own situation, muchless the needless rambling over others.
'Why does my body hurt this much from one push? I went through multiple interrogations, a multitude of near-death situations, and this is affecting me this much?"
'So why does this shit hurts so damn much.' He winces.
[Current situation: bullying.]
His vision flickers in and out of focus, but he sees the golden screen.
'Bullying…me…that's…well, ironic.' He thinks, looking up at the red-haired boy, fuming above him.
"How dare you look my way!" He shouts, and he receives another stinging punch across his face.
Spitting out blood, he licks the blood dripping from his lower lip. The taste of iron lingered on his taste buds.
'It's been a while since I've gotten a beating.' He chuckles, the rush of nostalgia sprouting through his body.
__________
[Profile]
Name: Dragan Monsect
Status: Second son of the Monsect ducal household
Magic level: 5th magic circle
Type of caster: Energy caster
Possibility: 50%
__________
'A profile. Imagine if I had this while fighting the Valderno Syndicate; it would make things way easier.' He laughs again, this time out loud, causing Dragan and his lackey to twist their faces. In confusion, 'That's a lie. They weren't that hard to go against.'
"You!" Dragan backs away, fear flashing on his face for a mere second before turning to anger. "You dare laugh during your punishment!"
Lux's laugh dies down, his eyes narrowing up at them. "Punishment?" He inquired. "Are you my master?"
He grits his teeth, raising his hands as a red circle with words he couldn't understand forms, extending from his palms, routing.
'This has to be the magic that system was talking about.'
[Correct.]
[But I advise you to avoid this upcoming attack.]
'Gotcha.' Watching as the flames accumulate, he takes his time waiting for the exact moment. Then he gets it: As it rips from the circle, rushing towards him, he throws himself out of its line of attack.
[Survival points +1]
"You moved!" Dragan shouts, his voice bouncing off the walls.
"I did." Lux retorts, standing up, though it hurts, dusting his black pants off.
'So the bystanders aren't doing anything either.' He views the people simply watching from the side. 'What a weird school. No one is standing up for this boy while the bully has his way with him. Matter of fact, it isn't different from ours.'
"You trash! Only low-class individuals like yourself dare go against a higher class!" He yells, anger taking over every molecule of his body.
'Fiery red hair. Fire magic, and a feisty attitude.' He eyes him up and down, taking in every inch of his body from his hair to the black and white uniform and the different patches on his left shoulder. 'Yep, the books aren't wrong about redheads. They have a bad temper'.
Dragon moves closer, this time lackeys also summoning their magic circles, one green and the other blue.
The blue magic circle wielder profile appears first.
__________
[Profile]
Name: Renga Stern
Status: Noble
Magic level: 3rd magic circle
Type of caster: Matter
Possibility: 70%
__________
Then the green one
__________
[Profile]
Name: Tombi White
Status: Noble
Magic level: 2nd magic circle
Type of caster: Communication
Possibility: 89%
__________
'3rd and 2nd magic circles. Still, I don't know anything about the magics of this world, which means I am at an advantage. With everything.' He realizes. 'Yet, that doesn't mean I'll cower before them. I'm a sixty-year-old man. How can I possibly kneel or get bullied by a kid?'
Putting up his fist forward, he faces them head-on, eyes focused, ready for any attack that might follow.
"Sir Dragan!" Someone rushes forward, shoes clanking against the floor beneath them as they approach. "If you want to fight, hold a duel. If not, don't disturb or destroy our school as if it were your estate." Her voice is light and elegant, but most of all—
'Extremely stern.' Turning around slowly, his eyes land on a long-haired, red-headed girl, her golden, flecked eyes set on him.
"The second in command of the security guild." A girl mutters to her friend, which makes its way back to Lux.
'Security.' He pins his gaze on her as she walks past him to stand face-to-face with Dragan.
'Now watching it closely. They look awfully alike.'
__________
[Profile]
Name: Scarlet Monsect
Status: Heir to the Monsect ducal household
Magic level: 4th magic circle
Type of caster: Communication
Possibility 30%
__________
'Hmm. So the possibility is lower than her brother's, but he has a higher magic circle than hers.' He thinks deeply, but still can't figure out the system. 'You can talk back, but can't relay basic information?'
<<<...System is synchronizing into your soul…>>>
[Everything will be revealed in due time.]
[Perhaps use your brain to gain more intellect points.]
Lux rolls his eyes. 'If I had a say, I'd say that you're a teenager.'
[Thankfully, you don't.]
"..."
"Do you know it would be a shame upon our family if you continued your unforgivable act of bullying in front of others?" Scarlet voices, her arms flooding over her chest.
'She never said, don't bully, just not in front of others.'
"But he started—" Scarlet cuts him off with one glance.
"If you want to redeem yourself, duel him on the fields and not in the corridor." Scarlet barrades.
"Then!" He shifts his attention to Lux. "I challenge you to a duel! Lux Maxwell!"
Lux can't hold back his joy. 'A fight in this body? Though it is severely weaker than my previous body. How can a man like me turn down a fight?'
[Do you accept?]
[Yes/No]
"I accept your duel."
"Then it's settled," Scarlet announces. "A duel of Lux Maxwell and Dragan Monsect!"
.
.
.
In no time, they're outside, almost the entire school surrounding, each representative of their respective guild waiting to view the inevitable outcome of the battle. To watch the first-year, Lux Maxwell, fall.
Scarlet strides out onto the large green field between the two of them. "Alright!" Her voice trumpets louder than everyone else's. "The duel of Lux and Dragan is about to commence! The first one to call yield or pass out wins!"
Lux's azure eyes don't move from Dragan for one second, not even as the crowd chants Dragan's name or when Scarlet moves away, back to the sidelines beyond the magical boundary.
'Focus and breathe. If there isn't a way, find one.' He reminds himself of the words he once use to chant to himself during a mission but subconsciously stopped because he didn't need to try after Zereth.
"1…"
"2…"
"3…"
"Begin your match!!"