'This bastard exists in this world too…' Victor gritted his teeth, irritation bubbling up in his chest as he looked at the new student in mage uniform walking into the classroom.
It was a boy with medium-length red hair, a haughty, arrogant face, and a permanent sneer, the kind of look that screamed he considered everyone weaker or of lower status beneath him.
"Victor, that's Steve Smith. He's the cousin of Teacher Eric Smith. He was one of the people who bullied you the most—be careful," whispered one of the girls beside him. Her face darkened with a grim look, and the other girls around also glared at Steve with open hostility. Steve, however, seemed entirely unbothered as he strutted toward Victor.
'I know. You don't need to tell me,' Victor thought coldly as he narrowed his eyes at Steve, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
"Steve was one of the earliest bullies," another girl added quietly. "He used to torment you with his spells, treating you like a target dummy. But after you gained strength, he was the very first mage you challenged—and you beat him publicly. He's held a grudge ever since, so be careful."
'Heh, not much different from my original world,' Victor thought with a sigh. In his original world, before mana arrived, Steve had also targeted him alongside Mister Smith. As a commoner, Victor had been easy prey, constantly beaten and suppressed using their money and status. Later, when mana entered the world, Steve took pleasure in using him for spell practice—until Victor grew strong enough to crush him, just like here.
"Hahaha! You're really alive, you bastard! This is great! I thought I would never get the chance to take revenge on you for what you've done to me after hearing that you'd kicked the bucket! And moreover, you also lost your strength. This is the best time—I'm going to humiliate you in public. I heard you even broke up with Olivia, so I don't need to fear her retaliation as well," Steve said shamelessly.
It was true—another reason people didn't bully him was his ex-girlfriend, who would challenge anyone who tried to beat him up, and she would beat them later. She was merciless. This was during the early stages when he was weak, and now Steve was gleeful that not only had Victor lost his strength, but also her protection.
"Heh, you bastard, fight me now. You lost your chance to take the trial and even lost your strength. Even if you take the trial, you would fail due to losing your strength and won't be able to be a Ranker," Steve said with a sneer. He knew that Victor's dream was to become a Ranker, so he mocked him to provoke him into accepting. But his next words made him freeze.
"Heh, at least I couldn't take the exam and failed to become a Ranker. What about you, loser? You took the trial, and judging by your attire, you don't seem to be a Ranker either. What happened? Did you spend most of your time hiding from monsters instead of fighting, or could it be you just like picking on the weak like your trashy noble family?" Victor said with a smirk as he saw Steve's face turn red from anger. The students who heard Victor's words had their jaws drop to the ground.
'When did Victor trash talk?' The students all thought the same thing. In their minds, the image of Victor was silent and strong—this was the first time they had heard him insulting someone.
'But still, he looks even cooler,' the girls thought.
"Victor, you bastard..." Steven gritted his teeth. He wanted to directly attack him but knew if he did, he would get kicked out of the academy for attacking an unarmed person.
"Fine, give me two weeks, and I will fight you," Victor said. There was one thing common between him and the old Victor: they could not tolerate someone walking over them, especially not someone of similar age. He took two weeks' time as he was confident he could defeat him.
Steven and the students blinked before Steven burst out laughing. "Haha, fine, two weeks it is. Don't chicken out," Steven said with a sneer before leaving the classroom.
Soon this news spread throughout the entire academy.
"Hey, hey, did you hear? Victor the 'Bane of Mages' and Steven are going to fight in two weeks!"
"Steven? Didn't he get beaten and lose multiple times against Victor?"
"Yes, but this time it's different. He lost his former strength—how could he defeat Steven in his current state?"
"Yeah—does he think he can regain his former strength in two weeks? Looks like his memory loss also made him naive."
"Haha, great. I can't wait to see that bastard Victor humiliated."
Some students and staff who heard him showed concern for Victor; others—especially mage students—gloated at the idea of Victor getting beaten. A few were indifferent. Whatever the case, the match in two weeks became the hottest topic around the academy.
---
Back at the Headmistress's office:
"Damn, I told that idiot to restrain himself," Amanda said, rubbing her throbbing temples.
"Hah, you should've expected this," Amber replied with a sigh. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Amanda rise from her seat.
"Where are you going?" Amber asked.
"Where else? I'm going to start his training," Amanda said, then left the room.
"Heh—she really does care about him," Amber said with a chuckle.
---
Mister Smith's private room:
"Heh, I didn't expect him to accept so easily. But I should've—he never shies away from a challenge from someone his age," Eric said with a sneer as he swirled wine in his glass.
"That bastard insulted me again. Damn—just wait and see what I do to him," Steven snapped, veins bulging on his forehead.
"But he's not wrong. You're useless. You got so many resources from your family and still failed the trial. You're a useless piece of trash," Eric said coldly.
"I—I…" Steven averted his eyes, unable to meet Eric's gaze.
"And make sure you cut off one of his arms so he can never hold a sword again," Eric added in a flat, cold voice. Steven stared at him in shocked disbelief.
"What? If I do that I'll be expelled!" Steven protested.
"Just make it look like an accident. Even if you get kicked out, I can still get you into another academy," Eric said indifferently—words that sent a chill down Steven's spine.
"Understood," Steven muttered, gulping.