boyutpedia Chapter 508: Dueling Bullies
Chapter 508: Dueling Bullies
Chapter 508: Dueling Bullies
The Academy's dueling arena was buzzing with the kind of energy that only came from something everyone secretly hoped to witness but never thought they'd actually see.
A cliched story as old as time and just as satisfying.
A victim fighting back against their bullies. Besting them and showing them their betters.
Though it lacked in the latter part, as no one cared for Arthur enough to be happy about his strike back, this story still fanned the rumors, making everyone interested.
After all, even when ignoring the context behind it, the duel was nothing ordinary.
Most were friendly clashes, little more than practice skirmishes for status or bragging rights. But this?
Arthur's challenge had weight, and everyone could feel it. Legendary by their standards.
It was a three versus one, a duel never seen before on Academy grounds.
At least not the first years.
Arthur wanted to prove a point to the Academy. A message.
"Don't fuck with me."
No one would mess with him after today. He would make sure of that.
These three would prove an example of those who tried.@@@@
And so, as the students crowded around, there was a constant murmur, ongoing even as the duelists stood in the arena, staring each other down.
Bets were being placed under the table, especially under Elite tables, and the staff pretended not to notice the unusual amounts of AUC circling around.
It was clear more than a few instructors had participated as well while finding convenient reasons to linger nearby.
There was something magnetic about all of this, simply too curious for them to ignore.
Most professors had already deemed Arthur dead in the first month, or expelled at best, but now?
They didn't know where to place him.
To see someone they discarded change so much in so little time made them question their abilities to spot talent.
Or were they right?
After all, this Arthur they looked at seemed so distant from the boy they once knew.
Were the rumors about him true?
Just how different would this duel be compared to the one in the novel?
Just how far had the boy come since his transformation?
Emir wanted to see that firsthand, experience the difference, feel the subtle changes, learn of the strings in this play, where they sat, how they reacted, moved, spoke, everything.
One day, he would need to control puppets more than the audience present here, so he needed to know just how his actions affected each little thing.
"Hey..."
A few seats below Emir, Aria whispered to Ava, her voice laced with skepticism.
"Do you think that guy actually stands a chance against them? I mean, all three?"
Ava shrugged, eyes glued to the scene, her usual cocky grin replaced with genuine curiousty.
"I don't know, but look at him. He doesn't seem worried. If anything, they're the ones who look like they're about to get sent to the chopping block."
"Mhm... true, what do you think, Sof?"
Surprisingly, Sofia was sitting next to them, her gaze studying Arthur with intense interest, like she was mentally cataloging his every move before the fight even began.
"He'll win."
Similar conversations were happening everywhere in the stadium, the students' excitement
infectious.
Even Elijah, who normally would never bother with anything related to Arthur, especially not with something as trivial as a grudge match, was here, his arms crossed, the faintest hint of a
smile on his face.
Though he hated the boy to the core, and certainly would've liked seeing him get beat up, he couldn't deny that his winning was undeniable.
Still, he'd never admit it.
Junior and Max, who sat next to him, felt the same. Even Quinn, who for some reason sat alone in an empty part of the stadium, saw him as the clear winner.
The outcome of the match was known, yet no one left, interested in how the process to get to that outcome would unfold.
And, as if to respond to that, the signal was finally given by the referee, raising his arm high to
the sky.
The arena quieted to a near silence, the only sounds present were the occasional shifting of
feet and whispered rustles.
"Begin."