The next day dawned clear and bright, a mocking contrast to the storm of nerves brewing in Hiruko's stomach. The dueling grounds were a simple, flat circle of packed earth behind the school, but to him, it felt like a gladiatorial arena. A large crowd had gathered, a sea of commoners from the school and the surrounding village, their faces a mix of curiosity and quiet support. He even spotted Mina, a flash of red hair in the crowd, her presence a silent promise and a source of immeasurable strength.
Then, he saw them. A small knot of noble brats, dressed in ostentatious finery, stood at the edge of the crowd, their sneers as sharp as their tailored clothes. They were the ones who saw this as a spectacle, a chance to mock a Tross failure at a "school for peasants." Their laughter carried on the wind, a cruel, high-pitched sound.
His opponent was Kevin, the quiet boy with glasses, whose water spells were known for their precision and speed. The bell for the first match rang, a loud, clear chime that echoed across the grounds. Hiruko took his place in the circle, his heart pounding against his ribs like a drum.
Kevin stood opposite him, adjusting his glasses. There was no malice in his eyes, only a quiet, almost apologetic determination. "Good luck, Lukas," he said, his voice soft.
The instructor, a tall, imposing man with a booming voice, raised his hand. "Begin!"
Kevin wasted no time. A small sphere of water, no bigger than a marble, formed in his palm. It shimmered with an inner light, a perfect, condensed ball of liquid. He flicked his wrist, and the water shot forward, a silver streak aimed directly at Hiruko's chest.
Hiruko didn't panic. He had a plan. He moved to the side, a clumsy, shuffling sidestep that was more a feint than a dodge. The water ball whistled past him, hitting the ground and splashing harmlessly.
Kevin, surprised by the maneuver, hesitated. That was all Hiruko needed. He raised his hand, took a deep breath, and with a grunt of effort, he muttered the incantation. "Ignis!"
A small, pathetic fireball, the size of a fist and wobbling precariously, shot from his palm. It flew toward Kevin, a slow, flickering mockery of a spell. The noble brats at the edge of the crowd erupted in laughter.
Kevin didn't even bother to dodge. He simply held up his hand, and a small, translucent shield of water appeared, catching the fireball with a hiss and a puff of steam.
"Is that all you've got, Lukas?" one of the noble brats yelled, his voice laced with venom.
Hiruko ignored him. He knew this wasn't about power. It was about controlling the fight. He muttered another Ignis, a slightly larger, slightly less pathetic ball of fire that he sent wide, to Kevin's left. Kevin, confused by the strange trajectory, instinctively sidestepped to avoid it.
This was his chance. Kevin was moving, reacting. He was no longer on offense. Hiruko muttered another Ignis, this time aiming low, at Kevin's feet. It was a useless shot, a feint meant to keep his opponent off balance. Kevin hopped to the side, his movements a blur of practiced evasion.
The crowd began to get restless. The noble brats were now roaring with laughter. "The Tross failure is fighting like a blind man!" one of them jeered.
But Mina watched, a small, knowing smile on her face. She saw what the others didn't. She saw the strategy. She saw the plan.
Hiruko's fireballs were still pathetic, but he was throwing them with purpose. He was herding Kevin, forcing him into a pattern. He looked at Kevin, who was now panting, his glasses fogged with sweat. He was exhausted from dodging.
Hiruko took a final, deep breath, centered his focus, and muttered the incantation. This wasn't for a direct hit. It was for something else entirely. "Ignis!"
A misshapen ball of fire, bigger and brighter than his previous attempts, sputtered from his palm. Its trajectory was a wobbly, drunken line aimed not at Kevin's body, but at the ground just behind him. It was a perfect tactical move, a feint to keep Kevin off balance.
Kevin, sensing the change in the fireball's size and speed, didn't dodge. Instead, he instinctively retaliated with a small, focused water blast. The stream of water met Hiruko's fireball a few feet from its target. With a sudden, violent hiss, the fireball was extinguished, but not before a cloud of thick, obscuring steam billowed out from the point of impact.
The steam was hot and blinding. It hung in the air, a thick, white shroud that completely swallowed Hiruko. He coughed, his eyes stinging, his vision reduced to a swirling, chaotic blur. He was completely vulnerable. He heard the faint sound of a splash and a sudden movement from Kevin's direction.
Kevin had taken his chance.
Hiruko felt a heavy slap of water hit his chest, a full-force blast that sent him stumbling backward. He was defeated. He stood there, soaked and humiliated, as the steam slowly cleared. The crowd, which had been silent, erupted in a cacophony of jeers and mocking laughter.
"The Tross failure strikes again!" one of the noble brats yelled, his voice echoing with cruel delight.
He had failed. He had lost. He had tried to win with cunning and wit, but in the end, he had been undone by a simple, unavoidable mistake. The weight of his loss was a crushing blow, a feeling far heavier than the water that still dripped from his clothes. He looked up at Kevin, bracing himself for a smug, triumphant look.
But Kevin was not smiling. He walked over to Hiruko, his face filled with genuine sympathy. "You're getting better, Lukas. You really are. You had me on the ropes there, making me run around like that." He gave Hiruko a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Keep working on your aim. You'll get it. I'm glad to be your friend, Lukas. Don't give up."
Hiruko simply nodded, unable to form a coherent response. He looked past Kevin to the crowd, his heart sinking with a renewed sense of dread. He found Mina, and their eyes met. He expected to see disappointment, a look of betrayal for the time and reputation he had just cost her. She had vouched for him, trained him, and he had failed.
But there was no disappointment in her eyes. There was no pity. She was smiling. A small, proud, knowing smile. She knew what he had done. She knew he had fought, not with brute force, but with everything he had. She was proud of him, even in his defeat.
The jeers of the crowd and the mockery of the nobles faded into background noise. In that moment, all that mattered was the look on Mina's face. He had lost the duel, but he hadn't lost her respect. The path forward was still long and fraught with challenges, but he knew one thing for certain: he would not be walking it alone.
As the steam dissipated and the jeers of the crowd filled the air, Hiruko felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kaelen, his face a picture of sincere concern. "Hey, don't worry about it, Lukas," Kaelen said, his voice low and comforting. "It was a tough match. Kevin's good."
Kevin, still standing nearby, nodded in agreement. "He's right. You were amazing, Lukas. I've never seen anyone fight like that before."
Hiruko managed a weak, grateful smile, a flicker of warmth breaking through his defeat. He was surrounded by friends who valued him for who he was, not for his magical ability or family name. It was a stark contrast to the cold, calculating world of the Tross mansion.
He excused himself from the group, his eyes already searching for Mina. He saw her at the edge of the dueling grounds, her fiery hair a beacon in the crowd. As he approached, she gave him a small, knowing smile.
"I've already told the carriage to wait for us," she said, her voice soft but firm. "The matches are still going on, and there's no need for you to stay and face the humiliation. Let's go."
Hiruko's heart swelled with gratitude. She wasn't just his teacher; she was his friend. She understood the sting of public failure, and she was offering him an escape.
The carriage ride back to the mansion was a quiet one. The silence between them was not awkward but comforting. Hiruko finally broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry, Mina," he said, his gaze fixed on his hands. "I let you down. After all the time and effort you put into me, I still lost. I'm a failure."
Mina reached out and placed her hand over his. Her touch was warm and reassuring. "You didn't lose, Lukas," she said, her voice filled with a quiet strength. "You fought. And you fought with everything you had. That's a victory in itself."
Hiruko looked at her, his eyes searching hers for a hint of a lie, but there was none. "I was a joke out there. Everyone was laughing."
Mina squeezed his hand gently. "They weren't laughing at you, Lukas. They were laughing at what they thought you were. But I know what you are now. You're a fighter. You're a man with a mind sharper than any spell. You may have lost the duel, but you've won something far more important."
He looked at her, his mind finally processing her words. He had lost the duel, but he had gained her respect. He had shown her and himself that he was more than a failure, more than a disgrace. He was someone who was willing to fight, even when the odds were stacked against him.
"You gave me a chance, Mina," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "And I'll never forget that."
She smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile that reached her eyes. "You didn't need me to give you a chance, Lukas. You gave yourself one. And that's all that matters."
The rest of the carriage ride was a welcome shift from the heavy conversation. Mina, sensing he needed a distraction, began talking about everything and nothing. She described a new type of pastry she'd tried, a confection of spun sugar and berries that was all the rage in the capital. She spoke of the latest fashion trends, new gowns with intricate lace patterns and bold color schemes that were a stark contrast to the staid Tross family attire.
Hiruko listened, offering a comment or a question here and there. He found himself smiling, genuinely enjoying the simple, human conversation. It was easy to forget, with everything that had happened, that she was just a young woman with a sharp mind and a fondness for sweets and beautiful dresses.
As the carriage slowed, the grand silhouette of the Tross mansion loomed in the distance. The mood shifted slightly, the easygoing atmosphere replaced with the subtle tension of their shared reality.
"I need you to come to the conservatory later this afternoon," Mina said, her voice dropping to a serious tone.
Hiruko's stomach tightened. He had just faced public defeat and was bracing himself for a lecture from his father. The last thing he wanted was another tense encounter. "What for?" he asked, his voice guarded.
Mina's expression was unreadable. "Clarissa is waiting for you. There's something she wants to talk to you about. She was quite insistent." She didn't offer any more details, and the topic was dropped as quickly as it had been brought up.
The carriage pulled to a stop at the main entrance. The door opened, and a servant stood waiting. Hiruko stepped out, feeling the weight of the mansion's expectations settle back on his shoulders. He turned to Mina, who was still in the carriage.
"I'll see you in a bit," she said, giving him a quick, reassuring smile. Then, with a crack of the whip, the carriage rumbled away, leaving Hiruko to face the Tross estate alone.