Yuuji was halfway through a perfectly average sandwich when someone threw a gauntlet at his table.
Like, a literal enchanted gauntlet. It thunked off his tray, knocked over his juice crystal, and spun dramatically across the cafeteria like it was auditioning for a role in Magic Avengers.
Silence.
Forks froze mid-air. Spoons clattered onto trays. Somewhere in the corner, a student whispered, "Did someone just... declare a duel?"
Yuuji slowly raised his eyes from the crime scene.
There stood Liam Everhart—polished, princely, and smirking like he practiced it in the mirror every morning.
"Elira," Liam said, his gaze ignoring Yuuji entirely, "we need to talk."
Elira, who had been quietly enjoying a slice of magically chilled fruitcake, didn't even look up. "We're in the middle of lunch."
"This concerns your... tutor." Liam finally turned to Yuuji, eyes full of disdain. "Or should I say, your project partner."
Yuuji blinked, mid-bite. "Did I... offend your bread or something?"
"You embarrassed me in enchantment class."
"I enchanted a rock."
"A rock that outperformed three noble students' sky-beacons," Liam snapped. "And then you had the gall to smirk."
"That wasn't a smirk. That was mana exhaustion-induced facial sag."
Liam ignored the remark. "Therefore, I challenge you—Yuuji Hoshino—to a formal, honorable Arcane Exhibition Duel."
Gasps. Loud ones.
A first-year in the back dropped their tray. A third-year started whispering aggressively into a message crystal. Someone else yelled, "BETTING POOL'S OPEN, BRING OUT THE MANA COINS!"
Yuuji's eyebrows twitched. "What in the anime trope hell is an Arcane Exhibition Duel?"
[System Alert: Major Event Branch Triggered]
➔ New Quest: "Don't Die (Publicly)"
➔ Objective: Survive Arcane Duel Against Liam Everhart
➔ Reward: Title – Underdog Idiot (or something better)
➔ Optional Bonus: Do not soil yourself during the event
Liam placed a scroll on the table. It unrolled itself and began glowing with arcane runes.
"A formal duel. Non-lethal. Supervised by faculty. This Saturday. Arena C. Three judges. Standard spell limitations. No artifacts. No substitutions."
Yuuji blinked again. His brain tried to file this under "Not My Problem," but the scroll pulsed red ominously.
[Notice: You Have Been Officially Challenged]
Refusal Results: Automatic Forfeit + One Week of Magical Detention
Note: Magical Detention May Include Animate Chalkboard Humiliation
"You've got to be kidding me."
Elira finally looked up. "Liam, this is ridiculous. You're treating a rock enchantment like it was a political coup."
"It's not about rocks," Liam said, voice tight. "It's about standards. If this outsider wants to play at being one of us, then he needs to prove he belongs."
Yuuji stood slowly. The cafeteria had gone dead silent, all eyes locked on him. He felt the pressure of it—the expectation, the judgment—and under that... the system pinging him again.
[Hidden Objective Triggered: Gain Respect of the Student Body]
Yuuji exhaled through his nose.
"Fine," he said. "You want a duel? You've got one."
A first-year fainted. Someone screamed. A teacher dropped her coffee.
Yuuji slumped back into his seat.
"I officially hate this school."
Two Days Later – Arena C
Yuuji had never been inside a formal dueling arena before. Not in real life, anyway. His only exposure had been online PvP matches in Arcane Academy Online, which rarely involved actual risk of death or public humiliation.
The arena was a stone coliseum, circular and sun-drenched. The stands were full—students, professors, and even a few enchanted camera familiars hovered above. Banners fluttered. Concessions floated around selling auto-warming meat buns.
It was... a lot.
Yuuji stared at the open dueling circle.
"I'm going to die in public."
"You'll be fine," Elira said from beside him, adjusting the straps on his regulation-standard duel gear. "You've survived worse."
"Barely. And those incidents didn't have an audience large enough to chant my name while watching me combust."
She met his eyes. "You have control. More than you think. Use your instincts. Use what you do have."
"I have sarcasm, panic reflexes, and a half-leveled support spell set."
"Then make sarcasm your weapon."
He blinked.
That... wasn't even the weirdest advice he'd gotten this week.
The Duel Begins
Yuuji stepped onto the dueling floor with all the grace of a man walking toward his own tax audit.
Across the way, Liam entered like a hero from a high-budget magical drama—light catching his uniform, wind catching his hair, the faint hum of enchanted aura trailing behind him.
Even his smile had lighting effects.
Professor Daelin raised a hand from his floating podium.
"Standard rules. Five minutes. Point system. Non-lethal only. Begin."
0:00 — Duel Start
Yuuji ducked.
A bolt of force magic tore past him, scorching the floor.
"Yup. Definitely real spells."
He retaliated with a burst of misdirection runes. The air shimmered with a harmless illusion of himself moving left—he moved right.
Liam's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, a trickster. Cute."
0:45 — First Contact
Yuuji cast a proximity counter-glyph, baiting Liam in close. When Liam advanced, Yuuji activated it, causing a mana flare near Liam's feet.
It wasn't strong, but it threw off his aim—his next spell veered wide.
[+10 Duel Points: Clever Evasion]
1:20 — Spell Clash
Liam conjured a wind blade and followed it up with a shockwave. Yuuji barely dodged—then activated his Adaptive Trigger skill, a system-based perk from his playthrough.
He redirected the energy, absorbed a fraction, and hurled it back in a scatterburst.
Liam shielded himself just in time.
"You shouldn't have that kind of control," Liam said, eyes narrowed.
"Guess the system didn't get that memo."
2:30 — Mid-Duel Taunting
Elira watched from the judge's circle, arms crossed. She muttered, "Stop taunting. Focus."
Professor Liram beside her chuckled. "He's buying time. Classic support-player tactic. Draw aggro, burn cooldowns."
Elira frowned. "Or he's stalling until the nerves hit."
3:00 — Power Play
Liam raised both hands.
"Wind Spiral Bind."
Yuuji cursed and ducked. The arena howled as a vortex spun into existence, pulling debris and magical residue into a miniature storm.
"Okay," Yuuji said, half-running, "new strategy: become airborne, cry, hope for divine intervention."
4:00 — Last Stand
Yuuji slipped behind a broken barrier, laid down three runes: One delay trap, one manalink interference, one directional bounce.
He baited Liam again. Liam, impatient, surged forward—and tripped the trigger.
[Combo Triggered: Disrupt + Bounceback + Panic Field]
Liam's spell shorted. He stumbled. Yuuji launched a final disruption glyph—and hit.
Liam hit the ground hard enough to rattle teeth.
Duel Ended
Professor Daelin raised a hand.
"Victor: Yuuji Hoshino."
A beat of stunned silence.
Then the stands exploded into cheers.
Yuuji didn't celebrate. He lay flat on the floor, arms splayed, eyes staring at the sky.
"Why is the sun judging me."
[Victory Achieved: Arcane Duel – Underdog Path]
Title Unlocked: Tactical Menace
Elira Affection +3
Rivalry Progression (Liam): +10 Respect
Optional Bonus Complete: Did Not Soil Self
Aftermath
Liam stood, brushing dust from his uniform.
"You're... better than I thought."
"You're taller than I thought," Yuuji wheezed. "Both are upsetting."
Liam offered a hand.
"I expect a rematch."
"Can it not be this week?"
They shook.
Somewhere nearby, Elira watched quietly—and, just faintly, smiled.
Later That Night
Yuuji collapsed onto his glorified closet bed.
The [System Menu] glowed softly above him.
[Daily Log Updated]
– Survived enchanted breakfast
– Entered a magical duel
– Defeated a noble in front of half the school
– Became trending topic in student gossip
[Unlocked Achievement: Main Character Moment (Reluctant Edition)]
Yuuji groaned.
"I am a tutor," he told the ceiling.
"I am not built for this."
The system chimed once more.
[Next Event Triggered: Headmistress Summons]
Warning: Boss-level dialogue expected
He stared at it.
"...I miss when my biggest problem was sentient toast."