Duelcrest Academy

13. Sophia's plan

My hand, clenched around the wand, was trembling again. But this time, another one covered it, squeezing it with affection. I shot a sideways glance at Amy, who was smiling at me. That smile acted like a charm, keeping the intrusive thoughts at bay as they tried to break into my conviction.

I took a deep breath.

I approached a boy who was chatting amiably with a couple of friends in the common room.

«Hey! Do you have a moment?»

I had selected him from the rankings with Amy's help. He was positioned about halfway. Therefore, even if pressured, it was unlikely he would go to extremes just to win a duel.

«I'd like to challenge you to a duel...» I continued.

«Alright! Want to bet something?» the boy replied.

«No need.»

I only cared about getting some points.
I was at -24 currently. Dead last. The student before me was at -14. In theory, winning 6 duels would suffice. But I wanted to create a good safety cushion for myself. I didn't want any surprise, like being overtaken at the last moment.

«Uhm, okay...» the boy responded after thinking for a moment, «if you lose, you'll have to challenge me again tomorrow...»

It was a popular tactic to gain more points, but I had decided not to exploit it. I didn't want to go too hard on the same person. Despite the situation I was in, I still wanted to retain some of my humanity.

«Deal,» I replied.

As usual, the magical barrier formed around us. It would be my second duel. But this time, it would go very differently from the first. I was not going to pull my punches.

3

2

I pointed my wand towards my opponent.
I was ready.

1

As soon as the countdown ended, I appealed to the magical power swirling within me.

«Fireball!»

A very basic spell. But the flame sphere I conjured had nothing to do with the ones I had seen cast before.
I felt the temperature of the surrounding environment rise several degrees as the gigantic fireball roared forth toward my opponent.

I had deliberately aimed for the side, towards the floor. Loading the spell with so much mana would make it decidedly dangerous if it hit a person head-on.

The student I had challenged conjured a water shield as defense. However, when my spell collided with his, the shield evaporated instantly. The fireball reached its destination and a powerful explosion erupted at the point of impact.

My opponent was lifted into the air and forcefully thrown against the magical barrier.

I hurried over to check on his condition.
He seemed unconscious. Perhaps I had overdone it a bit...

But the duel was over. I had won with a single spell, as I had anticipated.
Winning quickly would be the key to scoring many points in one day.

After ensuring that the boy was taken to the infirmary, Amy and I went in search of a new victim.

Elizabeth Belvoir 10

I stared at my name, sighing with relief.

The student who was last in the rankings, a dude called Jamey Porter, had slipped down to -18.
It was 10 P.M. right now, and it was very unlikely that he would manage to score a comeback in just two hours.