The day of the duel came quicker than Siu had expected, but when he woke up that morning, he felt ready. As for the rest of the dormitory of the Outer Disciples? The whole place was abuzz because such an entertainment might not even happen for the next few decades... if not more. So, it wasn't a surprise that everyone woke just as early as Siu did, heading towards where the duel was to happen at sunrise. They poured in from every direction; the best places were grabbed by the truly early birds, while some sharper of the disciples held the best positions, selling them for an outrageous amount of CC. Not to mention those who were already shouting, collecting bets on not just who would win, but how long it would take for Elder Thane to step in. Or if there would be anyone crippled... or even killed.

  “It’s Nue Toah, isn’t it?" someone grunted, betting on the girl's victory, "She’s going to break the newcomer. Getting into trouble this early? Suicide.”

  “That’s what they said in the kitchens, too. But the boy challenged her… officially.” Someone else butted in, putting down Sun Crystals, a whole tier higher ranking CC than what Siu used to break through.

  “Are you trying to go broke?” someone laughed, watching the man bet five hundred of them, placing his pouch in the hand of the grinning broker.

  “Too poor?" the broker scoffed, not wanting to lose out on the money, "If so, then fuck off! Anyone else wanting to bet? Come, come! You won't have another such occasion amongst us for a long time, that's for sure!”

  Watching it happen, standing at the center of the square-shaped ring, standing with his arms behind his back, Elder Thane simply waited, smiling to himself, but showing none of it outwardly. Watching and listening to the disciples, he couldn't help but remember how it was when he joined, all those centuries ago. It changed little, yes... but the same kind of people were all around him now as back then, working, failing, succeeding, living their lives to the best of their abilities. He remembered how it was and how he struggled to make a living, even falling for schemes of older disciples, which taught him a valuable lesson. One that later helped him on his path when he finally joined the ranks of the Inner Disciples, growing and finally becoming an Elder of the Hollow Song Sect.

  Thinking of those decades, entering the Inner Disciples' ranks... his eyes slowly fell on the edges of the square as there was one such disciple present... The one who was currently responsible for managing the Outer Disciples' order. Elder Thane almost made a face, thinking the boy was doing a pretty lukewarm job with it as Dui tried his best to keep order... While he looked increasingly troubled as the crowd swelled more and more, he was close to losing his control over them. It was a disappointing thing to see from an Inner Disciple, as their presence alone must command utter respect from those ranking below them.

  “Stay back and from the line, damn it!” he barked at a cluster of overeager boys pressing past him, trying to find a good space to watch the upcoming duel from. “Do you want Elder Thane to flay me alive?! Because then I will skin you myself!”

  Finally, putting some of his cultivation behind his voice, the boys scattered, cupping their hands nervously, retaining some order... but Dui didn’t relax. He couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, his smirk was wearing thin, while his eyes were constantly darting toward the elder at the center. He wanted to curse Siu and Nue for this damned duel now... But... If he can show his worth... Yes... In his head, he was able to radiate confidence, showing the casual authority of an inner disciple who was tasked with keeping the outer ranks in line. At least that was his belief, wanting to impress an Elder of the Sect, which would help him rise further within the Inner Disciples' ranks...

  Of course, that wasn't going to happen, so it would still remain a dream, but he wouldn't want to face the facts. Hope could blind anyone, after all.

  Besides, there were other things to worry about too... What made his stomach squeeze together more than losing control over the gathering was the question of what if Nue killed the boy? Or if the boy managed to cripple Nue? He wasn't afraid of what most people would think he was. It wouldn’t matter for the Sect. At all. He wouldn't be even put on trial either... but it would show badly on his 'resume,' especially if some smug bastard among the other Inner Disciples would find a way to pin it on him. They could easily start asking: Why didn’t Dui intervene? Why didn’t he keep the outers under control? Is he that weak that he can't overpower two of them? What is he doing amongst the Inner Disciples then? It didn’t need to make sense... It just needed to be slightly reasonable to get pushed down.

  "For fucks sake, don't make this hard on me..." He grumbled to himself, looking towards where the duel would take place.

  "Having trouble?" A silvery laugh passed by his ears just the next moment, making Dui flinch. Straightening his back, he recognized the voice that only he could hear, being directed straight into his ears, causing his face to flush with both embarrassment and excitement.

  Finding the source, he finally saw her. She was perched lightly on a railing, her signature silver-colored flute resting across her lap, while she wore the Inner Disciple's silver sash across her body.

  "Senior Seloryn Veyra!" Dui smiled, already forgetting everybody else and focusing solely on the girl, watching as her violet-gray eyes surveyed the crowd with an amused detachment, her long black hair falling over one shoulder as she moved her head. As always, she was elegant without even trying.

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  “You look nervous, Dui,” she continued, tilting her head with a smile. Her voice was gentle, but there was an unmistakable mischief behind it. “What’s the matter? Surely one little duel isn’t enough to rattle you. We have these things happening almost every day, aren't we?”

  "That's a bit of a hyperbole, Senior Veyra." He stiffened, puffing his chest out nonetheless. “We both know that being overseen by an Elder is still rare. For someone who is still an outer? Unheard of. As for being nervous? Me? No chance. Not among these kinds of people! I can take on all of them if I want to! Hmph! I’ve seen more duels than half the sect. I could referee it myself if I wanted to!”

  "Sure you do," Seloryn’s smile deepened, knowing well that Dui was full of shit. Not that she would bring it up, as part of it was right. Inner Disciples dueled too, a lot in fact. However, it was usually overseen by the Disciplinary Committee, which consisted of other, very much so combat-oriented disciples, rather than an Elder. Maybe that was why Elder Thane was here... as far as Seloryn knew, the Elder was once a member of the Committee and later became an enforcer of the Sect. This meant his job remained the same, except he was doing it outside, fending off intruders who came to their territory. Whichever the case was, this duel was indeed a rarity, making her interested. Chuckling, she tapped the flute lightly against her knee, squinting at Dui, “Good. Then, when Elder Thane asks why this square descended into chaos, I’ll be sure to tell him that you were eager to take charge.”

  "Senior... please?" Dui paled for half a heartbeat before forcing another laugh out, sounding super nervous. "You must jest..."

  "Relax, I am." She stood up, walking closer and then past Dui, "Who do you think will win?"

  "Nue, of course. That woman may become an Inner Disciple in a year or so."

  "Really?" She hummed, her fingers playing on the holes of her flute, as if composing a song, "I don't know... I remember the boy's performance at the entrance ceremony..."

  "And?"

  "Nothing." She answered, glancing at Dui, determining that he was just too stupid to see the connections. A newcomer who made Elder Yan pay attention? Now an Elder is overseeing the first duel he has had? That boy was, if her instinct was right, going to be someone who would not stop being an Inner Disciple... In her mind, they were seeing a Core Disciple being nurtured from the start... And she would catch that ride. One way or another. "We will see."

  ...

  ....

  ......

  At the same time, elsewhere in the gathering, Siu’s roommates pushed through the crowd with him, carving a small bubble of space among the others, but only after they began realizing it was one of the participants arriving.

  Lorean was the only one who didn't come with them, as she was already present, sitting at one of the better places, along with other disciples who looked to be spending a lot of CC on making bets. Of course, Siu noticed it, but he paid no attention to the details. As for Tian, who was with him, to his surprise, was pushing the others out of the way as if he owned the place, talking to Siu.

  “Don’t lose, because it will feel like I lost,” he grunted, wearing a half-sneer on his face, “If she drops you, I’ll be the first to kick you while you’re down. I will rush in and do it while you are down! And don’t think I won’t!”

  "Can you stop? For one day?" Siu moaned, yawning and trying to wave him away.

  "There is no stopping in here. I saw you laze around yesterday... Hmph." He snorted, displeasure written all over his face.

  "You also need to rest or you break yourself before a fight," Siu answered, his words being echoed by Neya, making Tian's answer get stuck in his throat.

  "Exactly!" She clutched at her sleeves to keep her hands from shaking. Her face was pale, and deep down, she was afraid of meeting with Nue again. But she knew she had to deal with it; that is why she was still going to work every day... and to repay Siu, of course. But she also understood she had to deal with the fear, or she would be stuck forever and never make it into anything inside the Sect. “Please be careful, Siu,” she whispered. “I know you’ll win, but… don’t let her hurt you too much. Just… come back safe.” She smiled bravely, though the tremble in her voice betrayed her fear.

  "No promises," He shrugged, looking at her with a half-smile, "But I will win."

  Just as they peeled off from Siu, finding a place to watch the duel from, the other party had also arrived.

  Nue Toah strode into view with a pretty aggressive swagger, wearing training clothes, letting her arms free, flexing her muscles, watching the crowd, feeling that this would be the perfect opportunity to show that she was already Inner Disciple material and awe everybody present. Listening to them, she could hear how the noise of the crowd swelled immediately as she already had a name, be it because she was infamous or not... People knew about her, and she relished it... She loved the attention, the certainty that most were waiting to see her dominate some nobody.

  On the other hand, Siu simply walked into the ring, not bothering to show off or try to look special. He only glanced at Elder Thane before his eyes moved to Nue, tilting his head.

  "Waccha lookin' at, fuckface?" She asked, making Siu close his eyes and let out a stifled laugh. "What's so funny?"

  "Nothin', bitch," He answered in the same tone, using the same intonations, his eyes remaining closed, beginning to laugh again, shaking his head, "Clown. Why are there always so many clowns...?"

  "...!" Nue Toah was about to burst out with another curse, but she had no chance to do so as Elder Thane raised his hand and every noise died at once, all around the ring, almost as if the whole Sect went still just then.

  “This is a sanctioned duel between Outer Disciples,” he declared, his voice not even loud but appearing beside every disciple's ears. “It will be witnessed and judged by me. The terms are as follows: the victor will be determined by yield, unconsciousness, or incapacitation. Death is not required for it to end... But..." He turned even more serious, "Any disciple who strikes after the duel is ended by my signal will be punished as if striking against the Sect itself. The Hollow Song Sect nurtures talents; we are not going to lose them to stupidity. We aren't that type of Sect! Understood?" He asked, watching the two, and while Siu nodded immediately, Nue only did so after a brief pause. “Good. Now... Step forward..." He kept his hand up before finally bringing it down with one loud shout, "Begin!"