Chapter 17: Don't refuse, Dio

  "My God, I've been waiting for her for an hour."

  Deo was wearing nice casual clothes for the first time since entering the Academy. Today was a holiday, and there were no lectures due to the exam period. But he felt nervous.

  The time for Alessandro and Kairo's fight was approaching, and we wanted to go early. I can't believe this.

  Then he saw her. She was descending from the elevator, and she wasn't wearing her black cloak. She was wearing a simple, light blue summer dress, her black hair flowing over her shoulders. She was beautiful. Painfully beautiful.

  But... why am I a little sad? He felt something strange seeing her beauty displayed like this. I love change, but I didn't like this change.

  Clara came to him, her face embarrassed. "How do I look?"

  He didn't want to hurt her feelings and tell her he didn't like it. So, he acted a little. "You look very beautiful. Come on, we'll be late."

  She held out her hand, and he took it.

  They arrived at the arena and found that the fight had just begun. They sat in the stands and Deo started watching. Unlike his quick and decisive fight with Isabella, he knew this fight would be long.

  "Did you see Isabella after our fight?" he asked Clara.

  "I haven't seen her. More than two days have passed. Where is she, I wonder?"

  The fight in the arena was fierce. Kairo, with his innate genius, was using magic as a game. He dodged Alessandro's ferocious physical attacks with lightness and agility, using small bursts of wind magic to change direction at the last moment. Alessandro had improved a lot. He had become stronger and faster, but Kairo was a genius of another level.

  Not like Isabella, Deo thought. Kairo is a genius who appears every thousand years. Isabella appears every ten thousand years. As for me... I don't appear. He smiled to himself. I am the First Ranker.

  He touched Clara's hair. "You're dating the First Ranker, huh."

  "Shut up," Clara said, pushing his hand away. "I'll come and take your place. Just give me some time and pamper that seat."

  Deo laughed.

  The fighting was escalating. Kairo, a specialist in all types of magic, preferred wind magic to create distance. Alessandro, a specialist in close combat, was using wind magic to shorten that distance, and coating his hands in earth magic to increase the power of his punches. After half an hour of back and forth, fatigue began to show on Kairo, while Alessandro was still like a raging bull.

  Kairo decided to end it. He launched a powerful wave of wind, merging it with a burning flame, and then fired a sharp earthen bullet through it. It was a complex, compound attack. Alessandro was only one step too late, but it was enough. The bullet pierced his shoulder.

  "The winner... Kairo Foist!" Gabriel shouted.

  Gabriel went toward his son, and helped him stand up. "It's okay, son. You were very close to winning. Learn from today's loss."

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "It... it still burns," Alessandro said, laughing in pain.

  Deo felt something strange seeing that scene. He felt envy. Envy of the loser Alessandro, because he had a father like that. He held Clara's hand tightly. Yes. At least, I have Clara.

  He went to Kairo. "What's wrong, genius? You took too long."

  "Shut up. He's a real monster. His strength is not to be underestimated."

  "Excuses of the weak."

  "Let's see who's weak and who's strong!"

  Deo and Kairo started wrestling like children, exchanging light punches, and Clara laughed, trying to stop them.

  "The punch of the legendary Boogeyman!" Deo shouted.

  "Gabriel's punch to Alessandro!" And we laughed, then Kairo said, "I'm fighting Isabella on the last day. I'm challenging her."

  "Are you sure you want to fight that fierce monster?"

  "Yes. I'm sure."

  On the way back to the dorm, Deo and Clara were laughing and joking. Yes, I don't have a father like Gabriel, but I have this. I am happy with what I have.

  When they arrived at the dorm, Kairo went to his floor. Before Deo left, Clara stopped him.

  "Wait." She said in embarrassment. "I think... I'll go back to wearing my cloak."

  "Why?" Deo wondered. "Do you still not like people seeing you?"

  "No... and yes. I still hate it, but I think I can live with it. But I... kept remembering your words to me. That you don't want anyone else to see me." Her face flushed. "Those were... the most beautiful words anyone has ever said to me."

  Deo looked at her, and felt his heart melt. "Then cover yourself well. I really don't want anyone to see you but me. I want you all to myself. I don't want anyone to share you with me."

  He hugged her, then looked into her eyes, and kissed her.

  Deo's routine was simple. Training, sleeping, seeing Clara, and hanging out with her and Kairo. But one night, the dream returned.

  Darkness. Cutting. Cutting. Cutting.

  But this time, he was crying in the dream. Severe, silent, and painful crying. As he was cutting, he felt immense regret, a regret that tore his soul more than any sword.

  He woke up screaming. It was still the middle of the night, and rain was pouring heavily outside.

  "No... I can't go back to sleep."

  He put on his sportswear and went out. "I'll run a bit. I love the rain."

  He ran in the rain, the cold drops hitting his face. He was thinking about the dream. Why was I so sad? Did I have no one in that dream?

  Then he saw her. A woman was standing in the middle of the plaza, the rain washing her fiery red hair. It was Isabella.

  He went to her. "Isabella. You shouldn't be standing in the rain."

  She turned to him and started yelling. "Fight me again!"

  "Isabella, you lost."

  "I didn't lose! You ambushed me!"

  "In the end, I was the one who won. And that's what matters."

  "Fight me again!" she yelled louder. And when he looked at her face, he saw that she was crying.

  Why is she crying over such a silly battle? Then he understood. He felt she resembled him, so if his talent had appeared from the beginning, would he have become like her, he wondered. Losing was not an option for her. Unlike me.

  He reached out and started patting her head.

  "Get your hand away!" she screamed, trying to push him away, but he continued.

  "Unfortunately, I have a jealous girlfriend. If I hugged you, she would kill me. So this is the most you'll get."

  "I don't want your patting!"

  "No, you need my patting. You need someone to tell you that losing is not a shame. Rather, it's a kind of victory. The loser always learns more from their loss than the winner learns from their victory. So, train hard, and become very strong, until you get another chance to fight me. And perhaps... you will defeat me." He laughed. "But I am Deo, Star of Change. So, you must develop quickly."

  He left her. "Don't get stuck here, okay? You have another fierce monster coming to defeat you. And that monster is my dear friend. If you underestimate him, he will eat you."

  Two days later, Deo went to visit Kairo. He opened the door immediately. His apartment was a mess of books and potato chips.

  "Looks like you're preparing well for the fierce monster fight," Deo said, seeing the damage in Kairo's training hall.

  "The least I can do," Kairo laughed.

  "Do you need my help? To train you?"

  "You know I don't need anyone's help. I'm best when I train alone."

  "Yes, yes."

  Kairo looked at him, and the smile faded from his face. "I will defeat Isabella. Then, Deo... I will challenge you. To a duel of honor. The fight will be for the honor of one of us."

  "What?"

  "We will settle our accounts," Kairo said with a seriousness Deo had never seen before. "The accounts from five years ago."

  "Do you mean... that day?" Deo said sarcastically. "Is it still stuck in your head because you weren't home? Never mind..."

  "Don't refuse, Deo. I will get you to fight me."