Chapter 4: The Duel

The cafeteria fell silent. Chopsticks froze midair, trays halted, and a hundred pairs of eyes turned toward Taichi. Challenging Natsu to a duel was unheard of – nobody ever volunteered to face him. The only time anyone fought Natsu was when Kodaka ordered it during class.

Whispers rippled through the room like static. Natsu’s crooked smile widened.

“Training Ground 4 – 1 hour. I’ll see you there, transfer student.”

He turned and walked out, the sound of his boots echoing against the polished tile until the doors slid shut behind him.

Taichi’s eyes followed him, then calmly went back to his half-finished beef bowl.

Asumi gawked at him, her voice bursting out before she could stop herself.

“Why would you challenge Natsu to a duel, Taichi?” she asked. “You can’t win! It’s impossible – he’s the strongest student in the school.”

“I mean,” Taichi said between bites, “you’re the second strongest, and I technically tied against you, so…”

He scratched the back of his head, ruffling his short black hair sheepishly.

“This is different, Taichi,” Asumi said, her voice more serious than ever. “I’ve fought Natsu before in a practice duel – I couldn’t get his health bar below a third. That’s the power gap between the first and second place right now. He also won’t let you do a single-hit duel like what you did against me – it’ll be a normal one. You won’t be able to win.”

Taichi took the last few bites of his beef bowl and smiled simply.

“I don’t mind losing right now,” he said simply. “But I need to reach Rank #1 eventually. That’s my goal in this school. I have to know what I’m up against.” Then, standing, he added lightly, “And if I win, I’ll make sure you get that single room you wanted.”

“You idiot…” Asumi muttered, eyes flicking down to her empty sushi platter. “You can’t get my hopes up like that.”

“Can you tell me about Natsu?” Taichi asked, getting up from his seat as the two of them walked out of the cafeteria.

The air outside bit against their skin, sharp with the chill of early evening. The sun faintly shone behind the clouds in the sky, its light reflecting off the metal beams of the skyscraper and snow-dusted walkways.

“Natsu is a unique aspect holder,” Asumi said, her breath visible in the cold. “Do you remember how I said aspects usually work? One element per person.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Taichi answered. “What’s his?”

“He can control two different aspects – fire and lightning. He also has a massive mana pool to supplement it. On top of that, his swordsmanship is on par with yours. You don’t have any advantages.”

“Any weaknesses?” Taichi asked, unfazed.

“None that anybody’s managed to reveal,” Asumi responded, clenching her fist. “His aspect control isn’t quite as good as mine, but it doesn’t matter. The difference in having two aspects is too large a gap to bridge. You should honestly pull back your duel request.”

“I won’t,” Taichi said. His eyes glowed with quiet resolve. “I need to speak with the headmaster. And to do that, I need to become Rank #1. Fighting Natsu is the first step.”

Asumi hesitated. “…Why do you need to talk to the headmaster so badly? You didn’t even know what an aspect was until today.”

Taichi looked toward the horizon, hand closing around his pendant.

“I need the information I believe he has… about my father.”

“Your father?”

“Hayato Rintaro.” His voice softened. “He’s gone now.”

Asumi’s expression gentled. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

A beat of silence passed.

“What information do you think the headmaster has?” she asked.

Taichi’s eyes hardened in a way she had never seen.

“He’s going to help me find out who murdered my father.”

Asumi froze.

“We lived in an isolated area in the countryside. Nobody should’ve known where we were,” Taichi said. “But whoever killed him found us anyway.”

Asumi’s steps slowed.

“After he passed, I found Eclipse Academy materials in his things. I applied, hoping I could learn more about him. The headmaster mailed a personal letter – he knew my father, knew he’d died, and still wanted me here.”

He tightened his grip on the pendant.

“That means he knows something. I’m missing pieces of my father’s life… and he can fill those blanks.”

“I see…” Asumi whispered. “Does it really have to start with fighting Natsu?”

“If I can’t stand against Rank #1, I’ll never get the chance.”

She swallowed. “…And you want to win?”

“Yes.”

Asumi drew a slow breath. “I’ve never beaten Natsu. Not even close… but I have gotten closer than anyone else. I can help you train for the hour… if you want it.”

“I’ll take it,” Taichi said immediately. “And I’d also love help making a plan, too, if you don’t mind.”

Asumi nodded.

They ducked into a nearby training hall and practiced until the hour finally passed. When the duel time arrived, they headed toward the grounds.

“There is no shame in pulling out of the duel,” Asumi repeated softly. “Natsu is a scary opponent, and everybody knows it.”

As they rounded the corner toward the open fields, Asumi froze mid-step.

Training Ground Four blazed with light. At least 100 students crowded the perimeter, the air buzzing with excitement. Some were even recording the match on their school phones.

“No shame, huh?” Taichi said, laughing nervously. “How’d all these people find out?”

“Maybe because somebody here dramatically slammed the table and said ‘duel me’ in the middle of a crowded cafeteria?” Asumi responded dryly.

“That… yeah, that would do it. Well, can’t back out now, right?”

“Listen,” Asumi said firmly. “Don’t let him know you can’t use your aspect. As long as everyone thinks you’re saving it as a trump card, you’ve already gotten into his head. Stay calm. Remember what we trained. Even if you lose, make it memorable.”

“Gee, thanks for the confidence boost,” Taichi said, slowly walking toward the grounds.

“Good luck,” she whispered, but her words were carried away by the wind, never quite reaching Taichi’s ears.

The crowd parted as Taichi stepped onto the field.

The dueling platform gleamed under floodlights, its metallic floor covered with a thin layer of frost. Across from him, Natsu stood with his shinai resting lazily against his shoulder, the evening wind brushing through his light red hair.

A student official approached, handing Taichi a vest and shinai, which he equipped immediately.

When the console beeped, two health bars appeared in the air.

Without a word, the match began.

Natsu moved first. His first step cracked the air.

Taichi barely saw the swing before it came, his arms reacting out of reflex more than sight. The sound of the impact rang out across the field as sparks of mana scattered from the point of contact.

Asumi’s words rang in his head.

“Natsu won’t use his aspect until his health goes below half. I’m one of the very few people who have actually ever forced him to use his aspect – your goal is to get him down to half health as quickly as you can. His sword on its own is overwhelming…”

Taichi twisted, countering with a backhand swing that Natsu parried effortlessly. Their strikes clashed again and again, each hit sharp enough to make the crowd flinch.

“But so is yours.”

Both health bars dropped at a near-identical pace. Breath puffed in white bursts from Taichi’s mouth as their wooden swords met again and again, the dull thud of each impact echoing through the field.

“I see why the Snow Princess couldn’t tag you first,” Natsu said with a crooked grin. “You’re fast. Good job, transfer student.”

Asumi’s voice continued lingering in Taichi’s head.

“Now, once he’s below half health, he can’t know that you know what his plan is. You need to act like you don’t know he’s going to use his aspect at this point.”

“And I see why you’re #1,” Taichi replied, stepping back, his breath steadying. “Feels like this’ll come down to who burns out first.”

Natsu tilted his head. “You’re forgetting something, though.”

He raised his sword – and the air snapped.

A spark bloomed above the tip of the shinai, swelling into a sphere of fire laced with lightning. The flames twisted and pulsed with electric veins, the smell of ozone burning through the air.

“Because of your feigned ignorance, he’ll go for something more extravagant with his aspect. He’s trying to bait you to charge in.”

“How will your aspect measure up, transfer student?!”

Taichi’s gut clenched. He could feel the weight of the magic pressing against his skin like static before a storm. Momentarily losing his balance, he took a step back in fear.

“If you charge in, he’ll immediately attack with his shinai… but don’t let him see you hesitate. Take the bait. Charge, and then…”

“I don’t need my aspect to deal with this,” Taichi said, gripping his shinai tight. His voice was calm, but his heart was hammering in his chest.

Then he charged.

The crowd gasped.

“Stop.”

Natsu swung upward, lightning arcing violently across his arm – but Taichi halted an inch outside the blade’s reach. The wind of the strike brushed his cheek. The sudden recoil sent Taichi’s pendant bouncing upward – its chain snagging on Natsu’s shinai, which was moving even faster than Taichi’s high expectations, before snapping free.

The pendant ripped loose and tumbled to the ground.

His blade came down hard, landing a clean strike across Natsu’s shoulder.

The hit connected – but so did Natsu’s spell.

A roar of flame and thunder swallowed the field.

Asumi gasped from the sidelines, her hand flying to her mouth. The explosion lit the entire training ground in searing gold, the shockwave rippling through the air like a heartbeat. Students shielded their eyes, shouting over the deafening crack of energy.

When the smoke cleared, Taichi was standing.

Untouched.

Natsu’s confident grin faltered. The crowd went silent.

Taichi glanced down at his hand, flexing his fingers. The faint hum of energy radiated from him, unseen but heavy in the air.

“…What was that?” someone whispered from the stands.

“I have no idea…” another responded. “Did Natsu decide to show mercy or something?”

“No, look at his face… he’s shocked too.”

Natsu took a step back, his expression darkening.

“This just got interesting.”