The Duel of Men

 From Elize-Turned-Eric's Perspective

Should I say the duel was inevitable, or perhaps it was too mismatched to begin with, favoring Chopin in what turned into a one-sided battle?

Chopin cast a shockwave spell.

Akira was blown away by the magic, crashing into a tree.

"Ouch!"

"Akira, stop it! I can handle it, so just stop!"

I found myself saying something like a heroine would, which feels odd since I'm actually a man.

Damn it, if only I could use male voice magic at a time like this...!

If I could fully control Eric's body, I could help Akira.

Being in a woman's body only adds to my frustration.

Akira stands up again.

"Still want to fight? The match is already decided," Chopin said with a tone of disbelief.

"Not yet, not until you apologize to Elize."

"Whirlwind again? You think such a basic spell will work?"

Akira was blown away once more.

He muttered under his breath, and I listened closely.

"Damn it. The usual singing won't change the outcome. It seems adding vibrato isn't enough. If only there were another way to sing..."

"Akira, you seem to value loyalty, but mere ideology won't close the gap in our strength. The difference between you and me is as vast as heaven and earth."

"Loyalty and duty, huh? I see, it’s like the spirit of Kabuki—yes, that’s it!"

Inspired, he stepped forward and began chanting his spell.

"I don't know what you plan to do, but I'll meet your whirlwind with my shockwave!"

Akira subtly changed the tone of his voice.

What is this?

It was a singing style I'd never heard before, similar to vibrato but slightly different.

Akira completed his spell, and his blades of wind confronted Chopin.

"I'll erase this!"

But then, the direction of the wind changed unexpectedly.

"What? The wind is... turning!"

The wind attacked Chopin from a different direction, slicing through his uniform.

"I put some force behind it. Enka isn't my specialty, but I can mimic it well enough."

Chopin's trousers were shredded, revealing his underwear beneath.

The crowd pointed and laughed at his pathetic state.

"Damn! You dare to insult me! Then I'll burn you to ashes with fire magic," Chopin declared.

He began chanting a spell for advanced fire magic.

This spell was so powerful that even someone not wearing magical armor like Akira could be severely injured or even killed.

"That's enough!" the vice principal intervened.

"Both of you have made your point, and the duel is over. Any further and you'd both end up too injured to continue your studies."

"Ugh," Chopin turned away in frustration.

"You both will skip the cafeteria for one day! That's the decision!"

Any further resistance would only result in harsher penalties.

Chopin reluctantly accepted the outcome.