Professor Mitra sat down in the teacher’s areas of the stands, Sadly, Argond was not able to join her here today. She looked at the poor poor student that was down on the right hand side of the field.

He had no Idea what he was getting into.

Infact most people had no Idea, the ones that were there when she had summoned him were sworn to secrecy about what had transpired in that summoning room.  The Headmistress had seen to that, making it amply clear that if word got out that this familiar was able to break s class binding then the punishment would be much worse than a simple expulsion. And in a society where the political field is played every waking moment and even some sleeping ones, giving someone ammunition like your expulsion from the academy was akin to political suicide.

So they had all kept their mouths shut.

This included her and Argond, the two instructors who had helped summon this monstrosity.

“So what do you think Mrs. Mitra, how long before this familiar buckles under the weight of the Hilron Clan’s protege?”  asked a man sitting on her right, his name was Gremond if she remembered correctly. “We are running a bet, care to throw your wager in?”

“What are we betting?”  she asked looking over at the man, he was a fairly tall and well built man, nothing too impressive to look at but also not too bad on the eyes.

“Whatever you want.”  he smiled.

“Fine, I am betting on grading homework.”  she said with a smile.

“Excuse me?”

“If I win you will all have to grade all the essays, and other homework I give this year, if I lose I will do the same for you all.”

“That hardly seems fair, seeing as there are twenty other people in this betting pool, do you really think you can grade that many people’s assignments?”  he asked, he was looking at her with a queer look.

“Perhaps I am just confident in my wager?”  she said with a small laugh. “Take it or leave it.”

“Fine, we agree, but what pray tell is the bet? 35 seconds? A minute?”

“Winner.”  she stated simply.

“Winner?”

“Yes I am betting the familiar will be the winner.”

“This is the Iron Clan Hilron’s most favored son, the one they have poured all their knowledge into, the one they have placed to rise up and be the next clan leader...”  he trailed off, what exactly was this woman saying? Did she not realise who this familiar’s opponent was?

“I know all that.”  she laughed. “And it won't even be a fight...”

[Dueling grounds]

Leon looked across the field.

Standing there was that Simon kid from yesterday.  He was standing there all proud and cocky, Leon smiled at his naivety, he had no idea, Leon could kill him in a split second, but where would be the fun in that?  And Lira had told him specifically not to kill, she never said anything about not maiming however.

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The crowds were abuzz with talk, this event was really unprecedented, and not all the talk was good for simon. Simon could hear the scattering whisperes about how he was fighting with a Familiar, a being that most people saw as nothing more than a soulless puppet, a servant whose only purpose was to do their master’s wills.

It didn't cast Simon in a good light.

 And it did nothing to improve his mood. 

He didn't have to wait long, soon a thunderous sound of a horn range out.

“It is unfortunate that you had to come up against me, but be proud, you will lose to the future Clan leader of  Hilron, you can proudly tell your children that you fought up against the great Simon of Hilron!”  

Leon’s left eye started twitching in annoyance, he had no idea what the other had just said, but he had a feeling he needed to educate him.  

Simon blew a kiss to a group of screaming young women and pulled his wand from its holder on his belt with a huge amount of flourish. The wand was much like its owner, showy and gaudy, it was black and was covered in a ridiculous amount of ornate runes and intricate designs.

Leon  on the other hand simply smiled, standing there, face concealed in darkness, the fiery gleam of his eyes was the only light that could be seen.  if one word would be used to describe him it would be ominous.

Or perhaps demonic.

The two contrasted each other, one gilded and gaudy, the other dark and foreboding.  Not liking the feeling the other was giving him Simon decided to make the first move. Using a complex pattern he weved his want through the air, while with his free hand he pulled out a ritual blade, and slit his own palm.

Swapping hands he held the wand in the bloodied hand, still causing it to dance in the air all the while chanting.

Blood splattered in a circle around Simon, and wherever the blood landed the ground would groan and rise.

So he was like that bitch, a summoner of some sort, Leon nodded to himself, not moving even slightly as he watched the show Simon was putting on for him.

Soon out of the ground rose four things that looked like knights adorn in plate armor.  With a flick of his wrist Simon sent them forward to attack Leon.

The knights didn’t rush him, but rather started circling like wolves on the prowl.  Every few steps one or the other would reach out with an experimental poke or swing to test Leon’s defense. Each time the blade would near Leon he would dodge with a hair of distance between him and the blade.

This dance continued on for almost a minute.  Simon was soaked in sweat, there was no way he would be able to continue this for very long, he had to get him now, or he would run out of strength, and there was no way he would allow himself to loose this, not with his entire clan watching.

“Are you going to fight? Or just dance around like a coward?”  he called out.  Leon had no way of knowing what the man just said simply smiled. Cursing Simon ordered the knights to move in and be more aggressive.

Leon decided he would call these knights by numbers.

Number three poked out again, and Leon was able to see that he had slightly over extended his reach, so with a dash he stepped into the arc’s range.  He used his right backhand to deflect the blade by slapping the flat. Grabbing the wrist of the Knight he twisted.

A cracking sound could be heard.

With little effort Leon ripped the hand off the knight, and pried the blade out of its hand.  In a flash Leon did something no one would have thought of, reaching out with his right hand he grabbed the blade of his newly acquired sword and let go with his left hand from the pummel, so he was only holding the blade. And with a flip of his wrist he swung the sword around and bashed the pummel into the Knight’s head, using the handle of the blade like a mace.  

The knight stood there for a second, head caved in from the overwhelming blow. This didn't last long however, as soon hairline cracks showed on it, and it soon shattered into a fragmented pile of dust.

The entire world was silent.

Looking over at Simon Leon threw a smile.  A smile that would have scared a mass murderer.

Simon ordered the rest to attack, but it was to no use.

Rushing forward with a speed that no human should possess he threw himself into the group of remaining knights. Dancing swiftly he battered them with the pommel of the blade like it was a weighted hammer, each strike was too fast to be seen and left behind after images.

Soon the entire troop Simon had summoned was gone, turned to a fine dust in front of his eyes.

Simon stood there in shock, how was this possible, this couldn't be happening.

This was all a bad dream right?

He was going to wake up and see this was all a bad dream right?

Faster than the eye could see Leon brought his sword down and slapped the flat of the blade against Simon’s face. The man fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, all grace gone from his form, he even spat out some blood and teeth all over the ground.  

The crowd was silent.

“On the battlefield the price for arrogance is life.”  Leon  said, with a deep voice, he walked over and picked up the wand Simon had dropped.  Simon spat out some more blood, and tried to push himself off the ground, but he quickly found he had no strength to stop Leon.

A loud and clear crack sounded out as Leon snapped the wand in half.

The crowd inhaled a large breath, in a single moment he had put the arrogant little lord in his place, and with a single moment he had achieved total dominance.

And he had broken his wand, the ancestral wand of Clan Hilron.

Leon tossed the blade in his hand along with the bits of wand and turned and walked away with Lira, Krya, and Fluffy.

The second they left the crowds burst into conversation about what had just happened.  Only one person wasn’t talking about it, and that was professor Mitra , she was too busy thinking about all the free time she would have not haveing to grade this entire year...