In the male students' dormitories, during the afternoon free period, in one of the rooms…

In silence, a teenage student with a brown bowl cut on his head flips through another page of his thick spell tome, studying it with great focus. He adjusts his round spectacles, pushing them back up his nose, and leans forward into his book again.

Crash!

His door flies off the hinges into the room with impetus, jagged and torn pieces of wooden shrapnel scatter all across the floor.

Thud!

The door lands on the floor with a deafening noise, startling the already frightened, wide-eyed student further. An exceedingly handsome man walks in, casually stepping heavily over the door while its wood lets out strained creaks.

「W- Who are you!?」

He asks as he slams his book shut and slides it aside, unsure whether he should run or not.

「Tom Edward Nigma.」

The man in the Academy's uniform replies with a snide grin, approaching the student with his hands in his pockets.

「I don't know any- What are you doing in my room!?」

The teenager adjusts his round glasses with his brows greatly furrowed in worry. The two lock their gazes as the man glares down at him from beside his chair.

「I'm the one asking questions here.」

The handsome man declares with a disdainful stare, and swiftly moves his hand behind the boy's brown head.

「Wha-?」

SLAM!

Before he can even finish his sentence, the student gets his face violently slammed into the desk. His round spectacle crack, and fly off his face onto the desk.

「Nmnhyuuh!」

He yelps out in pain as he straightens out, clutching at his profusely bleeding nose. Droplets fall onto his shirt and pants, staining it crimson. His tearful eyes look up at the grim man's face, but his glare returns no pity.

CLUNK! Clunk-clunk… Clank.

The man abruptly kicks the chair out from underneath him, sending it flying into a wall. It bounces off, and loudly drops to the floor with a woody report. The still-reeling student collapses onto his back, wriggling like a beetle.

「So why'd you do it, you little bowl cut speccy fuck!? Your sweetheart picked a ginger, so it's time for a school cursing!? Is that it, huh!?」

The handsome man takes a knee near the battered, whimpering boy.

「I don't know what you are talking about!」

The teenager insists, still clutching at his nose while blood flows freely down his cheek to the ground. The man scrunches his mouth in response. He clutches at the student's shirt, twisting it in his grasp, and roughly pulls him up a little.

「Sure you don't… Stop fucking with me! I know it was you! Did you put your fucking curse into the Cursefire Brazier, Harry!? Answer me, you piece of shit!」

He asked calmly.

「…But my name is Henry!」

Henry replies on the verge of tears while being violently shaken. Tom Edward Nigma suddenly stops calmly shaking the student, suspiciously narrowing his eyes at him. A swirling, purple vortex hanging in the thin air opens next to the man, and he pulls a folded piece of paper out. With a flick of his wrist, it unfurls, and he takes a few moments to skim through its contents as his eyes visibly scan left to right line by line, steadily climbing down the paper. They stop, and he briefly glances at the bowl cut boy before returning his gaze back to the paper.

「…It's close enough. Now answer my fucking question, Harry!」

The man says, and throws the paper back into the vortex. It shuts and disappears as abruptly as it appeared. He then growls at Henry, shaking him some more.

「But I don't understand!… What curse!? What are you talking about!?」

Henry yells in panic, feebly trying to stop his bleeding. Sensing a presence, the man gets distracted by the two students peeking into the room through the ripped, empty doorframe.

「Oh shit!-」

「Get a professor!」

They run off in panic when his glare meets their gazes over his shoulder. The boy lets out a meek whimper, when the man's handsome face turns back to him.

「Stop bullshitting me, or we're going to find out how well you can fly on a broom!」

「But I really don't know what you are talking about! I was studying the whole time! Please don't hurt me any more, I'm scared, I can't feel my face!…」

The boy pleads, sniveling and crying.

「Bullshit! You ought to have a grudge, and you're going to tell me what it is! Otherwise, we're going to find a basketball court somewhere, and I'll see if I can score a ten points shot to-」

The man insists on the student's guilt, shaking him again. He begins to construct an elaborate threat, but it is cut short by a voice from behind.

「What is going on-!? Straf!… Katastrof!」

A furious woman's voice enunciates from the doorway.

「…Big hat witch.」

Straf replies as he clutches onto the student's bloodied shirt, looking over his shoulder at Aria's face, and her angrily twitching lip.

「Yes. And don't call me a witch. What are you doing?」

Aria asks, standing in the wrecked doorway with one gloved fists on her hip, and her other hand lifting her giant hat's brim to look at Straf. The two students from before are cautiously peeking in again, hiding behind her.

「I misspoke. I'm solving the Academy's little problem. Can't you see I'm busy?」

He lets go, and drops the whimpering boy down onto the floor. Straf stands up, places his hands back in his pockets, and asks as he stomps over the torn out door up to Aria. The students behind her quickly lose courage, and flee.

「…By physically abusing one of our students?」

She asks with her mouth aslant in frustration, and looks at the young student crying and writhing on the bedroom's floor in pain.

「Just so you know, if he has a scar on his forehead, it wasn't me. What do you want?」

Straf explains, quickly pointing at his forehead, and returns his hand back in his pocket.

「…You are coming with me.」

Aria bluntly replies, and steps away from the doorway, towards the steps. He glances over his shoulder at the sobbing boy.

「You might have plot armor, but I'm a roadside EFP! I'll see you later… Porter!」

He points threateningly at Henry Porter, and catches up to the professor.

「To detention, huh? Bet you're all kinds of frustrated, and you're going to abuse your position of authority to take advantage of me. We are in a school, after all.」

Straf scoffs, smirking as he follows her.

「Hmpf. You really are outrageous… Keep your flirting to girls your age. I am old enough to be your mother, young man.」

「Yeah, and I'm sure you're bitter that you've missed your chance.」

「Krhk!…」

Aria directs a scornful glare at his amused, grinning face.

「Tsk… To the dueling grounds. I explained away your indisposition in the morning, but you have no excuse now.」

She clicks her tongue, side-glancing at him and greatly displeased.

「So, who's the loser?」

「Thanks to your previous problem solving, it's a whole list of students waiting to duel you. You already agreed, so if you back down I will announce that you are a coward, and declare them all victors by forfeit.」

「If everyone's a winner, then nobody is. Can you really get a participation trophy if you don't participate?」

Straf furrows his amused brows at Aria's irritated face as they walk down the hallway side by side, with him at the periphery of her hat…

…

Just before the rear exit to the dueling grounds, fifteen minutes later…

Straf is nonchalantly walking with Aria, the students in front of them run out of their way, hugging the walls with their backs as soon as they notice them. When Aria crosses the corner, a student walks around her hat.

「Ah. Straf? What are you doing here? I was looking for you.」

Cycelia asks, almost bumping into Straf as she swerves around Aria.

「I was having a little talk with the headmaster, and now I'm going to duel some loser. Busy day.」

Straf shrugs his hands, and smirks at her.

「Wha-? With the headmaster? Did you get into trouble? You mean you are going to duel someone right now?」

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Her emerald eyes dart to the professor's less-than-pleased face, and Straf's bored eyes.

「Yup- No. What I mean is, I'm not in trouble, and yes, I'm going to duel right now.」

Straf replies, and quickly clarifies, briefly gesturing with his hand before he spreading his arms, with a little shrug of his shoulders.

「I wouldn't be so sure about that. You've made quite a few notable students angry.」

Professor Aria chimes in, shifting her weight from one leg to the other with her fists on her hips.

「If they'd be notable, I'd know their names. Like Harry. I know he is the one responsible.」

「Responsible for what? Who's Harry?」

Cycelia chimes in as well, tilting her head as she hugs her tome, squashing her large breasts against its cover while her shirt and blazer struggles to contain them.

「Nothing, Lia. And Harry is just a guy who thinks the whole world is centered around him, so he can do whatever he pleases… This place sure has a lot of delusional lunatics, huh?」

Straf remarks, grinning at Aria.

「Hurry up.」

The irate professor turns around and continues towards the dueling ground, rushing Straf. Both he and Cycelia follow. Soon after, they exit through the back doors to the Academy's expansive backyard, where there is a large patch of land with runic obelisks of gray stone encircling it. A crowd large of students is waiting patiently on the outside of the obelisk circle. The student crowd parts when Aria and Straf approach closer, stopping near one of the stones marked by dim, golden yellow runes engraved upon it.

「Okay, where are the challengers!?」

Aria calls out, and a few students emerge from the dense crowd, stepping forth. They all glare at Straf with varying degrees of poorly masked hatred.

「Okay, and who was first?…」

「Me, professor.」

A student announces, coming closer with his hand raised. Aria nods her giant hat, and with her hands on her hips, she looks over her shoulder at Straf's bored face.

「…Remember me?」

「Nope.」

Straf bluntly replies to the student's threatening question. His jaw drops, and he stares at Straf in disbelieving shock.

「You threw me and my food to the floor, you bastard! Remember that!? That girl was there with you, too!」

The student points at Cycelia, shouting in outrage.

「I remember you… You tried to steal our seat.」

She gives her own account, with a gently tilted head.

「No, I didn't! I sat down, and then he grabbed my collar, and pulled me to the floor!」

He points his finger at Straf, and brows slowly rise above his unimpressed eyes in response.

「You're lying, Straf wouldn't do that! He's a little rough, but he's a really nice guy!」

Cycelia smiles at Straf as she defends his honor in a verbal duel.

「Nice guy my ass! Nice guys don't have lines of people waiting to duel them!」

The student shouts back as he points behind himself at the waiting group.

「Hey, I was busy…」

Straf chimes in, lackadaisically spreading his arms.

「Okay, okay, settle down… Do you know the Academy's rules of dueling?」

Aria asks as she glances at both Straf, and the challenger.

「Nope.」「Yes- Tsk…」

Straf shrugs his shoulders, and the student clicks his tongue when he processes Straf's reply. Aria lets out a large sigh, and her mouth scrunches to the side.

「Very well… Listen, the rules are very simple. You have five minutes to settle your differences in this ring. The fight continues until the time runs out, or to satisfaction… Or death…」

She says, placing her gloved hand on the nearby obelisk.

「…However, since this isn't a duel to the death, you are barred from continuing, when your opponent is no longer able to. Accidents happen, so we'll turn a blind eye if one of you is in pieces, but no killing on purpose.」

The professor continues, looking at both parties to verify that they are listening. The large mass of spectators is listening attentively as well.

「The barrier pillars here will provide an impassable shield, so you can cast away to your heart's content without any risk to the audience. Remember, trying to kill your opponent is forbidden.」

Aria reminds the two with emphasis, and a brief but serious glare.

「Any questions? Or are we clear?」

She asks, looking at Straf and the challenger.

「Uhhh, I have one question… Do I have to use magic?」

Straf asks, raising his hand with a snide grin. Laughter erupts from the crowd, as well as most of the challengers.

「Well… That is a bizarre question if I ever heard one… No. Technically, you do not have to do anything. The duels are simply an Academy-approved way of getting rid of grudges.」

After staring at him for a few silent moments, Aria furrows her brows, and replies as she adjusts her hat on her head.

「So how do you win? What are the conditions?」

He asks, spreading his hands.

「You two decide who won… Or the students will… Really, if you are alive and well by five minutes, you can consider that a victory. The duels are not about winning, it's about humiliating your opponent.」

「Oh, okay.」

Straf shrugs, and places his hands back in his pockets with a malicious grin.

「Now, give me a moment to prepare the pillars. In the meanwhile, you two can think about whether or not some spilled food is worth chancing your death over…」

With her hand still upon the runic stone, its runes begin to shine with a golden glow. She walks away towards the next one, shrugging her shoulders with her hands spread to the sides.

Straf shuffles over to the tall stone, glancing at it, before turning his bored eyes away towards Aria. She approaches the next pillar, sets her hand on it, and after a few seconds, its runes begin to glow as well.

「You're going to have an accident…」

His challenger says in an ominous tone, and with a smug smirk on his face while he glares up at him.

「That'd suck, I don't have insurance… Hm…」

Straf casually replies, and hums. He looks up at the gray, cloudy sky as he thinks. A flock of pigeons flies overhead. After a few seconds, a dome-shaped patch of the sky turns crimson, and partially opaque. The birds bounce off the thin air, and hurl to the ground in an out of control spiral.

「…If you admit before everyone what you did, and admit that you are a coward, I will call the duel off.」

The challenger says with a smug smile on his face, as he watches Aria activate the runes on each pillar in the distance.

「…Casinos, insurance companies, strip clubs… With elves and animal ear girls…」

Straf mumbles, counting something on his fingers with a vacant, preoccupied look in his eyes.

「What?」

The student says, heavily furrowing his brows at him.

「What? What do you want? I'm busy. Go bet on yourself, or something…」

Straf dismissively replies, also furrowing his brows back at the challenger, before returning to his enumerating.

「Busy with what?」

The challenger angrily asks.

「Stuff. I need to figure out how to get all that printed money out of the circulation. You're too stupid to understand, so at least be quiet.」

Straf shakes his head with an annoyed sigh, and returns to what he was doing.

「…Stupid? Why, I'm glad you're like this, you cocky fucker. I'll act like I'm real sorry to your girl after, and then-」

「Okay! Are you two ready?」

Aria abruptly calls out, returning from the last pillar after a full circle around the arena. The student clears his throat.

「Ahem. Yes, Ms. Aria.」

「Uh-huh. I guess…」

They both nod their heads in response. With his mouth aslant, Straf places his hands back in his pockets.

「Very well. You, to the blue pillar…」

She nods back, and points her gloved hand at a distant pillar with a blue stripe painted across its circumference, a little above its half.

「…And you, to the red one… There is still time to back out. That one is pretty dangerous. I am saying this as a seasoned duelist.」

The large-hatted professor says, pointing to the pillar with a red stripe. She lifts the brim of her hat to look at Straf's face with a serious, piercing stare, and speak with a hushed tone.

「And miss out a tournament arc within a magic school arc within a locked room murder mystery arc? Fat chance.」

He scoffs, and turns away to walk to the red pillar. He briefly glances at Cycelia in the spectator crowd, and she's toying with her medallion in her fingers with her brows subtly furrowed in light worry.

「…What?」

Aria utters out after a few seconds of silence, with a confused shake of her big-hatted head, blinking at Straf's broad-shouldered back…