”Let me get this straight. You want to challenge me?” Fawkes eyes widened as he asked the question. He seemed genuinely perplexed with Elem’s proposal. “Do you seriously think that I have time to duel some kid like you? Please don’t be a fool. Either sign up for the waitlist or bugger off.”

This is good, Elem thought. The offended tone in man’s voice was a sign of vanity. That was a weakness he could exploit. In another reality Elem would have apologized and ‘buggered off’, but given his current situation he was simply forced to take chances.

“Why?” he teased. “Are you afraid to lose from ‘some kid’?”

Fawkes raised his brow, clearly second guessing what he’d just heard.

“You know what?,” the man replied. “If you really want a beating, I can use a light exercise.” He was trying to sound aloof but his flushed face revealed his anger. The Ultra Gym instructor gestured at an alleyway adjacent to the entrance of the Summoning School. “Let’s go to the back, there's some space for a duel there.”

“So you accept the challenge?” Elem wouldn’t follow Fawkes without confirming the conditions of the match. He was willing to put himself at risk but he had to ensure his price. “If I win, you’ll get me and my friend a spot in the Ultra Gym, alright?.”

“That won’t happen,” Fawkes promised. “But sure.”

Before Elem could follow the tattooed man into the alley, Aja jerked him to the side.

“You’ve only got your Summon for a few days and you already want to challenge someone with years of training? Have you lost your mind?”

“He’s just an assistant instructor,” Elem replied. “It’s not like I am challenging Arissa herself or something. And besides, you and me have been training for years as well. We may not have spent a lot of time with our Summons but Sekuheim taught us how to strategize and properly manage our Essence. This is a great opportunity, please just trust me.”

“”Fine,” Aja conceded, rolling her eyes so hard it looked painful. “But we’ll throw in the towel before you get seriously hurt.”

Nudged between the Ultra Gym and a large department store, the backstreet was just wide enough for two medium sized Summons to battle each other. It wasn’t an ideal space but it would do the job.

Elem didn’t feel like wasting time, he immediately sat down and focused on his breath. Within a moment’s time, his Essence stirred through his entire body and settled in his stomach. He merely had to direct his mind towards his Summon for the restless Kappa to materialize before him.

“I summon the Kappa, Water Summon; Mysterious Protector of Rivers.”

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Hissing, the Kappa looked around the backstreet before setting its sights on Elem’s opponent. In the dark alley the creature looked even more menacing than it usually did; its shell cast a gray shadow over the rest of its body while the luminous pool atop its skull lit up like a ghostly lantern.

However, Fawkes didn’t pay the Kappa any notice. He slowly walked to the far end of the alleyway so that he would be out of range from any misguided attacks and sat down in a lotus position.

“I’ll make this quick,” he announced. It took a few seconds before the man’s eyes to color a deep blue.

“I summon the Vodyanoy; Water Summon, Vindictive Lord of Lakes.”

Accompanied by sounds of splashing water, a human-shaped creature crawled from a nearby dumpster. Its body was dripping wet and completely covered in kelp and other aquatic plants.

The Vodyanoy stared directly at the Kappa, its eyes eerily glowing through the vegetation like red-hot coals.

“What the hell is that thing,” Elem whispered. The creature looked like a sentient mess of tangled vines and weeds. Compared to Summons like Cockatrices or Hydras, it looked strange and rather unimpressive.

“The Vodyanoy is a Rare Class Summon,” Aja explained. “It's known for its water based attacks. Its abilities are actually very similar to your Kappa.”

“That’s a way of putting it,” Fawkes said as he produced a loud, obnoxious snort. “Our Summons may seem similar but yours is just a Common Class, meaning that my Vodyanoy can do everything that your Kappa can do but better.”

The man’s words barely made an impact on Elem. His father’s advice still lingered in his mind: duels were won through skill and sheer determination, not arbitrary designations such as the Summon’s Class.

Elem felt a world of difference from the last time he had summoned his Kappa. When trying to fight Ferran’s Seraphim, Elem had been a slave to his emotions and had quickly burned through his Essence. However this time, while feeling like he had nothing to lose, he was calm and confident.

He felt the Kappa’s Essence ripple through his own body. The Summon was ready to attack but Elem didn’t want to rush into an opponent he knew so little about. For now, it was best to take a patient approach. A ranged attack would do.

“Hydro blast!”

The Kappa inhaled and then launched a beam of luminous water from its beak. The liquid projectile hit the Vodyanoy’s overgrown body with a loud thud.

This was good, Elem figured. He was showing the arrogant instructor that his ‘inferior’ Summon could pack a serious punch. Now he just had to keep pushing.

“Again!” he shouted, prompting his Summon to launch a volley of beams.

The Vodyanoy didn’t attempt to avoid the attacks, enduring strike after strike until it staggered back. Elem felt his heart rate rush with excitement but his opponent didn’t seem the slightest bit concerned.

“You may think you’ve hurt my Summon, but the kelp covering my Voydyanoy’s body is more than just a pretty suit,” Fawkes said. “It’s also an armor, protecting it from light attacks like those hydro blasts. You can shoot my Summon all you want- the water pressure might even topple it over- but you’re not going to hurt it.”

Elem clenched his jaws. Instead of damaging his opponent, he was only expending his own Essence. This was dangerous. Fawkes, being the more experienced duelist, already had a larger supply of Essence to begin with and now the disparity between them would only increase.

If Elem wanted to win, he had to find a way to cut through the Vodyanoy’s defense. And for that, he had to get close.