A sword fast as an arrow went ahead, it almost touched the tip of my nose but I crouched down and swept the attacker with my foot.

The start of school meant the start of my schoolmates trying to hunt me for points.

Earlier, I had arrived and was met by the countless students that were waiting for me. I ran and was cornered in the back of the building.

“Draw your sword!” One of the students shouted at me, but I ignored it, for my hand was holding something else. A bread.

“How about you stop attacking me first, no?” My sarcastic remarks seemed to trigger the anger of the students. Did they think that I was looking down on them? Maybe, or maybe not, I myself did not know.

“Attack him at full force!” The commanding tone came from afar, perhaps it was their leader or some sort.

To think that they would truce just to hunt me down. All of them were targeting us, so they decided to help each other. It was wise, I would give them that, but it was a pain in the ass.

A bulky man slammed his great sword on the ground, and through his sheer physical prowess, he sundered the earth and created a giant crack below.

This was the result of their effort for training endlessly all their life. I jumped sidewards to evade the impending sunder, while I did that, a student appeared from my behind, a dagger in his hand.

He almost got me if I didn't lower my upper body and rolled backward. Grass and dirt clung to my white uniform.

Time to get serious. I swallowed the last crumb of my food audibly, then I grasped the hilt of my rapier.

“H-his eyes! Oh, sh*t here he comes!”

“Call the elite now! We need back ASAP!”

“Hold your grounds!”

Oh, how did they knew that I am serious right now? I traveled quite a distance with one leap, attacking the first student.

He didn't—rather, he couldn't block my attack as my sword grazed his shoulder.

“Damn! Why me!” He shouted, throwing his sword down in displeasure, touching his injured limb.

A rule that was created by the school saying, When a sword touches you, that means you're dead and cannot fight again in two hours.

I think I could keep this mode for about two more minutes before my energy is depleted.

Shifting my gaze to another student who feared for his life, I burst, a little slower this time... And it was a mistake on my part.

A flashing light was generated by the two clashing swords. One was mine and the other was from a different student.

“Oi oi! Are you truly the Yellow Reaper?” It was a man who was extremely handsome. Accessories attached to his earlobes. I thought that was forbidden?

“Brandis, don't think you can take that man alone.” Another voice chimed in.

A girl with bright golden hair, blue sea eyes. She was stern and strict, her sharp glance sent the man to unbend his body. Her body was busty and her waist was thin, she was carrying a shield in her left hand while a broadsword in her right.

“Listen to what Vice-President said, you lowly servant.”

I searched for the owner of those insulting words but there was nothing in there. Magic...?

The handsome man burst into laughter at my expression. “Look, Mildred! He's trying to find you but because you're too short he ca—buh!”

Froth came from his mouth as something charged his stomach. A small child!? A little girl who was younger than my sister, I think she was about twelve or eleven?

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Her purple hair was bob cut, dark violet eyes scowled at the man who was currently laying the ground.

“Say that again and I'll kill you.” She spat out, then her eyes drifted into me. “So you're Sir Elric... I'm really a big fan! I watched your fight last year and after that, I transferred here just to see you!” Her body begun twitching, swooning as she placed her hand in her small chest, cheeks blushing.

“Huh...?” What sort of comedy skit was this? Is this a strategy to let my guard down? Damn, they're really good at it then.

“Enough of that! You two!” The armored girl commanded the due in the stern. “Elric, I am here to fight you.” She said.

“It's not a one on one fight... Perhaps?” I jokingly said.

The girl smiled faintly at my words and wobbled her gorgeous face. “I'm not so idiotic as to do that. I know when I need others to help me.”

“What can I do? I'm cornered. It's not like I have another choice.” I moaned in dissatisfaction, then I scratched my messy yellow hair.

One minute left. I wonder if I can pull this up. My sword was elevated in front of me, placing the metal on my forehead.

“I will go.” No sooner when I said, I was before the armored girl. She put forward her shield to obstruct any incoming attack.

“Vice-President behind you!” The handsome man said.

Well, he wasn't wrong though. I quickly veered around at arrived at her rear. If he was not here, my fight with this girl should have ended with me piercing her shoulder.

The armored girl evaded my rapier by hair's width. She distanced herself after that, sweat already pouring on her face.

“That glowing eyes of yours, you really are a monster.” She said with a forced smile.

“What's with that guy! He's super fast! Is he a magic-user or somethin'!” The handsome guy cried out.

“Hmph! Uncultured swine like you might think that. Sir Elric is the pinnacle of swordsmanship, he's the strongest rapier user!” The little girl crossed her arms with a prideful appearance.

“Enough with the chitchat.” The armored girl pointed her sword at me. “Proceed with the plan.”

Her command acted as some sort of sign for her companion as they rushed towards me.

The handsome man at the left while the little girl in the right, both aiming to slice me. A bastard sword strived for me, the air hissed at the force of his hand.

I dodged the swift blade, backing my pace to see the view well. The little girl wasted no chance attacking me, flaring with her knife with a reverse grip.

Barring the edge of her weapon using my rapier, I pushed her back, and the handsome man was now gliding at me, his feet skated the ground like it was made of ice.

And from afar, the armored girl was beginning to move, she was about to enter the fight.

Clang! I whipped my rapier and fended the handsome man's attack. And so the little girl was now attacking.

Not to mention how fast they were, the two were actually accomplished swordsmen, their techniques and composure were top notch.

The armored girl—whom I presumed the strongest—finally joined the fight, bringing her broadsword down like a lightning strike.

There was no way my rapier could handle that force so I decided to jump a bit longer than before.

Then, something hard collided with my back. A wall. The high building of the academy offered no escape to me.

Sh*t... What should I do...? Though my fate appeared bad, I still kept my calm, looking, and searching for something to do in this trying times.

There were many things that a one-man couldn't do, even more so when he had an empty stomach.

My body was not moving the way I wanted to. Whenever I threw an attack at them, part of my strength was shaved.

As I pondered onto my next action, an unexpected voice echoed out like a soft bell. “Having trouble?”

A mischievous tone of a playful child, yet, it was not a youngster who said that. It was the ever so beautiful Lisa.

From the top of the building, she jumped down, and for some unknown reason, her skirt didn't flutter around like it was supposed to be, covering her bare legs.

She entered the battle quite arrogantly, airing herself with visual irritation. “Just when I thought that it's taking you a bit longer to...Cough. Forget about that.”

“Could use a little help here,” I said to her while watching every bit of movement of the opponents.

“Certainly.” Click. Blade popped from the edge of her metal fan, she was smiling coldly like usual. “Just what are you up to, Student Councils?”

Student Councils? That would explain their skills. Now everything makes sense!

“Just doing our task, Ex-President.” The armored girl said replied with an equally freezing tone. The two were glaring at each other intensely.

Just how many enemies do you have, Lisa? I thought.

It was still in the morning but the atmosphere of the area went high real quick. Even the two companions of the armored girl were crumpling their expression.

“I see, so you're using the strategy that I taught you, a good student indeed.” There was an underlying insult in Lisa's sentence that the two of them only could get. Lisa faced me, her annoyance was evident even then. “Just what are you doing Elric? This isn't like you at all. You're getting push back by these three idiots?”

By idiots, she meant the student council. They had heard it, glaring at the poisoned-tongue girl who was holding a fan.

“Well, you know, sooner or later, people change. And I'm not the same anymore.” I offered what excuse I had for a moment.

“Don't give me that nonsense. For you to be defeated is not acceptable.” Whoa! What was this girl thinking! Was I suppose to be an undefeatable student or something!?

“You know that's impossible right? I'm still a human, even I can't fight a dragon alone...” I announced the obvious here.

“You can't?” Replied Lisa, reacting as if I said something unbelievable.

“Are you sure about that dude?”

“Sir Elric must be joking, right?”

“I didn't expect for the Yellow Reaper to jest.”

The handsome man, the little girl, and the armored girl—in that order—offered their rebuttal.

“Just what do you think of me!” Exclaiming I did, I stood straight as to announced my outrage.

“The school's strongest.” Said Lisa.

“A living lightning bolt, I mean you're super fast.” The handsome man followed.

“My hero~!” The little girl squeezed her blushing cheeks, her face was melting.

“A monster.” The armored girl courtly said.

It's like we're not in a fight anymore! My teeth were greeted by the frustration that I was feeling.

The first one who returned to the somber mood was Lisa, letting out a sharp sound from her throat. “Whatever the case, losing is not an option.”

With a twist of her fan, she assumed her battle stance. “If you can't defeat them on your own, I'll help you. We're partners after all.”

Probably she was embarrassed by those lines because she was flushed red. I grunted, swinging my rapier for a few times before replying. “Let's just get over with this. Oh, by the way.”

“What?” Lisa answered, fixing only her gaze at me.

I slowly lifted my rapier, held near to my chest, the tip was pointing upward. The blade was in the middle of my eyes that looked carefully at the opponents. “I'll ask you just this once. After this fight, can you get me something to eat?”

Hhmm? Lisa couldn't understand what I was indicating with that. “Why?” She asked.

“You see, I think I'll use a lot of calorie for this fight.” Grasping my sword tightly, I began to move... Like, for real this time. Otherwise, Lisa might get angry at me... And I might not receive any payment so...