Karl stood up to his feet, narrowing his eyes staring at Leon, the aura around shifting turning dark. He stood there, fighting for control of his body that refused to obey him.

He clutched onto his head, his fingers gripping his skull, in a sharp pain that suddenly came over him.

"Arghhh, oww! What's wrong with me....? My head feels like it's melting away...." Karl screamed out of pain.

"Hey, are you okay? Is everything alright?" Leon asked with concerning gaze.

"Maybe you should probably give up...." Leon added. Trying to finish up the duel as fast as possible.

"It's not worth it to make a fuss about this whole duel thing...." Leon tried to reason with his opponent.

He didn't respond to Leon, he was looking down, and tried to suppress the sudden urge to do something stupid.

'Karl Stuart must be in utter shock and disbelief that I manage to beat him once again.... but I wouldn't call that a duel or anything in any way.'

Leon thought to himself as he stood there in front of his opponent. He didn't understand why Karl was acting like that.

'Why is this happening to me? Why did that guy's spell go off...? I thought that I was still in control of my body.... help!' (Karl)

He felt like a prisoner in his own body. He couldn't do anything or say anything, Karl felt like he was useless once again.

"Shut up, you peasant! You wouldn't understand why I'm doing this!"

Karl said as he mustered up the strength to yell at Leom before everything went dark for him. He was looking down to the ground, as he slowly faded away.

No one didn't understand what was happening between Leon and Karl. All that they could see was Karl acting weird and Leon just standing there.

Leon wasn't able to fight, due to him using his [Speed Blitz] sword skill, taught to him by his instructor.

'.... I don't think that I can't continue fighting anymore, my muscles are tired... but it seems like it's not over yet for Karl Stuart...' (Leon)

Leon had had enough of Karl Stuart's behavior to lose the loss it had been pride that caused him to not admit his defeat.... it was puzzling to ponder about it for any moment longer.

The other students were watching the two as they both just stood in the arena, not doing anything.

"It doesn't seem like they're going to do anything...."

"Hmm-mm, they're just standing there like earlier. It's kinda getting boring!"

Karl was as if he was in a trance with his head facing to the ground, not focusing on Leon, his opponent.

"Something feels off about that blonde guy. He doesn't seem to be in a conscious state of mind." Grim said to Jessica.

Jessica turned to face Grim with a perplexed look on her face and said.

"Huh...? I knew that something was off with him, but I didn't know that it would get out of hand." Jessica answered him with a shocked expression.

"So you knew....?" Grim was left puzzled.

Jessica nodded in response to Grim's question. He just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Karl suddenly looked up at Leon with no emotions on his face, he looked like a robot in someone else's control. The crowd of students who were spectating the duel wasn't sure what to do; either to cheer or to not to do anythig. No one had no idea on what to do about Karl and Leon's duel.

(Karl Growls)

"What's going on here....?" Leon couldn't help but to ask that question.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"This is going to get ugly fast... I have to get out of this situation fast..." Leon said to himself, as he stood in front of Karl.

"I have to regain my glory as a noble.... I have to regain my glory as a noble...."

The atmosphere around Karl was different and had a dark aura. He had completely lost himself. Suddenly Karl charged at Leon and swung his wooden sword wildly.

"Hahhhh! Die!!"

Leon blocked the powerful strike Karl put into his swing and moved out of the way. Karl had actually caught him off guard, so Leon had barely got the opportunity to block his opponent's strike and moved out of the way in time.

(Leon breathing heavily)

"That one was a close one, huh? I didn't even notice that he had moved..." Leon mumbled to himself, clearly in shock from Karl's sudden attack.

'If he pull that stunt again, I won't be able to defend myself against him... due to the use of my trump card [Speed Blitz], I am immobile for a few hours or days... I didn't really anything research on the skill, I only took what my instructor said at face value...' ( Leon)

Leon couldn't think clearly about what he was going to do. It wasn't like he could just call it quits, but it isn't like anyone would judge him for doing that.

Leon stood there with his legs shaking from using such an energy depleted skill like [Speed Blitz]. The only thing he could do was to just stand there or try to dodge Karl's attacks.

To Leon, it was very hard to do that. Karl suddenly went back on the offensive and charged once again at Leon. He tried to stab him with his sword, but Leon blocked the strike, then tried to hit the sword out of Karl's hands.

But he managed to jump back into a double back flip, and got away from Leon. The crowd of students remained in awkward silence, not knowing what to say or do.

The Nobles began to exit the arena one by one. In their perspective, it doesn't matter who wins in this duel, because they wasn't going to watch a duel between a weak noble and a totally nobody. So the best thing to do is not support the duel.

"Those bratty Nobles are leaving the arena."

"Yeah, it's seems like they don't want to continue watching the duel."

"Uh...? He's fast!" Leon exclaimed with shock on his face.

'It's not like I didn't expect him to do something like that.... I was just speechless. ' (Leon)

Suddenly Karl lunges at him and he aimed his sword to Leon's face and swung with all of his might. Before Leon got the chance to react, he felt the sword connect to his face.

He was thrown across the floor and ended up a few feet away from his opponent. Karl growled and glanced towards Leon with soulless eyes.

The entire crowd of students was left in surprise at what had just transpired before their eyes.

"No, Leon pleaseget up!" Sophie, Daniella, Keith and Samuel were more surprised than the other students.

(Karl chuckled evilly)

As he walked up to the helpless Leon, he couldn't help but to grin . When he reached his opponent, he raised his sword and ready to swing at him while he was down.

"Uhhh.... what happened? That hit was powerful. No ordinary person could ever have such a strength...." Leon marveled at Karl strength.

Leon sat up and turned around to see Karl standing over him and looking scary. He had a smug smirk on his face. The way how Karl looked made Leon freak out.

When Karl swung his wooden sword to strike Leon, his sword sword seems to hit an invisible wall.

"Enough! This duel is over. You can resume your scrabble in the upcoming Tournament!" Jessica had decided to speak up and call off the duel.

"You guys should save your energy and train yourselves for the Inter-Academy Tournament!" Grim chimed in after Jessica had spoken.

He threw a tiny black orb at Karl and it entered into his body, and came out of his body and returned to the boy.Karl fainted afterwards.

"Huh.... what just happen?" Leon asked. "Did he do something to Karl Stuart...?"

"It's nothing. I just immobilized him, be rest assured that this incident will be investigated. " Grim said to Leon.

Later, Leon had found himself in the academy's infirmary, due to muscle fatigue by using his [Speed Blitz] sword skill. He was sitting down on the bed. Trying to process the situation.

'I just can't believe that our duel would have such an unhappy conclusion... to be honest, I would love if either one of us won...'

Leon thought to himself as he sat in bed. Alexandra, James and Sophie was present also in the infirmary.

"Are you okay, little brother?" James asked. "You seems to be banged up, hahaha!"

"You look really banged up... sorry for not doing anything about Karl Stuart..." Alexandra apologized to him.

Leon couldn't help but to smile because his siblings are worrying about him. But Sophie didn't say anything, she just gave him a mean look.

"Uhhh, what's the problem with you, Sophie? Did I do something wrong?!" Leon asked, as he felt goosebumps.

Sophie continued to give her twin brother the cold shoulders, not saying anything to him.

"Look, Sophie, Leon had been through a lot with the duel and all, so...." James tried to tell Sophie something but didn't.

"You... you idiot!" She punched him on his shoulder. "Why didn't you just reveal yourself as a true noble? You didn't have to go through any of those situations. Idiot, idiot!"

Tears was welling up in Sophie's eyes, as she tried to hold back the rest of the tears. Seeing that his twin sister was crying, he patted her on the head and smiled happily.

"Sorry for worrying you guys. I know that you're worried about me, I'm sorry." Leon apologized to his siblings.

Sophie hugged him, while being overwhelmed with emotions, and Alexandra kissed him on his forehead, James just smiled.

'I'm glad that I end up with such a loving and peaceful family.... I have to do my best to try and make them proud....' (Leon)

With that, a stressful day came to an end. Hopefully nothing else happens that would force Leon to do something drastic.