Bullied but Popular

15 – Aren vs Aaron

“Who will win?”

Luke was now at the 3rd gymnasium.

Not only Luke, but also Carol, Tia, Anna, and Ron.

Ron replied in a blunt tone to Luke’s self-talk.

“Of course it’s Aaron.”

“Hmm… isn’t it?”

“I hate to admit it, but Aaron is a monster. I’m sure only Carol can deal with him.”

“…… yes.”

Luke nodded.

Although not friends, Luke had known Aaron since they were children.

When there were social parties or gatherings held by nobles, Aaron was there occasionally, and accidents always happened on that day.

About a year ago, there was a time when I had a duel with a knight and made a bowl of jelly.

The knight made excuses saying that he couldn’t do it sincerely because he was a noble boy, but in Luke’s eyes, he lost with his skills.

‘No matter how bad he is, it’s not good for Aaron.’

Aren Deepus.

He is a guy who suddenly appears as Tia’s fiancé and gets on her nerves.

However, apart from his likability, he acknowledged Aren’s strength.

I don’t like it, but he fought against the malice of the entire school by himself without anyone helping him, and in the end, he overcame the duel, and now no one is ignoring Aren.

In addition, he made use of swordsmanship that he had never seen before, giving a great shock to the teachers as well as the students.

I really don’t like it, but Luke admits that Aren is not an easy opponent.

‘But not for Aaron…’

Luke thought for a moment, then looked at Carol and asked.

“Carl, what do you think?”

“……”

Carol couldn’t answer right away.

Meanwhile, during class, Karl watched Aren’s training.

And while his skills weren’t bad, I didn’t think he was particularly good either.

To be honest, it would have been a landslide victory for Aaron if we looked only at pure swordsmanship skills, but in Carol’s mind, the seniority method that Aren showed that day did not leave.

‘Because I haven’t seen Aren’s power yet…’

Carol stopped thinking for a moment and glanced at Tia, who was sitting next to her.

After the wiretapping incident, she became less talkative.

And at the same time, a small change took place.

Little by little, Tia began to become conscious of Aren.

Of course, because of that day’s warning, they couldn’t talk to each other, but Carol, who was sitting next to her, could tell at a glance that Tia secretly peeked at Aren from time to time.

‘It’s probably because of what Aren said then.’

(The reason Tia Cloud is strong is the result of a good teacher and pure effort.)

(Perhaps I rate her higher than anyone else at the academy?)

(Because Tia overcame her inferior talent and physical ability to become an expert.)

The words of Aren heard through the wiretapping that day.

Certainly, these were the only remarks that Tia had no choice but to be conscious of.

I could tell because it was Carol who had personally witnessed her efforts.

Even now, Tia was looking at Aren, who was waiting on one side of the gymnasium.

The moment Carol tried to talk to her, there was someone who spoke first.

“Hey guys?”

“… princess?”

“Oh~ Carol, I told you to just call me noona~”

The people who approached Carol and the others were Frey and Cecilia.

Carol looked at Frey for a while and then spoke to Cecilia.

“Is your sister here?”

“huh.”

Cecilia was briefly greeted and sat next to Tia.

“I’m an older sister to Lia, so why am I a princess?”

“No, that’s…”

When Frey complained, Carol made a troubled expression and gave up her seat to Frey.

Frey sat down without further discussion.

“By the way, haven’t you started yet?”

“Princess… keuhmm, doesn’t Frey’s sister have classes?”

Her department is Magic Engineering.

The Department of Engineering is holding classes as normal today.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“… yes.”

“Rather than that, who will win Carl, Aren and Aaron?”

Ron, not Carol, answered Frey’s question.

“Aaron wins.”

“Oh why?”

“Because the level is different.”

“It’s a level~ It’s definitely a problem from another dimension.”

Ron frowned at Frey’s meaningful words and said.

“Who do you think will win, Princess?”

“Well, what do you think Leah?”

“Aren wins.”

When Cecilia gave a short answer in her unique tone, the bodies of her friends, including Tia, trembled.

Because it is an unexpected answer.

After hearing Cecilia’s answer, Carol felt repulsive and asked her.

“Why do you think so?”

“persimmon.”

“……”

‘I have nothing to say if I say that.’

When Carol kept her mouth shut, Frey clapped her hands as if she had an interesting idea.

match!

“Let’s bet!”

“… a bet?”

“huh!”

When Anna paid attention, Frey said with a smile.

“Aren and Aaron! Let’s bet who will win!”

“great.”

Surprisingly, Ron accepted the most quickly.

and then set it right

“I’ll bet Aaron.”

“…then me too.”

“Me too Aaron!”

Ron, Anna, and Luke took turns betting on Aaron.

“What about you, Carol?”

“…Me too, Aaron.”

As the atmosphere became unavoidable, Carol also answered Luke’s question.

Then she said to Tia.

“What about Tia?”

“…… Aren.”

“what!?”

Ron jumped up as if he didn’t like Tia’s words.

“why?”

“… persimmon.”

“……”

“Then I have to bet on Aren too~ Since each of us is a student, let’s bet only 10 gold each. Everyone agree?”

Everyone nodded at Frey’s words.

But Ron still didn’t like Tia’s answer, so he kept talking to her.

“Tia, you know Aaron well, right?”

“… So what.”

“Aren Deepus can’t beat Aaron.”

Unexpectedly, Cecilia reacted to Ron’s affirmation.

“Why do you think so?”

“… I’m roughly guessing why the senior bet on Aren.”

Ron said, looking at Aren waiting for his turn in the gymnasium.

“I certainly admit that his seniority method is great. But there are many other students who hide their skills like him. For example, the students who are coming in now.”

At Ron’s words, Cecilia looked at the gymnasium.

A boy with a spear and a girl with a bow were entering.

“I don’t know about the male student, but the girl who is entering now is named Lucy. She is from a commoner, but she was recognized for her outstanding talent and was supported by a high-ranking nobleman and transferred to Borage.

Ron stopped his explanation there.

Because Lucy’s match has begun.

Cecilia also focused on Lucy’s match.

As soon as the male student with the spear started running forward, Lucy widened the distance and fired an arrow.

As expected, the male student evaded with instant acceleration and rushed towards Lucy.

And at that moment, an arrow pierced the boy’s leg.

hooked

“What, what!”

The arrow, which must have been dodged, suddenly changes direction and flies at the boy.

The male student seemed flustered and hurriedly tried to pull out the arrow, but it was a failure.

Fain! Fain! Fain! Fain!

Lucy stood in her place and fired right away.

The boy urgently tried to block it with a spear, but he couldn’t block even one of Lucy’s curve shots, and eventually the referee intervened and declared Lucy the victory.

Ron looked at Lucy and said.

“As you know, there are many students like that in Borage, and I think Aren is just one of them.”

“……”

“Wow~ An arrow can bend like that~”

Frey was busy admiring Lucy’s arrow, whether Ron explained it or not.

And soon the next players, Aren and Aaron, came up to the gym.

male voice

As the two climbed up, the spectators gathered in the gymnasium began to murmur.

Most of the students gathered in the 3rd gymnasium were gathered to watch the match between Aren and Aaron.

And it wasn’t just the students who noticed them.

“That brown-haired student over there is Aren Deepus.”

“……”

Tristan, the principal of the Department of Operations, said to Jake, a friend sitting next to him and the 7th Circle Archmage who is in charge of the principal of the Magic Engineering Department.

Originally, Jake didn’t have to come to the Operations department tournament, but he was forced to come because of Tristan’s persistent request.

“… I’m really going to just watch and go.”

“Yeah yeah, please take a good look at me instead, because I don’t know how to look at it myself.”

“Whoa.”

Jake looked at Aren with a troubled expression.

‘I don’t feel any particular power…’

While Jake and Tristan are talking, the preparations for the confrontation are over.

“From now on, the match between Aaron Valentine and Aren Deepus begins.”

aaa!!

There was a cheer that had never been heard before in the match.

After hearing the cheers for a while, Aaron smiled and said.

“Does this sound good for your tomb?”

“I thought about it before. Why are you obsessed with me?”

“What bullsh*t right before you die?”

“No, the reason you are targeting me is because of the rumors about me and Tia.

“… hahahaha JiX?

“Yes. f*ck.”

“Whoa, why? There’s nothing I can’t tell you.”

Aaron glared at Aren with bloody eyes.

“just.”

“… what?”

“It’s just because it’s fun, but the more I go, the more I don’t like you, so I bullied you. Do you like my answer? You lowly bastard?”

“……”

Aren waited for the start signal in silence.

“Prepare the sheep players!”

“……”

“……”

“start!”

Fain!

At the same time as the start, Aaron ran like an arrow and swung his sword.

Caang!

‘Keuug monster child…’

Aren hurriedly made a mana sword and responded, but Aaron’s attack was just the beginning.

Kang! Kang! Quaang! Chop.

“Ol~ Can you hold up?”

‘Ha, f*ck’

Aren was in a hurry to keep defending, but Aaron jokingly asked if he could still afford it.

After a while, Aaron’s movements began to change.

“Then shall we begin now?”

“What!?”

At the same time as the declaration, the mana sword surrounding Aaron’s sword turned into flames and began to burn.

roar

“What is that!?”

“Don’t you know that? It’s Valentine’s Ignis.”

The crowd began to hum as if they knew Aaron’s technique.

Aren calmly observed Aaron’s skill as a shore.

‘Magic? … No, it’s the seniority method.’

The technique used by Aaron is a technique called Ignis, one of the techniques handed down from Valentine’s family, and is used by transforming a mana sword or aura into flame.

‘If that technology shows a similar effect to that world, it’s a big deal…’

The flame power in the dream demonstrated extreme cutting power with that technique.

It was a burdensome skill for Aren, who was still a low-level expert.

said Aaron.

“Why don’t you use it sooner rather than later?”

“Haven’t you ever cherished it?”

“Then die.”

pang

Aaron ran fast once again and attacked Aren.

Caang!

‘too fast!’

The moment he clashed swords with Aaron, his sword changed once more.

Valentine’s Ignis Flower

Fuhuaaagh!

The flame that stayed in Aaron’s sword suddenly grew rapidly and struck Aren.

‘crazy!’

Aren hurriedly tried to get out, but Aaron wouldn’t let him go.

ignis dance

Kang! Kang! Kang! Cheak wheeik

“Keah!”

Aaron’s merciless attack left Aren helpless.

“You’re more boring than you think?”

Aaron said he was disappointed and kicked Aren in the torso.

Perong! Kung-koo-goo-goo-goo

Seeing Aren ruthlessly rolling across the gymnasium was a fatal wound.

The crowd opened their mouths in surprise and focused their attention on the fallen Aren.

The referee also hurriedly ran to check Aren’s condition, and Aaron turned his back as if it was over.

‘……ha.”

Aren was looking at the sky in a fallen state.

My body was sick, but my mind was surprisingly fine.

‘It feels like fighting in a dream.’

Although it was a dream, Aren was properly assimilated in that world.

And I experienced various training and real battles, and actually died at the end.

‘At that time, I thought I was really dying…’

Perhaps it was because he felt the murderous intent from Aaron’s sword, and he felt a strange nostalgia.

It’s like I can’t tell if this is a dream or reality.

While Aren was lost in thought, the referee’s voice was heard.

“Is Aren Deepus okay?”

“It’s okay. Let’s continue.”

“… what?”

The referee looked at Aren with surprised eyes.

The reason he came running was to check Aren’s condition, not to conduct the match.

“The match is abandoned…”

“Continue.”

“…if it’s dangerous, I’ll stop right away.”

After thinking for a while, the referee continued the match.

“Follow up!”

“Hmm? Didn’t you give up?”

“……”

Aaron looked at Aren, who hadn’t given up yet, and said as if he was annoyed.

“Die like that…”

“You’re behind.”

Aren, who interrupted him, lit up the shore.

Coastal Mana Tide