CHAPTER 43: THE DUEL

So I looked him dead in the eye and said,

"Alright, let’s make a deal. If you win, the title of North Star is yours—no questions asked. But if I win... you’ll be doing all my assignments for the rest of the term."

The moment those words left my mouth, he froze.

I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. His face said it all.

Assignments, apparently, were his personal nightmare.

He glanced up at Sebastian, clearly hoping for permission to accept the terms. Sebastian gave him a small nod, like a king granting approval to his loyal hound.

And just like that, the big guy puffed up with fake confidence and let out a loud, hearty laugh.

"Me, lose to you? Not in this lifetime," he sneered. "Everyone knows you’re not even that strong. You only came first because of dumb luck—just happened to stumble on those stupid bombberries."

raised an eyebrow. "So... it’s a deal then?"

He gave a smug nod, clearly thinking he had already won.

Everything was going according to plan.

’Gotcha,’ I thought, my lips curling into a grin I didn’t bother to hide.

’Keke~, you dumb bastard. Just wait—once I’m done with you, you’ll be too busy limping to class to even lift a pen. And I’ll be sipping tea while you write my essays on magical history in perfect calligraphy.’

I let out a small devilish giggle, just loud enough for him to hear and get nervous about.

The food tables were pushed aside by the staff. The banquet space quickly transformed into a makeshift arena.

Nobles leaned over the railings on the second floor, peering down at us with amused, curious expressions.

Some even whispered among themselves, probably betting on how fast I would get crushed.

Meanwhile, the commoners gathered around us in a wide circle, their eyes filled with excitement, hunger for drama, and just the right amount of bloodlust.

It was like a stage had been set.

And I?

I was more than ready to play the villain in this little performance.

The crowd grew louder. Excitement buzzed in the air like static.

William rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, trying to look intimidating. I could tell from the way his eye twitched that he was nervous.

I was already imagining the look on his face when he realized this wouldn’t go the way he expected.

And just as we were about to begin...

A voice boomed across the banquet hall. It was amplified, dramatic, and absolutely ridiculous.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

Everyone stopped and turned their heads. Eyes scanned the room for the source of the voice.

"TONIGHT, IN THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME MATCHUP..."

The crowd shifted, murmuring in confusion.

"IN THE LEFT CORNER, WEIGHING ENOUGH TO CRUSH YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS—THE BLUSTERING, BARKING, BONEHEAD HIMSELF... WILLIAM GRAY!"

William’s face went red. "What the hell—?!"

A spotlight or what looked like one mysteriously flicked toward the entrance.

"And in the RIGHT corner, the boy with the brains, the title, and just enough charm to get away with murder..."

I was already grinning.

"THE UNDEFEATED, UNDENIABLE, UNEXPECTED NORTH STAAAAR... LOKIIIIIIII MOE LESTEEEEER!"

That was my cue. I raised my hand with a lazy wave, soaking in the chaos.

"Wait," someone in the crowd muttered, "who’s even talking?"

The crowd parted as a small, fluffy figure casually strolled forward, wearing, of course, a tiny headset mic.

A talking cat. A talking black cat, to be exact.

With glowing violet eyes, a swishing tail, and the confidence of a seasoned showman, Nyx strutted through the crowd like he owned the place.

Someone gasped.

Another pointed. "Is that... is that a cat with a microphone?!"

"He just called William a bonehead!"

"I think it’s Loki’s...?"

"Wait, you have a pet cat that talks?!" William yelled at me, completely thrown off now.

I gave a casual shrug. "Technically, he’s my son. Don’t call him a pet, he’ll get hurt."

Nyx leapt onto the judge’s table—because of course there was one now—and sat like a proper ring announcer, tail flicking with smug satisfaction.

"I’ll be your commentator for today’s absolutely one-sided match," he purred into the mic. "No bias, of course."

The crowd burst into laughter.

William looked like he was about to explode.

And me? I just cracked my knuckles.

"Ready when you are, Will."

Just like that, our little match kicked off.

William raised his hand, and his grimoire spun into view. It was a five-ringed, weapon-type grimoire, brown and trembling faintly in the air.

I summoned mine in response. My golden grimoire appeared beside me, not trembling, not twitching, just moving with a quiet, effortless grace.

If his was shaking with power, mine was dancing.

"I call upon you... Diamond Hammer." He called.

His grimoire’s pages flipped rapidly until one card floated out, glowing a sharp electric blue. Then the card flashed with light as a weapon burst into view.

I blinked while looking at it."Holy shit."

It was a hammer. A diamond hammer.

Not crystal. Not polished steel.

Actual. Fucking. Diamond.

From its massive head down to its handle, it gleamed like the crown jewel of some royal treasury.

The light hit William just right, and it looked like he was holding a chunk of heaven shaped into a warhammer.

For a moment, I couldn’t think. Then, very softly, I whispered to myself, full of jealousy:

"...Do you have any idea how much that thing would go for?"

I wasn’t even joking. I could probably sell that hammer and buy a whole damn city. Hell, maybe even the noble who owned it.

People always said pride was my biggest flaw. They were wrong.

It was money.

Growing up on the streets did that to you. You don’t just want money. You needed it. You learned to count every coin, steal every loaf, and trade every scrap. You start measuring people not by their words, but by their wallets.

And when you’re starving, when you’re cold, when you’re sitting under a bridge and pretending the rain isn’t winning?

Gold becomes god. Food becomes holy. And the sound of coins clinking becomes the only music you trust.

So yeah... seeing a goddamn diamond hammer right in front of me?

That hurt.

Not because he summoned it.

But because I couldn’t.