Januar was sure that Fred wouldn't want to win this match because of technicality, his pride didn't allow that. So the other was probably already on his way.

...And he couldn't even leave his original spot to hide properly.

Due to his thigh injury, climbing or jumping in any capacity was neigh impossible. Any abrupt movements and the hastily bandaged wound would break open again.

And Januar wasn't confident that he could stop the bleeding a second time.

Not to mention that Frederic was able to track him down with his wolf no matter what he did.

The situation was even direr considering that the branch Januar sat on, could easily be reached by pole weapons like for example, a halberd. But it wasn't all bad, at least Fred wouldn't be able to attack from just anywhere, the cliffside with the waterfall assured him of that.

Although the noise it brought with it could be counted as a disadvantage as well...

...And the only information they had was that Frederic could disguise himself in some way.

It looked pretty dim for Januar’s side.

Still, he would rather try Constantine’s ‘Camping’ tactic, than give up completely, as reluctant as he was. At least he learned a new phrase, apparently, it was a term used in pre-apocalyptic times as well according to Constantine.

And it was also the reason why Januar had laboriously gathered some twigs with leaves from the branch above him.

He really hoped the pain he endured was worth it and he wouldn’t be spotted at first glance by Frederic.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the sun had also set in the meantime. This was a special feature, as soon as the countdown for the duel reached the halfway point, the sun would start to set.

It was meant as a way to break a potential stalemate between the duelist, opening up new opportunities and strategies.

This meant that Frederic's sight would be affected, which increased Januar’s chances of remaining hidden by a lot. But the same went for Frederic.

In addition, the effectiveness of Januar's weapon pretty much depended on his scope of vision…

Januar gazed at the plants near his tree for any peculiarities but was again met with nothing.

Although he had no hope of winning this duel, this all-or-nothing atmosphere still caused his pulse to speed up slightly.

If and only if he was able to attack first and land a fatal arrow, this match would have a chance to end in his favor, but the probability of this happening was extremely low.

Especially since Frederic only had to reach his tree first for the outcome to be decided.

A quiet rustle sounded suddenly.

The branch instantly gained three more occupants, if someone could actually see them it would have looked pretty crowded. But like this, only Januar remained the focus of attention.

4 pairs of eyes carefully observed the ground below, even jumping down from the branch for a more careful search.

Yet, they found nothing.

Still, they were sure that Frederic had reached them and was already hiding, only waiting for his opportunity to strike.

Januar’s heart was beating in his throat, his bow already drawn.

A few minutes passed, without any movement from either side, but Januar knew that he must have been spotted by now.

He almost felt suffocated by the tension in the air.

Just as the tension reached its climax, a sudden rustling and movement appeared.

““Over there!””

“There!”

Time seemed to slow down as Januar fumbled to adjust his aim.

And it only took a split second for Januar to feel like something was wrong.

He stopped pursuing his former target and glanced at a spot right in front of him.

There wasn’t really a reason for it, but a small flower, hidden between the bushes, caught his attention.

Usually, he would have never noticed it, but now…

Januar drew his bow farther while aiming slightly above the flower head.

And let the arrow loose.

While the arrow flew, the flower disappeared and a crouching Frederic revealed himself.

His body was already leaning forward in preparation for an all-out sprint, but the expression on his face was one of utter shock and surprise.

Pluck!

The arrow accurately hit its mark.

Frederic was only able to look down at his chest with disbelief before the rainforest around them disappeared.

0km   0:01:37

27%    0%

***

Silence echoed through the gym, only Januar and Frederic’s panting could be heard.

Both were breathlessly kneeling in the arena, stunned.

Frederic was unexpectedly the first to recover his composure.

He stood up and stared at Professor Bellator to announce the outcome of this duel.

The professor understood Frederic’s meaning and quickly declared with a slightly breathless voice after swallowing hard:

“J-Januar won the duel!”

This acted as a trigger for heated discussions between students and teachers alike.

Frederic nodded satisfied and was already on his way down from the duel stage.

Just then Professor Sotra blocked Frederic’s path and also stepped on the platform.

There was an encouraging and comforting smile on his face, as he patted Frederic’s shoulders.

“Great fight Mr. Eifer, truly, I was impressed at how well you handled yourself in this duel. The sheer potential you displayed today was a sight to behold, I’m sure in the future you will become an exceptional Cardplayer, if not Elite Cardplayer!”

Now that Professor Sotra had taken the initiative to praise Frederic, everyone joined in.

“Yes, you were great out there! I learned a lot from you!”

“I’ll never forget how cleverly you ambushed Jan!”

“Your wolf was really cute!”

This shower of compliments made Frederic a bit uncomfortable, frankly, he didn't feel like he earned them, and he didn’t quite understand why they were praising him instead of the actual winner.

Although it was hard for him to admit, judging alone from the things Frederic had experienced while confronting Januar, the other’s performance was a lot more impressive than his own.

Frederic furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

Professor Sotra finally let go of him and instead walked over to Januar who had risen from the ground in the meantime.

Januar’s body had stiffened the moment Professor Sotra stepped on the stage. Even before the teacher said anything, he had begun to fiddle with his hands in nervousness.

Frederic was in no mood to listen to Professor Sotra's praise for his opponent. So, he jumped off the arena, about to ask one of the students where Leopold was, when the professor’s words caused him to halt.

“I’m extremely disappointed, Mr. Stolz. Your performance was beyond sloppy, you had a lot of opportunities but grasped none of them. Your dependence on luck was an appalling sight and the fact that you didn’t put any of the things you learned to good use left me only with a feeling of shame toward your loved ones.”

The student’s started to snicker to themselves while the teachers nodded with grave expressions on their faces.

Which left Frederic speechless.

Sure, he despised Januar before, but only because the other was wasting his family’s resources and never had to put in any effort for his life to go smoothly.

But, clearly the other was now strong enough to hold his own against himself in a one-on-one fight, the top student of their class, no, entire year! His studies had also vastly improved and all that during ‘Court’, which meant it was impossible for his family to have pulled any strings.

Frederic felt that there was no need to hold such animosity towards the other anymore.

He quietly looked at Januar, his former opponent’s shoulders trembled and although he couldn’t see it from this distance, he was sure that Januar was crying again.

“There is no use crying, Mr. Stolz. You brought this upon yourself by hiding your true capabilities from the teachers and repeatedly disrespecting them,... I will have to inform your parents of your misbehavior in school.”

Frederic’s pupils shrunk, what did he say?

These words seemingly were the straw that broke the camel’s back for Januar, as he looked up with tears running down his face, despite this being the thing he hated doing the most. Desperation colored his voice as he begged Professor Sotra not to tell his parents.

The ridiculing snickering all around made Frederic sick to his stomach.

…was this how they usually behaved?

The thundering revelation stunned Frederic for a few seconds.

“Professor Sotra, you are being unfair.”

The surroundings turned silent, only Januar’s sobbing and begging could be heard, but soon the clamor returned.

“Pff, Fred now I understand why you usually don't joke around, you should probably work on your sense of humor.”

“Yes, haha, what if Professor Sotra misunderstood.”

Hearing their laughter, Frederic’s mood became icy and the frustration he felt with himself grew.

He quickly returned to the arena and positioned himself next to the sobbing Januar.

Frederic still felt slight distaste towards Januar, but he couldn’t leave matters as is.

His gaze facing the teacher was serious and straightforward.

Professor Sotra raised his brow, but ultimately spoke with a pleasant voice towards Frederic.

“Mr. Eifer, I fully understand your frustrations over losing the duel, so you should go and have a rest at home, take full advantage of the free time you earned.”

Now, Frederic really felt irritated.

A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as his lips curved into a small mocking smile.

Hmph.

He snorted once in ridicule and grabbed Januar’s arm to lift him off the ground, who had been cowering on the floor clinging to the hem of the professor's pants. 

“Jan won, he has already completed three ‘Realms’, what’s there to inform his parents about? Your inability to be impartial as a teacher or the fact that you, “Frederic glanced at the other teachers, “are accomplices in the cruel bullying of a student?”

The last part was said with slight bitterness and reluctance.

Finally, he realized how horrible of a system reigned this institution. Students bullied other students to feel superior, and the only people who could help the victims supported the bullying and even took part in it.

Frederic stared at the professors for a few more moments, they were all either squirming in embarrassment or seething with anger.

Well, except for Professor Bellator, there was an expression of genuine regret and self-blame on his face.

Frederic sneered once more before dragging Januar out of the gym.