Click.
The metal triangle badge struck the floor with a crisp sound.
"Barney!"
Flower's brows furrowed as he called out sternly.
"My lord."
Barney didn't turn around, his gaze fixed on Colin as he continued,
"According to the rules of the School, when members of the same rank encounter irreconcilable differences, they can cast aside their badges and engage in a duel to the death, can't they?"
He paused, then spoke again with a resentful tone,
"I wish to wash away the humiliation I've endured, Lord Flower!"
Flower's expression gradually cooled,
How could he not know what Barney was plotting? It was nothing but an attempt to use combat to avenge himself on Colin, relying on the fact that he was of slightly higher strength.
"I said, enough." His face expressionless, his voice calm yet as chilling as a winter's wind, "Barney."
"Lord Flower!" Barney couldn't help but turn and call out, "I just want to wash away my humiliation! Please agree!"
Not just Flower, but everyone around couldn't help but frown at this moment.
"The one who brought you shame was not Colin, but your own blind arrogance," Flower said, barely containing his impatience.
Barney obviously still did not think it was his fault...
In fact, if Barney had the power and status his mindset suggested, then such thoughts wouldn't be wrong... The mistake was in Colin, who had not followed his orders.
But sadly... Barney did not.
His thinking, then, was arrogance... blind arrogance, out of step with his actual abilities...
"Barney, I'll say it one last time, go back to the Wizard Territory and take your punishment..."
"But...!" Barney looked back at Flower, his already gaunt face twisting further, his carefully groomed mustache resembling disheveled weeds at the moment.
'Why!'
'Why do they all side with Colin!'
'Isn't it him who caused all this by not following my orders!!?'
He looked around and saw only mockery, disdain, and indifference.
He gasped for breath, struggling to squeeze a few words through his teeth, "I understand, Lord Flower..."
"I accept your challenge."
A smooth, calm voice interrupted.
He looked up, shocked at Colin standing not far ahead.
The hall suddenly fell silent.
All eyes focused on Colin.
The young man's face was calm as he unfastened the silver triangle badge from his chest and tossed it forward.
...Barney's despicable behavior was simply nauseating... To cleanse shame, ha! As if not obeying orders was the real error...
But by what right should I obey?
Click.
The badge landed on the floor, bounced, and finally rolled to a stop beside the triangle badge Barney had removed, on the wooden parquet.
Flower looked up at Colin, furrowed his eyebrows, and said nothing more.
The next second, he slowly rose from his recliner, walked past Barney and Colin, and headed for the door, his impatient voice floating into the hall,
"Do as you please, fight your duel... just make sure to record it with a 'Bright Crystal'..."
Creak.
The door to the Patrol Department swung open, and Flower left the place.
Once his massive figure was gone, sunlight rushed in through the newly opened door.
Barney watched Colin basking in the sunlight, his heart swept up in ecstatic joy.
He hadn't expected that just when he was about to give up, Colin would unexpectedly agree to the challenge, and for a moment he could hardly control his own excitement.
He even felt like breaking wizard principles, tempted to thank the Divine...!
Even in the backlighting, Colin's face, shrouded in shadows,
seemed to hint that the youth before him was about to die...
And the victor who would take his life—
would surely be himself.
Barney's twisted expression suddenly calmed.
His sharp features attempted to muster a solemn expression as he clumsily gestured an unknown noble salute.
But before he could fully gather his emotions, he heard Colin's calm urging,
"Where shall we duel? Time is precious."
"?!"
Barney, who had been disagreeable to calm down, suddenly twisted his face in anger. It took him a moment to suppress his rage and continue performing the noble etiquette.
After a moment of thought, he said,
"The eastern seaside, it's beautiful there, fitting for your burial."
He wanted to choose a place worth remembering for this duel.
Colin frowned.
He looked at the Barney before him, drenched in sweat and disheveled, appearing utterly wretched and even somewhat bizarre, with a touch of confusion.
Ever since Colin had accepted the duel, Barney had been like this, seemingly immersed in some inexplicable emotion.
But Colin just wanted to deal with the buffoon in front of him as quickly as possible.
"No need," Colin shook his head, "I think the Patrol Department's basement will do."
Considering this was West City and the eastern seaside was at least a three-hour drive from here, he didn't have that much time to waste on this matter.
"You're just an Intermediate Apprentice who has recently advanced; where do you get the audacity to speak to me like that?!" Barney finally lost his patience and could no longer maintain his composure as he questioned.
"Just advanced?" The surrounding Apprentices who were still watching were also surprised.
"Regina, weren't you on the same shift with Colin... Barney said he has just advanced, is that true?"
Regina nodded to her friend beside her and said indifferently, "Let's go, there's nothing to see here, we didn't bring any Bright Crystals."
She and her friend turned and left.
After Flower left, the watching Apprentices, except for a few who had brought Bright Crystals hoping to make a little money later, began to leave one after another.
Not many people were interested in spending their time on a duel that was unrelated to them.
After Regina left with her friends, a few more people left.
In the end, aside from Colin and Barney, only three male Apprentices remained.
Barney, looking at Colin's calm face, clenched his teeth and said,
"If you're so eager to die, fine! Let's go to the basement now."
Colin nodded, unable to agree or disagree.
He couldn't sympathize with Barney at all.
In his view, Barney was just a little man who was angry out of embarrassment.
They arrived at the basement.
The Bright Crystals embedded in the walls lit up the entire basement as if it were daylight.
"Two Magic Stones each," the remaining three huddled together for a while and then addressed Colin and Barney.
"Fine!" Barney was the first to respond.
Colin also nodded indifferently.
The two Magic Stones per person were to be their compensation for recording the entire fight with the Bright Crystals later.
Lap School had strict rules for duels.
Firstly, a duel could only be established between members of the same level; an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice could only challenge another Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.
Secondly, from the moment a badge was thrown down, it meant that the duel would end with only one survivor... This was a matter of dignity among Wizards!
Additionally, for a duel to be established, it needed not only the agreement of both parties but also the consent of at least one higher-level School member.
Lastly, during the fight, there must be a higher-level Wizard among the spectators, or at least two Bright Crystals to record the entire battle.
Flower's final words were clearly an acceptance of their duel, but also a signal that she did not plan to watch.
This was also why the last three Wizards stayed.
Buzz—
The Bright Crystals were successively activated by the three spectators, standing at different angles to record the fight.
Stepping on the cold stone slabs of the basement, Colin and Barney stood at opposite ends.
The air grew inexplicably tense.
The two exchanged a glance, and Barney sneered at Colin, making the first move!
A burst of white light flashed, and his figure vanished from the spot.
He glared at Colin, sneering internally while making his plan.
First, use Adaptive Mimicry, then approach swiftly with agile steps, and finally, strike with a Shadow Spike...
He imagined seeing Colin lying in a pool of blood!
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
But at that moment, several faint sounds came through the air.
Immediately afterward, with two spluttering sounds, Barney suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his figure gradually appearing about ten meters in front of Colin.
Looking at the exploded holes in his chest and the right side of his lower abdomen, feeling the hard Cone Bullets chaotically bouncing and piercing through his body, causing excruciating pain, Barney's face displayed disbelief.
But soon, his eyes dimmed,
And he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.