"What?" Ohta was taken back.
However, the potter handed him a letter.
Ohta opened it.
For a school with barbaric cultures, Avalon had a refined way of doing things sometimes.
The letter read:
Life-or-Death Battle.
Challenged: Ohta Waterfell
Challenger: Sofia Escobar
Reason for challenge: Top-class position.
Ohta looked at the short, straight-to-the-point letter in shock. He did not remember meeting any Sofia Escobar.
Then again, that last name ’Escobar’ sounded very familiar.
Besides that, Ohta did not remember taking any top-class position.
After all, he had resumed school very late. Were there not others with high marks in class?
"Erm... I think this is a mistake. I..."
"Battle summons are rarely mistakes, Mr. Waterfell." The old potter interrupted him. "I suggest you meet the young lady Escobar downstairs. " the old potter gave a light smile, "you would not want to start your life here, tagged as a coward."
The old potter gave one last polite bow and turned to leave.
"Young lady!?" Ohta’s gaze narrowed.
...
Ohta changed his clothes. from the slick black coat and trousers of the school’s uniform to more casual, comfortable wear.
A T-shirt and free pants.
He made his way downstairs. The dormitory was spacious—definitely built with the assumption that fights would break out indoors.
Sturdy walls, layered with materials mostly coated by a thin, mana-permissive membrane.
They were decorations, old portraits of past school champions and warriors, fittings here and there.
They were all placed in positions that were mostly far from reach.
They were other students here. A few of them conveyed around a holographic screen that rotated around its axis.
This screen showed ranks, classes, and those that had battles. It was public for all to judge and understand.
A general provision of knowledge that allowed the student to judge both their opponents and their allies.
Of course, considering the kind of place this was, they were bound to be secrets.
Regardless, information was always power.
Ohta clearly saw his name on the screen—challenged by Sofia Escobar.
On seeing him, some of the students turned. Whispers went out.
"Is that not the coward that bought his way into winning the mid-semester test?"
"Yes, that is definitely him. I heard that he might have given bribes somehow."
"I heard that he used underhanded moves too. After all, how can an obvious nobody win against the prodigies of the Nobunaga and Escobar bloodline?"
"Such a disgusting fellow. If Lady Sofia had not challenged him, I would have done so myself," one student spat to the ground. "I hope she puts holes in his head."
’They are not even hiding it. they want me to hear it.’ Ohta raised a brow, both shocked and impressed by the boldness and arrogance of these students.
Truly a school of lions and tigers.
Woosh...
Ohta suddenly felt a malicious energy wash towards him.
Everyone in the room turned.
At the entrance was a figure. A girl. She looked about seventeen years old at most.
She had a warm, olive complexion and distinct features framed by her voluminous blond hair—tied into a ponytail.
Her eyes were deep brown and almond-shaped, her lips full, and all packaged by an oval face. She was still in her school uniform, a black coat carrying the insignia of the school on one side of her impressive chest and a short skirt that revealed her powerful legs.
She had two gun holster pockets at her sides, clearly carrying her firearms. But Ohta’s eyes saw even deeper than that. Her posture said more than she revealed.
Even if Ohta did not know who this was, he easily added a few things together.
This was the same gun-wielding girl from the class. The warm one that sat next to him before the tea began.
With the way she was staring at him, it was easy to come to the conclusion that this was her.
Sofia Escobar.
"I have been waiting for you," Sofia stated, her voice clear, carrying a light Spanish accent at the end, and filled with arrogance.
Ohta scratched the back of his head, "Well, I only received your message a few minutes ago, so..."
Boom.
A bullet tore through the air, tearing through Ohta’s hair, barely grazing his skin.
Ohta’s gaze narrowed.
As a man once concluded to be the most dangerous existence in his former world, he could clearly see that Sofia was incredibly talented and well-trained.
Ohta stared at her stretched arm and the smoke sizzling out of the muzzle of her gun.
’Such impressive gun control. She was able to accurately control her speed and the recoil of the gun, all at the exact moment the bullet left the chamber.
To threaten my life, but still display her capabilities.
Wait a minute. Is she trying to show off? To me!?’
Ohta could not help but chuckle internally. It was true that she was impressive, especially for her age.
But in front of a man that had played with guns as many times as a fish drank water, she was practically a child.
Ohta tightened his fist.
A side of him hungry for destruction and dominance was aroused.
He instantly held it back.
Sofia’s fingers tightened around the gun.
She had felt it. But it vanished as soon as it appeared.
’What was that just now?’ Sofia thought to herself. She could have sworn that death just brushed its long fingers against her heart.
Ohta took a deep breath in and out. His tightened fist eased. "Honestly, I do not want to fight with you. So why don’t I cut you a deal? I’ll hand over the fifty points from today’s lesson. After all, I only resumed school a while ago.
I really don’t mind. I can tell it’s very important to you."
Ohta’s mind flashed back to the holographic screen carrying the rankings and basic information of the students.
He had 50 points in front of his name. The second place was a boy named Haruto Nobunaga, and then the third was Sofia Escobar.
However, the difference between second and third place was just a point.
Ohta quickly summarized that the blue haired sword-wielding boy in class was Haruto Nobunaga, and somehow, he had unintentionally come in between a rivalry the two had.
Ohta really did not want the violence. And as such, decided that he was just going to hand over the fifty points to her. Then she could go settle her matter with Haruto.
Even in this place, a peaceful life was possible.
...or so he told himself.
There were other ways to get points, and the peaceful approach was one he embraced.
However, things would not go as he wished.
Sofia’s frown got tighter, gritting her teeth so hard that Ohta wondered if she was trying to spill her own blood.
"How dare you?" She muttered lowly, gaze rising to meet Ohta’s eyes. "How dare you look down on me, Sofia Maria Escobar, granddaughter of the Untouchable Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria."
Ohta’s eyes widened. ’Shit. I messed up.’