"HAAA!"
Seeing Rotsard hesitate, the future hero, who began to properly enhance his basic swordsmanship with the usage of his hands, feet, knees, elbows, and shoulders, used the chance to perform a spin kick, driving his heel into Rotsard's solar plexus with all his magic-enhanced might.
To prevent every bone in the future hero's leg from breaking and shattering like glass upon the impact, the third-rate villain arched his body as if the attack did something, and he even jolted himself back so that it looked like he was pushed back.
While he was bending down for the greater visual effect, Rotsard was already planning his next move…
Yes, since he showed that much of an opening, Justin would not be able to contain himself and go for his bellowed finisher… and since Rotsard was already bending one knee, why not use both for an appealing scene of justice triumphing over corruption?
"..."
"HIAAAA!"
And just as he predicted, Justin was already in the middle of a shortened version of his signature move, only jumping up a bit instead of leaping into the air, and immediately driving the sword down at Rotsard's face while doing that little roar of his.
Just like a cute lion cub jumping at its parent.
Well, wasn't it obvious what a Rotsard's role was in that?
Of course, he had to make it look like the attack had a great impact, all to boost the little cub's confidence.
"GAGH!"
So when the wooden blade made contact with his face, Rotsard immediately cried out and lowered his head…
…yeah, there was definitely something wrong with the energy enveloping Justin's weapon. It was completely preventing any damage being inflicted upon Rotsard, cushioning all…
*WHAM*
…and then Rotsard used the chance to slam his face against his own knee so that at least some damage would show afterwards…
"G-ghg…!"
…only that the bleached-blond-haired youth went a bit too overzealous with his performance and actually smashed his face way too hard, almost breaking his own nose.
As his face grew hot, it also felt as if ice-cold lightning spread through Rotsard's brain.
While most living beings tend to lose their fighting spirit after suffering damage to their nose, what flared up in Rotsard's head was….
Blinding, snow-white rage.
Rotsard's blood was still almost black, basically gelatinous, substance, but it was more runny... It still had far too much viscosity when compared to the blood of nomrla living beings but it was still possible to tell it was blood at a closer look.
…especially as it was dripping down to Rotsard's chin and then either his clothes or the ground…
As far as the duel was concerned, that was it.
The winner was clear.
The blood had been spilled.
The future hero triumphed over the overzealous stepping-stone of a villain once more.
"It's over! Student Justin wins!"
"!!!"
The teacher raised his hand and announced the result, causing the emergence of a wave of excited cheers…
"..."
"!?!?"
But at that exact moment, the summer day turned into a frozen hellscape.
A massive circle of light spread out from underneath the loser, and imposing white spectral wings spread from above his back, bringing forth ice-cold wind and frost, turning the Academy grounds into a snowglobe.
"!!!"
The teacher didn't waste time on shouting or trying to block a thing, as soon as he saw Rotsard's hand reaching towards Justin, palm first, his face twisted with despair, and he used every speed-enhancing spell he knew and launched himself towards the commoner student.
"...!"
As for Justin himself, he took a stance, fully intending to take on whatever Rotsard was about to throw his way, gritting his teeth and staring bravely with eyes full of determination.
"...snowball…"
"...gh…!?"
Rotsard scoffed out an incantation, causing the droplets of blood dripping down to his chin to sprinkle forward, but right then the future hero was tackled by the teacher who snatched him and darted off, making sure that there's no other student in their wake.
"!!!"
The teacher dared to glance back, only to experience the sensation of all his hair standing up at its ends from fear.
Rotsard wasn't simply aiming his spell after them.
He was already aiming PRECISELY where they were about to be!
*WHAAAM*
"KYAAH!?"
The man gritted his teeth and dug his heels into the ground, creating a small crater, and changed direction so fast that it made the student he carried let out a panicked high-pitched scream…
"..."
But that desperate measure only resulted in Rotsard adjusting his aim for the new prediction.
His beastly yellow eyes seemed to be burning through the particles of white light gathering in front of his palm. Hateful and vicious.
"!!!"
At that point, the teacher was reminded of his dishonorable conduct a few days back. Back during the practical magic exam for the first year students, during Rotsard Vallhall's turn, he was amongst the people who put up barriers in front of his target.
Back then, he was influenced by the general opinion about the boy and believed himself to be the moral compass. He thought that a failure would be a good lesson in humility for the spoiled brat…
…only for his spell to be broken through like a wet tissue…
And the time the spell had been accumulating power now was already longer than back then.
That's why he knew that he could not defend either himself or the commoner student.
But he still tried. Making sure to put up as many defensive spells as possible, he made sure that his body was between the spell and the student he carried to at least give that one a sliver of a chance!
"...tsk…"
But right then, Rotsard's eyes darted to the side for a moment, his face akin to a rabid wolf snarling, and he moved his hand diagonally upwards, causing that spell of his to be unleashed over the Academy's wall and far above the water reservoir and the forest. In short, an uninhabited area.
*THUMP*
*WHOOOOOOSH*
That spell of his had an actual physical recoil, causing Rotsard to retract and bend his arm a bit, with a shockwave spreading around upon its release. Pulsating and radiating such oppressive cold that it actually left a spiral pattern in the air as if flew, passed over the wall uninterrupted in the slightest, just as if the great barrier did not work, and just continued its path until it got out of sight.
Although both of Rotsard's wings and the circle of light disappeared, the cold and silence persisted.
"..."
Rotsard's expression was that of a person smelling something foul.
He did not look at anyone. Not anyone amongst the audience, and definitely not at the teacher or the future hero.
He merely put his hand to his face and ran his fingers across his mouth and chin, scraping off the frozen blood flaking under his fingernails.
Rotsard stopped for a moment, staring at it…
According to the story, he should be showing disgraceful behavior.
And honestly? Losing his temper and attempting to attack the opponent after the duel was already announced to be over, on top of that attack being one that he specifically had a rule added for, was disgraceful enough.
But that only would be the case if he was supposed to be a reasonable character.
Not a third-rate villain.
Not to mention that it would be a lie to say that he was okay with just leaving things as they were.
Despite his greatest enemy being a threat to humanity, Rotsard's personality WAS that of a third-rate villain after all…