The next morning came far too early, as it always did after a late night, but Det’s ReSouled body did its thing. Better than a double-shot of espresso straight into his veins. He’d gotten maybe four hours of sleep, and it was somehow enough as he walked to the class buildings with the rest of the roommates.

  They even went to the right place the first time, with the group just starting to split up to go to their separate buildings when a voice called out over the courtyard.

  “Well, look who it is,” baby-face said. “Had a good weekend? Enough spa days? Skin all nice and shiny now?”

  That got a few chuckles from the small group of ReSouled cadets standing around baby-face, Granite among them. The laughter died off pretty quickly when Calisco turned her glare in their direction.

  Det’s group wasn’t carrying any of their Wordless gear, but it wasn’t like Calisco needed that to be intimidating. Her explosions on day-one were well remembered.

  This wasn’t her fight, though, and Det stalked up to baby-face, ignoring the others around him. The cadet had the same smarmy look on his face he usually did. Like a used-car salesman that was about to sell you a lemon.

  “Duel,” Det said, the single word making baby-face blink.

  “What?” the cadet asked.

  “I’m challenging you to a formal duel,” Det said, loud enough for everybody in the courtyard to hear. “You’ve got some kind of false impression that I can’t kick your ass from here to the next pillar. We’re going to correct that.”

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  “You think you can…?”

  “Yes,” Det said. “Do you accept?”

  Baby-face’s eyes narrowed like he was trying to figure out what Det’s angle was.

  “You and me?” Baby-face asked.

  “Yes,” Det said. “In a duel. Where I whoop you. This isn’t rocket science, asshat. Do you agree or are you going to tuck your tail between your legs and scurry off to hide behind rocks-for-brains over there?” Det nodded toward Granite.

  Granite, predictably, growled, but baby-face held up a hand.

  “Oh, I accept all right,” baby-face said. “You are going to regret this, and I am going to enjoy this.”

  “Uh huh, sure sure,” Det said dismissively, even going so far as to waving a hand to show how few shits he gave for baby-face’s threats. “Beast? Can you arrange this?” he asked the instructor he’d seen watching the whole display.

  “Happily,” Beast said, sauntering over. “Means we get some entertainment while one of you gets your asses beat. Tomorrow afternoon, after classes. Any objections?”

  “It’s not soon enough,” baby-face said, stepping in like he was trying to be intimidating. As much as somebody who looked like a big toddler could.

  Det didn’t even bother meeting the man’s eyes, and instead looked at Beast. “Sounds good to me.”

  Then he turned and walked away, ignoring the looks from baby-face, his small crew, and the other ReSouled in the courtyard who’d been watching the drama.

  Baby-face wasn’t going to be anything more than a speedbump in Det’s rise to power. Tomorrow afternoon, he would start—and very quickly end—this stupid rival arc. Then he’d move on to what was really important.

  He’d only been part of the Mount Avalon Academy for a few weeks, and a lot had already happened. He’d already learned and grown more than he had in the previous twenty years combined. Starting right now, he still had three more years to go, and he wasn’t going to waste a minute of it.

  His drive wouldn’t let him.

  Time For Chaos: A Progression Fantasy | Royal Road. A land of chaos-filled magic, in a nation recovering from a great war... hey... wait, why does this sound so familiar? ??