Chapter 4  The Solo Magic Showdown

Many students have complained about her multiple times. But it never did anything. Some teachers did not believe that a talented and brilliant student like Cherry was a bully. To some teachers, it wasn't even an issue; some took her side, some always blamed the victims instead, and others completely ignored the complaints. Due to the inaction of the teachers and her complete lack of consequence, Cherry never stopped bullying, and her victims had no option but to accept their fate.

The solo magic showdown was a very difficult competition. You have to be at your peak. While battling one-on-one with another competitor, you have no chance. In duels, not only do you need to be well versed in powerful spells, but you also need to have the reflexes of a cat. You need to cast your best spells in the duel and react super fast to counter your opponent.

Not being at your best or lacking in any department would be a terrible disadvantage for any competitor. Not only would you be humiliated in front of the viewers, but you would also risk getting serious physical damage. There have been cases of participants failing and getting severe bodily harm, from broken bones to complete paralysis. Fighting in this competition required a participant to have excellent magical skills, athleticism, quick reflexes, and serious mental fortitude.

When Cherry found out that Karen was thinking about participating in the Solo Magic Showdown tournament, she was furious. She couldn't even imagine how an average commoner like Karen dreamed of competing against elites like her. It would bring shame to the competition if an average loser like Karen tried to participate. So, she decided to change Karen's mind, and she only knew one way to do it.

She cornered her in the classroom and started to scream in her face.

"Who do you think you are, bitch?", Cherry shouted at Karen.

"I heard you were trying to get into the competition. You don't even have the basic skills to duel, and you think you can compete against elites like me? Have you ever dueled before? Want to practice against me now?", Cherry kept screaming at Karen.

"Listen bitch! This is your last warning. If I see you in the competition, I am going to show you how painful it can be. I will break your ribs and make sure you never wake up from your bed ever again."

Cherry has always bullied Karen, but this was very extreme, even for her. This broke Karen's dreams of participating in her dream competition.

[

1. Say nothing (+0 favorability points)

2. Suggest that the competition is too risky and she should avoid it (-1 favorability point)

3. Sympathize with her (+5 favorability points) 

] 

The system quickly alerted Damien's mind and showed him options through which he could even get more points.

But Damien did something totally unexpected. He ignored the system options and spoke from the heart.

"You should definitely compete in the solo magic showdown. You cannot let a bully make you abandon your dream."

Karen was caught by surprise by Damien's reply. She expected him to be scared of Cherry's warning because Cherry always bullied Damien the most. Damien always tried to avoid Cherry, and he was always scared of her. She was surprised by how Damien was acting bravely against his bully.

She did not know that Damien, the in-game character, had been replaced by a real-world Damien. She was also clueless that Damien had telepathic abilities.

She was amazed by Damien's response and stared at him with appreciation.

"I understand why you want to participate in the competition. You have been a fan of the competition, but apart from that, you want to prove yourself. Everyone thinks you are simple, basic, and boring. But you want to show them that you are much more than that. You want to show them that you can be amazing; you want to show them that you can be exceptional."

"But if you are going to be scared by Cherry's warning and give up your dreams, then everything will be over. If you don't participate, you will fit the label that the world has given you: basic and boring. You will continue to be bullied by Cherry, and you will always be afraid of her. But if you participate, you can show the whole world how wrong they are about you and show Cherry that you are not scared of her anymore."

"I know that you are scared. You are a complete beginner; you might not be as skilled as others and you lack practice, but I also know that you have something different and exceptional that no one else has. You have to believe in yourself. You have to participate and show that you are better."

Damien held Karen's hand and reassured her.

Karen got inspired.

She replied, "Yes, I am going to compete in the tournament. I don't know if I am as powerful as others; I don't know if I am skilled like Cherry, but I am definitely going to participate. I don't know whether I would love your win, but I am going to show everyone that I can fight."

[

Karen's favorability points have increased from 60 to 80.

]

Damien was surprised by this system notification. When he ignored the system-provided options, he thought he had missed the chance to get favorability points and might even lose points. But he was surprised and overjoyed when he found out that he had gained a massive 20 favorability points.

"Yes! I am getting close to 90 points much more quickly than I expected", Damien laughed.

Damien shook Karen's hand.

"You know what! I am also going to participate in this competition."

Karen got overwhelmed by Damien's response and teared up a bit. She was touched by Damien's reply. But she also knew that Damien was an utter idiot when it came to magic.

"Are you serious?", Karen inquired.

"Yes. I am pretty serious", Damien replied with determination in his voice.

Karen urged, "But you are not good with magic. You barely know anything. You can't even perform basic spells. How will you stand against tougher and more seasoned contestants? You are taking a huge risk. You will get hurt seriously, and you might even die. I cannot let you do this."

"It doesn't matter if I am not good with magic; it does not matter if I am going to get my ass kicked; I am not even about getting harmed or even killed. What matters to me is that you have shown exceptional courage and bravery. You are going to fight in the magical showdown. So, as your best friend, I have decided that I won't be a loser or coward any more. I will follow your path of bravery and participate in this competition no matter what the consequences will be."

[

Karen's favorability points have increased from 80 to 99.

]

Karen was touched by Damien's determination. She had never been supported before for any of her unusual decisions. She felt comfortable sharing her problems with Damien. She felt that he was there for her and that he would support her no matter what. She felt great comfort in his presence. 

Her feelings towards Damien's started changing. She started to feel something special toward Dick. She realized she could show her vulnerable side and be open with Damien. Their bond was evolving; they were not just best friends any more. Karen felt like she had a special place for Damien inside her heart.

While she thought about it and looked at Damien, she started blushing. As her face slightly turned red, she quickly snatched away his hands from Damien's. She was shy and flustered.

Damien had never seen Karen so shy like this. She always acted shy and reserved, but Damien could feel that this time it was different.

He could see a special shine in her eyes; he could see an inviting expression in her face. She was acting shy, but she was also giving a smile, which was hinting at Damien to initiate.

She wasn't just hiding herself and trying to become unapproachable like always; she wanted Damien to reach her, hold her hands, and pull her out of her comfort zone towards him.