Kaedran stepped forward, rolled his shoulders, and looked toward Gray with a confident grin.
"Now that we're here, I'll give you one final chance to surrender. You still have time to avoid making a fool of yourself in front of the entire academy."
Gray glanced around the arena, then toward the distant stands where Scarlett had already found herself a good seat.
The princess was resting her chin against one hand, her ruby eyes fixed on him. When their gazes met, she smiled and gave him another little nod.
Gray's expression twitched at this.
'She's enjoying this far too much.'
He turned back toward Kaedran and sighed.
"All right, let's get this over with. I still have breakfast to finish."
Kaedran's grin vanished.
"You really are asking for a beating, aren't you?"
Gray rested one hand on the hilt of his rapier.
"We'll find out soon enough."
Above them, the protective barrier sealed the arena.
Kaedran was the first one to move.
Swoop!
