"Where's this wretched loser sprung from, with the gall to curse me!" The brown-wavy-haired woman glared at Zhao Chen — this fellow actually dared call her a witch!
In that instant, a suitor of the brown-wavy-haired woman's saw his chance shine before him; here was a rare opening to show his worth.
He strode toward Zhao Chen. "You dare be so rude to Miss Zhou Min — see if I don't rip that mouth of yours off!"
So saying, he swung a fist straight at Zhao Chen's face.
Xue Xiaoxiao and the others nearby were startled; they hadn't imagined the Heaven's Glory Noble Starship Military Academy's cadets could be so brazen — not only daring to break the rules mid-duel, but now to throw a punch besides.
Facing the incoming fist, Zhao Chen's hand set out later and arrived first, catching the man's fist outright, then giving it a twist.
"Aaah, aaah, aaah…" The man's face twisted in pain; he cried out and dropped to his knees.
Zhao Chen followed with a kick to his face, sending him flying — and by some fluke he slid, at the last, right beneath the brown-wavy-haired woman's skirt; a pity he'd already passed out cold.
He'd never get to enjoy the view up his dream girl's skirt.
"That looks like Zhao Wan'er's brother — Zhao Chen!"
"Isn't that the Zhao Chen who, at the end of last term, dueled a same-year and beat him when no one gave him a chance?"
"Damn — how'd this Zhao Chen get so good in a fight!"
"Have you all noticed — this Zhao Chen's pretty handsome, too."
The Northstar Starship Military Academy cadets around — some knew Zhao Chen, some had heard tell of him.
But now, Zhao Chen coming in and thrashing an outside-academy student first thing—
—it was, truly…
so damned satisfying!
These past days, their Northstar students had long since had their fill of these Heaven's Glory Academy students.
Well hit!
"Well hit — best of all if you thrash that damned woman too!" The twin-tailed loli Xue Xiaoxiao bounced to Zhao Chen's side, every inch a girl who didn't mind how big the trouble grew.
The noble young lady named Zhou Min was, at this moment, unnerved by Zhao Chen's "brutish" conduct, and instinctively took a few steps back.
Zhao Chen, for his part, paid the woman no mind; he looked to Zhao Wan'er again. "Your own affair — settle it yourself. We of the Zhao family reclaim our humiliation exactly where we suffered it!"
Zhao Wan'er pointed at the T2 Fire-Crow-class Heavy Interstellar Battlecruiser still being towed from the arena and said, aggrieved, "But my ship's been crippled, and some of my crew are hurt…"
"Just tell me — do you want to give back the humiliation she handed you?" Zhao Chen asked.
Zhao Wan'er nodded hard, unresigned fury in her eyes.
Losing the duel, she could accept.
But that the other side had gone on shelling her ship after she conceded, and wounded her crew — that she couldn't swallow.
"I do!" Zhao Wan'er said through gritted teeth.
"Go challenge her; the ship I'll arrange," Zhao Chen said.
Hearing Zhao Chen's words, Zhao Wan'er — though she didn't know just what arrangement he had in mind — felt a firmness rise in her heart all the same.
She drew a deep breath, walked straight up before Zhou Min, and leveled a finger at her. "Zhou Min, I challenge you to a duel again. You name the time! Do you dare accept!"
Zhou Min was riled into a laugh. "Fine — no need to put it off to another day, even. My ship, after all, took no real harm. Once my ship's finished resupplying, half an hour from now, we'll fight again!"
"Good! It's settled!" Zhao Wan'er said.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp.
Just then, the watching cadets parted to make way, and several people of a mentor's bearing came in.
"What's this about — I hear someone's been striking people here?" A shrill-voiced woman came striding in, and saw at a glance her own side's cadet fallen on the ground.
She at once pointed furiously at the male Northstar mentor beside her. "Vice-Dean Hong, what is the meaning of this at your Northstar! My cadet was struck by your cadets, here, out of a clear sky — you'd best give me an accounting! Our Heaven's Glory Academy came this time to conduct an academic exchange with you; is this the hospitality you show your guests?"
Vice-Dean Hong's expression was one of some surprise; he moved first to soothe her temper. "Vice-Dean Jia, calm yourself, calm yourself. Let's first understand how it came about."
At this the cadets on both sides fell to shouting.
"Their Northstar cadets can't take a loss, and they hit people too!"
"Rot — it was plainly your Heaven's Glory people who broke the rules in the duel; she'd already conceded, and you kept firing! Wounded her crew, and insulted them as commoners!"
"So what if we called them commoners? Commoners should stay put on their planets like good little things — what business have they coming out to sail starships! As if you were fit!"
Soon the two vice-deans grasped the whole of what had happened.
Vice-Dean Hong's expression began to turn unfriendly; he looked at Vice-Dean Jia beside him. "By the look of it, Vice-Dean Jia, this matter had a cause. Both sides bear responsibility; let's leave it at that."
"Is Vice-Dean Hong meaning to shield his own?" Vice-Dean Jia, used to lording it about, retorted without the least courtesy.
You shrew — these past days, with that overbearing temper of yours, anyone who didn't know better would take you for the dean.
Seeing you're a guest, I've been all deference to you — give you an inch and you take a mile!
Vice-Dean Hong cursed inwardly, though a faint smile stayed on his face. "If you must have it thoroughly out, then the matter's plain enough: the cause of it was your side's cadet breaking the rules — firing on after the other party had surrendered and the fighting had stopped. These rules of a starship duel are taught in the first year, surely. Or does your esteemed academy not teach them?"
There were barbs in the words.
Vice-Dean Jia's face darkened.
"Vice-Dean Jia — a moment ago their Northstar student said she'd like to fight again. Since both sides have their grievance, and we're all starship military academies, then whatever the quarrel, let's simply settle it with a starship." Zhou Min walked over, eyeing Zhao Wan'er with a cold smile.
She'd beaten this woman once; she could beat her a second time.
"I'll see it through to the end!" Zhao Wan'er glared at her; for reasons she couldn't name, she had her backbone now.
"Very well, then, Vice-Dean Hong. Shall we handle it just so? As for what happened a moment ago, we'll let it pass." Vice-Dean Jia looked at Vice-Dean Hong with a chilly little smile.
Weren't you all high and mighty a moment ago?
Fine — I'll have my cadet beat your prodigy student again, right before your eyes.
Let's see whether your Northstar can keep its face.
Vice-Dean Hong hesitated; he looked to Zhao Wan'er, knowing this student to be a hardworking, gifted one.
If she lost twice in a row and it left some shadow on her heart, the harm would outweigh any gain.
"I think it might be better to…" Vice-Dean Hong made to smooth it over.
But Zhao Wan'er cut the vice-dean off, and said, unshakable, "Vice-Dean Hong, I want to fight! Please respect my decision!"
Vice-Dean Hong knit his brows and walked over before Zhao Wan'er. "Cadet Zhao Wan'er, your ship is damaged and your crew wounded. How are you to fight? Let it go this time."
"I have a ship! I want to fight!" Zhao Wan'er said stubbornly.
At this Zhao Chen walked over and said, "Vice-Dean Hong, a matter between women — let the women settle it themselves."
So saying, Zhao Chen sent a look to Lilith behind him and murmured, "Take Wan'er to the Black-Rhino."
"Yes." Lilith went to Zhao Wan'er's side, and then the two of them left.
Seeing this, Zhou Min over the way said with a cold smile, "Since you'd invite your own humiliation again, then I'll oblige you. Let's hope this time your ship can take a beating." With that she too turned and went back to her berthed, resupplying ship, making ready for the coming second battle!