The Gigolo System in the Academy of Magic-Chapter 44: Fight Breaks Out

The moment Gorran's punch landed, the room exploded into noise.

The dull thud of fist against bone gave way to chairs scraping back, drinks spilling, and shouts echoing off the walls. Everyone forgot the rules forbidding magic use and began attacking each other immediately.

The tension snapped like a taut string and all hell broke loose.

On one side, the demons banded together quickly. Though they were only Level 1 mages, because of their powerful bodies and close combat abilities they briefly had the advantage against the older students. However, as more of the crowd began to join in, every demon quickly became surrounded by two or three human mages.

James, draped against the petite woman from earlier, stumbled backward with a flushed face. His arms hung limply against her body and his eyes were unclear.

But inside, he was completely alert.

He hadn't ingested a single drop of wine nor bitten into a single morsel of food. His [Abyss Walker] ability had allowed him to form a minuscule [Shadow Space] within his mouth. Every drop of liquid he "drank" had been deposited into that space.

If he hadn't done this, even his enhanced constitution might not have been enough to shake off whatever was laced in the drinks. He could smell the subtle bitterness that didn't belong.

His mind stayed sharp, and from his seat, he quietly surveyed the chaos.

The battle escalated quickly.

Blasts of wind, fireballs, and shimmering mana shields flickered through the air. Tables were overturned, and luxurious furniture was smashed apart. The women who had once flirted and lounged at the tables shrieked and scattered to safety.

The petite woman stumbled slightly as she pulled him to a corner, but they were not completely away from the chaos but right at the edge.

However, no one noticed that in the chaotic environment, shadows were moving swiftly through the ground.

They slithered under tables, beneath feet, along the edges of the battle.Whenever a human mage prepared to sidestep a blow or cast a spell, James would momentarily seize control of their shadow. The effect was subtle—barely a second of hesitation. But in a chaotic fight, that was enough.

A fist would meet a face or a spell would go wide.

Every so often, to sell the act, James would drunkenly throw out an [Ice Spear] or [Fire Blast] in a random direction, further adding to the chaos.

Gorran, meanwhile, was the centerpiece of the fight. His body was a moving fortress. His rocky skin shook under the spells but remained strong, and he pressed forward without hesitation. Magic-enhanced punches send enemies flying, and he fought three level 2 mages at once, using brute force to counter their magical advantage.

James was a little worried that he would quickly run out of mana, and he was going to help, but then he noticed small magic seeds being strewn on the ground unnoticeably.

So this guy wasn't drunk either?

That made two of them. James's eyes narrowed.

The other demons were clearly not so cautious as their eyes gleamed with a red light. He knew they must have been laced with something, otherwise they would not be so belligerent. Even though demons seemed simple minded, he knew all of them were very cunning.

Clearly, they were set up. The fact that none of the staff intervened, including the mid-level mage who first greeted them, also suggested this.

This whole place—despite being under the House of Hawthorne—was rigged.

At this time, the blonde student, who had instigated everything, rose to his feet. His aura flared.

Late Stage Level 2, very close to a Level 3 mage

He roared, magic swirling around him. "Fire Storm!"

A cluster of fire arrows formed in the air, swirling and chaotic, and then hurled themselves toward Gorran and the surrounding demons. At the same time the other human mages also retreated and began hurling fire spells toward Gorran at the centre.

They didn't seem to care about the possibility of friendly fire.

"Bastard!" One demon roared and tried to intercept, but all of them were tied up by two or three students each.

James readied a spell, his hand glowing faintly, but just as he lifted it, the woman beside him panicked and pulled him backward. "Sir! It's too dangerous! Please—get back!"

She pulled him back with great strength.

He stumbled with her, letting the spell go inert. He blinked and glanced at her "worried" expression.

James said nothing but the shadows beneath his feet began to shift—

—but then stopped.

The fire arrows and other spells all hit Gorran directly. A cascade of flames engulfed the center of the lounge. Wood and fabric turned to ash. Smoke filled the air.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then the smoke cleared.

Gorran was barely standing. His stony skin was cracked and crumbling. He panted on one knee, clearly pushed to his limit.

The other demons saw him and roared with fury. Their magic grew even more wild and the red light in their eyes intensified. The drug was working overtime now.

The blond mage grinned and began walking forward toward the kneeling figure, dragging a few allies with him to ensure no surprise counterattack.

But suddenly Gorran stood up and laughed heartily.

"Wait, watch out for the vines!" Someone shouted in the crowd, clearly this was a first year student who had already seen Gorran fight before.

But it was too late.

Vines erupted from the ground, dozens of them, thick and spiked, wrapping around every approaching enemy. The blonde man cried out in shock as he was pinned, arms and legs spread wide. Ten other students were caught as well, their movements frozen.

Gorran leapt up and dashed toward them. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold so many people for long.

The human students tried to break out of the vines, erupting with all their mana, but it was difficult.

James's shadows were at work again.

He subtly reinforces the restraints. Whenever a mage's hand was about to break free, their shadow would suddenly shake briefly, freezing their body, allowing the vines to restrict them again.

Although Gorran was surprised that his vines were so powerful, he didn't hesitate and quickly began to take out each student one by one. The others in the crowd wanted to help but this time the situation had reversed.

Now the demons were restricting the human mages from interfering.

Things looked like it was going well, but a frown crept across James's face.

How could there be no Level 3 or Level 4 mages here?

Even if fourth years were rarely around at school, second and third years should have some level 3 mages. Where were they?

His question was answered a moment later.

From the distance a magical aura flared.

"Stop!"