Chapter 199.

PART 1.

Despite Hatori’s attempt to avert the jinx, they still ended up getting detained. However, unlike their experience in Gallia, the situation is sorted out quickly. it helps that they are still considered young men, and having gone through such hardships also earned them some sympathy points, something of which Avinash took advantage of ruthlessly, presenting Daphne and Ravina front and center in the sad narrative.

Gaining some newspapers, they observe the international section with some worry. “A civil war?” they all said together, not expecting this grim news.

“That is bad. What the hell is going on there?” asked Ravina.

“No one knows.” Said Avinash, hiding his worry. “Apparently, there is a news blockade going on there.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Josh. “Even if we get home, we might not be safe there.”

“We can worry about that once we get there,” said Avinash. “For now, we are too far to think about it.”

“Correct.” Said Hatori. “Though I suggest you all keep an aggressive mindset. We likely have to fight once we get there.”

“He is right,” said Avinash in agreement. “Let’s see whether we can get a ship or not.”

As Dimitri is the only adult among them, he is given the responsibility to bargain. But before they can even start the negotiation, the port is attacked. “It is those damn sea nomads again!”

In the scramble to defend the port, the entire team is forgotten. As the battle starts to heat up, they all sneak away from the port, having no interest in getting involved with this battle. Looks like they will not be going to the sea for a while.

As they flee from the battle, Hatori asks. “The hell was that?”

“You got a taste of Vinland.” Said Dimitri. “It is a place where various states compete for supremacy, all the while dealing with nomads. Events like these are common here.”

“I wouldn’t want to live here,” said Hatori, and then came to a halt.

The team kept running, but once they realized he was not with them anymore, they made a U-turn and came back to him. “Why did you stop?”

“I sense lots of signatures.” He spoke.

“Where?” asked Josh.

“There.” he points in a direction. They find an airship there, and some people who are coming out of invisibility.

“Looks like another attack on that port.” Said Avinash. “Must be quite an important place.”

“Whatever.” Said Hatori. “We need to avoid them, or we might end up in their way.”

“Right.” they all hide in the woods, as the soldiers numbering in hundreds go to the port, and the sounds of battle intensify after they reach there.

“Do you sense anyone they may have left behind?” asked Shin to Hatori.

“No. I think they all left.” Said Hatori.

“Why do you ask him that?” asked Josh.

“Crazy idea, but why don’t we take that ship for ourselves?” asked Shin. “It would make it easier for us to find some other port.”

“It is risky, but let’s do it.” agreed Avinash.

Putting the powerhouses in front, they make their way to the ship. Once Hatori confirms that there are no protection wards active, they enter the ship, and Avinash starts the procedure to fly this thing. He brings out the map, and after finding the closest port to their location, excluding their current one, points the ship in that direction, and then lets it loose in the sky.

“I was a law-abiding citizen before I met you kids.” Complained Dimitri. “But ever since I met you, I broke out of a prison, threatened the royalty, stole multiple vessels and vehicles, including this one, and fought two groups of pirates.”

“I doubt that fighting pirates is illegal.” Said Josh.

“It isn’t. but it has to be said.” Said Dimitri. “At this rate, I might just lose my remaining hair.”

“Nah, nothing of the sort will happen.” Said Hatori. “Remember, you have a sane student waiting for you in the form of Nandan.”

“That is true.” Said Dimitri, brightening up after realizing that.

As they fly away from the battle, the people who got their ship stolen rage behind them, shaking their fists at them, or firing some spells which fail to reach them. “I would never want to run into them,” said Hatori.

“Yeah, me neither.” Said Avinash.

About fifteen minutes of flying later, they reach close to their new port. Unfortunately, this is when they all have a terrible realization. “Guys?” asked Avinash. “Do you know how to land this?”

“Dammit!” cursed Hatori. he is not going to die because of some soul or spirit, or some enemy mage, but because of a crash landing.

“Everyone, start screaming!” said Shin, as the ship started to go down in an uncontrollable motion.

Feeling the terror of death, they all follow his instructions, screaming at the top of their lungs as the ship gets closer and closer to the ground before they are all silenced by a loud explosion.

“Josh, Shin, are we in the afterlife?” asked Hatori, sounding like he had reached nirvana.

“It does look like that by looking at each other.” Said Shin.

They are all covered in the rubble of the ship, and slowly, through the groans and grunts, everyone gets out of the rubble. “Oh, we’re still alive,” said Hatori disappointed. “Looks like I won’t get to do a revolution in the afterlife.”

“Is everyone okay?” asked Dimitri.

“Yeah.” they all answer.

“Are you guys good enough to walk?” asked Avinash. “Because our destination is still far from here.”

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“I think we can manage.” Said Daphne.

So they trek through the forest, leaving the destroyed ship behind, and find themselves in a new city located near the sea. “Finally, we can get another ship, and sail for home,” said Josh.

“Halt! You are all under arrest!” said a man, riding on a horse.

“You just have to open your mouth, didn’t you?” said Hatori, as they were all put in handcuffs. None of them are in any condition to resist, besides they are all badly outnumbered.

PART 2.

The bell starts to ring once again, and this time, everyone knows what it means. Another attack is happening at the Academy, and the students remember their drills. Grabbing the younger students from wherever they may be, they quickly start to bring them into their dorms, while the professors prepare to face the attack.

The invaders also took their time. unlike the previous invaders, they did not march in, expecting an easy victory. Instead, they are taking their time to get rid of the wards in their way, and making sure that their back is safe.

Corvus observes all of this happening from the high perch of the mountains where astronomy classes are usually conducted, so far, he does not need to get himself involved directly. Dhiraj is handling things on his own, but how long it will last, Corvus does not know.

Whenever it might be, Corvus knows that his moment will come soon, and therefore, he is saving his energy. Maybe if he could take out the leader, this entire thing would collapse? ‘Fat chance. But I can hope.’ He thinks to himself.

“Sir, the outer wards have been breached!” reports Bali.

“Prepare for combat.” Said Dhiraj.

From his perch, Corvus observes the invaders coming in. All of them are rough and tough-looking bunch, but they cannot bring their full force inside, due to all the wards which still remain unbroken. Corvus does sense a strong magical signature among them, however, and he presumes that this must be their leader. A bubble of excitement appears in Corvus’s stomach. He has not experienced this feeling of anticipation and fear in a long time.

“Get them!” orders the mage with a strong signature, as the men who made their way inside with him start to attack the professors. The man amplifies his voice and makes his intent clear. “I am Durjan, and I intend to take the throne, using this place as my base of power. surrender and accept me as your master, or die!”

Durjan waits to see the reaction to his announcement. About five minutes later, he got his answer. Looks like this bunch has chosen death. What is more surprising to him is that some older students are fighting along with the professors. It is such a shame that they chose to resist him. They could have formed the backbone of his new army.

Durjan scans around but does not find Corvus anywhere. “Where is your headmaster?” he said, once again amplifying his voice. “Don’t tell me he makes his professors and students do all the dirty work?” he spits aside in disgust.

“You will find that I do not need to resort to such measures.” Said Corvus from right behind Durjan.

The warlord turns around and fires a spell, and Corvus deftly bats it aside. Then a duel begins. On one side, the headmaster of the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute. On the other side, the warlord Durjan, who cares nothing about this institute of learning.

The professors, the students, and the men of Durjan all have to empty this area in a hurry, as the duel turns destructive. Corvus easily doused the fire of Durjan with water with some alchemical properties, and the earth's constructs were reduced to rubble as they started to melt after coming in contact with the mist that came out of Corvus’s mouth.

Durjan, unable to match Corvus in the exchange of spells, twists the fire around and brings out his elemental shape-shifting spell in the form of a horse. Corvus smirks, and does the same, only the spell is a snake made entirely of water.

“Once you gain enough control and experience,” he lectures, “You can make this spell take any shape. And you can do this as well.” he points his finger at Durjan, and a giant raven made of fire appears right above the water snake.

The battle starts, and the horse is outnumbered. Durjan is unable to take this strain of battling two elemental constructs, and his horse gets weaker each time it comes in contact with the snake made of water. looks like that snake has the same alchemical properties to put out the fire. Meanwhile, the raven is assaulting his own position with blasts of fire, as to keep him moving, and unable to focus on his spell.

As the horse winks out, the snake and raven both move to kill Durjan. The snake wraps around Durjan’s body, crushing his spine, while the raven blasts his head off. Seeing their leader executed in such a brutal fashion breaks the spirits of the invaders, and they start to run.

“Hunt them, don’t leave anyone alive,” orders Dhiraj.

“Understood.” Said Bali, and with other professors and students, he leaves to hunt them down.

Corvus collapsed after this battle, and Dhiraj quickly ushered him inside of his lab before anyone could see his state. Though his magic is strong, Corvus’s body is unable to handle the strain of such high-level magic, as well as the stress of the battle. He is in no condition to handle the responsibilities of the headmaster after today.

‘Looks like my responsibilities are about to increase.’ Dhiraj thought to himself.