The explosive-carrying goblin threw a green ball at Tiffany after pulling a pin before jumping to the side for cover.
Tiffany cut the object in half with her blade as Bella threw herself over, Max.
The hobgoblin with the tuba-shaped head put itself between the blast and the back line, a barrier of sound walling off what came next.
A blinding light and deafening boom centered on Tiffany’s position erupted, sending fragments of magic and debris flying into an invisible barrier that seemed to sparkle where contact was made.
“This is just great….” Tiffany took a few steps back only to see Bella had run past her while carrying Max and Snickers, as the goblins had her surrounded.
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Bella was running with Max over one shoulder and Snickers over the other. It was better that they avoided fighting her head-on. Bella didn’t have any nonlethal methods of knocking someone as strong as her out, and wasting mana on it would only complicate things.
“Bella, what’s going on! Everything is ringing!” Max yelled.
Bella did not answer that as she pressed her foot down hard, marking her path before taking a few steps backward into another room which she carefully entered.
Max was set down on the cold wooden floor.
“I’m so cold… Bella? Where are you Bella? I can’t see you.” Max reached upwards.
Bella sighed as she pulled out a blue potion Kyrion had shared with them. She then forced him to drink the potion. “You’re only a bit blinded and deafened. You aren’t dying. Just mildly inconvenienced.”
Max’s damaged eardrums were repaired, and his sight began to return. “I’m alive, thank….”
“Quiet you idiot. You are far too delicate to be on the front lines of anything. Why did you let Kyrion talk you into this?”
“I have Snickers and the goblins to fight for me. I also have a score to settle.”
“Well Snickers is out of the fight and your goblins will probably lose to Tiffany?”
“Can’t you give him a potion.”
“It could do more harm than good. Testing these things on animals can have unintended consequences.”
“That doesn’t sound right.”
“Dogs get sick when they eat chocolate. Humans don’t. There is a chance the potion would do more harm than good. The dog just needs to rest. Stay hidden, stay quiet and things should turn out fine. When you can move freely, go get the truck.” Bella handed Max the keys before she stood up and left the room. Where she continued to run down the hallway.
Leaving Max and the hobs alone to go deal with Tiffany.
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“Well, Brion. It looks like we won’t get to have the fight you wanted.” Ander said as he shifted his weight to his uninjured foot. The wound had sealed, but the potion was still repairing the muscle underneath.
“I’ll try to make this quick.” Brion hefted his greatsword.
“That’s my line. Why are you even wearing armor? It doesn’t suit your abilities. Kyrion may be called a berserker but you are one. In fact it will be what holds you back in this fight. Your downfall.”
“You’re finally going to go all out?”
“Don’t need that level for you right now.” Ander shifted his stance, pushing his weight onto his back foot as he built power in preparation for a throw. Only the spearhead was backward.
Brion did not look down on his friend as he charged forward with the intent to knock Ander out.
Ander threw his spar past Brion and watched as the head opened up when it landed in the dirt.
Brion paused in confusion before the last thing he’d felt that day struck him in the back. A powerful jolt followed by a buzzing sensation, and within seconds Brion was out of the fight. His armor from falling forward as a spear protruded from his back as though it had passed through.
“That was easier than it should have been.” Ander pulled the spear from his friend’s back, only there was no blade attached. There was no damage to the armor, either aside from a burn mark.
Ander tapped his headless spear on the ground, and two small metal triangles flew back where they belonged as the head of his lighting spear. Sure it was a cheap shot, but Ander had to get back to work.
“With the roar oh a lion, you come from the sky! Destruction marks your path where you fly. By the time you notice, it’s far too late. For your awareness itself has sealed your fate. Lightning Manifestation!” Ander let loose a stream of lightning into the sky above himself. It then flowed into a patch of clouds which darkened as the rain began to fall. The dark clouds let loose a powerful bolt that roared down onto Ander’s position. A resounding boom echoed as a crater was formed around his position. The ground scared in a twisted manner.
“Oh… that hurts. But now I understand why this ability was so impractical before.” Ander moved forward at speed untraceable by vision, his form appearing as though it was pure light. His body crackled with electricity as he searched for his next opponent.
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Kyrion was sneaking around the castle slowly towards a room with two presences, one unfamiliar and the other he assumed belonged towards his mark. Amadeus hadn’t found him due to his ability to disappear. It was only a matter of time before he was cornered, but he at least had some forewarning.
Pulling a seed pod from his domain, he threw it down the hall and watched as vines spread like webs and created a green coating. Moments later, the plant shifted in color and shape as a wall matching the materials of the building was formed. Kyrion then built another false wall meant to be a dead end down another hall. Past that wall, he planted a modified type of grass that would explode into a bunch of angry burs. With that done, he moved upstairs, where he encountered a swarm of angry bugs.
Pulling out a piece of cloth, he covered his face before charging forward. Through the swarm while shielding himself in a barrier of wind mana. Nothing died, but the bugs were pushed out of the way rather forcibly.
Kyrion made it down the hall to the designated room where a stag beetle the size of a horse stood on its hind legs and sucker-punched him. Sending Kyrion flying through a wall.
“Owww…” Kyrion got to his feet and opened up his senses. He couldn’t sense the bug because it didn’t. It was a creature conjured from the owner’s core, like Jala and Issac.
A black-robed figure pointed at Kyrion, and the boy watched as a swarm of various bugs made their way toward him.
Kyrion punched a hole through another wall and jumped, only to see that it was filled with even more bugs. Then, running towards the end of another room, Kyrion sent out a punch that created another doorway at the end of the building.
Raising his fist up to the sky, Kyrion punched through the fourth wall and jumped through a gate created by his domain. Arriving on the next floor of the building. The bugs couldn’t follow him through his domain place, which was good. However, the fact that he had used that ability twice meant that word would probably spread, and that power would be exposed at an inconvenient time.
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Bella found herself trapped at a dead end. It hadn’t been on the map she had earlier, so she suspected shenanigans were afoot. She didn’t know what powers these students had, but this could easily be one of them.
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A golden armored figure appeared with a confused continence as though they also didn’t expect a wall either. The two opponents sized each other up, and the hall was soon filled with the sounds of combat.
A golden fist met a furred arm and was soundly countered by a headbutt that pushed Amadeus to the ground.
Amadeus retreated a few feet to leave their opponent’s range when they found themselves lying face-first on the ground, unable to move.
“Gravity crush.” Bella said as she held out her hand.
“What did you do?” Amadeus struggled to move, using their knees to push up to lackluster effect.
“...I just said what I did..”
“Fine. Keep your parlor tricks!” The armor began to vibrate as Amadeus poured mana out of their body and caused the ground to heat up and shift in color.
“What are you doing?”
“Ignite!” The floor exploded, and the armored Amadeus landed on a floor below, which they promptly left. Noting that the dead end wasn’t in this hall, the golden armored warrior ran forward, opting to check on their ally over wasting time with an opponent like that in a secluded environment.
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Tiffany knocked a dagger from the air and moved forward her rapier passing through the blade hobgoblin’s heart. Slaying the monster turned it into raw mana that floated upwards and vanished. That wasn’t what normally happened when monsters were killed.
The goblin with the black box let loose a blast of pure sound that crashed into a shield of light.
Tiffany evaded the tuba hobgoblin and moved into melee with the one wielding the box slitting its throat as it too evaporated.
“Alpha Formation!” Max yelled from behind Tiffany as his magic activated and flowed into the hobgoblins.
Chains of mana connected the tuba hobgoblin, to the tinkerer, and demolition expert and they seemed to gain in power.
“What is that?” Tiffany watched as the tuba hob doubled in size as it let loose a loud blast of sound that sent her flying.
The demolition hob coated the area where she should have landed with small stun based explosives that led to a series of pops that should have left her open to an attack that would have taken her out of the fight.
Sadly the Tiffany that hit the ground didn’t interact with the explosives as a third hob corpse hit the ground, the tinkerer in the back. Soon after the demolition Tuba hob found themselves impaled by blades of light. Only the three didn’t quite fade like the others.
Tiffany examined the downed hobs and found that they were still alive. That was the last thing she heard as static filled her system.
A crackling sound was the last thing Tiffany heard as her consciousness suddenly left her. It wasn’t even a fight as she didn’t even see who or what hit her. Was there a student this strong at the academy? She couldn’t recall, it didn’t really matter anyway. They were doomed from the start if that was the case.
Max watched as a streak of lightning passed right by him leaving the blond swordswoman unconscious. “Did we have someone like that on our team?”
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Ander continued down the hall. He had just beaten the second opponent. Ander hated fighting like this, but this power had a time limit, and it wasn’t long. He’d also need some healing afterward. The cost for this power was high, but the reward was mostly worth it. He really hoped Max and Bella were doing their part.
Mere moments later, he encountered another figure moving down the hall at a quick pace, albeit much slower than the one he was traveling currently. Nevertheless, he soon caught up to the golden-armored opponent before overtaking them.
“Oh it’s just you.” Ander adjusted his form with a cocky expression on his face. Lighting crackling with the gesture.
“Just me? Are you here for round two or something?” Amadeus prepared to counter.
Ander didn’t respond verbally as he had already moved to attack. The others could find out who beat them later. But Amadeus was one who he needed to know who defeated them in combat.
A golden dagger flew at Ander before it was redirected with a clang.
Ander moved into melee range and let loose a palm strike that sent lightning through his opponent’s cacked armor.
A gauntleted fist connected with Ander’s jaw, and an explosion erupted from their position. Shrapnel flew everywhere, as the castle floor wall and staircase were now destroyed, with Ander being sent into a sort of freefall.
“Shit!” Amadeus panicked before they saw Ander turn in mid-air and hover.
“So you’re finally taking me seriously. I guess that means I’ve caught up. Now let’s see if I’ve surpassed you.” Ander threw his spear forward, the weapon shifting from side to side as it traveled.
Amadeus threw another set of daggers at the spear to redirect it, only for the daggers to shoot outwards as they approached. The spearhead of Ander’s fell off to reveal a blade of lightning.
The spear hit the same part Ander had just struck with lightning, seizing up and forcing Amadeus to fall to a knee.
Ander moved to finish the bout when something stabbed him in the neck, and everything went black. The lightning crackling around his body ceased, and his body entered freefall.
A series of vines snaked out from the roof and caught the falling boy pulling him up. Slowly and steadily to prevent further injury.
Ander now lay in front of an irritated Kyrion, who was currently collecting blood from a wound and pouring it into a beaker which he shook until the color changed into a sickly yellow
“A paralytic toxin, not good, but not deadly with a minor dosage. So you won’t die from this, but seriously man. Eight broken ribs, a shattered collarbone, various burns and lacerations. And worst of all your mana is damaging your body from the inside. What in the bloody abyss possessed you.”
Ander was too out of it to respond to the query. Kyrion knew deep down, alone, they wouldn’t have been life-threatening, but pushing your body when this injured was a dangerous game.
Still, as Kyrion was a healer, he got to work by calming the maelstrom of mana that ran rampant in the boy’s body before he started restoring the bones. He then moved on to the burns and lacerations and cleaned the areas revealing unblemished skin. He then cleansed the paralytic toxin from his friend’s body.
Ander still did not rise, but he was breathing steadily. He needed to change their plan. If Ander couldn’t fight, then it was up to him now. He didn’t doubt Bella’s power, but she was outclassed in this scenario. Only being able to fully restrain one target.
Well, it was a good thing he had a backup plan. Of course, he didn’t like it, but Cecil would play an essential role despite not being here.
“Huh?” Ander tried to get up but soon found that he was currently restrained by vines.
“Don’t move just yet.” Kyrion looked at the truck.
“What about me? I can still fight.”
“You’re healed but also nearly out of mana. Whatever you did nearly took everything from you. I can handle the rest of this on my own.”
“You’re going to fight them both?”
“...Your right. Amadeus, I can handle but the bug person can out maneuver me if I have to deal with both. I could give you some of my mana on top of healing your wounds. You will probably be more than full so be careful with the power I grant you.” Kyrion waved his hands and motioned to a series of plants that seemed to have rooted into the building. An odd plant with a large bell shooting upwards extended, and Kyrion picked up a flower.
“What are you doing?” Ander looked around.
“That’s a secret.” Kyrion winked at no one in particular.
“Why did you just make a weird face at nothing?”
Kyrion had winked using the eye under the eyepatch. “Exactly, Bella is on the third floor in front of a false wall. Max is on the first floor with Snickers and the hobs. I’ll let them know what the plan is.”
Kyrion spoke into a rose. “Bella, Max, how are you all doing?”
“Kyrion did you due are you a ghost? How are you in my head!” Max seemed to be panicking.
“Ander and I are about to do some severe structural damage to this building, and we will need you to move the truck outside the east wing on the fourth-floor window 37. You may need to catch someone.”
“Should I remove Tiffany from the building as well?” Bella asked.
“That would be convenient. Preferably get her ten feet away from the building.”
“And the hobgoblins? I had to leave them behind.” Max asked.
“They will be fully healed in a minute and will follow Bella.”
“Are you mad that she killed two?”
“Not at all. Now go before they catch on.” Kyrion hung up and sighed.
“People need to learn what they’re asking for when they want me to go all out. It will never be direct. It’s just not how I was taught.” Kyrion lay a floor over where the princess was waiting. His hand cupped his ear as he snooped in on their conversation. Two other people were talking conspiratorially.
“Minah. It appears we’re all that’s left, Ander took out both Brion and Tiffany. He also injured you. We should surrender.”
“Like hell I’d give up now. It’s too late for that. This is my one shot getting into the tournament.”
“And you’re the one who decided to fight with the one person who can heal and teleport.”
“He can bloody teleport!? When. Shit!” Amadeus shuffled around the room.
“He isn’t on this floor… A healer that can take multiple hits, heal, and teleport. My poisons only affect those who are weakened. If Ander were to return to fight in better condition we don’t stand a chance.”
“Then we take him out. Set a trap for him that he can’t escape.”
“Like what?”
“We kidnap Max.”
“But… Ohh… Capture their weak link.”
Kyrion watched as Max got into the truck from his vantage point. The engine was revved up. The best part about it was that even he couldn’t see through the black windows. This is going to be fun.
Kyrion stood, removed his eyepatch, stretched, and then drew his staff which he began to spin in a circle as he did two circular discs that seemed to materialize, one coated in silver fur and the other with pretty blue feathers.
“Jala, Issac manifest in my weapons and lend me your aid.” Kyrion felt the spirits enter the weapons which floated above his shoulders as he continued to spin his staff.
“Karl cover my body in armor of earth.”
Kyrion’s robe elongated and took on a brown color baren ground. A silver tree appeared on the back of the robe as it glowed.
“Spirit of nature dwelling in me grant me the strength of a mighty tree.” 2 horns made of wood grew from Kyrion’s head, resembling small antlers made of branches. Blue flowers bloomed from the branches on his head. If the people wanted a show, he’d give them a show.
“Full manifestation.” Kyrion’s green eyes turned blue the tips of his hair shifted a silver shade. Those without mana sight could see mana flowing out of his body like steam from a tea kettle. The floating disc snapped and pierced a hole in his ears as they shrunk to the size of the jewelry.
“The headmaster is going to yell at me for this, isn’t he.” Gamoden had never seen Kyrion use or practice this technique as it was a new weapon. While placing a hand on Ander’s back, Kyrion filled the short boy up and beyond with mana while partially getting a gauge of his abilities.
“I guess Gamodren feeding the enemy old data works in my favor.” Kyrion smiled sadly as he looked down at the roof he was standing on.
“Who are you talking… Oh, that’s a lot of mana.”
“Are you going to take off your training weights?” Kyrion asked.
“No, to be fair, I need some restraint in this form. The weights will keep me engaged with all my motions. It would be bad if I accidentally killed someone. Aren’t you the same? You’re worse than me with those weights your wearing despite being a healer.” Ander crossed his arms.
“Yeah. I use them to keep my muscles engaged. I may have gotten too used to them actually.”
“Your lost the key didn’t you?”
“Worse, they got melded. I’ll get them removed after this game. Now get ready.” Kyrion took a few steps back.
Ander winced before taking a deep breath.
“Light from the sky grant me power, the price my mana which you will devour. Lightning and thunder will tear the sky asunder. Thus begins the second dance of the lord of thunder. Full Manifestation!” Unlike the last time the lightning came back down, Ander’s features shifted, his green hair became longer, and his pupils turned a solid white as his clothes seemed to start billowing. The world around him smelled like static.