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Condemned To Death
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14th September, 1507
The crowd watched in shock as Jake's true nature unfolded before their eyes. His earlier timid behavior now seemed like a trick to catch them off guard.
As Jake stood over his fallen opponent, a sense of dread settled over the onlookers. The student beneath him looked terrified, his leg visibly injured.
"I give u-" Before the student could utter a surrender, Jake silenced him with a swift gesture, blocking his mouth with his hand.
"MHMM! MHMM!"
Desperation painted the student's face as he attempted to scream, but Jake's grip prevented any sound from escaping, sealing his fate in a chilling silence.
"Shhhhhh," Jake hushed, his finger pressed against his lips. With a sinister grin, he lifted the student's chin with one hand, bringing him closer. "Now, now, we can't have you quitting on me. I'm just getting started. We'll play together with the remaining time we have left."
The student's cries grew louder, tears streaming down his face and soaking Jake's hand. Despite his pleas, Jake showed no mercy, revelling in the torment he inflicted.
Then, Jake's gaze shifted upwards, locking onto Aldric, who floated on a stone tile above them, observing the match. "Sir, correct me if I'm wrong, but the rules of the match state that a person only loses if they fall off the platform, lose consciousness, surrender, or if a fatal injury is about to occur, right?" Jake's voice dripped with smugness as he awaited Aldric's response.
Aldric's cold eyes bore into Jake before shifting to the student, who looked at him with desperate hope. "...Yes," Aldric replied in a flat tone, his decision clear.
The student's disbelief was palpable as he stared at Aldric. The teacher he had once trusted now seemed indifferent to his suffering, turning his back on him in his time of need.
"SEE, SEE? HEAR THAT!" Jake's voice crackled with excitement as he turned back to the student, who looked at him with horror in his eyes, realizing the full extent of his predicament.
"Hmmmm... It's not fun if one of my hands is tied up with holding your mouth," Jake mused, his brow furrowing in contemplation. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a twisted idea, and he turned his face toward the student, his breath heavy with anticipation.
"Oh, I have a splendid idea," Jake whispered, his voice dripping with sinister delight. "I'll grant you freedom, my dear, but here's the catch: you mustn't utter a single word. And in exchange, oh, you'll get to experience a sensation unlike any other. The sweet ecstasy of pain, so exquisite, so intense, it'll make every other agony you've ever endured pale in comparison. Isn't that simply delightful?"
Jake seemed entirely convinced he was doing the student a favor, his grin widening as he awaited a response. The student's eyes widened with fear as he processed Jake's words, before nodding profusely to indicate his reluctant agreement.
"Pft- KAHAHAHA! YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WAS SERIOUS!" Jake exclaimed, his laughter filled with malice. Still holding the student's mouth shut with one hand, Jake swiftly tore off the student's shirt with a single pull, revealing his bare chest.
Bringing the student back down to the ground, Jake then used the torn shirt as a gag, shoving it down the student's throat until he gagged and could no longer produce any sound.
With a cold determination, Jake pressed his foot down on the student's intact knee, adding to his agony. Ignoring the student's desperate pleas, he addressed Aldric without a hint of emotion in his voice. "Say, what counts as a fatal injury?"
Aldric remained silent for a few tense moments before responding in a stern voice, his words carrying the weight of authority. "Anything that can cause death, the cutting of the limbs, or any permanent damage that may hinder a student's ability to fight in the future."
A sinister smile crept across Jake's face as he turned his gaze back to the trembling student beneath him, who shook his head violently, begging for mercy.
Snap
"MHHMMMH!" the student screamed in agony as his leg was crushed, but his cries were muffled by the cloth lodged in his throat, rendering him almost inaudible.
On the sidelines, Elise couldn't hide her disbelief at the brutality unfolding before her. Breaking character, she turned to Seren, her voice filled with incredulity. "Why isn't Aldric stopping the match? It's clear that the student is no match for Jake and can't continue the fight."
Seren met Elise's gaze with a steady look, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, after a brief pause, he spoke "The weak have no place being a Lexarch. Aldric is letting the fight continue to show the students the harsh realities they will encounter outside of the academy. On one hand, it trains the students to be battle-hardened, while on the other hand, it weeds out the weaklings."
When Elise first came to this world, she was initially very excited and happy. The discovery of otherworldly powers had fueled her determination to learn and grow, pushing herself to the limits of her abilities. She had eagerly embraced the challenges, knowing that true strength came with great risks.
But now, as she watched Jake's cruelty unfold and heard Seren's chilling justification, her optimism shattered like fragile glass. The realization dawned on her like a dark cloud looming overhead—true monsters weren't the fantastical creatures she had imagined.
Seren: “Like Aldric said, the most haunting monsters are those that wear the mask of humanity, they stand beside you, talk to you, act as your friend and you wouldn’t even know what's concealed within the shadows”.
He peeked to the side and saw Elise’s unusual behvaiour compared to the image she had put on for the class, he decided to push further to see a reaction and said in a helpless voice, “A minotaur may instill fear, and an otherworldly beast may kill hundreds or thousands, but the true horror lies in the humans capable of killing a person while they are still alive, like a silent executioner, inflicting a living death far more agonizing than any mortal end.”
In that moment, Elise felt a shiver run down her spine as she understood the harsh reality of this world. It wasn't a fantasy novel where she could play the role of the fearless protagonist. It was a brutal reality where every decision carried weight, where a single misstep could lead to irreparable consequences. And in the face of such danger, she realized that her greatest enemy might not be the monsters she expected, but the darkness that lurked within the hearts of men.
…
As the student's screams dwindled to feeble moans, he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, his body broken and twisted from the relentless torment. Jake's euphoric expression twisted with sadistic pleasure as he surveyed the scene before him, reveling in the sight of his handiwork.
"Hmmm, all your limbs are broken, and I also broke your ribs as well, but there's just something missing, and I can't put my finger on it," Jake mused, his tone disturbingly casual.
Then, with a sudden realization, Jake's face lit up with sick delight. "Ah, yes, I know now. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth if I don't take something from my opponent," he declared, his voice filled with a chilling certainty.
‘Huff Huff I-Is it finally over?’ the student thought, a flicker of relief passed through his mind, and then he felt two hands touching both sides of his head.
With swift, merciless movements, Jake seized the sides of the student's head, lifting him up in the air. The student's blurred vision cleared just in time for him to witness the horror unfolding before him, his heart sinking with dread.
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As Jake's grip tightened around his ears, the student's silent plea for mercy went unanswered.
Riiip
In a macabre symphony of flesh tearing, the sound of human skin being ripped apart reverberated through the air, sending shivers down the spines of the onlookers.
Splat
With a sickening splat, the student's motionless body crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around him as Jake stood over his prey, a twisted grin etched onto his face.
Then, Jake leisurely made his way back to Ethan and Noah, the atmosphere around the stage grew heavy with grief and despair. A few moments later, two figures emerged from the crowd of students, their faces etched with anguish and urgency.
The first student was an average-looking girl, tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran towards the stage, occasionally stumbling on her own footsteps in her haste. When she reached the body of the fallen student, she collapsed to her knees, cradling him in her arms as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Nathan, no, please hang on. I'm right here. Everything's going to be okay," she pleaded, her voice choked with emotion, her hands now stained with his blood.
“Nath-”
But before her grief could consume her entirely, Jake's voice cut through the air, dripping with annoyance. "Ahhh! chill out. I made sure that weakling wouldn't die," he remarked dismissively, holding a hand to his ears.
The girl's tears instantly ceased, replaced by shock as she slowly lifted her head up to look at Jake’s disgusted face. Jake scoffed and turned around before leaving the platform. Then, the girl’s shocked face contorted with anger as a fiery rage consumed her as she stared at Jake's retreating figure.
"I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL TEAR YOU APART! EVEN IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO!" she screamed, her anguish transforming into a vow of vengeance.
But Jake showed no reaction to her threats, merely snorting in disdain as he walked away without a backward glance.
“I WIL-”
"It's okay Sophie, there's nothing we can do for now,"
Amidst the chaos, a hand gently rested on the girl's shoulder, and she looked up to see Liam, her teammate and friend, looking at her with a mix of sorrow and understanding.
Liam attempted to console her but his presence only served to intensify her grief, and she continued to wail as she clung to Nathan's body.
Liam, his own heart heavy with sorrow and anger, lifted Nathan's broken body, carrying him back with solemn determination. As he glanced back at Jake, happily chatting with Ethan and Noah, Liam's gaze turned to one of contempt.
…
Just a short while later, the other fight on the third platform ended in an anticlimactic way with the student accidentally walking off the edge of the platform, eliciting gasps and nervous chuckles from the spectators. Now that the 1v1s were over, it was time for the 2v2 matches, sparking a buzz of excitement and anticipation among the students.
Everyone turned their attention towards Seren and Lorien, the tension palpable as they prepared for their showdown. All eyes were on them, whispers circulating about Seren's previous embarrassment of Lorien and the anticipation of his potential revenge.
Aldric, who had been quiet throughout, suddenly sprung into action, summoning his staff with a flourish. With a commanding gesture, he dispersed the three platforms floating in the air, the stone tiles swirling and colliding before crashing toward the ground.
Boom
As the dust settled, a singular stone platform remained, now the combined size of the three mini-platforms, a dramatic stage set for the upcoming battle.
"Get ready, we're up," Seren declared, his voice determined, as he got up after extensively examining Susie who was sleeping soundly.
Elise nodded solemnly, her expression mirroring his determination, as they made their way towards the platform, their footsteps echoing in the tense silence.
"Don't get your ass beat like I did," Finn quipped from where he lay on the ground, his tone a mix of jest and genuine concern, a small smile playing on his lips despite his injuries.
Lorien remained stoic, his gaze fixed ahead as he and his partner, the imposing figure of Kai, approached the stage with purpose. Both Seren and Lorien walked onto the platform, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of defiance and determination, setting the stage for an intense and gripping battle.
The atmosphere between the onlooking students was tense as they watched the 2v2 unfold, the anticipation heightened by the sequential matches allowing them to focus entirely on each battle. All eyes were fixed on Seren, eager to see what cunning strategies he would employ.
Some cheers for Lorien could be heard from the crowd of students, seemingly trying to get on his good side. Lorien ignored the cheers as he stared dead into Seren’s eyes as he walked forward.
Lorien then halted his advance, pausing 15 meters away from Seren, his gaze intense as he meticulously assessed his body for any hidden advantages. Kai, his partner, readied his claymore, exuding an aura of formidable strength and readiness.
"Your cheap tricks won't save you this time," Lorien taunted, brandishing his chained swords with confidence, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Hehe, don’t worry, I can give you my word that I won’t use any sneaky tricks to win the match," Seren said reassuringly, a light chuckle accompanying his words. He then turned his gaze upwards to meet Aldric's eyes, his expression friendly yet determined. "Teacher, I would like to make an Oath."
Elise, Lorien, and Kai exchanged astonished glances, their eyes widening in disbelief at Seren's unexpected declaration. An Oath in this world was not to be taken lightly as the punishment for breaking the Oath is often times death or worse.
Even Aldric didn’t expect Seren to display such odd behaviour. He couldn’t tell much from Seren’s smiling face as he silently pondered, his thoughts swirling with caution and curiosity.
Finally, breaking the weighty silence, Aldric spoke in a voice tempered with authority, his tone commanding attention. "What is it?" he inquired, his gaze fixed intently on Seren.
"I hereby declare that for the duration of this match, I will not resort to deceitful tactics to secure victory or gain an unfair advantage," Seren proclaimed boldly, ensuring that every ear present heard his pledge.
Aldric's silence stretched momentarily as he scrutinized the wording of Seren's oath, searching for any loophole or ambiguity. Finding none, he nodded solemnly, acknowledging the Oath as he declared, "I hereby swear on my name, Aldric Stonefield, that I will uphold justice with honesty and integrity, should the terms of this oath be transgressed,"
Lorien watched the scene unfold with incredulity, his eyes betraying a mixture of confusion and suspicion. ‘Is he trying to salvage his reputation among the other students, or is he suggesting that he doesn’t require underhanded tactics to beat me?’ Lorien couldn’t tell if he should be mad or relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with that annoying brain of his.
After the Oath was made, Seren redirected his attention towards Lorien, a confident smile playing on his lips. "I’m sure you're wondering why I am doing this," he began, his tone casual yet tinged with underlying determination. "The reason is simple — to have a rematch for the day of the Realms Rite."
Lorien's confusion deepened at Seren's unexpected reasoning. Why would Seren, of all people, seek a rematch? The question lingered in his mind, leaving him wary and uncertain. "What do you mean?" he questioned cautiously
Seren’s smile widened even more as he said, “A bet, just like the one you made to me that day”
The uncertainty grew even more in Lorien’s heart as he asked, “What’s the bet”
Seren then proclaimed proudly, “If you manage to land a single hit on me or Elise during this match then you win. The loser has to give the winner 50 soul stones”. Seren's smile was almost playful as he proposed a wager, catching Lorien off guard. Elise's surprise mirrored in her swift turn towards Seren, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
The students observed with wide-eyed astonishment, their expressions a mosaic of disbelief and longing. This was even more so for the students from common or poor Lexarch families because most students would either have to complete dangerous missions or rely on their family’s funding for soul stones.
Lorien hesitated, suspicion flickering in his eyes as he analysed the situation, ‘There's no way for him to restrain both me and Kai simultaneously’ He thought, weighing the potential risks and rewards. ‘Even if he's fast himself and can get away from me, I can always go after Elise to secure the win. 50 soul stones are not much for me since I have the backing of my family but for him....’
The prospect of victory, coupled with the relatively low stakes for him, spurred Lorien to accept the challenge with a smug grin. "Fine, let me see how you will manage to close the gap between a lumina and ethereal grade," he declared confidently, his confidence bolstered by his family's support and his own prowess.
“Hey, you think he can actually win?” A student asked his friend.
“Obviously not, the only notable thing about Seren is his intellect, we don’t know his strength but it doesn’t matter since he’s up against both Lorien and Kai”. The friend announced with full certainty.
‘The luminar crystal does not offer much offence or defence’ Aldric mused, his mind racing with speculation. ‘Does he have an extra relic that we're not aware of? Well, if he does, taking it out would only give us an excuse to investigate him’.
Then, after waiting a few more seconds, seeing that both sides were ready. The air was tense and all the students had their full attention on Seren and Lorien.
Aldric sucked in an air of breath before he announced loudly, “START!”
As the tension reached its peak, the command to start echoed across the arena. Kai wasted no time, charging forward with relentless speed, his claymore poised for attack. Lorien swiftly followed suit, the chained weapon whirling above his head with deadly precision.
Elise, unarmed but undaunted, swiftly formulated her strategy, her confidence bolstered by her trust in her relic. "I'll take on Kai, you handle Lorien," she declared, darting to the side as Kai pursued her with determined ferocity.
Meanwhile, Seren remained rooted to his spot, his expression impassive despite the chaos unfolding around him. Lorien, closing in on his target, brimmed with confidence, his anticipation palpable as he envisioned various scenarios of their impending clash.
Lorien now a few feet away from Seren yelled happily as he jumped into the air with the chained sword ready to attack Seren, “You messed up good Seren! 50 soul stones, here I co-”
Seren: “I surrender”
Before Lorien could finish his triumphant declaration, Seren's unexpected surrender cut through the tension like a blade, leaving the arena stunned into silence.
Lorien caught off guard by his unexpected move, forgot to land properly from his jump as he fell to the ground.
Thud
The abruptness of the gesture left everyone momentarily bewildered, their expectations shattered in an instant.
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Condemned To Death
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