Ciar withdrew his blade from his opponent's stomach, letting the dying girl fall to the ground. Seconds later, the time magic took effect, and everything reversed to the state it was before the start of the match. This time, when Ciar looked to the crowd, they were cheering. This was his third fight of the tournament, and he had won in convincing fashion. His opponent was clearly not as strong as he was, nor as fast. She had been forced to defend each of his strikes with two hands, and eventually she slipped. Ciar had capitalized on the opportunity, and stabbed her through the stomach. It was not as brutal as his fight against Hyder, nor was it as boring as his last fight, where he simply picked up his opponent and slammed him against the wall of the arena, so the crowd was slightly entertained.
Exiting the arena, Ciar once again waited for the round to finish. He was one of only 12 people left on his side of the bracket. From this point forward, the people that had gotten lucky in advancing were gone, defeated by the truly strong. His next fight would be different from the last three. It had been 6 hours since the tournament began, but the crowd had not dwindled. This was a time of celebration, where everyone could relax and forget about their studies. Once again, the doors leading to the arena swung open, and Ciar walked into the light.
The crowd cheered at his appearance, but when his opponent entered, they went into a frenzy. Ciar could faintly hear the announcer, his magic enhanced voice introducing the combatants.
"And now, we have Ciar Sycer, the unknown boy whose strength and viciousness have been on full display this tournament. Facing him, we have Figor Dyno, the son of Count Dyno and heir to the Dyno House. The bets have been placed, with odds of 4:1 in Dyno's favor, we will see if Ciar can somehow defeat him!"
'Figor Dyno....I recognize that name. People around campus are always gossiping about him. I guess he's impressive.'
Ciar focused on the boy, who was twirling two short swords in lazy circles. He wasn't much older than Ciar, perhaps 9 or 10, but he was much taller. He stood around 1.5 meters tall, with broad shoulders for his age. His horns protruded over 2 centimeters from his head, glowing a slight orange. His hair was short and black, his eyes a piercing yellow. He wore an elaborate set leather bracers, shin guards, and gloves. His chest was protected by a leather cuirass with a Dragon emblazoned on it, the sigil of Dyno House. He glanced at Ciar, a look of disdain and dismissal on his face. When the bell rang, he spat on the ground, before slowly approaching Ciar.
Ciar drew his weapon and set himself in position. Figor didn't rush into the fight as his previous opponents did, but instead studied Ciar's stance for several seconds before launching an attack. Ciar was surprised at his speed, as the boy covered the remaining 2 meters in less than a second, his left blade sweeping for Ciar's midsection. Ciar opted to dodge the attack, wary of crossing his blade over his body to block it. The sword swished past his chest, and Figor carried the momentum into a crouching spin, unleashing both blades at Ciar's legs. This time, Ciar brought his blade across his body to block the strike. Upon contact, Ciar was forced to stumble back, the power behind the blow surprising him. Gritting his teeth, he lept backwards as quickly as possible, narrowly avoiding a thrust. He raised his right hand, trying to grasp Figor with Telekinesis. Surprisingly, the Mind essence was met with a wall of resistance when he tried to surround Figor's body. The boy smiled at him, unleashing a blast of fire from his body. Ciar leapt back, powering his maneuver with a hefty chunk of Void Power. He knew now why Figor was highly regarded by the crowd. He was quite good with his blades, and also had an excellent aptitude for magic. Resolving in his mind to learn some actual spells from his instructors after this fight, Ciar sheathed his blade, dropping into Udo's first stance. Figor stopped his advance abruptly, a look of confusion on his face.
"What martial art is that? I don't recognize it at all" He asked.
"Not your concern, Figor." Ciar answered flatly.
"Hmmph, it won't matter what it is, your a fool to fight blades with your fists!" He shouted, suddenly angry.
Ciar didn't wait for Figor to attack. His body flashed forward in a blur, his right palm snapping out. Suddenly, Ciar crouched, abandoning his attack as a sword whistled over his head. His eyes shifting left, he was Figor's second sword cutting straight for his face. Ciar pushed upward, jumping into the air, leaping over the blade. He realized his mistake too late to dodge. Figor's sword, which he had just ducked, was returning for his face. Doing the only thing he could, Ciar concentrated his Void Power in his right hand and sent a palm strike across his body. When the blade and his hand met, Ciar felt an extreme pain, and then a sudden lack of fingers. Ciar tumbled to the ground and bounded away without thinking. He stared at his hand, now severed from the palm up. Glancing up, Ciar saw Figor walking slowly toward him, his swords once again twirling slowly. Realizing he had time, Ciar focused his Void Power on regeneration. The crowd, that had been cheering at the first sight of blood, quieted in amazement as they watched Ciar's hand grow back. Gray energy poured from the wound, forming into the shape of a hand. In less than 5 seconds, the energy had turned into flesh, and Ciar's hand was fully regenerated. He looked up at Figor, who had stopped his advance in amazement. His look of wonder soon turned to one of anger and disbelief.
"What? How can you regenerate like that! Impossible, impossible! You...you're a freak!" He screamed as he leapt forward, abandoning all signs of composure. Ciar frowned in concentration as he focused on Figor's blades. He knew he could not attack his body with Telekinesis, but his swords might be different. Ciar stood perfectly still, reaching out with his Mind Essence. He could have simply focused on the sword and thought the command 'Telekinesis,' but he had learned that manual control not only raised the level of the skill faster, but also brought about better results. Figor's sword swept downward for Ciar's head, clearly aiming to kill. With a final burst of power, Ciar succeeded in taking control of the blade, stopping its advance less than a centimeter from his face. Figor's body continued clumsily forward, off balance from the sudden halt of the sword. Ciar stepped forward, lashing out with his palm. The strike connected with Figor's chest, causing the boy to cough a mixture of blood and bile all over Ciar. Ignoring the fluid, Ciar continued his assault, landing a blow to the underside of Figor's jaw, breaking it. His next strike broke several ribs on Figor's left side. and his final one caved the boy's chest in. Stepping back, Ciar examined Figor. He was on the ground, his blades forgotten as he grasped at his chest. The time magic took effect, and Ciar watched as Figor's body reverted to a healthy state. The boy struggled to his feet, glaring at Ciar.
"You don't deserve this! Your just a filthy commoner that has no right to be here. You don't have true strength...your just a mutated monster that should be hunted down and purified at the stake!"
Ciar smiled at him before responding, "Perhaps you're right...perhaps I don't have true strength. But it's clear I didn't need it to defeat you a pampered noble like you, Figor. You lost, get the fuck out of the arena."
Figor's eyes widened and he stammered, unable to form words. Nobody had ever dared speak to him that way, his father was a count! His face contorted in rage as he lunged at Ciar, seeking to destroy him with his fists. Ciar was about to move when someone flashed in front of him. Figor's body struck the arena wall so hard the mana shield flickered and the wall behind it cracked. He fell to the ground, unconscious. A voice spoke, cold and domineering.
"For violating the terms of the tournament and attacking a victor after a defeat, Figor Dyno is henceforth banned from all minor tournaments for the remainder of this year. Any earnings he would have received for advancing this far will be given to Ciar Sycer as reparation for his deeds." Finished with his announcement, the man turned to Ciar, his hands folded behind his back.
"Go back to the waiting room and get ready for your next fight, there is nothing more to see here."
"Yes sir!" Ciar said, bowing his head slightly before turning around and exiting the silent arena. The power the man had used had stunned Ciar. To be able to crack a mana shield and even damage what was behind it, was a feat of strength Ciar knew he would not be able to match for years, no matter his rate of improvement. Ciar used the time between matches to calm his nerves. He knew he had made an enemy in Figor Dyno, but he did not really care. He knew that if he were to win the tournament, he would make some enemies along the way. Not everyone could forget a defeat in the arena, and Figor was one of them. It was an expected result, and Ciar had resolved before joining that he would simply deal with the problems afterwards.
His next two fights, while difficult, were not as hard as his fight against Figor. He had advanced under the cheers of the crowd to the final round. Ever since his victory over Figor, and the subsequent rash actions of the boy, Ciar's popularity had soared. The odds of winning had been in his favor ever since, and the crowd has roared every time his name was announced. Ciar would be lying if he said he did not enjoy the fame. While he had not originally wanted attention, he had admit that it felt good to be cheered for. It felt good to know that people didn't seem to care about his appearance, as long as he could fight.
The beginning of the final round was different than the others. All three combatants, Ciar from his bracket and two from the other, were gathered together in one spot. Glancing at his competition, Ciar couldn't help but smile. Both of his opponents seemed to be hand-to-hand experts. Neither carried a visible weapon, and both carried themselves with a quiet confidence of the strong. To his left was a short, stocky boy that was completely bald. He wore a loose, sleeveless robe, showing off his rippling muscles. To his right was a skinny, short girl with cross cropped hair. She wore a tight fitting, sleeveless top and tight pants. Obviously she prioritized freedom of movement over protection. Ciar nodded at both of them. The boy didn't respond, but the girl nodded back at him, her eyes deadly serious.
After the awkward greeting, all three stood silently, waiting for the doors to open. The trio could hear the muffled roar of the crowd, presumably in response to something the announcer had said. Finally, the doors opened, turning the muffled noise into a deafening roar. The three walked together into the arena, their eyes scanning the crowd. Over a thousand people screamed and cheered, their excitement beginning to peak. This was the final round of the first-year tournament, the three best fighters pitted against each other. The only shield remaining was the one surrounding the entire arena, leaving the middle open for combat. The announcer stood in the middle of the arena, beckoning to the trio with both arms.
"Quickly, quickly! You, stand over there, you over there, and you," he said, pointing to Ciar, "over there."
Ciar obeyed quickly, his excitement about the fight growing steadily. When all three took their positions, the announcer began to speak again.
"And standing in front of me! The the son of Duke Perrington, Syle Perrington! To my left, the heir to the female dominated Tol house, Ameranda Tol! Finally, to my right, a boy of humble origin, Ciar Sycer! Of these three, only one will claim the title as strongest of the first years!" He paused for effect, then glanced around at the students. "Are you ready?" he asked. All three participants nodded. "Then, Fight!" With the last word, the announcer disappeared into thiln air. Ciar drew his sword and then tossed it behind him. He wanted to fight them with his Udo, to see if it truly was superior. He knew that he did not have much experience with the art, but he wanted to test his limits. He ran towards Perrington, whose fists glowed with a blue flame. Out of his left eye, he saw that Ameranda was also heading to Perrington. The boy slammed his fists together, sending out a small ring of flame, before he charged at Ciar.
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Ciar dodged a jab and sent a palm in return. The blow was deflected to the side and Ciar was forced to duck as a high kick whistled through the air. Seeing movement out of his left eye, he lunged forward, away from Ameranda, who had tried to strike him from behind. He twisted around to see Ameranda and Syle exchanging blows. Ciar hesitated, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Moments later, Syle staggered backwards from a glancing blow Ameranda had landed on his shoulder. Ciar, concentrating his Void Power, leapt through the air, aiming his knee Syle's face. The boy recovered in time and ducked below the knee, pushing Ciar up into the air with both of his hands. Ciar ignored the burning pain from the flames and used his added momentum to flip in mid air, kicking his heel against the back of Syle's head. The boy stumbled forward, right into a devastating punch from Ameranda. Syle fell to the ground, unconscious, his skull fractured. Ciar landed and turned to face Ameranda. He knew this was where it really counted. In a free for all, it was clear that the first to go would be the one that the others ganged up on. It was not truly a fight of skill, as one was at a disadvantage. Syle had been the unlucky one of the three, and was out as a result.
Ameranda raised her fists, each one surrounded by a swirling, green energy. Ciar recognized it as wind magic. Both combatants were now circling each other, looking for openings. Ameranda struck first, her wind powered fist a blur as he jabbed. Ciar responded, using his left hand to push her strike down and away. He lashed out toward her face with his right hand. His forearm was pushed violently to the side, just missing her face. Ciar raised his right leg, blocking a kick with the side of his calf. He felt his shin bone fracture slightly, so he left backwards, quickly using some Void Power to heal the injury. Ameranda advanced again, and the two began a blurred dance of fists and feet. Ciar became acutely aware that Ameranda was more powerful than him about three minutes into the fight. Each of the blows he blocked directly fractured a bone, forcing him to use Void Power to heal him. While he was sure that it had to do with her wind magic, age, and the fact he had not completely fused this body with void, it still was not something he could match at this current time. He found himself dodging or deflecting every blow, constantly in retreat. While he had inflicted some damage on Ameranda, she had not slowed in the slightest. He was fighting a losing battle, and his void power was dwindling. Healing fractured bones did not take much Void Power, but his supply was already running low. He had already used 400 of his 500 Void Power, and he was beginning to grow desperate. When his Void Power dropped below 50, he finally decided to risk something. It was a maneuver he had not yet perfected, and he was not sure if he could do it correctly. So far, he had refrained from risking it, trying to win with attacks he was 100% certain in performing. Now, however, he knew that to win he would have to risk it.
Ducking below a kick, Ciar finally saw his chance. Ameranda began to throw another punch at him, and Ciar moved. Focusing all his power on accelerating his speed with time magic, Ciar shifted sideways, allowing the punch to pass by him. Then, he leapt back toward the arm, placing both hands on top of and shoving down. By doing so, he forced Ameranda down and forward, opening her up for an attack. Using the upward force, he twisted his body so he feet for facing Ameranda, his head by her hand. He snapped his right leg back, his heel connecting with Ameranda's exposed temple. He continued the momentum of his kick and landed on his feet. Ameranda was stumbling, her hands on her head. Not giving her time to recover, Ciar sent a flurry of blows into he midsection, doing as much damage as he could. Slowly, his punches began to slow, exhaustion from lack of Void Power and overexertion beginning to show themselves. It was enough, though. Ameranda fell, motionless to the ground of the arena. Ciar stood their, head down and panting as the crowd roared. The announcer suddenly appeared beside Ciar, and as he grasped Ciar's arm to lift it into the air, the time magic in the arena took effect, restoring Ciar's health and Void Power.
"And we have our winner! Ciar Sycer is to now be officially recognized as the strongest of the first year students, and will receive the proper rewards! Let's hear it for Ciar Sycer!" The crowd roared in response, shaking the stadium with their sheer volume. The announcer turned to Ciar, and spoke to him personally. "Congratulations, Ciar. You are officially the youngest in school history to win the tournament, beating Sir Felix's record by 44 days. As a record holder, you will receive additional rewards on top of the regular winnings. Report to Grand Hall tomorrow morning to choose your rewards. Now, go relax, you've earned it." The announcer patted Ciar on the back and steered him toward the exit before turning to the others.
As Ciar exited the arena, he felt an immense power assault his mind essence. Ciar fought back with a panic, trying to protect his mind. His fight was short, however, as the opponent quickly destroyed all opposition and entered his mind.
"Stop fighting me, Ciar!" A voice rang out in his mind, "I just want to talk to you, it's Director Hendricks." Ciar immediately stopped struggling and let the foreign essense in. It was a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one as his essence and Hendricks's mixed.
"First, I apologize for doing it this way, but I needed to contact you before you left. Take the stairs to your right when you enter the main entrance to the arena. Once upstairs go to the third door on the right, I have an offer for you." With that, the essence disappeared, leaving Ciar with his own mind again.
'That must have been telepathy....but to think Hendricks could use Psionic Magic to that level. I thought he specialized in elemental magic, but I guess he's stronger than I thought. I'll have to make sure that never happens again. That, or I need to learn to recognize the mind essense of all of my friends.' Shaking himself, Ciar followed the instructions Hendricks had given him, and soon arrived outside a plain, wooden door on the second level of the arena. Opening, Ciar found Hendricks sitting comfortably in a chair. The director motioned to the empty chair across from him, and Ciar took a seat. Hendricks tilted his head to the side and inspected Ciar, a slight smile on his lips.
"Umm, what is it you wanted to talk about, Director Hendricks?" Ciar asked, uncertain from Hendricks's stare.
"Oh, sorry. It's just you are much more impressive than I first thought. You see, I don't know if you really understand what beating Felix's record means, Ciar. When Felix was your age, well slightly older, his Psionic Magic was so strong he could even cause second years to freeze in their tracks. Of course, you beating his record might not mean you are stronger than him, but it is impressive all the same."
"Thank you, Director Hendricks, but I'm sure it helps that I have you personally teaching me Udo." Ciar said, slightly embarrassed.
"Ahh, yes, Udo. In fact, Udo is part of the reason I called you here today. That art...well...let's just say I haven't been completely truthful to you when teaching it."
"Wha-what do you mean?"
"You see, while it is a martial art that uses your fists and a variety of acrobatic moves to defeat opponents, Udo is partially designed to be used with a weapon. I did not want to teach you the full art, for fear you would fail to learn it. While you are still learning the true basics of Udo, it really is just that - basics. Integrating a weapon into it is what truly makes the art whole, and a style of fighting that surpasses anything this world currently knows. Of course, it's not all the style that makes the fighter, but Udo in itself is designed to be the most deadly fighting style ever."
"So....." Ciar said, trying to wrap his mind around it, "It's designed for use with a weapon? But all the strikes so far have not incorporated a weapon?"
"That is because those strikes are used when the Udo user is disarmed or in to tight of a space to use their weapon. You see, the weapon it is designed for, the Endo, is to large to use effectively in small spaces, even in its single blade form."
Ciar's face lit up at the mention of the Endo. He had been fascinated with the double sided sword ever since he saw it on the first day of school. He had been meaning to ask Hendricks for it, but had never got around to asking the question. Now, it seemed like the weapon was just going to fall into his hands.\
"You mean I'm going to get the Endo? Seriously?" Ciar asked, nearly squealing with excitement. Hendricks laughed, raising a hand to hush Ciar.
"Now, there is a catch to it, something you must do before I give you the Endo."
"What, what, what, WHAT?" Ciar blurted, nearly shouting the last word.
"You see, entrusting an Endo to you is a big risk. The weapon is incredibly rare and powerful, and in the wrong hands, or the hands of the unskilled, it could become a disaster. So...I am proposing a task you must do in order to claim the Endo. Raise your Udo skill level to advanced (lvl 1), one level beyond basic (lvl 10), and win the end of the year school wide tournament. If you succeed in both of these things, you will walk out of Lunaris for break with an Endo in your possession."
Ciar sat back, contemplating what Hendricks had said. Of course he would accept the challenge, as he desperately wanted to get his hands on the Endo, even more now that he knew it tied into Udo. However, the proposition was nearly impossible. Winning the tournament at the end of the year would be incredibly difficult. He would be competing with people who had been attending Lunaris for 4 years, and whose level would be much higher. In his mind, just winning the tournament would warrant winning the Endo, but Hendricks wanted him to raise his Udo skill to advanced (lvl 1) as well? Ciar sighed as he inspected his Udo skill.
Basic Udo (lvl 2)
A lost martial art the specializes in acrobatic moves and deadly strikes.
+4% Void Power channeling
+4% to all physical stats when in combat
The skill had only improved itself once: when he had managed to fuse his Void Power with his muscles. Improving it to the next level of the skill would probably require him to infuse his blood with Void Power, which he had continually failed to do. Beyond the infusions, Ciar had no idea how to raise the level of the skill. Nothing he had tried had worked. Despite not knowing how he would accomplish it, Ciar agreed to Hendricks's offer.
"Of course I'll do it...it's just, I don't even know how I'm going to raise Udo to that level...it only improved after I merged my muscles and Void Power."
"Good! I knew you would except. Now,the skill will not improve normally till you body has completely merged with your Void Power. After you are finished with that, it will improve with normal sparring, although not as quickly as something like Basic Sword Mastery would. If you want to accomplish this task, I would advise you to ignore tournaments like this in the future. They will be a waste of your time, because as I'm sure you've noticed, combat in the tournament does not improve skills. The magic that causes this, even I do not know what it is. From now on, our Lost Arts class will focus on you fusing with your Void Power, and not learning techniques. After you are done merging, we will start training quickly. I assume you find with this?"
"Of course, Director Hendricks." Ciar said. Then he looked up, a fierce gleam in his dull, gray eyes. "I look forward to using that Endo."
Hendricks laughed loudly before ushering Ciar out of the room, saying he had business attend to.
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When the door closed behind Ciar, a shadow in the corner once again shifted forward.
"Why do you put so much trust in the boy. To offer to teach him the true form of Udo...what if he becomes corrupt? A true master of that form, not even you could stop easily. Especially if it is him that masters it." The shadow said.
"He needs the drive to become stronger. You know as well as I that The Circle will have him in their sights soon enough. I need to get him on my side and make him powerful enough to stand up to them if they decide to use...less diplomatic methods. Specter cannot afford to lose another one...especially him." Hendricks answered, his voice firm. The shadow paused, motionless for a moment before speaking.
"The Chair agrees with your decision, 9th Seat Hendricks. The Chair believes your conditions are enough to ensure that the boy is dedicated to the weapon, and allows you enough time to monitor his mental maturement. The Chair cautions you, however, that despite who the boy truly is, he is still young in this world, and is capable of being swayed easily. Keep a close eye on him, and make sure he makes no contact with Circle Operatives."
Hendricks sighed at the words, "I thank The Chair for his approval. Now, we will do as advised. Contact another Shadow, i want both of you monitoring Ciar at the same time. If even the slightest thing seems amiss, report it to me. Nobody in this school can be trusted, even if they are screened."
"As you command." The shadow said, before once more disappearing into nothingness.