Chapter 1
Welcome to Elysium
The bell signifying the end of school had once again rung. Students eagerly pushed and shoved to get out of the room, and for good reason. Today, there would be a much-anticipated fight against the two highest-ranked Arcanists in the school.
Nier Oghearus was not one of those students. He was an 18-year old boy who had jet black hair and a positive attitude. However, he was an avid fan of Arcana Duels. As a child, Nier dreamed of one day being able to call forth an Arcana of his own to fight with. He fantasized about imaginary duels in which he always emerged victorious. Despite his strong desire to become an Arcanist, Nier was one of the few unlucky kids who hadn’t awoken their Arcana.
As Nier entered the school’s arena, he noticed the massive crowd of students flocking around the pit. Loud cheers could be heard from halfway across the building. The arena itself was about the same size as 2 basketball courts placed side by side. There were 2 floors. The first floor was where the actual fight would take place while the second floor was where spectators could watch from a safe distance.
All of a sudden, the arena exploded into shouts and cheers. The two students were entering the pit. The rules were simple. Use your Arcana to fight. When you no longer have enough energy to continue, you lose. You can only attack your opponent’s Arcana. Breaking this rule results in an instant disqualification as well as an inhibitor being placed on your soul. This prevents you from summoning your Arcana for a fixed amount of time, usually about a month but could last for more than a year depending on your number of infractions. Other than that, you were free to do whatever you pleased.
The fighters were getting ready. The #1 ranked Arcanist in the school was a young man named Grey. His Arcana was Gawain, a Knight armed with a sword and shield, his Arcana was known for its great defense and offense capabilities. The #2 ranked Arcanist was Ito. His Arcana was Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Hell.
Nier was getting excited. He loved watching Arcana Duels. It made him yearn for an Arcana of his own. He was analyzing the fighters in his head before the match began. Grey’s Arcana is Gawain. He’s a Chariot type Arcana who specializes in heavy physical offense and defense while lacking in magic and mobility. Ito’s Arcana, on the other hand, is Cerberus. It’s an Aeon type Arcana that are characterized by their animal traits. They specialize in a mix of both magic and physical attacks while also boasting fast movements. However, they have a very weak defense. One hit from Gawain’s sword and it could severely cripple him for the rest of the fight. But if Ito can outspeed Grey, he might actually have a chance.
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“It’s not too late to back out now Ito,” Grey says with a carefree smile.
“Don’t worry about me, Grey. I’ve been analyzing all of your past fights. I know all of your bad habits and weaknesses.”
The automated announcer starts the countdown.
“The match will begin 5...4...3...2...1…”
The room slowly dims the surroundings while brightening the pit, almost like a movie theatre. A loud bell officially starts the match.
The fighters both call their Arcanas at the same time. Ito makes the first move. Cerberus quickly dashes around the side and lunges straight towards Gawain. He easily blocks it and knocks the dog away with the shield. Cerberus doesn’t let up, barraging Gawain with a flurry of lunges and scratches. He’s trying to overwhelm Grey until he breaks.
“Do you really think you’ll win with such simple tactics?” Grey jeers.
Cerberus quickly lunges once more, but he feints an attack and manages to get around Gawain’s shield.
“Now Cerberus! Hell’s Breath!”
The two heads on the outside exhale a wall of fire while the head in the middle launches a fireball with tremendous force. Gawain is unable to defend in time and goes flying from the impact.
Everyone in the crowd cheers.
“Wow! No one has ever been able to land a hit on Grey!”
Ito grins from the excitement and energy from the crowd. He’s overconfident, Nier thinks to himself. Grey looks completely composed.
“Finish him Cerberus!”
He goes for the finishing blow. However, Grey is ready.
“Judgement Sword.”
Gawain’s sword illuminates like a ray of pure light blinding everyone. Before Ito can react, he quickly pierces Cerberus through the stomach and ends the fight. Cerberus shatters into shards of energy and disappears.