A swirl of white and grey waves made of arcanite follows forward, functioning with the intentions and desires of the butler. It is a Skill that some butlers have, but it doesn't mean it is the finest thing to see, nor what one sees every day.
They are rare, in fact. The butlers, let alone their basis of space element.
Zech looks at the storm of arcanite, understanding that he should move into it, but does he want to do that?
Choices. They are there, but one is to be a stubborn fool, and another is to follow the rules.
Scowling at his lack of time, he fears that the time in this skyscraper isn't over at all. It seems the first-timers aren't as fast in ascending as he wishes, or the case of the overseer's trial isn't as harsh as it should be. For once, he laments at the talent, rather than the lack of it. Any newcomer that can come to this trial doesn't want to lose, so it makes sense for this to drag on for a long time.
Perhaps it would be better if the 3 of the 13 would give up, rather than waste time further. That would be so much better in his opinion, but not as if he has a lot to tell.
In fact, who is he kidding? His own lack of integrity and will is already something that many instructors don't prefer.
The butler glares at Zech, gesturing him to the storm of arcanite as if it is a door to walk through. It isn't any different, albeit it is in its effect. Stepping forward, he sights as he walks to this object of interest and disappears within. Waves envelop his body, flowing and hugging him tightly like a dense fog.
In a moment, the butler snaps his palms and ceases his Skill away. The arcanite jolts up, as if a bolt of lightning hit them, shaking around the room in a small explosion that destroyed nothing. Zech is no longer a few steps before the butler, nor even in the hallway or this floor.
This right here is a highly sought skill of the butlers and one of the reasons their supporting talent is rare. It has a basis of Teleportation like any butler has, but this one is a step above their basis because it doesn't involve the butler, but others. They wield power over space with their Emblems, wielding space and Skills. Talent and uniqueness work on the rest.
Named Space Portal, it is a Rank 5 Skill that can teleport people and objects. It has some limitations, like the distances, and mass of what that can teleport, and even what it can send. The most efficient and stronger teleport is still up to the butlers themselves since it is their Skill.
The emblem is the reason why, and it is their power that rests in their bodies. It is easiest to wield what is within oneself, like clutching a fist. After all, the effects of the Emblem are working from the bodies of the Walkers, and not vice versa. A lot of things are limiting factors, such as the degree of their space efficiency and control of their emblems. Not wanting any space instabilities should be a no-brainer to have.
In this case, the butler is Rank 5 so he has a lower reach when teleporting others, but it is a strong skill nonetheless. Allowing others to teleport in their presence forms an important military strategy and battle support.
In different cases, the butlers can have access to unique ways of teleportation, which may have different approaches. It isn't always the same, but it may not be all that different either. The portal-looking motion is the most common, while anything else is usually much better in terms of the effects of the teleportation. There could be a Space Wave akin to a simple wave of a hand like a shade of a cloak, causing the space to distort and cease the person away. A Blink, Shadow Step, Warp, and others are also the rest.
Though, variety isn't their forte. Out of many possible emblems and kinds of walkers, the butler has the weakest of dispositions, unless one would reach the high ranks. Then, things can change the basic premise of the name alone. Butler is a pseudonym for the Emblem Academy, speaking of them in a unique way. In a sense, it is their prided way to call themselves a Butler.
The Space Element is extremely potent in the later ranks. They could have different kinds of powers altogether, lessening the gap between the other walkers of lesser, stronger, or identical rank. The end spectrum for the Teleport is said to be true insanity. An instantaneous teleportation with a single motion of a finger, eye, or turning a shapeless crack.
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With the end of the exciting fight that has been rather different than the 2 before, William halts his steps on the 17th Floor. He rests his palm on the wall, panting and calming his breath. He looks rather weak for a few moments, feeling how the effects of his Skills take some burden out of his cycles. In the heat of the fighting, it is truly hard to notice any problems. Adrenaline and mind focused on the fight, while the Emblem and Vectors rage around and within the body.
William feels as if his body is burning up, causing his muscles to tense and his mind to flicker as if a beehive is inside. The terms of his Emblem are the reason why. He overshot his estimations, fighting in a state where he indeed reached his almost limits. Ceasing his skills away is already what he has done, so he can't come up with anything better.
He should calm down first, starting with breathing, then calming his heart, and then getting the muscles back on track. He would rather do that than continue.
That is what he feels is best to do at the moment.
“Damn... How long was that fight? Zech messed me up quite badly... Not him... I know. Myself.” William says to himself, stumbling and using the wall as support for his back. “I had no time to look at the timer at all,” he complains and feels as if he ran a marathon, which isn't surprising, nor too shocking that he feels that way.
After all, he used the continuous use of 2 supportive Skills, a fusion of his Vector Claw, and Feel of the Annihilation to make Annihilation Claw. Everything combined together is taxing to his body and something that shouldn't be easy to maintain for a long time. In any normal regard, that is. Tiredness is a norm in terms of multiple-use skills across the whole spectrum of walkers.
William knows that, but he also understands how it goes for him. How? Because of Roman, and his own training. He can achieve more time than normal cycling when the way of his heart and mind is calm enough. It also means movement, steps, attack, or defense. He underwent a lot of such times before this day.
However, the terms of training are different than the real fight. In reality, the foe isn't so nice, and William notices how his cycling isn't as fine and refined. His management of all skills takes a large portion of his mental spirit, but it isn't as if he can stop them.
Then comes the strategy, foes, attacks, or dodges, creating other worries to care about. William solves it by caring for a specific strategy such as dodging alone without attacking and attacking without dodging. He manage it well enough, as Roman would say and Zech would agree with it too. In fact, begrudgingly, because that sort of thing isn't common to see even in low-rank walkers in the academy.
Right now, the tiredness changes to a grinning face.
William feels great that he clutched yet another win and smacked Zech's sturdy body. Well, the last thing isn't something he seems that happy about, but it was a fight. There was nothing he could do about it.
“Right... He was also hitting me. Punches and kicks flew like a storm, so who am I kidding... Zech would kick my ass if it wouldn't be for the restrictions as Rank 2 Walker. His body strength is already great, so I bet the primary mold of his Vector is anything but impressive. Even his upper body and those fist were very flexible, fast, and powerful. I guess there are talents here, unsurprisingly. This right here is the single most powerful Walker organization on the planet, so I should know better. As expected of the Emblem Academy and Walkers who finished their trials.” he sighs in understanding and amusement and breathes and calms himself for 2 more minutes.
Then he gets back up, continuing on his journey upwards. He has the floor to reach, and further opponents to beat.
So far, the case of the 3 has been great, but he wonders if this will be the case for every 5th floor. Does it mean there will be 10 opponents all the way to the 50th floor? That sounds like a stretch, and he isn't even right about his math. But unknown to him, it should be the truth. A possible one, that is, but most likely, not likely.
The Overseer ~ Tiberon, watches the free entertainment on the 1st floor, thinking and wondering how well the trials go so far. This is right there to his taste. The fighting is complicated things on the tough battlefields, and this sort of trial is anything but a run until the first 3 will break the soonest. It is a run against the time, Will, and stubbornness of the young walkers. The weakest may or may not be the first that may concede, creating rather predictable situations because he can tough who fights who.
That also means something different than some insensible fighting. There are some rules to this, following the motion of spars to gouge the young walkers and asses their potential. He isn't for that, however.
Others are, but he is the one responsible for running this show. Since there are no fights to the death, it is fairly reasonable.
Some injuries to these fights appear only because some hot-blooded students aren't so kind. Such a situation occurred in one of the 3 groups consisting of 2 girls. One of them lost miserably in her fight, but she never conceded even after quite a beating.
The butlers would appear only when the fight is completely over, in first-timers' favor, or if danger arises. When the Academy student is winning, it's not the case for the purpose of this trial.
It's a test of their courage, and since there have been no rules stated for the purpose of the fights, some first-timers create their own rules. Thinking about how this fight against the former first-timers, they see it as the true view of this trial. Whoever will lose the most fights, will lose the Trial, or so some believe.
That's quite wrong, but as with Tiberon's thoughts behind the scenes, the lax nature of this trial is quite intriguing in many aspects. In truth, it is quite entertaining watching the new blood trying to figure out this Trial under their young minds. It is like figuring out the aspects of the system, and how Walkers do their occasional hunts.
The 3rd-hour passes, while the 4th, and then, the first half of the 10-hour mark goes by.
It only happens now, that the first concede happens. It comes from one of the 3 groups, but not Stark's nor girls' one. Though, with the new number being 12, the number is yet to be 10.
The leading figure is Celleste, who is already on the 30th floor, closing on the incoming 5th opponent.
At this time, she approaches the fight in a steady way, rather than being too brutal. She hurried before, but for the past hour, she is resting up before meeting the next foe. She has no watch, but her inner clock tells her roughly, that half of the time is over.
Through this time, she met no newcomers like her, and the condition of the empty skyscrapers is a menacing and shocking sight for her mind. She uses this opportunity to lie in a single, massive bed that is long like two lengths of her body combined.
Looking at the ceiling, this is a very unfamiliar sight and feeling on her back.
Frankly, she isn't sure what to think of that. To her, it is almost an uncomfortable feeling. It almost feels too good for her, and she can't help but crawl to some more ordinary sofa to rest there instead.
On other floors, William reaches the 25th, and Stark along with Louise are on the 29th.
There were quite some changes and some groups shuffling in the past hours. Students can come and go from floor to floor, stepping through the portals or moving on their own.
However, the fights only go to those who are within the perimeters of every 5th floor. It is Tiberon rule, and there isn't some hunt going on here. It is an individual fight for the newcomers, and it isn't about the students. Many of them are on lover floors, waiting or struggling to move forward, but none is giving up. The youth named Rozzante who William met at the start is on the 23rd floor, for example, so William isn't last.
So far, it almost resembles a rather intriguing web for Tiberon and Agatha, causing the newcomers and students of the academy to be like a virtual chessboard. They play against them with their own students, which may be rough, but it is right.
Right about now, most first-times all close to one another but some are quite far behind, fearing the matches and spars.
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On the 1st floor and in the room where Tiberon and Agatha reside.
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Tiberong looks at the screens with his intersected hand resting on his chin. He observes the momentum of the 5th hour with quite some disappointment, so he sways his back forward, before taking a huge breath and leaning backways.
“Halftime will go soon onto the 10th minute. Only 1 conceded so far. How poor, even though it is rather unexpected, or expected? Only a few students would be brutal to the newcomers, it seems, or were the reward so poor of an incentive? I thought they were great!” Tiberon argues, glancing at Agatha who stands to his right, observing and listening. She can't help but agree, but it's the case of his idea, to begin with. He should solve his own mess, or so she wishes to tell, but can't.
“They are, but I told you that 10 hours is too much. First-timers have even time to rest and unlike your expectations, it's not forceful enough to make them give up their choice. None would. Me, or you. This is that sort of option for them.” she tells with a serious voice.
“Yeah. Yeah. You told me that for 3rd time already. No changes will come from this, but whatever. Should I change the rules to last the second half or the last hour?”
His words cause Agathat's voice to skip a beat, and her hand to almost slam to the screen. “Are you serious, Tiberon? Do you want to take your rules back? Some people in the divisions won't like it for sure.” Agatha tells with a warning that means nothing to someone like Tiberon.
“Come on! It's for the kids to hurry up! Or should we proceed with lifting the restrictions on the students? Only Rank 1s seem like a bother. They can improve fast, unlike us, the old folks. It can be a case of an unmovable wall, but I am sure rules are fine to change since this isn't even the rules of the trial but something I came up with. Got it, Agi?” he playfully tells as he smirks at her.
“That? That sounds surprisingly normal to me...” She shakes her head, as if realizing something. “Right, but how about this instead.” Agatha seems to change her mind about it, figuring that Tiberon won't do it at all. She can only accept it, so she leans forward, while her ample chest comes into Tiberon's view, who takes a few peeks, and a full gaze since he is brave enough.
Even though this, he listens to her words and ample suggestion that makes him nod in response. He doesn't even question her unneeded whispering since there is no one to overhear them. But, he doesn't mind this either way, so he chuckles after he hears her words and slaps his palms together.
“That will do!” he says. “Will you deal with that?”
“DO I have a choice?” Agathats sighs and goes to the other room to deal with the new consequences.
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On the 24th floor.
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William is completely and utterly lost. He scratches his head, while nothing helped him so far. Finding the right wall to reach the next foe doesn't seem to be working either, nor he seems to see the right direction to find the stairs.
“I don't remember much of that diagram after those fights and everything... the last one wasn't the easiest but I gave it my all and won anyway. I wonder what will happen in the 2nd half of the other figures since the building has 50 floors.” he talks to himself, and can't help but glance to his right, viewing a section of glassy windows that makes the wall quite nice.
Once again, this is a perimeter of the skyscraper that is on the left upper section with a steady number of luxurious apartments. So much so that William wonders if there are people living there outside of this trial. They seem too good for people because their size and complexity are quite vast. He figures some do indeed live there, as there are running fridges, food, or even water that he can drink. So much for the goods or whatever Agatha told them about.
From what William knows, the goods are completely unnecessary and most of the 12 individuals thinks the same thing as him.
That is, apart from the few cases, who found something nice and useful. A med kit has been a good gift for the pair of girls where one of them needed and her body healing isn't that great.
Tossing it behind his mind, William continues glancing outside. He does so for so long since it is just a sight.
He watched a lot of impressive sights of the past living Outside. Like destroyed buildings and cities. Partially the sight of the helicopter seems to paper in his mind a lot. The sight of New York City's ruins isn't something he fears he will ever forget.
Turning, he walks past the corners of this apartment and notices something new. An open was that is, in fact, a balcony. “Oh! Again? I didn't notice them on the diagram at such heights. Aren't we quite far? Won't I fall from the wind and shit?” he questions himself, and walk right through the door, entering a rather simple balcony. Wide and tall, it even has some chairs and a few tables.
A gust of wind and breeze enters his face which he finds quite nice, even though it jerks his eyes close and cringes his face. Adjusting his face, he opens his eyes. The sight from this 24th floor is already beyond his horizons, stretching the sight of the whole Academy grounds. There are many islands and even unique skyscrapers like the one he is in.
They form some intricate archipelago system, with streets, rather than a straight city. Maybe calling them villagers wouldn't be a problem, but further in, he sees a much larger street on a lone island. Tall buildings surround a medium-sized skyscraper that doesn't seems out of place. Buildings don't either, so they must be recently built.
William also sees the ocean and overall appearance of these academic grounds, rather than the whole picture as a whole. Its sections of the islands seem normal, filled with bridges and walkthroughs, parks, forests, and plains alike. Few look quite distinct from each other, but it is quite green, forgetting the massive metallic-looking skyscrapers, that is.
The one behind that is full of those buildings seems like 10 times larger Institution of the Emblems. Others have smaller buildings, and arenas, and one island, further away, seems destroyed beyond repairs. Skyscrapers loom over it, destroyed. Cracked hills and land doesn't make it fine as well, while many buildings are completely gone and worn down.
William doesn't know what sort of place that is, or what every island means. The only thing he could assume is that those skyscrapers seem like the primary place for the academy, but he is unsure about it. Perhaps islands are the reasons, while the current skyscraper is for living spaces? It would make sense, considering what he has soon so far.
Leaning on the metallic and rusted railing, he watches the surroundings a bit longer for a while. There are no indications of a student behind him, like that scolding and overly serious girl from the 2nd fight.
That is also behind him, so he glances toward the sky, noticing something unexpected.
“OH! There is another balcony on the next floor!”
Right, he sees it right there, looming above in a similar fashion as his current one. About 20 feet away, and up about the same distance above, a platform of the balcony protrudes from the main body of the skyscraper.
“I can reach the upper floor much better from this, but how to go there? I I fall, I'll die for sure.” He figures but still began to think about how to get there. Jump? He could do so with his Inner Enchantment for sure, but the risk of too high strength is still there.
Then, he remembers he has the rope in his bag, which he still has all this time. “It's around 30 or so feet long. I can use it with the knife, which I will use as the supporting stick for the railing. Right, let's try it.”
With that decision, he takes the rope out and the knife from his pocket. Few quick folds and knots on one end of the rope, later, the simple climbing gear is ready. Using it should be sturdy enough. He pulls about 2 military grade knobs around the knife, which should put some weight on the rope to travel this distance.
It could also be used as security for the rope to stick around the railing. That is his hope, so William has to try it first if it even is workable.
With that said, he checks the security of the knobs and overall sturdiness. Nodding to his skills, and rather.... terrible idea, William tosses one end towards the distant balcony. It is a bit off, and not enough power is there on his part.
So, he swings it around like a madman, and then, tosses it towards the balcony where it reaches the railings. Unfortunately, the knife doesn't stop by anything, and as William pulls it, it falls down, returning back to him.
With more tries later and attempts, the 7th comes with a success. The knife stops around 2 poles of the railings, which William secures with some pressure with his grip. He is ready to jump, climb and get to the 25th floor. He may be a bit afraid, but no fear no gain, he believes.