The moment Alistair was waiting for finally came. The team battles were where he would shine, especially after a week of defeats. Later, he would travel to Ruminara with Kanda, which was something he still hadn’t fully considered. An assassin retreat sounded like a hell of a place to get wrapped up into an increasingly deep conspiracy.
“Yes,” Professor Humboldt said after one of his trademark epic yawns. “The team battles follow the same pattern as the other fights. Only now, you may use any and everything at your disposal. Within reason, of course.” He ruffled his sleeping bag and glared at a few of the more aggressive students. “Do not think we won’t intervene. We are here to one day take to the frontlines or further the study of Resonant Mana, not kill each other.”
“Correct, please be aware of your surroundings and your impact on others,” Professor Yuber added, who sat next to Professor Vale at the front of the stands. Her hazegeist remained on the arena level directly in front of the students. Alistair knew it was related to an aerwhisp, which meant that it could intervene in the same way an aerwhisp could move to block a strike.
The hazegeist spoke for Professor Vale: “Those of you that have formed teams, please step up.”
Alistair, Juno, and Zola stepped up, as did several other groups.
Finnian had partnered with Arnez and Lars, and Laertes was with his typical goons, a boy named Jerome and the girl with a shaved head, whom Alistair had since learned was named Mordred.
Dawn and Lauren had formed an alliance with a girl from Professor Vale’s coterie named Seegan Soreland who had eaten breakfast with them once. Justin and two guys named Rhett and Steve, from Professor Vale’s coterie, had formed a team. There was even a team that had members from all three coteries, including Chane Brashlung, a boy named Jerome from Professor Yuber’s coterie who wore a gaudy House broach, and an increasingly reluctant looking girl named Brandy.
The hazegeist waited for all of them to get settled before it continued: “First to compete will be—”
Alistair clenched up at the sound of Ghost’s voice in his head.
Ghost: Get ready.
Alistair: You don’t need to tell me shit like that! I’m literally standing here with my wand, ready.
Ghost: Laertes is part of this first group.
Alistair watched the hazegeist finish calling names. The other contenders stepped back and funneled up to the stands to join the rest of their coteries.
Alistair: I can see that. Let me focus.
Ghost didn’t say anything as the two groups took their positions across from one another.
Alistair knew this was his chance to not only put a beating on Laertes, but to prove to the other students that while he may have lost the week’s earlier matches, he wasn’t weak. In fact, he was quite strong, strong enough that his fellow Fledglings should think twice before they crossed him.
For Alistair to do this, he would need to hurt someone and Laertes, who had his wand drawn, a wild grin on his face, would be the perfect target.
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Laertes stuck his tongue out at him. “Ready, Slime Boy?”
~~BEGIN!~~
Ba-da-da-dum!
Alistair hit Laertes with Overture, the loud sound disorienting the boy.
Alistair rushed Laertes, not bothering to activate his Thick Skin as he normally would have done in a head-to-head fight like this.
Stunned, Laertes still managed to get off a strike that produced explosive bits of confetti in the air. Being hit by them hurt, especially as they burned through Alistair’s overcoat.
He triggered Void Punch, and kicked the air, his attack hitting Laertes squarely in the side.
“Argh!” Laertes shouted.
Laertes stumbled to the side just as Alistair reached him. Using Eclipse Claw turned Alistair’s wand hand into a set of shimmering, translucent claws. He immediately went to work, slashing at Laertes, who had used a different version of Thick Skin and was able to mostly protect himself.
Mostly.
Several of Alistair’s strikes broke through, drawing blood as Laertes fired a bolt of Resonant Mana at the ground. This shot Alistair up and over him, both boys oblivious to the fights of their peers happening around them.
Alistair hit the ground and Laertes scrambled on top. “I’ve got you now, Slime Boy.” He pointed his wand at the back of Alistair’s head.
Ghost: Do something—!
Alistair bucked Laertes off, rolled to the side, touched his chest, and summoned Noctarri and Ziggy.
“What the—shit!” Noctarii raced toward Laertes just as the other boy was getting to his feet.
Squish!
Ziggy was hit to the side by Laertes’ summon, which looked like an oversized badger that had razored ridges along its back and quills sticking out of its tail. Every time Ziggy tried to suffocate it or overpower the summon, it managed to puncture the slime in a way that threw Ziggy off.
For Noctarii, Laertes had summoned a white bat-like monster that gave the shadow fae hell as it continued to chase after him.
Ghost: Finish this, Alistair, or I will. And you won’t like what I have in store for Laertes.
Grunting, Alistair moved toward the other boy with his wand upside down in his hand now, Alistair holding the wand like it was a dagger. Laertes blasted him back with Resonance Pulse; Alistair dodged his next attempt by dropping to the ground and coming up with his hand on fire.
Ghost: You Flame Kissed your hand!?
The shocked gasps of the other students barely registered with Alistair as he delivered a fiery punch directly to Laertes’ stomach.
Alistair fell to the ground with a shrieking Laertes and kept his fist on his stomach, Laertes’ clothes igniting.
He moved his flaming hand up to Laertes’ neck and gripped it tightly.
“Stop! Stop!” Laertes shouted.
Alistair pressed his fist in further, aware that he was burning his own flesh. It was the look of sheer panic in Laertes eyes that fueled him now, Alistair pushing through the pain pain as his own arm burned, blistered, boils popping, and Laertes begged for him to let up.
The fire stopped through a powerful gust of wind followed by a flash of water that sprayed onto Laertes’ face.
Alistair was yanked backward by Vale’s hazegeist. Behind him, Professor Yuber had landed on the field and started barking out orders.
The words were hard to make out for Alistair as messages flooded in from Juno, Finnian, Zola, and even Lauren.
Juno: Holy shit! You lit his ass on fire.
Finnian: Alistair, listen to me. Your hand, I mean, the sleeve of your coat. You need to—
Zola: What have you done? We could have won the fight!
Lauren: Alistair, your hand is still on fire!
Alistair ignored it all. He stood, hastily returned his two summons to his chest, turned in the direction of the Seraph Rest healers, and collapsed.