-----------------14 Years Old---------------
Avior stood across from his opponent holding an odd-looking hollow silver tube. His current foe was a chubby boy, the same age as Avior, brown haired with a mean grin spread across his face; it was his notorious classmate Bovin. Surrounding the two were four rows of stands where other classmates dawning Sparrow class robes stood watching. Among them many were cheering for the well-known Bovin while a few others such as Avior’s friends Jessica, Piran, and James shouted loudly for Avior to claim victory. Off to one side, hidden in the shade of the stands, there was a small-statured figure wearing the cloak of Eagle class watching the duel with a zealous glint in her eyes.
Avior had made it most of their sophomore year rarely using magic and relying heavily on whatever defensive artifacts he made as an artificer to avoid being beaten too badly. Due to that many believed he was incompetent and likely got into the Academy and obtained his defensive artifacts through family connections making many resent him. His friends Jessica, Prin, and James believed they knew better as they saw Avior’s success in other non-mana capacity-dependent fields of study. But today they all let themselves hold out a little bit of hope for their mana-challenged friend. Avior had told them all, today would be the first day he’d be testing his new mana gem he'dvbeen working this past year on. With bated breaths, they watched on as the teacher of the Dueling Class finally marked the beginning of the duel by unceremoniously shouting “Start!”
Immediately Bovin planted his feet as he launched a bolt of earth directly at Avior. The bolt made of compressed dirt moved like an arrow shot from a bow, but before the audience's disbelieving eyes, Avior pointed his hollow silver tube and released a blistering streak of wind circling around the earth bolt, dispersing the attack into a harmless cloud of dust before continuing onward and colliding head-on with the confident Bovin’s fat stomach sending him flying into the dueling arena’s surrounding wall.
Having watched the favorite knocked unconscious from just one hit an eerie silence fell over the stadium as everyone took a second to process what had happened. Then Jessica let out a triumphant “Woop!” and the silence erupted into frenzied cheers for the unlikely turn of events.
The Dueling Teacher, still recovering from his own shock, announced the victor. “Winner Avior” He then looked at Avior and spoke softly to him “Looks like you’ve been holding out on us you rascal.” Before he sent Avior back to the stands to make room for the next two participants scheduled to duel.
As Avior made his way back up to his friends the girl in the Eagle Class cloak gave a satisfied nod before leaving quietly heading back in the direction Eagle Class had their lessons.
Back in the stands, Avior was congratulated by his friends. Jessica, as always, was the first to say something. “You brat, you all had us worried sick, but it turned out you’ve known how to use offensive magic through artifacts all along!”
Piran, not one to stall on praise, asked a question, “Impressive win, but wasn’t your red mana gem supposed to work even without an artifact?”
Avior smiled sheepishly before ‘explaining.’ “Truthfully I’m still a long way off from completing a mana gem that can be used without any artifact at all. Currently, the mana gem only allows for more mana draw allowing me to finally draw enough mana to utilize offense artifacts.
James spoke up in affirmation. “That’s great news. We were worried with your poor mana ability you’d be stuck using low-quality defensive artifacts forever. Truth be told we all found your human-usable mana gem idea to be a little far-fetched but I’m glad you got something out of it this useful!”
Avior smiled at his friend's kind words, keeping the truth he already created plenty of human-usable mana gems nine months ago. Desiring to avoid being pushed into the spotlight Avior passed them onto Prim thinking Nox’s members should find them somewhat useful during their missions.
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Brian Heartsweep clutched his cloak tightly to his body trying to hold out some of the pelting rain as he lay restlessly trying to sleep on the muddy ground. Looking at his sole companion snoring fast asleep Brian felt nothing but annoyance. His companion, a man currently wearing a dark cloak covering all of his features except for a tuft of red hair peeking out from just underneath his hood, emitted a terrifying aura most couldn’t even stand to be near let alone travel with.
Brian thought back to two years ago when he had met the fabled flame emperor with over two hundred promising recruits in tow. The Flame Emperor had wasted no time, he welcomed them into an arena where cheering soldiers loyal to the flame emperor stood watching them from stands. Everyone in Brian’s company had found it odd, but none had expected the Flame Emperor Arden to disappear as the only entrance was shut and locked behind them. While they were still trying to gather themselves Arden’s voice sounded out.
“Even I don’t believe the Church would send me two hundred good men and I’m far too lazy to find the hidden gems among you through arduous training or tutorship. I’ll let you free once only twenty of you remain breathing. The ones who are gifted will rise while the ones who fall can consider their lives well spent as stepping stones to their betters.”
The news had hit them all with a shock. Although Brian’s company fell to dumbfounded silence it was quickly drowned out by the roars of their audience.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Brian’s company hadn’t initially fallen into chaos. In fact, the audience quickly lost interest when they didn’t immediately begin killing each other. It wasn’t until three days had passed without food, water, or much sleep that the stadium began to fill again with eager spectators. It seemed like it was well known this was when most groups Arden “hosted” broke. Thinking back Brian felt pity at his own company which had been no different. The morning of the third day Brian’s second in command, a man named Lenny Marchise, drew his hammer and threw himself into some recruits as he began slaughtering them without mercy. Soon after about two dozen other noticeable recruits who had seemingly been recruited by Lenny began to do the same.
Brian took a moment to see what was happening before drawing his sword and launching himself at Lenny trying to quickly kill his rebelling officer and regain order. Lenny was the fourth son of a count and was rich in many things but his combat skills had always been a step behind Brian’s own.
Brian struck out with a direct thrust which was blocked to the side by Lenny’s large hammer before Lenny countered by swinging his hammer alongside some rays of light magic. The light rays burned into Brian’s skin like hot needles while the hammer swing grew closer. Gritting his teeth Brian parried the hammer before slashing out, cutting through armor and leaving a deep gash in Lenny’s chest. His rebelling officer realizing he was outmatched in melee drew back putting some rebelling recruits between him and Brian. Brian spent little time dicing the fresh meat apart, only to be met with Lenny’s open hands facing him as two massive streaks of light erupted toward Brian.
Unable to dodge both Brian leaned into the leftmost one allowing it to pierce his upper left shoulder flinging him to the ground. While on the ground Brian found himself enraged at this situation, but most importantly enraged at Lenny for betraying him after they had been through so much together. Brian let go of his mana control allowing all of his mana to cover this blade before he stood up while unleashing an unrestrained slash. Waves of light mana flew from his strike crashing into everyone on his side of the arena. Most of the unsuspecting recruits caught were cleaved in two while the traitor Lenny used all his focus and available mana to block the blinding slash of mana. Burning most of his mana but successful in fending off the strike Lenny looked for his opponent only to find Brian was already next to him. Brian had followed directly behind his strike to land a final blow. Helplessly Lenny tried his best to raise his hammer to block, only managing to deflect Brian’s sword upwards from his heart to the side of his neck.
After the brief exchange, Lenny’s hammer fell from his grip soon followed by Lenny’s collapsing corpse as the last of his lifeblood trickled out from the deep wound on his neck. Brian went to try and regain order after killing his rebelling paladin but upon looking around Brian realized he had already killed all of them with his unrestrained strike against Lenny.
His fatigued mind already enraged by Lenny and Arden’s actions wasn’t in a state of mind capable of accepting the fact he had just murdered his whole company. Breaking Brian out of his trance, a smiling man dressed in red opened the arena gate as he announced “Congratulations champ-”.
With a warcry Brian dashed past the man in red, slicing him in two and getting out from the arena floor. The next scene Brian remembers was him dashing throughout the arena stands mercilessly executing all those who had come to cheer as his company had been forced to die for entertainment. Some audience members began to throw themselves at Brian but it didn’t change their fate as Brian continued cutting them down mercilessly. By the time Arden himself finally pulled Brian out from his stadium massacre Brian’s once golden armor was now a deep crimson. Finding the man he now hated most holding by the collar Brian screaming in rage, mustered all his remaining strength into a swing more powerful than any he had ever unleashed before. Before the strike could land the Flame Emperor unceremoniously responded by delivering a swift punch with his free hand to the tortured paladin’s stomach, knocking him unconscious.
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Just two years ago…Brian thought as he continued looking at the man who had destroyed his old life.
After the arena, the Flame Emperor decided to tow Brian around with him wherever he went in a prison wagon. It had taken two months before Brian wasn’t screaming in rage and immediately attacking Arden whenever he regained consciousness. By three months Brian was eating unforced meals again. And finally in the fourth month, the Flame Emperor brought a young Church Emissary to him who said she had orders from the Pillars for Brian to forgive Arden and serve him faithfully for the good of Radiance!
Hearing those words from an Emissary of the Church, the organization his men had died for, his resolve finally snapped. Brian unceremoniously beat the priest as the man cried out at him for being “disobedient to Radiance” before slowly burning him alive in a beam of “holy” light, his shrill screams growing in pitch until finally his voice was too hoarse to let out anything louder than the sound of his sizzling flesh. After that encounter, Arden showed up at his cell before the sun had a chance to set to offer him freedom from the cell if he agreed to serve him. Seeing how his God had already forsaken him, Brian felt nothing but hatred and mockery for his old values. He accepted the offer from the man he hated most while vowing to never put his trust in any god ever again.
The past eighteen months Brian had done things that would make the him from two years ago faint in a pool of their own vomit. He had become a great evil leading his notorious Tainted Legion on a campaign across the eastern continent, leaving enough bodies and smoldering villages in his wake that the name Heartsweep had become taboo on the entire continent. Locals who were caught saying the name would be burned at the stake by their own neighbors, hoping the sacrifice would appease the mad general and allow his ruinous gaze to fall elsewhere.
His life of constant butchery had come to an abrupt halt a month ago with a summons from his despicable master. Since then he had been disguised as a traveler shuffling down road after road and town after town as he slowly neared the Port City of Gonath with his insane Lord in tow. Not knowing if his skin-crawling companion was a clone or the original Heartsweep didn’t care to speculate. All he knew was wherever they were taking a boat to would soon be emersed in a new era of suffering once the Cursed Flame Emperor finally set foot on it.
After tiring himself out by thinking of the past Brian’s eyes shut as he fell asleep to be tormented by an endless nightmare mirroring that fateful day in the arena, a nightmare he had learned to welcome after many, many, sleepless nights.
There, in a campsite befitting homeless beggars surrounded by an array of defensive wards powerful enough to kill a Mages of the 6th before they even realized what was happening, two of the most feared individuals in the Eastern Continent slept under the rain serenaded by the Flame Emperor’s own snoring.