I do not fear the coming bloodshed; I embrace it. War is our proving ground, the arena where we will carve our names into the annals of history. Let the cowards and the weak shy away from this call. For those of us who glory in the fight and revel in the chaos, there is no greater honor than to stand at the precipice of war, to meet our fate head-on, and to emerge as victors drenched in the blood of our foes.
Marcus Daystar.
Supreme General of the Ragnarok Army.
Year 2275.
----------------------------------------
They arrived at the arena fifteen minutes later and found the building packed full of students, mostly from the first year, although there were a few second-year students scattered around.
“You think they’re here to like watch us or something?” Andrew asked, and Daruk snorted. “Why else would they be here?”
“It’s definitely odd.” Aodhán responded. “What could they possibly gain from watching our matches?”
“There’s always something to learn.” Daruk replied after a moment of thought. “A new skill they hadn’t thought about, or a different application of a skill they already have. They have nothing to lose by watching us and everything to gain.”
“Ah.” Andrew shook his head sadly. “If only I could just watch one of their matches, Raol, the thrill.”
Aodhán chuckled, and Daruk muttered. “It’ll be a miracle if we can even follow, considering the speeds at which they would be moving.”
Their conversation continued as they made their way to a part of the stands allocated to the first years. Several teaching and non-teaching staff filled the opposite stand, arguing loudly as a group of students set the stage for the matches to begin.
They chose a row of seats that granted the best view of the holographic screen, and Aodhán waved to Maddie Cronox and Aida Simms, who were seated in the row behind them. When they sat down, Aodhán searched the stands until he found Lupin seated amidst a trio of girls, two of whom he recognized.
The first was Lyra Davenport, whom he still hadn’t apologized to, while the other was Scarlett Urdania, the Calodan sister. He didn’t recognize the third person, but her wavy blue hair, streaked with a small amount of silver, was familiar to him, which suggested they shared a class.
Now that he’d determined where Lupin was, he turned back to the argument Daruk and Andrew were currently having.
“You know, I thought ladies loved flowers, but I don't think the same applies to this bunch.” Andrew muttered as he scanned the stands, and Daruk mockingly consoled. “I’m sure they’ll grow ‘’frond’ of you if given a little more time to get used to your unbe-leaf-able nature.”
Aodhán laughed, unable to contain his amusement, and Andrew glared. “Yeah, laugh all you want; it’s not even funny.”
Never one to give up an opportunity to make a bad pun, he placed an arm on Andrew’s shoulders and whispered. “Don’t worry, I’m rooting for you.”
Andrew shrugged him off, but his mouth tugged up in amusement. “You guys aren’t doing any better anyway.”
“That’s because I’m currently unavailable.” Daruk responded. "Besides, I’m not searching.”
Both boys turned to Aodhán, who smirked. “Oh, the girls love me; I believe it’s my striking appearance and electrifying personality.”
Andrew laughed, but Daruk shook his head in disappointment. “You never come up with anything original.”
Before Aodhán could give a suitable response, the mic blared, and a man whom he vaguely recognized took to the stage. "Awakened, ladies and gentlemen! I hope you’re all having a fine afternoon.”
Cheers and applause rang across the arena, and the man continued. “It's an honor to stand before you all, the greatest students in the kingdom.” Another cheer rose, and Aodhán laughed even as he cheered along.
The man chuckled and waved his hands, urging the students to calm down before proceeding. “Thank you, thank you; you’re indeed the best. I am Doctor Ferdinand, your anchor for this glorious event. Today, we are here to watch the first years as they challenge each other to rise in rank and status.”
Dr. Ferdinand waved, and the holographic screen appeared, displaying the forge list from rank one to hundred. Aodhán whistled when he saw the number of red lines on the screen.
“That’s a lot of challenges.” Andrew muttered, and Daruk hummed in agreement.
“Yes.” Dr. Ferdinand boomed. ”As you can see, today is packed full, and we have a total of 32 matches, so please, let’s make these matches as quick as we can so we can all return to other activities.”
Dr. Ferdinand turned back to the screen. “Starting from the bottom, we have Lupin Cavanaugh, rank 100, against Tallulah Zeigler, rank 96!”
Cheers and whistles of excitement rang out as the challenger and the challenged both rose to their feet and began making their way to the stage. Aodhán sent a quick text to Lupin, and smiled when she turned around, searching for him.
He waved, drawing her attention, and repeated the text he’d sent. “I’m rooting for you!”
She chuckled, and Daruk muttered. “That’s the cutest, most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen you do in public.”
Aodhán chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “I’m just trying to be romantic, you know, in preparation for our date tonight.”
“What?!” Andrew exclaimed. “You’re going on a date? And isn’t that the girl you and Cyrus were fighting over?”
Daruk raised an eyebrow in amusement, and Aodhán sighed. “I’ll explain later.”
“The fuck is wrong with you?” Andrew asked and turned to Daruk, who glared at him. “Don’t look at me, I'm not the one going on a date.”
Aodhán ignored them and focused his gaze on the stage as the anchor called out the rules of the match.
“A match is won when an opponent surrenders or is thrown out of the stage. Make your attacks quick and clean. Torture will not be tolerated, as will any intentional use of fatal skills.”
Aodhán felt like the gaze of half the arena came to rest on him after that last part, and Andrew didn’t help matters by muttering. “He’s definitely referring to how you almost murdered Lyra Davenport on that very stage.”
“It was an accident.” Aodhán gritted out, not for the first time, and he reminded himself once more to apologize to the girl.
Dr. Ferdinand listed out a few more rules, and after both students nodded in understanding, he boomed. “Fight!”
Both girls reacted immediately, and Lupin disappeared a second before Tallulah released a dozen fireballs in her direction. Although Lupin wasn’t visible anymore, Aodhán could still sense her clearly, and he smiled when she easily dodged the balls and began running towards Tallulah.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Tallulah didn't let up, though, increasing the number of fireballs she created until the entire stage is filled with them. This caused Lupin to slow, but every time she dodged a fireball, she took a step forward.
Lupin’s affinity didn’t lend itself to direct combat and was more an assassin’s path, so he understood her slow progress, but he was disappointed in Tallulah.
The fireballs were a good strategy, but Aodhán could already think of a dozen ways in which he could have ended the fight if he were in her position. An expanding ring of molten flame would have done the trick, but either Tallulah didn’t have the necessary controll for such a skill or she was just unimaginative.
“How’s she doing?” Daruk asked, and Aodhán responded. “She’s doing fine; she should win this match any second— he cheered, even before Lupin reappeared with a dagger pressed against Tallulah’s neck.
His loud voice heralded the cheers of the audience, and the anchor boomed. “Winner! Lupin Cavanaugh!”
Lupin laughed and raised her hands in excitement as her name rose from the bottom and replaced Tallulah’s at the 96th rank.
“Moving on to the next match. Derek Sylithen, rank 99, versus Maddie Cronox, rank 94!”
In this manner, the forge matches continued, and the results weren’t too surprising. Although there were a few wins he hadn’t predicted correctly, he was almost always right.
Eren Thornhill encased his opponent completely in metal, and Aodhán realized just how strong his housemate actually was.
A part of him had begun underestimating Eren after he’d easily subdued him with his aura, but when it came to precision and detail, it was obvious that Eren was much better than him. He wasn’t too concerned, though, as his affinity wasn’t much concerned with precision—maybe lightning, but the storm was more about overwhelming power.
It was roughly an hour when they finally got to the twentieth match, and the anchor boomed. “Moving on. Tobias Menzies, rank 65, versus Meredith Castalon, rank 60.”
As Tobias and Meredith moved to the stage, Andrew muttered. “Damn, she’s fine!”
“She’s also a—" Aodhán grimaced, unwilling to shame her with such a word, so he simply said. “She’s also very troubled.”
“When you say troubled, do you mean mentally or emotionally?” Daruk asked.
“Both, if I’m honest, I have no idea what her problem is.”
“Ah.” Andrew smirked. “You don’t need to be a gentleman." Aodhán, Meredith Castalon, is a bitch who’s quite famous for her preference for commoners. Not that there’s anything wrong with commoners—He hastily added—but you know what I mean.”
“I don’t.” Daruk frowned. “She’s sixteen; what do you mean by famous?”
Andrew shifted awkwardly and whispered. “Word got around about her... activities with the stable hands in the Castalon’s estate. Of course, the Viscount, her grandfather, tried to cover it up, but the girl is dead set on ruining her own reputation.”
Aodhán smiled when he noticed the slight shift in Andrew’s tone. For a moment, Andrew had actually sounded like the noble he was. Sometimes, Aodhán had to remind himself that Andrew was the son of a baron because of how casually he behaved.
“Well.” Daruk smiled, obviously interested in this bit of courtly gossip. “It seems we have much to discuss.”
Aodhán shook his head with a smile and turned back to the stage just as the anchor shouted. “Fight!”
Meredith exploded forward with a dozen water blades revolving around her, and although Tobias tried to shield himself with his mud affinity, he was obviously outmatched and limited in the stage. The fight barely lasted a minute, with Meredith keeping her rank, although she didn’t look too excited about it.
Dr. Ferdinand called two more matches, and as the last one ended, Andrew stood up and muttered. “My turn.”
“I’d wish you good luck, but I doubt you’ll need it.” Daruk said to him, and Aodhán chuckled. “Hopefully, you won’t.”
“Temiya Haldren, rank 62, vs. Andrew Willowood, rank 57.” The anchor boomed a moment later, and Andrew walked down to the stage. Like many others, Andrew had been challenged before he could challenge others, so even if he won this match, he would only keep his position.
Immediately after the match began, Aodhán leaned forward, wondering what Temiya would do. What tactics would she utilize? Aodhán had high hopes for the earth awakened; not that he believed she would win, nor did he want her to, but he was curious to find out how she would take advantage of Andrew’s greatest limitation. The concrete floor.
Hence, he was greatly disappointed when she stomped her foot and cracked the concrete, releasing a ton of soil to the surface. Andrew took brutal advantage of her foolishness, and the next moment, a writhing mass of vines surged out of the earth.
Temiya stumbled back in shock, only now realizing her mistake. She tried to reseal the earth, but bulging vines refused her. Abandoning that strategy, she flicked her fingers, and jagged spikes jutted out of the earth.
Andrew moved, sidestepping her attacks almost as if he could sense where they were coming from, and with the number of impaled vines littering the ground, perhaps he could.
Temiya soon accepted defeat and instead settled for prolonging the battle by manipulating the earth around her to block Andrew’s vines, but her every action only created more soil for Andrew, and before long, the vines surged forward and wrapped around her, their thorns punching through her skin as Andrew clenched his fist.
Temiya surrendered immediately, and the anchor boomed loudly. “Winner! Andrew Willowood!”
Several matches passed, and although the battle was impressive, more and more people were keeping their positions.
When Daruk’s turn came, the anchor announced. “Daruk Brystion, rank 37, vs. Gwendolyn Tideborn, rank 32.”
Aodhán and Andrew wished him good luck as he walked towards the stage before turning their gaze to his opponent.
“Is it normal for me to pity her?” Andrew asked, and Aodhán chuckled. “She’s definitely disadvantaged in this situation, but it’s better not to underestimate people.”
“I guess.” Andrew replied, but he wasn’t quite convinced that the girl could win the match. Gwendolyn Tideborn was a water awakened, which put her at a severe disadvantage against Daruk, and even though he was trying not to underestimate anyone, Aodhán was almost entirely sure she would lose.
When Daruk and Gwendolyn reached the stage, the anchor announced. “Fight!”
Immediately, a torrent of water exploded from Gwendolyn’s hands and split into three rings that spun sharply around her. Rather than attack with his usual cascade of jagged ice, Daruk released his aura, and his mouth moved slowly.
Aodhán couldn't make out Daruk's words, but he didn't need to. The impact of Daruk's {Freeze} was unmistakable. The stage turned white as the stage was instantly covered in snow, and jagged icicles rapidly formed around them.
Gwendolyn shivered but remained standing, forcing both energy and willpower into the spinning rings to keep them from freezing.
The girl couldn’t afford to attack, as all her concentration was centered on keeping herself and the skill from freezing to death. Aodhán considered the match over when Daruk raised his hands to the spinning rings and used {Freeze} again.
Gwendolyn resisted, and a slight reddish haze appeared around her as she discarded her weaves and simply poured willpower into the skill. Her efforts were futile, though, as Aodhán was yet to find anyone within their class range who could contest with Daruk in terms of willpower.
Slowly and surely, her will caved, and in less than a minute, the spinning rings of water froze, transforming into a much more rigid version of his scarf that constricted around her.
Spent from the amount of willpower she’d just wasted, Gwendolyn immediately surrendered, and Aodhán cheered as Dr. Ferdinand announced Daruk’s win, and his name jumped to the 32nd rank.
Aodhán grinned. He was next on the list, and he bounced to his feet immediately when his name was called.
“Aodhán Ashoka-Brystion, rank 36, vs. Minnie Stewart, rank 31.”
Aodhán descended to the stage and moved to stand opposite his opponent, who was staring at him nervously. Minnie was a wind awakened of adequate strength, and from what she’d displayed in control training, impressive control as well, but Aodhán had a reputation of unmatched strength as no one had ever really seen him go all out before.
“Are you ready?” Dr. Ferdinand asked the both of them, but his gaze was directed at Minnie. Aodhán nodded anyway, and a moment later, the man shouted, “Fight!”
Aodhán reacted immediately, channeling three strands of energized willpower into {Lightning Beam}, and a torrent of lighting surged out of his hand. Surprisingly, Minnie still managed to react in time, creating a wall of hardened air, but Aodhán’s attack was stronger, and the wall shattered as lighting punched through it.
Minnie was thrown several feet backwards, and although she sustained a worrisome amount of injuries, she rushed back to her feet, and the next instant, a dozen wind blades shot towards him.
Aodhán countered with an equal number of storm blades. Not wanting to prolong the fight, he raised both hands and channeled three strands of energized will into {Lightning Beam}, firing it twice. Two beams of lightning surged out of both hands, and Minnie’s eyes widened as she created another wall of hardened air. The wall shattered an instant after it was formed, and lightning struck her.
Five strands of energized will would have killed her; four would have probably sent her into a coma; but three would only cause her severe agony. She managed to choke out a surrender before things got worse, and after a glare in his direction, Dr. Ferdinand announced. “Winner! Aodhán Ashoka-Brystion!”
The matches proceeded after that, but there were barely any changes to the Forge list as the challengers mostly lost while the challenged kept their ranks. There were still a few changes, though, with Yurin, Isis, and Azul Fetherson each climbing up five ranks.
The top ten remained the same, except for Lilith Bloodmoon, who lost her match against Grendar Bladewynn and dropped from fifth to tenth.
When the forge matches finally ended, Aodhán, Andrew, and Daruk made their way to the cafeteria to celebrate, and Aodhán began making plans for his date tonight.