Chapter XI

“You will have ten minutes to prepare yourselves before the next duel begins! Once the time limit is up, each team is expected to have made their way to their starting positions! Good luck, competitors!”

As the announcer’s voice went quiet, Abigail could only gaze up in a stunned silence as she processed the names of the individuals her team would be fighting. Part of her almost wondered if it was done on purpose before reminding herself that it was genuinely just poor luck. Not only would they be facing Rennigan Glaus, the cocky young water mage whom she had met the previous afternoon, but she would also be up against Faye and Jessi, two girls she was already hoping could be good friends of hers.

And if we’re fighting them, then that means our victory will mean their defeat… If we win, that means it will be my fault that they won’t be first rank…

The thought pained her greatly, but at the same time, she couldn’t afford to let her concerns for their opponents get in the way of her own team’s success. While she only had to worry about not letting Grunly down, Nigreos and Album had a ton riding on their performance and she couldn’t allow herself to be the reason they disappointed their parents. Even Ryokumo, who had yet to share what his motivations and goals were, almost certainly had something he wanted to accomplish by attending the school, and thus, she had no choice but to prioritize her team at the expense of Faye and Jessi. She grimaced then turned to see how Ryokumo had reacted, only to find him laughing boisterously.

“Oh, fate is favoring us today!” he cheered, his enthusiasm a complete anthesis to how she felt. “So we’re getting a chance to see if Mr. Glaus is as amazing as he claimed he was, huh? Truly, if I needed any extra motivation then this just supplied it! Isn’t this fantastic, Abi?”

He turned to look at her with excitement, and despite the conflicting emotions roiling within her, she forced a smile to her face and replied, “Absolutely! Let’s take them down with everything we’ve got!”

“That’s the spirit!” Ryokumo exclaimed. “Now, let’s go reunite with Nigreos and Album and… Ah, nevermind! There they are!”

Just as Ryokumo turned to begin heading off in search of the others, the two of them noticed Nigreos and Album making their way toward where they were standing, the latter looking just as stunned and worried as Abi felt while the former was as outwardly composed and calm as he had been since she met him. Ryokumo was quick to rush over to meet them halfway, but before Abi could take a step to follow after him, she heard her name called out and turned to find the girl that was now her opponent, Fayela Rio, rushing down the stairs between the bleachers. There was no sign of Jessi or her male teammates, something Abi was grateful for since she had very little interest in speaking to Rennigan now that they knew they’d be facing off.

“So, I guess we’re going head-to-head, huh?” Faye said with a nervous laugh, telling her that she, too, was upset about their terrible luck.

“Yeah, I guess we are,” Abi muttered just as the other girl came to a stop in front of her. “But good luck. At least if we lose, I know somebody deserving will become first rank. This way, I can’t be disappointed regardless of the results, right?”

She knew it probably sounded kind of cheesy, but she honestly wasn’t exaggerating. Rennigan aside, she would be happy to know that Faye could succeed if she and the others failed, and given how powerful she was told Nigreos and Album were, first rank would definitely be deserved should she and her team managed to overcome them.

Faye seemed surprised by Abi’s pleasant response, and for a moment, it did seem as if the girl attempted to deduce if she was merely saying that, but she must have understood that Abi truly meant it, and her smile quickly shifted from confused to grateful.

“Right back at you, Abi,” she said with a wink. “I’ll see you out on the battlefield. May the best team win!”

Abi shook Faye’s hand firmly as the two of them made eye contact, a silent “good luck” passing between them.

“May the best team win,” she parroted, and with that, she and Faye split off to go join up with their teammates in order to capitalize on the ten minutes they had to begin strategizing.

Nigreos, Album, and Ryokumo were all gathered a few yards away from where she stood, talking amongst themselves as they waited for her to arrive, and not wanting to waste any precious time, she turned and hurried over to them, all the while processing everything she knew about their opponents so that she could come up with something to offer to the discussion.

Okay, I remember Faye telling me yesterday that she has a rock affinity, so she’s going to be the hardest to hit with the pellet. Jessi introduced herself as fire this morning, and Album told me last night that Rennigan was water. That just leaves this Hirokol guy, the one Jessi said was a good friend of hers. Does that mean they have the same affinity? Or would it be more likely that he’s a wind mage to compliment her fire? Ah, damn it! Not to mention, I still haven’t found a good counter to water magic!

Internally grimacing, Abi finally reached the others, moving to stand between Nigreos and Ryokumo, and the moment she did, Album was quick to address her.

“Abi, do you remember if Yuahl said what Pafran’s affinity was when we talked to her this morning?” she inquired nervously as she once again chewed on one of her mana roots. “I remember Yuahl announced she was a fire mage, but I really can’t remember anything else she said. She was kinda overwhelming, after all…”

Abi reluctantly shook her head. “No, I don’t think she did. Though I can confirm that Faye predominantly uses rock magic, so we’ll need to be ready for that.”

“Rock magic?” Nigreos murmured, his brow furrowing in distaste. “Damn, I was hoping we wouldn’t have to deal with a rock mage. If Rio’s even half-decent at armoring herself then she’s going to be tough to take out. But it’s good that we know three of their affinities. That’s honestly far better than I could have hoped for.”

“Unfortunately, though, they know three of ours,” Abi quickly reminded them. “You and Album are famous and I made the mistake of telling Faye that I studied nature magic so Ryokumo’s the only one they won’t know… Right?”

She directed that last question at the wind mage himself as she attempted to recall whether he had told Rennigan his affinity back during his rather bizarre conversation with the young man. However, Ryokumo just casually brushed the question aside.

“Worry not, I told him nothing,” he confirmed. “Which means I can be our wild card. They won’t know how to prepare against me, so they’ll probably want to take me out first… That is, assuming they don’t just decide to prioritize you two regardless of what I can do.”

He glanced sidelong at Nigreos and Album, and Abi couldn’t help but agree. Even if they feared Ryokumo given his unknown affinity, they might just decide that it wouldn’t be more dangerous than dark and light magic and put all their chips in taking the Noctalus down.

Which means it’s likely they’ll pay me the least attention, she internally remarked. The other three will all look far more threatening and since I’m a nature mage, they won’t think I can do much in the way of offense. That’s something I can potentially use to my advantage.

“Well, I already expected that any opponent we have will focus on Album and I,” Nigreos said, seemingly unconcerned with the prospect of being the number one target. “And I can tell you this with certainty: Rennigan Glaus is going to come after me no matter what. He’s a ridiculously prideful man, and for whatever reason, he has declared me his personal rival. It doesn’t matter how much it harms his overall strategy, he will want to be the one to take me down.”

“I agree,” Album added. “So unless his team can be really persuasive, the rest of us probably won’t have to worry about Rennigan. But like I said…” She hesitated, briefly turning her eyes down to the half-eaten amber root clutched in her hand. “...I’m not sure how much help I can be to you guys. It might end up a three-on-four really quickly.”

“No, it won’t,” Ryokumo chimed in with a tone that left no further room for argument. “You’ll do perfectly, Album, I know it. You might only have a few shots with your lower mana levels, but if we set you up correctly, we might only need one good burst of light.”

“Maybe, but…”

Album’s voice petered out and she instead went back to chewing on the root as Ryokumo turned to face Nigreos.

“Let Glaus come after you,” he said. “I’m sure you can take him, yes?”

“Well, I’ve never fought him before, but I imagine so,” Nigreos answered.

“Good. Then use his pride against him and try to keep him separated from his team. Abi, Album, and I can take care of the rest.” Ryokumo then looked to them, as if seeking other opinions or confirmation of his own idea.

“Well, to add onto that,” Abi began hesitantly, unsure if she should voice her thoughts before deciding that she couldn’t just stay quiet and listen to the others if she thought she could help. “I think I might be able to take Faye. I’ve been watching how the rock mages fight today and I might have a way to break past their defense…or at least to keep them busy until one of you can handle it.”

She tried to speak as confidently as she could, but with so little experience with magic duels, she couldn’t be certain that her idea would keep Faye occupied for even a few seconds, let alone for long enough to get the others’ aid. Yet, whether her nervousness peeked through or not, Ryokumo immediately nodded with enthusiasm.

“Perfect! Abi will take Rio, Nigreos will take Glaus, and that’ll leave Album and I to deal with Pafran and Yuahl.” He clapped his hands together and grinned as he looked at each one of them in turn. “Any objections?”

Both Abi and Nigreos shook their heads, and though it was clear that Album wasn’t confident enough to think she could do anything for Ryokumo, she nevertheless agreed, and just as they reached that conclusion, the voice of the announcer echoed out once more.

“Four minutes left! Competitors, please go to the starting positions!”

“Alright, let’s do this,” Nigreos muttered, and as if that were their cue, the four of them turned and hopped over the railing to their left before landing down in the grassy arena below, their match mere moments away.

***

“Well, Master Acostav, Master Viiro, it would seem that the fates of your children and my prospective apprentice are one and the same,” Edwar Grunly said with a satisfied smile as he gazed over at the two Masters to his left, both of which had the most appalled and irritated expressions on their faces as they listened to the announcer revealing both of the teams in the upcoming match.

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Ha! Serves you right, Ilirianna thought smugly as she took a sip of the red wine that had been provided to her. Guess your precious children will be fighting alongside that commoner you so despised.

As if reading her mind, Nakoma shot her a look that urged her not to say anything else that might piss them off, and the princess simply looked back and smiled innocently, as if to reply with a silent, “I would never!” Then, not wanting to miss what was sure to be a very amusing and entertaining interaction, she turned back to watch the Noctalus Masters rounding not on Grunly, but on Headmaster Tykon

“Reddick, what the hell is the meaning of this?” Acostav demanded fiercely. “You placed my daughter in the same dorm room as that commoner girl?! Why?!”

Despite the unbridled fury of one of the most powerful men in the empire directed his way, Headmaster Tykon didn’t so much as flinch as he leaned forward to look past the many people sitting between them so he could stare challengingly back at Acostav.

“I did, yes,” he replied sharply. “As you should know, Master, my staff and I make dorm placements based on who we think will provide the best learning experience for each other. That is why I placed my two commoner students alongside the most noble of nobles. I believed that working alongside individuals that are so far removed from the typical mages they interact with would give the richest of learning opportunities to young Album and young Nigreos. Do you disagree?”

“So you’re saying this Caeli boy isn’t noble either?” Viiro asked, his voice almost a growl as his pure white eyes fixated on Tykon.

“Correct, he is not,” the Headmaster confirmed. “He is a wind mage and immigrant from the Sukonese archipelago, who until recently lived in the small fishing town of Jeysa just across the Starlight Bay from Stellareid. His letter of recommendation came from the lord of the area who claimed that Caeli displayed remarkable talents in the service of his domain. I, personally, have not seen his attributes yet, but that will be what this next battle is for.”

Taking yet another sip of wine, Ilirianna considered Tykon’s words. She knew plenty of details about Nigreos and Album, and her interest had already been peaked in regards to Abigail, but the name Ryokumo Caeli was completely foreign to her, and she found herself mildly curious to see what he could do. After all, it was that team that she was expected to choose, and therefore, it was very possible that she would be working alongside both Abigail and Ryokumo Caeli.

“I can’t believe this!” Acostav fumed. “Of all the many students at this school, you pick them?”

Tykon rolled his eyes, seemingly growing tired of the conversation as he leaned back in his chair and picked a piece of cheese off of the platter set out on the table before him. “Yes, I did, and I just explained why. Oddly enough, this school does not exist to accommodate you, Master Luz. It exists to foster magical talent, and that is what I intend to do.”

Acostav snorted, but seemed to decide that the decision had already been made and there was nothing he could do about it anymore, so he, too, slumped back in his chair and gazed through the window as they awaited the beginning of the battle. This time, Ilirianna knew she would have to pay very close attention. So far, she hadn’t seen any battles that impressed her enough to risk disobeying her parents, so this one was easily the most crucial. She silently prayed that the Noctalus team would be the obvious best choice so that she would have no reason to deny them, but the unknown variables that Abigail and Caeli provided were causing her nerves to get worked up.

And their opponents… It’s certainly an interesting line-up.

While she had never personally met him, she knew of Rennigan Glaus, Kloras’s son who had taken up magical studies with an emphasis on water magic. It was highly believed among the higher mages of the Citadel that Rennigan was being groomed to try and impress Master Nyx Rana so that Kloras could get somebody loyal to him in the Masters, so by default, Ilirianna wanted his team to lose, if only for her own amusement. The rest of Rennigan’s teammates were all names that were unfamiliar to her, so she looked to Nakoma for answers.

“Master Nakoma,” she began. “I obviously know of Rennigan, but who are the others on that team? Anybody to note?”

The Master of Fire considered the question for a moment before shaking his head. “Not as far as Academy students are concerned. Miss Rio is the second daughter of the head of the miners guild in Mount Krainin, a family held in rather high regard for their skill with rock magic. For Pafran and Yuahl, I’m not certain… Reddick? You remember?”

Tykon, who had been listening in, nodded as he finished chewing on his next piece of cheese. He then washed it down with a sip of wine and answered. “They’re both noble children from Krato. A first son and second daughter, I believe. They’re of a lower level of nobility but their skill was impressive enough to earn them a letter of recommendation from the Ring of Kraton.”

Ilirianna frowned, taking in what she had heard and considering the battle as a whole. Well, Rio will certainly be a challenge for them if she’s mastered armor, and anybody that can impress the magical lords of Krato isn’t someone to underestimate. Adding that with Rennigan’s presence and they’ve got a tough fight on their hands. This really might depend on just how strong Abigail and Caeli are.

“I’m definitely intrigued,” Nakoma mused. “Ed, how are Abigail’s fighting abilities? Is she just a healer or…?”

Grunly smirked and shook his head. “Oh, absolutely not. You think I would send a simple healer to this school? No, no. Abi can hold her own, that much is certain. I’ve seen it with my own eyes… And besides, you don’t survive alone in the north for very long if you can’t defend yourself, yes?”

“True,” Nakoma muttered. “Then this should be a good one. Watch it closely, Princess.”

“Obviously,” she replied wryly. “If any battle was going to be the star of the afternoon, it's this one.”

The Master of Fire grinned then glanced past her to where both Viiro and Acostav were leaning forward. Even men as powerful and often controlled as them were failing to hide the anxiety that the match presented them with. Even with the king and queen supporting them, they would know that Ilirianna would never be able to choose a team that lost their opening match. As strongly as Toranei supported Nigreos and Album, she would urge Ilirianna not to choose them if they lost, so a lot was riding on the coming fight for them all, save Nakoma and Tykon, who were casually eating from the cheese platter and enjoying their wine.

Alright Nigreos, Album. Make this easy on me. And for that matter, I wish you luck as well, Abigail, Caeli.

However, for as nervous as she felt, part of her knew she could rely on these commoners to back the Noctalus up. Grunly was confident in Abigail and that was more than enough for Ilirianna to be as well, and if Caeli was successful in gaining a letter of recommendation despite being a poor immigrant then he had to have talent that simply couldn't be overlooked. It would be a close match, but she chose to believe that it would fall in her favor.

And as all of these thoughts passed through her mind, Ilirianna watched as the eight combatants all moved to the center of the arena to take their places for the match to begin.

***

Nigreos Noctis’s mind was racing, just as it had been since he woke up that morning. There were variables upon variables for him to analyze in order to place himself in the best position to win the fight, and for the moment, he was quite pleased with their chances. As talented as he knew Rennigan Glaus to be, he truly believed what he said to the others. The water mage would never allow his other teammates to face Nigreos, serving to allow Abi, Album, and Ryokumo to focus solely on the rest of their opponents without having to be concerned about Rennigan. In an ideal scenario, Nigreos could take Rennigan out and hurry to join the others. An added bonus was that Jessi Yuahl and Fayela Rio had already revealed their affinities to Abi and Album, leaving Hirokol Pafran as the single unknown variable.

But Ryokumo seems confident that he can deal with him, so for now, I simply have to play my part and take down Rennigan.

With his three teammates on his right, Nigreos proceeded across the one hundred yard radius of the field as they made their way to the very center of the arena. On the opposite side of the stadium, Rennigan’s team did the same, and before long, they were all standing with twenty yards between them as the two groups silently faced each other. Rennigan stood just ahead of Nigreos, his cocky grin on his face as his golden eyes practically bored into the dark mage’s head. To their immediate right was Abigail and Fayela, and beyond that were Ryokumo and Jessi, and Album and Hirokol on their right.

For a few seconds, Nigreos analyzed Hirokol, hoping to find some sort of clue as to what his affinity might be, but the young man’s appearance revealed very little. However, he stood tall with a confidence matching the rest of his teammates. He had a rather strong build, indicating that he could potentially be a rock mage as well, and his blonde hair was long and would have probably fallen down to his shoulders if it wasn’t tied up in a bun. It bothered him that he wouldn’t be able to help Ryokumo counter whatever Hirokol Pafran had up his sleeve, but he knew that he didn’t have a choice but to rely on them, and so he turned back to face Rennigan as they waited for the last minute to run out.

“You know, Noctis, I’m really glad it was you,” Rennigan called over with a laugh. “Like I said yesterday, I’ve always wanted to spar with you, you know?”

Nigreos snorted then grinned challengingly back at him, suddenly finding himself quite excited to put the pompous brat in his place. “And like I said, you’re going to regret wishing for this when you get your ass royally beaten.”

“I do enjoy your confidence,” the boy sneered back. “But let’s see you put actions to your little threats.” Rennigan’s eyes then shifted to where Abi was silently watching them, and his lips curled up in a smug grin. “And it seems you, Miss Gail, are far from the famed magic user Caeli claimed you were. It’s almost disappointing, actually.”

Abi’s features flinched though she made no move to react to his taunting, and though Nigreos was more than ready to jump to her defense, it was Fayela who spoke first, and not in Rennigan’s favor.

“I told you, Glaus, don’t underestimate her,” she snapped, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “She’s Master Grunly’s personal choice and that’s not something to take lightly.”

Rennigan scoffed. “A commoner is a commoner, Rio. I don’t need any warnings from you.”

But with that said, the water mage went quiet, and Nigreos saw Fayela flash Abi a quick and apologetic smile, one that Abigail was quick to return. Then, the voice of the announcer echoed out across the stadium, silencing the chatter of the audience and bringing all attention to the eight mages standing in the middle of the field.

“The battle will commence shortly, but first, a quick reminder of the rules,” she said. “Each of you has been given a small pouch with five pellets. They are coated with a charm of unconsciousness, which upon making contact with your opponent’s skin, will render them, as the name implies, unconscious. If you’re hit with one, you’re out. All spells are allowed so long as they are used to attack with the pellets. You are also allowed to attack your opponent directly, but use restraint. If anybody uses a spell that causes serious injury, your team will be disqualified on the spot. Everything else is fair game. Understood?”

“Understood!” the eight of them said in unison.

“Good. In that case, I will count down from ten, and the moment I reach zero, you’re free to begin! Ten…”

Nigreos narrowed his eyes, his heart practically beating out of his chest as the moment of truth was just within sight.

Unfortunately, this battle is in the afternoon, and on an open field such as this one, there won’t be any shadows for me to control. I’ll have to rely on the magic within my body and create the shadows myself.

It was a tactic he tended to avoid simply because controlling already existing darkness was far easier and used less mana to accomplish, but he supposed that this would simply be an opportunity to show Princess Ilirianna Iiji that he could be counted on regardless of the time of day.

Trust the others, Nigreos. I’m positioned on the far left, so it’ll be hard for Pafran and Yuahl to reach me with Ryokumo and Album going after them. The immediate threat is Rio, but Abi says she’ll take care of her, so I need to put my all into kicking Rennigan’s ass.

“Eight… Seven… Six…”

He brought his mana to his fingertip, watching Rennigan’s body for any signs that might give away what he was about to do.

Water magic is the hardest to predict of the main affinities. Is he going to attack with ice or water first? Or will he use steam to hinder our vision? What’s his play? If he’s aspiring to leave an impact on Master Rana, perhaps he’ll emphasize ice?

“Five…Four…”

Nigreos’s eyes then briefly shifted up to the luxury box at the very top of the stadium’s right side before he quickly returned his attention to Rennigan.

My father and Master Acostav are going to be watching, and from the sound of it, Master Grunly is there, too. Combined with the presence of the Princess and we have a hell of audience… He took a deep breath. So let’s not blow this.

“Three… Two… One… Fight!”

The moment the battle began, Nigreos moved to unleash a swift attack against Rennigan, but just as he was getting ready to cast the spell, something completely unexpected happened in the corner of his eye. He had been certain that Fayela Rio would immediately armor herself up, protecting her skin from the pellets that could take her out, so none of them had been prepared for the girl to instantly drop to the ground and press her hands against it, shouting, “Carseka!”

With that one incantation, it was made very clear how powerful that girl was. A giant wall of rock burst from the earth on Fayela’s left, lurching high into the sky and spanning the entire diameter of the stadium, completely separating Nigreos and Abi from Ryokumo and Album and splitting the battlefield in half. But Nigreos didn’t even have time to think about what that might mean before his attention was forced back to Rennigan.

And with that sudden attack, the battle of their orientation began.