Of the eight people on the Blue Ocean Pavilion's side, there were Oscar, Emily, Frederick, Serena, Rachel, George, a man named Hillman, and another named Dale. The timer of Ein started to tick down, and ten minutes were provided to decide who would fight in the first battle for five Golddew Figs.
The words above said, "This team will choose first."
"Who wants to go first?" Hillman pointed at himself. "I have a Grade Five Exolsia and am twenty-two years old."
Following Hillman's introduction, the other man, Dale, also spoke, "I have a Grade Six Exolsia and am twenty-one years old."
The rest of the group introduced themselves one by one until they reached Oscar, who went last. Oscar sighed and introduced himself. Hillman and Dale were confused when he revealed himself as a Grade Four.
"Shouldn't you have volunteered to go first if you are a Grade Four?" Hillman frowned. His line of thought was not an insult toward Oscar but a standard view of reality and the differences between Exolsias and Animas. He did not know about Oscar's mastery of Reis.
Dale nodded in agreement.
Hearing Hillman's and Dale's ignorant words, Frederick frowned and stood up, his eyes filled with a chilling gaze. He spoke in a fierce voice. "Oscar's stronger than you think. I believe he will be a wildcard in this battle. I'll go first since I'm a Grade Five."
"No," A bony hand clasped Frederick's shoulder. It was George. George smiled slightly with his Sapphire Hedgehog, Buddy, wriggling around in his black robes, hidden from the others.
"George?" Rachel was startled.
"Don't worry, Rachel. It's the first bout for five fruits. I doubt the enemy will send one of their heavy hitters. I'm a ranged fighter who fights well with others. In an individual match, I might have trouble. So I should go first."
George pushed Frederick aside gently and gave a thumbs-up to his team. "Wait for my victory."
His lanky body disappeared into the portal, and another large screen of Ein projected in front of their group. George could be seen through the screen with his hands-free and thick cloak still hiding the Sapphire Hedgehog. He was surrounded by another barrier to prevent cheap shots.
"What do you think about George's chances?" Rachel sharpened her polearm.
"If he keeps his distance, it'll be fine. Unless the enemy is also a ranged fighter or has the means to get close." Oscar stared at George through the screen. George was intaking several elixirs. "Those elixirs would help greatly."
Everyone's attention then turned to the newcomer, one of the Undying Flame Sect students. His face was sharp and stern, and his back was straight like a well-sharpened spear. His hand gripped a beautiful golden bow.
In a strange twist of fate, the two bowmen had matched against each other, or perhaps they both had the same thought. The ensuing battle was sure to be harsh, with their arrows raining down against each other. Before the battle began, suddenly, the screen shifted and said, "A person can withdraw if they wish. Speak, 'I give up,' and the battle will end."
"Phew," Rachel seemed relieved. At least with this, her beloved George could survive if things went sour.
'It's too early to think so positively….' Oscar did not voice his thoughts. The words from the screen were specific in saying they had to speak the words. If someone could not utter the words, perhaps their throats were crushed, then there was nothing but death waiting for them.
'Forget it.' Oscar forced out his negativity. He had to show his support and belief in George's victory, just as how George expressed his belief in him.
The screen started a countdown of ten seconds. Once it finished, the barriers restricting George and the other bowman dispersed. The two leaped back instantly and drew their bows.
Their arrows whistled through the air, tapping against each other, flinging away from the center. The first few were testing shots to gauge the others' power, speed, and accuracy. Then the number of arrows suddenly increased due to George and the bowman summoning their bow animas, matching each other blow for blow, arrow for arrow.
Then a thunderous boom split the air as the enemy bowman's arrows surged with lightning. George's arrows were reduced to dust before the lightning arrow's destructive course. Unfettered by the incoming storm, George released several more arrows, following his Guststream and imbued with a vortex of wind at their tips.
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The speedy arrows, carried by the powerful winds, met against the lightning arrows. A fierce storm of crackling lightning and whooshing winds brewed in the space between the two tenured archers. Their normal arrows flailed and lost control.
"Their arrows are about even." Oscar frowned.
"That doesn't matter; George hasn't used his Sapphire Hedgehog yet," Frederick said.
The battle intensified. The enemy bowman released two arrows in opposite directions. A lightning link coursed from their tips, ever-expanding as they drew farther and farther away from each other.
The crackling stream of lightning expanded into a massive wall of thunder and closed in on George. George yelled fiercely, shot multiple arrows to weaken the lightning field, and then put up a wind barrier. Despite his best efforts, his body was engulfed in the lightning, inciting Rachel's worried cries.
More arrows flew over to end George's paralyzed body. Before they could pierce him, Buddy, the Sapphire Hedgehog, tore away from George's cloak and spun in the air, a deadly spiked shield against the incoming arrows that did nothing more than be like droplets of rain compared to its sharp hull. George regained his bearings and clicked his tongue in annoyance; he couldn't find a more advantageous way for Buddy to reveal himself.
However, the tides changed with Buddy's appearance. The downpour of sharp sapphire quills riding on the coattails of George's wind added to his overwhelming offense. But the enemy was no amateur and masterfully utilized his lightning; one of his arrows deterred several of George's.
"They're different types of archers. George focuses on accuracy and single precision like a sharpshooter, while this man's arrows are centered on power, well-suited for mowing down rows and columns of enemies. Even with Buddy at his side, the lightning is holding up well." Emily gazed in awe at the two masters of different archeries.
"With all that happening, only normal arrows somehow are making it through." Oscar stared intently at the arrows lodged in George's shoulder and leg and turned to the other with arrows on his arms and legs. "But this battle is George's victory."
His confidence in George was centered on a single spell that George had not revealed, one that could disrupt anyone and catch them off guard. George took a long quill from Buddy and drew it back. With a sharp exhale, his fingers released the powerful quill filled with Ein.
The quill poked a hole through the lightning field; its blue color shone and deepened from the many bright lights coming from the crackling of the lightning. It remained unfazed by the coursing element and shot straight toward the enemy bowman. Dodging it did not work because it suddenly changed directions, and dodging it again failed because it shifted again.
The 'Shifting Vector' spell allowed George to control his arrows and change their directions. The grade-two version of the spell allowed a second change in direction—a wonderful spell to catch people off-guard and catch the bowman off-guard it did.
Before the enemy could say the words to give up, the long sapphire quill stabbed into his throat. A fountain of blood spewed from his neck, and his demolished vocal cords could only whisper out high-pitched gasps among the gurgling from the choking blood. His body dropped to the floor and, in some cruel play, teleported back to the members of the Undying Flame Sect, who were horrified.
"Bastards!" One of them screamed out with tears flowing down.
Oscar and the others ignored the angered cries and greeted George, who returned. His uniform was bloodied, and the several arrows piercing his body began to fade away as they were made from Ein. However, with their passing, George's wounds started to bleed more.
"George! Take the healing elixir!" Rachel ran to him and downed an entire vial down his throat. George coughed and struggled in pain, but it soon subsided, and his face relaxed as his wounds started to heal. With his head resting on Rachel's lap, he smiled and asked, "Wasn't I cool just now?"
"Bah! What kind of cool person comes back riddled with holes?" Rachel pouted, but her eyes were glowing with joy. She flicked Geroge's forehead. "But you were amazing. Rest easy now."
Oscar and the others smiled at this scene and turned their eyes away to give the pair some privacy. A bright light flashed again, and a basket containing five small golddew figs appeared. The Ein emanating from these figs was so dense that Oscar had an impulse to eat one right now.
'Stop it.' Oscar pulled his hand away. To eat a dense fruit of Ein in one gulp would tear anyone's body apart. It was tempting but not worth the risk of exploding from an overflow of Ein.
Then the portal surged, and a new timer started, counting from ten minutes. Oscar felt agitated and wary of the vicious expressions the Undying Flame Sect threw at them. He felt the next battle would be even harsher now that the stakes of life and death were displayed right before them.
"Hillman, you should go," Frederick said with a smile.
"Not the grade four?" Hillman was not happy and pointed at Oscar. He did not understand why Oscar, a grade four, was given such preferential treatment, especially when the stakes would get higher later on.
Oscar lifted his eyes and stood up. "Hillman, take a look at the other side. See who is standing up."
Confused, Hillman turned to the Undying Flame Sect. He saw a beautiful woman with white hair and fierce red eyes standing up. Putting aside her beauty, Hillman felt a terrifying presence emanating from her, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed not from attraction but fear.
"She's a Grade Eight. I fought against her, and we tied. But now, she's focused on getting her revenge. She won't fight on this lower stage, but this should be enough to let you understand." Oscar was tired of Maia's gaze constantly being fixed on him. But it offered a silver lining to convince Hillman.
Hillman nodded and sat back down. That woman was too terrifying, and if a grade-four like Oscar survived against her, he couldn't look down on him. He had to accept that there was something strange about Oscar.
"Enough, I'll go." Frederick yawned. "Hillman can fight the next one. I just hope they hurry up and choose. It's their turn to pick, after all."
As the time ticked down, the Undying Flame Sect finally decided upon a person, and they entered the portal. The portal on Oscar's side lifted its restrictions, and Frederick stepped ahead, turned, and smiled at his friends.
"I'll be back!"