Back in the locker room, Levi sat looking at the viewing ritual. The battleground was changing. Beings that Levi had never seen before were magically destroying and rebuilding the forest that Levi had set on fire. He imagined that this was a normal occurrence with how efficient they were. Levi was proud of his performance, but he had the advantage. Having the time to set up and perform summons and rituals was always going to give him a leg ahead. Levi tried to keep a lot of his powers up his sleeve because most people were unaware of how summoners work. That advantage would swiftly disappear the more he showed.

Only those with strong aura senses would have detected that Levi was able to hide his aura completely. That was an impressive, albeit common, practice. The fact that Levi could do it so well was what would garner any extra attention. Even though, it was Levi’s familiars who do a lot of the masking. He thanked his companions for a good fight and all the support. The two other creatures he summoned were satisfied with all the traps that they ate.

“Good battle,” Bertrum said as he walked in with Professor Egret.

“Thanks,” Levi said. “It helped that they underestimated me.”

“Indeed,” Egret said. “The next group will not.”

“No,” Levi said. “I know the Wintoars, they’re good dudes but diligent and work hard.”

“Warriors and Rogues will be your toughest match-up,” Bertrum said. “Any opponent you fight that will keep their distance is an advantage to you.”

“The environment will change in the next round,” Egret said. “Be wary of that; they like to favor one side over the other; it's somewhat political. So, expect a large clearing where your opponents can see you.”

Levi nodded. “I have plans if we get an environment like that. I was expecting it at some point.” There was a commission outside the locker room door. In burst an average-height man with long blonde hair and alabaster skin. He wore more official robes and leather armor. He looked like Robin Hood if Robin Hood worked for GQ on the side.

“You,” He pointed a finger at Levi. “You insolent little pest.”

Levi raised his arms in an act of innocence. Anza started to take a defensive posture. She relaxed at Professor Egret's gesture.

“Guildmaster Rob,” Egret said. “What are you doing in the Summoner’s locker room?”

“Your little pest completely humiliated my apprentices. He must pay.”

“For beating your rangers in a fight designed for a winner or loser?”

“He cheated!”

“That,” another voice said. “Is a bold accusation. Are you willing to substantiate that claim with evidence, Guildmaster Rob?”

“Your highness,” Guildmaster Rob bowed. King Leonardo was standing at the entrance with another man that Levi hadn’t met before. There was a different vibe about Leonardo than usual at this moment. It was powerful, the jovial king that Levi had met a few months ago was gone. This guy meant business.

“Well?” Leonardo pressed.

“No, sir,” Rob said in resignation.

“So, you enter into this locker room with no evidence yet, claim cheating? That is unbecoming of a Guildmaster in this fine kingdom don’t you think?”

“Yes sir,” Rob could not look the king in his eyes.

“Well, I’m curious. How do you think Mr. Winters cheated?”

“He didn’t summon his familiars; he used them without actually summoning them.” Levi stifled a snort. He glanced at his professors, who were also holding their tongues. The King looked at the Guildmaster with raised eyebrows.

“Mr. Winters, Levi,” the king said. “How did you get your familiars?”

“Through a summoning ritual,” Levi said.

“Any bonded familiars?” the king asked.

“Nope, all summoned familiars,” Levi responded. When Levi was learning about what it meant to be a familiar summoner, he learned that people could have familiars through a bonding ritual. There were familiar ritualists in every few major cities per kingdom. They would have a large selection of creatures that people could pay to have a bonded familiar. It was an expensive endeavor but not an uncommon practice.

“Guildmaster Rob,” the king looked at him. “Does that exclude his use of familiars if he had already summoned them?”

“No, sir,” Rob said slowly.

“Mr. Winters,” the king said.

“Yes?” Levi asked.

“Would you like to inform the kind guildmaster of your class?” The King asked.

“Not really,” Levi said. Leandro gave him a flat look. “Fine,” Levi chuckled. “I’m a Familiar Summoner, that’s my class.”

“I’ve never heard of that,” Rob said.

“Have you heard of many summoner class evolutions?” Levi asked.

“No,” Rob admitted.

“Every class evolution is rare,” Levi said. “There are so few summoners left. I didn’t embarrass your rangers, guildmaster. They embarrassed themselves by not thinking I was a threat. They came to me a few nights before to taunt me; they didn’t know what star rank I was, they didn’t know what kind of summoner I was, and they didn’t even know that I could summon creatures to eat traps. I’m a three-star summoner, guildmaster. I’m not a bum who the professors picked up off the street. I’ve worked my ass off to be competent in what I do.”

The guildmaster glared at the young summoner. No matter what he said, there was still a mark on him and his guild. The ranger guild was just publicly embarrassed by a summoner, no less, one that no one had heard of. He said nothing, bowed to the king and then stormed out of the locker room. Levi snorted and turned back to the viewing ritual. The battle was almost getting ready. Levi still had uneasy feelings with the king, but he was not going to voice those concerns right now.

Leandro looked at Levi for several seconds, then turned to return to his viewing box. Egret and Bertrum watched as the king left.

“What is your relationship with the king?” Egret asked.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“He’s my friends dad,” Levi responded.

“Why do I feel tension between you two?”

“He thinks I’m evil and I don’t trust him.”

“He thinks you are evil?” Egret said slowly. “Why would he think you are evil?”

“Cause I have an affinity to chaos magic and have ‘evil looking’” he put in air quotes, “familiars.”

“That is just silly,” Egret said.

“I agree,” Levi nodded.

“Chaos magic is not inherently evil nor are familiars.”

“Yep. Oh, the battle is about to start,” Levi said, watching the screen.

“Ladies, Gentlemen, and Beings alike, the second battle of the battle of the guilds is underway. We have a classic matchup between the sorcerer guild and the rogue guild! The two teams both have four members. The Sorcerers are led by Princess Anna Onyx!” the announcer boomed. Cheers erupted at the name of Anna. “The Rogues are led by Lady Piper Vendular! Two childhood best friends fighting for their respective guilds, who will be victorious?? ARE YOU READY for the battle of best friends?” Cheers erupted again. “I Said ARE YOU READY?” The stadium shook from the cheers in the crowd. “BEGIN!”

Piper was sitting on a bench in her team’s locker room, watching Levi utterly destroy the Rangers. A smile teased on her lips; she was very proud of that man. She was wary of the backlash. The guildmaster for the Rangers was a hothead and would likely be pissed that they didn’t even get a shot off at Levi.

“Do you think he is that good? Or did he get lucky?” one of Piper’s teammates said.

“Don’t be dense, Raphael,” another teammate shot back. “Did that look like luck to you?”

“I don’t know that’s why I asked,” Raphael replied.

“Can we focus on our battle?” Piper said. “We win we’re in the championship game, if we lose, we are in the third place. I’d prefer the former.”

“Sorry boss,” Raphael said.

The doors opened; it was time for their battle. Piper and Anna made a promise to not go easy on each other. This was a chance to showcase their skills. Anna was the only 3-star sorcerer on her team. Piper was the only 3-star rogue on her team. The two of them would likely clash at some point being the powerhouses on her team. What this also meant is that they were the only ones with a class evolution. That would play a vital factor in how this battle would sway.

Piper took a calming breath and waited for the fire spell. An explosion rang, and the battle began. Piper quickly pulled out her wand and drew ritual circles for her teammates. They were speed and strength enhancement rituals. She had been practicing a lot, and it would help her teammates. After they were done, all of the rogues sprinted into the forest with insane speed. Piper pulled out her kunai knives as she was running in case, she needed to throw them anywhere.

She saw Ralphael hoping from tree branch to tree branch with relative ease. He had a small dagger in his hand and was getting ready for any engagement. Piper approached the river that split the battleground in half. She drew a ritual circle in the water, this was a trap ritual, it would create a wall of water that would engulf any opponent that steps on it. Piper set the ritual up quickly and kept going. She thought to herself how cool it would be if she could use some spells as well but that was not in her repertoire at the moment, perhaps at the next star rank.

Piper and Levi worked on a lot of trap rituals since she gained her new class evolution, she had become quite adept at drawing them and chanting in order to activate it. She heard some noise in the distance, there was a clash. She rushed over to help her teammates, Sally - the rogue who called out Ralphael in the locker room - was engaged in a battle with a spellcaster. Piper charged, she threw her knives at the spell caster, who was unable to dodge because of the power of the throw.

The spell caster was not used to fighting multiple opponents at once, but the rogues fought together in team skirmishes. Piper and Sally moved in on the space of the spell caster who was unable to get any other spells as she was being overwhelmed. Piper went to stab, and sally went to slash as both of their swords hit the spellcaster, they were pushed back, and a bubble shield formed around the sorcerer and sent her back to the locker room.

Sally and Piper nodded at each other. Piper noticed something flying towards them, she pushed Sally to the side as they dodged several spikes of fire. Another spellcaster jumped into the battle with the two girls.

Anna watched as the fire spell exploded and the battle began. She was wary about Piper; Piper was able to set up trap rituals which she informed her team about. Piper was also a 3-star Arcane Trickster making her the biggest threat. Anna’s teammates were much more brazen than she was. She was strategic and wanted to make sure she understood everything that was going to happen. Two of her teammates took in a dead sprint immediately.

Anna and Declan looked at each other and nodded. They would work together in this battle; it was the best way to win. Rogues were ones who usually fought in pairs. Having a spellcaster have to fight two against one would not turn out well. Anna had her wand out and her spell book floating in front of her. Declan had his staff in his hand. Shuriken went flying toward them but missed.

“Shroud of the morning mist,” Anna chanted. Icy haze surrounded Anna and Declan. Declan moved quickly in the haze to avoid his presence. Anna heard him chant a spell as well. The spell was to illuminate any aura that was present. Anna now could see Declan’s aura which was green, and the rogue’s aura which was red.

“Ice Spears,” she said. Four spears of ice floated next to her. She started sending them one by one in the direction of the red glow. Two of them hit their target in the leg. The rogue screamed in pain.

“Orb of fire,” Declan chanted. An orb of fire appeared next to staff and he sent it flying the same direction a bubble shield had formed around the rogue Ralphael and he was sent back to his locker room. “There might be one-” Declan started to say as his legs were slashed and then a bubble shield formed around him and sent him to the locker room.

Anna still had two ice spears, she sent them flying the second Declan’s bubble went into the air. The rogue was hit with one but blocked the other. A meter long spear was sticking out the rogue male, blood was pouring out of the shoulder where the spear had landed. He went to pull it out, when Anna chanted, “boil”. The ice spear began to boil in the shoulder of the rogue. Pain seared through the wound that the rogue became incapacitated and fell to his knees.

“Water trident,” a trident made of water was conjured before her and she sent it right at the head of the rogue. The bubble appeared and he was sent back to his locker room. Anna turned to locate her other teammate. She knew that she hadn’t gone too far in the opposite direction. As she was making her move, she saw a bubble shield rise into the air and head toward her locker room. She cursed and moved in that direction cautiously.

Piper had dealt the final blow on the fire spell caster. She wasn’t sure who was left but she had to assume that it was Anna. Sally would likely not last the fight with Anna, but if she could help do some lasting damage, the two of them could take her out. Piper did another ritual to refresh their speed and strength enhancement. They were ready for this round of fights.

A massive storm cloud was forming overhead and heading their way.

“Uh oh,” Piper said. We have to move NOW!” She took off toward the direction the storm was being made. Piper knew this power and knew that it would take a long time. Hopefully, she could get to Anna before it was finished. Sally was right behind Piper, but she was just not fast enough. Her 2-star speed, even enhanced, did not reach the levels that Piper had reached. Hail the size of softballs started to fall from the storm clouds. Leaving mini craters with each lasting impact.

Piper was able to dodge effectively as her speed was much faster than the hail. Sally was not so fortunate. Barely dodging hail after hail, she was finally about to be struck when her bubble shield lifted her up and towards her locker room. She was out. Piper kept running, understanding that she just lost her advantage; she would have to fight her best friend. Winner makes it to the championship battle.

A tidal wave of snow rose before Piper. She looked and saw Anna standing on the crown with her wand in hand. A surfboard made of solid ice formed under Anna, and she started surfing as the tidal wave came crashing down. Piper was agile, as all rogues were. She was a nice mixture of a gymnast and a parkour athlete. She ran up some trees and stood on the tallest branch. Bolts of ice were being shot her way by the surfing Anna.

Piper smirked and kept pushing to close the gap. As Anna got closer and the tidal wave almost crashed, she felt her body seize up. She was trapped in a yellow barrier and her mana was being drained. The tidal wave kept going but her ice surfboard fell as she was suspended in the air as the snow tidal wave kept pushing. Piper burst through the snow and threw several kunai knives. The knives all impacted Anna with direct hits. The last knife bounced off Anna’s bubble shield

“The WINNER is,” the announcer's voice boomed. “Lady Piper Vendular and the Rogues Guild!!!!” Cheers erupted as the crown princess was beaten by her childhood friend. Trey and Maddi were screaming and cheering loudly in their box. Even the king was standing and applauding at the amazing battle that just unfolded.

“Your daughter,” Leandro said. “Is one hell of a fighter! That was an awesome trap to use when Anna had hidden it. I’m very impressed.”

“Thank you, sir,” Trey said. “I am too. She has shown me the error in my ways!”

“You should be proud Trey! She’s making a name for herself.”

“I am sir, I am!”