by Michael Sisa
He glanced at Yvette. Should he abandon her to those monsters? It was not like she would die. She would just merely be eliminated teleported out of the battleground. It was one less competitor for him.
After some thought, he decided against it. He knew that it was against his normal logic, but he somehow felt guilty of abandoning a friend, despite the two of them being competitors in the tournament.
He skidded to a halt then faced the pursuing monsters. Yvette stopped then shouted, “Hey! What are you doing?! There’re three of them! You’ll be eliminated from the tournament!”
Dan quickly analyzed the situation. Surrounded by trees. Two monsters to his right. One to his left. He said to Yvette, “I’ll be fine. This may be just be the perfect time to test out the fruits of meditating the arts your family lent me.”
Yvette did not understand the last part of what Dan said. She did not run further as the three monsters approached. At the very least, if Dan was going to be eliminated from the competition because of her, she would accompany him.
Dan firmed his feet on the ground. He gnashed his teeth then leapt towards the pursuing monsters. Their size was almost as large as the surrounding trees.
He unsheathed his blades and created two colossal slashes. It flew towards the monsters, cutting off the trees in the process.
The one on his left was hit by the slash, and its body flew into the air before skidding to the ground. To his dismay, it was still alive; it did not turn into particles of light.
The two on his right managed to dodge his strike. The turtle monsters struck at him using their sharp claws, and Dan dodged by ducking and sidestepping. He tried to return the favor by striking them using his blades, but the turtles immediately hid inside their shells upon the approach of the strike.
Dan was able to make a deep cut on its armor, but his strike did not go any further than that. Upon seeing this, Dan licked his lips.
He once again created a colossal slash using his blades, and this time, it perfectly hit its target. The turtles flew into the air, and Dan immediately created another twin slash to finish them off. After another ground-rumbling impact, two of the mini boss class monsters turned into particles of light.
A voice above announced Dan’s accumulated points.
“Two down. One to go,” he whispered. He slowly approached the incapacitated turtle. To his surprise, it made a loud screeching sound.
Dan and Yvette covered their ears. Without Dan doing anything, the turtle slowly turned into particles of light.
“What was that?” mumbled Dan.
Yvette came running to him. “Are you alright? That was reckless!”
Dan stared at her dust-filled face. He chuckled. “Yeah, reckless. Look at you.”
Using her palm, Yvette touched her face. She supinated her hand and saw the mucks and dusts that clung to it.
She half-grimaced. “I’ll take a bath after this. Definitely!”
“Say, when will the first round end? With all these fights, it feels like it’s been a long time since it started,” said Dan.
Yvette brushed off the leaves that clung to her hair. “Should be soon. Maybe five or ten minutes from now.”
Suddenly, flocks of birds flew. A dreadful feeling enveloped the forest. Dan and Yvette immediately assumed their battle stance when they heard something approaching.
From the shadows created by the trees, a figure emerged. A faceless, naked, genderless monster. It was carrying two translucent blades in its hands.
Dan felt an odd sense of familiarity to it, but he was unable to point out the reason why. But one thing was sure. This creature in front of them was far stronger than the turtle monsters from before.
“The Boss Monster?” mumbled Yvette.
It confirmed Dan’s suspicions. He was not sure how strong it was, but he somehow felt the urge to fight it.
“Yvette. It’s good to see you here. Maybe with the two of us, we can beat that thing,” a voice called out from top of the trees. Upon looking, they saw Cazareth crouching on top of large a branch. His entire body was filled with numerous beads of sweat, and his chest was rapidly rising then falling.
Did that monster follow Cazareth here, or was it called out by the dying turtle monster? His question was soon answered.
“Damn it. To think that it would still follow me here. That thing’s the Boss Monster. It’s impossible to beat it alone,” said Cazareth. He jumped into another tree then jumped down the ground. His gaze landed to Dan for a moment, then to Yvette.
“I’m sorry Caz, but my mana’s nearly depleted,” said Yvette.
Cazareth groaned after hearing this. “And I was hoping we can fight it together.”
The faceless monster slowly approached, and the three of them took their fighting stances. Cazareth said, “Only around a fourth of my mana remains. That thing… the Professors lied to us.”
By now, the monster stopped in its track as it stared at the three students.
Yvette asked, “The Professors lied? What do you mean?”
“They told us that the Boss Monster will be modeled after the strongest student among the participants, right? That damn thing is too strong to be a replica of a mere student. Lies,” spat Cazareth. “Maybe it’s a replica of Professor Rouma? I’m not sure. But none of my attacks even reached it.”
Without warning, the faceless monster created a colossal slash at them. Dan’s eyes went wide when he saw this. That stance. That technique. All of it was strangely familiar.
Thankfully, the three of them had dodged that strike. The trees behind them fell down one after another after being cut.
A familiar, annoying voice spoke inside Dan’s head. “You realized eh, kid? I planned on quietly watching mere humans struggle in such petty tournament, but this sudden twist in events made it quiet… entertaining.”
Those words somehow strengthened his suspicions. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Yvette and Cazareth getting ready get away from the Boss Monster’s reach.
“You guys go ahead,” Dan quickly mumbled. “I need to confirm things.”
Without waiting for a reply from the two, Dan dashed forth towards the naked monster. He dodged a slash from it by quickly ducking, then returned with a swift strike to the neck, something which was simply blocked by the sword of the monster.
Dan did not stop. He channeled soul spirit to his entire body, and his movements quickened by several folds. He struck, blocked, evaded, then struck again.
The figures of Dan and the faceless monster blurred and disappeared as they exchanged blows with each other. Trees fell down one after another, and clouds of dust swirled to the sky. Yvette and Cazareth watched with wide eyes as the two fought on equal grounds.
“That Boss Monster…,” whispered Yvette. Her next words voiced out the thought that ran through Cazareth’s mind. “It was modeled after Dan.”
They had lost track of how much time had passed since the two started their fight. It was like fighting against a mirror, their movements a complete mimic of each other. But slowly and continuously, Dan was starting to push back the faceless monster.
The monster leapt away from Dan then disappeared amidst the shadow of the surrounding trees. Yvette and Cazareth glanced left and right when they felt numerous presences nearby.
“Careful,” said Dan. Though he knew that they were competitors right now, he somehow felt the urge to warn them, especially his friend, Lady Yvette. “The attacks’re going to come in every direction. Brace yourselves.”
On cue, numerous figures leapt out of the shadow of the trees. They blurred past by as they aimed for the three students. If not for Cazareth’s barrier, Yvette would have been eliminated in a single instance.
Dan on the other hand blocked and parried each attack using his blades. Yvette and Cazareth could hardly see the attacks and where it came from, but Dan was able to easily deflect it.
The barrage continued. Dan gnashed his teeth then gripped tightly the hilt of his weapons. He created a co
lossal slash to his left, creating a large gust of wind in its wake. The ground rumbled, and a fissure was made. The flurry of attacks stopped, and a dozen figures with the same faceless, naked body emerged. They completely surrounded the three students.
Dan raised his hand to the heavens, and numerous shards that resembled a blade manifested themselves. A tremendous amount of Soul Spirit oozed out his body.
With a flick of his wrist, the shards flew towards the faceless monsters, piercing their bodies. Some had evaded and survived, while some vanished into a wisp of smoke.
“You can’t fool me with techniques I created myself,” said Dan.
The faceless monster seemed to have understood. The remaining clones blurred then cruised towards a single body. The forest resumed it calm. Only the heavy breathing sounds from Yvette and Cazareth were heard.
The faceless monster crouched, definitely ready for another round. Just right when it was about to dash forth and attack Dan, a monotonous voice was heard from above. “The first round of the tournament is over. Number of remaining students: Fourteen.”
Upon this declaration, the faceless monster slowly turned into particles of light.
“What a waste. I would have loved for the fight to last a bit longer,” said Karazaan.
Dan ignored the spirit. He said to Yvette, “Are you fine, Lady Yvette?”
Yvette was still stunned by what she had seen. It took her a few seconds before she was able to muster a reply. “I-I’m fine! More importantly, you’ve become far stronger since the last time you fought my grandfather!”
Cazareth could not believe it when he heard this. “He fought Wellter Prochson?!”
Yvette simply nodded. “Yeah. A long story, let’s leave it for later.”
Dan had thought of how ironic it was for Yvette and Cazareth to be friends despite the enmity between their families. He knew that he had no say on such matter. He decided to just remain silent about it.
The sounds of fireworks were heard from a far distance, and the three of them were teleported out of the Forbidden Forest. They once again found themselves in the middle of the arena.
Chapter 32: Unexpected Disaster
Dan momentarily squinted when he found himself in the Arena once again, along with the rest of the participants. Every one of them looked around and saw the innumerable spectators in the coliseum. Peculiarly, it was quiet. Eerily quiet.
“T-The first r-round of the tournament has ended!” The commentator choked the words out of his mouth. “A t-total of nineteen students have survived the first part of the competition!”
The sound of a gong echoed, and a few seconds after that, a thunderous applause and cheers reverberated. Dan almost covered his ears from the deafening roars of the crowd.
“Now! For the result of the first round!” said the commentator. For some reason, he was stealing a glance at Dan. “We shall call forth five contestants with the highest score!”
The cheers were still deafening, but it had slowly started to die down. The commentator further amplified his voice so that everyone could hear.
“Fifth place! A total of eleven points! Ryle Monfort!”
Petals rained down the sky upon the announcement of the name. The commentator gestured for Ryle to stand in front of him for everyone to see. For some reason, Ryle refused to smile despite the shower of praises from the commentator. He stood there with firmly shut lips, his left eye partly covered by his disheveled ash white hair.
“Now, for the fourth place! Youni Veasco! A total of thirteen points!”
A small, petite student stepped beside Ryle. She was a fourth year student judging by her necktie. She courteously waved her hands as the spectators clapped and cheered.
The sound of fireworks resonated as sparks and flares filled the sky. Dan was amazed how vivid the colors were despite the fact that the sun was high up in the sky.
The commentator cleared his throat. “For the third place! A total of nineteen points! Marianne Love!”
A stubby female student walked forth then stood beside Youni. She did not wave her hands, nor did she smile as the spectators courteously clapped their hands. She merely stood there with a stoic face.
“Aaand now!” said the commentator. “For the second place! A total of twenty-eight points!”
The crowd went silent. Their gazes were fixated on two students. They did not know which of them had won the first round. Everyone waited with great anticipation.
“—Cazareth Kulaima!”
Cazareth glanced stared at the commentator for a moment before he eventually went then stood beside Marianne Love.
“I’ve lost the first round, huh?” he said with a sigh. Eventually, he waved his hand at everyone in the coliseum. Shouts of praises and cheers were heard. Cazareth broadly smiled. “So this is what it feels like to lose. Doesn’t feel that bad after all. I’ll just try harder next time.”
There was a self-inflicted mockery as Cazareth sighed in resignation.
The commentator’s voice loudly echoed, “And for the first place!”—the crowd’s cheers crescendo. The ground rumbled as they stomped their feet—“The Champion of the first round of the tournament! With a total score of forty-six points!”—flower petals ceremoniously rained down everywhere—“Daniek Roshaila!”
Dan saw Yvette smiling at him as he walked towards the front. It was a peculiar sensation. He knew that everyone’s eyes were gazing at him. He looked at the eastern side of the coliseum and saw Negi waving around a banner.
He tried to read what was written in it, but was unable to. It gave off the impression of horrible handwriting mixed with doodles of a three year old kid.
Dan inwardly smiled. His second life was not bad at all. It was filled with ups and down, but overall, everything was worth it.
Everyone was still busy with their cheers when a deafening sound echoed. The buzzes and cheers in the air immediately died down when a translucent barrier manifested in the sky. It was a large dome, and it somehow reminded Dan of a beehive.
Another deafening sound echoed, and the barrier formed cracks.
A voice was heard amidst the silence. “This is the Chairman of the Academy. Professors, evacuate all the students to a safe location. We are currently facing Continental Level of Threat. Prioritize the safety of the students above all things.”
After that declaration, the barrier shattered into numerous shards, before turning into particles of light.
The ground quaked and rumbled. Some of the students in the arena crouched down to prevent themselves from falling down.
From his position, Dan was able to see trees flying everywhere, despite the wall of the coliseum blocking most of the view. From the far distance, the Magus Arts Tower for the senior students formed cracks then burst into dusts.
The students screamed while the professors tried to calm them down.
Professor Janus ran towards the center of the arena together with Professor Rouma and Professor Shirel.
Janus grabbed the small orb in the hands of the commentator. It immediately amplified his voice. “Listen! We have come into contact with the Guardian of the Academy a few moments ago! Qaval will teleport all of you to a safe location! Do not panic! The professors shall do their best to protect you until that time comes!”
That announcement dispersed most of the panic, but the fear in the eyes of the students was still evident. Even now, trees continued to fly everywhere, and rubbles and dusts filled the sky.
God knows what was happening out there, and everyone hoped that it would not reach the coliseum.
Janus furrowed his brows. “All professors! Assist the students to the underground passage of the arena! It will take some time before Qaval completes a magic capable of teleporting thousands of students at once! Make sure everyone is safe until that time!”
Professor Shirel cast her magic, and the participants in the arena floated into the air. She was pale as she looked up the sky.
She said to Rouma, “Take the students to
a safe place!”
The floating students were thrown towards the Arena’s exit without warning. Their bodies hit the wall, and it broke some of their bones.
A split second after the students were thrown out of the arena, a flash of light flew past by and hit the center of the stadium. The impact immediately created a large crater that occupied more than half the stage. Clouds of dusts flew everywhere.
The participants were sure that if Professor Shirel had not thrown them out, they would have been swept in the impact. They silently thanked her despite their broken bones.
The clouds of dusts slowly receded, and it revealed the figure of an old man with graying chestnut beard. His hair had glimmering tinges of white, and numerous wrinkles adorned his face.
“C-Chairman!” the Professors shrieked.
Chairman Grassed dusted off his garb. He glanced at the professors then looked at the sky.
“Take the students to a safe place. It will take ten more minutes before Qaval finishes his spell,” said Grasse. A thin line of blood flowed down his chin. He wiped it using his twig-like arm.
The Professors nodded. Janus followed the line of sight of the Chairman of the Academy, and he shivered upon seeing an ominous creature floating in the sky.
Janus asked, “W-What… W-Who is that, Chairman Grasse?”
“That’s what I’m going to find out. Don’t dally any longer, Janus. Take the students away from here,” said Grasse. His body floated into the sky, and he stared at the Demon before him.
On the arena below, the students began to leave the coliseum. Their destination was the secret passage beneath. It was supposedly connected to the Floating Garden of Ilian. Hopefully, it would grant them enough time until they were teleported out of harm’s way by the Guardian.
“Who are you?” said Grasse. “Why are you attacking this Academy?”
The demon would have been mistaken for a human if not for the small horn at its forehead, and its long, sharp nails. It merely stared at Grasse, not bothering to give a reply.
Grassed repeated, “Who are you?”
The heavens roared. The demon said, “Insect, do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?”