The gong rang.
Dong!
Aeon landed on the ground and rolled a few times before he came to a stop. He was covered in dirt and grass, but he was smiling. Smiling ridiculously! How could he not be overjoyed?! He was able to get a hold of the flag before the time ran out.
He hugged the red flag tightly on his chest.
We passed!
Suri got up from the ground. He was exhausted and completely beat up, but he still approached Aeon. He moved step by step, completely ignoring the devastated Prius a few meters away from him.
Prius looked like a madman. His black hair was now in disarray and his eyes were wide open, his pupils trembling. His breathing was coarse, and his nostrils flared. His rage was building up with every step that Suri took. The fact that he failed the test and that he wasn't able to beat Suri unconscious fuelled his insecurity.
Seeing Aeon laugh while being pulled up from the ground by Suri snapped the thread that kept Prius sane for the moment. He started casting a spell. Not long after, seven fireballs slowly hovered above his head.
Seven!
He broke his limit! He broke his limit by two! But he wasn't aware of it for the moment. He did not feel joy nor did he celebrate. All he wanted was to blast Suri off to outer space along with that random mage who strangely did not cast any spells.
He launched ALL of the fireballs simultaneously, sending them soaring through the air.
The heat that emanated from those fireballs was stronger than any of the ones that the battlefield had seen today and yesterday.
This was the strongest Fire spell cast in the entire exam!
Suri had his back on Prius, but due to being extremely sensitive to fire magic, he felt the unusual fire activity. He turned around and saw the blazing fireballs heading straight towards him. They were burning intensely that he was not even able to tell that there were seven of them. Their flames burned strong, looking like one giant attack.
Suri's eyes widened in shock! Why did Prius attack even after the test finished? He immediately reached for his broadsword to block the attack, but his movements were too sluggish. His body failed him. He was too exhausted to block!
Not good!
It was already clear for Suri that he would not be able to block the attack. Catching the attack with his body was obviously not an option. Dodge? There's no more time!
At that moment, Suri felt something hit his left hip. Before he could figure out what it was, his body bent like a bow. At that moment, he turned his head.
He came face to face with Aeon who was right next to him, his leg was extended towards him and it connected on his left hip.
Aeon had kicked him!
Swoosh!
Suri shot through the air like an arrow leaving its bow due to the force of the kick. It felt like a deja vu of the first day of the examination.
Boom!
The seven fireballs exploded where Suri had been standing. Flames blazed, devouring Aeon's figure. But immediately after, he was spat out.
He was sent flying by the explosion.
….
Klaus was monitoring the magic stones when he suddenly noticed one dimming to an extent where it was extremely fatal. Without thinking, Klaus stood up from his chair. He jumped through the desk in front of him to get close to the wall that held the magic stones. He immediately read the name below the stone.
Aeon Morgan.
"…"
Klaus' eyes widened, and his hands started to tremble. After seeing the name below the magic stone, Klaus felt conflicted. The stone was so dim that the mage associated with it could die at any moment. Klaus hurriedly looked around the room and saw that there was no one else around, except him, since Montis had left early. He sighed with relief. No one had seen his unusual reaction. Then he suddenly thought about something…
What if… I let Aeon Morgan...die?
Marshall Morgan, who was now, in a sense, a captive of war had absolutely nothing at all right now. If his son "accidentally" died… Would he also die from grief?
While caught up in his thoughts, Klaus did not notice that he was slowly moving away from the wall. He stumbled on his desk and woke up from his daydream. He recalled Montis' words.
The child is innocent...
What am I thinking?
Klaus rushed towards the wall again then immediately grabbed Aeon Morgan's stone. He closed his eyes and focused on it. Inside his head, a path led by a thin white thread was formed.
Then, Klaus opened his eyes and burst outside the door. The two guards on watch were shocked, but before they could ask Klaus about the problem, he opened his hand holding the stone and spoke, "Call the medics! We have an emergency!"
Seeing the dim stone, realization dawned on the two guards. The two of them started casting a spell. Wind suddenly gathered on the two, whirling around their bodies then finally settling on the two's legs. They bent their bodies forward as a track and field runner would. Then...
Whoosh!
The two rushed through the straight hall before turning around the corner.
Klaus rushed through the opposite direction with Aeon Morgan's stone in hand.
….
Dammit! Aeon!
Suri attempted to stand up, but he immediately felt a sharp pain on his left hip. He subconsciously shifted his weight due to the pain and fell on his right knee. A few bones must have been broken from the kick. From a distance, Suri eyed the panicked Prius with rage. That attack was supposed to be for him. If not for Aeon...
If not for Aeon, he would have been dead.
When Prius' met Suri's gaze, he stumbled back then fell on his butt. He crawled a few feet before running, trying to get away from the scene. He must have snapped out of his insanity and realized what he had done. The administrators of the test would not be happy about this. More so if Aeon died.
Suri could only helplessly look at Prius as he fled. He had no power to catch up to a running person. With a limp, he approached Aeon once more. According to his memory, as he was flying, he saw that Aeon was not directly hit by the fireball. Aeon had managed to turn around and move a meter before the attack hit the ground. He silently prayed that Aeon was not killed by the explosion.
As Suri was getting close, he realized that the explosion was extremely strong, almost as strong as his explosive attack that consumed all his magic. He must have failed to notice the destructive power of the attack due to his situation. The scorched area on the ground was so large that he started to get a cold sweat. He worried for Aeon even more.
After walking a few meters, he finally saw the sorry figure of Aeon. He was lying on his stomach, and his back was scorched black like the grass caught up in the explosion. He hastened his steps despite his limp.
Suri flinched after he crouched beside Aeon. Upon closer inspection, the back of Aeon's clothes was completely disintegrated, revealing the burnt and mangled flesh on his back. His hands were also scorched black, maybe from covering his head. His ponytail was no more.
Afraid of worsening the situation, Suri did not touch Aeon at all. He just stared dumbly, not knowing what to do. He was filled with anxiety, not knowing if Aeon was still alive or not. He slowly recalled his suspicions.
Suri started screaming at Aeon.
"Aeon, if you really are a demonic beast, go fucking heal yourself! Dammit!"
"Don't fucking die here!"
Suri panted. His throat hurt from screaming. His shoulders sagged as exhaustion crept over him.
Aeon must have heard Suri scream as he started coughing lightly.
Seeing this, Suri was overjoyed. He's still alive! Despite the burning pain on his throat, he continued screaming, "Don't give up now! Wake up you musclehead! Wake up, I say!"
"Can you...stop shouting at me, you oaf!" Aeon suddenly said weakly, catching Suri by surprise.
Suri sighed with relief. He really was alive. He could still recover. Aeon was facing away from him so he slowly limped his way in front of Aeon, so he could see him. "I knew you were a demonic beast."
Aeon was silent for a good five seconds before replying, "I...sure hope I am, right now. I can't…I can't seem to feel my whole body."
Before Suri could respond, Aeon started talking again, "Can you...light up some fire, please? It's…getting colder."
Suri's eyebrows furrowed. Aeon didn't seem like he was joking at all. If Aeon was really not a demonic beast, he would die from his injuries here. Suri slowly extended two trembling fingers in front of Aeon's nose to feel his breathing.
After a few moments, Suri realized that Aeon's breathing was getting weaker and weaker! Panic overtook Suri once more. He looked behind him, towards the city, and started screaming again.
"HELP!"
"HELP!"
"SOMEONE'S DYING!"
"HELP!"
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
Suri did not stop screaming at all. From time to time, he would place two fingers in front of Aeon's nose to check if he was still with him. His hands trembled every time.
Five minutes passed.
Seven minutes passed.
Suri was now completely out of breath, but he still continued to scream, although his screams were getting weaker and weaker. He was starting to feel lightheaded, probably from the lack of oxygen due to screaming nonstop.
Suri fell to the ground. He could still feel his lips moving, however, he could not hear what he was saying himself.
As his eyelids slowly closed, he saw a group of people rushing straight towards them at a high speed.
Suri fainted.
….