"Mr. Sujing, are you awake? The Mithridates - Hygeia should be well at work by now." One of the nurses woke him as she lifted his arm, to inspect his condition.
"Shouldn't...it be me asking for a lady's hand?" He muttered in a daze, flustering the nurse that was attending to him.
"Don't let the good doctor hear you say that, he's liable to keep that hand." Arno scolded him as the rest of his classmates joined him in the Ward.
"Huh? Where's Erai, we thought he would be here?"
"Oh, I haven't seen him, but I'm doing great, thanks for worrying about me." Waving to show-off his bandaged limbs.
While back to the corridors joining the Arena and the waiting rooms.
As Shynerai went on ahead to meet Torren in the Medical Ward, he encountered one of the last students he expected to see,
"You! Why are you here? Actually, never mind that, I don't have time for this."
"Careful, the last time you overstepped with your words, you ended up with your face on the floor." Vauntuss responded when the two of them finally met.
Both of them grinned with the same idiotic smile they shared after returning from the Violain Woods
"From the look in your eyes, it seems you're still insistent on tasting my blade." Vauntuss' expression was highlighted by the azure glow of his eyes as if to answer the display of golden lightning wrapping itself around Erai.
"No matter, Shynerai, if you're so sure that you could stand against me then you better ensure that you don't falter.".
'Be wary of that one, in fact, the further away from him you are the better.' A distant voice spoke to Vauntuss.
"Is that so? Then I am even more curious to face him, Skadi. But for now, let us focus on what's to come."
'Vauntuss! Just what kind of monster are you?' Shynerai kept his smile that was fueled by excitement, though the excitement could not shake the trembling of his body to the chill that had filled the room.
When he managed to pull himself from its grip, Shynerai left for the Ward, entering to find that everyone was already there and finding that Torren was wrapped up from head to toe by the attending nurse.
"Mister Arno. During my battle, I wasn't able to find the right answer to your question at least not right now but I plan on finding out. I promise"
"Oh, so that's what was going on between the two of you?" Erai asked as he wandered into the Ward.
"Well you had your training and we had ours." Stephen answered.
"I needed help with something and everyone was busy. In the end, I managed to stumble upon Stephen and persuaded him to help."
"Annoyed me to death before I finally gave in was more like it. Lucky for you I just so happened to be seeking aid from the president of the Disciplinary Committee and so I let him tag along."
"You mean tried to blackmail me into helping you before I felt generous enough to share my knowledge?" Arno interjected.
"They really are alike aren't they?" Tersia whispered to Aurelia, who couldn't help but nod. While his classmates were arguing, Erai noticed a preoccupied Arno who immediately shut his Notebook upon noticing him.
"You should know we hope to see many more impressive battles, be sure not to disappoint me." Arno said, before leaving.
'Congrats on seeing the fruits of your teachings. Just know that I'm not about to lose against you. Little white hair has a few surprises. Oh and tell Kiara and the old man not to worry. I'll be home soon.' -Jaret.
Arno mulled over the message before Kiara joined him, with the two heading back to the Student Council's room,, he shut his Notebook as he told her of their "troublemaker's" whereabouts though being careful to omit a few upsetting details.
"It's one thing to have me honor a request from the Headmistress, but sitting in this damn port for the last two days was not part of the agreement. If he's in Delos then that means he'll either be headed to Melodoria or the Lost World. Damn, there's no way I'm following anyone halfway around the world." Jaret murmured while he sat in a café, watching the docking crafts.
"And where have you been?" Vaceris asked, clearly still miffed after her encounter with Patrulea.
"I had a little chat with an old friend."
"That's a lie, I'm your only friend." Torren blurted in a daze.
"The one time you spill your guts, you're too injured for me to bribe?"
"Ah-ah, I'm still hungry. But with my hands all crispy, I guess I'll have our princess feed me–"
"Of all the days to tease my temper, today is not one of them, Sujing." Gripping his bandages tightly in a move that even scared the nurse nearby.
"Vacer-eh, I think you should hold back, he still needs to fight later on." Erai tried to separate them only for her to shift her rage.
"I'm not done with you, let's go."
"Wait where are you going, I'm still hungry."
"We'll go and get everyone snacks, I just need to talk to him." Dragging Erai out of the door.
"How does one man have that much misfortune?" Stephen blurted after seating himself nearby.
"Anyhow, how about we check out the Arena, the next battle should be starting right about now?" Stephen pulled out his Notebook, before opening a page that sparked to light a shimmering display.
The display took a few moments to form before appearing to generate a crystalline image, granting a view of the Arena from above.
"With the repairs now complete, we shall continue."
"Will the next combatants now join me in the Arena." Ms. Yuria appeared on the Arena grounds as the gates to the entrances opened.
From one end of the Arena, the stage was set for the eyes of the audience to shower them in awe as they stepped out of the corridor. Their silver hair captured the hearts of all who watched as she came to a stop, it was clear that she already had the cheers of those seeking her victory.
While the collective glee and reverence of her appearance was shared amongst the men and women of the crowd, the allure of the approaching figure had instantly caught the hearts of all the maidens that watched.
"The second battle of the Cross Tournament between Dusk Greywind of Class 1C and Vauntuss Strum of Class 1A."
"Begin." Ms. Yuria let out the call for the start of the clash, disappearing from the grounds only to appear in the stands, albeit not alone as bickering from a coming group caught her attention.
The Academy's Warsmith, Reven Masters arrived with Dr. Arturion in tow while a snacking Reiss tagged along, bringing the group to a halt as they joined the sitting Salazar and Ulrich. Reiss never missing a chance to annoy Ulrich, antagonized him,
"Hopefully your students can put on a better show than that showstopper of a first battle, but I doubt it."
"Why are you here? Not you, doctor, but the clown? And you Reven, since when do you spend time with the blonde idiot, half the time you barely ever step foot out of your Forge?"
"I have my reasons, and the elf managed to drag me here."
"I simply wanted to see what you've been doing with one of my dear students all this time, I thought you might want to as well."
"Ha. The last time I checked, the dear boy is still a young lad. Nothing there that would interest your lustful eyes." Reven responded firmly as he crossed his arms.
"If it's all right with everyone, could we all settle down, our students have just begun." Salazar pleaded in a surprisingly soft tone, one that managed to be heard by the bickering lot and even brought them to listen.
"So, a hundred uld on the storm brat, what about you?" Reiss whispered to the doctor while he nudged the Warsmith.
"Taking bets, really? This isn't a cock-fight, we're teachers for FAE's sake." Ulrich scolded him.
"Yeah yeah, so are you matching my bet or are you going to try and throw the Rulebook at me?"
"I'll throw even more if it means that you finally get it–"
"Two hundred uld on my dear student, Ms. Greywind." The meek Salazar shouted his bet.
"Very well, so are you going to support your student or just sit there imagining all the time you could spend strangling me?"
"Ms. Yuria, our actions will not in any way alter the outcome of the battle. In fact, disregard anything that takes place today."
"Mr. Ulrich, while I trust your judgment, I don't think you should condone Reiss' immature behavior–"
"Two hundred and fifty uld on Vauntuss Strum." Ulrich declared before leaning back into his seat.
"And you two, how can you just sit there?" Ms Yuria turned her frustration onto the silent Reven and the thought-bound doctor.
"I just came to watch the battle. And this is one strange one for sure."
"Oh, has that sharp eye for all things magic spotted something interesting?" Reiss spoke up from his previous argument.
"Just watch and you'll see." Flicking his ear as he peered over the seat in front of him.
Vauntuss turned to face Dusk with barely a change in his expression.
"I see you stand unsure? Then it will come down to who strikes first." Pulling out a book from her holster,
"Your student is a Tome User, how quaint." Reiss commented. The pages between the bounds fluttered open, garnering the young knight's attention while,
"You are mistaken Reiss, that's not just a Tome, it's her SoulArm." Salazar cheered with a surprising look of joy.
"Howl: The 12th Bell." A deep and mind-numbing toll resonated from her while he stood staunch as the onlookers reeled from the overwhelming tones.
"The Greywinds talent comes from their capacity to use other magics as well as if they were their own. With no inherent magic affinity, they can fully utilize the magic that they study."
"I'm well aware. I'm more curious about that Tome. Aren't such tools only meant for storing mastered magics that can be called upon at a moment's notice." Reiss wondered after uncovering his ears before pushing him away from himself and Arturion, back into his seat.
Only for the excited instructor to reel himself back knocking over Reiss in the process:
"Though it should be noted that the Greywinds aren't the only ones with this capacity but they are the most famous for combining this trait with their intense studies producing talented mages that have cemented their names in the kingdom of Falsetti."
"Thanks for the play by play, Salazar."
'Guess there's someone more enthusiastic than the good doctor about these children.'
"So?"
"So why would a mere tool be servicing her as a Soul Arm."
"Watch and you'll soon learn."
With the harrowing noise falling away, Vauntuss began to ready himself only for something to catch his eye.
The mirage of a clock-face behind her, prompting him to return to his posture before a chill began descending upon him. The Tome opened on a new page prompting her to open her hand to give birth to sparks of fire as she was wrapped in wisps of golden light,
"I, staring up, the light did spy, And to my God, my heart did cry." Shocking Torren to his feet as he witnessed what she had just done.
Calling on the magic that was a sight denied to the audience in the last battle, her command wrought the rains of several flaming swords. The scorching sabers were screaming while the currents flowing around them swelled through the air before crashing into the Arena only for him to dodge the flurry bombarding him as she drew closer.
Taking to face him head-on with one of the blades in hand only for her shallow strikes to be met by unexpected resistance for her blow clashed against the icy aura around him. Prompting the birth of more blades to continue her assault.
Trying to pin him below the burning storm of swords, Dusk drove one of her blades into him, forcing Vauntuss to step back with the appearance of ice clusters shielding his forearms from her blow.
Putting him in the hands of her attack, she watched as bombardment scorched the scene in front of her.
"Ice X!" A stern tone echoed through the explosive storm before a blinding wind sent out a shockwave, accompanied by the very same cold.