"Welcome back students, faculty, and others alike!," a loud voice came from the upper stands. "My name's Misa"
"And my name's Lisa"
"And we are your official tournament announcer twins!," they said as both of their voices filled the stands.
A wave of excitement and applause filled the arena, as many alike were waiting in anticipation for the duels ahead.
"Today we have the beginning of the third set of duels!," Misa began, as her eyes wandered throughout the crowd. "And our first duel will be sure to be one you do not want to miss!"
"That's right dear sister!," Lisa picked up where Misa left off. "Today's first duel will be between the Weakest Mage, Allen Fleming, and The Infamous B Ranker, Nathaniel Rivertide!"
"With the student that everyone has kept their eyes on, whether for positive or negative reasons, against the student infamous for his previous duels, now finally rising in his ranks, we will be sure to have an interesting duel for all to watch!," Misa continued.
"But what might be the most intriguing for all of you watching today," Lisa pointed a finger towards a spot in the stands. "Is that we have none other than our current Head Director, Ellen Marion, with us today!"
"Could it be true that she makes the effort to watch Allen Fleming's duels, due to what happened at the official tournament announcement?," Misa asked out loud.
"It appears so, my dear sister!," Lisa dramatically answered. "She has only been present for her own daughter's, our Student Council President, Rose Marion's duels!"
"That is most certainly interesting, my dear sister!," Misa dramatically answered back. "All we can do now is just watch to see what happens!"
Ellen Marion annoyidly glared at the twins for a moment, but she had decided to turn her attention back to the arena below, for what was going to soon happen.
"And without further ado, our first duel is just about to begin!," Lisa raised her voice. "To our left, regarded as the Weakest Mage, Allen Fleming!"
Allen quickly walked into the middle of the arena, as the waves of both applause and booing came from the stands, from those that supported and opposed him alike. A look of uneasiness was on his face, as he moved his shoulders to try to relax them.
"And to our right, the recently renamed Infamous B Ranker, due to the recent change of his ranking, Nathaniel Rivertide!," Misa announced as she pointed in his direction.
Nathaniel calmly walked towards the middle of the arena, with once again waves of applause and booing coming from the stands. He wore a calm but very unnerving grin on his face, as if he was really looking forward to this duel more than anything.
"If I remember correctly dear sister, Allen Fleming only has two more duels until he passes his conditions placed upon him by our former head director, right?," Lisa asked out loud.
"You would be right, dear sister!," Misa answered dramatically. "If he can win against Nathaniel here, and one more duel, he will be a step closer to passing his first year!"
"However, this duel is a lot different than some of our previous ones!," Lisa spoke up. "It would seem this is not the first time that Allen Fleming has dueled against Nathaniel Rivertide!"
"That's right, my dear sister!," Misa answered. "Allen and Nathaniel have appeared to have dueled in the past, with Nathaniel's victory. You could almost call this an 'Infamous Rematch'!"
"Just how will the duel turn out? Will Allen Fleming be able to make it to his fourth duel? Will Nathaniel claim victory once again? Stick around to find out!," Lisa called out for dramatic effect.
Allen's third duel had finally arrived, and he wasn't looking forward to it in the slightest.
Allen had spent the past few days training with Charles Rivertide, his self-proclaimed rival and younger brother to his opponent, Nathaniel Rivertide.
But even with the training and hard work he had put in, he still could not shake the nervousness and uncertainty he felt. Just what was causing this for him?
Allen took a moment to face Nathaniel, who wore an unnerving grin on his face. It was almost as if he was impatiently waiting for their duel to begin, so he could immediately take Allen down.
I see now, Allen thought to himself, as he began to shudder. I'm afraid, aren't I?
His mind wandered back to his first duel against Nathaniel, where Nathaniel had humiliated Allen and claimed victory, just by mere luck. Nathaniel could have taken Allen's sword, by their duel agreement, but he had ultimately decided not to, which the reason was most likely what Charles had pointed out earlier.
Regardless, Allen realized that this whole time, he was still not over his first duel with Nathaniel. Sure, he was fine afterwards and onwards, but seeing Nathaniel again must have triggered those uneasy memories he had lying dormant.
Will Allen manage to defeat Nathaniel Rivertide this time, claiming victory and moving on? Or will Nathaniel best him yet again, resulting in Allen's forced expulsion, due to his conditions?
No doubt Nathaniel had a magical artifact up his sleeve, with it either being the same one as last time, or perhaps one that's even better, no doubt supplied by Ellen Marion if so.
Regardless, I will need to do what I can to win, Allen thought to himself, as he took a deep breath.
"What's wrong, Fleming?," Nathaniel asked, letting out a small, unnerving laugh.
Allen didn't respond as he chose to ignore him and instead focus on remaining calm. He couldn't let Nathaniel get to him.
"Don't worry, this will be over… eventually," Nathaniel said as his smirk turned into a grin. "I will finish what I started. This will be your last duel at this academy that you do not belong at, and you will have to give up being a magical knight for good"
Allen clenched his fist as he tried to ignore Nathaniel's words.
I just need to remain focused. Remember what Charles told me. Remember my training. I can do this, Allen thought as he encouraged himself.
Without another moment to waste, the duel referee had come in between the both of them, getting ready to signal the beginning of their duel.
"Allen Fleming, rank 1F air mage, and Nathaniel Rivertide, rank 2B water mage; your duel will begin in three-"
I've got this, Allen thought, as he drew his sword from the sheath strapped to his waist.
"Two"
Nathaniel began to prepare a magical circle, no doubt preparing for his first spell.
"One"
Allen and Nathaniel stared at each other, ready to move or attack at a moment's notice.
"Begin!"
Allen immediately prepared himself to move in at a moment's notice, but something was stopping him. As he watched Nathaniel, he noticed him just about ready with his spell, ready to cast it any second now.
Why can't I move?, Allen thought, as he grit his teeth. He's right there, I can attack him!
Nathaniel's grin grew larger, almost as if he was noticing the predicament Allen was suddenly in. What was going on?
It wasn't until Allen realized that he was shaking in place why he couldn't move in. He was feeling fear again!
Now is not the time, I can't lose this!, Allen almost yelled mentally, as he got himself moving again.
"Alright Fleming, it's time you taste defeat once again!," Nathaniel yelled, as he cast his first spell at him.
Allen grit his teeth again as he cut through Nathaniel's spell, leaving no damage on him.
Alright, I can do this, Allen thought as he reassured himself again.
"As I thought," Nathaniel said out loud, as he prepared another spell. Was he testing Allen?
I need to go a bit more on the offensive, but just what kind of elemental artifact does he have this time?, Allen thought.
"You're weak Fleming, just admit defeat already and make this easier for everyone," Nathaniel said through his unnerving grin, casting a second spell at him.
I need to focus, Allen reminded himself, as he cut through another one of his spells.
"The duel is already off to an interesting start!," Misa called out from the stands. "Nathaniel is already on the offensive, but what will Fleming do?"
Allen stared over at Nathaniel, who seemed to be preparing another spell. Just what was he doing? Was he still testing him?
No need to keep thinking about it, Allen reminded himself. I need to start doing something, before he backs me into a corner.
"What's wrong, Fleming?," Nathaniel asked, shrugging his shoulders dramatically. "Are you just going to sit there and do nothing?"
Calm down, Allen tried to remind himself. He's saying all of that to get under my skin. I need to concentrate and turn this around.
"If you're going to make this so easy for me, then I will take you down here right and now," Nathaniel grinned as he began to cast his spell.
Allen closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate with the limited time he had. He concentrated on his air mana, which he began to move to his legs. He knew that he should limit the magic he uses, but he couldn't afford to be conservative with it in his duel against Nathaniel. He needed whatever edges against him he could use.
"Take this Fleming," Nathaniel yelled, as he cast his spell at him.
Now!, Allen thought to himself, as he began to move.
Allen quickly began to move in towards Nathaniel's position, cutting through Nathaniel's spell as he moved forward. Nathaniel gritted his teeth for a moment, but began to prepare for another spell.
"Take this Nathaniel!," Allen shouted, as he just reached his position. He swung his sword at him, with the strength he could muster.
"Got you," Nathaniel said as his grin grew larger.
Allen's eyes widened as Nathaniel quickly dodged Allen's attack, putting a fair amount of distance between the two of them. Nathaniel's elemental circle did not move with him, staying right in place, right where Nathaniel stood before.
"This is-," Allen started to say, but didn't have enough time to finish his sentence, as the spell came out of the circle, blasting him at point blank range.
Allen was immediately sent flying back at a high speed, landing on his back just right before passing the duel boundaries. He tried to ignore the pain as he got up, gripping his sword.
"And Fleming was suddenly sent flying back!," Lisa raised her voice as the crowd went abuzz with noise. "Just how did Nathaniel do that? And will Fleming be able to counter him?"
"Is that all you've got Fleming?," Nathaniel shouted from across the duel grounds. "And here I thought you would have more in you this time! Have you really gotten weaker since our first duel?"
Allen grit his teeth as he got back on his feet. He couldn't let Nathaniel get to him, but he was letting him anyway. He needed to muster his strength again, and turn the duel around into his favor.
Allen tried to think back to his training with Charles. Both he and Charles knew that Nathaniel would do everything he could to humiliate Allen to keep him down. In addition, he also had that magical artifact that allowed him to cast his spells at a further distance.
"Like what he had used just now," Allen muttered, as he recalled the spell that sent him back flying. Despite moving a fair distance away from Allen, his elemental circle managed to stay right where he was before, casting the spell at point blank range.
"Alright, let's try something different this time," Allen muttered, as he tried to calm himself down.
"What's wrong Fleming? Still can't do anything?," Nathaniel mocked him again. "Do I need to walk over there and show you how to properly cast a spell, since you can't do that much?'"
Ignore him, Allen thought, as he began to muster his mana again.
"F rank, that's all you'll ever be," he continued to mock him, getting the crowd's attention again. "But don't worry. After this duel you won't have to worry about that anymore. You won't be a student anymore!"
Ig- Ignore him!, Allen reminded himself, as he grit his teeth to hold back his anger.
"After you're gone, I'm sure our greatest Head Director Ellen Marion will have one less obstacle on her way to make this academy truly fitting for the strongest!," Nathaniel continued to mock him as he started to walk over to Allen. "Everything will be so much easier, with you and the rest of the weakest gone, from where they don't belong!"
Just ignore him!, Allen reminded himself, as he shook in place. Concentrate on my air mana, let it flow throughout myself!
However, the fire mana within Allen felt like it was boiling, preventing Allen from concentrating on his air mana as easily. With his fire mana reacting to his emotions, it only made it harder for him to control his already limited air mana.
No, I can't let my fire mana go off like this!, Allen began to clench his left fist as hard as he could to try to grip himself back to reality. One outburst, and I'm done for!
"Still nothing?," Nathaniel asked, as he tilted his head. "A shame. I really was hoping for something more than just you standing there, letting me win like this. Oh well, I suppose I will get this over with"
Good! Let him come to me, and I will further close the distance!, Allen thought, as he had his eyes set on Nathaniel, who was slowly closing the distance between the two of them. This will be my chance!
"Nathaniel is walking over to Allen?," Misa asked out loud, as the crowd tried to figure out what was going on. "Just what does Nathaniel have planned? And what will Allen do?"
"I don't know my dear sister, but I'm sure we're about to see something!," Lisa added.
"C'mon, don't tell me you're just going to stare at me like that?," Nathaniel laughed, as he continued inching closer.
Almost there, Allen thought to himself, as he waited for mere seconds for Nathaniel to get in range, allowing Allen a perfect strike, at him.
"Really a shame that's all you've got," Nathaniel shook his head. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, a large smirk forming on his face for a moment, as though he just thought of a great idea.
"Rejoice, Allen Fleming," Nathaniel raised his voice, as spread his arms out for dramatic effect. "After you're finally gone and expelled from this academy, it will be so much easier to then get rid of that Thomas brat"
Allen's eyes began to widen while staring directly at Nathaniel, as Nathaniel knew he had hit a spot. Nathaniel's grin only began to grow even larger as he knew exactly what to say from there on.
"Once your stupid friend Thomas is gone, it will be so much easier to claim Cecily as mine," Nathaniel spoke, his eyes towards the ceiling as he was almost thinking about it. "Once she's mine, I will-"
"You…," Allen began to speak, as his head lowered towards the floor. Nathaniel could not see Allen's eyes, but he could easily tell the resentment in anger in Allen was growing.
"What's wrong, Fleming? Does it really anger you that much to see your friends taken away from you, one by one?," he asked, as he began to laugh.
No, no, no, no, Allen thought as he was almost screaming mentally. The fire mana within him began to swell, reacting to his emotions, almost wanting to break free from his body.
"Stephen's nothing either. He'll be too busy chasing after other girls for me to worry about him," Nathaniel shrugged.
"Shut up," Allen muttered, just loud enough for only Nathaniel to hear.
"That want to be prince, August, will have nothing to say either, in front of Ellen and the Triumvirate," Nathaniel continued. "It will only be a matter of time before he will be removed too"
"Shut up," Allen repeated himself, as his sword arm began to shake.
"And Sarah too. A shame she has to go against Ellen's position. I am sure he had potential of her own, but that's wasted on her," Nathaniel continued, as he eagerly waited for Allen's anger to rise.
Allen didn't answer this time, instead shaking in place. His sword shook with him, almost as though it was resonating with him.
"But out of all of them, Rose is definitely the worst," Nathaniel shrugged again, as he let out a sickening laugh. "I know Ellen wants to use her and her potential to help keep the students in line, but she's nothing more than a tool in the end.
"SHUT UP!," Allen yelled, loud enough where the entire arena heard him.
Nathaniel almost instinctively backed up, as he was not expecting that level of anger to arise from Allen so soon. He looked around the crowd, who also seemed a bit shaken. The loud noise from the crowd had instantly quieted down, as they waited for what would happen next.
"Well, it seems the duel has reached a turning point," Misa started to say, as she looked at her sister for help. "Should we-"
"C'mon Allen? Really nothing from you? Should I just end this pitiful duel once and for all?," Nathaniel asked, as he began to cast a spell.
Nathaniel Rivertide, Allen thought to himself, as though he was speaking to him. I will-
The fire mana began to react to him once again, coursing all throughout his body. It took everything Allen had to try to keep it at bay, but it was almost useless. The anger he felt outweighed his desire to hold it back. It would be just so much easier if he let his fire mana out, and let it consume Nathaniel Rivertide and this would all be over in an instant.
But something seemed to stop him, and out of anything it could have been, it was his sword. It seemed to also be reacting to Allen's emotions, practically begging for him to look at it, forcefully drawing Allen's attention to it.
What-, Allen began to think, as his eyes shifted to his sword. Wait-
He realized he could use his magical release! With the mana stored from Nathaniel's spells, it would definitely be enough to throw at him, especially at near-point blank range!
It would be a huge gamble though, Allen thought, as he sighed. Once I use it, I would practically be out of energy. I need to make sure it hits!
"And even at the very end, you say nothing," Nathaniel sighed in disappointment. "Goodbye, Allen Fleming"
As Nathaniel began to cast what seemed to be the last spell of the duel, Allen's eyes immediately widened as he looked up at Nathaniel, a sheer look of determination on his face.
"What?," Nathaniel asked out loud, as he almost instinctively began to step back.
"It's over, Nathaniel Rivertide," Allen said, as though he was announcing it.
"What are you-"
"Magical release!," Allen shouted, as he mustered all the strength he had into one fluid motion, as his sword was swung downwards.
"You-"
The amount of water mana that was stored in Allen's blade went full force towards Nathaniel, ready to take him down in an instant. Nathaniel's eyes widened in surprise, as he was about to take the full force of his own mana at almost point blank range.
As Allen's mouth began to form a grin, Nathaniel's did the same.
"Wait-," Allen began to say out loud, as his eyes widened at the sudden turning of Nathaniel's expression.
"Got you," Nathaniel's eyes widened in sheer excitement. The words almost seemed to echo in Allen's mind, as he realized what was about to unfold.
As Allen's magical release left his sword, it did not hit Nathaniel as expected. Instead, it went flying all the way to the other side of the duel arena, hitting the sturdy wall instead.
In the mere moments that the release was about to come from Allen's sword, Nathaniel had quickly side stepped out of the way, taking no damage from Allen's one attack he had up his sleeve.
"Such a shame," Nathaniel began to say, as Allen collapsed on the ground. "The one attack you knew you could use to defeat me, utterly wasted in one singular blow"
"No… I can't…," Allen muttered, as he was rapidly losing his strength in his body.
"You took the bait, and now it's truly over," Nathaniel explained, as he slowly walked over to Allen's weakened body on the floor. "And with this last spell, will mark your disappointing defeat"
Nathaniel raised his arm upwards, just enough so his hand was pointing down at Allen. He began to cast his elemental circle, preparing for the spell to knock Allen unconscious.
"And the Weakest Mage becomes a true nobody going forward," Nathaniel said out loud, as the crowd all in the stands watched in both confusion and surprise at the near end of their duel.