As Allen's duel against Nathaniel Rivertide progressed, Stephen Windblade noticed that there was something wrong with Allen, and Allen wasn't trying as hard as he could in this duel.
With all of the effort and hard work Allen put into his training to prepare for this important duel of his, Stephen could only wonder if something else was affecting Allen. Just what could it be?
Allen, what's going on with you?, Stephen thought to himself, as Nathaniel kept hurling insults at Allen.
But what surprised Stephen the most was when Allen had suddenly decided to use his recently acquired "Magical Release" ability. Nathaniel had immediately dodged the spell, almost as if he was completely expecting it.
Wait, that's it, Stephen thought as he had a realization. Nathaniel baited him into using it!
With Allen suddenly on the ground and out of energy, and with Nathaniel slowly walking over to him, Stephen made the final realization - Allen was slowly giving up!
Stephen could hear the worried words of his friends around him, all concerned for Allen. After all, if Allen lost here and now, that would mean his expulsion from the academy, and Allen would immediately lose everything he has worked so hard for. Stephen just could not accept that!
But, what could I even do?, Stephen asked himself, as he could only watch Nathaniel slowly approaching Allen. I obviously cannot directly help him, but is there a way I can indirectly help him?
"What's going on with Allen? Is he going to be okay?," a worried Thomas asked, as he began to get up from his chair. "Don't tell me he's going to lose and give up!"
Stephen closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "It has to be his sudden lack of confidence and growing fear, no doubt attributed from Allen's first duel and loss to Nathaniel, and now with what's going on"
"But-"
"Remember Thomas," Stephen turned to look at him. "Although he was fine afterwards, I'm sure his loss against Nathaniel has been eating away at him since the beginning. He still hasn't truly gotten over it, and it's finally showing in his duel against him again"
"That… that can't be true… Surely Allen is going to win, right? Right?"
Stephen didn't answer him, and instead grit his teeth as he watched the fight below. Just what could he do? Was Allen really going to lose here, and they just had to sit back and watch it happen?
"Witness everyone!," Nathaniel yelled as he moved his head around to face everyone in the crowd. "Witness the defeat of this 'Weakest Mage' by my hands! Witness how he truly is weak and not deserving of being a mage!"
"What's going on, dear sister?," Misa asked, as she grew a look of worry on her face.
"I'm not sure myself, dear sister," Lisa admitted, as her eyes drifted back and forth between the duel referee and Nathaniel. Should they step in and have the duel referee end the duel before things get worse?
Stephen thought back to his duel against Allen, the duel in which he stubbornly declared. Despite his harsh words and negative feelings directed towards him, Allen instead helped turn things around for Stephen. He helped make him realize his own real feelings, and helped him make up with his own father.
After all of that, he just couldn't watch Allen lose so easily, especially after all of that hard work and effort Allen has put in since day one.
"Allen, you idiot," Stephen said out loud, as he grit his teeth.
"Take this, you pathetic excuse for a mage!," Nathaniel yelled as he cast his spell at Allen from almost point blank range. Allen took the hit, and his body was launched a few meters across the arena.
Allen moved slightly for a moment, but did not try to get up. Was it because he couldn't get up, or was he really giving up?
"That's not enough for you?," Nathaniel laughed as his eyes widened in excitement. "Take this!"
Nathaniel cast several more spells at Allen, and Allen was thrown across the arena with each spell he took. Not once was Allen thrown out of the duel boundaries, as though Nathaniel did not want this to end, and wanted to torment him for as long as he could.
"Should we… should we stop this?," Misa asked, as the crowd remained silent. Lisa did not answer her, and instead crossed her arms in thought.
"You idiot! You deserve this!," Nathaniel yelled with excitement, as he continued to cast spells at Allen. Allen did not even attempt to dodge or avoid any of them.
"Is this, is this even allowed?," Misa asked out loud, as she looked down at the duel referee.
The duel referee looked back at her in understanding, and immediately moved towards the center of the arena, where Nathaniel and Allen were. He forcefully had Nathaniel step back, as he checks Allen's status. Was Allen unconscious?
It became very obvious that Nathaniel reluctantly stepped back, with the annoyed look on his face. If the duel referee hadn't stepped in, just what could have happened to Allen, especially if he was already unconscious?
But, I know better than that, Stephen thought to himself, as he ran frantically down the steps of the arena. Allen is better than this!
"Well, it seems Allen has grown unconscious," the duel referee announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. "He's definitely alive, just not in the greatest condition"
Murmurs came from the crowd as they soaked in the words of the duel referee. Allen was alive, although more than likely unconscious. While Nathaniel's spells were brutal, they at least weren't enough to end the life of another student.
"Well?," Lisa asked. "Is that the end of the duel?"
"With Allen unconscious, then-"
"Hold on just one second!," a voice came near the bottom of the arena, close to where Allen and Nathaniel were.
Misa, Lisa, the duel referee, and the crowd all turned their attention to none other than Stephen Windblade, known as "the A Ranked Genius", as well as the son to the former head director.
"What's the meaning of this interruption?," an annoyed Ellen Marion loudly asked, as she stood up from her seat. The other director seats were vacant, with Walter Garet nowhere to be found. "Stephen Windblade, you know better than to-"
"Allen Fleming, are you just going to lay there and take all of that from Nathaniel?," Stephen asked, raising his voice so everyone in the arena could hear him. "I know you're not unconscious!"
"You will not interrupt this duel!," Ellen Marion yelled from across the arena at Stephen. She turned her attention to the magical knights she had near her. "Remove him, immediately!"
"Allen what have you been doing this entire time?," Stephen yelled again, ignoring Ellen. "You've been training so hard to become a magical knight, a goal you've held onto since the beginning. Are you really going to let that all go to waste?!?"
Allen seemed to flinch for a moment, but it was hard to tell. What was important to Stephen, was that his words reached Allen.
"Umm," Misa started to say. "Do we need to-"
"Were your words to me months ago during our own duel meaningless to you?," Stephen asked, then took a deep breath before continuing. "Tell me Allen Fleming, are you going to lay there and let Nathaniel Rivertide beat and humiliate you? Or are you going to stand up and show us what our 'Weakest Mage' can truly do?!"
The crowd went completely silent with Stephen's words, with Stephen even getting Nathaniel's attention for a moment. The only sounds throughout the arena were the footsteps of the magical knights, who were on their way to restrain and remove Stephen no doubt.
"Get him out now!," Ellen shouted, to encourage the magical knights to move faster. "I-"
But Ellen and everyone else's attention was suddenly on Allen Fleming, who was slowly getting up from the ground. His body shook with each movement, clearly out of energy, but still doing his best to stand up. He used his sword to help him get up, finally standing as tall as he could.
"How is he-," Ellen began to say, however stopped suddenly when she saw Allen do something completely unexpected.
Allen, with as much force as he possibly could, used his left hand to slap his face, leaving a red mark on his cheek. He then closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.
He turned his attention to Stephen for a moment, mouthing the words "thank you". Although Allen turned his attention back to Nathaniel while wiping the dirt off of his face, he could almost sense the large grin Stephen had before he was forcefully taken out of the arena.
"So the Weakest Mage rises from his slumber!," Nathaniel shrugs with an amused look on his face, but it was clear he too was surprised that Allen could muster enough strength to stand up again.
"Nathaniel Rivertide," Allen began to say, raising his arm to point his sword up at Nathaniel, with as much strength as he could muster. "Our duel isn't over, and I will defeat you"
Nathaniel let out a loud laugh, as if Allen's words were the funniest joke he's heard all day. "Defeat me? Defeat me, you say? How? And do what? You've already used your magical release, your most powerful ability. You're practically out of energy. What could the 'Weakest Mage' truly do?"
"You're right, I am weak," Allen immediately agreed with him, surprising the crowd, with their attention all on him. "I can barely cast a spell, and have to rely on this sword to get anything done. I am a pathetic excuse for a mage…"
"So he admits it, everyone!," Nathaniel yelled, letting out another laugh. "Even the Weakest Mage knows he's inferior to the rest of us talented mages!"
"But you know what, Nathaniel?," Allen asked, a blank yet serious look on his face as he kept eye contact with him. "I've worked extremely hard to get where I am now. I've fallen on the ground and tasted the dirt too many times to count. My hands have been bloody many times from the countless hours of sword practice. My body practically firing up, telling me to give up, it's not worth it anymore"
Nathaniel looked like he wanted to say something, but ultimately kept his mouth shut. His eyes darted around the crowd, as if he was expecting something to happen. His eyes landed on Ellen Marion for a moment, who gave him a cold glare in return.
"Despite that, I still get up and try again. Despite that I still continue to get my hands bloody. Despite that, I wipe the dirt off of my face, and face my failures head on. I won't stop until I have achieved my goals" Allen continued, his determination unwavering.
"Keep up the talk, 'Weakest Mage'," Nathaniel grinned, but it was clear his body was beginning to shake, and he was trying to hide it.
"Tell me, Nathaniel Rivertide, first son of Susanna Rivertide. What have you done? Have you truly worked hard for your position ever?," Allen asked, as he slowly began to walk closer to Nathaniel, with the strength he could muster.
"You-"
"No, you haven't!," Allen yelled, letting out a grunt of frustration. "This whole time, you use that strength of yours to humiliate others, all to make yourself feel better for your shortcomings. You're a disgrace for a mage and need to re-evaluate yourself and your actions moving forward. You're the weak one, Nathaniel!"
"No, no you're wrong!," Nathaniel yelled, gritting his teeth.
"Your younger brother was recently named the future head of your family, no doubt due to your failures to deliver what was expected of you," Allen said, as he continued to poke Nathaniel with his words.
"No, no, no, no, no! Shut up! I am stronger than you, and you'll always be weak! That's how it is and how it will always be!," Nathaniel yelled, no doubt getting desperate.
"Well, the Infamous B Ranker, allow me, the Weakest Mage, show you what it means to put effort," Allen grinned, as he kept taking steps closer and closer to Nathaniel.
"Impossible!," Nathaniel yelled, but he began to instinctively step back slowly.
Allen grinned as he gripped his sword tightly, and began to prepare for an attack to take out Nathaniel in one, solid and fluid motion.
While Allen may have gotten hit by each of Nathaniel's spells earlier when he was on the ground, he wasn't doing it for nothing. His sword was secretly eating up some of the magic casted at him.
True, he was starting to lose hope he'd win, and begin to give up, but there was something keeping him going, and Stephen's words were the final push he needed.
"Remember this, Allen," William's words from the past echoed in Allen's head, as Allen prepared for his last move needed to win. "Even when things are difficult, when things seem to be crashing down on you, never give up. That will no doubt be one of your biggest strengths as a future mage"
Allen smiled as he recalled the wise words of his former mentor. He turned his attention back onto Nathaniel, who was easily in reach of him.
"Wait," Nathaniel began to speak, as he noticed Allen's sword. "You took more of my magic, didn't you? But you doing that is impossible! You've already used it once, and you can't use it again-"
"Not impossible," Allen advised him, as he kept eye contact with him. "Just… improbable"
"Even so, I will take you out and-"
"No, you won't," Allen grinned as he cracked his neck.
"How would you-"
"You're out of mana, aren't you?," Allen asked, even though he knew the answer. "And just like me, out of strength. You won't be able to dodge this even if you wanted to"
"But I can still-"
"You aren't able to dodge because you won't," Allen advised him, as he saw right through him. "You know this is the end. Even if you manage to dodge this, your loss is still imminent"
"You!," Nathaniel yelled, as he tried to take a few steps back.
"With this one final attack, I will show you where hard work truly bests talent, and show you what strength really is!," Allen yelled, as he began to raise his sword.
"I won't let you!," Nathaniel yelled, as he attempted to cast one last ditch effort spell.
As Allen's eyes widened, his concentration fully on Nathaniel, and with all of the strength he had left to muster, swung his sword down and let out his attack. "Magical release!"
Nathaniel began to shake with fear as he saw Allen's second magical release aimed straight for him. His own magic, the very same magic he had used countless times in the past to best and humiliate each opponent he has faced, is coming back at him to mark his first and only defeat.
"You've bested me, Fleming," Nathaniel admitted with a small chuckle, as he let the spell hit him. He was sent full force out of the duel boundaries, his back hitting the wall, and was immediately rendered unconscious.
The crowd went completely silent, as everyone began to absorb what they had just witnessed. Even Misa and Lisa, the tournament announcers whose job was to do the commentary on each important move in the duels, remained silent.
With one quick judgment to check on Nathaniel's status, the long awaited words came from the duel referee's mouth. "Nathaniel Rivertide has been knocked out of the duel boundaries and has been rendered unconscious. Allen Fleming wins!"
The crowd in the arena immediately became abuzz with excitement and applause, with Allen's unexpected victory. Allen could almost hear each of his friends celebrating, and he smiled at the thought.
Allen looked up at the bright sky above, as he relished and soaked in his amazing victory. He had finally done it - he had defeated Nathaniel Rivertide! He was one duel away from passing his third condition!
Allen had one last large grin on his face, before he finally collapsed on the ground. All of his strength was gone, and his exhaustion finally caught up to him.
Allen imagined William and his friends congratulating on his victory, before finally blacking out.