"I admit defeat," Rose's words echoed throughout Allen's mind.
Those three words meant he had not only won the duel against Rose Marion, but passed one of his conditions. He would also be promoted back to D rank, which was a step closer to reaching C Rank, the last thing he needed to do to make it to his second year. However, it would seem one such individual was highly against this outcome.
"Allen Fleming!," Ellen Marion yelled, as she stood up from her seat, her eyes practically throwing daggers at Allen.
Allen knew what was to come, and it would just be another hurdle he would have to overcome. However, he was not alone.
Rose Marion, their Student Council President and one of Allen's dear friends, looked over at him, with determination in her eyes. The same eyes and expression she once held before William was removed from his position, and her mother Ellen took over.
With my victory over her, she's now back over to us, Allen reminded himself. I'll trust her, and we will overcome this hurdle together.
After all, this hurdle was not just something Allen had to overcome, but Rose's as well. With Ellen promising she wouldn't control Rose anymore if Allen won against her daughter, she would have to follow through due to Allen's victory. However, that didn't mean she wouldn't try to convince her daughter to stay with her by any means possible.
With their energy starting to return back to them, both Allen and Rose stood up from the ground, and walked towards the center of the arena, so they could face Ellen Marion head on together. Allen sheathed his sword away, but still felt a ping of guilt as he saw the broken shards of Rose's former rapier laying on the floor of the arena.
Guess I'll deal with that later, Allen thought, as he turned his attention back on Ellen.
With all eyes in the arena now on Ellen, the arena became eerily quiet as everyone awaited for what she had to say. Both Allen and Rose prepared to face her together, as a team rather than enemies or rivals.
"This outcome is absolutely unacceptable!," she yelled, filling the silence of the arena. "My talented daughter, losing to a peasant mage as yourself? Impossible!"
Rose looked over at Allen, with a sort of tiredness in her eyes. Her confidence still remained, however Allen noticed her body shaking, though very slightly. It was taking everything Rose had to stand up to her mother like this, so Allen decided he will do everything he can to stand with her.
"And our family's precious and prestigious rapier breaking? I simply cannot believe or understand how a weak mage such as yourself could defeat my own daughter, lest break our treasured heirloom! Is this how you disgrace the memory of my daughter Lucy, who once proudly wielded that same rapier?!"
Ignoring Ellen for a moment, Allen noticed Mr. Garet sitting next to her, who had a look of annoyance on his face that only seemed to get worse the more Ellen spoke. Mr. Lyon didn't sit far from them, who only seemed to be observing with curious eyes.
After turning his attention back to her, he quickly thought to himself how to best respond as Ellen impatiently awaited his response. In truth, he did not mean to destroy her rapier, and was solely the outcome of their final clash between each other.
However, as he thought about it, he believes that same rapier Rose cared about also held her in place, keeping her under her mother's foothold. After Lucy's unfortunate death, as told to Allen by Rose, the expectations and responsibilities once held by Lucy were practically thrown to Rose.
"It does not matter if you think I should have lost to Rose, the result remains the same. In addition, I didn't mean to destroy her rapier, and was only a result of our last clash," Allen explained. "Regardless of the matter, you should not be forcing your wishes and goals onto Rose, and should let her choose her own path. The path that her sister Lucy once walked should not be shoved to her"
Whispers filled the crowd, with those that agreed with what Allen had to say. Hopefully that would be some incentive for Ellen Marion to not intervene, but Allen doubted it. The twin announcers Lisa and Misa remained quiet, presumably since they did not dare interrupt Ellen Marion.
"How dare you?," Ellen spoke up, her eyes widening. "A mage such as yourself shouldn't even dare step one toe into our family matters. You're not even from a notable family to begin with! You-"
"Mother!," Rose raised her voice, and all eyes were now on her.
"Rose, I know you should not have lost, so just let your mother-"
"No!," Rose yelled, interrupting her. "You will not speak to my friend like that!"
Ellen was immediately taken aback, at a loss for words. This had probably been the first time Rose had ever spoken back to her mother, or at least had been awhile. All eyes were on Ellen once again, but she didn't know what to say.
"Not including the duel against him today, Allen has been there for me for awhile!," Rose explained, doing her best to convey her feelings. "We have trained together, laughed together, and shared our feelings with each other! I know that if I am in a bind, Allen will always be there for me!"
The entire stadium was in shock, not sure how to react. Allen himself was completely surprised himself, not sure how to feel about Rose's strong words. But one thing was for sure - Rose wasn't going to back down against her mother.
"But… Rose…," Ellen started to say, finally able to form words. "This mage… mages like him, are the reason that the time and effort put into talented mages such as yourself go to waste! We put too much time and resources into them, that the best of the best could have been better if we only gave them all of our time. You-"
"I don't care about all of that!," Rose yelled at her. "Talented mages? So what! What I care about most is working at my best to become my best, and working together with those close to me to improve ourselves!"
"Rose, you do not understand," Ellen sighed. "If we had been investing more time into our talented mages, they would be strong enough to ensure the safety and security of England! Mages like him are the reason the great Christina Windblade had fallen as she did!"
Christina Windblade, Allen thought to himself. There's that name again.
From what Allen remembered, Christina was William and Solmon's eldest sister, who was the former leader of the Council of Magic, before she had taken her own life. Later, Solomon Windblade, the next eldest child, had become the next leader and formed the Triumvirate.
In addition, based on the information provided to him by Ms. Florence, Ellen Marion had apparently looked up to her greatly, and was most likely an influence on how she is today.
"Bad things happen all the time!," Rose refuted. "But so do good things too! I care more about treasuring those close to me and pushing them to do their best rather than throwing them into the dust and forgetting about them!"
"How dare you!," Ellen yelled, leaning her hands on the railing. "I've raised you for this long, and this is how you choose to speak to your mother? Do you even realize what you are saying? If Lucy had only-"
"Stop bringing up Lucy all the time!," Rose yelled, interrupting her. "It's always Lucy this, and Lucy that! That's all you ever talk about! You don't even see me as Rose! You only see me as your next Lucy! If only you learned to look and accept me as me, instead of throwing all of your ideals and goals onto me!"
As Rose's words filled the arena, no one else dared to mutter a single word. Not even Ellen herself, as she stood speechless in front of her daughter who wasn't going to back down and let her mother push her into a corner.
Rose took a deep breath before continuing. "I had no idea, didn't even think about or realize the difficult expectations that were placed upon my older sister. I had no idea how hard it was for her to follow your every whim, and try to be the person you desperately wanted her to be"
"I always looked up to my dear older sister, and I know she did her best to be the strong older sister for me. She wanted nothing more than to love and protect me, and try her best to do exactly what you wanted her to"
"But, it's too late now…," Rose lowered her head. "I only realized the burdens she held until after she passed away, and then you threw those unto me. I- I- never even got the proper chance to say goodbye…"
Rose began to shed a tear as the arena began to sympathize with her. Almost not a single student, teacher or even non-mage in the stands looked down upon her, as they knew how strong Rose really was. While Allen was worried for her, and wanted to help her, he knew deep down that now was not the time to interrupt.
Rose took another deep breath and wiped the tears from her face before continuing. "But none of that matters right now. What's happened has happened. What matters right now is that the mage you see as weak and unworthy to attend this academy, is the very same mage that managed to best me!"
Rose looked over at Allen, with a smile so bright, he thought sunlight was radiating off of her. After a moment, she turned her attention back to her mother.
"This very same mage, who I consider to be one of my closest friends, is the same mage who managed to best Nathaniel Rivertide, whom even I couldn't overcome! The same mage who could even stand toe to toe with the First Prince of England, August Lionheart! The very same mage who has earned respect and friendship with Stephen Windblade! And the very same mage who has brought all of us together, a club specifically to challenge each other, but to also bring us closer together!"
Ellen could only hold her mouth agape as she took in each and every single word from her daughter she thought she knew. The very same daughter who complied with each and every one of her commands, and did her best to work hard under her, so she could lead her fellow talented mages.
But this entire time, Rose Marion is not who she thought she was. She was not Lucy Marion, nor was she Christina Windblade. She is simply Rose Marion, her youngest daughter.
"Rose-"
"And Allen Fleming is the very same mage who managed to capture my own heart!"
Shock filled the arena as everyone was completely taken aback by Rose's sudden declaration. The feelings she held for him were no longer secret between the two of them, but now public for everyone present.
Allen could only look over at Rose with wide eyes and fear, as he realized the sudden predicament he was placed in, and the predicaments he would later be put into. Rose only offered a quick wink, before turning her attention forward once more.
I'm definitely going to get an earful later about this from my friends, Allen thought, as he could only picture both Stephen and Thomas forcing details out of him. Someone, please save me now.
Ellen looked like she wanted to say something, but once again could not form a single word out of her mouth. She looked over at Allen, with the same nasty glare in her eyes, as if to say this was entirely his fault.
"So that's why, I will not allow anyone, not even you, my own mother, to talk awfully about the person I care about the most!," Rose declared, looking throughout the arena, as if she dared anyone to try to refute her.
"But I will also no longer allow you or anyone else to tell me what path I should follow. I, Rose Marion, the Blue Rose, and the current Student Council President of this esteemed academy, shall choose my own path to follow, whether you choose to support me or not!"
Everyone within the arena seemed to be nodding of approval, starting to take Rose's side. They agreed with her, that a mage should choose their own path. By every passing second, Ellen began to lose more and more followers, and even those who supported her the most began to question their blind loyalty.
Allen looked up to Mr. Garet, who seemed to be nodding in approval, was no doubt satisfied with the sudden turn of events. While this was definitely not in his original plans for what would happen, what mattered most was they had Rose Marion on their side, their Student Council President, whom many respected and looked up to. With Rose's ability to rally the students together and capture their emotions, it will be all that much easier to return William to his rightful position.
Ellen grit her teeth as she desperately searched for what to say. A part of her wanted to consider Rose's words, and trust her judgment. However, another part of her wanted to stand by her beliefs and ideals.
"We- We will talk about this later, Rose," Ellen finally said. "However, regarding your duel against Allen Fleming, unfortunately no matter what the duel referee's opinion on it was, the fact of the matter is that this 'Weakest Mage' should not have been able to defeat you!"
And she still desperately tries to dispute my victory, Allen thought, as he sighed.
Allen looked up at Mr. Garet, hoping he would step in and do something about it. Mr. Garet nodded, and began to get up from his chair.
"Therefore," Ellen continued. "As my rightful position as head director, I will make this duel invalid, and a rematch shall be rescheduled!"
Shouts began to fill the arena, as many disputed Ellen's decision. Allen tried to think of something to turn the situation around, but he would have to leave it to Mr. Garet. Rose looked over at Allen with concern, but noticed his attention on Mr. Garet. Her eyes locked on him, now trusting that their only vice director could intervene.
But before Mr. Garet or anyone else could step in and refute Ellen, an unexpected guest stepped in instead.
"Ellen Marion, what is the meaning of this?," the voice spoke up, from far above Ellen and Mr. Garet's seats. "You dare overturn the sacred rules of our esteemed academy?"
"Edmund…," Ellen spoke, her eyes wide with fear. "I-"
Wait, he's the same person who had taken William away!, Allen thought, as his eyes were wide in shock. Just why is he here? And what is he planning on doing?
Edmund is a member of the Triumvirate, but Allen is unsure of his position or power. Regardless of the matter, it would seem that he held power over Ellen, as he confidently walked down the steps of the arena towards Ellen herself.
"A victory is a victory, no matter what even a head director may think," Edmund explained, as he continued getting closer to Ellen. "A participant loses their duel either through admittance of defeat, loss of consciousness, steps outside the duel boundary zones, or if a proper duel referee needs to make the judgment to end a duel to prevent serious damage"
"You Ellen, last I checked, are neither a head director, nor a duel referee specifically chosen for the job. So why do you think you have a say in the young mage's hard earned victory?"
Ellen held a surprised look on her face before speaking. "Excuse me, but I was put into the head director position? The Triumvirate removed William from his position, and put me in place to be the head director!"
"Temporary. Temporary head director," Edmund corrected her. "You are merely a substitute until we find a suitable replacement, or if William Windblade is found innocent of his supposed crimes"
"But Edmund," Ellen tried to refute, gritting her teeth. "Even so, this 'young mage' you speak of has absolutely no talent or any skills in magic! He dares use that blasted sword, to compensate for his lack of talent! You dare believe that a mage like him could defeat a talented young mage like my daughter?"
"Yes, I do," he said, matter of factly. "Did you not just see their duel take place, with your own eyes? Did you not hear your own daughter who you hold so dear admit her defeat? Or are you so blind and deaf that you cannot tell the difference between a victory or a loss? Or perhaps, you dare be biased of the result, and seek to overturn the result to your own benefit?"
Ellen Marion held her mouth agape as Edmund continued to outwit her with each refute she tried to make. No one could believe their eyes, as they saw someone else take a stand against Ellen, and someone they least expected.
Edmund, defending me?, Allen thought, almost laughing to himself. Does he defend my victory because it's in his best interests? Or are these 'rules and regulations' that important to him?
"Regardless of your feelings on the matter, the result remains the same. Allen Fleming, rank 1F, managed to best your daughter, Rose Marion, rank 3A. Perhaps an overview of how you assign rankings should be in order?," Edmund asked, tilting his head, with a look on his face as he almost challenged Ellen to even try to dispute him.
"I-"
"Ellen, you will continue to remain in your position as temporary head director, until otherwise noted. And Allen Fleming has won his duel. Case closed"
"But Edmund-"
"I said the case is closed," he repeated, with a high sense of authority. "Anything else you'd like to try to cleverly add?"
Ellen had a very furious look on her face, but she knew there was nothing she could do, or she would risk losing her position. She looked back at Rose, with a concerned look on her face, and then at Allen, as though she had unfinished business with him. With nothing else she could do, she immediately took her leave of the arena, practically stomping on the way out.
Allen and Rose looked at each other, not sure how to react, but one thing was certain - today was a victory not only for Allen, but for the both of them. But before they could celebrate, it seemed Edmund was not finished.
"Allen Fleming," Edmund called out, turning his attention to him down below.
"What is it?," Allen shouted back, curious what Edmund wanted.
"Do be advised that I myself, a proper and official member of the Triumvirate, witnessed your duel today," he began to explain. "As such, no details will be spared on the events that transpired today, whether before, during or after your duel. Myself, as well as the rest of the Triumvirate, will have our eyes on you.
"What do you mean-"
"Let that be a statement… or perhaps even a warning," Edmund cut him off, with eyes focused solely on Allen alone. "And with that, I shall take my leave"
As everyone was left confused with everything that has happened so far, Allen was by far left with feeling the most emotions, as he was unsure of what Edmund meant. Could this be what Mr. Garet wanted, and they are finally taking notice of his abilities? Or perhaps a warning of what is yet to come?
Regardless of what the future may hold, Allen will choose to celebrate his hard earned victory, both his fourth duel, but getting his friend back.
With Allen now passing his condition of winning four consecutive duels in a row, and will make it back to D rank, all that's left is shooting for C rank. But that also begs the question - shall he continue in the tournament, perhaps seeking a victory? He'll have to make his decision soon.