"Unbelievable! Allen Fleming has just won his sixth round in the tournament! Allen Fleming moves on to the semi-finals!"
The crowd went wild with cheers and applause, as Allen gave a respectful nod to his opponent, before sheathing his sword away. He took a deep breath, before turning his attention to the crowd that celebrated his sixth victory.
By almost no surprise now, Allen Fleming, the Weakest Mage, has managed to win his sixth duel and continue on throughout the tournament. Up against no easy opponents either, Allen is managing to prove his worth, and gain the support and attention of his fellow students. With six victories under his belt, including those against Nathaniel Rivertide and Rose Marion, Allen begins to wonder how he will fare for the remainder of the tournament.
"The Weakest Mage is showing much promise!," Misa added. "It seems a lot of our fellow students are wishing for his success, ever since his duel against our student council president!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd, as many agreed with the twin announcers. Allen wasn't one for attention, but at least it was better than everyone hating him.
As Allen took in the applause from the crowd, he couldn't help but grin, as he was excited to make it this far. Another step closer to winning the tournament, and definitely further than he originally anticipated and expected.
Despite the dense crowd, Allen managed to spot Stephen, who had his arms crossed with an excited grin on his face. The both of them held eye contact for just a moment, as their eyes held a short conversation.
Stephen had already won his sixth duel, which meant he was continuing on just like Allen was. That also meant that the two had a higher chance of facing each other in the tournament, which is what both of them secretly wanted.
Stephen has always wanted a rematch ever since their first duel, where Allen had defeated Stephen after Stephen challenged him, shortly after formally meeting him. While the rivalry then was bitter, now they had a chance of facing each other properly.
But enough about that for now, Allen reminded himself. Time to reconvene with the small resistance, as Mr. Garet planned.
"If everyone can kindly take their seats and quiet down, we may begin," Mr. Garet cleared his throat, as everyone in the room held their own conversations.
"Hey Allen," Stephen whispered, as everyone began to quiet down. "I met this very pretty girl yesterday and-"
"Windblade," Ms. Florence spoke, as her face was already in front of Stephen. "I believe Walter said to quiet down"
"Yes ma'am he did," Stephen answered her, looking somewhere else than her eyes.
"Eye contact, Windblade," she commanded, as her stare turned into a glare. "Or should I-"
"No ma'am, I hear you loud and clear!," Stephen quickly responded.
"Good," Ms. Florence sighed, as she walked back to her previous position. "Let all try to be less perverted today, okay boys?"
"Yes ma'am!," Stephen, Allen and Thomas all responded, knowing what would happen if they didn't acknowledge her.
"I doubt you need to worry about me, Ms. Florence?," August asked, as he raised his hand.
"No, you're fine," Ms. Florence answered him. "It's the rest of these buffoons I'm worried about"
"But Ms. Florence," Allen spoke up. "I don't-"
"You will remain quiet, Fleming," Ms. Florence cut him off. "Or should I-"
"I don't mind if Allen is perverted towards me!," Sarah interjected, with a scary amount of confidence.
All eyes were now on her, as everyone was both filled with surprise and worry. Sarah casually looked at everyone, as if she didn't say anything wrong or strange.
"Come with me, Childe," Ms. Florence spoke, as she walked up to her.
"Wait!," Sarah begged. "Please don't-"
"With me, now!," Ms. Florence raised her voice, as she grabbed her by the collar and practically dragged her out of the room.
"No! But my darling!," Sarah called out, as her shouts of resistance got quieter as Ms. Florence shut the door behind them.
"Umm, should we be worried?," August asked, breaking the silence.
Mr. Garet sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Maybe a little, but that Sarah girl definitely needs to learn some manners. If anyone can teach her, it's Danet"
Sounds of squeals and resistance came from outside the door, no doubt from Sarah. After a moment of silence, the door finally opened.
"Greetings," Alice gave a slight nod, before taking her seat.
"Well, it would seem Alice is in control now," August pointed out, as everyone's eyes were on her.
Once everyone was settled down, and had either taken a seat or stood off to the side, the small resistance members were ready to discuss current events.
As of now, they had more members, composed of those from the former training club, as well as new members.
The directors include Mr. Garet, as well as former vice director Martha Clark, whom he irregularly kept in contact with. Mr. Garet is considered the "leader" of their small group, the main person planning out everything.
The teachers included are Ms. Florence and Mr. Lyon, who help keep things organized for Mr. Garet, as well as help him with any miscellaneous objectives.
The students, who comprised most of their "resistance" are Allen Fleming, Alice Rivertide, Sarah Childe (Though Alice and Sarah share the same body), August Lionheart (Prince), Thomas Terrastone, Cecily Rivertide, Stephen Windblade, Charles Rivertide, and Rose Marion (Student Council President). Allen would serve as the group's "head figure", as Mr. Garet kept most of his focus on him in the hopes that he would be noticed by the Triumvirate members, to return William Windblade (Stephen's father) to his former head director position.
The first topic they brought up was the fact that Ellen Marion had promised to uphold her end of the bargain (no doubt to her own annoyance), and has not bothered her daughter Rose or have seemed to rig the duels ever since Allen and Rose's duel.
Despite some worries this may not be the case, Mr. Garet himself has confirmed that Ellen is not rigging the selections, and Mr. Garet is being proactive to make sure of it. Ellen herself has proven she hasn't, and allows Mr. Garet to assist her with the random selections. Mr. Garet suspects the main factor in her keeping her promise is the Triumvirate watching her back, with Edmund being the primary member in watching her movements.
Secondly, despite Allen already having won six duels, Ellen Marion refuses to promote him to C rank. Mr. Garet is doing what he can to convince her, but this seems to be the one thing she will not cooperate on, and is most likely the only form of retaliation she can still use against them.
Regardless, Allen still wishes to continue with the tournament, in hopes that he can further prove himself, and give Ellen no choice but to promote him to C rank.
Thirdly, was a concern that Mr. Lyon brought up.
"If I may have all of your attention," Mr. Lyon spoke up, just as they finished with the last topic.
"Go ahead, Rowland," Mr. Garet spoke, letting him have the floor.
"A bit of concerning news, for Terrastone here," he began to explain, pulling out a piece of paper.
"What about me?," Thomas asked, growing concerned.
"Your opponent for your upcoming sixth duel has been confirmed," he began. "Your opponent will be…"
Everyone in the room leaned in, so they could closely hear the result. Everyone felt the anticipation rise as Mr. Lyon unfolded the paper.
"Simon Windblade"
Simon Windblade?, Allen thought. Wouldn't he be William's nephew, and Solomon's son?
Tension within the room filled as everyone heard the name pierce the silence. Allen, unaffected, looked through the room, and was confused why everyone was on edge. Thomas said nothing, as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
"A tough one for sure Terrastone, but we can promise this was not rigged," Ms. Florence explained. "But it certainly won't make it any easier for you"
"I… I know…," Thomas spoke, losing all spirit he had before.
"What's wrong?," Allen asked, not on the same page as everyone else. "Is there a problem with his opponent being Simon?"
"You don't know?," Stephen asked, confused. "How do you-"
"Remember Steph, Allen isn't well acquainted with the highly influential and powerful mage families," Rose reminded him. "I'm also surprised he hasn't heard about Simon, but knowing him that would make sense"
"Fair enough," Stephen crossed his arms.
"Okay, but who is Simon?," Allen repeated himself.
"Simon Windblade…," Stephen began to explain, with a serious look on his face. "The second eldest child of my uncle, Solomon Windblade, with Reynold being the eldest. A year 3 and rank A, Simon stands at the top of all the students currently attending the academy"
"Even stronger than you and Rose?," Allen asked.
"Let me answer you like this: I may be confident in my own magical abilities, but that doesn't hold a candle to Simon's magical capacity and abilities"
"Is he seriously that strong?," Allen asked, almost in disbelief.
"Indeed," Rose added. "While I may be a year 3 rank A myself, the gap between the two of us is too difficult to measure"
"Seriously?!," Allen asked, eyes widening. "There's no way a mage can be that strong, can they?"
"Simon is as strong as they say they are," Mr. Garet jumped in. "No doubt the strongest mage currently attending our academy. If S rank was available for students and not only for magical knights, Simon would no doubt be an S rank by now"
"In addition, he has his entire life set out for him," Ms. Florence added. "Once he has graduated, becoming a full-fledged magical knight at the top will only be a few steps away"
"If he's that powerful, then why have I not heard of him yet?," Allen asked, a little annoyed. "Wouldn't Ellen have put me up against him before her promise?"
"She definitely would have, if she could," Mr. Garet explained, clearing his throat. "However, with him being Solomon's son, I doubt she'd attempt to sway him to her side knowing her position would be jeopardized doing so"
"I see," Allen said, starting to put the pieces together. "So Simon has been neutral during our conflict with Ellen?"
"Correct Fleming," Ms. Florence answered him. "But that doesn't change the fact that Terrastone will still have to face him.
"Right…," Thomas finally spoke up again. "And it will be by no means an easy duel"
"I'm sorry Tom," Rose put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We will still cheer you on regardless"
"Yeah," he answered, trying to smile for a brief moment.
As the small resistance finished up their meeting with other related matters, Thomas prepared himself for what would be his most difficult duel yet.
"-and with the sixth round of duels coming to a close, we have another duel to look forward to!," Misa announced, as the crowd eagerly awaited.
"To our left, we have Thomas Terrastone, rank 1D, whom many of our students have been cheering on for!," Lisa announced, as Thomas walked in towards the middle of the arena.
"That's right, dear sister!," Misa continued. "With Thomas' unique fighting style, he's managed to confuse his opponents with his up close maneuvers! While participants such as Allen and Rose fight with a sword, Thomas flips things around with his own fists!"
The crowd cheered on Thomas, who was now awaiting his opponent in the middle of the arena. He had a worried, but serious look on his face, as he knew the problem that awaited him.
"And to our right, we have Simon Windblade, rank 3A!," Lisa announced. "The second eldest son of the great and honorable Solomon Windblade, Simon has shown much promise to slowly match up to his father!"
The crowd cheered as Simon made his way into the arena. With grey eyes and hair matching his father, Simon's looks complimented the expression on his face. He wore a confident, yet refined look on his face, as though he already expected the outcome of the match even before it began.
This is it, Thomas thought to himself, as he clenched his fists. Simon Windblade, in person.
As Simon made his way towards the center of the arena where Thomas awaited him, he wore a disinterested face, as though this duel was nothing more than a quick task to complete before continuing with the rest of the day.
I need to at least try to beat him here, Thomas thought to himself. I know I don't stand a chance, but…
As Misa and Lisa hyped up the crowd for the match, Simon finally made eye contact with Thomas, as though he finally noticed him.
"Thomas Terrastone, second eldest son of Gregory Terrastone," Simon spoke without emotion, merely stating facts. "A shame. I wonder what your father thinks, of you remaining at D rank this entire time"
"Don't talk like you know my father," Thomas spoke through gritted teeth. "He is well aware of my rank, and my magic"
"I see," Simon answered, as he seemed to examine Thomas. "Unfortunate. I would've been more interested to face your older brother, Mathias. But even he wouldn't be able to entertain me"
"Don't you dare talk bad about my brother!," Thomas raised his voice, as he glared at Simon. "You may be a Windblade, but no one talks bad about my older brother!"
"I see," Simon answered, unaffected by Thomas' aggression. "So you look up to your brother? You're the type to want to be like your older sibling, no?"
"I'm not answering you on that," Thomas responded, clenching his fists.
Is he trying to get to me, or is this just how he naturally is?!, Thomas thought, his anger rising.
Simon tilted his head, as though he was trying to read Thomas' thoughts. He sighed as he closed his eyes for a moment.
I need to stay level headed, Thomas thought to himself. Can't let him get to me.
"I hope you understand, as a member of the esteemed Terrastone family, one of the three great elemental families, to understand that these duels are merely to show results," Simon spoke, crossing his arms.
"Results?," Thomas asked, now more confused than anything.
"A lot of you students view the tournament as some sort of playground," he explained. "A way to have fun. Get better at your magic, that kind of stuff"
"What are you getting at?"
"But for us children of the great families, these duels are merely to showcase our abilities, and end up with results," Simon continued. "We're not here to have fun. We're here to show our parents alone that we measure up to the family name"
"So this duel is merely a task for you?," Thomas asked, trying to confirm his suspicions. "You don't look forward to any duel? You just want to show results?"
"Exactly," Simon nodded his head. "And you should do the same, considering your current position"
He's seriously pissing me off, Thomas thought to himself. I haven't been this mad since Nathaniel.
"Regarding that, I have a proposition for you," Simon spoke, crossing his arms.
"I'm not interested," Thomas immediately answered him.
"Forfeit the match," Simon suggested, ignoring Thomas' answer.
"Forfeit the match?," Thomas asked, bewildered. "You can't be ser-"
"Considering my magical abilities and my current status, you simply cannot defeat me," he spoke, the confident look on his face remaining. "You don't have a chance against me, and you know that yourself"
"But-," Thomas tried to argue, but he didn't have anything to say back to him. He knew deep down, he truly did not have a chance against Simon.
"Considering that, forfeit the match," Simon reiterated. "Everyone here is aware of my capabilities, and understands you just don't have a chance"
"But I can at least try!," Thomas raised his voice.
"Try all you want, it won't change anything," Simon sighed. "If you're worried about your reputation, I promise that no one will look down upon you for doing so. They might miss watching a duel, but there's nothing enjoyable about a one-sided match"
"That doesn't matter to me!," Thomas yelled, as he took a step forward. "I will still try, no matter what!"
That's right, Thomas thought to himself. Allen would do the exact same thing. No matter how difficult, he would push forward. And I will match that, as both his friend and rival.
"So I'll take that as you declining then?," Simon asked, tilting his head. "Unfortunate. Very well, Thomas Terrastone. Allow me to show you the large differences in our abilities"
"That's fine, I was expecting a match anyway!," Thomas answered him, as he cracked his knuckles.
After the duel referee stated the rules for the match, they confirmed with both Simon and Thomas if they were ready.
"Very well, your duel will begin in three-"
Thomas began to harden his fists, using his magic to do so. The earthly brown color slowly covered his hands, and reached all the way past his forearms.
"Two"
Simon simply stood still, not preparing a magical circle or anything at all. He kept his arms crossed, showing no sign of preparing at all.
"One"
This is it, Thomas thought to himself, with full concentration on Simon. Try to defeat him with everything I have!
"Begin!"
"Here I come Simon Windblade!," Thomas yelled, as he charged in at Simon, at the fastest speed he could muster.
"Go ahead and try," Simon answered back at him, already raising his hand for his first spell.