Solomon Windblade looked down in the arena, where both his talented son and an unexpected mage who managed to push through to the finals awaited for their duel to begin.
Ever since Solomon first took note of his presence, something had been bothering him since the beginning. Just who was this Allen Fleming? Where did he come from? And how did he get this far?
This mage making it to the finals was unexpected enough, Solomon thought, as he kept his gaze towards the mage in question. But he's managed to get Walter's attention too. Just who is he?
As Allen Fleming drew his sword in preparation for the duel, Solomon noticed the blade. There was a fair distance between his seat and the bottom of the arena, but there was something about Allen and his sword that seemed eerily familiar.
Wait, Solomon thought, his eyes widening. Could the boy be-
With the final countdown coming from the duel referee, Allen Fleming knew the duel was about to begin. He needs to push through with everything he's learned so far, if he wishes to defeat the strongest mage this academy has to offer.
"And let the final duel begin!"
With the last word from the duel referee, their duel immediately begins, with Allen already preparing his sword for Simon's spells. Just what could Simon be planning? Will Simon completely overwhelm him, just like what happened with Thomas?
Maybe I should push to get close, to take him out?, Allen thought, as he thought up plans in his head. Should I try to-
"Take this Fleming!," Simon yelled, already casting his first set of spells.
Wait, he's not using an elemental circle?!, Allen thought, as he got a good glance at Simon.
Before Allen could fully process what Simon was doing, Simon's spells were already shot at Allen's position, at high speed and accuracy.
Allen swung his sword in an arc, to cut through the magic that was sent at him. It was enough force to slightly push him back, but luckily he sustained no damage.
So, this is his power without an elemental circle, Allen thought. This alone is enough to match a standard air mage. And yet, this is his power level before using a standard elemental circle to make his casting more efficient and powerful.
With getting Simon's power up close and personal, Allen began to quickly realize how his friend Thomas was completely overwhelmed by Simon's magical strength, and how he had lost instantly. Not only was Thomas at an elemental disadvantage (air strong against earth magic), but Thomas was pushed back with enough force to send him out of the boundaries.
Luckily, I have my sword to prevent that to an extent, but a normal mage could not handle this, Allen thought, as he already began to prepare for Simon's next move.
"This, Allen, is how strong I am without a circle!," Simon began to provoke him. "I hope to see you try something! No amount of your sword will be enough to stop me! I'll take you down!"
"And the duel already begins with a clash of Simon's amazing magic against Allen's sword!," the twins announced, as the crowd was getting hyped. "Will Allen be able to hold against him longer than his previous opponents?"
Crap, this is going to be very difficult, Allen thought, as he took in several breaths, becoming frantic. If I want to win this duel, I'll need to find a way to push through to Simon. I'll need to use my mana effectively to do so.
But before Allen can begin to prepare his mana, Simon had already begun to cast his first elemental magic circle. It was fairly large in size, outbesting any of the elemental magic circles Allen has seen in the past. It really put light on the difference between Simon and the rest of the students Allen has faced.
"Now Allen Fleming, prepare to take on an attack of spells that barely any students can stop!," Simon yelled, grinning as he began to cast his spell.
Almost no amount of preparation could deal with what Allen was about to face. Multiple cuts of air, similar to what both Stephen and William do, were all aimed straight for Allen. A complete barrage of air cuts like no other, coming from all sides, Allen quickly realized no amount of speed or countering with his sword could completely stop it, as they were all aimed straight for him.
In the mere seconds Allen has left, he chooses to do his best to cut through what he can, swinging his sword in a large arc. He managed to defend his body, but the same could not be said for his arms and legs. Receiving cuts all over, Allen could begin to feel the sharp pain emanating from each cut as they appeared, after the spells grazed past him.
Oh yeah, Allen thought, Simon is the real deal. He, as well as everyone else, did not lie about his magical strength. I haven't felt this panicked in awhile; I might actually lose this.
The last time Allen has ever felt a massive difference in strength, was when he would practice duel against his old mentor and their former head director, William Windblade. No matter how hard Allen tried, he could never beat him.
Although the former training club members had all teamed up to face William in order to go on their club trip, the duel did not end in a win or a loss. William had officially declared the duel a draw, and he allowed them to go regardless.
Just how will I defeat him when he has spells that can come in almost every second?, Allen thought, as he searched for an answer. The pain isn't too bad, but if things get worse… this could be a huge problem for me.
"And Simon has already begun to unleash his barrage of spells!," Misa commented, as everyone in the crowd got loud again.
"But Allen is somehow holding on!," Lisa added. "Despite most of Simon's opponents losing in an instant, Allen has managed to prevail!"
"But with Allen already sustaining this much damage, just how much longer can he last?," they both added together, as everyone's attention was once again directed down below in the arena.
"You're a fool, for even trying Fleming," Simon ridiculed, as Allen was catching his breath. "What part of me being superior in every way do you not understand? Even if you manage to somehow continue holding on, I have plenty of mana to keep going. This isn't fun at all, just admit your defeat"
"I won't!," Allen yelled, as he stood back up. "I'll fight till the end!"
"What end?," Simon snorted. "Before you can even try to get to me, I'll simply cut you down with spells. You're only going to make this more difficult for yourself"
"I said I'll fight till the end, Simon!," Allen yelled back, ignoring the pain from the cuts. "And I'll still aim for victory!"
"Fine," Simon sighed. "I'll simply have to take you down here and now before you continue to cause a ruckus, and waste everyone's time"
Simon once again began to prepare his next set of spells. It would only be a matter of time before the next barrage, so Allen needed to think quickly, if he wanted to succeed.
If I want William to return, I will have to fight with everything I have, in order to win, Allen thought, as he built up his courage. I can't just shoot for everything with a loss. If I want to stand out, I will need to defeat him against all odds.
In the end, winning against Simon would further prove Mr. Garet's thoughts of Allen being an "outlier". If so, Allen does not care. If Allen needs to be this "outlier" to win, then he shall be one as he pushes through to defeat Simon.
Alright, now all I need to do is build up my mana towards my legs, in order to increase my overall speed, Allen thought, closing his eyes for a moment. I-
But before Allen could even take a moment to begin moving his mana where he wanted it, Simon had already casted his spells, at high speed and precision once again. Just like before, Allen is left no room to dodge, forced to cut through what he can. However, this wave was much stronger compared to the last, pushing Allen back.
Allen was sent back towards the duel boundary zone, but luckily managed to hold his ground to prevent going outside of it, but at the cost of sustaining further damage.
This is worse than my duel against Stephen, Allen thought, as he examined the cuts on his body for a moment. If I take any more damage, I will actually lose.
"And Fleming takes more hits from Simon, but somehow manages to hold on!," Misa yelled, as the crowd roared with excitement. "Unbelievable! Not a single mage has managed to hold their own against Simon Windblade for this long before!"
As Allen took a moment to get back up, he noticed Simon gritting his teeth, no doubt annoyed by Allen's persistence. The duel is no doubt getting to him, frustrating him that it hasn't ended sooner.
"How are you holding on?," Simon asked, confused and frustrated. "How can you keep fighting back, despite losing so hard? Just stand down and this duel can be over!"
"No, I won't!," Allen yelled once again, as he struggled to get up. "I still aim to win this, no matter what!"
"You're a fool!," Simon roared with frustration, as he clenched his fists. "You could've made this easier for everyone, simply admitting you cannot win, and yet you continue this pointless fight. You cannot fight back, you cannot reach me, you cannot win!"
"You're wrong, Simon," Allen refuted. "No matter what it takes, I will push through, I will win against you!"
"Fine then!," Simon yelled, as he once again prepared another set of spells. "I'll hit you with everything I have! You will go down, accomplishing nothing! I will get my results, and prove I am the strongest!"
Proving, huh?, Allen thought, as he couldn't help but be amused. As I attempt to prove I am not the weakest, he fights to prove he's the strongest. We have opposite goals, but in the end we are both trying to prove our worth.
With limited time once again, Allen will need to use any last second he has remaining in order to reach Simon's position, but how? With the amount of damage Allen has already taken, if he takes one more hit of spells, he knows he most likely won't be able to get back up, and it will be his loss.
But if I can reach him, just barely, I can probably win this, Allen thought, forming an idea. With how strong he is with magic, I doubt he has any practice at close-range fighting. If I gain the advantage, I can win!
But once again, just how can he reach him? If the spells simply push him back, no matter how hard he fights to cut through, it's completely meaningless.
Wait, Allen thought, recalling a memory. I can reach him-
"By using your mana, of course," William answered a young Allen, a memory from the past. "Just concentrate your mana towards your legs, and that should give you the necessary boost to reach your opponent"
"But how do I do that?," A young Allen asked. "I'm starting to understand this whole 'mana' thing, but can't seem to get it to work.
"Hmm, well it is different for you considering your magic," William answered, while giving it a thought. "You have two constant 'rivers' flowing throughout your body. Your air mana, and your fire mana. Concentrating on your air mana is of course much more tedious, considering your fire mana constantly blocks it from moving around properly"
"So how do I deal with that?," Allen asked, getting frustrated. "If I can't use my fire mana, how do I use my air mana affected by it?"
"Stop trying to fight against it," William answered, grinning. "That doesn't mean you have to use it, for obvious reasons. Concentrate on moving your air mana exactly where you want it"
That's right, Allen thought, concentrating. Just like what Mr. Garet explained once. I need to stop thinking like I am fighting against it, rather work around it. Just like what I've been trying this whole time to do.
The normal amount of mana Allen can muster at any time is limited, depending on the air mana currently present nearby where he wants it. This time, Allen wanted to try something different, if he wanted to win.
This time, I'm going to muster every last drop of my air mana I can use, Allen thought, as he began to concentrate. I will need to be as fast as possible, to completely break through to Simon. Use everything possible in the small amount of time I have!
It was a very risky move, considering the situation. If Allen messed up and the attack failed, he would be left with almost no mana to use, and would lose. However, if Allen took another hit from Simon, he would no doubt lose. It was all or nothing. This one, singular move, would completely decide the outcome.
"Take this Allen!," Simon roared, as he casted the largest spell he has mustered so far.
With the barrage of spells quickly reaching Allen's position, Allen only had mere moments to react. What he would do now, could completely decide the outcome of the entire duel. It was either take the hit and lose, or push through completely, and win!
Now!, Allen thought, as his eyes concentrated solely on Simon's current position.
Using every single last drop of his mana he could completely muster towards his legs, Allen pushed his body forward and sprinted at full speed towards Simon. At such a speed, almost no one was able to keep up. It was the fastest Allen had ever moved before, completely beating previous times he's done something similar.
This is no mere speed boost, Allen thought, as he almost seemingly moved in what felt like slow motion for him. This is using all of my mana in one, singular move. An overdrive.
But with Simon's spell completely in the way of Allen reaching Simon, he needed to open a quick path to get through. In the single second before the spells were about to make contact, Allen swung his sword downard, creating a small, but effective opening.
Ignoring the further pain that came from the areas he was not able to cover, Allen continued his sprint, aiming straight for Simon. He was only mere seconds away from reaching him, effectively getting so much closer to a quick and swift unexpected victory.
As Simon finished his spell, his eyes widened as he quickly took notice of Allen moving at an insane speed towards him. In the mere moments he had left to react, he decided to cast a quick, effective elemental circle, and began to cast a large enough spell that could send Allen back where he had come from.
Shoot!, Allen thought, as he was quickly approaching Simon. How is he able to react in time? I'll get hit point blank by his spell if I don't react!
Lifting his sword back up, Allen made a last second decision. Using the small amount of magic he's managed to collect from Simon's earlier attacks, Allen began to swing down, effectively using his magical release ability.
This may not be enough to completely stop his spell, but it should be enough to counter it!, Allen thought, as he was mere moments from colliding with Simon's spell.
Similar to what happened with Allen's duel against Rose, Allen's magical release ability was not thrown from his sword immediately like a spell in the shape of an arc, but rather covered his sword entirely with the mana collected from Simon.
Not a magical release, but a magical strike!, Allen thought, as his sword was about to make contact with Simon's spell.
With Allen's sword beginning to cut through his magic, Simon began to frantically pour out as much magic as fast as he could, in order to keep up with Allen's strike. Allen's sword wasn't able to make contact with Simon, but rather was constantly being slightly pushed back by Simon's magic. Almost like a physical barrier, Allen was prevented from continuing his assault, and hitting Simon with his blade.
"What?!," Allen yelled, as he pushed with all of his might, as he tried to make contact.
"I won't let you!," Simon yelled, as he frantically tried to keep his spell going as long as possible.
With the mana quickly used up, Allen was forced into a standstill with Simon. It was either to attempt to force his way through, or somehow manage to move quickly around to the side. But with practically all of his mana used up, he would lose the speed advantage.
"How are you doing this?!," Simon yelled, through gritted teeth and a surprised expression. "No mage could ever-"
"No matter what it takes!," Allen yelled, as he pushed with all of his might to get through Simon's spell. "I'll stop you, and win this duel!"
"No! I can't- I won't let you!," Simon yelled back, doing everything he could to stop Allen.
"What's going on?!," Misa yelled, with everyone's attention completely down below. "Allen has managed to reach Simon, but now they are at a standstill?"
"It appears Simon is keeping him back, but will Allen manage to push through?," Misa added, as they both had their attention completely on Allen and Simon. With two strong forces fighting for victory, tension filled the air as those awaited the outcome.
Push through!, Allen thought., gripping both hands on his sword. This is it, I am so close!
Finally deciding to use the remaining mana left in his body, Allen quickly pushed it towards his arms, for a temporary boost. It wasn't much, but he needed everything he could to push through.
"I won't lose!," Simon yelled, as he continued casting as much as he could. "I won't-"
Whether it was Simon's slight moment of panic, or Allen's last ditch effort on using his mana, Allen was finally able to push through, cutting through both Simon's remaining air magic pouring out, and his elemental magic circle. Simon was pushed back, falling on his back just right short of the duel boundary zone.
Without wasting another second, Allen quickly stepped in, sword ready in his hand. Every second counted, as the fatigue from using his "magical strike" and the pain from all of the cuts on his body would soon catch up to him.
Simon managed to quickly stand back up, ignoring the pain from being suddenly flung back. But before he could prepare another spell, Allen's sword was already pointed at Simon's neck.
With the magic finally settled and gone, the arena was left silent as everyone took in the scene from down below. Simon Windblade stood completely still, his eyes full of shock and disbelief as Allen Fleming stood in front of him, sword remained pointed at his neck.
"This is it, Simon!," Allen yelled, finally breaking the silence. "I've put you in a corner. Admit defeat!"
"Wait- what's going on?!," Misa yelled as murmurs filled the crowd. "Did… did Fleming really beat Simon Windblade?!"
Allen looked up towards the directors' seats, where Mr. Garet and Ellen Marion sat. Behind them were Solomon Windblade, plus his trusted officials.
"No… that's impossible…," Ellen Marion finally spoke, in complete disbelief. "There's no way… no way someone can defeat…"
Mr. Garet gave Allen a small approving nod. But they both knew that this wasn't completely over.
Allen looked at Solomon Windblade for just a moment, to see what his reaction was. He had curious eyes upon Allen, but he showed no signs of distress, annoyance, or surprise. Just what was going on in the Triumvirate Leader's head?
"No! No no no no no! This is impossible!," Simon yelled, as Allen finally turned back to face him.
"Well, I certainly made it possible," Allen responded, a grin forming on his face as he was finally taking in his victory. "The weakest-"
"How could you, the weakest mage, ever possibly defeat me, the strongest mage? It's just not possible! I should not have been defeated by you!"
"It's too late, Simon," Allen responded, stepping an inch closer to further prove his point. "I've won. You've lost. Just admit defeat, and I won't have to cut you with my blade"
"NO!," Simon roared in complete frustration. "NEVER! I will show I am the strongest! I will give results, and win the tournament for my father!"
Before Allen could react, Simon threw his right arm into the air, and began to cast an elemental magic circle. It kept growing in size, so large it was hard for Allen to keep track of.
No…, Allen thought, as he realized what was beginning to happen. I can't stop it… I'm running out of energy.
Before anyone else realized what was going on, Simon began to cast the largest spell that almost anyone had ever seen before. A complete torrent of air magic began to form, beginning to block the crowd's view of the arena. The air torrent was so strong, it completely threw Allen back, hitting the ground several times before stopping just short of the duel boundary zone.
"What…," Allen began to say, as he slowly got up from the floor. "How…"
As Allen looked up, he almost thought he was dreaming.
What appeared to be a giant whirlwind of air magic, completely surrounding the entire arena. If anyone was able to see what was going on before, they weren't able to see anything now. The whirlwind completely blocked Allen's view, and he was unable to locate Simon.
"Shoot," Allen said out loud, as he realized the predicament he was now placed into. "This is just…"
As Allen realized that his once close victory was completely thrown away, he began to understand just how truly scary Simon Windblade really was. Was victory still possible? Or will he finally face the expected outcome of Simon's victory and face his defeat?