"Allen Fleming may not be the strongest mage, but he is now certainly not the weakest!," the twin announcers shouted for all to hear. "Showing all of us his true strength, the Proven Mage has defeated Simon Windblade!"
The once quiet arena finally filled with cheers everywhere, as they celebrated Allen Fleming's unexpected grand victory. The Annual Magical Knights Tournament was over, with Allen Fleming defeating Simon Windblade.
With his son almost defeated the first time, and finally defeated the second time, Solomon Windblade is left completely astonished. Just who is this Allen Fleming? Where did he come from? Just how did he manage to close the gap between himself and Simon?
This is just all too strange, Solomon thought, as he got up from his seat. A mage with almost no magical ability suddenly defeating a mage with immense magical strength?
Regardless of the outcome, Solomon Windblade will uphold the promise he made to this Allen Fleming boy. His younger brother, William Windblade, shall return as Head Director when the time is right. He'll make the necessary arrangements to allow his brother back to what he loved doing most.
Allen Fleming finally turned his attention over to the directors' seats for a moment. Solomon briefly saw Ellen Marion rush out of the arena, no doubt upset over the events of the duel. Solomon made a mental reminder he would deal with her later.
Turning his attention back down below, he noticed Allen Fleming's attention was on him. With both of them holding eye contact for a moment, there was something once again that gave him a sense of familiarity.
Wait, Solomon Windblade thought. A sword that can cut through magic? A young boy that looks like… No it can't be, right?
Allen Fleming's eye contract finally stopped, after he finally fainted onto the arena's floor, no doubt his fatigue finally catching up to him. How he managed to last this long, is beyond anyone's understanding.
I'll deal with this matter later, Solomon finally deciding, after noticing what appeared to be Allen's friends rushing over to him, Solomon's nephew Stephen included. But you've certainly left an impression on everyone here, young Allen.
With the tournament coming to a close, and Simon and Allen being taken to the infirmary no doubt, Solomon Windblade had much work ahead of him. He finally turned back to the Triumvirate officials that came with him today, including his own secretary, Julian.
"What a duel, huh Sully?," Julian asked, a grin forming on his face.
"I've told you not to call me that," Solomon reminded him, sighing.
"Right. But looks like we have much work ahead of us huh?"
"I suppose so," Solomon answered, as they began to wrap things up and get prepared to leave.
Before Solomon left, he turned back once more, noticing Julian with a strange, interested look on his face. Solomon noticed his attention was turned towards Allen Fleming, who was still unconscious, being taken out. Just what could he be thinking?
No matter, time to get to work, Solomon thought, as he finally made his way out.
Where am I?, Allen Fleming thought, as he began to wake up and groan. His vision was blurry, and he attempted to get a hold of his surroundings.
The last thing Allen Fleming remembers is winning the tournament and seeing his friends rush over to him.
I must have passed out, he thought, as he rubbed his eyes. And I must be in the infirmary once again, like I always am.
"Morning. Sleep well?," A familiar voice asked, coming from Allen's side.
One of my friends?, Allen thought, still waking up. Wait-
As Allen's vision finally came to focus, he realized it wasn't any one of his friends sitting next to him. No, it was someone he hadn't seen for months.
"What? Have no words for me?," William asked, giving him a curious look. "Been gone all this time and you're just going to stare?"
Without saying anything, Allen immediately reached out and gave him a hug.
"Missed me that much, huh?," William chuckled, returning the hug.
"It's been too long, William," Allen finally said, getting a little emotional. "I missed you"
"I missed you too kid," William responded, smiling.
After a moment of silence between the two of them, William finally spoke.
"Well firstly before I get into anything, can I trust you'll be quiet on my return until everything is in order?"
"Not like I can tell anyone anyways," Allen pointed out, chuckling. "I'll probably be stuck in here for a bit"
"Good point," William nodded. "Anyways, congratulations on your victory. I really wish I could've been there to see it"
"I understand," Allen answered. "Honestly I'm just glad you're back regardless"
"And I am definitely glad to be back," William agreed with him, smiling. "It feels like it has been far too long"
William's gaze shifted upwards, as if he was recalling memories from his time away. Just what did he go through while he was gone?
Maybe it's better not to ask, Allen thought. After all, William has always been secretive. If he wants me to know, he'll tell me.
"But seriously, what exactly did you do in your duel?," William asked, getting curious. "I heard a bit of what happened. Just how did you manage to defeat Simon Windblade?"
"Umm, well…," Allen started to say, trying to think of how to explain it.
Allen did his best to explain what happened in his duel against Simon Windblade. From fighting against his supreme magic in the beginning, managing to push through, being blown back by his whirlwind of magic, managing to see through his magic (which Allen currently dubs as "magical eyes"), throwing his sword to stop the whirlwind, and then finally reaching him.
"Wait seriously?!," William raised his voice, but then quickly quieted down. "You managed… to pull all of that off?"
"I honestly still don't know how I managed to," Allen admitted. "It almost feels like a dream"
"And you said you managed to see his magic?," William asked for confirmation. "And your sword… flew to you?"
"Yeah," Allen nodded. "I think I managed to pull off what you do! But regarding my sword… I think that was… instinctual?"
"Hmm," William put a hand to his chin in thought. "We'll… talk about those things later. But I do have to say, defeating Simon Windblade is no simple matter. Whether it was luck or skill, you've managed to pull something off many would dream of trying to do"
"I would have to agree with you. Simon Windblade… is nothing far from normal. He is beyond the rumors and information I've heard about him," Allen explained, still in disbelief at Simon's raw magical power. "William, is that truly his power? Are all strong mages like him? Or is he an exception?"
"I-," William started to say trying to form an answer. "Let's just call Simon an exception for someone your age. Yes, there are many strong mages in the magical knights. But if what I've heard about him is true… then he is no doubt the prized son of my older brother"
"That's truly his magical power?! Without any sort of magical artifacts?! It's hard to believe-"
William put a hand up to quiet down. "I understand where you are coming from. Simply put, Simon is in his own category. There is no rhyme or reason, it's simply what he was born with"
"Regardless, you still won at the end of the day, and that should be amazing on its own. Try to relax, and celebrate your hard earned victory," William advised him, while giving him a smile.
"You're right. I won the tournament, against all odds. I'll do my best to celebrate"
"Good. Because here soon we'll be holding a celebratory dinner for you," William grinned.
"Wait what?!," Allen asked, surprised. "No one told me about that! Don't I have a say in-"
"Well, it's a tradition that it's held each year for the tournament winner," William explained, interrupting him. "Ellen would have canceled it out of spite, but luckily for you, I would do no such thing!"
Of course there's something like that, Allen thought, sighing. Just another way to get unwanted attention.
"Yes I know you don't really desire things such as that, but think of it this way," William continued. "If I canceled a traditional event after such an amazing duel that I've heard quite a bit about, that wouldn't seem fair to you, wouldn't it?"
"But I don't-"
"Just try to enjoy the event," William finally said. "I know you're not a big fan of attention, but you can at least do that much, can you?"
"A-Alright, I'll try to bear with it," Allen finally decided. "My friends will at least be there, right?"
"Of course," William smiled and nodded. "All who participated in the tournament will be able to attend, alongside a select few. I promise your friends will all be there"
"Thanks William!"
"Of course," he nodded again. "Now, mind filling me in on what's exactly happened since I was gone?"
Allen did his best to fill in William what exactly transpired since his unfortunate removal. From Ellen Marion's unfair rules, to Allen's unexpected alliance with Ms. Florence and Mr. Garet, and the tournament itself. William calmly listened in the whole time, but reacting here and there to a few of the major details Allen included.
"And I believe that's everything," Allen said, before finally taking a breath.
"I see. Thank you," William smiled. "But, what is this about a 'small resistance' with Danet and Walter, exactly?
"Umm, about that," Allen started to say, as he tried to search for a good way to explain as William gave him a curious look, as though a teacher reprimanding a student with looks alone.
"Nevermind that. If anything, I should be talking to them about it, not you," William finally chuckled. "Regardless, good job while I was away. I am proud of you"
"Thanks William," Allen grinned.
After a little bit longer of chatter between the two of them, William finally decided to get up and make his leave. He would still have plenty of matters to settle regarding his return, including paperwork to his displeasure.
Luckily with William back in the picture, he was able to return Martha Clark as their other vice director. This effectively returned all of the previous directors, with Ellen Marion gone.
"Rest well, as you won't want to miss the announcement following the tournament and my return," William advised Allen, as he got up to leave.
"Wait, what about my rank?," Allen quickly asked.
After all, Allen's conditions to make it to his second year were to begin at F rank, make it to C rank, and win four consecutive duels in the tournament. Allen already managed to fulfill two of them, as he began at F rank and did more than just win four duels, but he had yet to rank up to C rank. Their initial thought was if Allen did really well in the tournament, Ellen Marion would have no choice but to place Allen at C rank. But with William returning as head director, will he go ahead and rank him up?
"Ah, that," William pointed a finger up, as if recalling a memory. "Just… wait for the announcement. I promise, all details will be included then"
"Wait-"
But before Allen could stop him, William had already left the room, leaving Allen all by himself.
"Man, this sucks!," Allen raised his voice, as he punched his bed. "I really need to stop getting sent here every single time!"
While Allen's time in the infirmary was long and annoying, his friends manage to stop by here and there to keep him company. They were first worried about how he was doing, but luckily he was expected to make a fast recovery.
After a few days had passed, Allen was finally released from the infirmary, and just in time for the announcement regarding the tournament results and William's return to begin.
All of the students were assembled in the auditorium, all ranging in year and rank. Many of those who participated only in the preliminaries or managed to reach the tournament were of course included. They all awaited what they thought would only be the tournament results.
Most had forgotten the promise Solomon Windblade had made to Allen before the duel began, due to the chaos that had followed. Too many were concerned about what happened in the duel, what transpired after the duel, and their academy year coming to a close. Many were still of the mind that Ellen Marion was still their head director, but would soon be shown otherwise.
"Greetings all of you students. I trust you'll all quiet down, yes?," the man on stage spoke, after clearing his throat. "As you know I am Walter Garet, your vice director"
While the room began to settle, there were still a few students whispering amongst themselves. But everyone began to quiet down as they noticed a second figure on the stage.
"And I am your Student Council President, Rose Marion!," Rose announced, as all of the students finally fell in line. With one quick introduction on the stage, Rose managed to capture everyone's attention. "Both Mr. Garet and I shall proceed with the tournament results, for all to hear!"
"Hmph, right," Mr. Garet cleared his throat again, as he gave an annoyed expression. "Firstly, as you all should be aware, this year's tournament winner is none other than the rank D first year, Allen Fleming"
Cheers finally erupted from the crowd, as many once again celebrated Allen's victory. Fortunately for Allen, he managed to keep quiet and hide amongst the crowd, but that did not make it any less easy to deal with.
"Quiet!," Mr. Garet roared, and the crowd once again settled down. "Simon Windblade automatically receives second place for making it to the finals. And with much discussion, we have decided that Stephen Windblade shall receive third, for his eye catching duel against our tournament winner, Allen Fleming"
Cheers once again erupted from the crowd, as they all celebrated for Simon and Stephen. Luckily for Stephen, he relished in the attention, but unfortunately not many of the students knew where he was in the crowd.
"The finer details of the rest of the placements will follow, but we have a rather important matter to address first," Mr. Garet continued, as the crowd settled down once more.
"All of you must be wondering where my moth- I mean our Head Director Ellen Marion has gone," Rose spoke up. "However, we must advise you she will not be returning"
Murmurs went throughout the crowd as everyone began to wonder what was going on. If Ellen Marion has left, could that mean-
With two new figures taking the stage, everyone one by one began to light up as they figured out what was going on.
"Greetings everyone! It has been far too long, I'm sure!," William Windblade spoke, a large grin on his face. "I'm so glad to be back, aren't you Martha?"
"Indeed," Martha Clark nodded, as she smiled at everyone in the crowd. "I have missed you all!"
"We promise to work hard and keep the academy a safe place for all mages!," William added. "Ellen Marion and her unneeded ways will be tossed out!"
Once the cheers from the crowd had settled down once again, and Rose Marion quietly made her way out, the stage was left with the academy's three directors: William Windblade, Head Director. Martha Clark and Walter Garet, vice directors. The academy had gotten two of their former directors back.
"Now with that out of the way, Martha, Walter and I will proceed with the promotions received for outstanding performance in the Annual Magical Knights Tournament!," William began. "Please note that any who are already of rank A will not receive promotions for obvious reasons"
"To start off with, Allen Fleming, winner of the tournament," William continued, as silence filled the room. "While we may not be satisfied with the rank we are about to give you, I must advise you it was done regarding certain circumstances we may not address at this time. As such, Allen Fleming shall be awarded the rank of C! Allen Fleming passes all of his conditions needed to make it to his second year!"
As the auditorium filled with a mix of emotions and celebrations, Allen felt a wave of relief wash over him. Even if he hadn't been ranked higher, he had finally done everything he needed to do to pass. The once weakest mage, who at the beginning of the year struggled to show his prowess and was accepted under certain conditions, managed to learn and grow throughout the year, and finally get to a place he almost never thought he would achieve. That in of its own, was enough for Allen.
"Thomas Terrastone," Mr. Garet spoke, after clearing his throat. "You shall also be awarded the rank of C, for your performance"
Allen noticed Thomas to the side of him practically jump out of his seat in excitement. He definitely deserved it, so Allen let it be.
"Cecily Rivertide," Ms. Clark spoke up. "You dear, shall also be awarded the rank of C, for your outstanding performance against your opponents, especially against our Student Council President!"
Cecily began to nod in approval, completely opposite of Thomas' previous reaction. However Thomas seemed slightly annoyed, for Ms. Clark had highlighted her achievements, while Mr. Garet only glossed over his.
Several other students who participated in the tournament also received promotions based on how well they did. Even Adam, Oliver and Sybil, whom Allen had shared classes with previously were also ranked up to C rank.
I had no idea they were in the tournament, Allen thought, as the promotions continued. Then again, I was rather busy with Mr. Garet and Ms. Florence. I'm glad they did well.
"-and now with the promotions out of the way," William spoke, as Allen finally shifted back to reality. "I have one more important matter to go over"
Just what could it be?, Allen thought, as everyone's attention remained on their returned Head Director.
"I am proud to say that we no longer have any F ranked students at our esteemed academy, which means we are no longer in need of an F ranked teacher," William continued to explain.
Wait, Allen thought, getting slightly worried. Is he going to remove-
"With that in mind, I suggest we move our previous F ranked teacher, Ms. Florence, to begin teaching C ranked students. After all, with an influx of more C ranked students, we'll need another teacher, won't we?," William asked, as he looked to both Ms. Clark and Mr. Garet at his sides.
"I agree," Ms. Clark answered. "With her contributions, she is a part of the reason you and I are back, isn't she William?"
"Indeed she is," William responded. "And what about you, Mr. Garet? I don't think you'd have a problem with it?"
"Hmph, I suppose not"
"Very well!," William raised his voice. "Ms. Florence, you shall be appointed to teach some of our new students who have been made C rank!"
As some of the students cheered surprisingly, Allen and William locked eyes. Could William be doing what he thought he was doing?
Although it was hard to notice, Allen managed to do so. William was smirking, although only for a moment.
He's really doing it, isn't he?, Allen thought, as he chuckled. Making Ms. Florence my teacher once again. But with how lazy she was as the F ranked teacher and her views on magic, we'll see if she'll be a good fit.
But with Ms. Florence returning as Allen's teacher, and with Thomas and Cecily both at C rank, could that mean they'll all remain in the same class as each other?
But before Allen could think about it further, William had continued with the announcement.
The announcement didn't last much longer, as only a little bit of information was left to advise the students of, regarding William and Ms. Clark's return. William informed everyone of the afterparty, which will be held to celebrate Allen's victory in the tournament.
"-and, I hope to see all of those who participated in the tournament attend!," William continued. "But, that's all for today. You all may leave and resume your regular classes and studies for today!"
With the announcement finally coming to a close, Allen began to prepare himself for the possible chaos of what might be the afterparty. Hopefully he can get some help from both August and Rose, who know better about parties than he does.
But regardless, the now Proven Mage, can finally celebrate his successes. Allen will be making it to his second year!