Mond tapped the shoulder of Niahl who was eager to start, "Boss" he called. "What is it?" asked Niahl, as he tilted his head to the side.
"I know that you are very happy with the flow, but first, the kids need to pick their own weapons. Don't forget that, PLEASE" Mond looked at Niahl with pressure lit up on his eyes.
Niahl's shoulder and motivation droop down. "Ah, yes sir"
…
Well, it's like that so we went to pick out our weapons, first.
"Mister Mond, are these all harmful?" asked Russell, as he looked at the weapons. "That's how the boss ordered it to be" Mond answered
Niahl spoke up, "Look. It will be pointless, if they were fake, right?" his shoulders went up, as if he was expecting us to agree.
But we only looked at him with a face that was mixed with shock, fear and confusion.
"After all, without harm, things wouldn't be thrilling and all" Niahl nodded to himself, with his arms crossed.
You know, such people are the ones that find wars a pleasure…
Still, now I get it this guy, Niahl. He is really crazy…no he is the embodiment of the word craziness, itself.
That said, we still picked out our weapons.
I picked a sword with a thin long blade. That way, my speed won't reduce and I will be able to attack Niahl from a near long range.
"So, that is what you're going to pick" Niahl spoke, as he leaned over to look at the sword I've picked.
He smiled, "A good one!"
"Thanks" I looked down. "Right, Niahl" Suddenly, a passing thought came into my mind, so I turned to look at Niahl and asked him, "Where are my siblings?"
Right, I haven't seen any one of them, ever since I woke up and went with Hugo and the others to tour around.
There were three plates that weren't tidied yet, when we came to the dining hall, so I guess they already ate and went somewhere.
And where that is, I am expecting that Niahl know it.
Niahl smirked, before he turned his back against me. "They are on their own training" he answered,
Training..?
"Last night, they went to my office, when I was still a bit sober, and they talked to me about their own decision about the matter we have in front of us" Niahl stated.
Whilst looking down, "What was the decision they came up with?" I asked Niahl.
"Alfred decided that he is going to become the Emperor of the Doghanik Empire, once we fix things" Niahl answered.
He continued, "And to prepare for things that might happen, I asked Heldrad to be the Commander of Knights"
"What do you mean by things that might happe-…" I was about to ask Niahl, but suddenly the answer came into my mind.
For the time where the Commander of Knights, Theodore Claes might become one of our enemies.
Niahl faced me, and noticed that I managed to get the answer, by myself.
"How about Altheia, then?" I changed my question. "She decided that she would support Heldrad, as his assistant. In other words, the vice commander" Niahl shrugged, and smiled.
My hands and vision fell down the ground, "I see" and I mumbled, before biting my lip
Somehow, I feel like they are leaving me behind and going to walk their own paths that they decided and was accepted by others.
It makes me feel a bit…
"Ed!!" familiar voices interrupted my monologue. "We're ready here, how' bout you?" they asked me.
I stopped biting my lips and smiled. "Ready, as well!" I went to them.
"You've got friends and companions around you. Don't forget that you aren't alone, Ed…" mumbled Niahl to himself, before he walked to us.
The others picked out weapons that suited them in a way.
Kirt picked two daggers, and Gino picked a lance. While, Reina picked a rapier and Anna picked a staff that was recommended to her, by Mond.
The other two, Forth picked a sword with thick blade and was somewhat heavy just from its look.
And Russell picked a bow, and only one arrow. According to him, he can just multiply the arrows, so one would suffice.
Looking at them, somehow the seven statues that stood in front of Father's office came into my mind.
I wonder why?
After we picked out our weapons, Mond went off carrying the other weapons that didn't get picked.
"Now, let's move on the main event. The one-on-one battle with me!!!" Niahl started.
Niahl cleared his throat. "With this mock battle, there is only one rule and that is to land a hit on me, within 30 minutes" he stated. "Even a slight tap with your weapon would suffice
We remained silent, as we looked at him with a face saying, "That's all?"
"Isn't the rule too easy?" Gino asked, with question marks floating up his head. "Easy said than done…" Forth tilted his glasses.
Niahl nodded. "It's like what Forth said. After all, 30 minutes might feel long, but it will be quick once you move around whilst not minding time" he stated.
"What if we get hit by you, will that count as our lose?" asked Reina, with her right hand raised. "Nope, out of time is the only way you'll lose" Niahl answered.
Silence filled the surroundings, and gave a sign that no one has any more questions.
"Well, then. Shall we get started?" Niahl smiled, and we nodded. "So, who wants to go first?" he asked.
A yawn was heard the same time someone raised their right hand. "I'll go" said the person.
We all looked behind and saw a boy with a messy black hair raising his hand up, whilst feeling a bit drowsy.
"K-Kirt!?!" we exclaimed.
Right, the usual lazy Kirt, who doesn't say that he will do things before someone asked him to, had raised his hand and posted his self.
Russell mumbled, with a baffled expression slowly turning into his usual smile, "You will be going first?" Kirt nodded at him, like a motivated child.
"Aren't you eager today, Kirt?" Gino chuckled. "I-isn't that a good thing?" Forth tilted his glasses, trying to look calm.
Your fingers are obviously shaking, Forth! It is obvious that you were really shocked, you know!
Kirt yawned. "I just want to rest, so I'm going first" he stated.
The usual reason you would hear from Kirt, eh? Hearing those words, we all can agree and say the same words without telling the others to do so.
And as expected we all mumbled, "As usual of Kirt..."
"Well, I would like you to hold for 30 minutes, at least. After all, I wouldn't want you to fall asleep while we are fighting each other" Niahl stated.
Kirt unsheathed the daggers he picked. "Don't worry, it wouldn't take that much" he stood in position.
He's looking a bit motivated, but a few seconds after, he started looking down the ground.
"Don't tell me, he's sleepy..?" Reina mumbled, as we watched their fight from the audience seat with Qhuial and Hugo.
Gino nodded, with a slight smug. "We're talking about Kirt here, so that is for certain" he stated, and we sighed.
"Right! Kirt-kun, can you tell me about your Element?" Niahl asked. "Isn't it kinda wrong to ask your enemy about their strength?" Forth mumbled.
Niahl looked at him from the stage.
"This battle is a way for me to know what your strength and weaknesses are, so I need to know your Element. That way I can analyze thing while battling, can't I?" he explained.
Forth tilted his glasses. "W-well, you can" he mumbled, and Russell smiled.
"My Element lets me control my and others' shadows, and even darkness itself. It is categorized to have Luna as it's Origin" Kirt stated.
Niahl pressed his chin, "So to be precise you can do whatever you like with your and with others' shadows, huh?" he mumbled.
"That's the gist of it" Kirt nodded, at him. "Then let us start the one-on-one!" Niahl smiled.
So he's going to fight Kirt like that? Just with bare hands? He isn't going to use any weapons, at all?
Niahl noticed my gaze, and winked at me. "Yes is what he meant, I guess" I mumbled to myself, as I placed my hand over my forehead.
As the battle finally started, Kirt started spinning his daggers, by putting his index finger on the small holes it had on its hilt, before he suddenly threw both of it up.
"Eh?!" Niahl jolted, and his focus went to the daggers that were thrown up the air.
As the daggers fall down, Niahl noticed the fact that Kirt wasn't there. "I was fooled, eh?" he mumbled, with a forced smile.
Yeah, even we got fooled.
It is only natural for a person to look at a weapon that suddenly got thrown up in the air. After all, where they might go is something you mustn't let your eyes go away from.
"Isn't that a shadow..?" mumbled Anna, as she pointed at the that was dancing over the ground, and soon it stopped right beneath Niahl's shadow.
Suddenly, I remembered the words Niahl said. "To be precise, you can do whatever you like with your and others' shadow, eh?"
I see!
Kirt, that guy, he covered his self with shadow while Niahl was looking up at his daggers and went down the ground by the time the daggers fell down.
And it seems like Niahl had noticed that fact, so he suddenly jumped away from the shadow that was just beneath him.
Right after that, a few minutes passed but nothing was happening at all.
"Hey, am I the only one thinking this?" Qhuial asked. "No, I'm sure you're not alone" Gino answered him.
Yep, everyone is thinking the same thing right now. "Kirt is sleeping down the ground!!"
"If you don't wake up and come out already, the time will end and you will lose, idiot" Niahl grinned.
He started chanting. "Tremor thy Fate, Light thy Path"
"One would stray from the path. One would stick to the path. Once a meeting occur between them, their fate and path will be connected from on"
He reached his hands forward, with his eyes shut down
"Connect, connect the fate of thread, and force one to pass his limits" he slowly opened his eyes.
Niahl clenched his left fist. "I chose the path of trials, so I call thee… Trómo sti gi!" he shook the ground with that one punch.
After the short quake, Kirt appeared up the ground.
"You shook my head!" he complained, whilst holding his head and was crying a bit. "Was your sleep a good one?" Niahl smirked.
Kirt gasped. "How did you know?" he asked, as he put on a face that looked like the things that were happening right now was a real bad one.
"It's too obvious, idiot" Niahl retorted.
He sighed, "Really… I wonder how you managed to sleep down there, when there's no air or anything down there"
"I just managed to do so?" Kirt tilted his head to the side and Niahl sighed, exhausted from retorting.
"Nevermind that, let's continue the fight. You still haven't managed to land a hit on me, remember?" Niahl provoked him.
He started chanting, once again. "Tremor thy Fate, Light thy Path"
"One would stray away the path. One would stick to the path. Once a meeting occurred between them, their fate will be connected from on"
His hands were reached out forward, with his eyes shut down.
"Connect, connect the fate of thread, and force one to pass his limits" He slowly opened his eyes.
Niahl clenched his right fist, this time. "I chose the path of wise, so I call thee… Fos to skotádi!!" he punched the air strongly, and the lightning he produced went over Kirt's zone.
Although, he didn't flinch a bit, he guarded himself with shadow and swallowed the lightning with it. And attacked Niahl with his element, but Niahl was able to dodge all of it.
"Damn kid, are you thinking the pressure will weaken me?" Niahl chuckled, as he countered Kirt's shadow punch with his own thunder punch.
Though, all it did was push back that shadow punch of Kirt, instead of breaking it all out, like how he seemed to expect.
Soon, Kirt sprinted from his position to Niahl's strike zone.
He coated himself again with shadow. And slipped down the ground, allowing himself to be absorbed down the ground, again.
"Hiding again, huh?" Niahl mumbled, whilst following the shadow Kirt had become with his eyes.
Niahl turned around and saw Kirt.
Yes, he did saw him. A drowsy Kirt punching Niahl's stomach gear lightly, as if he was poking it.
Silence filled the training grounds, as Kirt suddenly fell down asleep. "T-the heck..?"