Arthur dashed towards the orc statue. It lifted the battleax and brought it down on him with surprising speed.
He dodged it and slashed at the side of the statue, forming a gash in the stone. 'Tch. Not deep enough.', he thought.
He spun around and sliced off the neck of a suit of armor that was ready to attack him with a spear. The suit was unfazed and stabbed at him.
Arthur dodged the spear. He concentrated magia into his fist and punched the suit in the chest. It flew back and crashed into another statue.
He felt movement behind him. The orc statue! He won't be able to react on time.
"Jeez. You really like to get yourself killed don't you?", Vesta appeared behind him and blocked the ax with her daggers.
Arthur smiled, "Well. I know you always have my back."
Vesta sighed. She looked at the orc statue, "Sorry buddy. But you can't kill my employer."
Her daggers ignited and she swung them at the statue's neck. Slicing it off cleanly in a bright arc of flame. She kicked it off and proceeded to attack the other statues and armors.
She weaved between them with bright flames around and trailing behind her. It was as if she was dancing among the flames with her daggers.
Despite seeing her fight many times, Arthur couldn't help but admire the skills of the Firedancer.
He smiled, "Let's do this."
Arthur streamed magia into his blade making it sharper and slashed at a suit of armor. The blade cleanly sliced the metal as if it was softwood.
Arthur saw Robin at the corner of his eye. He flitted through the shadows of the statues and armors and attacked the vital spots with his daggers.
'Damn he's impressive.', Arthur thought. But he didn't have time to stay impressed. About a dozen statues and armors surrounded him, their weapons ready for him.
Arthur calmly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Time slowed down around him as he took a stance. He concentrated magia into Ghost.
The sword glowed blue and vapors of magia came from it as the magia coursed throughout the blade, amplifying it. A soft hum came and the blade glowed brighter.
Time further slowed down. Arthur exhaled and slashed.
"Night style seventh form: Decimating Ripple."
A powerful wave of magia flashed from his sword and destroyed the statues and armors that surrounded him. The wave didn't stop there. It traveled further out, hitting more enemies like a ripple.
Arthur staggered a bit. The attack took about half of the magia in his Reserve. He suddenly felt a chill in the air.
Suddenly a spiked wall of ice erupted from the ground a few feet from him. It trapped some statues and launched some into the air.
"What the...", he said as Gray jumped into the air and destroyed the statues with deadly precision. She landed beside him, her polearm surrounded by mist.
She looked different from the Gray he previously talked to. Her face was emotionless and her eyes were cold and focused.
She briefly nodded to him and dashed up the ice wall. Gray launched herself up in the air over a big group of enemies.
{Ice Code: Frost Impact}
She plunged with her polearm and struck the ground. A wave of frost and ice spread outward, impaling the armors and shattering statues.
"Damn.", Arthur whistled. He wondered if he could've done something like that if he had an attribute.
The enemies showed no signs of weakening. He saw Gray breathing heavily. They will eventually run out of magia no matter how big their Reserves are if they don't find a way.
He rushed over to Gray. She still had the same emotionless look and cold eyes. Arthur suddenly remembered learning of a state of mind where a person attains maximum focus and temporary removal of emotions.
"Catharsis.", he whispered. He couldn't believe Gray mastered it. It is really hard to attain that state.
'What did you do to reach this far?', he thought.
Arthur looked behind him and saw Seventeen. The instructor smiled and nodded in encouragement.
Suddenly Arthur felt an increase in magia and he felt reinvigorated. He said a silent thanks to Seventeen and continued his assault.
*******
Seventeen smiled as he watched his students and the young Shadow steadily overcome their opponents. He had given them a magia boost to help them.
"Impressive.", Alvin Sylran said, "I have heard from my brother that Special Class A was for dysfunctional students with flaws. I can't believe they are this powerful."
"Well. Their power is not the only thing here.", he turned to Seventeen and Ruth, "It was also your abilities as instructors."
"So did you guys help the young Aria to master Catharsis?", he asked.
Seventeen and Ruth smiled and shook their heads.
"Actually we didn't do anything. It was all Gray.", Ruth said.
"What do you mean?", Alvin was puzzled.
Seventeen chuckled, "She meant that Gray was able to achieve Catharsis before coming to Cardinal Academy."
Alvin was amazed, "Whoa. How?"
Seventeen continued, "Gray has incredible potential to become a powerful warlock. But she is a kind and gentle girl and it would be hard for her to fight an enemy. As you know, being a warlock is a tough thing where you have to make difficult choices."
"Of course, her kindness is a good thing. But you can't overcome powerful enemies and difficult situations with just kindness. And Gray knew that."
"So she used her two years before entering the academy to master Catharsis by intense training with her Shadow and her sister.", Seventeen said.
"Catharsis is a really strong state of mind where your senses and focus are pushed to their maximum potential. It amplifies physical abilities and enhances the Mindscape while temporarily 'cleansing' one's emotions. One could say it is the ultimate state of the mind.", Ruth explained.
"And she was able to master it in two years. She would've undergone more intense training than Robin and Rhea.", Alvin said in awe.
"But the most surprising one here", he looked at Arthur, "Is the young man from the Night Family."
Ruth smiled, "The youngest of three siblings and born without an attribute. Despite this major flaw, he didn't give up and honed his other skills and his magia control."
Alvin nodded, "Indeed. His magia control is unbelievable. He might've spent his two years in intense training with his Shadow by looking at their teamwork. To be able to fight side by side with the Firedancer is truly amazing."
Seventeen smiled, "These guys are awesome but that doesn't mean we should slack off."
Alvin and Ruth nodded. The three of them looked down as the throne room began to shake.
"Seems like there are more of these statues under us.", Ruth said. "And these guys are really big judging by their magia.", Alvin mused.
The shaking got more violent and cracks started to form under their feet.
"Let's take care of this.", Seventeen calmly said as they jumped out of the way when suddenly the floor exploded and a huge stone hand emerged from it.
"What in Arkenstein is that!?", Robin yelled as a huge statue of an elf emerged from the hole and towered over them. Its eyes glowed with magia.
Another huge statue climbed out behind the first one and was followed by another. Soon five statues, each over 15 meters tall stood between the group and the throne.
"They're guarding the throne. I bet we can stop the defense system if we reach it.", Seventeen observed.
"We just need to take out these guys right?", Ruth said as she sized up the enemy. her daggers in her hands.
Alvin took out his sword, "It pains me as an archaeologist to destroy these statues but we have no choice."
Seventeen smiled, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to restore them."
"Sir!", Arthur ran up to him, his sword glowing with magia, "What can we do?", he asked.
Gray, Robin, and Vesta came behind him. Gray had used an ice wall to block the entrance and separate them from the statues and armors.
The wall had given them a short reprieve.
Seventeen looked at them. They looked tired with minor scratches and bruises but their eyes still burned with determination.
He smiled, "You guys take care of the ones that are coming from the entrance. We'll take care of these guys."
The four of them nodded.
"Vesta, Robin. Both of you stay hidden in the shadows and prepare a surprise ambush. Gray, create all the ice spikes you can and rain it down on the enemy when they break through the ice. I'll engage them when they're held back by your attack.", Arthur said.
The other three nodded without hesitation. "You're the boss, Arth.", Vesta said and sank into the shadows. Robin followed her and Gray closed her eyes.
The temperature lowered and tiny crystals of ice formed around them, growing in size.
Alvin was impressed, "Arthur is a natural leader and tactician. As expected of one from the family of geniuses"
Ruth and Seventeen smiled. They had seen Arthur take charge in group exercises and the others seemed to follow him and assumed him as their leader.
Seventeen and the other two faced the five huge statues. He pointed at three of them, "I'll take on those guys."
Ruth chuckled, "Confident aren't we? Well, I'll be sure to take one of them from you after I'm done with mine.", mist came from her daggers as ice formed over them.
"Well. I can't be behind you two otherwise it'll hurt my pride as an adventurer.", Alvin said. His eyes glowed yellow and a pillar of rock erupted from the ground and carried him towards one of the statues.
The statue raised its hand to swat him away but Alvin changed directions, narrowly missing it.
He jumped and swung his sword, {Earth Code: Stone Blade}, the rock pillar shattered and the pieces formed a massive blade that mirrored his sword.
The statue raised its hand to guard itself but the huge blade hit it with full force, shattering the arm.
'Damn. That's cool.', Seventeen thought.
(You already know that Code. Why do you sound so impressed?)
'Well. I haven't used it yet so this is my first time seeing it.'
(Yo. I hate to ruin your amazement. But please look above you.)
'What do you mean look above? Oh.', Seventeen noticed the growing shadow and saw a huge foot coming at him.
"Ah shit."