Wolfe groaned as his arms and legs swung around violently. He could feel that he was being carried over someone's shoulder, but couldn't get his eyes open to confirm it.
Axel gasped for air as he hurled Wolfe's limp body over to the hospital which was located next to the student dormitories. The building acted as living quarters for the staff and a clinic to help students. In case of a severe injury which required constant observation, the student was admitted to a room in the hospital for the duration of their recovery.
Upon hearing Wolfe groan, Axel let out a relieved sigh. He joked about how much trouble Wolfe was giving him, but it was just that. A joke. Deep inside he really sympathised with Wolfe's situation and his terrible condition.
The trailing lights stretching from Axel's feet creeped up his legs, significantly increasing his speed. He had to make it back to Nova and help her out, but getting Wolfe securely to the hospital took priority.
-- 5 minutes earlier --
Nova and Axel faced the leader of the group as all three of them took on a fighting stance. Nova's halberd melted around her hand, slowly changing into a sharp, double edged katar. In her non-dominant hand she formed a dagger. While dual katars would be the ideal choice, she had to make sure not to harm Axel during her attacks, hence she chose to make a dagger instead of the second katar.
"Your weapons are brittle just like you, girl." The leader scoffed. "Let me show you how it's done."
He held both his hands out and for the first time since their meeting, the leader showed the true strength of his magic. Starting from the base of his right hand a long root extended all the way across to his left. The root eventually thickened and a large flat head formed at the left end. Smaller, thinner roots acted as rope to bind the head securely to the rest of the weapon .
Nova took a step back, doubting her weapon choice and her chances of winning. Grasped tightly in the leader's right hand was a wooden warhammer with a surprisingly sharp curved back end and a heavily reinforced front.
The reason Nova was so shocked was because her ice weapons were clearly inferior to the boy's thick wooden ones. When it came to forming weapons using magic, there were 3 distinct levels of skill.
The first was basic and focused only on forming the rough shape of the weapons. People who mastered the first level would be able to form linear weapons like a stake with ease.
The second level, the one Nova and most other people were stuck on, was concerned with forming usable weapons with edges that could easily slice through stones. This was also the stage where knowing how a weapon worked and felt was the most important resource to the user. Since understanding the weapon allowed for easier creation of it.
Some weapons such as axes and hammers required a heavy amount of material in their heads and were restricted to those that could clear the third level. Their heavy nature called for higher control over one's magic and a high amount of stamina.
The third level was sought after by two types of people: those who excelled in the second level or those who completely gave up on it and decided to try their luck with the third. The way the opponent easily handled the warhammer he had created told Nova that he was definitely part of the first type.
Nova melted her katar and dagger immediately after the opponent's reveal. She had to go for the weapon she was most comfortable with if she wished to win this matchup. The katar slowly dripped away, its thick base thinning into a firm handle and its tapering edge extending into a long thin blade.
Nova held the katana with both her hands, taking on a new, more comfortable stance. "Axel, you need to get Wolfe to the hospital. I doubt he'll last much longer in the cold with his injuries. You're faster than me so make sure you get him there and return to assist me." She looked over at Axel and smiled apologetically, but Axel was aware of the urgency that hung behind her gaze. He stepped back reluctantly, giving one last look of encouragement to Nova before grabbing Wolfe off the ground and rushing to the hospital.
"A brave choice for someone as weak as you." The leader said mockingly. "Too bad I'll be done with you before that boy returns. Then it'll be his chance to be beaten."
Without hesitation, the boy swung the warhammer down at Nova who barely dodged it since she was caught off-guard by the boy's impressive speed. The force of the swing lodged the hammer in the ground, giving the boy a hard time pulling it out.
Nova took her chance, swinging her katana horizontally across the boy's stomach.
The thin blade snapped in half as it hit the boy's abdomen. He had immediately covered his torso with wooden armour when Nova had made a move. He swung his fist at Nova's face, bruising her pale skin as she was thrown away.
The broken katana melted away, transforming into a long spear as Nova stood back up. The boy swung his hammer at Nova's exposed side but she blocked the hit with her left arm by quickly forming an ice shield around it.
The layers of ice shattered on contact but they were enough to deflect the hit. Nova proceeded with multiple stabbing attacks aimed all over the boy's body. The boy perfectly dodged every thrusting attack, parrying some using the large head of his warhammer. He was adjusting to Nova's attack patterns already. The thrusts of her spear were crude and unpolished, allowing the boy to see through them easily. Nova tried mixing in some swings between the thrusts, but it was too obvious to the boy who completely saw through her tactic.
He laughed at Nova's pathetic form, almost disgusted that she had gotten the better of him last time. He threw his hammer away, successfully distracting Nova for a second, and grabbed onto the body of the spear. He pulled Nova towards him, putting an end to her barrage of pointless attacks.
Losing her balance, Nova fell forwards, only to be met by the boy's raging fist rather than the cold ground. She felt her nose bend out of shape as the boy pushed his uppercut further into her head.
The boy smiled with satisfaction as Nova fell to the ground, her nose deformed and bleeding out of control. She lost control of her magic and the spear melted away instantly. Using his leg, the boy rolled Nova onto her back, exposing her muddied pale face. He grunted loudly as he stomped on her abdomen with all the force he could muster. Nova wretched and spat out as her body screamed in pain. She grabbed onto her stomach, but the boy continued stomping down on it, each merciless hit slowly crushing her hands.
She felt the bones in her fingers break through the middle as the boy ruthlessly beat her down. Nova wanted to scream out in agony, but only blood spilled from her mouth every time she opened it. Her stomach regurgitated all its contents into her mouth as the boy continued pressing down on it without care.
Soon her hands went limp and fell off her abdomen, the bones crushed to smithereens. Her facial muscles relaxed as she lost control of them along with the rest of her body. She could feel the blood and vomit clog her throat and she desperately tried to swallow it down or spit it out, but none were possible. Her body was shutting down and she couldn't breathe to save it.
"Just scream already you wretch! It's not fun if you don't cry for help!" The boy shouted as he kicked Nova's head.
The impact was enough to push the disgusting fluids out of her mouth. The boy who had nearly taken her life was ironically the one who saved it from helplessly ending.
Nova couldn't help but cry as half her face lay in a pool of her blood. She hoped that Axel and Wolfe were safe as a bright light finally took her consciousness away and her body shut down.