Fray bolted toward Tatsuya, releasing a flurry of swift attacks. Tatsuya, thanks to his buff spell, was able to either block or parry each strike.
The man flipped and his leg cut through the air like a guillotine. The boy barely dodged the kick. He put some distance between them.
"Tch! A hair's breadth away."
Fray whispered, kissing his tongue.
The man advanced once more, releasing more swift attacks. Tatsuya was able to parry each one continuously. Neither of them let up.
The boy tried to find a way or opening to attack the man, but there was nothing.
It was the same for the man.
(Is there no way I can get this guy?! I have to find something eventually since my mana won't be able to hold the buff spell forever.)
Tatsuya thought.
Suddenly, Fray stopped attacking, leaving an opening. Tatsuya glared at the opening but chose to back away.
"Oh,"
Fray said, surprised.
"Seems like you're no ordinary student. I'm sure any amateur fighter would take a chance at that opening, but you didn't."
"I mean, it was obvious. I doubt I would be able to be faster than you in that situation if I did attack you. You would've thrown me and then continued from there."
The man smiled, pleased.
"You guessed it. You probably have some mega tear-jerking backstory."
"No, not really, it's just that I was trained excessively by my Dad and Mom. That's really it."
The man took out something from his pocket.
It looked to be a mini spinning wheel. It had two options: black and green. He spun it.
The arrow landed on black.
"Oh, it doesn't seem to be my lucky day."
Tatsuya raised his eyebrow.
"Here I come!"
He poised himself as Fray darted at him once more. Fray's right arm aimed for Tatsuya's chin; he put his dagger below his chin.
A sharp pain overcame Tatsuya's foot as Fray slipped.
The boy saw an opening and swung his dagger downwards. The red-haired man flipped--the dagger cut his arm--and kicked Tatsuya in the stomach, sending him flying up the classroom.
"Whoops. Sorry about that, I slipped."
Fray muttered.
Tatsuya wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up, slightly wavering.
"Slipped?"
He pointed his dagger down at Fray.
"What happened?! Your moves suddenly became unstable. There's no way you 'slipped!'"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, but I did. Didn't you see what I did before I attacked?"
"The wheel..."
"That's right. It's me. I'm the Major Arcana, [X], Wheel of Fortune, Fray Roster!"
He declared.
The boy squinted his eyes.
"Major Arcana? The fuck is that?"
Tatsuya figured that he'd be able to pull information out of him. Luckily for him, Fray Roster was an imbecile.
"Of course someone as uneducated as you wouldn't know! We, Major Arcana, are born from Father, made with the sole purpose to carry out his desires! All eighteen of us serve under him and do his bidding."
(Major Arcana. Just like Tarot Cards, I'm guessing... Wait, is so...)
"Hey, I thought there are 21 Major Arcana, but you said eighteen."
"Well, of course, Father is The World, [XXI]. Magician, [I], has always been on the side of humanity and was never born from Father. While the Key is the Fool, [0]."
The last sentence got to Tatsuya.
"What?"
"Didn't you hear me, your friend, the Key, is the Fool? That is why Father needs her."
Tatsuya didn't ask any more questions. He thought that that was all he needed to hear. This time, he made his advance first.
"Cancel Summoning."
The daggers in his hands disappeared as he shot his fist at Fray. He began chanting as he did.
"God. Please supply me-"
Fray dodged but lost his balance. His bad luck was affecting him.
"-with the sharpest weapon in your arsenal."
He landed a successful blow on Fray.
"All to smite this grave sinner."
The man recovered and charged toward Tatsuya so that his bad luck wouldn't be used against him.
The boy raised his arm into the air.
"Amen."
A pillar of light shot down, like lightning, from the ceiling, stopping Fray in his tracks. A spear with a black blade was summoned. Tatsuya laughed nervously as he handled the weapon.
"I see, I understand the Wheel of Fortune now."
"What do you mean?"
The spear was pointed at Fray.
"Your ability isn't to only give yourself luck, but to give another person, or your opponent, luck too. Your ability can't be used without spinning that wheel and without even targets."
He shivered.
"H-how'd you know?!"
Fray shrieked, frustrated.
"This spear is the Spear of Destiny, there's no way I'd be able to summon this on my own, even in a million years."
"Spear of Destiny?"
The boy sighed.
"You really are an idiot."
Fray flinched in anger.
"This is the Lance of Longinus, the spear that pierced Jesus during his crucifixion. It's a Deity-class weapon, meaning that only Master-class Summoners should be able to summon it. Even among them, it should be rare. Now, I have the upper hand."
"Oh no, you don't."
There was a snap and the Lance of Longinus disappeared from Tatsuya's grasp.
"Ah!"
He gasped.
"After a certain amount of time, I can dissolve the luck that's on the target and I, meaning that we're back at square one."
But they weren't back at square one. Tatsuya's weapon had disappeared. He stared at Fray while silently chanting under his breath.
At first, his opponent didn't notice. Fray noticed his mouth move.
"I won't let you!"
Hitting the air created shockwaves. They flew at Tatsuya. He couldn't see them; he jumped, and the exertion of energy caused him to speak louder.
"-me to me at once! Satilla!"
Something jumped from his shadow.
Its midnight fur danced through the wind as it sped toward its prey. Its body was as big as a horse. It swiped at Fray, creating a scar on his arm. The shadow landed near the door of the classroom.
It was a wolf. Not any ordinary wolf.
It had random streaks of white in its fur and snow-white eyes with knife-like irises.
"You have a familiar, huh... I thought you wouldn't since you summon weapons."
Fray coughed, holding his arm.
Tatsuya's green aura dissipated. He had used the majority of his mana summoning his familiar, Satilla.
Satilla growled at Fray, ready to bare her fangs.
"My Dire Wolf, Satilla, and I are ready for action!"