In his training Kaito thought of Eleanora or his mother as rivals. He had a plan and knew how it would work. Now everything had changed. With Elynor's powerful energy in front of him, Kaito slowly realized how much more effort he would have to put in, and this excited him.
For a moment the two did not move. One watched every move of the other examining all the options. Kaito slid his foot forward a little, clenched his gaze, concentrated, and decided that it was the time to strike.
"If you won't come, I will!"
He moved forward with his sword backwards, stopped facing his brother and used his speed to deliver a horizontal blow. Elynor watched the whole thing very calmly and with a movement of his hand held his brother's sword by the blade. Seeing that the attack had failed, Kaito felt small before the power of the S rank.
"It can't be... with your hand?"
Elynor raised his energy sword and lowered it effortlessly, as if that battle wasn't worth his time. Kaito needed to dodge, but if he let go of his sword he would be unarmed in an already uneven fight. In the end he had no choice and jumped backwards, but the impact of Elynor's attack was so powerful that it created a wind that threw the F rank far away. But there was still something more to that attack.
"Is that...?" tried to say Cassia.
"No doubt about it..." replied Miguel impressed.
What was supposed to be a gust of wind turned into a wave of purple energy that hit Kaito directly in the chest, hurling him hard against the fence and ripping his shirt, which had its edges burned off.
This startled Elynor. He hadn't expected that he could do something like that or that attack would be so strong. His brother was badly injured and that was his fault.
"The fight...continues."
It was Kaito's voice that answered his brother's hesitation. He was not as badly injured as he might have been. For some reason he was able to keep fighting. Kaito got up from the wreckage of the fence and went forward. His lips had some blood on them, his body was scratched and burned, but he had managed to avoid the full damage by throwing himself backwards. Still, how to keep fighting?
He was unarmed and his strength was not enough. The odds were all against him, but he still had something he could try. If reason and strategy didn't bring him results, then madness would.
"You better get ready, Ely...I'm going with everything now."
Elynor saw his brother open his arms as if in an onslaught and run at him with a ferocity he had never seen. It was as if Kaito's gray eyes were filled with an enormous bloodlust. Elynor dropped the sword he had taken from his brother and prepared a stronger blow with his blood dictating what he should do. He raised his energy sword in the air and when his brother was close enough, he brought it down at once.
Kaito saw the energy coming against his chest and without giving voice to doubt he spun his entire body, narrowly avoiding the attack and passing Elynor. In the same movement Kaito bent down and picked up the two swords on the ground, one that was his and the other from the beginning of the duel, which Elynor had not picked up. Taking advantage of the movement and the way his brother had blundered, Kaito attacked him from the flank with both swords.
"THAT ENDS NOW!"
All his strength was in that moment. The swords zipped through the air with speed and precision for the final blow. But it was not enough. Even with all his strength he had not been able to wound Elynor, who had a light layer of purple energy around his body. Kaito could feel from the vibrating metal of the swords that it was harder than a warrior's skin. He was fully aware that his attack could not hurt Elynor even in a thousand days.
Elynor was surprised. If he didn't have this power the fight would be over, and he knew it. He felt stupid. He had underestimated his brother. Elynor had known Kaito for many years and should have known better than to underestimate him. Kaito was different. Unique. And so he should fight seriously and do his best.
Kaito saw his brother's purple eyes were filled with an angry and rebellious energy. Something was going to go wrong, and he could feel it. Elynor held him by the arm and threw him across. To avoid injury Kaito rolled across the ground and stopped on his knees facing the powerful S rank, who came in a leap that looked like a flight and descended on him with his sword of light that was bigger and more powerful.
"THAT'S ALL I HAVE, KAITO!"
Seeing that Eleanora makes the mention of interrupting, but her father stopped her.
"Are you really going to let Kaito die?!"
"Let's trust that everything will work out, Nora."
"Trust what?" asked her in distress.
Miguel looked at Cassia, who was smiling at that situation and didn't seem to doubt the outcome at any point. Her gaze is seen by Eleanora, who calms down in the same instant. It was such a powerful confidence coming from her mother that she felt foolish for doubting. But watching Elynor glide higher and higher with the wind swaying the trees and the sky thundering, Eleanora wasn't sure if that confidence was even justified.
Kaito knew that was the last attack. He knew he would lose. There was no way he could win that. It was impossible. But the smile on his lips made it clear that he would not give up either.
The weak F rank stood up, dropped one of the swords and held the other with both hands, placing it above his head. Elynor descended from the heavens with powerful purple energy enveloping his body and crashed into Kaito, creating a vast explosion of energy that pushed the plants and made the wood of the fence fly.
Dust rose all at once and covered the two combatants, making it impossible to tell the outcome of the duel, but slowly the thin layer of dust descended and revealed something that left everyone awestruck.
"Is that...?" tried to ask Eleanora in disbelief.
"But that should be impossible..." said Miguel dumbfounded.
"I knew it!" said Cassia excitedly.
Their amazement was the same as Elynor's. The S rank had been stopped. His energy blade had been deflected by Kaito's force and his ice sword.
"How...?" asked Elynor shivering.
Kaito's insane theory had yielded results. His sword encased in a thin layer of ice and the force his body projected was something he had only theorized upon a feeling. His madness had paid off, but he was still a long way from being the winner.
"Congratulations... Ely... you're going to be a big S rank..."
Kaito dropped his sword and collapsed faintly. His body was injured and exhausted, but when his whole family wrapped up to take care of him, they saw on his face that they didn't have to worry. That was the face of one who had given his all, and that this family would never forget it.
* * *
Kaito didn't take long to wake up. At least that's what he thought, for when he opened his eyes he found himself lying on the couch in the living area . He sat up still a little dizzy and realized that he was covered by a blanket, which his mother had probably laid out. There he saw his family gathered in the sunlight packing up and chatting casually. That scene made him smile. That was how he wanted them to always be, at peace and happy around each other.
"Kaito's awake!" was Eleanora who said as she let go of the hammer she used to tidy up the fence and ran to her brother.
"How long have I been out?" asked Kaito being hugged tightly by his sister.
"You passed out for an hour and twelve minutes, my son. Since we saw that you were exhausted we decided to tidy things up while you rested for a while." replied Miguel who came over to consult his watch.
"How are you, my darling? Is there blood in your mouth? Dizzy? Do you want to throw up?" questioned Cassia moving Eleanora aside to take Kaito's temperature.
"I'm fine. In fact, I feel great!"
And it was at this moment that Kaito realized that Elynor was not coming towards them. His brother was standing further back looking at them, not knowing how to act and feeling enormous guilt for what he had done. Kaito stood up and even though his legs were a bit shaky he went to his brother and hugged him all at once, leaving Elynor confused.
"Thanks, Ely! Thank you so much!" said Kaito squeezing his brother tighter.
"Thanks for what?"
"For forcing me to do my best." Kaito pulled away a little and showed a full smile as he faced his brother "Thanks for trusting me and going all in."
Elynor shivered and turned away in denial with his head.
"No...that's not right. I said horrible things and.... and I've done horrible things..."
Kaito tried to move closer to comfort his brother, but his father stepped forward.
"And that may not be your fault, my son. We all went through something like this when we had our ranks revealed."
Elynor stared at his father without much understanding, and then immediately looked at his sister and mother, who were smiling in confirmation.
"You guys went through that? But... how?"
This time Kaito answered.
"Hey, Ely? Aren't you remembering your classes? The warrior gets more agitated and rough, the rogue gets more perceptive and quiet, and the mage gets wiser, etc..."
Elynor denied without much belief.
"But I was cruel! I said bad things!"
"And that is a reflection of the impetuosity of the warrior along with the cunning of the mage. You were angry, if you were a warrior you would fight, if you were a mage you would ignore and at most reveal how upset you are. But you are a battlemage, so you fought and used your cunning, being sarcastic and cruel."
Cassia approached Elynor, slipping her arm around her son's shoulders.
"Everyone goes through this at awakening, my son. You had to see Nora knocking down the walls because she had no pancakes."
"Hey, I didn't do that!" protested Eleanora, who then went on to remember and bowed her head "maybe a little..."
Elynor looked at his mother and then immediately at his father and brother, compressing his lips and feeling embarrassed.
"But still I said a few things-"
"By the lineage, Elynor, enough!" said the mother cutting her son off and getting everyone's attention "what you said wasn't wrong, my dear...at least most of it. You just need to control yourself a little more. Now stop being guilty because no one is blaming you. And to prove it, your father is buying you a round of hamburgers!
"Wait a minute, am I going?" Miguel felt the pressure of his wife's gaze and quickly added, "Of course I'm going. The best thing for my family, isn't it...?"
Kaito smiled and put his hand on his brother's shoulder, holding Elynor's attention.
"What's up, Ely, are we going to celebrate your rank with hamburger and fries?"
"How about we celebrate that both brothers are going to Phoenix Academy?" said Elynor with pride in his gaze.
Kaito didn't understand at first. He looked at his brother, who was showing a smart look, and turned to his parents who were affirming with a calm smile.
"Easy, easy... Is this serious? Am I going to be able to go? Even if I lost you guys are going to let me go?"
"After what you've shown, Kaito, it would be crazy not to let you go. You proved that people with your blood can use abilities. You showed something that no one knew." replied Miguel stroking his son's white hair.
Kaito felt the tears fill his eyes as a huge relief filled his chest. Never in his life had he felt so proud of himself.
"That's right, cry and then we'll go get hamburger. Enjoy it while you can, Kai." said Cassia.
"Why is that? Do you have anything else?" asked Kaito wiping his tears.
Cassia smiled at Miguel, who smiled at Eleanora, but it wasn't a happy, calm smile, it was something more wicked, like a harbinger of a storm.
"Wait a minute... what are you guys up to?" asked Kaito slowly pulling away.
"Well, since you only have two months before the academy exam, we thought we would give you some training," answered Cassia.
"And what kind of training is this that you thought...?" asked Kaito feeling himself trembling.
"The kind of training that if you surviv-...I mean, don't get too tired, you will get very strong. What do you say?"
Kaito stared at his mother and everyone around him as if he were a guinea pig. Swallowing dryly and taking a deep breath, he realized there was no way he could back out.
"Okay... but first I want a double portion of fries..."