//A shorter chapter but I'm just getting into the swing of things for Black Clover. If you wanna read more, two more chapters will be posted on my P@treon. Another three will be posted tomorrow, one on here, two on P@treon.
P@treon.com/ShadowDrev
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The Colosseum was extremely quiet, to the point where one could hear the wings of birds as they flew overhead. The constant chatter of those within the buildings confines ground to a halt, all eyes focused on the fiery redhead pointing towards one of the nine individuals seated far above the examinees. It was like a switch had been flipped, going from a competitive atmosphere to a deadly pause in a few measly seconds. It wasn't hard to gauge what was going through everyone's minds either, the sea of shocked faces making it abundantly clear. This wasn't something that usually happened during the Exams, a huge upset that no one had seen coming.
Jak didn't particularly care though, even after the reaction from the people. His crimson hues remained fixed on the black haired man some ways ahead.
He had to make his presence known, to stomp his way forward in order to make his voice heard.
It was the only way to get proper answers. Though he could always ask those around him what was happening in terms of a geographical and political standpoint, the power wielded by those above him wasn't something he would he able to find out quite as easily.
There were 2000+ worlds he knew nothing about. This was a necessity.
It was after a few moments had passed that the shock value from Jaks decision finally wore off. Mixed emotions ran rampant throughout the colosseum, bubbles of conversation filling the air.
"Is he even allowed to do that?" One examinee queried in a confused tone.
"I've never heard of anyone challenging a Captain before!"
"Does he think he's tough enough to take on a Captain? Is he delusional?"
"Definitely isn't within his right mind. That explosion must've knocked a couple of screws loose."
FWOOSH!!!
An aura of red hot magic encompassed the immediate area as Jak let his magic run unchecked, allowing it spread as far as it wanted. The atmospheric temperature rose rapidly, causing those within its grasp to feel as if they were locked in a raging inferno, unable to escape. Tendrils of red and orange lashed out from Jaks feet, twisting and swirling in an intricate dance before eventually transforming into actual physical flames. The whole crowd fell just as silent as they had moments before, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure Jaks magical energy was exerting, their mocking tones completely vanishing.
However, the fiery redhead wasn't focused on the crowd but rather the "Captain" he had called out, the buff one with the white tank top. Their gazes locked, smokey grey ones meeting bright crimson, a silent understanding befalling the two without a word being exchanged.
Silently, Jak cut off the flow of magic and walked away from the stands, towards an opening in the now backed up crowd. Hand on his the hilt of his blade, the young man waited patiently, unmoving.
"Here Finral," the tank top Captain responded, handing the guy next to him a thick purple book. "Hold onto this for me."
"Captain Yami?" Finral Roulacase, a young man with wild brown hair, questioned as the man stood up from his seat. "Where're you going?"
"Foreigner." Another one of those Captains stood up from his seat, the one with the frontal braid. "Do you intend on doing battle with an examinee? Especially an outsider with unknown magic?"
Yami Sumehiro looked towards Nozel, placing a cigarette into his mouth. "What? You worried about me?"
Novel Silva scowled before letting out an annoyed grunt.
"Im only doing something light," Yami waved. "I have a few questions for ol' tomato head over there."
Ignoring the objections from his fellow Captains, Yami hopped off the stands, landing on the stadium grounds. Exhaling a puff of smoke, the dark haired individual made his way over to Jaks spot, a relatively calm look on his face. Positioning himself opposite the redhead, the black haired Captain turned to face his opponent.
A strong breeze blew by, ruffling Jaks cape as he slowly pulled out his katana, the glowing red surface catching the light of the sun as it exited the sheath. Brandishing it away from his body, Jak took a stance, readying himself for combat.
"That's an interesting blade you got there, tomato head," Yami commented. His eyes narrowed as he pulled out his own sword, something Jak hadn't noticed some moments prior. "Where'd you get it from?"
"My dead friend and mentor," Jak responded.
Yami nodded as he gripped his own weapon, a light grey katana with a solid black back. With a nod, the two of them acknowledged each other before pushing off the ground.
Bang!!
The two of them met in the middle, dual katanas clashing violently as they wrested for control, sparks flying every which way. The ground beneath them cracked, the mere pressure of their collision causing ruptures in multiple areas along the battlefield. Though the brief exchange didn't last very long, enough collateral damage was done to the area for those within proximity to quickly retreat to a comparatively safer distance.
(("He's stronger than me,")) Yami noted as they separated.
(("He's faster than me,")) Jak thought internally as he slid backwards. (("Better swordsmanship as well."))
So much was learned from that short interaction that Jak almost felt no need to even continue, knowing where each of them stood in terms of physical power. The only thing keeping him in that fight, though, was solely due to the acknowledgement that the one known as Yami was holding back substantially, perhaps avoiding too much damage in case people were caught in their spar. Additionally, Jak could practically feel the amount of mana that the Captain possessed, an amount that was just slightly larger than his own magical reserves. Partnered with the obvious age difference and battle hardened look, the redhead reckoned that there was far more for him to learn about the man's skillset than what Jak was currently witnessing.
Clang! Clang Clang! Clang!
The two of them met once again for a flurry of attacks, weapons hitting each other again and again in an unorthodox dance that lead the two around the field. Shockwaves were sent every which way, reverberations shaking the very air, shattering the ground, sending echoes throughout the entire stadium. Magic leaked off the two individuals but none of it was incorporated into their attacks, the usage of pure physical prowess driving them forward in their lengthy scrimmage of swords.
"So, where are you from?" Yami asked casually, parrying one of Jaks overhead slashes. "You aren't from around here are you?"
"The Eastern Continent," Jak replied, ducking under the Captains follow up swing. "Namely the Kingdom Of Intok, by the Auntro Ocean. The World Of Ornera."
"Interesting." Yami flicked his sword, slashing and blocking as he kept up the conversation. "Coming from someplace I never heard of. Then you aren't even meant to be here."
"Nope."
Cling! Clang!
Twisting his weapon, Yami skillfully twirled Jaks katana and swiped it aside, yanking it out of his hand and sending it scattering across the broken ground. Hitting a rock, the sword launched into the air and drove blade first into the floor, burying itself a good ways down. Though the fight had been a close one, or as close as one could get without magic and the full exertion of abilities, Jaks skill was obviously quite inferior to the Captains as his opponents blade was held against his throat.
"Looks like this is my win brat," Yami said, letting out a puff of smoke. "A thousand years too early to be challenging me."
"Give it a month," was Jaks only reply as he removed Yami's blade with his index finger. "See if you have the same attitude old man."
"A month?" Yami let out a laugh, one not necessarily mocking, but as if he genuinely found such words to be amusing. Tucking his katana into his sheath, the black haired swordsman gave the redhead the first grin since meeting him. Turning around, Yami walked away, heading back towards the balcony where the other Captains sat perched upon, still observing the interaction betwixt the two. "I look forward to seeing you surpass your limits kid."
Jak said nothing as Yami returned to the stands, turning around and moving away from the field as well, removing himself from the battlefield. He had garnered quite a bit of information during their little exchange, namely the brief back and forth conversation the dual Swordsmen had undergone whilst they were sparring. Though the clash itself had set the expectations of that areas top fighters, or some semblance thereof, he had also pieced together some vital details regarding the respective world he was in and how it connected to Ornera and its 3000+ worlds. It wasn't exactly a small detail though and it changed the name of the game quite a bit.
He was in a completely new world, one undiscovered by the WGC and the adventurers who wandered the depths of the Rifts.
(("Well, now what do I do?" Jak pondered internally. (("Can't get back home if I don't know where the Rift is."))
The only way to and from a world back in Ornera was through a large magical portal known as a Rift, a swirling vortex that acted as a gate. In all of recorded history, each world only had one Rift and it was the singular way of traversing the wide gap of space and time to get from Ornera to the desired planet. Though Jak had arrived in whatever world he found himself in through unconventional means, there was undoubtedly a Rift somewhere that would lead him back. Heck, it was a rip in space-time that had sent him to that location in the first place. It was reasonable to think that a larger and more permanent one had wound up somewhere close by.
(("For now, I'll stick to this town or Kingdom.")) Jak positioned himself in the middle of the pack, even though the crowd gave him a pretty wide berth. (("Maybe I can get some type of clue."))
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//I have a few ideas on where to go with the story but I'll let you guys figure out the Squad.
Take your picks for the Magic Knight Squad in the comments below.