After Alora casts a spell to send herself, Chari and Arthur into Azrael's dreams, Tyson looks at their limp bodies, amazed. "So, they're inside Professor Azrael's dreams?"
"Yes, and they cannot defend themselves," says Calliope. "So, it's our job to protect them."
"I know that! I was... surprised, is all."
"It's quite the spectacle," admits Amira. "Alora's magic, that is."
"Dream magic. It's quite rare, isn't it."
"Yes. Rarer than my Reflection magic."
"It doesn't matter how rare your magic is," says Rose, "with your reflection magic, Amira, we saved Professor Azrael. That's all that matters."
"You're right. Still, this spell to leap into other's dreams is amazing."
"Frighteningly so," says a man's voice. Everyone turns around, shocked, as their Magic Engineering professor, Albert Stein, walks around the corner. His eyes stalk the group cautiously.
"Oh, it's just Professor Stein," says Tyson. "What are you—"
"Tyson," interjects Calliope. "Stay away from the professor." How is Professor Stein still awake? If the spell was spread throughout the school, everyone else should be asleep.
"What are you talking about, Calli—"
Tyson turns to Albert, who runs forward with a paper in his hand. Before Tyson can react, he shoves the paper onto Tyson's forehead. "Transport!" he yells. The magic sigil on the paper glows blue and that blue envelops Tyson's body. In no less than a second, Tyson disappears.
"Tyson!" yells Calliope.
"Vicious tongue of the devil—"
Rose begins a chant but is interrupted when Albert throws a knife at her. She jumps to the side to dodge, giving him time to charge forward. He quickly grabs another piece of paper from his coat and tries the same attack on Rose but Calliope is one step ahead. After chanting a spell, she runs toward Albert and tackles him. This spell silenced her footsteps and she concealed her mana enough to slip past his detection.
She holds him down for a few seconds before he punches her in the jaw, knocking her out. "Calliope!" yells Amira. She looks at Albert, infuriated, "That's enough!" She draws a dagger hidden inside her shirt, raises it high and propels it into her abdomen. Albert watches her, confused. Amira spews blood and smiles, saying, "R-reflect..." The wound Amira inflicted on herself reflects onto Albert, who starts spewing blood. She laughs and says, "How does that feel, Professor Albert?" She removes the dagger from her abdomen and lifts it up again—this time pressing it into her leg. She repeats this all over her body and reflects the damage onto Albert. When he's lying, bloodied on the concrete, she says, "Now you can't—"
Amira's celebration is cut short when Albert stands up, despite the fatal wounds over his body. He wipes the blood from the side of his mouth and glares at her, over his shoulder. Shivers run down Amira's spine and she realises in this moment why Albert is a feared mage.
Albert Stein. He is not only respected in the Magus Academy as a genius mage, comparable to the Ten Wands of Gaia, but is also a mage feared throughout the Sapphire Kingdom. When he is on the battlefield, he becomes unrecognisable to his allies. His gold eyes glaze in a murderous glare and his warm mana becomes nauseatingly terrifying. And his cold-blooded personality induces more fear in his allies than in his opponents. These are the reasons why he's earned the nickname, 'The Nuclear'.
Amira's first-hand experience of this terror leaves her on wobbly legs. He turns and walks to Amira but Rose charges him from the back, only to get knocked down. Albert stalks Amira with a murderous glare and she stumbles back. Tears pool in her eyes and she starts crying. I can't do this. He's too strong. Please, someone. Anyone. Help.
Albert reaches Amira, who looks at him, hapless. A smirk crosses his face and he says, "I remember you."
"Huh?"
"Yes, Amira White. You were the most eager student I ever taught. You came to me with genuine questions, not because you wanted to be near me to satisfy your lustful thoughts like other students in this academy." He takes a knee and grabs her shivering hands, "How about you become my assistant?"
"Your... assistant?"
He looks at Amanda and says, "I want a curious assistant to help me succeed in my plans."
"Plans?"
"Yes, plans. I have big plans in store. The first plan was to associate myself with enemies of Magus Academy. Enemies such as Amanda Vlad over there. My second plan was to use Amanda to perform a public execution."
Amira's face turns pale. "A public... execution?"
"Do you want to know who of?" he asks, smiling. Amira only stares at him, afraid. "No answer? Well, I will tell you anyway. You see, there are ten magicians with otherworldly powers. These ten magicians are called The Ten Wands of Gaia. Magus Academy has two of these ten magicians as professors—'The Ruthless' Elizabeth Blade and 'The Sage' Ubel Zagan. I get along quite well with Elizabeth, so I have no qualms with her. But Ubel..." He grits his teeth and shows Amira a disgusted expression. "The headmaster of this Magus Academy is someone I cannot stand. His very existence is the bane of my existence. Someone with nothing to his name, who became one of the Ten Wands..." Albert cracks a laugh. "He doesn't deserve this position of power he's been given. So, I will take his life and prove to the academy's council that Ubel Zagan is nothing more than a political puppet."
Albert stands on his feet and looks at Azrael with disgust. "Then there's this boy. He's become more popular within the academy. Ever since he defeated Elizabeth, the council has been up in arms—even considering replacing Elizabeth with him." He walks to Azrael, whose nether aura has ceased leaking. "He has also grown popular among the students. In the few short months he's been at this Academy, he's built up what it took me a lifetime to achieve." He tries kicking Azrael in the stomach but Amira grabs hold of his leg. His eyes fall to her trembling body. "What are you doing?"
"I... I can't let you hurt Professor Azrael!"
"You can't?" He grits his teeth, annoyed and kicks Amira away. "You can't, you say? Well, I don't need cowards like you on my team." He kicks her repeatedly. Though Amira tries to use magic, she cannot concentrate on formulating the spell.
"Stop!" yells Rose, desperately crawling to aid Amira. "Stop..."
Albert watches her crawl and clicks his teeth. He turns and walks into Ubel's office, looking for the headmaster. A smirk crosses his face when he sees the headmaster on the ground, unconscious. "So much for a Ten Wand!" he says, laughing maniacally. He searches his pockets, standing idle for a few seconds. "Hmm? It looks like I don't have one," he says, disappointed. "I'd wanted to end your life tragically by sending you into a dragon's den like I did to that boy Tyson but I don't have any transportation sigils anymore." He laughs again, "Looks like you lucked out, Ubel. Oh well," he says walking back outside to Amira. He scans the ground and says, "Ah! There it is." He stares at Amira's dagger and picks it up. He returns to Ubel's office and stands over the headmaster's body. "Finally," he says, teary-eyed. "Today, you die, Ubel Zagan," he screams as he plunges the knife into Ubel's back. His smile brightens and he stabs the body repeatedly. "Die! Die! DIE!! Just Die, Ubel Zagan!!"
"I don't think so," says Ubel.
Albert pauses. He then swings his head back, shocked. "How?" he asks as his eyes fall on Ubel, standing under the door's frame, unperturbed. "How are you still alive?"
"Oh my. That's quite a harsh tone you're using, Professor Albert. What have I done for you to speak to me with such disrespect." Albert jerks his head back to the body he stabbed. Blood pools on the wooden floorboards, staining his hands red. "I'd say caught you red-handed," he says cracking a laugh, "but there are much too serious issues we should resolve."
"UBEL!" he screams, jumping up and charging Ubel with the dagger.
"You're frenzied," he says jumping back, outside his office. He looks around and sees Azrael and his students unconscious. Was this Albert's doing? What happened to that god-awful scent in the air? Was it you, Professor Azrael?
"What are you spacing out for!?"
Albert thrusts his dagger forward but Ubel steps to the side, dodging it. "Calm down, Professor Albert," he says, chopping Albert's neck. Albert stumbles to the ground, face first. He wastes no time recovering himself and attacking Ubel with the dagger. Why is he not using his Spatial Magic? thinks Ubel as he dodges every single thrust and slash Albert deals. Is he conserving mana? His eyes roll from side to side as he observes his surroundings. No, there was a struggle here but there are no traces of huge magic attacks being used. If he clashed with Professor Azrael, this building... no, this entire school would have been vaporised. I should be glad Professor Azrael did not wake yet.
"Stop underestimating me!" he yells, irate. He's not taking this seriously at all. All he's doing is running away like a coward. Albert grits his teeth, "Use your magic, you coward!"
"My... magic?" Ubel halts.
Albert laughs as his chance finally reveals itself. He plunges into Ubel and says, "I did it. I killed you, Ubel Zagan."
"Who is it that you killed?" he asks, smiling.
"How...? How do you still live?"
"Dying here is not my fate."
"Your fate?" Albert looks down at the dagger in his hands. It didn't penetrate? How? I was sure—
"You were sure you felt the dagger penetrate my abdomen, weren't you?"
"How?"
"It was one possible fate I let you experience. The feeling of killing the person you hate most—me, 'The Sage' Headmaster Ubel Zagan."
What is he talking about? Albert pulls his hand away and jumps back. No, I stabbed him—of that, I'm certain. Is this his magic? If so, then I don't need to hold back anymore. "Rift, open." The dagger's silver blade turns purple like spinel. He charges forward again and thrusts the dagger. Ubel dodges but the dagger slices through his robe like butter.
Ubel looks at his robe, surprised. "This robe is made from black dragon scales," he says, wiping his brow sarcastically. "It's not an exaggeration to say this is the highest quality robe you can craft. It's durable enough to survive the most powerful magic spells, yet you cut through it with little effort." He looks at the radiant dagger cautiously. "That's quite the spell you've cast on that dagger. Care to tell me what it is?"
Albert bursts into laughter. "Why would I spoil the fun?"
"Well, I never expected it to be that—" Albert charges forward without warning and thrusts the dagger again. His attacks are simplistic. For someone hailed as a genius, I expected more. A smile creeps on Albert's face. Ubel notices the smile too late.
"Too late!"
A large magic circle appears below Ubel and Albert. Ubel looks down, defeated. As sweat rolls down his cheek, he says, "Well-played."
"Teleport!" yells Albert. The magic circle lights up and sends a beam of light, enveloping Albert and Ubel, into the sky. When the light disperses, only Albert stands within the magic circle. For a second, his expression remains shocked. Then it hit him—"I won."