The spectators became silent in unison, watching Dora in disbelief. The young boy had spoken lightly, but surprisingly, from the moment he awakened a new form, any sound he made was clearly audible.
The students' eyes widened, and the teachers were confused.
Thomas, whose eyes turned back to their usual blue color, released Dora's leg, his eyes shaking in incomprehension.
"I forfeit... you win." Dora spoke ominously, while the soul stones started shining, a sign that he had initiated their assimilation.
Thomas used his last amount of strength to maintain his consciousness.
His brain hardly gave him the will to think, he pushed the ground to stand up but his body seemed to be separated from his legs.
He gave a desperate look to Dora and finally managed to let out a clear breath.
"... Why?"
"This is... What you wished... right?... you've won... it's your win."
Dora's leg started to shake, due to immense fatigue.
He thought about using healing on himself, but it seemed like this simple act would send him to a dreamland.
"Congratulations... You... Are the winner.." He then closed his eyes and took a few breaths, before opening them with a fierce look.
"Now... according to... our bet... I'm gonna... leave the academy... so congratulations, you... you will be remembered as... the reason Anesidora isn't serving the kingdom."
He put one knee on the ground and leaned towards Thomas.
"I know... my worth... You will... bear the responsibility... for the loss of a... powerful knight... and you will never... be allowed to quit... every time... someone will get killed... in a rift... you will bear the... responsibility... every time they won't... be able to send a knight... to help Iris or anyone else... you will be responsible... all your life... your bloodline... you will be the one... the one who gave... a fatal blow to the kingdom... and every day... those people you insulted... you will bear their reaction... their hatred... everyone knows what you think of them now... so good luck... because now you have what you asked for."
He stood up, turning his back to Thomas. Three soul stones disappeared in bright light.
Dora's eyes shone for a second, and after that, his breathing calmed slightly.
"You wished you weren't born special? Now you're as weak as a commoner."
He walked away, heading for the corridor. Thomas's view blurred and he fainted.
Two teachers jumped into the battleground immediately.
They rushed toward Thomas and immediately applied healing magic on him.
Noises rose again among the audience, perhaps joy at being rid of Dora, or distress for Thomas, but everything sounded garbled to Dora.
Each step he made was heavier, the colors were mixing around him, he fought himself to stay awake and not give them the victory of seeing him on the ground.
(Walk... Keep walking... if you fall now, you'll acknowledge... that he pushed you... to your limits...)
Two more soul stones disappeared, only one remaining. He grabbed it with his right hand and held it against his chest.
He closes his eyes for a few seconds, or so he thought, already unable to keep up with the flow of time. He opened his eyes and saw many students passing next to him, rushing toward Thomas, most of them from the council.
He was a few meters away, but he couldn't hear their voice.
He closed his eyes once more, and when he opened them, a fist was right in front of him.
"... uh?"
A violent punch made him walk backward but not strong enough to send him flying. His eyes opened wide, and the world was once again filled with color.
He lowered his gaze and discovered Hope in front of him, shaking, and tears flowing through his eyes.
"... That's... That's it! How could you do that to my senior? How dare you?! How dare you do that to Thomas! I... I'm done watching like a coward... I'll kill you for good... you beat him right? So like you said, I'll be your next opponent!"
He clenched his fists, readying himself to pounce on Dora, but his facial expression and his shaking betrayed the fear he felt.
"What ya doin' yer idiot?!" Mercy rushed to him and pushed him away. "You crazy?! Apologize to him, now!"
"Stay... Stay out of this, my Lady! N-No one else should interfere! It was my senior! I will avenge Thomas!"
"... The heck is wrong in your head?! Dora, yer ok? Did he..." She turned around, ready to see Dora's fury, but to her surprise, the young boy held his nose with a sad expression.
He looked right into her eyes, a gaze without any malice, enough to make her forget to breathe.
"This idiot isn't wrong... I can't forget that you designed us as your next opponent if you beat Thomas, I can't let that slide." Cid joined them, hands in his pocket. "Even though I know that you're currently a little stronger, I won't stay in the corner."
Hope smiled lightly, wiping his tears, and turned to Dora.
"Are you both serious?" Solaria walked furiously towards them, followed by Freya.
"Princess, stay out of this please, we are bearing Thomas's will, the fight isn't over!"
Hope said confidently, next to him, however, Cid frowned and glanced at him. Mercy stood firmly between them and Dora.
"Because he's exhausted now? Since when were you such a coward?"
"My lady, this is not cowardice, we are Thomas..."
"Oi, peasant, I'm not gonna fight him now, the hell is wrong with you? Don't you have any shame?"
"... ah?"
Cid spat on the ground, looking at Hope like trash.
"I don't need help for fighting, I know my potential. I couldn't train during the past month so of course I'm overwhelmed for now, but I'm going to make up for lost time and we'll have this match, Anesidora. Even if you're not a knight anymore."
The nobles sighed lightly, none of them believed at this moment that Dora could be defeated by one of these two, but this outcome was better than the alternative.
Freya however gave a deadly gaze to Cid.
For his part, cold sweat broke out on Hope's forehead.
He looked at his hands, seeing them shaking when a shadow startled him and everyone else.
Dora started walking again, passing next to them silently.
He stopped next to Hope, holding his nose and his ruby eyes took away his ability to speak.
"Next time... I'll bury you."
He walked toward the corridor, under the gaze frozen in shock of the council members.
They looked one by one at Hope, who was openly shaking in fear, but another scene caught their attention.
Dora was about to finally reach the corridor when a soft projectile sent him to the ground.
He looked up painfully and found himself inches from Zuri's tear-stained face and runny nose.
"Wha dija do?! Wha dija zurender!?"
She shook him by the neck while babbling nonsense.
Moonra shivered when light energy emitted from Dora.
"Shit! S-Someone, take her!"
Everyone, alarmed, flinched. At this moment, there was no saying of what Dora would have been able to do.
He raised his hand and put it in front of the girl's face.
A white light covered her face, to their horror, but none of them dared to interfere until the light disappeared.
"You never... walk with a... handkerchief, do you?"
Zuri's face was then as clean and as white as milk, soon buried again under her tears.
"You're... You're... You're supposed to be the one... the one thinking about it... I can't... I can't... I can'd do abything widout...Widout you!"
She started crying again, burying her wet face on Dora's shoulder.
"There... I'm here, you see?... it's ok..."
"Iz not OK! Why did you zurrender? Now you won't be by knight adybore! Why?!"
She beat his chest very lightly, while Dora patted her head.
"Zuri, this is stup-"
She blew her nose heavily on his shoulder, then looked at him with a sad and innocent look.
Dora took a deep breath, forcing the widest smile possible through his trembling lips.
"Zuri, I don't need to be your knight... to keep our relationship... We are together now... no matter what, don't bother about the terms."
He wiped a tear from the girl's cheek and smiled warmly.
"I promised... to your father too... right? You won't get rid of me... so easily."
Zuri's tear flow exploded and she cried loudly on Dora's chest.
The young boy showed a gentleness foreign to him, a very unique scene.
Solaria bit her lips, seeing her target too close to her rival.
She gave a worried look to Freya, also aware of the toughness of the competition, but they respected this moment between a noble and her fallen knight.
"My apologies for disrupting your celebrations, but I'll need to talk with you, Anesidora."
Eryl materialized behind them, carried by a soft breeze. The Dean's eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned forward in her seat, her eyes wide and trembling in fear.
"Aah... Ah... Wha... She is... Why is she here?"
Dora frowned and tried to stand up, helped by Zuri.
"... The elf mage."
"... Thank you, my good sir, but I prefer Eryl. First of all, I would like to congratulate you. I do know the full extent of your peers, but it's something else to witness the progress you made since that day."
She bowed elegantly and glanced at Moonra and Solaria, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"Sadly, I come with a request, good or bad for you, depending on what will happen."
Dora's eyes narrowed, he looked away slowly but then saw the frightened expressions of the two heirs.
"Why bad?... What is... going on?"
"Anesidora... Or rather, Avatar of Greed, you have been requested to the Royal Palace for an audience, with the Gluttony."
*
*
At the same time, in the small, remote village of Sofiya, a young girl stood in front of a fruit stand.
Passers-by stopped around her and observed her with curiosity.
She had a petite body, warmly dressed, but her most disturbing feature was her large mouse ears which seemed to be a part of her short black hair.
"Can't you check in the back of the shop?"
"... Miss, this is a fruit and vegetable shop, I don't sell cheese!" The shopkeeper, a young boy wearing a large coat took off his hat, in frustration.
The girl pouted, turning her index fingers and looking aside.
"N-no need to yell... I was just trying to stay in character... ok, can you please... uh... lead me to the backyard? J-just to see something..."
"... Miss, if you have no money, go hang yourself elsewhere!"
"Eeeh?! You are evil! I... I just want to be alone with you! Why are you unpleasant?!"
The boy put his hands on his hips, more and more furious.
The passerby continued on their way, laughing.
He sighed and led the girl into an empty alley behind the shop.
"Ok, we're alone now, what do you want from me? Want to confess your love or something?"
"... Just to be sure, you are Leon, former leader of Shining Knife, right?"
A silence settled, and the young man slowly opened his mouth and narrowed his blue eyes.
"Who the hell are you?"
"... I... So it's you?... um... I... Wait! Give me a sec."
She turned around and took a paper from her bag.
She read it carefully and looked at a picture while staring at Leon.
"... Yeah, it's you... but it's Shining Sword, why didn't you correct me?!... Well, anyway, do you know the house of a girl named Ane... Anesio... A... Goddam five-syllable first names..."
Leon froze for a little while, his eyes filled with shock.
He gritted his teeth and grabbed the girl by the collar.
"Get... The hell out of here... before I crush you."
"Eeehk?! N-n-no! What are... Who... uuuhk... you're making this too complicated..."
"Piss off, you idiot!"
The girl started running away, terrified, but as she reached the end of the alley, she stopped and came back, running.
"Wait-wait-wait! I can't leave yet, I still have business here!"
"... What the hell do you want?!"
She put her bag on the ground and took out a little black box.
"Li-li-li-listen, I'm only here to kill you, ok? So stop yelling at me!"
Leon froze for a moment, his eyes wide open.
He watched, astonished, as the young girl, anxious not to get a response, trembled.
He slapped his face, desperate for this idiot in front of him.
He had met a lot of strange people in his short career as a shopkeeper, but that day he met the most ridiculous person, and later that day he would also meet his end.