Meredith threw a coin to the ground. "Sui-Avarium!" she exclaimed, succeeded by the purple bolts of anti-magic embracing her outline–like an aura. I have a lot more spells in store, you know? I'm just very limited by coins. she smirked to herself, as though she was a genius who knew the answer to a complex maths question that everyone else didn't.
What's with that smirk, Galena? You're really giving me reasons to beat you faster. the sight of her smirk irritated Kai, fueling him with the resolve to wipe it off her face.
The latter dashed forward, tanking any magic strikes Kai attempted without even stopping; like a knight charging with his lance but without his horse.
Kai met conflict within him as she got closer. Do I keep striking her with water!? he pointed his wand down the ground; succeeded by water surrounding his feet that lifted him up as though he was flying.
.
"HE'S FLYING!!!" the commenter exclaimed as if it was the most surprising thing he's seen today.
"It's not that big of a deal, and he's not flying." whereas Ms. Phoebe shrugged it off as if it was the most normal thing she's seen today.
.
Meredith threw coins up at him; her eyes and body synchronizing for maximum precision.
Kai on the other hand launched spells after spells akin to fireballs, deflecting the coins at a safe distance.
Meredith didn't stop throwing and the latter didn't stop countering, their moves were very much obvious to each other, yet they didn't act upon it.
At this rate, nothing's going to happen. he raised his voice from atop. "Oi, Meredith! This is getting boring, I've got an idea!"
Meredith ceased her throwing, but kept a coin in her hand for safe measures. "What is it?"
Before he could speak, he already smirked. "Let's not use magic." he descended from the air and threw his wand away as he landed on the ground, covered by uneven, scattered sandstone and sand.
Meredith caught on and took off her coin bag. "Don't go stealing my coin bag, alright?" she chuckled before stretching down her white gloves.
"No promises." he replied, walking forward.
She followed suit and the purple aura faded away.
Kai thrusted his arm forward, aimed at Meredith's face.
She fled to the left the moment he extended his arm. It was an obvious move for her.
However, Kai was quick and followed it with a punch to the guts, she rushed her arms down to cover her abdomen, just barely blocking it.
The force of the blow forced a groan out of her besides stumbling a step back.
While in the brief state, a foot smacked her face, kicking her down the ground as she stumbled and groaned again, her hands covering her nose. "..That hurts!" she got up, glaring at him. "You little.."
Ah, there it was, the mere sight of her frowning already made Kai smile. He gestured her to come at him, wanting to see more of it.
Meredith, unimpressed with his face-kick, gave in to his taunt and rushed in–itching to give him a piece of his own medicine.
There was no hint of pain as he blocked a kick with his arm, even more so when she landed more blows at a speedy pace.
Deep down, Kai was taken aback by her sheer speed and accuracy; not expecting much on how she previously used nothing but coins.
Blood took its time flowing out of her nose as she expected; received from Kai's hard kick a moment ago, yet she did not mind and only continued her attempts at landing a blow.
She's fast and accurate, yet I can block all of them. his eyes darted around in caution, observing her every move.
.
I don't remember her using this much hand-to-hand combat. Sévir was one of the spectators who watched clearly. She's pretty fast with it, she might be able to break his defense one way or another. he nodded to himself as if he knew exactly what she'd do next. Just speculation.
.
As she stepped forward, her left foot was hasty enough to sweep his opposing foot; he lost his balance for a brief moment, she used the moment to elbow him straight at the nose–revenge for kicking her in the face.
He recoiled back, and she swung up her leg for an upwards kick.. In the crotch. Ouch.
His natural instinct jerked him forward and held onto his crotch as an intense and burning pain kicked in almost instantly. He gritted his teeth as he held in a yelp. Her kick was so hard, his future generations were put in grave danger.
He dropped to the ground as he groaned in pain. Meredith used the opportunity and took his wand and pointed it at his neck.
"I win~" a mischievous giggle escaped her mouth that formed a mischievous smile.
.
"Meredith Galena wins…" they could virtually hear the uneasiness in his voice; he was in no way amused by how she won.
Ms. Phoebe giggled. "Are you scared?"
He cleared his throat. "Genuinely, I am. I'd never want to get kicked there; let alone THAT hard."
"Well then, we have our first win for Stepan versus Praefator! Next up, may we call in Minerva Grosvenor and Deimos Acheron!"
.
As Meredith returned to the hall, she passed by Minerva who she gave a pat on the shoulder. "You know what to do," she said before walking away from her sight; leaving Minerva on her own as she stepped forward and shaded herself in the light of the gloomy sky and the sound of the crowds' vigorous cheers.
Acheron walked forward alone; cheers limited only to the Praefators–no, just a portion of Praefators.
He swayed his arms just the right amount and walked neither fast or slow. His eyes were set in one direction and only one direction; Minerva's direction.
His frown grew clear and he grabbed the scabbard that held his longsword, but what really stood out was the short scythe hanging on his back.
Acheron drew his sword and tossed the scabbard away and pointed it at Minerva–she followed suit.
.
"Not only does Acheron have a sword, but a scythe too!" he commented with admiration. "He's quite indeed the different breed for Praefator; carrying two weapons than the usual one weapon."
"They're clearly itching to fight, begin the countdown!
"Alright, alright.. WE'RE BEGINNING THE DUEL IN 3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"BEGIN!"
.
"Shroud my enemy in night's embrace." Acheron mumbled. A pit of darkness covered the arena like that of the shadow serpent.
"Enter my domain, Minerva; where spirits falter to the burden of fear!"
He dashed forward as she did so, reaching closer to the middle in the rate as darkness did.
Their blades clashed in time just as the darkness fully engrossed the arena. Yet sparks flew everywhere as though they could see in the dark–because they could.
It was exactly like the darkness of the Magiaville Forest; dark but visible in a manner that defies logic.. But will it stay that way?
.
"At the very least, I can barely see something." Percival leaned forward and squinted his eyes yet again.
"Get yourself a telescope," Sévir suggested, "it will make things better for your unfortunate eyes."
"'Are you trying to tease me or what?" hostility lingered in Percival's voice. Sévir shook his head.
"You've squinted your eyes a million times today," he folded his arms, "do you not feel pity?"
"It's not that I'm torturing them, it's just the combatants killing the experience by covering themselves in unseeable matter!" he gripped his hair in frustration.
Kalvin patted his shoulder. "You're not wrong, I'm not even trying at this point."
Sévir gazed at him. "You sound proud of it."
.
Amidst the daunting surroundings where footsteps can only be heard, Minerva stood fearless and ready to take on Acheron in his battleground–one where many have lost in.
Yet a problem stuck around; the darkness getting even darker. If Acheron can see clearly in this dome of his, then the tables are completely against Minerva.
He struck from behind, yet she dodged it seamlessly without looking.
She walked back and opened her arms, motioning an attack.
He did so and she blocked as expected.
Both stepped back and reassessed their strategy in the short time frame they had.
Acheron swung not his longsword, but his scythe–which the end was attached to chains.
Minerva barely saw but heard the sharp clanks of the chain and blocked according to its direction. She just barely blocked it though, it's up to them whether it was a stroke of luck or pure skill.
"Tch, you caught that one." his voice resonated around the deafening darkness that was previously filled with clanking metal.
Her giggle resonated as well. "Oh, maybe I'm just lucky."
"Come on, why aren't you using your magic? I'm itching for it."
"Oh, you want me to?" her lips curved up. "Okay, just don't regret it later~"
She swiped her sword up. One by one, long and huge spikes of ice emerged from the ground at record time, inching closer to Acheron in under a second.
She pointed her sword at him, conjuring a great deal of ice shards that floated and dashed forward–Bekuparwa.
He swung his free arm, bringing forth dark tentacles that stopped and slammed down the ice shards.
Minerva was essentially giving chase to Acheron in his turf, however, time was against her; her visibility was deteriorating as an effect of staying inside for this long.
He stopped and launched a counter-attack, sending forth downscaled tentacles like that of earlier.
It emitted no sound and provoked only the gut feelings which allowed Minerva to just barely dodge it.
Acheron clicked his tongue. She's clearly not giving it her all.. How do I make her do that?
She conjured a sphere of water that lifted her off the air, leaving no gap in any sides. If he wanted to attack from under, then he couldn't
Just as he thought, she clearly wasn't giving it her all.. The real question was; was he giving it his all? That's what he wondered too.
He simply chuckled and looked up at her. "Wait for me there." a dark anomaly ate up his legs and didn't stop there–it ate him up completely and disappeared.
A loud thud reverberated behind her and launched her sphere down, to which its landing was quite rough.
Minerva looked behind and saw no one. Another thud came from behind, and another after another. The attacks were so strong, it was submerging her sphere down to the ground.
Yet, Minerva kept her composure and observed her surroundings. Okay.. It's clear whatever's in front of me is Acheron, I have to break out of here early before I get completely submerged. time was ticking–Minerva was the most aware about it.
She swiped her sword up and another set of ice spikes emerged–aimed specifically at Acheron.
It pierced through the large shadow figure–yet it was nothing as it only passed through.
She could not see what went on. Based on how it still kept punching down her sphere, she was convinced nothing happened.
"How do you like this? Getting submerged to the ground.. You can't even fight back!" Acheron smirked, though unfortunately left unseen.
A sigh escaped her mouth. I really wish I didn't have to use these. she grabbed an oval case from her jacket that protected eyeglasses inside it.
She took it out and wore it. Her visibility went from zero–complete darkness to around fifty–a considerable amount of brightness.
Her sphere collapsed as he punched it once more. The water splashed to the ground, only then did he notice that Minerva was gone–literally gone.
What? Where is she? he looked around in confusion. Although she's nowhere to be seen, he wasn't going to be fooled into thinking it's his victory now–he was smarter than that.
"You won't come out, huh?" the dark anomaly that surrounded him faded away. He took one last observation around him and pointed his sword up.
"Come, cries of despair!" he exclaimed. The blood-curdling scream of a woman echoed through the relentless darkness of the dome..
It didn't end there, no–another scream came from another direction, its source still unknown.
Minerva reappeared from a watery silhouette rising from the ground, as if she had transformed into water to escape. She felt a chill run through her spine from it, and observed her surroundings to find the source of the screams. From the distance, silhouettes emerged from the ground amidst the crescendo of blood-curdling screams, sorrowful whimpers and desperate cries.
From beneath, a dark hand grabbed her foot. She swung her leg around in an attempt to get it off of her.
At that moment of distraction, she noticed late the silhouettes charging right at her with Acheron as their spearhead.
She acted with haste, emerging an ice pillar beside her as she sheathed her sword then punched it hard; it collapsed instantly, its remnants being the shards of ice and the ice longsword.
She grabbed it and defended herself in time from Acheron's swing.
Holding onto her cutlass' hilt with her free hand upon withdrawal, blades of ice emerged from the ground again wherever she glanced.
It all happened in a flash–the silhouettes disappeared the moment they were struck by ice.
He wrapped his free hand around the blade. "Infuse this blade with the shadows of my soul!" lengthy indeed. He pulled the sword out, infused with pitch black flames.
.
The three snored–they were asleep.
.
"Over here." he whispered behind her, she turned around and only saw him disappear.
"Right here." from behind again, yet he disappeared when she turned around.
When she turned around once more, she laid sight to figures exactly identical to Acheron, and another pair when she looked behind.
She held the hilt tightly and poised it in front of her. She waited for an attack, yet they all just stood and stared.
Why aren't they– her eyes widened in realization–she looked up and she was right on the money.
The floating Acheron thrusted his fist downwards–a giant dark hand came crashing down on her.
Her instincts kicked in; she drew her cutlass and swiped it up–pillars of ice emerged and encased her from the hand.
The best it could do was force a loud thud, for it could not break the ice.
The ice cracked just as she expected it not to, and as it forced a hole; she was quick to dissolve herself to water and float out of the ice pillars, forming back to her normal self when she fled to a safe distance.
The drops of sweat from her head was evident. She breathed heavier as the air got denser, reminding her of where she was.
You really want to stay passive, huh? he threw his longsword away and grabbed his chained scythe. Fine, then stay that way.
"Let this scythe be poised as my arm!" he swung the scythe at her, extending so far to her range which she couldn't have expected.
A gasp escaped her mouth. She ducked as fast as she could before the blade could slice her face.
Acheron clicked his tongue. "Lucky." he murmured to himself.
Had it not been for her fast reaction, it would be safe to say her jaw would have fallen off by now. Literally.
The scythe retracted to him as he dashed forward with the intention of going on the offensive.
Oh, I really can't take you seriously if you don't show me your serious spells. she assumed a defensive stance and poised her cutlass forward.
Acheron leaped and levitated with a shadowy foundation moving him around. He swung his scythe again which extended to such a long distance. Minerva jumped and levitated as well with a water foundation.
He fled to the right when he saw her swipe the sword up, evading an ice pillar just in time.
She moved forward the same time he fled and closed the distance to an uncomfortable range.
He recoiled back and pulled his scythe back harder in hopes of retracting it faster.
Time was against him–Minerva thrusted her sword forward, when she pulled it back; the top stained fresh blood.
He looked down and noticed the wound in his abdomen, which only then did the hot pain kick in, stinging him as though he was stung a thousand times.
Minerva kicked him off his platform; he fell hard to the ground and groaned from the impact and the wound.
His reaction made it clear that he never experienced a stab before.
Minerva got down and pointed the tip of the sword at his neck. "I win." she declared.
"Vortex.." he whispered,inaudible to Minerva.
Minerva noticed the movement of his mouth and felt a tingling sensation from behind her.
He smiled. "That's what you thought."
"VORTEX!!!" Acheron yelled from behind her, while the Acheron in front of her faded away.
WAIT– she realized her mistake far too late. What laid before her was a dark vortex circling around with an even darker hole in the middle.
She swung her sword up to shield herself from what was to come. The pillars of ice emerged again and a deep whoosh resonated as a huge ball of shadow projected to her wall at otherworldly speed.
The ball of shadow touched the ice and shook the ground from the impact, then shattered it with relative ease and hit her–sending her flying to the wall of the arena. To put in perspective; they were close to the middle and the walls were nowhere near them.
It was a loud and sharp crack that resonated the moment she hit the wall at high speed. The impact left her breathless for a second, but felt like forever for Minerva.
She dropped to the ground, her vision spinning around. "C..rap.." she mumbled. The pain stung around her whole back for what felt like forever, it was long-lasting and discouraged her from moving a single muscle. Not even the whimper she let out could express the pain.
The shadow dome began to disappear while another ball of shadow struck her, sending her to the wall yet again. DAMMIT! she let go of her cutlass which fell.
Minerva fell again, and the crowd saw it all too clearly. Their eyes widened; some surprised and some terrified. The voices of the crowd grew louder.
.
The three woke up to the sound of the crowd. Suffice to say, they ended up wide-eyed as well at the sight of Minerva on the ground, battered with ripped holes around her jacket and undershirt.
Kalvin was the first to react. "Holy–what happened while we were asleep!?" he asked in surprise.
Their questions were cut short when Acheron launched shadow ball after shadow ball at her, so much so she could no longer defend herself at all. The guy smirked all throughout, pleased by the view before him.
.
"THIS ASSHOLE!" Damon stood up in a fit of rage, clenching his fists so tight, it began to hurt. His glare was directed at Acheron.
The rest of the Octet shared the same reaction–surprise and annoyance.
He looked up at the commenters' window. "OI! STOP THE FIGHT!!!" he yelled, but fell to deaf ears.
.
"HE'S ABSOLUTELY DESTROYING MINERVA! WHAT HAPPENED!?" the commenter asked in a mix of surprise and excitement.
"This looks grave.. But we can't intervene until he points his weapon at her neck." said Ms. Phoebe with a sympathetic tone.
.
Zephyr sat on her seat, frozen and terrified as she witnessed the sight of her mentor battered down, just a few more, then she could actually die.
She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. Please, please… her lips trembled. Aegir, Marella.. Please protect Ms. Minerva! Even if it means losing.. Just keep her alive! she cried out inside in nothing but desperation.
.
Stand up.. Stand up… Please! she pleaded to herself. Just a single movement–that's all I ask for! her thoughts were in shambles–from confusion, desperation, pain, anger.. It raged through her thoughts non-stop.
He stopped launching shadow balls at her, his previous smirk turning to a big grin.. But when grinning wasn't enough, he let out a laugh of pure amusement. "Oh, how wonderful!" he dropped his scythe and applauded himself. "I was able to bring the well renowned Minerva Grosvenor down to this state!"
He extended his arm and aimed at the longsword from across the arena; a shadow hand conjured and stretched to grab it. "I'll have to end this." After all, I'm not satisfied with just declaring victory.
His hand got hold of the longsword. He very slowly walked towards Minerva, permitting her pain to last longer before her eventual death.
She saw him getting closer and gritted her teeth. Stand up.. Stand up! her arms trembled as it attempted to push her up, and failed. Come on, come on.. COME ON!
This is just the first match-up.. I can't lose when I'm representing Stepan! this fact alone brought her to realization. That's right.. It filled her body and heart with strength and courage to rise again–that's exactly what she did. I have an image to uphold.. That's right. the images of her interactions with students–Sévir, Zephyr, the 5th years and essentially all years crossed her mind in a flash.
Despite her trembling arms and legs, she grabbed and clung onto her cutlass as she got up. Who is this man to batter me like mere mice?
Her glare pierced through his mischievous gaze. Who are you to point your sword at Minerva Grosvenor, and not think twice?
At last, she stood up properly with her body feeling a rapid surge of energy. "You're cocky, aren't you?" a pillar of ice formed beside her which she punched and grabbed an ice dagger. "You deserve some wounds for what you did to me." what stood out was not the fact she was still able to stand–no, it was her frown.
Acheron didn't fail to notice this; his grin returned when he saw it. "AH, YES! COME AT ME!!!" he yelled in excitement, opening his arms wide as an invitation.
"I WILL!" she yelled back. She tucked herself and then launched in a full sprint that would leave even the fastest sprinters in the dust.
Blades of ice joined along and with her command, speeded forward.
Acheron raised his arm, conjuring a shadow wall that stopped the blades in its tracks.
He took a step back and tilted himself, tucking his hilt below his waist, pointing the blade outwards in a Pflug stance.
Just as he waited for, she emerged from the shadow wall, thrusting her cutlass forward. He countered it with haste and shifted to the right with parrying in mind.
She ducked to the right to avoid his parry and redirected her attack from beneath in inhuman speed. As if she had physical enhancement magic.
She cut him through his exposed flank; only then did he react well to her sheer speed, recoiling as he groaned and covered the wound.
Followed by her strongest kick possible that sent him a few steps backwards.
She dashed forwards again and closed the distance, to which he took another step back as he blocked her line of attack.
She changed her line of attack from her left to the right–moving accordingly as she forced a cut in his trapezius. It was a feint
A searing pain shot down his spine; he involuntarily gasped in shock, tensed up and clutched the wound. All while he fell to one knee as Minerva kicked him behind it.
Her wrath did not stop there–she grabbed his hair and with all strength she could muster; slammed his head to the hard ground. The pain loomed all over his head.
She grabbed the ice dagger from her pocket and impaled it on his right hand; forcing him to let go of the sword.
From groans, it evolved to a scream as he saw it himself and received the pain in an instant.. Now, she stood up and pressed her cutlass against his nape..
.
"..A GRUELLING VICTORY FOR MINERVA GROSVENOR!!!" the commenter exclaimed in nothing but excitement. All the events within this duel excited him down to the core; he was not afraid to show it either.
.
Minerva sheathed her cutlass and walked away as if nothing happened.. Until she limped and fell to the ground.
The adrenaline served her well in the best time, now the duel is over, the adrenaline wore off; the stinging pain she felt returned–albeit toned down.
I… I won.. she smiled as her vision grew blurry. That's great.. her eyes shut on their own.