Sparks flew as steel met steel, Seifer's Halberd clashing against the heavy Zweihander of Artorius who swung his greatsword at blazing fast speeds forcing me into defense as he parried and countered his strokes, the two of them absorbed in the fight and ignoring the other battles that raged on around them
"Hah!" Seifer shouted reinforcing his arms to their limits before unleashing a counter offense aimed at the Artorius' kneecaps
and in response, Artorius stabbed his Zweihander into the ground to act as a barrier for Seifer's strike before using it to push himself up in the air, vertically rotating to gather moment, and striking down with enough momentum to damage the shaft of Seifer's Halberd
"Ignis!!" was the roar that came out of Seifer's mouth, unleashing a burst of flames with his free hand aimed Artorius
"Scintilla!" responded Artorius, unleashing a burst of electrical sparks at Seifer, the two magical spells canceling out one another
"Crimson Lance!" casted seifer, the tip of his halberd engulfed with flames before thrusting it against Artorius, whom filled his feet with magic before kicking the ground to dodge said thrust
"ErdBrecher!" casted Artorius in counter, jumping into the ground vertically spinning before slamming down, and causing the earth to rumble as earthen spikes which rose at all directions, Prompting Seifer to jump away
Artorius followed up with a dash, striking with beastial ferocity as Seifer would parry the strikes, before unleashing thrusts and slashes with his own halberd as sparks began to fly from their continuous exchange
"I declare you my rival! Seifer!" shouted Artorius, a grin on his face as a cut on his cheek went ignored, the berserker's ferocity
"Haah!" Seifer did not respond, he didn't need to, in this current bout, all he wanted was to do was defeat the man in front of him, slamming the butt of his halberd into the ground, before launching a cluster of concrete fragments at the surprised Artorius
'That's no magic!' was the thought that ran through Artorius' head as he was forced to retreat from the flying rocks, there was no magical build up, no matrix for a spell, or even a basic chant, therefore no magic was used to accomplish such a feat, the man Artorius fought was simply that strong
"and that's enough!" exclaimed the knight, prompting all participants to stop as he entered the Area, his armor clinking as he walked, noisy enough to alert everyone to his location and his presence, as he looked around
"everyone who has survived will progress to the next trial! and those who didn't can try next year!" spoke the Knight as soldiers and acolytes came and used magic that caused the wounded to float as they were taken away
"That was a good fight, let's fight after this!" exclaimed the eager and grinning Artorius as he approached Seifer, smoothly Sheathing his Zweihander as he did
"It was my honor, Artorius, if I'm at a good condition, I'll be happy to spar with you after the trials" replied Seifer with a smile, before the to walked away to their respective destinations, for Seifer, that would be the Duo of white haired girls that awaited him outside of the fighting area
"that was sooo cool! you were so strong! I bet that with more time you would've beaten that guy!" Exclaimed the excited Leise as she rushed to hug Seifer, whom accepted it with a smile
"good work there, Seifer, your training has paid off indeed, with your performance here even if you didn't pass there's a chance you'd still be given more chances later on" spoke the smiling Elise as she walked towards the two with a calm smile
"thanks, miss Elise, if things go well, I'm quite sure I'll be able to start helping you back!" exclaimed the giddy Seifer, not noticing the complicated expression in Elise's and Leise's face as they simply nodded alongside him
"right, anyways, let's go see what the first trial will be, I've prepared myself for anything! just watch your older brother, Leise!" exclaimed Seifer as he parted from his embrace with Leise before running back with the other participants to listen to the Knight
.
.
.
"Listen up! I'll say this only once! your first trial is simple! you will journey with me to the trial grounds of Stadt Am Fluss, and we shall ride at morrow dawn! prepare your bags for you shall not return until the trial is over!, that is all!" Spoke the knight as he walked away, letting the initiates converse amongst themselves, though a single person had already left
___________________________________
"you're leaving?" I spoke, looking at leise with shock, I didn't know about this, and I certainly wasn't prepared
"well, we're heading for Stadt Am Fluss to meet up with a friend of Mother, apparently, if I show enough promise, I might get an early test and gain my Alchemic recognition early on!" explained the excited Leise as the two of us sat on a table inside Miss Kuchen's Bakery, eating Kuchinta
"I see I see, that's nice, I'm happy for you!" I replied, patting her in the head, proud of what my younger sister has accomplished, quietly praying for her success, then, I realized something
"Stadt Am Fluss? I'm heading there too! we can meet there after my trial ends!" I exclaimed with a grin, joyful at the lack of need to part
"that would be nice, we'll be going first though, so take care alright? we'll be taking a more unconventional method after all" spoke the smiling Leise as she munched, clearly excited about said means of transportation
"well, don't let me stop you, Miss Kuchen! a bunch of Kuchinta please! and for long journey too!" I exclaimed towards the Baker with a smile, whom responded with an affirmative as I turned back to Leise
"when you get your recognition, make me a spear alright?" I asked with a smile that held no real bite to it
"uh, sure! I'll make you the best there is!" exclaimed the smiling Leise as she gave me another hug, prompting me to hug her back
"Here's your order!~" spoke the cheerful tone of Kuchen as she placed the basket of Pastry down on the table, a close eyed smile on her face
"so, what's this about leaving?" asked Kuchen, slightly opening her normally squinted eyes
"oh, I'm taking my alchemical recognition tests early, according to mother, I'm skilled enough in Arcane arts to be granted a recognition for it" explained Leise with a smile, earning a look of surprise as Kuchen's squinted eyes opened wide
"Ah, putangina! I just found out! I'm gifting you some pastries, wait for me here, I'll get you some for the journey!" exclaimed the surprised Kuchen before running back to her kitchen, leaving me and Leise alone once more
"so, when will you be leaving?" I asked with a smile, looking at the windows as I watched some children play outside
"this sunset at the very least, Mother's magic gets stronger under moonlight" replied Leise as she looked down, taking another Kuchinta to eat it
"I see, well, let's go then, I'll help you prepare" I chuckled, standing up as Miss Kuchen exited her kitchen with a bag of kitchen and what looked to be a shortsword of esoteric origins
"here's some things for your journey!" exclaimed the smiling Kuchen, placing the bag and the Shortsword on her hands
"Miss Kuchen?" Uttered looking at the sheared shortsword, placing down the bag on the table and unsheathing the Shortsword, the blade itself was slightly bent forwards, and held a wavy pattern similar to a flamberge, and the blade itself was seemingly made of a light blue glassy material, patterns reminiscent of the moon
"That's a gift, from an old friend of mine, take it, it's a good Kris, the material is called Batung-Buwan, and it's good for channelling magic in general, so no need to fret over if it'll help you with your arcane arts" explained Kuchen with a smile, taking a few steps back as she and I watched Leise take some practice swings with the kris, before running her magic through it, causing the blade to glow an icy blue hue reminiscent of ice, it was a beautiful blade
"thanks, miss Kuchen! I'll make sure to treasure it" Spoke Leise with a smile, sheathing the kris and placing it on her hip
"good, take care of it, and it'll take care of you, with that, I'm sure of it" spoke Kuchen, giving Leise a headpat, before her brooch began to glow and emit a sound similar to a ringing bell
"oh, mom's calling for me now, I'll go now, thank you for the parting gifts miss Kuchen! I'll repay you when I return! goodbye Seifer! see you in Stad Am Fluss! Goodbye miss Kuchen! I love you both!" exclaimed the eager Leise before running out with the bag and the kris, leaving me and Kuchen to ourselves
"growing up already huh?" uttered kuchen as she looked at the open door from which Leise just left
"just a few years back and we'd still be playing hide and seek" I replied with a nostalgic smile, remembering old memories with my dear friend
"right? I remember when your mother would panic because you would keep on eating snow!" and with that, the conversation continued on and on through the day
___________________________________
I laid on the foot of the tree as I watched the sunset, calmly thinking about my life thus far, and how much I still am to do to become a proper knight
And I gazed at the setting sun, the light a comfortable mix of red and yellow as I took comfort in it's gentle rays of light
Until that Light began to Burn
in an instant, I knew something was wrong, I didn't know why, but something was wrong-
Magic, an Eruption of Magical energy, enough to torch the skies, enough to boil the seas, enough to scorch the Earth
and immediately, I began to run, I had to warn them, tell them to run, until I laid eyes upon the town, burning as smoke rose from it, people are in danger
and so without hesitation, magical energy flooded my legs, before the excess condensed beneath my boots, before unleashing, causing me to dash as I began to sprint full on towards the town in an intent to help
.
.
.
"Help! Help!" cried out the voice of a child, and without hesitation, I rushed into the burning house, kicking down the door with ease and running in, witnessing a child try to pull up a fallen wooden support which trapped her mother inside
"I got you!" I shouted, pulling up the pillar and tossing it away as I picked up the mother and her child and ran out of the burning home
DODGE-
kicking the ground, I narrowly avoided a fireball which was launched at me, as I looked upon the source
a Palmbird, as large as a Cow, covered in burning feathers and a beak seemingly made of flames, and a burning glare, it flew on the air with graceful ease
"Run!" *I immediately ordered the kid and her mother as I dropped them, the child helping the mother as I dashed at the bird, my halberd wasn't with me, but I had to fight now, or those two people would be in danger
and so, coating my fists in blue electrical sparks and magical energy, I dashed at the bird, whom flew at me with the intention of tearing me to shreds with it's talons
before I punched it in the head, my fist unleashing a burst of electrical sparks onto the bird causing it to fly
yet I wasn't done
as it was launched away, I caught it by the leg, before slamming it on the ground, before pummeling it Into the ground
punches to the head, the torso, the wings, the stomach, the chest, anywhere that I could land a punch, I did, refusing to give the bird any chances of fighting back, I continued to punch, until it's flames began to sizzle out
it was dead, yet it wasn't done yet, Palmbirds were never alone, and so I ran once more, ignoring the burning pain on my knuckles
"Damn it!" shouted the familiar voice of Petrov, and without a moment's hesitation, I ran in the direction of his voice, only to find him cornered by Palmbirds and burnt corpses
"Petrov! look for more people in need of saving! I'll hold them back!" I shouted, grabbing a palmbird and throwing it at another, opening up a path for me to dash at petrov, and throw him out of the corner, opening his escape, as I gathered my magical energy and willed it to bend to my will, and with that electricity formed in my hands, before I casted
"Angeketteter Donner!" I roared out, as I fired a bolt of lightning at two of them, before the lightning continued on, hitting another and another, until all of them were hit by lightning
still, that only momentarily stunned them, and so I rushed, picking up some rocks from broken bricks I I dashed, hurling the rocks at two Palmbirds before grabbing one by the leg and hitting another palmbird with them, and another and another, and another, until I was left alone surrounded by corpses of palm birds
I looked around, burning homes, burnt corpses,signs of battle, and the overwhelming density of magical energy, it was a disaster, and I had to help more, the palmbirds weren't the threat, rather, they were just minor problems compared to the real threat, the beast often accompanied by flocks upok flocks of Palmbirds, Phoenixes, the sheer heat of this place alone was telling
"Anyone! is there anyone here?!" I shouted, running, Ignoring the distant rumbles as I searched for any survivors, running past burnt corpses, some missing heads, some charred black, some missing limbs, some were just shadows engraved onto their surroundings, yet I ignored them, corpses can be buried later, people needed to be saved, I had to save just one more
"Help! anyone please!" shouted a young child, clutching the burnt body of presumably her parent, crying and screaming as a small group of palmbirds rushed towards her direction, before unleashing their fireballs at her, and I knew I couldn't let her die, so I dashed at her, and hugged her as I closed my eyes, taking the hits-
"Puting Ilog" casted the eerily calm familiar voice, as I opened my eyes to find someone I did not expect
"Miss Kuchen?!" I exclaimed in confusion, as she tossed me a.. Billhook?
a spear with a hook along it's blade, and from it's craftsmanship alone, it was clearly expensive
"take that and get out of here! I'll find more people" spoke Kuchen, her now.. slitted eyes gazed towards an opening, and instinctively I followed her command
"Yes Ma'am!" *I shouted, grabbing the girl and running for safety, running past any palmbirds I saw as I weaved through fireballs, electricity covering my legs as I ran-
HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT-
I was hit with a burst of flames, the girl perished instantly, yet I wasn't so lucky, my skin was burned as I looked around, looking at what looked to be two people fighting, one was a wounded woman in white and red robes seemingly more fit for ceremonial purposes than combat
the other was a man with platinum colored hair, otherworldly golden, and a calm glare on his face, wearing simple brown longcoat, shirt and pants, on his hand was a simple longsword, so mediocre even my halberd was better in quality
"damn you! these were to be my territory! my lands! my worshippers would've grown, and my divine seat ensured!" roared the woman, her orange eyes glaring at him
"you overstepped your boundaries, Phoenix, I've told you, have I not? sit down" spoke the man with a calm tone
"rrrgghh... if it's come to this..." looked down the Woman, before flames o
covered her and she launched onto the sky, and in a brilliant flash, in her place was a brilliant Phoenix, unlike the palmbirds which seemingly held physical form, the Phoenix felt like a divine phenomenon, a wildfire taking the vague shape of a bird
"really, you should've just remained quiet, Lowly Angel" spoke the calm Man, raising his blade, before slashing, and unleashed a slash of air so sharp and powerful even my body was sent flying, yet before I blacked out, the image worthy of legend was the last thing I saw
the pillar of flames, parted in half, a ravine formed with the slice of a blade, and the stars revealed as the clouds of the heavens parted
all from the swing of a single man