The attack from Vel'ryr was unexpected, to say the least. However, with the use of transportation magic, most civilians were safely evacuated. With the abundance of demons and the advanced weaponry of Vel'ryr troops, there were many casualties on the knights' end stationed in Emberreach. This is not taking into account the two Chaosmaw's that appeared. Nevertheless, despite the situation, she would be lying if she said she was not at least a bit proud of herself for driving off one of those Chaosmaw's.
The rush of power that came from Arcane Ascendance was surreal. It was out of this world, and she felt as if she could do anything. Her perception of the world had deepened to a fundamental level. She understood Creation Magic better than ever, and she was sure that if she spent more time in that form, there was nothing she could not do. However, not all was dandy, which is why Agatha found herself sighing as she leaned her back against the walls of a destroyed building. Some injured knights were being tended to, but she was not focused on that.
"Now, now, I can tell by that expression of yours that you're getting cocky!" Despite the morbid state of most of the survivors of the attack, most eyes could not help but be drawn to the figure of the small ten-centimeter-tall fairy. Cor'nella folded her arms and looked at her with a judging gaze. "Most past Inheritors of the great Goddess Isadora were much the same mind as you! Getting full of themselves after tasting a bit of power." The fairy got a dry gaze in return.
"I'm not getting cocky, fairy," Agatha blandly retorted. "You're simply imagining things." She got an annoyed glare in return.
"Not 'fairy,' you dolt! It's Cor'nella!" She angrily corrected. It seems she was easy to rile up. Agatha gazed away in annoyance. "And what's with that look!?"
("So loud...") And this was supposed to be her guide for the future trials she would have to face?
"Oh, good, you're still alright." Agatha perked up as a familiar voice passed her ears. Glancing to the side, she spotted a familiar head of pink hair and wolf ears.
"Miss Fiona..." Agatha noted as the assistant teacher came to a stop beside her, her eyes immediately drawn to her fairy companion.
"I-Is that a fairy?" Fiona blurted out in confusion. And said confusion was justified. Fairies were rare creatures who very rarely showed themselves. They were reclusive for a reason, though. Fairies possessed a unique kind of magic many sought to exploit. That is not to mention how valuable their wings were, for alchemy or just to sell. They were like magical objects, absorbing and siphoning mana in any area they were. Due to their smaller bodies, they could not take in as much mana as the average human, demi-human, or demon. However, by constantly using [Flight Magic], they used more mana than they absorbed. All in all, fairies were odd creatures.
"Haha!" What left Cor'nella's small mouth was what sounded like a triumphant laugh. "Yes, that is correct, hu-erm, Solkari. I am a mighty fairy, one who serves the Goddess Isadora faithfully!" She declared.
"A fairy that serves a Goddess directly?" Fiona looked at Cor'nella in wonder. "That is amazing! How did you come to find such a remarkable companion in such a short time?" Fiona asked, practically gushing over Cor'nella. "And one so cute!" Cor'nella nodded her head in smug satisfaction. She seemed to enjoy the praise.
"I'm sure you could sense my mana output drastically increase while you were busy helping civilians and assisting knights," Agatha started. Fiona nodded her head with a thoughtful expression.
"I did. The teachers back at the academy suspected you might be an Inheritor, as there was no spawn of Isadora who had claimed the title," Fiona explained. "Now, not to be rude, but I never expected something like Arcane Ascendance to be learned so quickly and by someone so young."
"I was surprised how easy it was to obtain this power, but I had spoken to Goddess Isadora briefly. She said I was always chosen, and that the trials I would face would be later down the line," Agatha clarified, an unreadable expression adorning her face as she glanced at Cor'nella. "And this fairy is to be my guide."
"That's right! My great Goddess has chosen me to be this child's guide!" Cor'nella confirmed. Fiona rubbed her chin in interest.
"Interesting. My knowledge of Inheritors is not all that impressive, but to think you get the chance to converse with a God. Well, Gods don't usually meddle that much in our affairs, safe for an event like the festival. But this is great news. Congratulations on becoming an Inheritor!" Fiona praised with a smile. A ghost of a smile sat at Agatha's lips.
"Thank you, Miss Fiona." Perhaps this was a new turning point, one she had been waiting for, for so long.
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"You truly are pathetic, Asmodai," Ezerald scoffed as she stared at her demon brethren leaning against a snowy tree. His attire was ruined and jagged, and he was missing an arm and an eye. "Losing to a newly awakened Inheritor? You shame yourself." The aforementioned demon snarled as he turned to glare at her.
"Hold your tongue, Ezerald!" He spat out. "I was merely caught off guard, and I had not even used the full extent of my magic."
"Saving your mana for the human who humiliated you back at that magic academy," Ezerald shook her head and started in a mocking tone. "Were you not the one who would boast about how weak the sorcerers of this era were, constantly? What does that make you?" Asmodai's mana flared dangerously as his remaining eye narrowed into a slit.
"Watch your tongue, lest I rip it out." Ezerald merely sneered at him as she raised her head.
"I doubt you could even manage that much." Her own mana raised and clashed with his. "Mayhap Aegraxes should be informed about how useless you are."
"I've known Aegraxes for eons; he shan't listen to a filthy cur like you!" Asmodai exclaimed. Ezerald opened her mouth to retort, but a new voice interrupted.
"Come now, fighting like this won't do." The two turned to the approaching figure of Nybbas. "But the two of you have always been like oil and water, a shame."
"Nybbas." Ezerald folded her arms as she cast a dry gaze his way. "And where have you been lurking?"
"Aegraxes would have us attack the academy once more; he views it as an opportune moment," he replied. The two other demons frowned.
"Unwise; they would be prepared for another attack," Asmodai stated, drawing a nod from Ezerald.
"Although he's an idiot, I agree. I am aware that the artifact of the God of Destruction is important to realize our goals. But we gain nothing from rushing in blindly," she inputted, but a bout of realization hit her.
"You see, rushing in is ill-advised, but such an 'opportune' moment will not come by again," Nybbas explained.
"You mean that spawn of Octavia not being at the academy gives us a rare opportunity?" Ezerald questioned, her tone surprisingly conflicted. As if she did not really agree with her own words, her suspicion was proven when Nybbas shook his head.
"Lucinda and the headmaster; we naturally assumed they would be the biggest threats upon planning our first invasion of the Academy. The headmaster is but a washed-up sorcerer, a shell of his former self. And Lucinda, true, if we were to battle her one on one, we would lose even if we were to use our perfected unique magics, but even she would be hard-pressed to take down several of us. She is not invincible, unlike some like to believe." Ezerald tilted her head in confusion.
"Then what makes this an opportune moment to strike?" She asked as a deep frown overtook Asmodai's face.
"It's him, the masked one," he spat the sentence out with all the venom he could muster.
"The one you suffered a humiliating defeat from?" Ezerald snorted at the notion.
He nodded hesitantly. "That means nothing. Asmodai is hardly the strongest in our ranks, so this boy would not be that much of a threat."
"He matched the crown prince." The sentence left Nybass's mouth, and his demon brethren blinked in confusion. "You no doubt felt all those tremors; they traveled all around the world. The citadel of Vel'ryr had to encase itself in a force field just not to fall apart. The same goes for all the other cities." Nybbas chuckled. "And you should have seen how they fought, monsters, the both of them."
"You mean to say some random masked child fought that monster Selwyn?" Ezerald scoffed at his words.
"It is the truth, and you can ask Asmodai; the masked one is not to be trifled with." She merely cast a degrading gaze at Asmodai, much to his annoyance. "At any rate, the masked one is the biggest threat; we'd be no match, which is why Aegraxes saw it fit that we capitalize on his absence at the academy."
"Aegraxes? Is that boy truly that powerful?" Ezerald questioned. "Suppose it matters not; should I participate in this raid?"
"No, Arne and Beatrice will handle it," Nybbas clarified. Ezerald chuckled.
"What an unlucky academy."