Areyos Orionis's Point of View
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This day is full of surprises. These Devas are indeed formidable. I glanced at Erina, who immediately met my gaze, as if she had guessed I was waiting for explanations. I slightly raised my eyebrows, tilting my head, a silent way of asking if she had information on the Devas. She looked back at me, tilting her head slightly to the side with a proud smile, as if to say "of course." I smiled back before looking away. How could I have doubted her? The class resumed, and the professor announced the next matchups.
"Well, we had the honor of witnessing the 'Base Gear Mode,' the first combat mode of humans... or at least, that of Mr. Keldo. For those who cannot transform, this option could become formidable with some improvements," said the professor, impressed.
"It's a nerd thing, and the armor is tacky," murmured a human.
"Yeah, better to train in Ki to enhance the physique than tinker with pieces of metal," added another.
"Why don't humans support each other?" Yoko asked, perplexed.
Sorey shrugged. "It's in their nature, I suppose. It's easier to envy than to rejoice for others."
I watched them, fascinated by this human trait I really couldn't understand. "Interesting," I muttered softly. "They harm themselves by refusing to rise together."
In the face of this criticism, Keldo spoke up, calm but biting.
"My armor is still a prototype, far from perfection. But unlike some, I prefer to perfect what's new rather than cling to worn-out methods or ones destined for minimal results." He cast a cold glance at the two human girls, a mocking smile on his lips. "Intelligence isn't for everyone, so don't worry: I won't insult you by expecting you to understand anything."
Laughter erupted among the elves while the human girls, indignant, glared at Keldo.
"I like his way of responding," I said, smiling.
"Silence! We have three more battles left," the professor ordered.
A tense silence fell over the arena as the next fighters appeared on the magical screen.
"Arwyna Phytis versus Zyriel Versalys!" announced the professor.
The students' eyes turned to Zyriel, their curiosity piqued by her bloodbending shown recently. She wore a mysterious smile, as if the fight was already won for her. Arwyna, on the other hand, advanced without flinching, determined to prove her worth against the devas.
"Give it your all," encouraged the professor, enthusiasm in his voice.
"I don't think that will be necessary, professor," said Arwyna, looking assured.
"Kaiser might be a powerful metaryon, but that doesn't mean they all are. Likewise, Klaus and Areyos are powerful Devas, but that doesn't mean they all are," she declared, giving Zyriel an assured look.
Zyriel raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "I'd like to tell you you're wrong, but well, you wouldn't listen. Might as well show you."
"Professor, can I use Mana?" Arwyna asked hastily.
The professor, arms crossed, answered without hesitation: "Against her, yes. Ignore the academy's rules for now." The fact that the professor allowed the use of mana specifically against her said a lot about her strength.
No sooner had these words been spoken than Arwyna extended her arm towards Zyriel, ready to attack.
" 'Thunder' !" she declared. A bright yellow magical circle appeared in the air, its runes glittering with bright light as a glyph of lightning formed at its center. Then, with a deafening crack, a bolt of lightning struck Zyriel head-on. Thick smoke rose, obscuring the Deva for a moment.
When the smoke cleared, Zyriel stood there, almost unchanged. Her health gauge had dropped by an infinitesimal percent. Calmly, she pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her face, an assured smile on her lips.
"That's it?" she said, loud enough for Arwyna to hear, but with an icy intensity that made the latter shiver.
The students looked at each other, amazed, unable to take their eyes off the scene.
"She took the attack without even moving!" one of them exclaimed, his voice trembling with astonishment.
"Am I dreaming or what?!" Yoko cried out, her eyes wide. "Her life gauge barely decreased!" Confusion was written all over her face, her mind unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Zyriel, with a tone almost disdainful, observed the impact of Arwyna's attack, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "For a level 2 magic, your lightning is really pitiful." She raised a hand, ready to counterattack.
"Say that again!" roared Arwyna, anger boiling within her. Zyriel's words had cut her to the core. She was about to unleash another attack, but Zyriel preempted her. With a fluid motion of her hand, she created a tornado, probably through airbending, which swept Arwyna into the air, making her spin like a rag doll. The power of the attack was such that the students instinctively stepped back, eyes wide.
A red aura enveloped Zyriel, her silhouette appearing more imposing as she extended her hand towards the tornado she had just created. The pressure in the air became palpable.
" 'Kuro: Murderous Fireball.' " Zyriel declared firmly, and a gigantic sphere of raging flames appeared in her hand. She threw it without hesitation.
"It's not magic... it's ninjutsu," Kaiser observed in a low voice, arms crossed, looking thoughtful.
"I noticed," I said, my gaze fixed on the scene. "The fight is going to be very tough for Arwyna."
The fireball hurtled at a dizzying speed towards the young elf, ready to reduce her to ashes. She had almost no chance of dodging such an assault.
" 'Magic Barrier' !" Arwyna cried out, and a translucent sphere of mana surged around her, protecting her. I noticed no magical circle was used for this spell. A moment later, the fireball hit the barrier, and a terrifying explosion shook the arena. The shockwave spread, the stones trembled under the spectators' feet, and the explosion blinded the audience, many turning away to shield their eyes.
"Arwyna!!!" the elves shouted, palpable worry in their voices.
However, Zyriel seemed almost amused, her smile growing as she watched the debris fall around Arwyna. "Well, even though I significantly reduced the power of my attack, you had the good sense to protect yourself just before the fireball hit, otherwise, you'd be dead. But well, you can still fight with the two percent of life you have left..." Her voice exuded a disconcerting coldness.
Whispers rose among the crowd. The students were stunned, shocked to see Arwyna in such a wretched state despite her attempts to defend herself. The professor, despite his impassive air, could not hide a slight frown.
"Am I dreaming or what?! Zyriel says she reduced the power of her attack, but it still took away 98% of Arwyna's life points!" Yoko exclaimed, incredulity in her voice. The audience seemed to freeze in horrified silence.
Arwyna's look displayed confusion mixed with indescribable fear, which did not escape Zyriel. "Are you scared?" Zyriel taunted, a carnivorous smile floating on her lips. Her gaze pierced Arwyna as if she wanted to read every thought crossing her mind. "That's normal. That's the effect I have on my victims," she added.
Zyriel stood calmly, arms crossed, clearly waiting for something. "Go ahead, heal yourself. I'll wait," she said with evident insolence.
Encouragement rained down from the ranks of the elves. "Go Arwyna, don't let yourself be beaten!" one of them shouted.
"Are you crazy or what? There's nothing she can do against this power!" retorted the Aegyls, showing their skepticism.
"Arwyna, transform!" another elf shouted, her gaze filled with determination.
"Give it everything you've got! Forget what you said at the start of the fight, if you don't give it your all, you're going to lose."
"She's right!" A familiar voice rose. "We've already seen you transform in Sylvestria! Show them what the elves are capable of!"
Arwyna Phytis's Point of View
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I was ready to do anything not to give in. I had grossly underestimated this devas. I had thought my powers would be enough to bring her down, but her attacks and resistance had deeply surprised me. It was a mistake I wasn't ready to repeat.
In the kingdom of Sylvestria, I had worked tirelessly, always driven by the desire to exceed my limits. Even the teachers saw me as a magical genius, but I knew only effort would truly allow me to excel. And now, facing Zyriel, I wasn't going to set aside my pride. I had to fight, I had to defeat her.
" 'Vitalys'," I murmured, a green aura enveloping me as I focused. Little by little, my life points rose back to 100%. Zyriel was letting me heal. She still underestimated me. It was time to prove her wrong.
Magical energy spread around me, crisscrossed with fine runes that shimmered in the air. My eyes took on an emerald green hue, while my hair turned from pale yellow to bright white, ending in a golden tint at the tips. The enchanted aura wrapped me in a soft, powerful light.
"It's the first transformation of the elves!!!" the elves reacted, enthusiastic.
"Yes! It's the 'Enchantys Mode'," added others, their voices full of hope.
Zyriel, still as calm, raised an eyebrow. "The 'Enchantys Mode', interesting... I can't wait to see what you can do with it. If it's the first transformation, I suppose you're ten times more powerful, but what's your ability multiplier?" Her voice was intrigued, but also slightly amused.
"The Enchantys Mode multiplies the power of my magical attacks by 100." I answered with a certain pride, allowing my powers to amplify to a scale Zyriel had likely not anticipated.
"Not bad," she responded, a provocative smile forming on her lips. "I'd love to see that, little elf."
Without wasting a moment, I used my plantbending. Green roots burst from the ground, intertwining around her legs, trying to keep her immobile.
" 'Ice beam,' " I launched, extending my arm towards her. A sky-blue magical circle appeared before me, and an extreme beam of ice shot out, striking Zyriel. The beam carried her to the arena wall, tearing away the roots from her legs, then trapped her in an ice prison, almost instantly freezing her.
She let out a slight laugh. "Ouch, that hurts, doesn't it?" she said, her voice curiously amused, even while trapped in ice.
Quickly, she responded with her own power.
"I don't really like the idea of being trapped. 'Shiro: Heat Dome.' " She added. An invisible dome formed around her, distorting the air around us and melting the ice almost instantly.
" 'Shiro: Speed' " she then added, and thin yellow lightning bolts coursed through her body.
"I need to see how you'll manage with just your magic for a while. Forget your Chi." She said, her gaze confident and mysterious.
Anger boiled within me. "I fight how I want," I retorted.
"Oh, that's not a request..." she said, an enigmatic smile on her lips. In a blink, she was in front of me, her movement as swift as a shadow cutting through the air. Without another word, she finished her sentence with an imperious tone: "But an order."
Before I could react, her palm slammed into my stomach with devastating force. A golden wave burst through my body, propelling me like a rag doll to the other side of the field. Pain overwhelmed me, preventing me from breathing.
"What speed!!!" a student exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Her life gauge has dropped significantly!" Yoko announced, her tone worried.
I spat blood, my vision blurring under the shockwave. My life gauge had just plummeted to 54%, a harsh reminder of one thing: Zyriel was no ordinary opponent. She was much stronger than I had imagined. But anger and pain gave me the strength not to yield. I had no right to fall here. Not after everything I had been through.
" 'Spiny Vines' !" I cried, placing my hand on the ground, pain pulsing through me.
But nothing happened. No vines sprouted from the ground. A heavy silence settled, and I felt a wave of confusion sweep through the crowd.
"Don't tell me that--" an Aegyl began, his astonishment clearly audible in his voice.
"Zyriel has blocked her Chi!" a human finished, the truth striking all who were watching.
They were right. The sensation hit me like a punch in the gut. My Chi, I could no longer use it.
Zyriel observed my reaction with a disconcerting satisfaction. "Use your magic," she ordered, her voice imbued with quiet authority.
A bitter pain rose within me, striking my ego. It was as if she forced me to further humiliate myself. The insult gnawed at me, but from the pain, a flame was born. I refused to let her break me.
Zyriel already knew what this gesture meant to me. Her slight smile conveyed more than just confidence in her victory: she knew I had no way out. And it was at that moment that I felt a new wave of determination rise within me. I wasn't finished. Not yet.
I straightened up, breathless but with determination crushing all hesitation. The next moment, my aura unleashed. A luminous yellow glow spread around me, vibrating with golden energy. Fine, golden runic inscriptions wrapped around me, like filaments dancing in my aura.
"Very well, Zyriel, I hope you're ready," I murmured.
"Good, I like obedient people," said Zyriel, her voice filled with coldness, unleashing her incandescent red aura around her.
I didn't have time to think. The fight had just taken a serious turn.
" 'Fire blast'," I declared, extending my arm. An orange magical circle appeared before my hand, shining brightly before another, larger one formed beneath Zyriel. An explosion of flames burst forth instantly.
But her incredible speed made her vanish in a flash. She dodged the attack with agility I hadn't anticipated, and in an instant, she was already too close to me. I jumped back by instinct, and prepared my next attack.
" 'Light Balls'," I launched, concentrating all my energy. Four white magical circles emerged around me, illuminating the space with a bright glow. A volley of destructive light balls, shining like stars, shot towards Zyriel, flying at the speed of light.
She couldn't do anything. All the balls hit her in an instant, making her retreat. Her life gauge quickly fell to 77%. But Zyriel just smiled, as if it was nothing.
" 'Vitalys'," I murmured, my wounds healing almost instantly, and my life gauge rose back to 88%. I had to conserve my mana to keep attacking.
"She's doing well," said Corvus from afar. His comment, full of respect, gave me a burst of pride. A new determination filled me, like a flame rekindling my strength. I couldn't let victory slip away, not in front of Corvus.
Zyriel, visibly amused, made a gesture of impatience. "Not bad, but now we're starting to have fun," she said mockingly. " 'Kuro: Lightning Dragon'," she suddenly called out, and a gigantic lightning dragon-serpent emerged from her aura. The lightning dragon rose into the sky before descending, like a bolt ready to strike me down.
I didn't have time to doubt. " 'Magic Wall'," I said, and a massive wall of mana appeared, blocking the attack. But Zyriel, relentless, laughed softly.
"That won't be enough against this ninjutsu," she said assuredly.
The dragon suddenly circumvented the magic wall, its body undulating like an enraged serpent. In an instant, it hit me head-on, discharging such a violent electrical explosion that I was thrown to the ground, my life gauge dropping to 12%. The area around us became electrified, the air buzzing with energy coursing through me. I couldn't move, lightning coursing through me, paralyzing my muscles.
"You survived... interesting." Zyriel's voice was tinged with fascination, but also boredom. She was already preparing another spell, her aura crackling like a storm ready to break. "But well, I'm starting to get bored." She raised her hand towards me and launched her attack: " 'Kuro: Deadly Fireball'."
The fireball appeared in her hand, boiling, ready to annihilate everything in its path. This attack had nearly killed me before I transformed. She finally attacked...
"It's over... she fought well," murmured the elves around us, desperate. The humans began to cheer for Zyriel, seeing her already victorious.
The fireball exploded, sweeping the air around it in an infernal roar but something strange for others happened.
"How... How is this possible?!" Aegyls were astonished.
"She couldn't have covered that distance while paralyzed!" Yoko exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
"She's still lying on the ground, though," Sorey exclaimed.
Indeed, at the moment the fireball exploded, I remained lying on the ground, frozen, like a corpse in the paralyzing wave of the previous ninjutsu. But in a blink, I was already behind Zyriel. My life gauge was intact. The attack had barely touched me.
"Did you notice the dark blue magic circle beneath her?" an elf exclaimed. The audience was silent, a murmur of understanding running through the spectators.
"There's another one where she was before," a human continued, his eyes shining with astonishment.
"Teleportation... a level 4 magic. That's impressive." Zyriel seemed sincerely interested, her gaze becoming more intense.
"I see you're very interested in magic, Zyriel." I said, standing up.
"Indeed. Magic interests me a lot. Others struggle to grasp what's happening, so a little lesson won't hurt them," Zyriel responded. "Level 1 magic deals with elements, while level 2 deals with sub-elements." Zyriel began as the audience fell silent. "After these two levels, we have levels 3 and 4, which deal with spiritual and mystical magic, respectively." She concluded.
"Spiritual and mystical magic?" an Aegyl asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Professor Zemus, who had remained silent until now, then interjected. "Psychic powers are divided into two groups: spiritual and mystical. Both use the psyche as an energy source."
"And the difference?" a human asked.
"Spiritual powers influence the mind and soul. Mystical powers go beyond, affecting the material world in strange and impenetrable ways. Teleportation, or the ability to create clones or even shape shifting, are examples." The professor concluded, his eyes fixing on me with hidden admiration.
"Seeing someone so young master level 4 magic is incredibly rare. It's impressive, Arwyna," said Zyriel, her assured smile still present. "Is that really all you have? Or do you have more surprises for me?"
"A higher level won't be necessary to beat you," I answered in a calm voice, despite the exhaustion gnawing at me. I concentrated my last strength.
" 'Vitalys'." My life gauge climbed to 62%. But my energy reserves were nearly depleted. I couldn't chain spells or heal anymore. My Chi was still blocked. The end was approaching, and yet... I couldn't lose now.
I slowly stood up, an inner fire burning again within me. Zyriel was preparing for a new attack, but in my mind, the strategy was forming. I knew to defeat her, I would need a stroke of genius. But above all... I had to avoid letting her gain the upper hand.
"Ah, it's a shame, I'll have to force you, or we might as well end this fight now." Zyriel didn't seem ready to give me a chance to breathe.
I stood up with determination. "We'll see about that. 'Thunder'!" I launched, extending my hand to the sky. A magic circle appeared above Zyriel, ready to unleash a bolt of lightning. But before the attack could even start, a strange movement occurred. My body suddenly moved under the magic circle, and I took my own spell head-on. Pain engulfed me, and my life gauge dropped to 54%.
"What's happening?" I muttered, bewildered, as pain gripped me.
"It's the bloodbending!" a voice among the students exclaimed.
"I wouldn't want to be in her place..." said a human, amused.
"Go Zyriel! Destroy her!" some humans shouted.
Zyriel stood there, calm and imposing, one arm extended towards me. She made me levitate, controlling my body as if I were just a mere puppet. With a gesture, she bent one of her fingers, and pain exploded in my leg, which broke, eliciting a scream of pain from me. A second crack resonated, this time in my left arm. It twisted under the effect of her control, broken by another movement of her fingers.
"So, she could do this all along!? She's just been toying with Arwyna?!" Corvus exclaimed, shocked by the scale of the situation.
"My God, it's horrible!" an elf exclaimed, turning away her eyes. "I can't watch..."
The cries and murmurs of the students mingled with the suffering tearing through my body. Zyriel didn't just have incredible physical power; her psyche far surpassed mine. That's why she could control my blood so easily. My psychic defense was too weak to counter her. I felt life slipping away, my life gauge falling to 30%.
"If she doesn't do anything, she's going to lose..." Yoko murmured, worried from the edge of the arena.
"But what can she do?" Sorey asked, desperate.
"You defended yourself well, i mean, as well as prey against its predator." Zyriel declared, displaying a cruel smile, then shattered the other arm and leg. My life gauge plummeted to 6%. The pain suffocated me.
"For the final blow, I can either break your spine or your neck," she said, a carnivorous smile on her lips. "What's your preference? The spine... or the neck?"
Her question brought a chilling truth to my mind. It wasn't just the pain torturing me; it was pure terror that invaded me. I was frozen, suspended in the air, my limbs broken under the influence of her power. But that wasn't even the worst part. No, what really made me shudder with horror was the thought that she could make me suffer like this, not just in this magical simulation, but in reality. She could break my body, destroy every bone, every fiber of my being, without effort. And that, that was what terrified me the most. I wanted to scream, to struggle, but my vocal cords were locked, my breath cut off, crushed by raw fear. I couldn't even move, my eyes fixed on her, as if my soul had detached from my body, unable to react. The shadow of her presence, of her power, crushed everything around me. She was a predator, and I... I was nothing but prey.
"No answer?" Zyriel asked, tilting her head slightly. "I'll choose for you then."
A shiver ran down my spine as I felt my back bending under her will. A sinister crack echoed.
"No! Arwyna, do something!" pleaded a desperate voice in the crowd. It was the elf who had encouraged me to transform. I was on the verge of slipping into the darkness of defeat, but one last thought crossed my mind.
" 'Summoning'," I whispered, managing to muster enough mana for one last desperate attempt. Two magical circles appeared beside me, one yellow, the other green. They were far more complex than anything I had invoked before, adorned with precise and powerful runic inscriptions.
"A Summoning !?" Areyos remarked, slightly astonished.
But I didn't have time to hesitate. With force, I continued the incantation, my voice tinged with determination. " 'Rise, Spirits of Nature and Light, Sylph and Seraph!'"
To be continued...