Ten minutes ago...
Samuel couldn't help but shake off the nervousness. Gary is out there fighting, And Donovan is guarding the flag. He doesn't know what he sould actually do. All that Donovan said was to 'Steal some flags and return safe and sound'. That's too damn vague! Argh! No, Sammy. Calm down. You can do this.
You can do this...
Samuel repeated that mantra over and over in his mind. Soon, he found himself on top of the walls. He had subconsciously climbed it and traversed through the arena. He found himself stepping over an orange barrier. As soon as he did, he found himself in the nest of Firbol's class.
They are still arguing about what to do. Still uncoordinated. Maybe Samuel could wait a little bit. Until they are attacked or when their back is turned. He sees that the second and third year are communicating with the first years. Is that even allowed? From this sight, Samuel thought that he should mostly stay out of sight. Somehow. Maybe he should jump down to avoid the second and third years' watchful gaze. Highly likely they would alert their first year.
He took a second to look around. With his eyes, he spotted Rovanne all the way across the arena. Cheering with pom poms in hands. It appears that she sees him. And presumably waved at him. He awkwardly waved back before focusing back on the tournament. Feels good to have support.
Samuel hopped down the walls and hid in the shadows. Activating his eyes slightly, he could see the students through the walls. And can even see apparitions of their future movements. Not only that, he can also see their field of vision. And then their sins. Their past. The actions that they commit away from watchful eyes. No, not now. Get it together Samuel!
He tried his best to quietly punch his head to make it function properly. Don't overwork it Samuel. Get in under control. Soon, it calms down enough. But he can still see his intended details.
To his relief, Firbol was attacked. Some from the Grinshar class had appeared and attacked the arguing class of Firbol. Taking them with surprise. Blasts of magic shoot across the wall as everyone focuses on the Grinshar class.
Before Samuel could run out, he saw someone run up to the flag and grab it. It was a boy from Grinshar, Shit! He must interfere now! Take the flag from him. Samuel jumped out from his hiding spot and ran towards the boy.
"Harold! Behind you-!"
"Huh?"
"Sorry!" Samuel slammed his fist on his jaw, sending him falling back to the ground as he grabbed hold of the flag, "This is mine now."
"Oi! The hell-?!" Harold tried to stand up fast.
"Gotta go now! By-" Samuel instinctually ducked down as a dagger flew right above him and impaled itself on the wall.
Samuel and Harold turned around to spot Lucas standing there with his friends behind him. Or more likely goons. Samuel slowly stood up, "Hello Lucas. How are you today?"
"Not that good...Don't play dumb with me Sammy."
"You don't exactly have the privilege to call me that..."
"I can call anyone whatever. Just shut up."
Samuel could see the animosity boiling within him, Harold stood up next to him and held out his sword. Leading to a three-way stare-down. Samuel could see the exact reason for his animosity. Humiliation. Embarrassment. All from that one day of busting him skipping class.
Samuel held up his sickles, pointing it at everyone else, "So...How are we going to-"
Lucas lunged at him with his second dagger and barely missed Samuel as he dodged to the side. Lucas took this chance to grab his second dagger on the wall and began engaging Samuel and a blade fight.
Harold attempted to jump in and steal the flag but Lucas's friends stepped in and distracted Harold. In the meantime, Lucas ravaged Samuel. Throwing out quick jabs and slices his way. When Samuel parried everything else. Lucas threw his dagger yet again.
As Samuel knocked it away, a white string appeared into view as it attached the dagger to Lucas's hand. And he swung his hand down, pulling the dagger down back at Samuel.
Samuel swatted the dagger away before grabbing the string with his hand. He pulled it hard and dragged Lucas towards him before slamming the bottom of his foot on his face. Sending him reeling back and following it up by pulling the string down and slamming Lucas to the ground.
"Agh! You little shit!" He stood up and pulled his string back, grabbed the dagger, and charged at Samuel again.
Samuel stood his ground, predicting Lucas's next move. Lucas imbued magic into his dagger. He clasped his dagger together, forming a white and purple orb on the edge. Before performing an X cut and sending it out.
Samuel was ready for this, he performed a similar motion against the orb and cut it into two. Sending them barreling away and destroying the walls behind him in a majestic manner.
"Path of the radiant beast huh?" Samuel pointed out.
"Glad you noticed!"
A white and purple blade extended from Lucas's dagger as it turned into a sword. He swung with precision against Samuel. A trail of purple magic follows his blade. Each strike was more empowered and stronger than the last. Samuel could compare this to the force of a wrecking ball. That is the exact force of the slashes. Samuel's impressed, but Lucas is still inexperienced with this, it's not as strong as it should be.
A short blue wave rummaged through the arena, temporarily stopping everyone in their tracks. But before Samuel could listen to the announcer on what happened, A deafening magic screech irritated Samuel. As Lucas threw the magic sphere out. But he still managed to dodge it.
Before Samuel could do something, Harold jumped in behind him, if it wasn't for his eyes, Samuel would definitely have been injured, but luckily not. He spun around and parried it with his other hand.
All three of them took a step back, analyzing the situation, "How are you here? I thought you were distracted?" Lucas asked.
"Simple. I beat them. In all honesty, they were pretty weak." Harold shrugged.
"Useless shits..." Lucas swore.
"Don't be like that to your friends! That's mean-"
"You shut up Sammy! I don't need your input!" Lucas snapped.
"Boys boys. Enough already." Harold chuckled, "Let's get this over with. I'll take that flag and hopefully, I am given a list of good magic paths to choose from..."
"Oh, you want to see a REAL magic path?! I'll show you!" Lucas crossed his arms on an X formation. A sudden flux of magic shook the ground below him. The onlookers in the crowd turned their attention from the middle of the arena to the three as magic slowly entered Lucas's body.
Samuel's eyes widened at the sight of what Lucas was doing. This might be a problem for him, "A first magic path release? At your level?" He muttered.
Before then, Lucas extended his arms outwards. Releasing a huge flux of magic all around him, "Will you look at that folks! It appears that Lucas Heinfeild had activated a first magic path release! Ho ho! We had never seen that in four years! What a sight to behold!" the announcer's voice spoke.
After the initial blinding light, Lucas stood in his crater, panting lightly. Luminescent markings appear all over his body and face. Alongside the same colored energy forming around his hands, "Damn! First release?!" Harold readied himself.
"You've been annoying since I first met you Samuel! I'm gonna make sure everyone sees me embarrass you!" Lucas shouted.
"You can improve your English first of all. I'm Brazilian and my English is horrible. Second of all, I only met you once before! And now you wanna-"
"GRAH!"
Samuel held up his weapons just in time as Lucas slammed his magic blades against Samuel. The force creates another crater around him, the strength is more accurate to what it's supposed to be. But still, Samuel could see that it was still weaker than usual.
Lucas began to swing wildly. Sending out random waves of radiant magic all around the area, destroying walls and even the arena's structure. All in an attempt to damage Samuel. But Harold jumped in and tried to grab the flag off Samuel's back. But he managed to jump away before he could do that.
Harold used his momentum to kick Lucas to the wall with some raw strength and magic imbuement. For someone like Harold, he sure is brave to fight a person in his first magic path release.
"You're becoming quite annoying Harold!" Lucas launched himself off the wall and lunged at Harold, with intent to kill. Samuel couldn't let that happen. He jumped in front of Harold and blocked Lucas's strike.
"Damn-! Sorry about this but thanks!" Harold grabbed the flag off Samuel's back and began to run away.
"Oi!" Samuel pushed Lucas away and threw a gadget at Harold, locking his legs together and dropping the flag.
Samuel ran towards the flag with Lucas hot on his tail and strapped it on his back with a front roll. Before engaging with Lucas again. Harold stood up and joined in the fight. Effectively become a one versus one versus one.
The three exchanged attacks and blows with each other. Samuel still hadn't been hit, with Lucas missing all of his attacks and just destroying the area around them, this fueled something inside of Samuel, slowly turning a switch in his head.
Lucas kicked Harold away with his foot and used the same one to take a step in front of Samuel, before dragging his blade against the ground and swinging it upwards. Sending a trail of radiant magic across the arena and cutting clean through multiple walls.
The crowd roared in excitement from this display, but Samuel simply chuckled, before Lucas could ask about it, He received a harsh kick on the calves. Sending him to his knees. Before Samuel slammed his knuckles on his jaw.
"Damn. I didn't think you'd be THIS pathetic. You're using your first release. You should be dominating the tournament by now! Yet here you are..." Samuel caught Lucas' attack and threw his dagger away, before slamming his knee on his jaw again, "Being toyed with me! I'm not even using my magic!"
Samuel holstered his sickle. Ready to embarrass Lucas this time. He tried to form magic in his hands and shoot it at Samuel from point-blank range, but Samuel caught his hands and tanked the full force of the magic beam, "You know..."
Samuel grabbed Lucas's arm and threw him at another wall, "I don't even think I should use my own first release. You're no threat to me..."
He had been so focused on his fight that he didn't even notice some people from the haelfein's side running towards him to help. Did Donovan allow them to participate finally?
A large number of the Haelfein's students ran over to Samuel. Engaging with the grinshar and Firbol members on the side. Some attempted to run to Samuel, calling out if he needs help, "Hello Samuel!" he recognized the voice as Caitlin, "Do you need help with the flag?!"
"No need! Just distract the other classes nearby. I'll deal with Lucas and Harold here..."
Harold stood up from the wall, having taken some time to recover from his injury, "Damn Samuel...Stronger than you look."
"Thank you Harold."
Samuel stared at Lucas, his two pupils still tracked onto him as he observed him gritting his teeth harshly. Lucas stood up again, taking a second to see his class in shambles, and being embarrassed by the person he intended to put in his place.
He is Lucas Heinfield. A prodigy of the S-class. A proud son to his parents! Not some pathetic dude with a first release that failed to beat anyone. No this can't be. This is impossible!
"You insignificant wretch-!" Lucas gripped his fist tightly.
"Struck a nerve did I?" Samuel chuckled.
"How can someone like you, a disgusting commoner, join the S-class so easily?! This is impossible! You can't just barge in and do whatever you want! I'm in charge here!"
"Womp Womp..." Samuel imitated crying hands.
Lucas gripped his dagger tightly. Samuel's expression changed as he saw raw magic being absorbed into Lucas. Slowly culminating into a ticking time bomb. Harold saw this and slowly backed away.
"Harold, you might want to run."
"I'm sure of that!" Harold limped away, he might be done for now. It's been a heavy strain on him fighting these two.
Lucas bent down and stabbed his dagger onto the ground, "I'm gonna kill you...I'm gonna FUCKING kill YOU!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, before the ticking bomb finally set off. BOOM
Vast amounts of magic exploded from Lucas. Forming an upward beam of white and purple as a screech filled the air above them. Samuel tensed himself and stuck the sickle back on to the ground, to not be blown away by the wind.
Lucas's shadow rose up within the beam, before slamming back to the ground, leaving a bigger crater than usual. The flesh on Lucas's body had changed into a form of pure radiant magic. Burning magic settled on his face like a mask. Three emerald eyes remained on where his face would be.
"Are you serious right now...?"
"Shalkafzaram..." Lucas chanted his transformation, "Kva'yat zohar shel hachaya..."