That morning, the Obsidians were eager; a duel hadn't taken place in months. Overall, the Ruling Board, also known as The Table or the Board of Directors, made sure the population behaved. Because of that, the encounter between Cecilia and Mathias became a whole show. The previous night, Rina and the entire team of Engineers in the Obsidian Pyramid rushed to fix, sell, and resell any radios they could get their hands on. Radios were not that old, but everybody wanted their gear in top order to listen to the duel in case they could not get in to observe.
Jhossan spent the entire night studying, barely making sense of the things he saw, but he also wanted to watch an Obsidian fighting an Amberite. Luckily, Rina had secured seats near the front row.
"There are a lot of people..." noted Jhossan, sitting down.
"Stuff like this doesn't happen every day, you know. Just be glad I got us good seats." Added Rina, sitting to Jhossan's left, but carrying a paper bag of salty peanuts. "Sparring and friendly combat? Sure. But against foreigners? Not often."
"About that... how did you get these seats?" Jhossan looked around; he counted over 200 spectators.
The tenth flood had been arranged into an arena of sorts; the stands encircled the arena, looking towards the bottom, so it was easy for everyone to watch whatever happened. Of course, it was still too early, so neither Cecilia nor Mathias was present yet.
"I'm friends with the Arbiter!" Replied Rina. "I wonder what they bet on each other... ah, crap, I forgot to place my bet!" The Engineer winced. "I could've doubled last night's earnings... Fuck."
It was odd being that close to Rina, but Jhossan enjoyed it, even among so many people. Still, after a few seconds, Jhossan noticed someone moving through the crowd in the stand, coming their way.
"Phile?"
"Hey, dumbass." Philena was still upset at Jhossan. She held her sight against Rina. "Move." Philena walked in front of Jhossan, the side of her right thigh brushing Jhossan's inner thigh. She purposefully stepped on Rina's foot and sat next to her. "Do you mind?"
"Fuck you."
Jhossan had no idea what their problem was, and he preferred not to know.
"Hey, Phile. Do you know what this is about?"
"Mathias said something dumb to the Cecilia girl, and some of the higher-ranking people had to step in. Bunch of savages."
Philena seemed pretty upset at everyone right there. Of course, Maurol, Gonzaroc and Argy did not attend the duel. It wasn't forbidden, since some kids were amongst the audience, but Philena warned them not to go. Still, that didn't keep them from listening to the event through a radio in one of the rooms; the Obsidian Radio Broadcast Band (ORBB) had secured the rights to narrate on the event for the whole city.
"Bets closing in on 5 minutes, people!" A twelve-year-old Obsidian was roaming the stands, asking whoever wanted to place a bet. "We get Colours, Times, Spills and Hows!"
"T-they what?" Jhossan didn't get it.
"Colours mean Obsidian or Amberite, who'll win. Times means how long the duel will last, Hows means what techniques will be used, and Spills refers to whether someone will cry, puke or bleed."
"That's... wrong." Said Jhossan, looking strange at Rina. She seemed incredibly excited.
"Messed up is more appropriate." Corrected Philena.
"Hey! Write me down!" Said Rina. "Two auros on Obsidian. 7 auros on 2 minutes. 11 argens on tears, and 8 on blood. A-and 4 cuprios on blunt-force!" The bookie wrote down Rina's bets. "I'll get some good money out of this..."
"H-hold on, you said money is worthless in here!" Complained Jhossan.
"Yes. In here. But it's useful out in Xafar. What? I like going shopping." Rina's eyes shone at the idea of her earnings as she made a quick calculation. "I'll make... 20 auros, 61 argens, and 33 cuprios. Come on, Ceci, don't let me down!"
"Why you..." Jhossan had pretty much gotten rid of his money already.
"You're sad." Said Philena. "This is sad."
"You say that 'cause you're broke."
"I'm not broke!"
"That's not what you said last night." Rina grabbed a peanut and hurled it at Philena.
"You wanna duel!?"
"Let's go!"
The crowd around them both began to cheer them on.
"H-hey, someone's walking into the arena." Said someone behind them.
A man in a relatively elegant obsidian robe began to walk into the arena, straight to the centre.
"Is that... Jun!?" Jhossan couldn't believe it. "How!? Why!? That man's in the middle of everything!"
"That's my buddy." Said Rina. "A duel must always be mediated by an unbiased party capable of stopping the participants. And that's Jun; he officiates most duels around here. Well, when they happen. Besides, he's a Restorer. You want that on the arena."
"He looks sick for a Restorer..." noted Philena.
"But why!? Why is he always in the middle of things!?" Jhossan seemed upset.
"Ah. That. He's kinda broke." Replied Rina.
Swiftly, Jhossan spotted Lloyd and another fellow assistant on the first row, a few meters away from the trio.
"Is that Clemence? I guess Lloyd won't be so lonely now."
"He must've gotten here on another ship." Philena raised a hand and bought a bag of pork rinds. "This is so unhealthy... but it's good!"
The pork rinds were chopped into smaller, crackling pieces, oily and full of flavour; she had tried them at the bazaar the previous day.
Five minutes before it was the agreed-upon time, Cecilia and Mathias walked into the arena through opposite entrances.
"Cecilia looks like she means business!" A boy cried.
"Yeah, but that Mathias dude... look at 'em!" Said an obsidian girl. "He's got a wand... nah, Ceci is gonna mop the floor with him."
Mathias walked in, basking in the attention, arms high. Cecilia had walked in quietly, with her eyes fixed on Mathias, her robe hiding her tight fists.
"So, what happens now?" Asked Jhossan. "Is there a... protocol?"
"We usually don't, but---"
"Friends!" Mathias' voice boomed and echoed in the arena.
"Of course he'd give a speech..."
"Let this be a testament of the might of the Amber Pyramid and the might of our gracious Principle, Kita-Khor!" Mathias's words were full of pride and hubris. He loved being at the centre of things. The Obsidians started booing at him shortly after he began his speech. Even some Amberites were tired of it. "Today we shall see who---!
"Cut it out already!" Cecilia exploded. Jun had closed his eyes while keeping his arms crossed behind his back. "Pull out your wand, you dick!"
"Of course!" Mathias said with a mocking smile as he pulled his polished, reddish-brown wand. "You should... Oh, right! You don't have one! I'll shut that foul mouth of yours."
Cecilia gritted her teeth. "I won't need one..."
"Remember, the duel will last until one of you yields, dies, or is unable to continue. I shall not stop the encounter unless the rules are broken or those parameters are met." Jun raised his left hand to the height of his head. "As a gesture of good faith, the challenger shall decide where the starting positions are. Mister Wulberg, if you may."
Mathias took a position at the right extreme of the arena. Cecilia stood still 70 meters away from Mathias. The arena was a plain, barren field, pretty much a circular wasteland with a diameter of 90 meters. Jun remained in the centre, his eyes now open.
"Remember, there are no restrictions. The duel will begin the next time a fortuitous event takes place. In this occasion... the next time a bird chirps."
Mathias was not used to this; he wanted to start already and be done with it.
"I'll make this quick..."
The Obsidian audience fell silent. Only the Amberites were still speaking.
"What's with all this 'fortuitous event' stuff?" Asked Philena in a hushed voice.
"It's one of our customs. In real life, you don't get a warning or anything. Usually, as soon as both contenders step into the arena, the fight starts; we occasionally get surprise attacks, you know. Makes it hard to settle bets. This time it's a bit more formal because it involves one of your guys." Rina seemed tense and excited. "The Board wants to set an example with this." Rina looked at the other side of the crowd. Larika was there, fanning herself with a discreet smile. "These bastards..." the Engineer sighed. "Anyhow, a fortuitous event can be anything that happens in the arena; the chirp of a bird, the fall of a leaf, or even the burp of a contender."
Mathias held his wand softly. The pendant with the number 4 waved in the wind. Why was there so much wind inside the Pyramid? Cecilia readied herself; she lowered her posture, leaning forward, almost as if she was ready to sprint.
Two minutes went by. No chirp so far. And still...
"She hasn't blinked once..." Jhossan murmured. "Just like Rina back in the workshop..."
Philena felt weirded out at this. All the Obsidians were eager and smiling.
"Mathias was supposed to be an Elementalist, so combat magic is right up his alley." Philena snapped her tongue. "I don't think that Cecilia can win. Mathias is rank 4, and she's 1; he's four times stronger than her."
Then... a sparrow flew in, and right as it went through the middle of the arena, it chirped.
"Gotcha!" Mathias swiftly flicked his wand, and a greyish gust of wind shot out of his wand in an arc towards Cecilia.
The entire arena swayed with the gust, ruffling hair and lifting a cloud of dust and dirt. Suddenly, Cecilia sprinted out of the cloud, leaned in, and her eyes focused on Mathias's.
"I missed? HA! I'll get her with the next one!"
Mathias made a swift flourish, his back next to the wall, and a firebolt the size of a watermelon shot out. The air crackled as the fire illuminated the area. Quickly, Cecilia bent down as soon as she saw the fire begin to come out, and placed her hands on the ground.
"Gima ro Shijaka: Tetzujiao tenahait." She said.
Jhossan heard Cecilia's voice right there, echoing in the nothingness of the Yocan alongside the clanking of metal.
"Dogma of Stone: angular wall."
"What was that? Did I just..."
Suddenly, the ground quaked as a 2-meter-tall shield made of compressed earth rose just before Cecilia, with its face angled, splitting the fireblast. Mathias looked at this, surprised, his mouth slightly parted.
"What the fuck did you do!?" Screamed Mathias, now holding his wand tight.
"What the hell!?" Philena and all the Amberites were baffled while the Obsidians cheered and whistled at Cecilia.
"She used Shijaka, how smart!" Said Rina with a smile, raising her fist. "Go get him, Ceci!"
"Shijaka? What's that?" Asked Philena.
Rina put her finger over her lips. "Obsidian secret!" She giggled. "But I'll tell you if you ask nicely."
"I'll break that wall!"
Mathias shot two more blasts, but right then, Cecilia did something behind the wall, another spell.
"Kyouma ro Rihik: tobao miyun." She said. At the same time, in the Yocan... "Dogma of Wind: bursting cloud."
"There's her voice again... why am I listening to her voice?"
The area around Cecilia exploded into a cloud of dust. Even with the wind blowing, the cloud remained there. The debris of the explosion caused Mathias to cover his eyes despite being so far away, maybe as a reflex. Still, he didn't react fast enough, as right then, Cecilia sprinted out of the cloud towards Mathias. She moved in an arc, running with long, explosive bursts that seemed to touch the ground barely. Mathias felt his pulse quickening as he shot once again, but at every instance, Cecilia simply dodged with a longer stride or leapt. Slowly but surely, Mathias began to feel the panic of an incoming enemy. The cloud dissipated.
"How is she doing that?!" Philena asked loudly as the audience cheered and whistled. "She's not using a wand!"
Rina smiled. Because the Obsidian Pyramid was among the poorest Pyramids in terms of magical potency, economy, and Arfia, the magical xenomineral that first enabled magic to develop, the Obsidian Pyramid relied on other means through which to survive; because they had no wands, they used different instruments, and since the Obsidians lacked large reservoirs of Arfia and Amrita, it made them refine whatever small amount they had into an extremely effective resource, so they learned to wield it with great expertise. In short, strife and struggle forced the inhabitants of the Obsidian Pyramid to evolve, adapt and overcome.
"Then, how is she doing magic?" Asked Philena.
"With anything but a wand," Rina replied with a smile. "She's using metal seals this time around. But truly, it could be anything."
"What the hell is she planning to do!? No! I can't let her touch me!"
With a trembling hand, Mathias flicked his wand; a sudden gust of wind blew from behind Mathias just as Cecilia was about to reach him: she had run 70 meters in 12 seconds. The wind carried Mathias away just as Cecilia reached his original position.
"Yes... I'll have to do it this way... I have no idea what she has in mind, but if I use a wind tunnel to keep me moving, I'll---"
Right then, Jhossan heard Cecilia's voice again. Cecilia smiled as she touched the ground with the palm of her hand.
"Again... Gima ro Shijaka: Tetzujiao tenahait!"
As Mathias kept his eyes on Cecilia's body, he ignored the ground beneath the wind tunnel; it broke as yet another wall rose, similar to the one that had shielded Cecilia earlier. Except this one was meant to cage him in place, and it surfaced almost instantly.
"It... it was faster! Why? Hold on... Mathias, get outta there!" Yelled Jhossan, standing up. "It's a trap!"
The magi that lacked the mineral reserves had discovered a while ago that enunciating the magic made it more efficient; when the adversary knows what spell is coming, it happens faster and more efficiently at the expense of giving the enemy a better chance to protect themselves.
Mathias looked around and crashed against the solid wall, 81 meters away from Cecilia, kicking up yet another cloud of dust. And just then... her voice again just as Cecilia readied herself to sprint once more. Mathias's face was dripping blood from the cuts made by the angular shapes on the wall's surface.
"I'll have to end this in the next clash..." The sound of three metal tags was heard as the light reflected off them. "Kyouma ro Yolahm: senkiwan kayosham. Kyouma ro Yangijian: Katzhen Tliolu. Kyouma ro Ixtlashi ne Tlanur: Teskafan ro Uliang."
Cecilia had decided to use everything in a single rush; a combination of three different dogmas. Under normal circumstances, that would not be advised. However, since she was not channelling the magical energy on her own, it was somewhat tolerable. Still, her body would have to endure the backlash of said spells.
At the same time, Jhossan was able to listen to Cecilia's voice in the Yocan again. In that space, he could listen to the translation of the words in the Mortal Tongue. So... what was he listening to in the Physical Realm? He couldn't tell for sure.
"Dogma of the Flesh: physical perfection." A small series of green sparks dazzled faintly and quickly in the dust around Cecilia just as she seemed to grow and throb for a half-second; her skin dried up and cracked, causing her to tear up as she gritted her teeth. "Dogma of Space: vacuum path." Everything went quiet around her; from the space around Cecilia's silhouette, all through the 81 meters separating her from Mathias, the wind resistance was reduced to zero, but the energy caused an extreme amount of heat to converge there, resulting in her tears evaporating instantly; had she not exhaled, the air in her lungs would have caused her to die. "Dogma of Perception: diffraction of light." Something under Cecilia's coat glowed for an instant, as if light itself were bending awkwardly.
It was a brutal combination that was incredibly taxing on the body.
"Mathias, get out! She's goin' to do somethin'!" Philena jumped out of her seat.
The effects had accumulated over Cecilia; her body was pushed to its absolute peak for six seconds, enhancing her strength, speed, and endurance by over 233%. However, it would also cause her to perform without any trace of air and sound during those six seconds, while at the same time, enduring a temperature of 78 degrees Celsius. Cecilia, knowing the pressure around her would shift, emptied her lungs of air; otherwise, the pressure change could make them burst.
Mathias turned. Cecilia ran so fast that the air behind her crackled and boomed in her wake as the ground broke from the strength of her feet. Cecilia blitzed her path; 81 meters in 5.81 seconds. Such was the heat of her movements that dirt and sand were turned into glass. The cloud was torn asunder by the might of her sprint. And such was the heat that her coat was scorched. The amberite saw her and felt fear as she seemed more a monster than a human.
Mathias tried to raise his wand to erect a wall to protect his body, but just as the wall was formed, her right fist broke through the stone; it was aiming for his hand, and Mathias saw his index, ring and little finger being sliced off in a single swipe. He tried to think of something, but the fear, not even the pain, was just too grand. She wanted to kill him and make a show out of it. He wanted to do something; he knew the spell, but could not think of it.
Something held by Cecilia's right hand was stained with burnt blood. Suddenly, just as Cecilia stopped, the wind behind her path resumed its course, and everything clashed, as if space itself corrected the lack of air resistance. Also, the item held by Cecilia became visible, a knife red hot from the extreme speed at which she had moved. The knife snapped into a thousand pieces shortly after that, and the fragments were suspended in the air for a quarter of a second. Had it been her strength? No, the knife had been unable to withstand that amount of energy on its own.
The amberite saw her; her burnt coat now revealed a defined body, dripping wet with sweat and her veins popping as if about to burst, with faint emerald green sparks running through them and turning into vapour. Her mouth was tight as she was holding in the pain, her skin red as it burned.
Mathias turned his teary eyes to Jun. The Arbiter was looking at him silently, those broken amber eyes were fixed and said nothing.
"CHEA------"
But before Mathias could say something, he felt Cecilia's left knee drive into the bottom of his stomach. A loud thud was heard as Mathias was smashed against the wall. He felt something crack and pop, wondering if it had been a bone or the wall. The hit hadn't been too strong; the physical perfection spell had only lasted 6 seconds. Otherwise, the strike would've shattered Mathias's torso. As the mage bent over from the hit, Cecilia dropped her right fist into a hammer strike on Mathias's back. She pulled him by his reddish hair and elbowed him in the face with such strength that it broke the wall and threw him through it.
The pain was agonising; Cecilia could feel the backlash from the Physical Perfection spell tearing her arteries and ligaments; even though it lasted 6 seconds, it had overlapped with the backlash from the vacuum path, her insides boiling. She could feel her core temperature cooking her from the inside out. She had to finish this quickly. But at least, she could breathe. Her taste buds were burned off; everything tasted like metal.
"No time for healing! I'll finish you now!"
Cecilia leapt on top of Mathias as he was trying to find his wand among the rubble of the broken wall. The Obsidian started punching him left and right, busting his lip and gashing his cheeks. Lloyd and Clemence saw in horror for a second, their minds grasping to understand what massacre they were witnessing as the Obsidians cheered at the brutal beatdown.
Mathias's hands stopped moving. Between tears as Cecilia's strength waned, Mathias cried. Every punch ached as her tendons pulled themselves in pain. Blood was pooling under Mathias's head. His eyesight was clouded, and his swollen eyelids and eyebrows prevented his tears from dripping.
"--IELD! I--- IEL--!" He gargled.
Mathias couldn't articulate a single word, just as a dozen teeth were loose, broken and rattling in his mouth. It sounded more like an injured animal whelping and whining. He tried to beg for mercy as blood pooled in his mouth.
"One more!" Cecilia wound up for one final strike.
"Enough." Someone said from behind.
The crowd cheered. The Obsidians wanted a grand ending.
"That's enough."
Jun grabbed her by the collar from behind and effortlessly pulled her from the top of Mathias, tossing her away. Cecilia could not stop herself and lunged at Jun; she wanted to end the fight. He stood still, his eyes looking at his left foot. Then... Jhossan heard Jun's voice in the Yocan. It was not even a spell. At least, it didn't sound like it.
"Down."
In the blink of an eye, Cecilia was facedown on the ground, with Jun's heel pressing between her shoulder blades. What had happened? Cecilia was done. Her body couldn't move under Jun's foot. He hadn't even seen her. She was taken down by something. The world had taken Cecilia down to the ground.
"I said enough. You've won, Cecilia Asparza."
The audience burst into cheers.
Part 2
Cecilia and Mathias had been taken to the closest infirmary; it was smaller than the one where Jhossan was taken when he fell off his balcony.
Cecilia, Larika, Mathias, and Alondra were there. Both combatants lay resting on separate beds; Mathias's injuries were more severe than Cecilia's, but her exhaustion was dire nevertheless. Alondra, the Restorer in charge, was sitting on a chair, writing down her notations. Mathias was staring at the ceiling, tears sliding down. Cecilia was sitting up, smiling at Mathias's defeat. Meanwhile, Rina, Philena and Jhossan were eavesdropping from the room next to the infirmary.
"A-are you sure we should be doing this?" Asked Jhossan, watching Rina and Philena press their ears against the wall.
"Jho, stand watch or listen in!" Said Rina in hushed tones. "I have a feeling this will be good..."
"Are things really that boring around here?" Asked Philena. "Because this... is low."
Rina looked at Philena and sighed, guessing she would not understand. Philena did understand; she would also get bored and wished for some drama. So, she took out her wand and breathed in deeply as she traced a square on the wall; the air vibrated for a second as the square turned transparent, giving the trio a window into the infirmary, only visible from their side. Rine almost jumped in glee, and Jhossan felt ashamed. Philena... she still disliked Rina, but seeing her smile...
"... isn't that bad..."
Suddenly, Jhossan heard something. A rustling. He turned and looked at the room; it was a storage room with some boxes scattered around and many blankets covering desks, chairs and tables. Something was off.
The infirmary's door burst open as Lloyd stormed in.
"What the hell was that sick show!?" Lloyd was angry, while Clemence tried to keep him down. "Mathias, get up, we're leaving right this instant!"
Mathias tried to get up.
"You won't." Larika stepped in while Alondra barely noticed Lloyd's statement. "Mathias lost fair and square. He cannot refuse his wager. Besides, even under Alondra's care, he will need to rest for a full week to recover."
"That's right, I won!" Cecilia tried to get up, but Alondra gently pushed her down. "Ow, ow..."
"Your muscles will take 3 days to recover, Miss Asparza." Alondra gently tucked her in. "But she is right. Mr Wulberg made a bet. He cannot refuse. Otherwise... it would only get worse."
"You sick freaks... why did you let that fight go so far!" Lloyd yelled, his hands curled in tight fists. "And where is that creepy arbiter!? I demand his presence!"
"Lloyd, calm down, man!" Clemence got between Lloyd and Larika. "I'm sure this is a misunderstanding. Right, Miss Larika?"
"Stand down, Lloyd... A duel's results are final." Added Larika with a relaxed demeanour. "And Jun will be in shortly."
"Lloyd, I don't want to go with them!" Cried Mathias. "Don't let them take me!"
The air got hot. Larika was exhibiting her magical potential, and Lloyd was about to get hold of his wand to fight her. Just then, the door opened with a creak, and Jun walked.
Swiftly, Lloyd dropped a series of remarks insulting the arbiter.
"You should have stopped the duel!" Said Lloyd, a vein popping on his temple. "Look at him! He was left with a mouthful of broken teeth!"
"Y-yes! And she was cheating!" Added Mathias from the bed. He winced as his chest cracked.
"Told you to stand still..." Added Alondra, placing her hand on Mathias's head and soothing his pain a bit. "I regrew your teeth, but it will hurt to speak for a couple of days."
"Do you have any evidence of her cheating?" Asked Jun, his hands behind his back.
Lloyd threw six metal plaques at Jun's feet; they were charred. Jun looked at them.
"So, you have no evidence."
"And how do you explain that!? She used non-standard equipment! This duel is void!" Said Lloyd with gritted teeth. "Also, she punched Mathias. Repeatedly. Next time, open your damn eyes!"
"Mr Wulberg... You issued the duel, true? So, it is the challenged person who gets to define the terms and conditions of said duel. Miss Asparza said something along the lines of 'no restrictions,' didn't she? A duel is open, and everything is allowed unless the terms state otherwise. When you challenged her so openly, you failed to specify that it would only be allowed to use spells through a wand."
"It's a duel between mages!"
"Your words betrayed you; you may have meant one thing, but said something else. It was your mistake." Lloyd got up even closer to Jun. "You were fine fighting an opponent who did not have a wand. But not fighting an opponent wielding the meanings of casting you ignored. This is not a matter of cheating, but rather a matter of hypocrisy."
"B-but... that means..." Mathias stammered.
"That you will be blood-cattle for a whole year."
"H-hold on!" Clemence stepped in. "What's all this blood-cattle thing?"
The "blood-cattle" idea had emerged centuries ago as a method to harvest amrita-rich blood for ritual purposes. Of course, as magic became more prevalent in the world at all levels, the whole "blood-cattle" practice fell out of use in most of society. However, some secluded communities still practised this tradition; Xafar was one of them.
"T-that's..."
Mathias shook in his bed, sweating cold and tearing up. Clemence felt his stomach turn.
"You have the right to ask for a Sleeping Stay, meaning you will be put in a coma for the duration of the agreed-upon time."
"You heathen monsters..." Sparks crackled around Lloyd. "Fine... how much?"
"Excuse me?" Jun was blindsided.
"How much do you want for Mathias? I know how things are around here; everything has a price. And I'm almost sure people do as well."
Jun, Larika and Alondra did not take this kindly and did their best not to take the offence to heart.
"We do not appreciate what you are implying. But even if such were the case, you would not be able to match the amount of money." Larika got next to Jun, if only a bit closer to Lloyd, almost face-to-face. "If we were to put it in monetary terms, you'd have to pay Miss Asparza no less than 1641 auros."
"What!?" Clemence exclaimed, his heart nearly beating out of his chest.
"That's the estimated amount of money Miss Asparza can make off Mathias during that year."
"A duel against all of us is uncalled for, young Lloyd." Said Larika with a coy smile. "However, challenging dear Ceci is also unnecessary. When someone is ruled as blood-cattle, he or she falls under the care and property of the warden of the Blood-Farm."
"Oh, yeah? And who's that creep? I challenge him, her or it to a duel."
"I accept." Said Jun.
"Of course it would be you!" Lloyd locked eyes with the Arbiter. "I have no idea who you are and how you handle things around here, but I sure as hell won't allow you to put a finger on Mathias. No matter where I look, whenever I hear about something sketchy, you come up."
"You're letting your emotions get the better of you, young Lloyd. But... I do acknowledge your will to protect your students." Jun looked around; Cecilia's eyes betrayed her intentions as she did not want to let go of her prize. "Alas, a duel, as stated earlier, is definitive. No one can alter the wager."
Lloyd's eyes quivered; this went beyond his duty as a teacher's assistant; he truly wanted to protect this student. Jun could see it in his eyes. He once looked at someone the same way. He couldn't help but smile.
"We will have our duel on the floor of your preference, Lloyd. If you win, I'll let Mathias go free. If I win... you'll let me place my right hand on your head for sixty seconds."
"You'll what!?"
"Those are my terms."
"Fine. Let's go to an arena on a floor no one visits. I don't want an audience. This involves only us."
Jun sighed. He signalled Lloyd to follow him.
"There's an arena on the forty-first floor. No one goes there. Mr. Clemence, would you be the Arbiter this time around? I'd guess that would put Mr. Lloyd at ease."
Rina, Philena and Jhossan continued to eavesdrop.
"I know that place!" Rina whispered. "Come on, there's another elevator and we can sneak in!"
"I'll stay and tend to the kids." Said Alondra. "I have no interest in seeing you two go at it like you're children. Shame on you." She nagged. "Try not to injure yourselves too much, okay?"
Jun hadn't always liked that side of Alondra, but after some years, he had learned to enjoy her being a caring woman. Still, she was a fair boss and kept her advice in mind multiple times. At any rate, Jun did not intend for the duel to reach dire levels.
Silently, Clemence, Larika, Lloyd and Jun proceeded to one of the elevators and ascended to the forty-first floor. It was silent. There was nothing to say, and small talk felt awkward at that point.
Ceremonies and pleasantries were unnecessary. Clemence got in place, a bit nervous, wondering how he'd stop Lloyd from going too far if it came to it. They stood 10 meters apart from one another. There was a moment of silence, and a tense air blew between Jun and Lloyd. From a distance, Rina, Philena and Jhossan were peeping into the duel from a hiding point, using an odd periscope to watch at different distances. They had been watching for the last 10 minutes, when Rina spotted Larika staring at their device poking from the near top of the stands.
The witch called out to Jun and Lloyd.
"Hold on, guys. Looks like we have some unexpected visitors. Okay, you three. Come on out."
Rina, Philena and Jhossan felt their skin crawl as they were called out.
"Crap!" Rina said.
"Oh, man... how did she catch us!"
A younger voice screeched; Maurol, Argy, and Gonzaroc poked their heads from two stands above.
"Oh, hey, my sister is here as well!" Maurol seemed slightly happy; he hadn't gotten to spend too much time with her as of late.
"Oh, man! How did they find us? The spell was perfect!" Gonzaroc was the most upset.
"It should have been perfect... we did everything as told..." Argy tried to think how Larika had caught them, but it had been sheer luck. Had they kept themselves down, they would have been fine.
They didn't know then, but Larika hadn't sensed them; she meant Rina's bunch, but she couldn't let them know.
"Come down here this instant."
All six of them got down to Larika's row.
"I guess we'll have to call it off..." Said Lloyd, his eyes still focused on Jun.
"Why is that? We agreed to fight, and our only audience would be those aware of the duel. They know, so they qualify. Besides, don't you think this is a fine chance to show them how a duel is performed? Like a class of some sort. If they agree not to make this public, it should be fine."
"H-hey... maybe we should tone this down since the kids are here, don't you two think?" Clemence had given up on preventing the fight, but maybe its intensity could be diminished. "What do you think, Mr. Jun?"
Jun nodded.
They went over the rules again; no punching or kicking would be allowed, only spells. The fight would end when one of the two could no longer continue.
Lloyd seemed a bit relaxed now, but that only meant he would be more dangerous; a calm spellcaster is more efficient, after all. Jun sighed slightly and straightened his coat. Lloyd heard the clinking of something metallic.
"As they fight, I'll explain the differences in how we practice magic. Look at it as a means of closing the divide between our cultures." Said Larika, looking at the younger mages. She smiled. "Try to stay calm, okay? They will both be fine."
Clemence raised his hand and lowered it, indicating the duel was commencing. Quickly, Lloyd grasped his wand, blue sparks crackling off it.
Rina crossed her arms in anxious expectations, while Philena and Jhossan, unaware, had leaned against each other. The trio of kids were watching with their mouths slightly open.
"Are you not going to use something? You can use those seals or tags or whatever."
"No. Those items are used to store spells beforehand. We Obsidians don't have magical reserves as great as you, so we have to be creative with what we have. This time, I'll have to improvise. We knew Mathias was an Elementalist, so we crafted some seals in advance. But you... I know very little other than the fact that you're efficient in using the Dogma of Fire. In short, you're also an Elementalist."
"So Cecilia and he had a plan... Of course... he, being a Restorer, has access to our medical records. No wonder he knew what spells to have at the ready. I hope he doesn't know all my Dogmas."
"Let me be fair. Besides being a Restorer, my Tendecy Dogma is the Dogma of Mirages, or illusions."
"You're a Miragee. That explains a couple of things... meaning I cannot trust a word you say. And neither should I look at your eyes."
"Can't even trust a twitch of my fingers, I guess." Jun chuckled.
Suddenly, Lloyd flicked his wand twice at Jun. The Obsidian dodged quickly, leaping out of the way twice.
"He's good on his feet, just like that Cecilia girl." Thought Clemence.
"We train our bodies daily, you know. We also like to eat balanced. Otherwise, we could not handle our magic. Besides, wands operate on where they are pointing, so if I move from there... I'm safe. You'd need a destructive spell with a larger area to be more effective." Jun seemed to be toying with Lloyd for a moment, but the truth was Jun enjoyed that instant, that moment of teaching.
Dodging seemed easy, but those bursts of magic used to enhance his body and cover entire meters weighed on him; Jun's breathing had grown deeper as he needed to fill his lungs; Obsidians had the habit of turning the air into magical power. It wasn't much, but it helped.
A drop of sweat slid down Jun's nose. Lloyd saw it. Jun was counting on it.
"So now you think you're an expert... Have it your way!" The amberite smiled. "But you're running out of breath... so you don't have much way left!"
Lloyd aimed his wand at the floor and drew an arc, and then 'plop!', Jun's feet sank in sludge as the ground shifted its texture and composition.
"How's that for a twist!" Thought Lloyd with a smile.
"Look at him!" Gonzaroc got on his feet. "He can't cast a thing!"
It had been a smart move.
Jun seemed too relaxed despite his breathing. Although Lloyd was not taking it too seriously, he had imagined this would have been enough to put the Obsidian on the ropes.
Rina and Larika watched the duel happily; it had been a while since Jun had a duel or even a spar. Meanwhile, Philena, Jhossan and the three kids were surprised; they had imagined Jun would be at least as good as Cecilia, but this was different.
"Mr. Jun is toast!" Maurol covered his eyes.
Lloyd raised his wand, and a huge white and blue fireball formed above his head. Then he pointed the wand at Jun.
"Yield!"
Jun lowered his stance, his eyes sharpened just as he laid a hand on the mud at his feet and extended the other at the incoming fireball.
Just then, Jhossan had noticed, once more, how neither Larika, Rina, nor Jun had blinked, not once. And then, the mage closed his eyes and noticed the Yocan unfolded for him once more, finally. In it, he saw Jun interacting with what seemed to be Lloyd's shade, a ghastly figure that heavily resembled the amber mage. In there, Jhossan noticed how Jun had been examining the fireball for a little over half a minute.
Lloyd grew the fireball to a grand size and threw it at Jun. It would end the duel right there.
"It's over!"
"Obsidians... we truly don't improvise that much. We do anticipate, though." Then a smile. "Dogma of Entropy: geothermal siphon!"
The fire reached Jun's hand, and everybody saw the fire being absorbed by some unseen vortex, just as the floor started releasing steam, and even some geysers broke out. Lloyd and Clemence did not get it right away, but Larika understood it all too well; there were many ways to counter that spell, but none was as efficient as simply redirecting the heat into a medium that could withstand it.
Lloyd's eyes got wide open. How? What did he miss? He wanted to cast another fireball, but the wand would not do it.
Argy and Jhossan sharpened their eyes at the mud Jun was touching; he had scribbled physics formulae on the mud in the blink of an eye. When did he do it?
"What was that!?" Philena jumped off her feet. "Arbiter, what the hell!?"
Clemence was dumbfounded.
"I-I don't know!" The Arbiter looked at Jun. "Explain that!"
"Creating a water shield would require water to be present; otherwise, it would spend too much energy to generate enough water molecules to counter so much heat," Larika explained to the younger magi. "A stone or earth shield would need to be too thick, and he didn't have enough time. But simply redirecting the heat into the floor... it was simpler. Jun only needed to know exactly how much energy and heat it was."
It seemed like Jun had made that calculation on the spot. But Jhossan understood; time flows at different paces on the Yocan; in there, Jun had examined the fireball for a few minutes, and so the calculations were easier to make. All those elements played in the mind of every magi without a wand. Still, Jun was now down to a fifth of his magical reserves.
"Truth be told, this is costing me more than I hoped." Said Jun, wiping a few drops of sweat off his brow as he broke out of the hardened mud, now brittle clay, one foot at a time.
The ground had gotten hot as the swamp-like texture had been burned solid by the redirected heat. Jun pulled a scalpel out of his coat and put it in his left hand.
"H-hey! He's got a knife!" Argy pointed as he stood up. "Stop him!"
"The terms didn't say anything about stabbing, so..." Rina shrugged.
Argy turned to look at her harshly. But she was right. Clemence didn't know what to do.
Lloyd felt the change; something in his adversary had shifted. Jun closed the distance between them swiftly as Lloyd tried to think of a defence. It happened all too fast. Once the distance was short enough, Jun aimed the scalpel at Lloyd's left arm.
"Dogma of the Flesh: Severance of Flesh and Bone."
Jun moved the scalpel upwards, making a straight cut in the air. There was something right there, a slight flick of the left little finger. A twitch of some sort?
Larika smiled and stifled a small giggle.
Something was off.
Philena threw her hands to cover Maurol's eyes. Gonzaroc felt his stomach turn, and Argy's mouth fell open in shock and horror.
Jhossan's eyes darted all over the place. What had happened? How?
Lloyd fell on his knees as blood spurted; his left arm hanging by the threads of his amber robe. His screams pushed through his teeth. His eyes were fixed on the pool of blood at his knees. He had been bested by Jun, but...
"Not just yet!"
Lloyd held his wand even tightly with his right hand and made a swift and angry lash at Jun. The air blew wildly as a gust of wind pushed Jun away. The amberite struggled to get up. Clemence wanted to intervene, but... everything was happening under the rules.
"He's tough..." Larika acknowledged. "Hey, Lloyd, give it up! You---"
"Shut up!"
"That's the spirit!" Rina cheered.
Lloyd was sweating bullets. His breath was ragged and came in gasps as the blood kept dripping. His knees were shaking, and he felt his stomach turning. No. He wasn't about to give that Obsidian the last laugh; he'd tear the arena asunder to protect his student.
The sound of Jun's footsteps echoed as his silhouette projected over the cloud of dust. Lloyd didn't hesitate and waved, whipped and stabbed at his line of sight, causing firebolts, boulders and lightning bolts to storm the arena. But at every moment... those footsteps, that shape appearing behind the dust clouds.
The sight was obstructed; no one could tell what was happening, but at that moment, Lloyd displayed the raw power of a rank 10 mage.
Two minutes later, the dust settled. Lloyd's breathing was shallow. Exhausted. His right arm was partially torn. Streaks of tears and sweat had run through the dust on Lloyd's face. Jun was standing a few steps behind him.
Gonzaroc finally threw up. Maurol was crying behind his sister's hands, and she had closed her eyes shut. Jhossan kept looking while Argy couldn't take his eyes from the fight. Rina was wincing in disgust, but kept looking back again.
"Ha!" Larika... she was trying not to laugh.
Clemence didn't know what to do; Lloyd seemed beaten, but he still had some fight left in his gaze; he was pondering what to do now. His wand was still in his bloodied hand.
"Around Obsidians, you can never trust being ahead."
When did he get there?
There was no response. Clemence was ready to step in. Jun was looking at Lloyd with a stern look. He respected that level of commitment. Lloyd spun and tried to stab Jun with his wand; his right arm barely functioned. But the miragee wasn't there; Jun ducked, and now his scalpel was softly leaning against Lloyd's belly.
Clemence rushed in. "It's over! Stop!"
Jun's lips slightly parted.
"Dogma of the Flesh: Visceral River."
Lloyd felt the boiling bubbles in his entrails. The skin expanded. He looked up. He wanted to look at the sky one final time, not at that man, not at that butcher.