Part 1

The academy’s cafeteria was as busy as always. Crowds of hungry students were pushing in order to get to the counter first. Lately more and more people started eating inside rather than bringing their food in the garden. Probably due to the fact that the temperature was falling rather fast recently. Winter was growing closer.

“So you’ll participate in the event too, Lucas-san?”

“Yeah, I feel like earning some points...seems like duels are not very favorable for me haha!”

Our table was the same as always, it almost became a habit to sit at that same table. Even the people gathered around that table were the same. Youm, Sora and Legis sitting right beside me and Lucas, then usually on my other side was Kiara but for the past week or so, another female figure started taking her place. Straight, long, dark purple hair that smelt of rose flowed from her head reaching down her waist. Straight bangs covered her forehead giving her both a dignified and cute look. Two more sidebangs delimited the borders of her face as they fell down her cheeks. Obsidian black eyes with traces of amethyst and soft-looking lips painted of a pale red lipstick were the finishing touch on that painting-like face. Her body was the reflection of her beautiful face. Slim waist and trained legs accompanied by an ample chest and a firm-looking butt. Her sole appearance was able to summon the strengths of the nether regions of a twelve years old boy full of hormones.

“Oh, so Lucas-san and Youm-san may face each other! Isn’t that interesting Raphael-san?”

“Haha you are right! Though I bet Youm-san’ll kick my brother's ass!”

“Wh-what? Is that the way to talk about your older brother?!” Jumped, clearly bothered, my brother.

“I’m not so sure about that Raphael-san. Anyway, shouldn't you already drop those honorifics?” Continued Youm.

“You are the first who should drop them! You are my upperclassmen, it would be disrespectful for me to call you without honorifics when you still use them for me!”

“Baah! You are way too difficult hahaha!”

“Ehm, since we are talking about the event-” Intervened the purple haired girl beside me “-are you planning to participate too?” Said, as she looked directly in my eyes with the face of a puppy.

“Isn’t this like the third time you asked? I’ll probably participate, though I'm not sure”

That girl, Amelie Reville, though her beauty was incontestable, her character was a whole different story. She started sticking to me about a week prior and has been for the whole time. Under the pretense of “seeing the potential for the commoners in the war against Gallher” she had been pestering me ever since. The group didn’t seem to suspect anything but due to my overly cautious nature, I refrained myself from falling for her charms. Unlike a certain brother of mine.

Something about her kept bothering me. She was the daughter of a noble from a nearby city. Wealth and fame were certainly not things she was missing, yet she went around preaching about the worth of commoners being crushed by nobles. Of course, mesmerized by her beauty and her words, many people began following her and consequently, after seeing her always around me, they all began supporting me. As if I was some kind of revolutionary leader. Soon enough too much attention began swirling around me and my fight against Gallher. Through all of this she seemed to bathe in it.

A plan of some sort was the first thing I thought of, but when I talked about it with Lucas a couple weeks later, he seemed completely sold on her side. Of course I had nothing to prove her guilt other than a gut feeling, instead, only good things came to mind whenever her name was spoken. In the end, that gut feeling remained only a simple gut feeling.

Weeks passed fast between lessons, training sessions and busy afternoons spent by being bothered by either Sora or Amelie. Only ten days before the start of the events were all the contents announced. The first event to take place was the first year event constituted by one versus one tournament that lasted one day. After a break of one day, the second and third years event was supposed to take place. This time instead of a tournament, it was decided that a free for all was going to take place in a forest close to Alamara. After one more one day break, the last event, the fourth and fifth years event, was going to take place. The most interesting of them all I thought. The event had a span of four days and consisted of a hunting competition. The participating students would be free to choose the location for their hunt and were only asked to bring with them a reliable guarantor under an oath of truth with the headmaster. The winner was to be decided by the difficulty and quantity of monsters hunted.

The registrations for each event were to be opened only a week before the start of said event. During that remaining week, the pestering from both Amelied and my brother grew out of proportion. I was being bothered with it both during school hours and my free time. On the last day, a Sunday, I yielded and went to the booth to register.

Part 2

- LUCAS BLUESCALE’S POV -

“I repeat: all participants must go to the changing rooms to get their uniforms. If a participant is not dressed in the given uniform they’ll be disqualified. Please follow the instructions of the teachers. The first match will start in thirty minutes!”

The composed female voice coming from a dedicated space where the middle row of the bleachers was supposed to be resonated all the way through the arena as if magically enhanced.

I could do nothing but be astonished by the speed in which the academy built an arena that could host the majority of the students. It only took them less than ten days. It was built in one of the far corners of the academy’s grounds where the ground was made of solid brown dirt, unlike the usual green, and traces of past constructions were visible. Legis and Kiara told me that whenever an arena-like structure was needed for an event, the academy would use that place to build a semi permanent one. Of course tons of workers and high level magics were involved in the process.

It all looked dazzling. The students of different years cheering on their friends,families and other citizens coming out of curiosity, adventurers and military scouts meticulously taking notes. As I entered the so-called “changing rooms” or a red and blue marquee on the north end of the arena, all of this chaotic yet exciting ambience was left behind.

Inside the tent hosting less than half participants, we were given instructions, once again, about the rules and schedule of the tournament and of course the uniform. A simple pair of comfortable yet not baggy black pants and a long sleeved shirt that covered up the neck. We weren’t allowed to wear anything under it, besides of course our underwear, and a meticulous check was done on our belongings such as earrings, necklaces and rings.

Half an hour later, when both the female group and the male one had finished changing, we were all gathered on the north side of the elevated square where the actual duels would take place. All two hundred participants were gathered there when finally the female voice spoke again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the first event of this year. As per tradition we start off with our first years duels. For those who don’t know them, I’ll quickly go through the rules. First of all, those are duels between mages, as such the use of every weapon is severely prohibited. Of course wands are the exception.

A duel ends when one of the two contestants is unable to fight, is knocked out of the square or forfeits. A duel may last up to five minutes, after that, the referee will decide which side sustained more damage and declare the winner.

Now without further ado, let’s start the duels! First off we have participant N.12, Luise Makov, against participant N.27, Jacob Noss!”

The six rows of bleachers exploded in cheering and loud applause as the two contestants walked up the stage. The prospect of being the next one to walk up that stage gave me goosebumps. I was excited way more than I should have since I was at a disadvantage. I, a swordsman who had just barely started learning magic, was surrounded by people who made magic their objective.

As spells exploded on the stage, backed up by an even more explosive audience, time passed as if it had no care of its surroundings. Of the nearly two hundred students who participated, only a little bit more than half now remained. The first set of duels was now reaching it’s end and I was still waiting for my turn to come when suddenly my name roared through the arena.

“Participant N.173, Lucas Bluescale, and participant N. 57, Danthe Hannes, please step onto the stage!”

[Fuuu! Calm down Lucas, you got this! All that training with Raph had it’s fruits. Just do it as usual and bring home those sweet points!]

With my heart pumping blood faster than I would have liked, I moved my feet towards the only stair leading to the elevated stage. The cheering was deafening. I could hear everything yet I could make out not a single word that was spoken. Yet a feeling of discomfort kept weighting on my mind and it was only once I made the first step of the stairs that I figured the source.

“Seems like Raphael’s not gonna duel uh?” Said the tall man beside me.

I only realized then. Danthe Hannes, that one lakey of Gallher who kept bothering my brother for a duel, the strongest of our year. Even though I asked, I never heard the reason as to why Raphael never accepted the duel even after declaring war on Gallaher. The only thing he said was that he couldn’t figure out the guy and he didn’t feel like fighting him but I speculated that he actually wasn’t sure of his victory. And if there is one thing I knew for sure about my brother was that he hated losing.

“Seeing as you mention my brother’s name I suppose he was right in thinking you’d make a move during the event!” I answered back, trying my hardest to make an all-knowing smile.

“Pfftt HAHAHA!”

“Are you making fun of him?!” I lashed out.

“Oh no, no. I’m making fun of that spoiled boss of mine haha!” Said the red headed guy, laughing almost to the point of tears.

“Uhm, what?” My expression clearly gave out the surprise I was feeling. I convinced myself, after hearing some of my classmates' opinions, that Gallher and all his bunch were a group of prideful nobles who despised commoners and would pride themselves as the best of the best. Yet that man, the strongest of the first years, was making fun of his own boss, and he was even having the time of his life at it!

“Sorry, sorry! Uhhh, you must be perplexed...truth is I warned Gallher that you guys would pull something like this, but he just didn’t listen. I wonder what kind of face he’s making right now HAHA! Anyway, even though I hoped to face off Raphael...let’s have a good match, shall we?”

“Oh, uhm...yes, yes. Let’s have a good match”

With an excited smile on his face he turned his back on me as soon as we reached the top of the stairs. WIthout a word, we walked at the different end of the stage and faced one another. I could feel my whole body stiffen as I looked at my opponent smiling in excitement.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down and my muscles to slightly relax. What I had in front of me was something I was way too familiar for me than I would’ve liked. The feeling my opponent gave me was the same I had when I faced Raphael in the woods whenever father didn’t watch. Those were the times when he could really be himself and fight as he liked. A mix of swords and magic, impossible to predict and as dangerous as it sounds. I had to resort to the lowest tactics to barely get some hits in.

That feeling. The feeling of being completely overpowered by my opponent was what I felt at that time. Instinctively I tried to reach for my weapon but my hands only touched air. I sighed as I realized my looming defeat.

“Let the contestants be ready…-” Said the female voice coming from the booth on the bleachers “- and start!”

Part 3

- AMELIE REVILLE’S POV -

“Now please participant N.47, Oras Macchel, and participant N.68, Grey Ledwing, step onto the stage”

[47-68...that’s the signal. Next round will be Raphael’s turn!]

It was all going as planned. I was on the bleachers together with Sora and Kiara while Youm was “guarding” Legis in his lab. Raphael was somewhere in the crowd of participants; either there or hiding somewhere inside the marquee. From what I had seen, he was the type to isolate himself rather than having to deal with other people. It only made it easier for us.

The biggest variable was Lucas. Everyone said he wasn’t feeling well and had to forfeit the event. I tried checking if what they said was true but I had no way of entering his room. If he really was ill then it would have been another advantage for us since my only goal was to separate everyone in the group.

“Ughh!”

“What’s wrong Amelie-san? Are you ok?” Said the always so servile white haired girl beside me.

“I think I...ate something wrong this morning”

“Do you want to drink something? Maybe that’ll help a bit!”

“Ugh..yes please”

“Then wait here with Sora-chan. I’ll go fetch something!” Said Kiara already in motion.

“I-I’ll tag along...Maybe it’ll help if I stop by the toilets”

“Good suggestion, I’ll come with you while Kiara-san goes to fetch something to drink, Amelie-san”

With Kiara in front of me and Sora helping me walk on the side, the three of us walked down the bleachers and all the way towards the academy’s cafeteria. Even if only one of them came with me the plan would have been a success, two was just the cherry on the top.

The task I was given days prior was to successfully convince Raphael to join the event, then Gallher would make him go against Danthe. I didn’t know how he would actually do it. I heard rumors that some teachers were under his influence but it was none of my business so I didn’t pry any further.

The next step was to separate everyone so that the weakest ones would be alone. In this regard I had no trouble, they all did the work for me! And finally, I was to lead the two girls to a specific spot where Gallher and his guys would do the rest. I had no clue of what he meant when he said “do the rest” but I was promised a favorable marriage in a noble family of the Kingdom of Belza so I just had to plug my ears and face the other way.

There was a light, cold breeze that was making the previously green leaves trembling as they struggled to stay attached to the branches of their trees. On one such tree there was a black scarf tied to it’s trunk. That was the place.

“Wait, wait! Give me one second!”

“Are you really sure you can walk? You sound like you are really in pain!”

“Should we call a nurse or som-”

Kiara was suddenly interrupted by a loud chuckling from behind a wall followed by several footsteps. From behind the grey wall connected to the training facility five students dressed in our school uniform and with their faces covered by scarfs appeared. The one who seemed the boss looked straight at me. He wasn’t Gallher, his symbolic blonde hair was nowhere to be found, instead, the boss’ head was covered by an oily mass of black hair. It was someone I had never seen but he was sure one of the people sent by Gallher who knew of me.

Rapidly, without wasting much time, the five guys surrounded us. Two of them were carrying ropes tied around their arms while the other three had all unsheathed knives in their hands.

“Who are you?” Asked Sora as she spread her arms in front of me.

“Now, now, there’s no need to be so on guard missy. We’re just here to escort you to a friend of ours, you know, to have a friendly chat. Would you mind following us?” Said the oiled-hair guy in the front.

“Then what about ropes and knives uh? Doesn’t feel like an invitation to a friendly chat!” Kiara abruptly said. Her hands clenched into fists by her sides.

“Oh those? Pardon our manners ladies but we have orders to use whatever means to bring you to our friend...though of course we’d prefer not having to resort to such manners”

“Bullshit!” Shouted the brown haired girl.

“Mmhh I see. So I suppose we are unable to see eye to eye. Well, at least we tried being good, now you leave us no choice but to use force. Boys! You know what to do!”

As their boss commanded, the four guys began creeping closer and closer to our group. For a moment I thought that I was included in such kidnapping but a sudden wink of the oily haired guy gave me peace of mind. The two girls in front of me, on the other hand, were very on edge as they frantically looked around at the four guys playing with their knives and stretching the ropes.

Though through all of this I had a doubt. Both Sora and Kiara, even if not renewed in the academy, were capable of fighting, or at the very least stall for time until someone heard the noises. So why only five guys were there? I was sure Gallher was neither the type to take things lightly or to have a shortage of men. So why only five? And why weren’t the girls attacking? A vexing feeling of discomfort kept swelling into me as the four guys approached further.

[Something’s not right! But I’ve done everything perfectly. No one was following me so what’s with this feeling?]

“Am I interrupting something?”

All of a sudden a familiar voice appeared from behind my back. My eyes widened as I instantly turned around to see that one guy whose presence was to absolutely avoid.

Black hair that could make the night feel envious, light blue eyes and a scar on his face. Raphael Bluescale was there, leaning onto a tree with several scarfs hanging from his arms and neck. A grin formed on his face when the oily haired guy took a few steps back.

- RAPHAEL BLUESCALE’S POV -

From the last row of the bleachers I could see everything though my focus was just one particular group of three sitting a couple of rows under me. I was hiding amidst a group of loud third years, they were all surprisingly tall, probably because they were all beastmen. Just in case, I had previously borrowed one of Youm’s hoods in order to further hide myself. All that was left to do was waiting.

“Now please participant N.47, Oras Macchel, and participant N.68, Grey Ledwing, step onto the stage”

As the two opponents walked up the stage something finally happened to the group of girls I was checking. Amelie seemed to be in pain, she was holding her stomach and her mouth, a classic reaction to a stomach ache, yet her face wasn’t sickly at all. The usual sense of pain and disgust coming from the feeling of suddenly throwing up was nowhere to be seen.

Though I couldn’t say for sure that she was faking it. People have many different kinds of reactions. So instead of jumping to a conclusion I decided to wait in hiding a little longer.

Soon, Sora, Amelie and Kiara began moving. Out of their row, down the bleachers and then out of the closest exit. For the whole time I was right behind them, I had the feeling that what I expected to happen was turning into reality.

I started suspecting that something was up with Gallher ever since the people asking for a duel suddenly stopped, but it was only until the day before the event that I figured out the reason. Truth was I didn’t figure out anything. Instead, a slip of paper was left under my door and it said “Kidnapping weak during tournament. Watch out for Gallher”. It didn’t mention who the person who wrote the message was and of course I couldn’t trust it either but it was enough to prove that my suspicions had ground.

That same day I had Youm and Lucas listen to my suspicions. Though Lucas didn’t seem to believe in them, he still agreed to come up with a counter plan, “just for precaution” were his words. On the other hand, Youm was completely sold on the idea that something was not right with the situation.

“Ok, so I get that you both think something’s not right but what’s the plan? I mean like, can the three of us even do something about it? We don’t even know what their goal is!” Incurred Lucas.

“Well, if we are to believe the paper, they are bound to target Astar-san and Saifri-san. That much we know at least” Replied Youm as he elegantly sipped his tea.

“I wonder if it’s just the two of them...” I replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Has Gallher ever seen Sora-san fight?”

“Mhh not that I know of...she did receive some duel requests but, just like last year, she turned them all down”

“Then, is Gallher considering Sora-chan weak too?”

“Ha! As if my sister was weak!”

“Calm down Youm-san, if Gallher really thinks of your sister as weak then we may have the upper hand”

“Ohhh, I know that expression brother! You got something on your mind, don’t you?”

“Yep, and if we are lucky we may even gain from it” I said with a cheeky grin on my face.