Part 1

- DANTHE HANNES’ POV -

“Can you see them, Lucas?-” I asked in the lowest tone of voice possible “-How many are they?”

“There’s four of them-” Said the guy perched on top of the thick branch of a leafy tree “- Two of them seem slightly injured while the others have mild burn marks on their clothes. They are sitting around a fire, roasting fish and eating berries”

As soon as he finished his report, Lucas silently climbed down from the tree just like a squirrel would. Those of us who were left on the ground have been crouching the whole time behind a bush, around twenty meters away from the group. Scouting them like that wasn’t all that necessary in this kind of situation since we could all see them fairly well but Lucas insisted on it anyway. “Just to be on the safer side” he said. The group in front of us didn’t spend much time choosing a suitable hiding place. The tall trees they were under had their branches higher than other trees, not the wisest choice of place since it gave us clear view over them.

“Can you tell us a bit more?” Whispered Sora.

“Two are beastmen, one of them a third-year carrying a big wooden pole-like stick, I don’t know about the other. Those two will probably play an active role in the fight. Both of them look like they train their bodies. I’m not sure about the other two, they just seem like the usual student so I can’t really tell much”

“That’s more than enough-” I said and, as a means to call everyone’s attention, I slightly clapped my hands on the ground “- You know what to do right? They are four same as us so there will be no double-teaming or sneaking behind our backs. Still, check your surrounding at all times, call for help if needed and don’t chase after them. Got any questions?-” The silence spoke for itself “- Then you know what to do…scatter”

Keeping in check each other position, my three group members scattered in a circle-like shape, virtually surrounding the still clueless enemy group. I stood still behind my bush, Youm hid behind a tree on my right, Sora did the same on my left and Lucas circled them all the way opposed to me. Despite the fact that three of us knew how to wield a weapon, and two of those were shined the best while holding one, I was the only one who was armed. I was still carrying the pole I used for fishing, just in case.

With a click of my tongue, I called the attention of the boy on my right to convey a message. With my thumb, I pointed at me and with my index, I pointed at the enemy group. A positive nod was all the answer I needed before Youm conveyed that same message to the others.

[First fight! Let’s get this shit shining!]

The frail wooden pole in my hands became a dangerous projectile as soon as I threw it with all the strength I was capable of. The aim was to injure the biggest beastmen of the group and it succeeded surprisingly well. Though I was the furthest from him, that guy was in a straight trajectory from me so the pole landed almost perfectly in the place where I wanted it. That guy’s thigh.

When the pole flew right in front of their faces and got stuck on their friend’s leg, the fight had started. The beastmen scream was the signal my friends needed to jump in.

“Lucas, I take the injured you take the other!” I shouted as I ran out of my hiding spot.

“Got it! Conjure sword!” Shouted the man sprinting towards me.

At the same time, Sora jumped out from her hiding spot with a spell ready for the use, “Wind bullet”. Upon releasing it, the poor girl who was still trying to grasp the situation around her received that spell right in the middle of her chest. I could see her face turn into a grimace of pain as all air left her lungs in an instant. Sora’s spell precision was astonishingly accurate.

Similar to his sister, Youm began firing his spells as soon as the scream happened. Though, unlike Sora, he stood perched on his tree and fire a series of rapid fireballs towards his target. Seeing that he was somewhat more reactive than his friends after casting a rapid “stone shield”, Youm switched from trying to eliminate him to isolating him by casting a “fire wall” between his enemy and his groupmates.

The fight didn’t last longer than a minute, with Youm’s target being the one lasting the longest. That boy had an impressive ability in using shields, but it was just enough to slow down Youm. His end came in the form of a fireball at close distance that shattered his shield. All it took then was a solid punch in his stomach to render him incapacitated.

Lucas was no different after beating his enemy in a single-sidely beatdown that lasted fifteen seconds at best. The result was brutal. The beastmen was whimpering in the ground with one leg dangerously trembling and firmly holding his abdomen. My situation too was not much different from Lucas’. The beastmen I had to fight was dazed by the pain in his leg and the confusion of the sudden ambush. Other than trying to cast a “stone wall” the fight was one-sided.

“Hey Danthe-” Said Lucas after searching through the bag of the guy he just defeated “- This guy’s carrying some badges with him. One, two…three. Three badges in total. Good haul, ain’t it?”

“Did you guys find anything else on them?” I asked.

“Nothing” Replied Sora.

“A bunch of strange-looking berries” Answered Youm.

“Then there’s nothing more we can take-” I said throwing the empty bag of the injured beastmen “-taking the badges and the coked fish is enough. Let’s leave!”

Just when we were about to turn away and go back to the river, a strong and rough voice called us over from behind us.

“Wait!-” Shouted the injured beastmen with the pole still stuck in his thigh “-How can you do this?! How can I even fight now that I’m injured like this?!”

“You don’t-” I coldly replied. The rage in his eyes was so clear that I could see the red of the capillaries stain the white of his eyes “- Killing an opponent is forbidden, injuring not. It’s not deep and luckily I didn’t hit any vein. If any of you is good with healing magic you still got a chance to fight, if not…the flare’s there. Use it”

Without any further conversation, we split into two groups and sprinted in directions that differed from that of our base as to not let them know it. Before the loud bang of the flare, all we heard was the raging beastmen cursing us.

Part 2

- AMELIE REVILLE’S POV -

It’s warm all around me. Especially my back, it was as if a gentle wave of heat was caressing me. The air around me had a strong scent of burned wood, much like the scent of my grandfather’s house. It was peaceful. So much that for a while I thought I was back in my room together with Clara at the academy.

“...ake…u…”

I could almost hear her voice and the comforting sound of tea leaves being crushed, her usual routine in the morning. I was so mad at her for waking me up every morning at the beginning that I feel shame if I think about it now. I now felt embarrassed thinking that the sound of crushing leaves had become my morning blessing.

“...wake…up...”

The gentle touch of a careful hand was accompanying the voice in my ears, suggesting me to wake up. But it was neither Clara’s voice nor her touch.

[Right it can’t be Clara….then who? Wait! Where was I? I was doing something important but what was I?...]

“RAPHAEL!” I shouted out of fear and surprise as soon as I figured out my current situation.

“Shhh, don’t get so worked up. You ought to get us found!-” Said the boy now leisurely sitting on the other side of the faint red fire “- How long does it take for you to wake up?”

“Ehm, what do you mean, I’m awake now?” I said automatically inclining my head to the side as I always do when I’m perplexed.

“That’s not what I mean….We are going out, get ready” Said Raphael fixing his cape over his shoulders.

“Oh? Ah, ok, right. Give me a second”

Without further need of words from my other group member, I took the mantle I was using as a blanket and the bag I was using as a pillow and left the small base with Raphael in front of me. While leaving he traced the walls of the tunnel that led to our hideout, only after exiting the hole did I find out that he was sealing the walls behind me. The sky outside was of a deep black, the tall trees casting shadows over us did not help in mitigating the primordial fear of the dark.

Still, even though the night was surrounding the both of us rendering me barely able to see my companion’s back, Raphael kept walking forward as if he could differentiate left from right. I had many questions but I silently followed him, trying to keep as close as him as possible.

The path we took was strange. We walked as if we had lost our way yet I had a feeling that Raphael knew what he was doing. And, after more than thirty minutes of constant and silent walk, we finally ended up spotting the flickering, warm light of a dying fire. Around it three people were lying dormant, one of them soundly snoring. The way they laid there so careless almost made me pity them, especially the expression on the youngest. He was wearing such a peaceful expression as if he was simply experiencing an outing in the woods with friends.

“What are we doing here?” I asked as Raphael crouched behind a thick bush.

“Mhhm…hunting I guess?” Replied the boy with a clearly fake smile.

“Isn’t hunting a rather strong word? Also, weren’t you the one who said that we wouldn't move until the end of the second night?”

“Yeah, I did say that-” Continued Raphael now fastening the hood of his cape around his face in order to mask it and signaling me to do the same “- but I had to slightly change the plan”

[Why does he keep changing things!? First he makes up strategies and then rejects them the last second, now this! I really can’t stand him!]

“But…why?”

For a moment he hesitated. He turned his head around and pierced me with his cold blue eyes. In that darkness, with only the moonshine sporadically lighting the way, his eyes shone colder than I’d ever seen them. Their look…it held such a heavy weight yet also devoid of hesitation. Looking at him directly in his eyes was just like staring at a wall of ice.

“Tell me-” Said the boy without distorting his gaze “- when do schemes and treachery thrive best?”

“Eh?.... Uhm, s-sorry I didn’t really understand”

“Order…It’s when order reigns, when a clear hierarchy exists, a clear goal, an objective, rules and boundaries that people are able to scheme best-” His eyes were now turned away from me and pointed at a gap between the trees over our heads “- Take this event for example. There are clear rules one must follow, boundaries exist so that we may not wander too far, a hierarchy thanks to the academy’s scoreboard and now even order has taken it’s place in this forest. During the day we fight, during the night we sleep and regain energy for the next fight. It’s almost exhilarating how not even a single flare was shot during the night, not even the sounds of a fight could reach my ears. Only complete silence befell on the forest”

“What does this have to do with schemes and order?”

“Don’t you get it? If a castle is built without any irregularities within it’s structure, it looks the exact same as one would expect. Every face is the same as the others, every corridor it’s the same as the others, every room is the same as the others, and so on…wouldn’t it be easier to attack rather than a more chaotic castle? When order such as this exists, people become complacent. Everyone expects the next morning to be the same as the last, and every night the same as the next. It’s ironic to say that because such order exists, thinking up a plan to take control of that same order becomes easier! But what happens if that order gest broken?”

“Emh…chaos takes over?” I hesitantly replied, trying to figure out where he was leading the conversation.

“That’s right, chaos takes over. If you can take over order, overthrow it and install your own order. Can you do the same with chaos? No, you cannot control it. It’s wild, random, unpredictable. Schemes cannot thrive in such an ambient. That’s why We’ll be the one who’ll spark chaos!”

The look on Raphael’s face looked as cold as before if not even colder yet his eyes were trembling, wavering almost. There was something holding him back as if he was trying to suppress something. “Who is he really?” Was the only thought that ran through my head as I speechlessly saw Raphael extend his hand towards the ground and say [Stone pillar].

Around the enemy’s group position, a set of dark brown spikes rose from the ground both to surround them and to dangerously close in their bodies. As one would expect, the noise from the casting of the spell abruptly woke the group up only to have them stop on their tracks when they realized how close the spikes were. One wrong move and they all would be punctured with holes.

“Who’s doing this?!” Shouted one of them.

“How can you use dirty tricks like this?! Come out, coward!” Continued another.

“Dirty tricks? Coward?-” Tauntingly replied Raphael “- Indeed I am a coward, but in a situation like this being a coward is the mightiest compliment one can receive”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? HOW CAN WE FIGHT LIKE THIS!?” Shouted the one who looked the oldest and strongest of the group.

“You don’t” Shrugged them off Raphael.

“Wha-”

“Listen, I’m kinda getting tired of you guys’ screaming, so you’ve got two choices-” Said my companion as he waved a hand and one spike rose further up in the sky, towering the three aghast students “- Either I give you soo many holes that you’ll receive a forced surrender, or you listen to one little request of mine and I’ll let you surrender without hurting you. So, what do you choose?”

“C-can we not civilly fight?” Asked the youngest-looking one.

“Suuuureee, you can fight-” Answered Raphael now closing in on the one speaking “-but in that case, I cannot guarantee your safety”

In that same instant, a small stone spike rose up from the ground with a never-before-seen speed. It was as if I was looking at a “stone bullet” being fired directly from the ground. Said stone spike, lightly grazed the student’s cheek painting it with fresh red blood. Grabbing the student from the collar, Raphael raised him up from the ground and positioned him with his neck close to the tip of a nearby spike.

“You understand in what kind of situation you are in now?” Said Raphael looking at the other two.

“Y-yes, w-we wi-ill do what y-you ask”

“Good-” Said Rapahel now letting the student go with trembling knees.

I cannot refrain from feeling a sense of intense fear. What happened for him to turn like this? It was as if I was looking at the back of a completely different person. The usual aloof yet harmless Raphael was completely gone, in his place now stood the figure of someone I could not compare to any student. The mood around him was different…emotionless. I felt my spine chill and my throat dry the moment the corner of his ice-cold eyes met mine.

[What are you?]

Without any preambles, Raphael silently stood in front of the three students and, one at a time, he touched their necks, leaving behind only a collar of solid, grey stone. With surprised expressions, they all watched as the spikes around them fell to the ground. As one would expect, the first thing they did was to look at each other in a most decisive way. I could almost hear their brain thinking “ This is our chance to escape!”. How terribly wrong they were.

“Now we can all talk like civilized people-” Said Rapahel while holding one of such collars in his hands “- Oh, and before you all think of something you shouldn't, this is what happens if you try to run or don’t follow my orders”

As he finished his words, the innermost side of the collar became full with spikes long enough to reach the other end of the collar. The hope in their eyes rapidly turned into horror as so did mine. Wearing a thing like that only meant certain death.

“Now listen well. I only have one task for you. Run for thirty minutes in one single direction. You run north, you south and you east-” Said Raphael pointing at each of the students “-After thirty minutes have passed, shoot the flare in the sky and wait for someone to pick you up. If someone stops you and asks about the collar, you will say that it’s Gallher’s fault, you that it’s Raphael Bluescale’s fault and finally you that it’s Danthe Hannes’ fault. Oh, right. Don’t even ask for help. Those things are very sturdy so it’s impossible to break them with bare hands, also if mana is injected, the spikes will strike so just do what I order you, ok?”

“I-I understand-” Said the older one “- But how can we be sure that we will be safe once we leave the forest?”

“Go to professor Gildoor. He’ll know what to do…Oh, I almost forgot. Your badges if you please” Said Raphael as he extended his hand.

“Oook, now get ready aaannnd…GO! Remember, after thirty minutes shoot the flare!” Shouted Raphael as the three students each ran in a different direction.

I was speechless, soo paralyzed with fear that I fell on the ground once I saw him walking towards me. Taking off his hood he closed in on me and extended one hand trying to help me stand up. My head was not thinking straight so the first thing that came out of my mouth was the only thing I had my eyes on almost the entire time.

“A-are you going to kill them…with that?” I said while pointing towards the stone collar.

“What this?-” Replied Raphael with a small chuckle “-This is just a lump of rocks haha”

“D-did you trick them?”

“Of course I did, what kind of monster do you think I am. Do you see me as someone who takes a life without reason?”

[...Without reason he said. It means that he would if….if there was a reason?]

“N-n-noo o-of course not!-” I replied now profusely sweating “- I-I just got a little scared”

“That so, mhhm?-” Replied the boy now strongly lifting me up on my feet “- Don’t worry, I’ve taken another’s life before, nor I will do in the future hopefully!”

“Can I ask s-something?” I said, my throat still dry and almost hurting. I just wanted to forget what happened yet I couldn’t stop from curiously trying to figure out that guy’s mind.

“Mh hm, what on your mind?”

“Why do you need chaos so much and how do you plan to spark it?”

“Mmhh, firstly I need it so that Gallher cannot scheme as he pleases-” Replied Raphaela as he extinguished the fire “- Secondly, I need the people in this event to feel threatened. They must be scared, on guard at all times and, of course, tired both mentally and physically so that when we’ll come out of the cave we’ll be able to wipe them down easily. As for how to spark chaos I just did”

“You mean with the flares thing?”

“Precisely. What do you think will happen if suddenly people are woken up by three flares being shot simultaneously in three different places?”

“Eemhh…..Oh, gods!-” I said finally realizing what he had in mind “- three groups have been wiped out and, since they were wiped down at the same time, it would probably mean that it was an organized thing!”

“HAHAHA! Exactly! Some groups have organized to strike clueless groups as night. That’s the wisest conclusion and, if those three meet people as I expect them to do, the names of their aggressor will be known throughout the whole forest. No one will be able to close an eye at night knowing that three of the most popular students of the second year are behind the attacks!”

“Y-you want them to fight between themselves?” I said with a trembling voice.

“Indeed…the third day will simply be like harvesting a crop of us. Now, let us go to sleep. If those three are able to warn someone, they might come searching for us so we better hide”

“....are you really Raphael?...” I said without even thinking, regretting it right after those words left my lips.

Upon hearing my question, Raphael's expression darkened. I could see the blue of his eyes even more clearly under the shadow that was cast over them. The ends of his lips curved and turned into a grimace, almost expressing his contempt. Then, with a voice much deeper than usual he said:

“Wars are won even before setting foot in the first battle…Know this, I hate losing”

That night, I couldn’t get a wink of sleep.

Part 3

- CONSTANTINE GILDOOR’S POV -

Morning hit me like a rock. The curtains were completely up and the sun was shooting it’s rays right inside my eyes. Unwillingly, I had no other choice but to get out of the comforts of the covers and dress up.

“*yawn* Did I really get so bored that I had to drink myself to sleep last night!? Damn those students really don’t know how to have fun….shit! This headache is killing me!” I moaned as I made my way into the main room half-naked.

“Oi you, wake up!” I said as I kicked on the ass the student laying on my sofa.

“*snort* W-what’s wrong? Why’d you kick me?”

“‘Cause it’s time to wake up, the sun’s already shining!-” I said grabbing a couple of eggs from the shelf and whatever else edible I found “- You know where the food is so just do whatever you want, but keep your paws off my alcohol, all right?”

“Why would I drink alco-*cough*-hol for breakfast? Who’s fucked up enough to do that?!”

“Work as a teacher…You’ll know the reason!”

“Professor…I think you have a problem” Said the student with the most piteous face I’ve ever seen a student direct towards me.

“Mmhhh…nah I’m probably fine!-” I said while shooing him off with one hand “-The house is yours, do whatever the fuck you want, just don’t break stuff. Heard you’re some kind of alchemist so go crazy on that if you want. One warning though, do not leave the house. If I don’t find you here when I get back I’ll assume you’ve been kidnapped or outright killed, got that?” I said while pinching the cheek of the still sleepy student.

“Yes professor Gildoor, I *cough*got it”

“Good, then see ya!-” I shouted almost half out of the door “- Oh, by the way, what’s your name? I kinda forgot!”

“Legis-” Replied the student “- Astar Legis”

“‘Kay, then see ya Legis!” I shouted while closing the doors behind me.

I left the teacher’s building soon after that conversation and was on my way to the only interesting place in the academy, Eki’s tent. Since she doesn’t need to sleep, she had been staying up all night checking the students. The headmaster called her also for that reason other than the fact that her ability to share the vision of contracting animals is the best in terms of scouting. The academy built her a tent right in front of the wall where her vision was projected. The same place I spent the day and the night before. Though nothing interesting happened on the first day, the prospect of an all-out fight with two of the most interesting students in the academy had me fired up ever since I saw their names on the participant's list.

“Heeeyy Eki!-” I said as soon as I pushed aside the cloth acting as a door “- How is it going over there?”

“The sun already rose up, students are on the move again” Coldly replied my friend.

“And during the night? Did I miss something interesting?”

“Ehm...not officially I guess”

“So that means I did miss something! HaHaHa spill the beans Eki, who was it?” I giggled as I sat in front of her.

“Well, let’s say that I put an unofficial bird to watch over that Bluescale kid specifically”

“Ohh so he did pique your interest, uh! Tell me, what did you see when you looked inside him?”

As soon as she heard my question, her expression darkened. She tried to hide it as best as she could but Ekisora was never a good liar. Her hands were trembling and her feet restless. Her empty eyes sparkled for a brief moment before sinking in emptiness even more. All of this did nothing but spark my curiosity.

“...I don’t know….It’s the first time I’m not sure of what I saw…I’ve even been doubting those eyes of mine…Honestly, Gil you should-” Said the woman before being interrupted by sudden loud shouts from outside the tent.

“Is professor Gildoor here?” Shouted the deep voice of a man, probably an adventurer.

“Yes, yes, come in!” I answered.

“Thank the gods, these fellas have been looking for ya the whole morning” Replied the bearded strongman as he pushed inside the tent three students with tattered clothes and stone collars around their necks only to then leave in a hurry.

“Ehm…well, you certainly got a, ehm…interesting look!” I said trying to keep my laugh in check.

[Behave like a teacher you damn idiot!]

“Please help us!” Shouted one of them on the verge of tears.

“You’re the only one who can do it!” Followed his companions.

“Wo wo, calm down boys. First, tell me what happened”

“I-It was a guy with a hood-” Cried the one who looked the youngest “-He said that if we didn’t follow his orders he would activate these collars and cut off our necks!”

“Uhhh that’s heavy!” I replied giving a surprised glance towards Ekisora.

“It’s true!-” Shouted one of the students “- We saw him activate one!”

“Fine fine, I believe you. Let me check-” I said as I stood up and grabbed one of their collars to then slide my fingers across it following the traces of mana “-...Emh, repeat me what happens if that guy activates it?”

“S-spikes will come out of it and k-k-kill us!” Replied now profusely crying the boy.

“HaHaHa! Nothing of the sort will happen! You guys have been had, this is nothing more than a collar-shaped stone-” I said while holding my guts from the sudden laugh “- Whoever pulled this trick on ya must’ve been a real asshole! Eki, do you mind freeing them?”

“Sure” Replied the woman as she gently injected mana through the tip of her pointy nails onto a certain place of the collar. The same moment she did so, the stone crumbled and turned to fine brown sand, leaving the three students in a state of total dismay.

“So-” I asked as I leisurely sat back down on a cushion “-Who’s the trickster?”

The three of them looked at each other for a second before violently nodding and taking a deep breath. They answered in unison three different names: “Delvin Gallher”, “Raphael Bluescale” and “Danthe Hannes”. I couldn’t contain my laughter any longer.

“Pfftt HAHAHAHAHA! Y-you guys can l-leave HaHaHa-” I said while shooing them away with a hand before turning my attention to Ekisora “- It was Raphael, right?”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about-” Replied the woman with a sigh “- He came out of hiding around three in the morning and effortlessly captured this group of students. He then threatened to hurt them if they didn’t listen to his orders which were to run for half an hour in three different directions and then shoot a surrender flare. Then he just simply went back into his hole, as if nothing happened!”

“Just like that? Nothing more?!” I asked unsatisfied as I struggled to find the reason behind that boy’s actions.

“I couldn’t hear what he said but by reading his lips I figured he spoke something about “creating chaos so that students cannot even go to sleep safely and must watch their backs. Schemes and treachery cannot thrive and when the time comes for him to leave the hole, it’ll be easy to wipe out everyone remaining” something like that”

“...What a damn asshole!-” I said in awe “- HAHAHA I have totally underestimated that boy! His actions now make sense! I couldn’t understand why he would simply hide in a hole but now I get it. He’s trying to tire everyone down so that they’ll be left with no mana and he can fight without even going all out! HaHaHa, now I kinda see why Gallher finds it soo difficult to get rid of him, HaHaHa!”

“Is this a laughing matter?-” Asked Ekisora in a vaguely angry tone “- He’s about to overthrow the entire order and purpose of the event and you’re just gonna laugh it off!?”

“Is he breaking any rules though?”

“...”

“That’s right. The important things are survival and badge gathering, everything else is an idiot’s worry! You know it too that in a fight, order and rules are just a fucking burden…That boy understands it too. And that’s what makes him soo interesting!” I replied with a smirk.

“Why are you so set on him?” Asked the woman in front of me with a worried look.

“...If I were to tell you that he can match my speed. Would you believe me?” I playfully asked.

“No. I can never believe something like that. How old is he? Twelve? Fourteen? Don’t play with me, Constantine!” Said Ekisora as she smashed her fists on the wooden table in front of her.

“I’m not playing though. I saw him going all out…though I did have to pull a bit of strings for that…but anyway, he was able to come close to my speed, if only for a brief moment. Eki, why are you so afraid of him?

“I…-” Replied the woman as her expression darkened once again “- I’m not sure…Just pay attention, Gil. What I saw was a cold, dark, endless pit…and I was the one falling. Please, be wary of him”