Chapter 16

Eva Lemuria-6 months into school year

I’ve been at the academy for a whole six months and I feel as if the whole experience has been completely pointless. I originally came here in hopes of finding instructors that are able to help me, but I have only been isolated. Ever since Instructor Nana revealed my true looks in front of the class rumors have spread a wildfire and now the whole school knows that I have black hair and eyes. I am now avoided like the plague by most students. Almost everyone looks at me with this same eyes filled with disgust or fear except a few just look at me with pity. The only one who has treated me the same is Cathy. She has been by my side the whole time talking to me like any other friend, but I had noticed that it was negatively affecting her. I avoid her as much as I can now so that she can have a more normal time and not be dragged down with me.

Surprisingly one other person has continued to treat me the same. Instructor Ingrid also seems to treat me the same as before, but she still hates me either way. Although she hates me because of how I act not what I am. I still go to all my classes, but I would still wear my hood and keep my head down so I can go by unnoticed and learn the few things I don't know in these beginner classes. In all my indoor classes, except etiquette, the teachers ignore me for the most part and the students have to ignore me so they can pay attention to the classes. Only Instructor Ingrid is still dedicated to making a lady out of me. She would still make me stand and take off my hood, but I refused for a while till I decided that she must not believe in the rumors. I took off my hood expecting some kind of reaction but she only said was “About time you took off your hood. Now if only you could walk straight.” This old lady really only had etiquette on her mind. I still go to her class only because I enjoy fighting with her.

For my combat classes, I still go, but I keep my distance from the students and instructor twins. I notice them constantly looking towards me, but the only thing I do there is staying under my tree sleeping, sitting, or reading. Sometimes I would train a little bit because I would sometimes feel like training instead of wasting my time. It would sometimes seem as if Instructors Nala and Nana try to come towards me when I'm training but they always stop and turn back around. I only do light training in the combat classes while afterward, I would go to an old training ground at the edge of the academy where I would do my serious training. I've actually made good progress on my spells there. My newest technique where I turned into lightning was one of the hardest techniques for me to get a good grasp on. It took many burns and injuries till I was finally able to gain some control over the technique. I decided to call my technique lightning shift. Whenever I shift it seems like I go to another world and the feeling of moving in any direction with just a thought is amazing. It takes too long to actually shift so I haven't actually been able to incorporate it into any of my fighting techniques yet. It was already hard enough to shift while keeping my clothes on and then to shift while keeping my halberd with me so I feel like I've already accomplished a lot.

Besides my training, the only other exercise I get is from when I'm challenged to duels. It seems many students think of themselves as heroes whose destiny is to vanquish the evil monster that is me. The always come to me and then give a self-righteous speech before challenging me to a duel. Most of the time they will just attack me if I refuse to say it's a monster subjugation. It's ridiculous how this keeps happening even though I always badly beat each one of them. More still show up believing they're stronger than the last. I’ll admit some of the few older students that came did actually give me a challenge, but most don't have the experience I have from my time as an adventurer. Even if it was one year I seem to have an edge on all the other students. The few that have also spent their time as adventures seem to be unbothered by me and just ignore my existence.

Another annoyance of the Academy is the supposed student council. They haven't stopped trying to get me to join them even though we both know they only see me as a beast they want a collar on. They have been incredibly persistent and they seem to always show up wherever I go. I still haven't figured out who told them about me, but I can only guess it was either my brother or Roland. I still haven't seen that old man yet because he seems to stay in the older students teaching areas or his private training yard with George. I don't know how strong George has become, but today I'm supposed to find out. He finally challenged me to a duel on the schools' main stage and it has drawn a lot of attention because he’s spread the word about it probably hoping the pressure would make me accept. I plan on showing up, but that's only because I have another plan.

I'm making my way through the academy now so I can face Georges challenge. I know many are going to be there to watch the show and they'll also serve as witnesses. I finally reach the field and see that it's packed around the stage. There are students from all grades and there seem to be some instructors as well. I see that no one wants to stop a fight between brother and sister here because everyone already has a firm belief that I am the monster and George is the hero. I finally reach the stage and jump up onto it and see George at the other end with Roland. They both seem far too confident in themselves.

“Well, Princess Eva I'm glad that you came to the duel. A fair rivalry between sibling is truly a good thing for growth.” Roland is the first to speak, but I ignore him and focus on George. He looks unusually focused and seems to have finally learned how to keep his cool.

“George I will accept your duel, but under one condition. If I win this duel you will no longer be allowed to ever see Roland again. He will not be your master and you won't be his disciple.” Both of them are shocked by now and Roland seems completely pissed off.

“It is not your place to decide something like that Princess. He is already my disciple.”Roland

“I’ll accept your bet, but if I win then you will no longer call yourself a Lemuria. You will no longer infest my family you monster.” George accepts but sets his own condition.

“Do you really not see me as your sister at all? Do you truly believe I am nothing but a monster out to get you? Fine, I’ll accept your condition.” It truly hurts my heart to be treated like this by my own brother. I can't help but feel saddened when I think about how I have never had a big brother to protect me all these years instead he's trying to kick me out of the family.

“Very well. Then everyone here will be a witness to our agreement. After today you will no longer be considered a princess of Lemuria.” George

We both go to opposite ends of the stage and Roland jumps off. I decided today I will fight while showing all of myself so I take off my hood and get into a fighting stance. George has a special case with him that holds all the swords he uses in his fighting style next to him. Eight swords float out and then he kicks the case off the stage. The stage shakes and stones come out of the arena floor and float around George. He crosses his arms and looks towards me. I point towards a random student. “You flip a coin and we will begin when it lands on the arena floor.”

The student does as told and flips the coin. It feels as if time slows down as I'm watching the coin from the corner of my eye. When the coin finally lands on the arena George and I both make our attacks. He launches several stones at me from the front and both sides. I immediately cover myself in my flame armor since over the years I've become able to maintain it for far longer than a couple of minutes. I dodge the first stone as it passes my head before I punch one and deflect another with my halberd. I then slash behind me as the stone I avoided earlier is now coming back at me. These simple attacks seem to be testing me so I do the same. I turn back around to face George and form a lighting scythe that I swing at George creating an arc flying in a horizontal line. A wall of earth rises from the ground between me and George. My lighting goes right through the earth wall but when the wall comes back down I see four of Georges swords plunged into the ground creating a wall. It seems George learned that he can divert my lightning to the ground with his metal swords.

I decided to try a frontal assault towards George. I charge at him while I slash several flame edges in his direction. His stones intercept all my attacks while he aims all his swords at me. I draw my dagger with my left hand and I begin defending with my halberd held in my right hand. I fuse both attacks with a lightning edge in my dagger and a flame edge on my halberd. I keep defending against George's attacks as best I can but his swords don't move like how a normal human would hold a sword. They're instead flying around like birds diving at me from all directions. I can only deflect them as best I can, but some of them I can only deflect minimally so the end up cutting me a little but only small scratches. I then realize all the swords are actually coated in a mana edge. It seems George has finally come up with his own technique. It's just barely strong enough to get through my flame armor.

I through my dagger straight up before I grab one of Georges swords that are flying by and I heat it up with my flames. Instead of imbuing it with an element of a normal flame edge I am instead using the flames on the blade. The blade glows red and then begins to melt so I throw it towards George, but a stone intercepts it. I catch my dagger in my hand and then form a lightning edge as I cut down on a sword I had just dogged cutting it in two halves. I then stomp my foot down creating a wave of flames that spread outwards so George rises up on a stone pillar.

I bring the flames back to me and form a cylinder of flames that rise straight up. I use flames at the bottom of my feet to rocket up the cylinder of flames just in time as swords slice through where I was. Midair I twist my body to face down so I'm pointing at headfirst at where George is. I then use a boost of flames to propel myself out of the pillar. Midair I sheath my dagger and gold my halter with both hands forming a fused element I called a destruction edge. Black lighting and flames form on my halberd and when George looks up I swing my blade at him. His six blades quickly fold over each other forming a circle shield. My halberd collides with his makeshift shield and the shield is blown to pieces. The shrapnel flies in all directions, but the instructors had put up a mana shield earlier so the students are safe. I keep flying towards George as a stone pillar rises from underneath me. I swing my halberd overhead right at the pillar and it splits in half.

I land on the ground closer to George so instead of taking a second to catch my breath I charge at him. Stone spikes keep rising from the ground to get in my way. As I'm about to reach George I feel a sharp pain in my back and right leg. I can't help but scream out. “AAAAAAHHHH!” I look at my leg and see half the sword I had cut earlier is in my leg. I pull it out and then reach for the one in my back. George doesn't give me the chance to finish as the spikes that had been aiming at me earlier now are breaking apart in shards and spinning around in a swarm. They change direction and head straight for me so I form another destruction edge and try to swipe them all away. I get most of them, but some of them still strike me.

I charge at George again and this time he starts running towards me too. As he runs plates of stone rise from the ground and form around him. It seems like he was inspired by my flame armor so he created his own. Our fist meet and his stones crack while I use my halberd to try and blindside him but a stone rose from the ground and blocked my attack. I look and realize it's the stone George used to block the sword I melted and threw earlier. I kick him in his side and he blocks with his free arm. I drop my halberd and punch him in the face. My punch ended up stunning him so I take my chance and send another at his face. This punch knocks him on his back and I jump on top of him. I begin raining punches on his face. He still has his stone armor on so I keep my flame armor up. I keep punching him till his armor cracks and I take that chance to raise my hand and infuse it with some lightning before I slap him in the face. His armor breaks and his head twists to the side and I can see a burning red hand print on his face. His whole body is twitching from the lighting I slapped him with. He still seems conscious so I grab his head and electrocute him weakly while slowly increasing the mana I use. Finally, his eyes roll back and some foam comes out of his mouth. I check and see he is still alive so I get off him after grabbing my halberd.

As I stand up I notice it's really quite so I look around and everyone has shocked faces. I look towards Roland and see he is pale and seems to be opening and closing his mouth. Everyone else doesn't seem to know how to react until I hear some clapping so I look towards the direction and see Julie and Cathy next to each other at the edge of the stage. Behind them, there are the twin instructors Nala and Nana and some other students who I barely recognize as those that have never bothered me or looked at me in disgust or fear. I appreciate the support, but I didn't do this to be recognized. I reach behind me and pull out the blade stuck in my back and then I begin pulling out the stone shards that are still stuck in me. I walk towards Roland's direction and stop right at the edge of the stage.

“From this day forth George Lemuria is no longer your disciple Roland. You shall stay away from him and will not attempt to contact him in any way.” I then look towards another instructor. “My brother is injured and needs medical attention so hurry up and help him.” Finally, I walk towards those that were clapping for me earlier and stop at the edge of the stage. “Thanks for everything but for now it's goodbye. Sorry Julie and Cathy, but please tell my mother I'll be back eventually.”

With my message left I begin to shift. I see Julie come out of her shock and jump towards me, but she too late as I enter my shift and quickly move towards my dormitories roof. I unshift to grab my bag before looking over the academy.

“Can you tell me where you're going?” A voice comes from behind so I turn around and point my halberd at the old man from the adventures sign in desk from the combat test on the testing day of the academy.

“How'd you know I'll be here and why'd you come here?” I know I was polite to him before but with this situation, it's hard to be polite.

“I'm just wondering why a genius such as yourself is running away. I will tell you that I am a part of the adventures guild council so I may be able to help you.” Guild Council Member

“I can't stay here any longer. I can't take the looks from others. It's always the same and I can't take much more of it. I plan to just be gone for a while. Where no one will know me. Somewhere where even if I'm found out again for being a monster I can just leave to go somewhere else. I’ll probably start with moving towards the border of the dwarven kingdoms. The only thing I would ask of someone with your power is to not report my sign Ins at the guild to anyone. Not even my parents. I know it would be hard since my father was the founder, but I need this. So please do this for me?” I bow my head to him hoping he'd agree. If not I will have to avoid the adventures guild as I move around.

“Very well Princess Eva. The guild will stick with our confidentiality policy no matter who asks for you. I hope you don't keep your family waiting too long.” After he tells me that he turns around and begins walking towards the door downstairs. I look back at the academy and see Cathy, Julie, Instructor Nala, and Instructor Nana rushing towards the dormitories. I shoulder my bag and halberd before shifting. I move straight up into the sky and then I rush in the direction of the dwarven kingdoms.