https://youtu.be/xyOWuNU9X5Q

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"when you kill a man, you don't take away his hopes and dreams. instead, you take them unto yourself. when you take the title of 'Silent Death', bring honor to your predecessors."

-The Master's Quotes, on Honor-

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-in the days before the tournament, in class.-

"so, class, can anyone tell me what the difference between 'mana manipulation' and 'mana manipulation sphere' are?"

i raised my hand.

"yes, miss Jealson."

"the difference between the mana manipulation sphere and mana manipulation are as follows.

the mana sphere is the area around a mage where he/she can control their own mana, though several exceptions, like calling lighting, are possible, though very ineffective.

mana manipulation, is what kind of rules a wizard enforces on a spell, an example being an exploding fireball. a mage can simply throw fire, but this is ineffective, and usually only able to set alight dry grass, and do minimal damage. in the case of an exploding fireball, the mage packs fire and oxygen into a smaller area, and places a thin wall of mana between the oxygen and fire, then places a 'timer' which tells the mana when to dissipate. when this occurs, the fire bursts out of both the constraining mana that compresses it, and feeds on the oxygen in it's center, lending force to the explosion. other, more complicated spells, require more skilled manipulation of mana."

"very good, miss Jealson. a better than textbook answer, if i might say. yes, the difference between a mana sphere and mana manipulation is where it takes effect. for example, the headmaster can compress enough air to make a black hole, then tell the mana he is compressing to wait a certain amount of time before fully taking effect. after all, it would be stupid to make a black hole right next to yourself, right? how large a mana sphere is depends on the wizard, though some wizards don't use their sphere, but simply take raw mana, and throw it around. this is a faster, but more mana-consuming way to use magic. take notes, there will be a test.

-class on molding mana-

"so, students, today we'll be talking about molding mana. last time, we discussed the difference between a wizards mana sphere, and mana manipulation. today, we'll be practicing with using our mana sphere. so, i want you to take the element you are most adept at, and make a ball of it in front of you."

i complied, making a little ball of fire in front of me. my mana sphere encompassed a circle about ten feet in diameter, with myself in the middle.

"now, i want you to play with it."

i was sure i had misheard.

"um, play with it, sir?"

he looked at me, then nodded solemnly.

"yes, play with it. see if you can come up with a trick, like juggling, or perhaps breathing fire, maybe style your hair with water? i don't care. we have all day, after all. have fun! go wild!"

i nodded, unsure. so, i did what he told us to, and played with fire.

after about an hour, i had a little ring of fire spinning horizontally around me, at the edge of my sphere. i started putting more mana into the ring, but it soon grew to hot. then, i thought, why don't i compress it? after all, the teacher said the headmaster could compress air...

i made a larger, hollow ring, but this time of mana invisible to all but my own eyes. seeing someone else use mana in their own sphere was a very, difficult thing to do, and only masters could achieve this. then, i started making it smaller, redistributing the mana to thicken the hollow ring. soon enough, the raw mana and fire met, and seemed to fight against each other. i concentrated harder, hardening the raw mana, and forcing the fire remain still. slowly, i felt the air pockets between the fire and the mana shrink, still feeding mana into the fire in place of oxygen. finally, nothing was left inside of my hollow ring but mana fed fire. slowly, ever so slowly, if tightened the ring. for a second, nothing happened. then, i felt a force acting on the ring. i kept compressing, and the force got greater and greater, until i thought the ring would burst. then, i fed more mana into the fire filled ring, making it harder and stronger. finally, a ring of what looked like heated metal surrounded me, and my mana was being depleted keeping the fire compressed at an alarming rate.

the teacher spoke up.

"aho! looks like miss jealson has tried compressing, huh? quite risky, i must say..."

i looked at him in confusion.

"what do you mean by risky?"

"well, if you had lost concentration for even a second while compressing that much fire, this entire room would have been incinerated."

he said this like it wasn't a big deal.

"b-but you said the headmaster-"

he cut me off. "when i said the headmaster made a black hole for an example, i was joking. compressing is something that few wizards try, and even fewer survive to experiment with. haven't you heard how the headmaster leveled an island while practicing, when he felt an ant touch his toe and he lost his concentration? usually, only wizards who have been coming to the academy for decades attempt compressing. having a student who's been here for barely a month... well, it's just surprising. and even more surprising is that you succeeded."

"oh." i looked down.

he looked worried. "i wasn't chastesting you, i just wanted you to know how risky a buisness compressing is. you are extraordinary, and you should never back down just because someone tells you something might be dangerous."

"um, shouldn't you be telling me to not, do dangerous things?"

he smiled crazily.

"if you wanted to be safe, you wouldn't be learning magic, would you?"

-the day of the tournament-

i was nervous, walking into the arena.

who wouldn't be?

the headmaster said something beside me, but the only part i could make out was something like, "make sure you have fun out there, and, deals are easily made, and easily broken. just remember ours." i think i felt Cat Bastard move a little, but i was too busy being nervous to tell. apparently, i was in the same block as perry.in other words, if everything went according to plan, i'd get fourth, or third. f*** my life. the good news, was... what was the good news?

well, i'll go out there, and i'll meet perry on the field, and go down faster that a fat cow down an ogres throat.

i'm so screwed...

in total, there were 256 competitors, as there had been what the teachers called a 'culling' were the weakest competitors had a little 'pre-match' and the winner's got to actually compete.

as i had a better than average allotment of mana, i had been exempt from these pre-matches, and the same was true of those that would no doubt be tough opponents. so, in other words, the first place, (perry, no doubt.) would have to win eight matches of one-on-one dueling. no weapons were allowed, though items such as chalk, scrolls that had been approved by a judge, and any alchemic concoction that was or your own making, assuming it wouldn't be deadly. the headmaster said he'd rather not have a repeat of last year...

before battle, each competitor was outfitted with a short-range teleport bracelet, that brought them to a room well away from the arena, in the medical bay. 'just in case' was what the headmaster said. i get the feeling he meant 'you'll need healing, so it's better to already be there.'

the bracelet was equipped with a touch activated emergency option, and in the case of not being able to touch it, (like for instance both your arms are missing, as the headmaster said) you can channel a small amount of mana into the crystal adorning said bracelet.

it seems like they thought of everything... except for the instance that you die before you can channel any mana into the crystal. having teachers with such foresight really comforted the students. it comforted some of them so much they ran to the nearest corner and heaved up any and all of their insides.

my first match was against katy, one of the four people i had marked as trouble. a coincidence? i think not. i think fate just likes f***ing with people.

"will kat, Jealson please come forward?"

i got up off of the bench, and walked to the door, which was held open by one of the teachers clay golems, which resembled a soldier in full plate.

i heard the announcer call out katy, but i barely made out his voice. i was too busy looking at the arena.

for each match, the teachers would randomize it, by having a dozen of them throw every kind of element in there and watching what would happen. the competitors, like me, were kept secluded in one-person rooms, with enchantments on the doors that kept them in until it was their turn, so every competitor could use all of their tricks, and not worry about their future opponents learning their fighting style and readying counters. preparation was key for a wizard, but what they were trying to say by this is that you need to be prepared for everything, and ready to compromise, and change your plans at the drop of a hat. unless you have overwhelming power, like perry. have i mentioned how f***ed i am?

for my first match, it seemed that most of the teachers had opted to use elements that pertained to earth, and nature. there was a pond, but other than that it was grass, stone, and trees. ten foot walls surrounded the arena, along with heavy enchantment, kept the spectators safe from crossfire from the wizard battles. most of the spectators were looking excited, so i guess the previous match was a good one.

because of the lush greenery, my view of my opponent was non existent. i guess an element of stealth would play a part in this match, and i would have to be careful. katy was a powerful fire mage, but not very smart, and prone to exploding over nothing. now, if i can find her before she see's me-

*whoosh!*

a good quarter of the arena erupted in flame. well, looks like finding her wouldn't be a problem. i jumped on a rock, then to a higher one, finally vaulting into a tree, and jumping from branch to branch, making sure my hair covered my ears at all times. when i arrived at the scene of devastation, i spotted katy alone, in a field of burned trees. she was screaming at a spectator, so i assume one of them taunted her, and she replied by throwing a massive fireball at the barrier.

i carefully began wielding my mana, drawing strength from my various affinity's, and crafting what i call a 'finisher'. if i could end this fight before it began, i would be well on the way to victory.

however, she sensed my wielding of mana, and turned, her hands blazing.

stupid.

making your hands blaze is an amateurs mistake. it is good for nothing but intimidation, and wasting mana. she followed this idiotic presentation by hurling a double fistful of fire, which enlarged the farther it grew from her, until it covered half the arena.

impressive, if i was a peasant.

summoned some fire of my own, and made a thin line, right in front of me. the wall of fire split effortlessly, and scorched everything left remaining in the arena, except for in a wedge behind me.

well, so much for a nature arena.

other than what lay behind me, the arena resembled a wasteland. i responded to her careless destruction of nature by compressing the fire in my line, and feeding more mana into it, until it resembled a small white ball. when i had finished, i shot the ball toward her.

when the ball left my sphere of mana manipulation, it looked to unskilled eyes like it burst into flame. to wizards, it simply meant that it left my sphere, and i no longer had complete control of it's mana border, which was quite unstable, and thus a small amount was let out.

katy tried to erect a thick wall of fire in front of herself, but my ball simply shot through, burning her wimpy flames. luckily for her, she had enough piece of mind to jump out of the way, and cover herself in a thin layer of mana.

as if i'd send a ball of fire without setting a timer when it could so easily be dodged.

i thought, while readying my ice magic, pulling my fist back.

oh, by the way, i should mention.

most wizards, they have the basic four elements, and one which they are better at than the others. some people don't have any one they are better at than the others. these are called 'jacks' while those with a single expertise while having access to all are called 'regs'.

of the four elements, fire, air, water, and earth, there are a few wizards who can access specific pieces of the elements.

take, for example, a stone mage. where as normal earth mages, and everyone who has an affinity for earth, can use plants, dirt, stone, and the various ore's, stone mages can exclusively use stone. usually, it would be a disadvantage. but, people who can only use one aspect of an element, are extremely powerful in the use of it. it isn't spread around in the other areas, after all. people like this are called 'specs' standing for specific.

for a wizard who has only one affinity, like the headmaster, who can only use air magic, they are known as 'eens'. these are the rarest type of elemental wizard, and extraordinarily powerful in all cases. the least powerful een was a wizard who could lift a mountain. a sub sect of the een's is the ulmeens, who are specs that can only use the magic that makes them a spec.

other than the four elements, there are those who use mana in a different way. these are people such as witches, necromancers, and, metal mages. these are commonly referred to as 'abs' standing for abnormal.

dragons are known as 'specs' though most can use all kinds of fire, and some can use different types of elements. the rarest dragon ever know was the necromancer drake, who could also use nature magic. he was an ab, and an ulmeen.

i, myself, can use fire, which i'm most proficient in, and the other three elements. but, i'm also a spec, because i can use ice.

ice mages, are mages who can use ice magic without first making water, then freezing it. they can simply will frozen co2 into existence, using the mana around them as a catalyst. in the far north, in the dark peninsula, there is an ulmeen that uses ice, and is known as the Frozen King. some say he is more powerful than the headmaster, but the teachers are confident in the old geezer. i have no idea what to think.

anyway, katy is a spec, along with affinities in all of the other elements. not rare, but not common either. the particular spec type she is, is a magma spec. meaning, instead of having to mix earth and fire until the earth melts, a time consuming and costly task, she can simply use mana to create magma.

i, as an ice mage, could simply sill ice into my mana sphere. and i did.

then, i shot said ice toward her downed person, fallen over from having to dodge my fireball.

my ice, however, was only a distraction.

she made a shield of magma, placing it between my ice and her, keeping it floating in the air in front of her. while it melted the ice shards i shot at her, it also stopped her from seeing the glowing, and now pulsing, fireball beside her. she noticed too late, what was happening.

the ball exploded, and i only saw her throw up as much mana as she possibly could between the explosion and herself before my opponents side of the arena erupted in fire.

i put up a thin vein of mana at the extent of my sphere, blocking any residual heat from burning me, and stopping any pieces of ground that were thrown up from the force of the explosion.

i calmly waited, then summoned some water to cool down the ground beneath my tree, then hopping down into the small puddle i made, right before the charred trunk of my tree finally gave way, and fell down, making sure my hair covered my ears throughout.

i spotted her, collapsed on the ground, panting for air. i walked over to her, making sure to stay out of her sphere, as once i was inside, she could burn my body without having to do anymore than blink.

she slowly stood up, nearly falling over as she did so.

"you are one clever bitch..."

"thank you."

she sighed, looking sad.

"so, i've been defeated in the first round, huh?"

i nodded.

"i'm sorry."

she growled. "don't apolagize! don't feel pity for your opponent when you defeat them! that is like telling them that you could beat them any time you want! it's a humiliation, to be pitied by the person who beat you. stand proud, stand tall! you beat me, fair and square. now, go on and win it all, ya hear me? if i'm beat in the first round, and i can't tell the people who make fun of me that the person who beat me went on to win the whole damn thing, i'll be a laughing stock!"

i was shocked. i'd expected her to be angry at me for beating her, not for being sorry for her. she kept going.

"so, you better win, ya hear? that f***'in clear?"

when i looked at her disheveled, burned face, covered in dirt, and angry as hell, i didn't have the heart to tell her i had no chance, not with perry being here. but telling her i didn't have a chance...

"i'll do my best."

she nodded, satisfied. she held up her wrist, and yelled to all the spectators.

"i concede the match to Kat Jealson! and i'll be up there to watch her kick the rest of those scrubs asses!"

she touched the crystal on her bracelet, and disappeared.

i sighed.

"one down, five more to go. then i'll get to be destroyed by perry."

this one was a lot of exposition. i did not intend that, but i guess it works.

the next one, though... say goodbye to exposition, sense, and your socks. the battles will be one hell of a ride, and fun to write, so they might actually be up tonight. i don't know, i'm in a writing mood.