Magic Island Nathan vs. 3 Unknowns

Nathan was silently biding his time after 3 unknown spellcasters who had appeared out of nowhere deal with Nomtrix and Coalass swiftly. "..." His eyes were fixed on the giant pillar of black iron in front of him. "..." While a surge of purple lightning was endlessly sparking behind him.

"Hmph, you were high and mighty a moment ago, yet you are shaking like a cornered mouse..." The voice of the unseen woman spoke to Nathan. "...or is it that you are trying to gauge how powerful we are?"

"Perhaps?" Nathan answered while slowly turning his head to a far off tree line on the edge of the wetlands. There he found mana that belonged to the voice speaking to him. "That's 2...so where's the 3rd?" Slowly again, he turned to the iron pillar. "..." And sent some sparks of lightning towards it in hopes of finding its caster. "Hmm?" But sparks of purple blocked his path. "Would you like to be my 3rd opponent?"

Nathan began to turn around to the lightning caster while keeping a constant surge of lightning around him to keep any of their purple electricity from getting to him. "Hmm!" But as the mage was about to put his back to the pillar, it suddenly shot a spike at his head.

The moment this surprise attack came in contact with the electric field around Nathan. "Hah!" He jumped back, then pulled his arm back. "Thunder Jav-" He was never able to finish the spell as a large green-skinned hand sparking with purple lightning held his arm in place. "They got past my Lightning Sense!?!" A sense of fear washed over Nathan as any effort in pulling himself free was useless. "Wah!"

He was flipped around by his holder and forced to look at a shining chest plate of lightning. This armor of power belonged to a hulking male Orc with large top and bottom tusks that force his mouth partly open, bright golden catlike eyes, and a mane of jet black hair that flowed out of a large wide-brimmed wizard hat as dark as his hair. The rest of his clothing was of crouse his lightning chest plate matched with arm and leg guards, and the only other thing on him was a skirt of animal skins.

"I am sorry for my companion's ways. He does not understand the etiquettes of battle." Despite his barbaric looks, this lightning Orc as it were was rather polite by the words that came from his gravelly voice. "There we go..." He even let Nathan go and took a few steps back. "...and if you wish it; I shall gladly be your 3rd...and final opponent." He made a fist in each hand and surged with lightning.

"Quiet! You unlined brute!" Came a 2nd male voice from the iron pillar as its spike slowly sunk back into itself and nothing happened after that. "Oh? Do you think I'm gonna come out just like that? Sorry! But no, you have to work for it, boy!" With the unseen spellcaster's next words, his pillar began to sink into the water.

With that done, Nathan turned to the lightning Orc. "And what reason do I have to know that your comrades will not interfere in our bout?"

"None..." The Orc smirked before both he and Nathan jumped out of the way when serval spikes of black iron shot out of the sand.

"Damnit! You warned him!" The iron spellcaster's voice yelled as the spikes kept going into the air to shoot after Nathan while he was in mid-air.

"Grasping Chain!" Nathan sent his chain at one of the spikes and swung himself around the oncoming attacks. "Tch!" At the same time, a yellow beam of mana came flying at him from where the last of his unwelcomed opponents was. "Mana Lustre!" To counter it, Nathan fired his own beam. "Argh!" The resulting clash left him falling to the earth.

As the young mage fell, the Orc appeared. "Done already?" He asked with a fist of lightning. "Raaaah!" Roaring like the warrior he looked like, he threw a thunderous blow at Nathan.

"Skin of Steel!" Nathan turned himself into iron and crossed his arms to block the attack. "AAAAHHH!" And felt as if his arms were snapped in 2 and soared through the sky like a meteorite. He left the wetlands behind and entered the part of the island where there were floating rocks. "Ngh! Mana Barrier!" Nathan brought his numb to the bone arms up to form a wall of mana to take the brunt of him crashing into a floating hill.

"Impressive, his quickness in handling sudden events is good." The Orc commented on, floating in the air as the spikes sent after Nathan came to him. "What's your take, friend?"

"Don't friend me! We're here to test the boy and likely disappear afterward..." The spikes rattled at those words. "...truly the gift of life was wasted on us."

"Our value is only measured by the tasks we are given. Nothing more, nothing less." That woman's voice said to the two.

"Hmph! That doesn't even get us a place on the scoreboard!" The spikes rattled again then started to come together as a floating ball of black iron. "As for my thoughts on the kid? He's trying too hard to do too much! Even if he's Loved By Mana trying to use 3 types of magic back to back is a waste of mana..."

"Oh? Then you must be ill-informed about him? He has completely mastered one type of magic; that being water magic..." The woman's voice paused for a moment as if something got her attention. "...which shows just how much of a threat he takes us for."

"Then he doesn't think we're worth his full might, eh? Cheeky bastards die the quickest, hehe!" The voice from the iron ball snickered before it sped off towards Nathan's location.

"Hmm? Was setting him off the orders of mother?" The Orc asked, slowly following after the iron ball as he waited for an answer from the woman.

"As is all we do..." The woman answered and paused again. "...You should also show some fury for the crowd at least."

"So be it..." The Orc stopped in the air and hunched over while more and more lightning was gathering around him. "GRAAAHHH!" Until he let out a mighty roar with an electric current running between his tusks. "I shall crush you to dust!" Right after that, he shot off towards Nathan.

Blake's group's V.I.P box

"The hell's going on now!?" Gwyn screamed at the mirror after what just happened to Nathan. One moment he was on top of everything, about to take out that shadow guy and the giant lizard chick but in comes 3 people working together to see if Nathan was 'worthy?' Or some weird shit like that. "HEY! You jerks! Up there! Aren't teams not allowed!?" She turned her fury to the Sigil Sect who hadn't made a move in stopping any of this.

"Yeah, lightning dude said something about dire punishment..." Blake agreed with Gwyn although he wasn't about to toss a chair at someone. "...but something's off here? Do you magic people got anything?" He turned to Caspar and Fran. "Ugh?" But they looked about as confused as he was. "..." So he turned to Morgen. "Huh?"

Currently, the young witch was writing up a storm in her book with the most determined look on her otherwise always frightened or worried face. "He'll do this, then that, and maybe this..." She mumbled to herself while writing and took glances at the mirror with her yellow cat-like eyes aglow and amped by the shadow coming from her hat.

"Wait?" Which was when somethings started to connect in Blake's head between the eyes and headwear of Morgen and that lightning Orc. "..." But 2 things kept him from asking Morgen about it. The 1st was that most of the people in the stands all wore hats just like the one Morgen had and weird eyes in the magical world was a given. As for the 2nd thing, other than getting Caspar and Fran through a barrier, Morgen hadn't shown any super-powerful magical ability. "Or has she?" He asked himself still eyeing Morgen.

"Sir Blake is something the matter?" Which caught the eye of Risabeel after she looked away from the mirror to find Blake looking serious at something.

"Huh? Oh? I'm looking at Magnus." Blake shifted his gaze to Magnus' tower. He wasn't too sure on whatever was going on with Morgen and that Orc. "But if they don't want to do something about a 3-on-1 I guess Nathan's gotta really show off now."

Rhwystrau near the top of his barrier

"You're quite quick to test this one, my lady..." The headmaster of Le Fay said to the open-air and rubbed his cloaked arms together with a gleeful look to the orbs of white that were his eyes. "...hmm? But will the others allow this if I say so?" Rhwystrau asked himself with his arms held in pray. "Oh? Here they come."

7 mirrors appeared before him that each showed one of the members of the Sigil Sect and nearly all of them had some bit of questioning for their leader.

"Why is this happening!?" Blasted Magnus, who looked the most upset.

"So are rules thrown out the window now?" Asked Ruleek, glaring at the headmaster.

"My choice was nearly killed by one of them you know," Valdre added with a saddened look. "I could've gotten an extra body if it went a bit further..."

Kue nodded in agreement to the Lich. "Indeed, if it were not for Lady Nathalie's speed, there would have been many souls lost today."

"But I must say: Lady Morgen would've done this after the event's ending and that might lead to even bigger problems." Came from Granzumi who seemed to be one of the few of the Sigil Sect who wasn't against this outcome.

"GGGGRRRROOWWW! MORE! MORE! GRRROOOO!" The other unfortunately was Teihoon, even after Nomtrix, his chip in the pot was beaten his excitement level had only gotten higher. "LOOK AT ALL OF THEM! THEY'RE LOVING IT!" Sharing his need for more action was the roaring crowd.

Finally, there was Nathalie, but she had no words to add to the mess that was going on. "I should send you to a frozen wasteland right now," She thought with her eye, not on Nathan or those attacking him but the little witch Morgen who stopped in her frantic writing to roll up into a ball confusing those around her. "...I know you are not going to stop this but understand that you will not be able to stop me if my brother is proven worthy by those 'things'..."

"..." A deathly silence fell on the group after Nathalie's words, even Teihoon stopped his cheering roars and put on a serious face. "Well then, that will only come about if he is the right choice..." Rhwystrau started as he held the mirror with Nathalie's face in his arms. "...and if you do interfere not even my walls will protect you from her wrath."

"I have felt it once before, and I shall not allow my brother to feel it as well." Nathalie's mirror cut off from there, and the mana around her tower grew darker and more powerful.

"Oh, dear me..." Rhwystrau held his head in his arms as he shook it slightly then looked back at the rest of his group. "...as it is now Lady Morgen has seen it fit to test the young mage Nathan at this time. I cannot bring myself to put off this event and upset her or the crowd. For now, I ask that all of you act as if this is within the rules of the trial..." He turned to Teihoon who was nodding back at him.

"I can get it done, headmaster..." The tiger Beastman bashed a fist to his chest before his mirror cut off, followed by the others as they each gave their form of agreement.

"That family has had it poorer than most my lady..." Leaving Rhwystrau to speak to the air again. "...Why is it that you continue to drag them further down? Pain, strife, and despair may have pushed those 2 to where they are now, but everything has its limit..."

"GRRROOOW!" While the mysterious headmaster was mumbling to himself, Teihoon was getting the attention of the crowd. "Well, now! As all of you can see it appears we may be coming down to the climax of our wild event! GRRROOOWW!" He yelled as cheers were sent back to him. "However, I am sure that some of you think the matchup is unfair for the young mage, Nathan!" Some hissing and booing got thrown his way when he said that with Gwyn being the loudest. "Grrrr! But! After some talks with the rest of my peers! We have decided that those who are able to form bonds on short notice show great promise as members of our fine group..." Teihoon pointed at the floating rock Nathan was in and smirked. "...so the only one to blame for this is he who believes he can do everything on his own! GRRROOOOW!"

Back with Blake's group

"BULLSHIT!" Gwyn shot out of her chair and was about ready to toss it at that muscle tiger guy. "You're the one that picked those 3 aren't you!?" She yelled at Nathalie. "Don't ignore me! Witch!" But be it the distance away or the fact that Nathalie's attention was elsewhere, it looked like Gwyn wasn't going to get an answer from the portal-making witch.

"Wah! My notes!" In all of the knight's moving and ranting Morgen feathered pen went all over of the place.

"Who would have thought his social skill would be his undoing?" Natula hummed, staring at the mirror intently as she waited for Nathan to come out. "But you're going to do something about this, right?" Her eyes soon went to Nathalie.

"Ah, come on that useless mage has this!" Blake tried to perk the others up even with Nathan in this seemingly unwinnable matchup and with some help from Risabeel, Mari and Os it worked since the 3 most worried about Nathan calmed down.

"Uhm, Cas? Do you think he can win?" Fran whispered to Caspar as not to get the attention of Blake and co. "I mean sure he's strong but...uhm?" She trailed off when Caspar didn't so much as act like he was listing to her. "Caspar?" She went to poke him in cheek.

"Huh? What?" Caspar was for whatever reason staring off at nothing. "Oh, you say something Fra-? Ugh..sorry?" However, when he tried to see what Fran was asking him about all he got was the back of her head. "She's cute but how long am I gonna be stuck with this chick? But more importantly, is that all this guy has to show? If so then I might save his sister for last..." His eyes found themselves on Nathalie. "Hmm?" That is until the black iron ball smashed into the floating rock hill Nathan was in.

Magic Island

"Dammit! I missed!" The iron magic-user cussed when their iron ball went right through the floating hill without hitting Nathan. "Huh? What the?" They got confused when a bolt of lightning struck their ball that came from the now crumbling pile of rock. "Oh? Do you think a little spark like that is good enough to hurt me? Think again! Chasing Skewer!" From all over the iron ball spikes shot out and drove into the floating rock hill, keeping it from falling apart further while also filling it with deadly spikes. "Out you come!" Right after that, the spikes whipped out to slash the pierced stone and flung random chucks of it around the island.

"Ah!" And clinging onto one those chucks was Nathan, both his Lightning Cloth and Skin Of Steel barely holding on. "Ngh!" And so was he after being hit by a fist of thunder, slammed into solid rock, and nearly stabbed and slashed to death, the mage's body and mind were starting to give out. "Which means I need to push myself harder? Right, brutish knight?" His thoughts went back to the times of his training with Gwyn, where such pain was felt daily. "Heh, I think of her now of all times?" He smirked before kicking off the falling rock and tried entering the forest of iron as he flew over it.

But quickly changing that smirk into a scowl was the lightning Orc appearing above Nathan while both of them were still in the air. "Thunder Hammer!" With his large hands held together and pulled behind his head, the Orc brought down a double axe handle strike on Nathan to unleash a roaring blast of lightning.

"Grasping Chain!" Nathan got himself out of the way by hooking onto a tall iron tree. "Arggh!" But he wasn't quick enough as a spray bolt of lightning struck his back while everything under the Orc was razed to the ground be it iron or not. "And after that comes..." Getting some sound footing on a tree, Nathan threw his hands out. "Mana Lustre! Mana Barrier!" Using 2 spells at once he was able to block an oncoming mana beam from the last of his opponents.

"Oh, you blocked it this time? And you have already come to understand our attack pattern." That woman's voice came to Nathan's ears as he dashed away from the lightning Orc. "Now the question is, will we stick to it or change things up? And how long can you last at your current amount of mana? Even keeping your books afloat must be draining at this point, yes?"

"Two unseen foes, one who can attack from a great distance while the other might be hiding in their own spell and a close-ranged combatant who can somehow bypass my Lightning Sense..." Both Nathan's mind and body were moving as fast as possible with that lightning Orc keeping pace with him.

"Lightning Javeline!" The Orc changed his attacking style as he clapped his hands together and a volley of Lightning Javelins blasted their way towards Nathan.

"A change in methods?" Nathan weaved through the volley thanks to his Lightning Cloth and Grasping Chain. "Hmm?" But that all stopped when his chain didn't come back to him after he swung by a tree. "Tch! So they're that skilled!?" He gritted his teeth as he freed his chain from his person just before it went black and erupted in spikes. "This place just became far more dangerous!" He landed on the ground as it was turning into black iron as well.

"'I need to get out of here' is your thought isn't it, boy!" The voice of the iron spellcaster came from all around Nathan with more and more of the once grey iron forest becoming pitch-black. "Iron Maiden Territory!" Everything within the forest suddenly gained jagged spikes that shot towards Nathan.

"Bastion Of Protection!" With his arms outstretched Nathan summoned a castle of mana to stop himself from being riddled with a hole. "Ngh!" However, while his castle stopped most of the oncoming spikes, a few got through and dug into him. "Li-li-lightning Swift!" Dropping Bastion, he clapped his hands together and turned into a bolt of lightning that tried to climb into the air.

But a much larger and quicker bolt of purple collided with Nathan's and sent him veering off course. "Ahhh! Gauh! Argh! Uaugh!" He crashed and bashed into everything and anything as he fell out of the sky. "Ngh! Painful, but it did the job!" After being dragged across the ground, Nathan slowly picked himself up. "...there?" Then cast his eyes on a forest a few feet from his lan- crashing spot.

"Oh? You came after me? Are you finally done with being knocked around by my 'brothers?'" The same woman's voice that had been finding its way Nathan's ears this whole time mused but this time it was the real thing as a figure was coming into view.

She was a woman of average height with bright red skin and long black hair that reached her lower back. She wore a tight-fitting sleeveless black dress with her neck and shoulders covered by a yellow scarf and like her 'brother' she wore a large black witch hat that was covering most of her face in shadow that only left her blacken lips in a soft smile to been seen.

"Greetings and it is an honor to you for making me speak face to face...I am quite shy due to my looks, you see." The woman pulled at the wide brim of her hat when a golden glow was coming from where her eyes would be.

"Then let *pant* it be an honor *pant* for you to be bested by me!" Nathan was shaking as he stood his ground with his breathing rough and hard, his gaze partly blurred, and his body ready to give up on him. "This must be how those fools felt during the end of their battle." He thought back to Blake's and Gwyn's big battle in Pirman. "Heh, maybe I can gain that steely resolve to push myself further?" The mage shook his head at the thought. "Ugh!" But even that was painful in his current state.

"Hmm? Yes, it would be an honor to be defeated by someone who is about to fall...in which case..." The red-skinned woman waved a finger in front of herself as if drawing a circle in the air. "...I should make it impossible, yes? Teleport..." Once she was done, 2 magic circles appeared in the air around her.

Coming out of one of them was the lightning Orc who bowed his head to a shocked Nathan. "Why thank you, 'sister.'

"Really you couldn't take my ball with me?!" Yelled the one coming out of the 2nd circle. They appeared to be a Dark Elven man with light blue skin, golden cat-like eyes, and yet another pitch-black wide-brim witch hat. The rest of his clothing was only a pair of black pants.

"And can't you see I'm underdressed for all this!?" The Dark Elf nagged the woman who summoned him and tried to tear off her hat. "HEY! Let go! You giant lightning rod!" He yelled at Orc, who was holding him off the ground at a full arm's length.

"Order of birth, friend..." The Orc politely stated before dropping the Dark Elf and came back to staring at the barely standing Nathan. "...you have put up quite the effort to keep yourself active in our little exchanges, but anyone can see that you are done for." With those words, the sparking armor on him went away, seemingly being a spell this whole time and left his muscular form out to the world. "...care to evaluate him?" He asked the other 2 mysterious spellcasters. "You first as the youngest amongst us." He pointed at the currently grumbling Dark Elf.

"Huh!? I already gave my 2 copper about this guy! He needs to sit his ass down a master something instead of throwing it all over the place!" The Dark Elf yelled with his arms thrown at Nathan, putting the young mage on a defense. "Calm down, if I had my way with you; you'd be nailed to the ground about now, hehe! Now, look here! Skin Of Steel!" His arms turned into black metal. "You've had that book for a while yet you haven't even come this far yet! Such a waste!"

Then from his arms fell random things made of iron, there was even a pair of chains coming out of his palms. "Walking around with a length of chain like a damn fool! Bah! If you just took your time to read up, you could be out doing a smith!" He held one of his metallic hands up high. "And the moment your opponent gets a hold of your creations..." He snapped his fingers and everything he made turned to dust. "...you can leave them with nothing."

"Like when he forced me to relinquish my chain." Nathan thought back to the exchange he had with the Dark Elf in the iron forest.

"Oh? That's rather informative coming from you? I am impressed." The Orc mused much to the annoyance of the long-eared man glaring at him, but he brushed that aside to turn to Nathan. "As my final words for you before we are put to rest..." He paused as an oddly sadden look came to his face. "...There is no such thing as perfection, but there is a road towards perfection, which you should walk with your best foot forward. From our very useful informant, we were able to know that you were working on your rather lackluster physical abilities and while that allows you to keep up with me slightly. Sometimes it is best to stick with what you are good at and leave your weaknesses as weaknesses.

The Orc then held a hand up. "Hmm!" Closing it into a fist, he made it erupt in a dazzling show of lightning that soon turned into a sparking gauntlet. "This spell here is called Storm Armor. It's more or less a tier above that Lightning Cloth of yours. The reason why you could not get a read on me with that Lightning Sense was because I matched the lightning coming off you, but you probably worked that one out already..."

"No, I didn't not but useful information none the less." Nathan took the words thrown at him to heart. "Ugh!" However, that didn't help with the pain he was in. "And what of you?" He looked at the last of the three and waited for her out of place words of advice.

Yet the red-skinned woman uttered not a word and appeared to be looking intently at Nathan from under the shadow of her hat. "I have looked into his skills along with his current state and have come to the reasoning that he still has a way to defeat us..." She finally spoke and brought a shock to those around her, be they friend or foe.

"Wha!" Dark Elf and Orc grasped as they took up defensive stances without a 2nd word from the red-skinned witch.

"Heh!" However, taking this small more of confusion as his chance, Nathan made his all 3 of his spellbook float around him. "Judging by their rea-! Eh?" But the mage was barely able to think as a yellow beam of mana from the witch's face had gone tore his Advanced Mana Control and was currently making a hole in his gut. "..." Not even a groan of pain left Nathan as his other books fell to the ground with him following right after them. "Nraaagh!" But he slammed his hands down to support himself before he hit the ground.

"...which is why I will not allow you to defeat us in this battle..." The witch wasn't done speaking yet. "...but it appears I'm not the only older sibling who cares for the young ones..." She turned her head up at Nathalie's tower.

"*pant* So you *pant* are..." Nathan gasped for air as blood seeped out of his gut and mouth yet he kept his face forward to stare at the large yellow cat-like eye that was taking up most of the woman's upper face. "...a Cyclops of the *pant* magical persuasion." He groaned with his right hand on the grisly wound given to him by this Cyclopean witch.

"Not fully but my mother is one who likes to mix and match, you see." The Cyclops pulled her hat over her eye, returning the shadow she once had over it. "Now will you admit defeat or do we have to wait for you pass out from blood loss? I would like it if you took the latter option due to the fact that I would enjoy some more time with my 'brothers' despite their varying personalities."

"Hey! Don't give the kid a chance! Just let me toss him out of here!" The Dark Elf berated his Cyclops 'sister.' "A good old whip should do the trick!" He made a whip of black come out one of his palms. "Besides, I have had my fill of you lot to last a lifetime."

"Despite how short it is?" The Orc muttered under his breath, then held his brother's arm in place. "And least I remind you that you should listen to your elders?"

"Oh! Don't give me that! There was hardly any time between our births!" The Dark Elf spat in the Orc's face, prompting the 2 to go into a quick back and forth of words while their elder sister watched.

"Goddess be dammed! Is that how little they think of me as a threat!?" Nathan cussed not the 3 mages having some sibling banter, but at his own weakness even after all the training, he put himself through. "I need to get up and continue this batt-" He tried getting back on his feet by pushing up with his right arm. "Argh!" But the moment he got any headway, a mana beam went through his left shoulder, which knocked him to his back and left a burning hole in his shoulder.

"So you chose to fight like a fool who does not know their limit..." The Cyclops began as she was looking at the ground where a constant mana beam was burning everything in her sight. "...such people are those I hate the most. You all reach the apex of your power yet still you wish to force on ahead for more instead of being content with what you are abl-."

"Hah!" A short and pained laugh from Nathan cut the Cyclops short as she turned her mana beam off to slowly tuned to the still on the ground mage. "Forgive me. I could not help but be amused by your words!" Nathan looked up with a weak grin on his face.

"Why is that?" Asked the Cyclops with her eye glared and building with mana.

"My sister..." Was Nathan's answered which gave a short pause to the 3 spellcasters. "...at any and all of my goals, she was there to outdo me. And every time the same words were said to my face; 'A failure will remain a failure as long as someone beats them.' Ngh!" And through some slow and pained motions, he stood back on his feet.

His right hand was still held over his stomach while his left arm was left hanging off his side after the Cyclops' eye beam pierced his shoulder. Haggard breaths and drops of blood left his lips as he forced his eyes to keep watch over those in front of him. Lastly, his 2 remaining spellbooks floated to his sides, Iron's Call to the left and Sparkling Strike Of Boa to the right.

"Sadly for her, such words only pushed me further in my path to outdo her...a thing I have yet do but something that shall be done..." Nathan began to force himself to stand upright. "Ugh!" And nearly fell to his back in the process but caught himself. "...And until then I will..." He looked at the Dark Elf 1st as his limp arm was turned into a scarped piece of iron, stopping the bleeding for now and allowed it some form of movement. "...master as much I wish..." Next, he turned to Orc as lightning leaped off his right hand when he pulled it away from his bleeding stomach. "...Discover my own perfection..." Finally, he turned to Cyclops, whose eye only showed a great deal of curiosity. "...And continue to break through my limits!" He declared with a right hand of lightning, a left hand of iron, and his eyes set ablaze in a magical light.

"Hahahaha!" But all that gave the Dark Elf was a good laughed. "And here you 2 were saying I was a brazen idiot!?" He smirked and took a step forward along with his 'brother' who reapplied his Storm Armor. "Oh? You planning on ending things, eh?" He asked, slowly being covered by Steel Of Skin.

The Orc did not waste any words on his 'brother' with his eyes only on Nathan. "He is focusing most of his remaining mana on his hands...meaning not only are most his defensive spells useless but his chances of escape are even lower...this is his last stand..." After, taking his time to think over this, he turned to look at back his 'sister.'

"Curious..." She titled her head to one side as her eye stayed fixed on Nathan. "...the information I have on you did not detail this level of will power. Could it be the huge importance of this day or something more?" She wondered out loud, seemingly lost in thought after Nathan's 2nd wind.

"I simply met someone who is both very different yet at the same very similar to myself!" Nathan answered with a smirk then began jumping backward, trying to get some distance between himself and 3 spellcasters. "This will be my last chance, but the question is, will they give me time to prepare?" He thought as he brought his hands together and slowly began forming a mass of iron and lightning brimming with power as it grew in size.

"What is that thing?" Questioned the Dark Elf and anyone else watching Nathan mix 2 types of mana into one, something only a pair spellcasters who knew eachother like they knew themselves could pull off. "The power's not bad, heh!" He cracked a smirked when some sparks of lightning jumping off Nathan set fire to the things around him. "Should I just stop him before he kills us with that...?"

"'Sister?'" The Orc asked while taking a step forward along with his Dark Elf 'brother.'

"..." The Cyclops was silent with an odd glaze over her eye as if in a trance. "...mother wishes to see the power of his spell against our own might..." She answered as her eye returned to normal. "...as such I believe the words you would use is; hit 'em with my best'" She said to the Dark Elf then made a finger frame with Nathan in the center. "Please do not hold back, brothers..."

To that end, Dark Elf placed his hands on the ground. "Welp, if you don't mind a chuck of this island going 'bye, bye?' I'm all for it!" His Skin Of Steel began to affect the ground around him as he went into a chant. "Slash, pierce, grind, and crash. As an endless flow of jagged steel that are like the fangs of the earth. That shall leave my enemy wishing to be put to death..." With his words, the iron ground around him began rumbled and shake as spikes, chains, spears, axes, blades and all manner of weaponry shot out of the metallic ground, nearly covering him and his siblings from sight.

"Then it's best not to be outdone by the younger." Then it was the Orc's turn to prepare. "Let your might shatter all under your weight. As you descend from black clouds with shocking speed. To enlighten my opponent with your brilliant power until nothing but ash is left." He raised his arms to the sky where a sudden storm appeared and breaking through the black clouds was a ball of purple lightning nearly as big as the storm itself.

"Envision my enemy's destruction and make it so. Let my viewing be nothing more than a forgotten memory. Strike true with but a glance of my eye. And bring about a new sight begetting the end..." The Cyclops' chant gave her eye a golden aura as veins in and around it became more prominent.

"..." While those 3 were chanting out their spells, Nathan only had his eyes on the ball of lightning and iron between his hands, which had now taken on the appearance of a spiky orb of grey and yellow that was shooting bolts of lightning at everything while at other times it tried to find its way out of its caster's control. "...Please forgive me as this is a new spell of my own design and I have yet to find an incarnation best suited for bringing out its true power."

"Sucks for you!" The Dark Elf barked with an eerie forest of black iron weapons waiting to be thrown at someone. "And don't get mad when you lose...if you're lucky to survive that is! KAHAHAHA!" He laughed like a madman as his summoned weapons rattled against eachother.

"Indeed..." The Orc muttered and looked up at his storm cloud which was shooting down pillars of lightning around the area Nathan and they were fighting in. "...And there is no escape if this hold thing was a bluff on your part." Then slowly brought his arms down with the mass of lightning in his storm cloud falling to the earth.

"Unlikely those foolish enough to walk into the jaws of death only think of 1 outcome; victory..." Cyclops smirked for the 1st in their battle with her eye nothing but a glowing orb of gold. "Now then face us! Nathan, The Great Mage!"

"So be it!" Nathan abided with his spell, ready to be unleashed at any moment. "Now just don't blow up in my face..." He hoped as he raised the ever-moving ball of electromagnetic might. "Ngh!" Dug his feet into the ground, lest he be tossed around by his own spell and prepared to fire it.

Blake's group in the V.I.P box

"Hell yeah! Blast all of those freaks in one shot!" Gwyn yelled at Nathan with one of the biggest grins Blake or Mari had ever seen on her face. "Haha! I knew your wimpy ass would have to bust that one out!" Following after her cheers was a roar from the crowd who could not wait to see the outcome of 4 powerful spells going off at once.

"Ugh, I remember that thing..." Blake groaned when the image of him and Baba nearly getting hit by a way less powerful version Nathan's spell came to mind.

"Truly, Sir Blake? Would you care to inform me of its effects?" Risabeel asked, forcing her eyes away from the battle at hand. "Ah?" And only found Blake shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know how that thing works. All you need to know is that's the thing that put a hole in the Guild House a few days ago..." Was all Blake had to say on the matter of Nathan's new spell. "...Ugh? That not good enough for you 2?" He looked at Caspar and Fran leaning in on him.

"Uh, no? I thought you were friends and work at the same guild? Shouldn't you know that kind of stuff?" Caspar pointed out with Fran nodding behind him in agreement. "Come on! There has to be something you know?"

"Ask her. She trained him." Blake pointed at Gwyn currently punching the air with Morgen screaming at her to stop. "Not like you'll get anything out of that empty head of h-Guah!" He tried to make a joke when a boot smacked into the side of his face.

"Shut it! Pepper-boy!" Gwyn growled with another boot, ready in hand. "And toss my boot back here!" She waved her free hand at Blake when he picked up her boot.

"Do you at least know what he's trying to do with the iron and lightning thing...?" Blake asked, throwing Gwyn's boot back at her and tried to hit her in the face, but the knight caught it. "Uhm?" Then he quickly regretted even thinking about that question.

"Nope, not a thing!" Gwyn shrugged as Blake did with Risabeel, showing just how much she didn't know about Nathan's newest spell. "But..." Then she turned back to the mirrors as a close up of Nathan's face came into view. "...it's something he's got a lot of pride in, and I respect that!"

Magical Island

A storm lightning purple hung in the air while a field of black iron weapons reigned over the earth and between the 2 of them was a single orb of gold marking the location of the group of 3 spellcasters who had come to this battle for only 1 reason.

That 1 reason was Nathan, on his last legs and held a force of iron and lightning in his hands that was all but ready to be unleashed onto its master's opponents. "...what are you waiting for? A moment of hesitation is all it takes to lose one's life in a battle, no?" His eyes were focused on the Cyclops, Orc, and Dark Elf.

"Enough talk! Show us your power! Gaze Of Destruction!" Cyclops answered by pulling her finger frame apart and glare her eye to shot out a single powerful beam of gold that sped off towards Nathan as it destroyed everything in its path.

"Iron Age!" Dark Elf followed right behind her as he sunk his hands into iron earth beneath him. With that one action each and every one of the weapons of black iron rushed to towards Nathan amass. They slashed, stabbed, and bashed everything in their way as if a wild army was charging down on a battlefield.

"Boa's Talon!" Finally, the Orc threw down his arms and out of his storm cloud came the giant talon of a bird made entirely out of purple lightning that rained bolts of lightning down on the island and roared with an earthshaking thunder.

"..." Staring all of it down was Nathan, with his arms held forward as if welcoming the oncoming attacks with his electromagnetic orb staying close to his chest. "...BELLGATE STAR!" Then without warning the sphere shot forward while a current of electricity leaped off it to Nathan's arms burning off his tore shirt sleeves, skin, and even went down to his bones, along the away it shifted its shape from a sphere to what looked like an arrowhead.

"AAAAAHHHH!" And the amount this arrowhead left the tips of Nathan's burnt fingers he was thrown back by a massive blast of lightning and air that cracked the ground where he once stood on, burnt the air he once breathed and disappeared from the space he once shared with it.

This 'star' named after Nathan's father flew directly at 3 spells used to test its might in what would be a clash of power beyond anything seen on this day, one that would rock this very island of magic to its core and decide the winners of this battle...

...Yet such an event would only transpire if the opposing forces were of similar power...

...The Bellgate Star despite being cast by a weaken and beaten mage and pitted against 3 spells from a trio of spellcasters that were far above Nathan in power and skill pushed even further by their co-ordinated tactics showed no sign of resistance as it met and went through each of the spells in this their combined assault against it.

The lightning from Boa's Talon was kept at bay by the Bellgate Star's own display of electricity as it filled the air with its own array of yellowish blue lightning. The army's worth of weapons created by Iron Age was melted and misshaped by the heat and the force of an iron core. Finally, when it came to being showered in the Cyclops' Gaze Of Destructure which even destroyed parts of the 2 other spells used alongside it, Nathan's Bellgate Star was a greater force as it split this death ray in half.

Then right before it utterly obliterate the trio of mages that 'star' rose up into the air taking the leftovers of its unstoppable wake of destruction and bore a sizeable hole in the barrier put in place by the very Headmaster Of Le Fay, Rhwystrau, The Final Wall. Something thought all but impossible by those in the stands, yet it happened.

And then silence fell amongst not only the four left on the island, but those in the stands, the V.I.P boxes and even the Sigil Sect themselves were unable to utter a word. In fact, the only sound being made was the cracks of Rhwystrau's barrier, slowly putting itself back together as if nothing had happened.

"Do...you...*pant*...forfeit?" Nathan asked down on one knee and left without any mana. His arms were left hanging to his sides with a stream of blood coming from his shoulders and down to his palms. What was left of his attire was a burnt dress shirt and a leather vest while his pants were torn and tattered with one of his curly toed shoes being lost some time ago.

"..." Yet those he asked were the complete opposite other than their wide-brimmed hats being blown off. The 3 were otherwise fine. "!" Physical that is as the moment realty hit them they all dropped to a knee as if some great force ordered them to do so. "...we have seen your might, your knowledge, and your potential for the future! And with all those taken into account, we have deemed you worthy of victory this day!" They all spoke in an eerie unison with a lack of personality between them.

"Oh...good...I...forfeit...as...well?" Were Nathan's final words as he dropped to the ground and right into the arms of his sister after falling through a portal connected to her tower.

"Hmph, Bellgate Star, eh? Father would be nagging you for such a poor name..." Nathalie ran a hand through Nathan's disaster of hair. "...Teihoon, I believe the people should be given some form of statement before their minds rot..." She turned her head to a mirror with the Beastman's fang grinning face.

"Haha! Yes, they do!" Teihoon chuckled lightly with his eyes on Nathan for a moment before he put a claw to his neck. "GRROOOOOW!" And let out a roar that finally broke the collective silence of the floating coliseum goers. "As most of you might have heard! All four of our final combatants forfeited to each other 'before' a victor had been decided! GRRROOOW! As such, the outcome of this battle royal along with this recruitment summons are null and void! In normal speak for some of you idiots, we don't have a winner! And by extension, no one is joining the Sigil Sect! GGGRRROOOWWW!"

A single and simple question was shared between everyone inside the coliseum after Teihoon's words. "WHAT!?"

"You all heard me! GGGRRROOOWWW! The reasoning for such a decision will be explained after all combatants are treated for their wounds until then...GET OUT OF HERE!" Teihoon yelled at everyone then snapped his head to Magnus.

Who was just finishing up a chant as lightning was jumping between his held up hands. "Grand Lightning Swift..." He clapped his hands together, and in a blink of an eye or a flash of lightning, in this case. The entire coliseum was emptied save for the Sigil Sect themselves. "...hmm? the public outrage over this going to be a nightmare..." He groaned as a mirror came to his side, showing Ruleek's face.

"And I believe we are tasked with handling such things this time around...oh what a ~joy~" The noseless Elf cheered with a smile that anyone but a brick wall could tell was fake. "Come along, brother, before they storm the main building..." He switched back to his dull face as his image left the mirror followed by his tower.

Then the towers of other sect members disappeared with only Rhywstrua felt in the air. "Hmm? Will this outcome be to your liking my lady?" He looked up at the sky with his face still unseen even as direct sunlight was hitting it. "Oh well! As always what goes on with this city's magical folk is my task while yours is to enjoy the outcomes for your grand experiments." From there, he waved an arm around to cast a barrier around himself, that disappeared along with him.

2 hours later Le Fay School Of Magic: Medical Hall

"Would you guys stop pacing?" Blake asked while looking away from a losing game of checkers against Risabeel.

"No." Came from Gwyn, Natula, and Morgen all with worried looks as they stopped to answer Blake. "..." Then quickly set their eyes on a pair of doors leading to a specialized medical room set up for Nathan.

Nathan's group of supports had been outside this one room the moment he was taken in there, minus Caspar and Fran who had left the group after they gave their well-wishes for the severely wounded mage.

"Yes, it is quite annoying that you 3 are like that..." And surprisingly enough, Nathalie was there along with them. "...and you say this ball of goo can mimic the type of mana fed to it, correct?" Moreover, she was having a serious conversation with Mari about Os of all things. It would seem that she shared her brother's interests in magical oddities.

"Yep!" Mari cheered just happy that she could show Os off to someone.

"Interesting? Very Interesting, indeed?" The Witch Of The Gaps even shared the same saying her brother had when he found something he didn't quite understand. "I'll have to take this to note..." A portal appeared at her side, and after sticking her hands in it, she pulled out a pen and notebook. "...and is there anything you'd like to ask knight?" She asked, writing away while Gwyn was glaring at her.

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" The knight asked, coming up to stand over Nathalie, putting the witch in her shadow.

To that, Nathalie closed her pen in her notebook and returned them to her portal then stood up to look up at Gwyn, staring her down. "I am here to ensure that my brother is safe. Do you have a problem with me showing some concern towards a member of my family?"

"No...but I got this feeling that you had something do with all of that," Gwyn answered still keeping her eyes on the witch.

"Well, it was an event to decide who would join my group, but I don't believe that's what you're getting at..." Nathalie spoke matter-a-factly to Gwyn right as the doors to Nathan's room open.

The 1st person to appear via a floating mass of water was Granzumi, the Sea Hag of the Sigil Sect. "Oh? Why hello there! I am sure all of you are worried about that boy Nathan, yes?" She asked the group who had all come up to her at once. "Oh my!"

"Did you really need that many...' samples' yes?" But the only people they saw were Kue and Valdre with the Lich being followed by his fateful trio of skeletons; Marrow, Joint, and Calcium, all in their blake robes.

Each one was carrying a glass jar of something; Marrow's had what appeared to be blood while Joint and Calcium had crumbling bits of something black in theirs, odder still each jar was giving off a magical glow.

"Oh, come now, K! I was just cleaning up after we treated the poor boy! There's nothing wrong with me taking a few 'leftovers' for my own interests, yes?" Valdre teased, taping his blue-skinned fingertips together evilly. "Oh, no!" He immediately stopped when he found Natula and Nathalie giving him blank stares. "Why ~hello~! How have you been Miss Natula?! Wrote any new songs lately...?" The Lich blabbed out while waving at his skeletons to get a move on.

"!?" However, they all stopped when the pair of lavender haired women slowly turned their gaze to the trio of boneheads. "..." And after some pushing and shoving Marrow was put at the lead while Joint and Calcium rattled behind it.

"Nathalie..." Natula spoke in a dry tone as her daughter sent a sharp examing gaze on the 3 jars then nodded to her mother, causing Natula to let out a low sign. "...how many times have I told that my children are not your personal source of research material! You creepy old man!" She swiped a finger at the undead man living inside the corpse of a woman.

"As I said, these are just leftovers! And I was joking about using them in my work!" Valdre assured with a smile of blackened teeth. "They were off to dump those jars! Now go on my babies! Get rid of the bad things for 'mummy'!" He waved at his skeletons to go off somewhere.

But the moment each of them made a move the jars, and their boney hands were taken away by 3 portals appearing out of nowhere. These portals were connected to a larger one above Nathalie and left the jars and hands floating in the air thanks to her mana.

"Hmm?" Nathalie eyed them for a moment then turned to Valdre. "Blood, skin, and flesh samples, eh? Did the other 2 stop you from getting at the bone?" She asked in a chilling tone as the jars began to crack under her mana.

"Careful with those!?" Which caused Valdre to flip out a little as he ripped Marrow's skull off its body since trying anything on Nathalie would likely end with his findings lost to some random part of the world or worse destroyed before his dead eyes. "Please! Do you not know how important one Loved By Mana is to the magical world? Let my study at least a part of him! It's not like I'm going to take over his body! I can't even do that unless he's willing!"

As the undead wizard was begging for a chance to further his knowledge of the magical world. "..." Natula was shaking her head at how ungodly weird some of the magical folk can be at times. "Throw those in a volcano, dear..." She waved to her daughter to do the deed.

"A VOLCANO!? WHAT!? WWWWHHHHHYYYY!?!" Valdre tried to stop the Witch Of The Gaps, but a 2nd large portal bubbling with red hot lava opened in front of her. "NOOO!" Then the Lich watched in horror as his precious findings along with the hands holding them were dropped into a pool of molten rock. "EEEEK!" His body froze up and fell backward into the ready and handless arms of a headless Marrow, Joint, and Calcium.

"By the Goddess..." Natula groaned, turning to Granzumi and Kue then took a deep breath. "...how is he?" She asked after a bit as she played with her fingers while everyone else leaned in.

Granzumi pulled at her long nose and picked at her teeth with her 'S.S' pin. "He is...fine...badly injured...but fine for the most part..." She answered and grinned at the look of relief that washed over the faces of the group. "Kekeke! It is good to see that boy has gotten himself some good friends!" Her soulless white eyes stayed at Blake's group rather than Natula and Nathalie. "..." However, her look of joy went away when it came to Morgen.

Noticing her stare Kue took the reins from there. "Would you like to see him for yourself, yes?" He offered, throwing his gloved hand to the open door. "Ah..."

And 3 persons dashed into the room without a 2nd word, those being Natula, Nathalie, and Gwyn with Morgen still hanging off the knight's back while Blake, Risabeel, and Mari followed after them then finally Kue and Granzui.

"..." As for Valdre and his boneheads, they stayed outside and found a corner to form a shadowy huddle.

On the inside, the room was relatively warm and cozy with cream-colored walls and wooden floors. Shelves occupied one side with medical supplies and tools stacked on them while the other side had a small sitting area for visitors. But more importantly, there was a single bed sitting next to a window wall looking out into the courtyard area of the medical building.

Sitting up in this bed with his back supported by a few large and poofy pillows was Nathan. He was in a light blue silk robe with bandages around his head, neck, and completely covering his arms which were motionless at his sides. The rest of him likely heavily bandaged as well, was under a thick blanket.

"..." The recovering mage was passing his time by going through his Iron's Call and Sparkling Strike Of Boa spellbooks which were on a pair of bookstands next to his bed. "Hmm?" But at the sound of footsteps, he turned to find the others coming up to him. "Ah, hel-Ugh!"

"MY POOR BABY! LOOK AT YOU!" Natula threw herself at her son and wrapped him up in a loving hug. "I should have stopped you from getting involved in this stupid test!" She swung him this way and that without any regard at what her actions would do to Nathan in his current condition.

"Mother, you're hurting him..." Nathalie had to be the one to stop her when Natula began pulling at Nathan's bruised cheeks.

"Eh?" Natula's blind fit of worry went away when she turned back to everyone staring at her in bewilderment. "Oh?" When she turned back to Nathan, she found him cringing in pain but couldn't do a thing to stop her. "Sorry, dear...I was just worried...you know?" She sweetly apologized, changing her cheek pulling to soft rubbing.

"Yes, yes, I know, but I'm fi-" Nathan began, but the moment he was about to say fine, Gwyn and Nathalie leaned in on him with raised brows...and Morgen waved at him too.

"How bad is he?" The pair of glaring eyes turned to Kue and Granzumi.

"Let's see here..." The answer came from Kue who picked up a checkboard on a table near Nathan's bed. "...8 cracked ribs, twisted left ankle, a hole put through his left shoulder, several concussions, mirror stab and slash wounds throughout his body..." He paused to point at what was of Nathan's clothing on the side. "...His arms got the worst of it which is funny since its all self inflicted thanks to that spell of his...both of them are completely fractured, and most of the skin on them have lightning figures from his shoulders to his palms with some skin discoloration. Finally, there's a sizable scar left on his stomach after Nathalie saved him from that mana beam..." Once the archbishop was done, he held a hand to Granzumi. "...dare I say, but if it was not for that and our lovely Granzumi's waters magic replacing his blood and soothing his burns then the young Nathan might not have been with us at this moment, yes?"

"Oh, you! What about your holy light which mended his bones and closed his wounds, my dear Kue?" Granzumi waved a hand at him for putting all the glory on her.

"Mmmmmm..." Then came the low humming from behind and as everyone turned to see what was doing that they found a still headless Marrow tapping its foot with crossed handless arms.

"Yes, your removal of dead tissue and charred blood was most helpful, Master Valdre," Kue gave his thanks to the skeleton which stepped out of sight without any more sounds.

"Hey, uh, question?" Gwyn spoke up with her hand held up as everyone turned back to Nathan. "What was that about her saving him?" She pointed a thumb at Nathalie.

Said witch was helping Nathan along with his reading by turning the pages of his books for him so he wouldn't waste his energy trying to do it with mana. "Are you that much of a fool?" She asked in return while giving the knight a dull look. "It is as Master Kue said; I saved him in his time of need..." Nathalie stated in a slow and dry tone as if it was such a mundane fact that a child would know about it. "...pitiful really." She muttered afterward when she looked back at Nathan with a slight twitch coming from her unseen left eye.

"That doesn't tell me anything! Witch!" Gwyn barked, from Nathalie's tone this witch stopped caring about the knight once she answered the question.

"Gwyn, it is alright." Nathan stopped the knight from going off anymore with one look of concern on his face. "..." Which soon devolved into one of regret and anger. "...did you not think it odd that a beam capable of going through my shoulder on a 2nd shot only stopped at my stomach wall?" He asked in a bitter tone as everyone's eyes drifted to his shoulder. "...if yes is your answer then you are not wrong...at the moment that 1st beam began to burn through my flesh Nathalie used a portal to send the rest of it elsewhere..." With that same look of regret and anger, he faced Nathalie. "Which is why I forfeited after those 3 did, as any victory would not have been one I earned."

Nathalie was stone-faced against Nathan's stare. "Your weakness is your own doing as a failure, dear brother..." She stated just as Nathan's spellbooks slammed themselves shut by her doing, creating a dreadful silence in the room that no one dared to break until... "But...as much as it annoys me to say it; you are showing signs of improvement...and such things are in need of reward..." A portal appeared in front of Nathan and out fell a charred book of red leather on to her brother's lap.

"What...is...this?" Nathan softly asked both in shock and wonder at his sister, giving him something and from the look and feel of it, this was a spellbook. "Ngh..." However, he couldn't get his hands on it like he did with any new spellbook as his arms weren't in any condition to be used. "...ah? Thank you."

So Gwyn reached a hand out to pick the book up and held it to Nathan's face. "So it takes him nearly getting killed for you to play nice, huh?"

"That is a book of ash magic called Script Of The Ashen. You lack any from of fire-based spells, so this may help you in your pursuit of my shadow..." Nathalie answered Nathan's question while acting like Gwyn's and the knight herself didn't exist. "...or at the very least ensure that you are able to take another step in that thing you call a spell..." After that, she appeared to be making her way out. "...yes?" Until a beefy chest stood in her way.

"Are you seriously about to walk out like that, witch!? All you did was bad mouth your brother and tossed him some old book! You saved him before, but now you're acting like he's a waste of space!?" Gwyn barked down at Nathalie with her eyes glared and fists ready. No matter what Nathan, Natula, or the witch herself said, Gwyn, didn't either wanted to understand the way this woman acted or thought. "Huh?" Even now Nathalie was doing something the knight couldn't wrap her head around...the witch's eye was glaring...but not at Gwyn but at the person handing off her shoulders.

"Uhhmm? Uhhhh? Uguuu!" That being the little witch Morgen who didn't even have the willpower to roll up into her blackball mode while under the gaze of Nathalie.

"~Hmm, hmm, hmm~" Nathalie let out a soft giggle at the Morgen's reaction to her gaze. "As much as I would enjoy spending my time with my mother and brother after such a day...I am able to understand that his...friends...would also like to do this..." She held a single finger at Morgen which froze the poor girl on the spot. "...however, as long as you have that...disgusting abomination...with you, I will have no choice but to lev-"

"GGRRAAHH!" Gwyn right arm instantly flew forward with maximum force. It didn't matter who she was, whose sister/daughter she was, what reputation she had in the world, or what shitty reason she had to act this way. Gwyndolin did not like or care for this woman and calling a scared little girl on her shoulder an abomination was just the right trigger to set her off on the Witch Of The Gaps.

"GAUUUH!" However, all of that unbridled fury channeled into a fist was thrown at Blake of all people. This was caused by Nathalie opening a portal near her face the moment Gwyn attacked her. "AHHHH!" The punch sent the 'receiver' Blake flying over Nathan's bed. "UGGHH!" And into the window wall of the room which fortunately didn't break or Blake would have met the ground 4 stories later. "That hurt..." He groaned slowly picking himself up.

"Sir Blake, are you well?" Risabeel and Mari came up to help him while Gwyn and Nathalie had a staredown with Nathan and Natula keeping them from doing anything but that.

"No..." Blake answered, supporting himself against the window he smacked into. "Eh?" When he looked up while checking to see if he was bleeding, had a black eye and/or broken nose, he found Mordecai's face staring back at his. "Wha?" Without even thinking, he opened a part of the window wall and looked at the thief.

"Sup, leader!" Mordecai greeted Blake with a cheeky smile while hanging off the side of the building like a cat burglar...which he was...when needed at the right time...but this was not the time, so it was in his best interest to explain himself before Blake closed the window. "So, I lost you guys in the crowd back then and randomly met up with some witches..." He started while climbing up to sit on the window frame. "...I mean; I ditched you guys and tried to have some fun..." The thief corrected himself when Blake, Risabeel, Mari, and even Os gave him skeptical looks. "...but they didn't like how forward I was, and the next thing I knew I'm hanging off this window."

"Perfect timing, I guess?" Blake muttered not expecting an answer, but Mordecai nodded anyway. "Hey, thief come here..." However, considering he was just sucker-punched from a portal of all things, Blake was somewhat happy to see Mordecai. "...I'm willing to forget about that if you do something for me." He whispered as he brought Mordecai in close.

"Eh? You have something for me to do? It better not be one of those shitty fetch quests." Mordecai raised a brow but seeing as Blake almost never asked him for something in a serious way. This might be his chance to get on the smith's good side. "Or even better I could get him on my side..." He thought of an unlikely outcome of this one job but an outcome none the less. "So? What does the mightly leader have for his loyal servant?"

"When you said you're good at getting info on people you meant that right?" Blake asked, bringing a confused look to the thief's face, but any doubts Blake was having were mostly washed away when Mordecai nodded while rubbing his fingers in the smith's face. "Alright, so what's it gonna cost me for that one over there?" He turned himself and Mordecai around to point at...

Chapter End