I ran through the hallway, jumping over people with tiny bits of source on my feet. I was running towards a tree at our school that was over a hundred years old, but its age wasn't necessary to me, it was who under it. As I got the tree into my view, I could see who I was looking for. The kid was called Salcemi, his father was a smith, and his mother was an alchemist, he would trade people for items and rumes.

I didn't usually trade with him, but with the small rock I found and was now in my hand, I think I could trade with him what I wanted. I went up to him and started to bargain.

"I heard the fight you're about to have Dyne, my guess you want a source amplifying elixir," Salcemi asked.

"Right on the dot,"

"Trade, come on,"

"I found this rock today, and it's different, do you know what it is?" I reached into my small sack and pulled out the rock.

I underhanded Salcemi the stone and he used his fire source to heat it. After the rock partially turned red, he stopped and cooled it down using his source of water, quite rare to have opposing sources, but his parents primarily use each one, so it's not as much as a surprise. 

"It has a high resistance to fire, as well as it is quite sturdy, give me one crace rume as well, and I'll give you two,"

"Deal," I said while I got out the crace rume.

"You know, I have double the amount betting on you,"

"Who organized the bet?"

"You'll find out during the duel," Salcemi then put his left index finger to his lip and fell silent, "And good luck."

I now had two small elixirs in my left hand. I drank one of them immediately and put the other one in my sachet. After drinking the liquid, I felt a little pain in my chest, with most source boosting items, it would harm the body as it would affect the soul directly if I drank the other one now, I would most likely faint. The fatigue I felt from waking up and training today had disappeared, and I felt similarly like I had a good sleep.

I got the apple I picked from the tree from my sachet and looked towards the sky. As I was eating the apple, I wondered how I would defeat Frederick. He usually beat me with a few swings, so I didn't know much of his style. I decided that I would try to tire him out instead, as you can't a massive axe for long. After I finished my apple, I took a deep breath while standing up before throwing the apple core onto the dusty floor.

I then started to walk towards the courtyard, to reveal many people had come to see the fight. I could see Frederick in a corner surrounded by his friend group, and they were giving their source to him. This was a duel, not a fight to the death. Even with the spare elixir, I would be no match for him.

Suddenly, two hands touched my back and source started to flow through me; I turn around to see that Lance was giving it to me.

"Thanks, Lance, Frederick is such a bastard, I mean, is he was planning to kill me or?," I said.

"Don't worry about it, I gathered up some of my other friend's source, and now I'm giving it all to you."

"How many people did you get the source from,"

"About how many people Frederick has."

I was in complete shock that many people wanted me to win. I didn't have many friends here, and Lance was my only close friend, well if you think about it, people would like Frederick to stop tormenting everyone. Frederick stepped into the ring in which he made with scorch marks using his incarnate weapon, Lance took his hands off and gave me a thumbs up telling me that he transferred his source into me.

I then stepped into the ring, greeted with a glare from Frederick. I could also see that he was activating his soul ability, his body started to haze, leaving a wispy version of himself, like a grey ghost. As I also said the magic words, I skipped the flashy entrance, and to my surprise, my wooden staff had a white spearhead on it. I was shocked, but that didn't last for long since I became cockier just at the sight of the new weapon.

As I look towards the referee for this duel, I saw that it was Lance. As he was simmering everyone down, he made a great speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the duel between Frederick Nadone and Dyne," Lance sarcastically said.

Suddenly the entire crowd started cheering our names; I could hear a lot of 'Frederick' and a lot of my name after that Lance continued his speech.

"Now, to make the fight more interesting, I shall change the landscape!" Lance announced.

"There will be no need for that" A weird, but familiar voice said.

Suddenly, some of the ground around Frederick and I started to rise. As I look around to see who was doing this, I saw on the fence the Spirit of Daishins land, Dreansel, a spirit of the wind.

Non-violent Spirits took a humanoid appearance, and Dreansel was no expectation. He was bald, looked thirty-five-year-old man, having white iris and was mostly transparent like most Spirits. 

Many of the kids who grew up in Daishin knew Dreansel. He played with the kids in the area, shaping the land to fit the child's wishes. But when you turn ten, Dreansel doesn't play with you anymore. Instead, he would pick on you. As everyone was looking at Dreansel, I saw that Lance was excited not amazed. Then I connected the dots of what Salcemi said.

As I point the finger at Lance and Dreansel, I say "Your organizing the bets on this duel aren't you?"

"A bit," Both of them replied.

"But I'm going for you while Lance is going for Frederick, and be thankful for the spearhead!" Dreansel said. Spirits were able to give some of their power to people, but this was the first time Dreansel did that in a long time, I believed in twenty-five years.

As I was shocked to see that my best friend was rooting for the one who he hates most. But I am grateful that Dreansel gave me the spearhead, now it seems that I have a better chance to fight Frederick in a duel. As Lance was counting down for the fight to begin, Frederick started talking.

"What's on the line for you Dye?" Frederick asked me.

It seems that Frederick was also gambling in the fight. Knowing him, he won't take anything for an answer. I raised my right hand as my left hand held my spear, and opened all five fingers, wriggling them.

"Five silver rumes and territory for the dullahans if I win," I replied with.

"And if you lose?" Frederick asked

"I'll leave the dullahans to join your guild; you're a bit low on air source if I remember, "

"We don't need a weakling like you in the werewolves,"

"Ok, how about this, I do your homework until the end of the term,"

"Alright, you got yourself a deal."

When Frederick and I shook on the deal, it wasn't that bad on my end, but why? Because there are only two weeks left for the year, and he'll probably kick me out as soon as I got into the 'Blazing werewolves', and that is another example of why Fredrick is an idiot.

Suddenly I could hear everyone counting down: "five, four, three, two, one,".

When the countdown hit 'one', Frederick immediately swung his axe, and a giant wave of flame appeared in front of him. I was able to dodge it by jumping off a nearby rock and hover in the air for a bit. When I looked down again, Frederick was… nowhere to be found. Suddenly I heard a "Behind you" from a female voice below me. I look around to see that a smokey Frederick was about to slice me in two.

I immediately knock Frederick back with a rush of air. To my surprise, Frederick moved back and went back into his less obfuscated form.

Wiping his mouth, I noticed that blood had stained his right arm which he rubbed his lip with. It then occurred to me of what just happened. I had an idea of what just happened, but I wouldn't confront Frederick, as it would make him more violent, but instead, he did it for me.

"Well, well, it seems that you found out a major wronging in my soul ability," Frederick said.

"When the smoke leaves your body for too long, it hurts you?" I replied with.

"Correct, but that's just a normal attack,"

"What do you mean?"

"It means I'm going to hurt you so bad that you won't be able to move for a while Dye!"

Suddenly Frederick changed his stance, to a more crouching position, with his axe still pointing at me. His axe's flames began to become more significant. It seemed that Frederick was about to finish the duel with one blow. As soon as I saw that he was doing it, I put all my source around my body, creating a large current of wind circling my body. As I was done making my air current, I rushed towards Frederick, with my spear aiming right towards him. I was mid charge when I saw Fredericks scowl, turn into a smile.

"You are an idiot, Dye" Frederick smirked.

I suddenly then realized that I made myself a perfect target for him. Suddenly, Frederick rushed at me within his smoke state, but there were three of them. I managed to spear one of the Frederick who dissipated. One of them hit me in the backside, then on in the jaw, then one in the leg. Surprisingly, Fredericks smokey doppelgangers were bruising me all over. Quickly, Frederick reverted to one form and swung his axe straight into my stomach, and I collided with the ground, creating a small dust cloud. 

"You like my new attack, Dye? I call it the 'the Heads of hells gate', how do you like it?" Frederick asked.

I tried to speak, but I couldn't, I'd lost the duel. I was about to surrender... but I had a sudden idea. Using the last of my strength, I drank the remaining elixir, originally planning to like my last stand. As I stood up, I saw that Frederick was already celebrating his victory, his back towards me, arms in the air. This was my chance to attack, I aimed my spear right a Frederick and made it, so my spear was much more durable and lighter.

With the power surging through my spear, I charged at Frederick with all my might. As he turned around to talk about his victory probably, he saw me. His eyes of success turned to anger. Frederick grabbed flaming executioner and turned and started to run towards me as well. I was confident that Fredericks anger was higher than mine.

When Frederick and I were face to face, we both moved our weapons. As I was about to administer the final blow in his ribcage, a layer of ice stopped Frederick and me from meeting our weapons. As I jump back from the ice, I look around to see who did that.

"Who did that!?" Frederick roared.

"That would be me, son," A familiar and nomadic voice answered.

After I calmed down a bit, I saw who it was, the headmaster of the school and Frederick's father. Everyone feared the headmaster; he had an excellent source of water, which was the superb source of ice.

He wore only some simple brown clothing, embroidered with a bright red. His facial features were the same as Frederick, only twenty years older, and had a black beard.

"Son, what do you think you're doing?" The headmaster asked Frederick.

"About to beat Dyne to a bloody pulp old man," Frederick responded with.

"You seem to have damaged Dyne quite a bit, I think that's enough, after all, revenge sickens the mind, but forgiveness forgives the mind and soul,"

"He stole a silver rume from me!"

"By what I give you every week, it's only a small amount, you are a spoiled brat," The headmaster then chuckled.

"I am not spoiled!" Fredrick then stomped his foot on the floor, leaving a small burn mark.

After the touching father and son conversation, the headmaster turned to talk to me.

"Sorry Dyne for my son's recklessness, it seems that you are a bit burnt, here let me help you," The headmaster said.

The headmaster then created a drop of water and then threw me the drop of water when it hit my skin. I could feel all my wounds stitching themselves back together.

"Thank you, Headmaster!" I replied after my wounds stitched themselves up.

"No worries Dyne, after all, you'll still be going to the resting area,"

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly my body felt all tired, and I was put to sleep. I wake up in the other world, to what seems to be a mountain range. I then heard some hands clapping behind me.

"Well, well, nice job" A weird voice echoed.

I turn around to see where the voice was coming from. I suddenly see the black-robed figure I was chasing before the start of school was right in front of me.

"Who are you, and why are you following me?!" I yelled at the figure.

"I follow you because it's my job but who I am, I can and cannot show you," The figure said.

"Don't care; just reveal your identity to me!"

When the black-robed figure took down his hood, I was surprised to see who he was. The figure's identity was... Frederick.