Casting a Manipulation of Earth, Orchid backed away from his pursuers, causing a massive series of spikes sprout from the ground to block their approach. Sending out a pulse of mana to sense his assailants Orchid started to channel mana into his bracers, creating Lighting and Earth orbs that hovered near him. The first to break through the spikes was Leon, shouting as he charged Orchid with blinding speed. Ilse had stayed with Justain and Ice spikes started forming in her hands as she continued to chant some spell while standing in front of the fallen prince. Anna was standing with arms outstretched, clouds of gas swirling around her. Rock’s stance was in preparation to strike, his spear humming with power and a massive boulder forming behind his shoulder. Other cadets were starting to cast spells or dash towards him weapons raised and bloodlust in their eyes.

I’m surrounded. Better get rid of the most dangerous ones first.

Raising his palm towards Leon, he fired off bolts of lightning to delay him and Blinked once more, appearing near Anna. She brought her hands down in a rush and the clouds of gas expanded into a sphere that enclosed him. Sensing that the cloud was powder and not a gas he felt great danger.

How did she know I was going to target her first??

Using a Manipulation of Wind to push the cloud away from him he staggered back. Feeling the powder burning his lungs he realized that she must have created poison. Tears streaming down his face he noticed the plant in her hands.

Liverspot root? That’s not lethal but it will burn horribly.

Bringing a cloud of water down on his head to clear the powder out, he Blinked away in a random direction. The Blink was only a short distance and he knew that the charge in the Striker boots was depleting much too fast as he ran around.

Something hit him in the side and the modifications in his uniform activated to disperse the force.

Lashing out with his fists he heard a grunt as he struck someone. His eyes opening a crack he saw a cadet falling to the floor holding their broken elbow.

Where did he come from?

The fighting had spread and the people who had been targeting him were caught with each other in fierce struggles.

Rock was striking a fire wielding cadet with his spear while the boulder he had created was pressing down on another.

Anna was surrounded by three cadets retching and convulsing on the ground. A magic wielder hurled massive gusts of wind at her causing the clouds around her to spiral out of her control.

Seeing this Orchid used the orbs of Earth he had created to pelt her legs until she was hurled off her feet. As she fell to the ground he added a few more rocks in his barrage to make sure she stayed down.

Off to the side Leon and Rock clashed, a few exchanges of their weapons and Rock was left bleeding on the floor while Leon’s armor was shattered.

“Defeated.” The Major’s voice reverberated throughout the arena and the fallen cadets were surrounded by light before they vanished in a burst of wind.

Almost half the cadets were removed from the fight, leaving only a dozen cadets who all paused to survey their opponents. Orchid reached into his coat, pulled out some general antivenom and breathed it in and felt better as he found it easier to breathe as the burning eased.

Ilse started casting another spell, the mana she was converting was so large that an icy mist formed around her. Leon didn’t look at anyone but Orchid, striding towards him, he raised his axe and cast a short spell that made the axe burst into flame.

The Professor faced down another cadet but before either of them could make a move, a burst of shadows appeared with a flurry of blade attacks, sending them both flying.

Leon and Ilse were too well known and no one wanted to fight against them, so seeing that they were targeting Orchid the remaining cadets started to circle around them all, getting ready to strike at any sign of weakness.

Feeling the light around him dim he felt a back pressed against his own.

“Got any ideas little Purple.” An exhausted Rat asked him as they stood back to back, facing the remaining cadets.

“Can you handle Ilse if I distract her?” Orchids own exhaustion wasn’t any less than hers. In this sort of fight where mana was drawn at such rapid speeds, a few exchanges would feel as if they had been fighting for minutes and not seconds.

Leon and the other cadets hesitated seeing Rat joining him, her ability to seemingly vanish into thin air was utterly terrifying and the greatest cause of worry in this sort of free for all.

“It will need to be a big distraction.” She replied, twirling her short swords in figure eights.

“It will be. We’ll take one of the other cadets each, avoid Leon, he’s too strong. After we get rid of them move on to Ilse.” Leaning his head back a little to knock against the Rats, he Blinked to the side, appearing behind a massive Flamberge wielding cadet while the Rat vanished into shadows once more.

His already outstretched hands appeared to either side of the cadet’s head and released huge rolling waves of sound, making the cadets eyes glaze over as his consciousness faded. Grabbing him from behind, Orchid Blinked once more just as Leon’s blazing axe swung through the position he had just stood in.

His ability to attack whoever he targets as much as he wants is as horrifying as rumoured.

Appearing just outside the mist around Ilse he hurled the unconscious cadet at her with all his strength and scrambled to the side as dozens of ice shards were shot back in a counterattack. The freezing cold penetrating him even though they only brushed by him.

Ilse didn’t panic and conjured a wall of ice that the unfortunate cadet smashed into, but the distraction was enough for a sphere of shadow to appear behind Ilse, pushing the mist away as the Rat shot out, her blades slashing in a series of lightning fast unpredictable strikes.

Ilse’s shield shattered and she received multiple cuts as she staggered backwards. The Rat glided forwards, sticking to Ilse and swinging her blades again. Ilse jumped back and a staff of Ice appeared in her hands with a short chant, that she used to parry the Rats attack in a spinning defense.

As the Rat started her attack, Orchid was already charging to meet Leon’s attack, a few new lightning orbs revolving around him. Hand surrounded in a wobbling, instable Space Manipulation he struck out towards the axe.

HYMN OF THE GUARD! FOURTH PARRY- SPATIAL VARIATION! TURN THE TIDE!

His strike parted the flames around the axe and with a resounding crash the axe was deflected to the side. With Leon wide open, Orchids follow up punch sank into his stomach and he could feel something snap under the force of the strike. Spinning away and using his axe for balance Leon managed to remain upright. Sporting a massive grin, he roared.

“That’s it Orchid! Fight me!”

This is why I hate this lunatic the most, he never lets up once he’s fighting.

Seeing them both injured the remaining cadets charged in with magic and steel. A furious melee burst out as everyone except Ilse and the Rat started to exchange blows. Orchid used the remaining charge in his Striker boots to blink very short distances and strike out with devastating mana powered fists. Leon used his axe to push back multiple people with each swing, using his attacks to keep people away.

Flares of magical attacks of all elements peppered the melee, and everyone was injured with glancing blows or bursts of magical force. Orchid managed to knock two cadets out but was injured by them in return, a blade having sliced through his leg. Their fight kept intensifying and all of a sudden, earth shaking attacks of flame tore through the fight as Leon struck out with his burning axe. Three cadets fell and Orchid was sent flying despite the protection on his uniform.

Falling with a gigantic thud he saw out of the corner of his eye, the Rat and Ilse in a struggle of speed and dexterity. The Rat striking through the shadows at multiple angles and Ilse rotating her staff with such speed that the air was humming and moving just with the force she created. Neither of them were making any progress in defeating the other, Ilse’s defense too solid and the Rat too elusive to even be targeted.

Rolling over as a cadet blasted Earth spikes at him, Orchid hurled bone throwing knives back at his assailant. The strengthened knives punched through the cadets shield and struck his arm. Scrambling up, Orchid broke into a shambling run angling away from Leons fight with the last remaining cadet, as pain tugged at him.

“Enough!” A voice shouted.

The remaining cadets froze as Colonel Geneson appeared in a flash of light, accompanied by the two Majors. He was smiling happily despite the volume of his voice.

“You brats have done well, having survived for so long.” He said, studying the injured cadets before him.

Watching him warily, Orchid slowly reached into his coat to pull out some Fiends Kiss and secretly applied it to the injuries he could quickly reach.

“Now I know you were told that the winner wouldn’t be punished, but we feel that things have been too easy for you.”

Only you think that.

“So, I’ve introduced a new rule into this little exercise.” Gesturing at Rocks father he continued. “If you can survive just a minute facing the Major, you win. Simple, isn’t it?” His smile made Orchid feel terror.

You don’t want anyone to win. What is it that you’re planning for punishment, that you have to make all of us lose?

“Well, carry on brats.” He waved his hand and vanished.

Seeing the one-armed Major striding towards Ilse and the Rat, Orchid pulled out a small flask of apple cider and took a sip. Squinting, he watched as all the other candidates charged the Major, only to be hurled back in a flurry of punches. Following the strikes up with beams of light magic he finished off all the cadets who had attacked, the beams easily slicing through all their defenses as if they didn’t exist. They were teleported away in a burst of air and the Major faced Orchid.

“Not going to attack? I didn’t think you were a coward.” The major sneered.

Taking another sip of the cider Orchid dusted his clothes off.

“We weren’t meant to win. I’m not interested in fighting you when I know I’m meant to lose.”

“You won’t even try?”

“There’s a child on this continent that can defeat a Major in the army who’s a graduate of the Academy?”

The sneer on the Majors face vanished as if it had never even existed, replaced by the soft smile Orchid had always seen on his friend’s father.

“Eizen was right. You really are a smart child.”

Taking another sip, he tossed the flask at the Major with a shrug.

“Thank you for the compliment. You can finish the rest, I have a feeling that if I keep it on me it might break.”

Laughing, the major raised his hand and the last thing Orchid saw before passing out was a massive sheet of flame that rushed towards him.

I told them we had to be prepared.