Royal Eyes?

Shaking his head from the vivid memories on the open and dry dirt field together with Rin. He brushed her black cloak off from the dust, carrying the small girl up onto his arms once again, he wondered how he could have forgotten about the incident 9 years ago.

No, it’s no wonder how he couldn't have forgotten, not after he had taken the spartan training upon himself nonstop each day after that drizzling day. He couldn’t keep count of how many times he had passed out from exhaustion for each time he had depleted his own and borrowed mana.

He closed his eyelids for a moment, took a deep breath to return to his senses. Now calm, he watched the magician from a distance. The man that didn’t have his staff this time, nor was the clothings soaked like the water clone from before.

He stood there patiently, waiting casually as his black cloak was coated in a immense dark mana without breaking out in sweat, he asked, “Did you feel it? The calling…”

Silent, Tony couldn’t peel his eyes away from the man before him, the mana that sent cold shivers behind his neck. Gently pushing him towards the man, yet he stood firm with Rin like chains and aligned the new recent clues.

The Royal Eyes is not what it seems to be as the legends says. Neither does it only give the user more strength, likely it controls them for another purpose. But how? Through Mind Control?

The eyes he has been diligently using for these past 9 years without worries. The eyes he used to sense the mana and strengthen himself past the capacity limits, was actually a deadly ticking poison, waiting for the right moment to activate.

Whatever it was, it seems that the old scrolls and ancient books he had read inside the well known libraries was for nought. Even the knowledgeable old man who had dropped them off a few minutes ago, must have done the same as he.

He glanced at Rin’s eyelids with a bitter frown, regrets was filling his mind as he watched the man before him once again.

The man lowered his head, shrouded his face in the shadows of the hood. Increased the pitch dark mana that surrounded him in a burning circle and said, “You… You’re not one of us…”

A tiny drop of sweat rolled down from Tony’s back. Thinking for too long, made the man before him realise that something was amiss, also giving him time to prepare his mana in advance. Avoiding his eyes, Tony gently placed Rin on the ground, held her shoulder while scratching his cheek and said, “Well… How would I know if you are what you claim to be?”

“Oh…”

Dodging the bullet, the man extinguished his mana with a shrug, covered his eyes with his palm and revealed them soon after.

Eyes wide, Tony gently carried the light girl on his left shoulder for preparations. He gazed upon the glowing red irises, formed like a magic circle together with letters around the black pupils. So cool… He nearly squealed, while preparing his free arm coated in a tiny layer of swirling mana.

“Satisfied? Now sho… “, interrupted, the man created a dark hexagon barrier in a blink of an eye, blocking the wind magic that should’ve cut him in half.

“Tch, tch, tch… I thought you were confused about if I was one of the bearers, to think you were actually deceiving my eyes for a second there”, he snickered, walked closer while conjuring five dark spheres that emitted a purple lightning around the black holes as they hovered around the manipulator.

Deceiving my eyes? Looks like my confusion saved my skin. He thought, gathering mana onto his arm.

“Fire… Earth… and wind... What more do you hide, unless that’s all?”, he asked, sending the dark spheres with the size of a football towards Tony.

Covering himself with his arm as if he had a invisibleshield. A fire barrier was brought forth, clashing against the three first spheres that pushed him backwards as dirt builded up behind his shoes.

The barrier shattered like glass, revealing another incoming sphere heading towards him in great speeds. Caught of guard, he made a split second barrier. The force of the sphere shattered the barrier and sent him further away as he carried Rin towards the crumbling walls.

Using wind magic, he balanced himself as he staggered on the dirt. Countering with a azure blue blazing spear before the last sphere would connect.

Eating the air, it grew larger, sharper, pierced the sphere, scattering the ball of dark mana into the air as the spear propelled through the air towards the smiling man with a happy cloak.

Raising his hand, creating yet another dark barrier with confidence. Eyes wide, sweat dripped from the heat as the blazing spear barely covered his vision before his eyes. The spear vanished, together with the remaining pierced barrier. Eyes bulging from rage, he conjured more spheres, tiny but with quantity. Covering the whole field behind him with tiny pellets.

A wind blew past, instinctively he sidestepped as yet another spear pierced through the wind, letting out a sonic boom as it barely scratched his cheek. The burn stung as the blood dripped, he frowned, angered he sent the spheres like a gatling gun.

Tony used wind magic, dodging the explosions that left a trail of dust cloud behind him. Though, with a chill behind his back, the pellets followed him like homing missiles. He swung his arm, sending a blazing azure blue crescent back, hoping that he could interrupt his opponent. Whilst making sure that he still had Rin by tapping her back without peeling of his eyes from his opponent. She gently tapped back.

The man couldn’t underestimate his opponent anymore, removing the focus on the pellets, he raising a concentrated barrier. Sliding backwards by the weight of the crescent that clashed, leaving a large crack on the barrier and blazing fire behind him.

Not missing the chance, Tony swung his free arm multiple times, first like a cross, then a forward thrust and another side way swing. Creating three blue flames like the shape of his swings that soared across the cloudy battlefield towards the man.

Mustering his dark mana that coated his arms, he sent a shockwave forwards, extinguishing the flames yet, a strong burn stung his blazing left leg.

Tony watched the man as he soaking the leg with a splash of soothing water. He smirked, the one conjured like a thrust had more mana and pierced through his shockwave. Leaving his opponent’s pants wet while dyed in red.

Sweat stung his eyes as the adrenaline pumped through his systems. It kept him going. Panting, he conjured a large blazing dark sword like a cross. Emitting purple lightning statics onto the ground and arms as he raised it towards the pair.

“I admit… you are strong, to be able to change the state of your mind that quick is a feat to brag about. I’ll challenge you to a duel of swords, please accept” He said, hoping that the man before him would accept. Not because he was a wounded tiger, but that the man before him excel in long range combat. Meaning that he couldn’t run away without showing his vulnerable back. And with a wounded leg against a man carrying a girl, he would have better chances in close combat.

“What if I say no?”, Tony answered, coating his right arm in swirling mana.

“I die without mustering a tiny piece of information, considering how you seem to not even know anything about the eyes.”

Tony was silent, the man had hit the bullseye. Did he see through me with those pairs of eyes of his?

He smirked, “I’ll tell you what will happen to your little girl in the future if you beat me in swordsmanship, after all… You know what I mean right?”

Tony glanced at Rin, leaving her on foot would prove to be too dangerous, but that would also mean that he would do what the man before him wants. “Fine, I accept your duel." He said, conjuring a sword of blazing azure blue flames. Information is vital...

Walking slowly to him, Tony held the weightless sword in one hand, grinding it on the ground as it left a trail of blue fire. His opponent on the other hand, stood tall with his wounded leg in a defensive stance, waiting patiently for his opponent to make his first move as sweat dripped from his forehead.

Advancing slowly, close enough until Tony only needed a few steps to reach him. He charged, went for a heavy foreswing. His opponent frowned from the pain as he clashed with the first swing with his sword. The weight sent him backwards as his sweaty hands held the sword with both of his hands. He parried the blazing sword to the left that pushed him backwards, though not enough to knock the sword free of his hands.

He returned a backswing, followed by a foreswing, leaving trails of sparks that stung Tony as he sidestepped backwards. Dodgin the first, Tony parried the second upwards. Leaving the man before him wide open.

Arcing a downwards slice, the fabrics caught fire. The man staggered backwards as he removed his black cloak. Though, with a smirk, Tony went for a sideway slash. It cut through his flesh behind by half a centimeter. The man had set a barrier, otherwise it would be deeper.

He grinned as his wounds soaked his clothings.

Tony was uncertain as he gazed upon his opponent’s eyes, why would he grin like that?

The opponent noticed the wavering man before him, grateful for the tiny advantage, he ignored the wound on his left limping leg and stomach. Charged towards Tony, swung a few times but missed as Tony only back stepped away.

Countering with yet another foreswing, the man before him met the magic sword, weight sent the man down on his knees as Tony used his trembling hand and body on the sword.

He frowned yet with a smile, removed one of his hands from the sword, leaving his right hand trembling, barely knocking the sword off, as he conjured a long dagger on his left.

Eyes wide, impressed of how he have used Tony's apprentice to his advantage. Yet, calm as he sent a forward kick on the chest.

"I yield!" The man coughed, removing both of his weapons and sat down as Tony held his own sword near his sweating head.

"Now tell me...", Tony ordered, still holding Rin.

He laughed, "I don't know how you got out of that sanity... But that girl over there who had inherited the eyes will go through the same"

"Go through what?"

He laughed, created a barrier that covered him like a sphere. "You'll have to make a choice one day... Just prepare for it"

Tony stabbed the sphere, though his sword extinguished instead. Leaving him silent from the immense strength created in a blink of an eye. He muttered “Gae Bolg”, the blazing azure blue spear that can pierce anything appeared on his palm. Throwing it, it too proved to be for nought.

"You'd better leave now, They'll be here any moment.", he informed, staring at Tony with his glowing red eyes.

"They? Why are you telling me that?"

He laughed and soon after shrugged inside the sphere. "Next time we'll fight each other with full strength, mark my words… I won’t underestimate you like today..."

Tony gazed upon the wounded man, trusting him he carried Rin like a princess and used wind magic to leave the scene as fast as possible. Leaving the man that watched them run to the distance until he couldn’t see them anymore.

He released the sphere barrier that made him pant heavily as his mana wavered. Luckily for him, his opponent didn’t notice. Clicking his tongue, he muttered, “Ninth, it seems we have someone who is not bound by the blood, yet still has the eyes. He might prove problematic to our plans...”

The voice of a girl echoed through his mind “Pfft, did you lose? Useless... That’s why grunts like you should stay at home, washing the dishes like a weakling you are...”

Without speaking back, he started to heal his wounds with soothing water magic and asked, “What is the new plans?”

The girl was silent for a few seconds and soon after laughed, “Rebels have appeared in Arkantos, kill them… Kill their leader called Lucas… I’ll handle the red cloaked magician myself.”

“Yes, ninth… Though, you should be careful… he...”

A cold shiver ran through his spine, chest tightened, he trembled as the girl spoke, “Who do you speak of?”

“The ninth, one of the ten great beings…”

“Good… It seems you have company, don’t forget those eyes”

“Yes, Ninth…”

A group of three men arrived, gazing upon their comrade dyed in red clothings as he finished his last wounds with water magic. The man waved towards them with a smile.

“David… Is the magician that strong?” The tall man on the middle asked, with a thin face and a red cape of the empire as he lent out a hand.

David snickered, accepted his hand and smiled with his brown eyes and said, “Yeah, he will prove worthy for the empire as a Royal magician, especially with his mastery over azure blue fire. He could probably even rival you, second class sergeant.”

“Oh? Azure blue… I wonder which would win, my white flames or his blue ones… “, He said, creating a cold fire ball, pure sparkling white as it hovered above his palm. ”So where did he go?”

“I don’t know… He left me alive after knocking me out with these wounds…”, David sulked.

The second class sergeant nodded and ordered the two behind him, “You two, get him back to camp and I’ll go gather some information.”

They saluted, left with David as the sergeant stood tall on the dry field with blood.

“Heh, someone who can single handedly beat David… And that wall? Did the red cloaked magician cause it? This will prove to be fun...” He whispered, gazing upon the crumbling great wall that was known for its sturdiness, though… Also because of the anti magic materials.